Land of Storms

Chapter 4

         The first day was spent leisurely walking through the long grass of the fields. Birds sang, animals skittered, and a tree fled.

         Tress’ eyes narrowed. He waved at Gordon and pointed. The dark haired man focused, his brown eyes intense. “The Darkness,” Corson heard him whisper to himself. Then he nodded at the wizard and dug his heels in, thundering across the landscape toward the sprinting foliage. Notching an arrow, Kade shot past the knight as well, racing to join his comrade. The army man felt left out and confused.

         Tress looked over at him and nodded in the direction of the tree. “That is a spy of the Darkness. Most likely it is some wizard who had disguised himself. He would have been better off staying still, though he probably felt my magic scanning the area and decided his best chance was to flee. Unfortunately, he cannot use any powerful magic in his current form, and therefore is at an extreme disadvantage with two of the king’s top soldiers after him. He will feel the pain of an arrow or blade despite his appearance.”

         Astounded, Corson stared in partial horror as the men caught up with the tree. Gordon stabbed his ornate knife into the tree’s bark. An inhuman screech echoed and the tree began to writhe. Its bark turned a sickly gray and began peeling off. A middle aged man with a gray streaked beard fell to the ground, squirming in pain.

         Kade rode up beside the man in the dirt and glared. His arrow was still resting on the bowstring. “What is your purpose here?”

         The older man hissed through bared teeth. “Why should I tell you?” He laughed despite being in pain. But finally his pain subsided and he slowly tried to rise.

         A sword was placed at his throat and he stopped halfway to his feet. Gordon’s expression was filled with a dark disdain. “You are a wizard and not one from Trent. Refusing to answer is an admission of ill intent and is a death sentence in these parts."

         “And what if answering is also a death sentence?” the wizard inquired.

         Gordon glanced at Kade who nodded grimly. And then Gordon swung his sword, removing the man’s head from his body. Wiping his blade, he turned back to the other two men. He raised his voice to be heard. “He must have been trying to keep an eye on you since you arrived. This is probably the same wizard you saw when you first arrived.”

         Tress and Corson rode past the corpse and the soldier had to look away and tighten his jaw, swallowing hard to keep his breakfast down. How can they do that with no emotion or reaction? I’m going to need a therapist after this.



         The four continued on for a few hours before Kade finally could not stand seeing Corson so on edge. He rode closer and gave him a small smile. “Corson, are you alright?”

         The man’s pale face turned to look at his friend. “Kade… How are you okay with what happened to that wizard? Shouldn’t he have been brought back for a trial, or imprisoned or something?”

         The king’s soldier raised his brows in surprise. “A trial? Imprisonment? I know your world is much different, but here, servants of the Darkness do not get a trial. He admitted he deserved death and so we gave it to him. That is the way justice works here. You will have to learn to stomach it.”

         The knight was incredulous. And they thought my world was horrible. Anyone can just kill anyone here. Soldiers get to decide who lives and dies. How is my world worse than this? He could not possibly understand how this was not more terrible. It was like vigilante justice. But then again, if civilians were more in charge of justice, child predators and all them wouldn’t be walking around. He rolled his eyes. Now his sense of justice and law and order were getting all messed up. His world functions just fine. This one is the world that is crazy and dangerous.

         Despite the horror he had already witnessed, he began to ride a little closer to Gordon and Kade and kept a wary eye on every tree they passed. When the men stopped for the night and made camp, Corson laid out his cloak and unsaddled his mare.

         He was lost in his own thoughts when Gordon came up beside him. “Corson, Kade said you were on edge from the ordeal with the wizard earlier.”

         “Yeah, Gordon. It just doesn’t make any sense. How is it justice if a soldier can just decide that he should die with no trial, no proof of guilt? How is that a just system?” The knight dropped the saddle onto a fallen log and looked Gordon in the eyes, his own expression still haunted.

         The bigger man blew out a long breath and ran his fingers through his long hair. “Corson…” he began, hesitating. “Wizards like that man back there… They are not welcome in Trent. The king has prohibited their presence in his kingdom. They cross over our boundary lines knowing they will be put to death. If they do not give us a valid reason for being here, the automatic sentence is death. These wizards are servants of the Darkness, some being part of the Darkness themselves. They spy on what is happening in kingdoms that are ruled justly and they find ways to corrupt those in good standing with the kings and queens so that they can gain power through manipulation. The killing of a wizard who serves the Darkness in an honor. They are not protected under the laws that forbid the killing of wizards. It is not only the taking of one life, but the saving of countless others. We have been trained to defeat wizards as quickly and effectively as possible. The hunting knife that his majesty gifted me was imbued with the ability to drain the magic from someone if the magic was learned and not innate. While it has its limitations, most wizards who serve the Darkness claim to be legitimate while using learned magic. They were not born with it."

         Corson stood there, staring out at the dusky landscape. “So there is just no trial? Nothing for him to plead a case?”

         Shaking his head wearily, Gordon sighed. That is the last thing these men should have. I know in your world there is no genuine innate magic. But here,” He gestured around. “Here, there are magics that can manipulate what people think, what they believe. There are magics that can usurp one’s free will and make them into puppets for the Darkness and its servants. There are magics that can make one take on the image of a soldier or a husband or wife. Having a wizard stand trial is dangerous and could result in the assassination of a king himself. I do not say this to justify our actions. I say this because I have seen it happen. Here in this world, people can be destroyed with a thought.” He finished speaking and stood where he was for a short time, watching his friend as he processed the information that was just given to him.

         Corson pinched the bridge of his nose. “This really is hell, Gordon.”

         The soldier chuckled sadly and patted him on the shoulder before moving away to collect wood for the fire. “You will see.”

         I will see what? The knight thought to himself darkly. I will see it really is hell? Or I will see it isn’t? What will I see? The conversation and explanation did little to ease his discomfort, but it did give him a satisfactory answer to why things were done this way. He groaned to himself. He needed a distraction. “Kade,” he called. “Fight me. I want to see how good these gauntlets are. I’d rather lose a hand to you than a monster if they suck.”

         “Where do you get these crazy words to describe things?” the other swordsman asked humorously.

         Brandishing his sword, Corson laughed. “Well, where I come from, that specific term means…” He stopped talking.

         Kade tilted his head. “Yes?”

         Now that he thought about it, his brother in arms really did not need to know about this one. “Nevermind. You don’t actually want to know.”

         Giving him an odd look, Kade shrugged. “Let us see how many times it takes me to cut off your hand. I am confident Tress can do something useful with his magic for once and fix it.”

         Tress gasped in horror. “No! I cannot! I do not have healing magic! You monster!”

         Both men laughed as they began sparring. The practice match went surprisingly well. For the first time, Corson got the best of his mentor and friend. Being able to grab the man’s blade was definitely a huge advantage. He had taken hold of Kade’s sword, kicking him in the stomach and wrenching the blade from his hands. When the soldier was off balance and taken by surprise, he grabbed him by the throat with his other hand and slammed him into the dirt, throwing the blade and raising his fist. Kade tapped out and was hoisted up. Gordon saw the end of the fight and commented on Corson’s impressive level of skill in hand to hand.

         The former army man wiped the sweat from his forehead and smiled tiredly. “Our military uses mostly long range weapons or hand to hand combat. We do not use blades. Our weapons can kill you with one hit by someone who knows how to use it.”

         “How? How can you have a weapon that can kill in one hit? You do not use bows.” Gordon commented as he finished piling up the wood for the fire.

         “We have guns. They make vests to keep you alive, but no vest is technically invincible. And we have fighter jets that can blow you up, too,” he said nonchalantly as he pulled out the flint to light the wood.

         His three companions just stared at him. “What are jets?” Tress asked.

         “Well…” He paused. How to explain it. “Think of it like a giant metal bird shaped transportation that flies in the air. You sit in it and fly it. But it moves faster than sound itself. And imagine arrows that are larger than you and explode on impact. And the explosion can blow up entire buildings. That is basically a fighter jet.”

         “And that is normal in your world?” the wizard asked again.

         “For the military it is. We even have boats that travel underwater and shoot out similar ammunition to blow up ships.” He lit the wood on his fourth try. “Ah! There we go. Fire.”

         Gordon slowly nodded as he processed this information. “So every one is just blown up in your world?”

         Corson could not stop his laughter. “Of course not. Only soldiers and some cities during war.”

         “Entire cities?” Kade asked incredulously.

         “Yeah. During one war two entire cities were completely decimated. By two bombs dropped by planes. Uh… bigger jets.”

         “How does anyone survive in your world?” the wizard asked.

         “That’s a great question. I’m still trying to figure that out myself.” He chuckled. No one else thought it was funny. They all stared at him. He looked at them and shrugged.

         When the men finally turned in for the night, Kade offered to take the first watch. Corson walked over and sat beside him. “Hey, Kade.”

         “Can’t sleep?” the other asked, handing him a canteen of water.

         “I just need to talk to someone other than Tress about something.” He looked uneasily at the dark expanse beyond the firelight.

         “Well, I cannot leave even if I wanted to, so I seem to be a good choice.” Kade smirked.

         This is why the two got along well. His friend was personable, caring, and could deal with Corson’s offensive personality. “I have no magic. I can’t learn magic. We’ve tried. I cannot learn anything. On top of that, I was not a commander or anything of the sort. I joined that army just for the money so I didn’t have to get a real job. I never fought a battle. Hell, I barely passed basic training. I joined the reserves which meant that I did nothing for a month until I had to meet with my unit, or group of soldiers I was assigned to, and train for two or three days. I slept on people’s couches. I avoided responsibility at all costs. I’m no warrior or hero, Kade. I am the biggest failure your world has ever seen.” He stopped talking and felt even more ashamed than he thought he would after having voiced his inadequacies.

         Kade sat quietly, staring into the fire. Corson could see his mind working and his jaw clenching and unclenching as he thought over what he was told. He used to think his jaw clenching habit was out of frustration, annoyance, or anger. But the more time he spent with him, the more he realized that it was just what he did when he was deep in thought. The king’s soldier grabbed a still and poked at the fire, clearing his throat. “Corson, I know you were no warrior when you arrived. I know you struggle with finding magic you can use. Maybe you have access to it and maybe you do not. That is for the Voice to decide. However, whatever life you lived before you came here is unimportant. You could have been lazy, selfish, a criminal, or a shoeshine boy in your world. What matters is right now. Your current life is what matters and your current life is here in Trent with us, trying to do what no one else has ever been able to do. I do not say this lightly. But even slaves have become kings. And they were good men, too, and good kings. The only thing that affects your life presently is what you are going to do about where you are now. If you believe you can be the warrior we need, then I will follow you to the death. But if you doubt yourself, you will doom all of us. I cannot leave your side or I will be held responsible by my king for your failure and possibly even be executed.” He stopped talking and threw his stick into the fire when it was set ablaze.

         After a moment of silence, Corson looked at him, a wry smile on his face. “Your wife thinks you’re a good husband, doesn’t she?”

         Kade laughed. “Usually.”

         “You must be a really good dad to your kids, too.”

         His brother in arms smiled more seriously. “I try to be, Corson.”

         For all of Kade’s fierceness with a blade, he really was a considerate, caring man. “If my father was half the man you are, maybe my life would have turned out differently.” He stood to leave.

         “But maybe you would not have come here.” He did not look at the army man and did not say anything else.

         The next week dragged by as Corson tried different spells and enchantments. He tried focusing on different things to awaken some sort of magic ability. Nothing seemed to work. He was aggravated and angry. Every time something failed to show results he felt like more of a failure than the time before. Kade continued to reassure him each night as they sat by the fire. Tress proved to be a very talented magician indeed. His magic was strongest in the area of temperature. As he attempted to assist Corson in learning about his own potential abilities, he gave demonstrations based on the different ways one could call upon their innate abilities. He could create fire tornadoes, make ice columns out of seemingly nothing. He could cause snow in a small area around them. He could turn rocks to lava, a lake to a replica of the arctic circle, melt ice, and help cook meals with little effort. He could singlehandedly heat the furnaces needed to smelt and create weapons without breaking a sweat. Tress was a force to be reckoned with. Yet while his abilities were breathtaking, his level of intelligence still irked Corson to no end. He was the court magician and had little to no brains to pair with his power. If only the soldier had a fraction of that power. To someone in the real world, Tress was basically a socially awkward avenger from Marvel.

         One night of practice went particularly poorly. “It’s useless, Human Torch. Nothing is working.”

         Tress cocked an eyebrow. “Human Torch?”

         “He’s a comic book character. Nevermind. This is a waste of time.” Corson threw up his hands and stalked away.

         Gordon came over and watched him walk off. “Do you mind if I try something?”
         “He is all yours, sir Gordon.” He put his hands up in an admission of defeat and went over to the fire to look for any leftovers from dinner.

         The dark haired soldier glanced over as he heard Kade and Tress arguing over the fact that Kade ate all the leftovers while everyone else was busy. The big man shook his head and followed Corson into the darkness beyond the campfire.

         Corson ran his hand through his hand and paced near the tree line. They had settled in a small clearing for the night, their firelight hidden by the cover of the surrounding trees. He was frustrated. The more time Tress insisted on trying to awaken his ability, the more discouraged the young man became. He yelled into the empty air. “Well screw you, too, Voice! If you really are there, you sure seem to hate me since you have made my life a cosmic joke in two worlds instead of just one!” He put up his middle finger to the sky and glared at nothing. He groaned and cursed at himself under his breath. Gordon watched him quietly from the shadows and felt a pang of regret for not doing more to help him. He watched another moment and when the army man did nothing else, he stepped out of the darkness and approached.

         As he came close, Corson pulled out his sword and swung around, but his friend was fast and experienced, he had his blade already up in defense, clashing with the knight’s weapon. They stood unmoving for only a second before separating. “I’m sorry, Gordon. I didn’t know you followed me. That was a dumb idea.”

         Chuckling, the other shook his head as if admonishing a child. “You could not kill me if you tried. Trust me.”

         “I do,” the former soldier said. “What do you want?”

         “I think I can help. What do you want most right now?” His friend asked.

         Corson glanced at him before looking up at the stars and the twin moons. He closed his eyes and thought, his mind urging Gordon to leave him alone. He did not want to keep working on this. Just go away, Gordon. But he took a deep breath and opened his eyes. “I want to be alone, Gordon. You should head back to the camp.” Expecting an argument, he ground his teeth. But surprisingly, the king’s soldier nodded, turned around, and left, back the way he had come. The knight stared, his mouth slightly open, confusion written all over his face. What the hell? I thought he was trying to help me.

         Kade and Tress turned as someone exited the trees. It was Gordon. The two had not expected him to come back right away. He was supposed to try to help Corson. Kade met him as he came near. “Gordon, what happened? Why did you return so quickly? Was Corson alright?”

         The darkhaired man blinked a few times and looked around. “What? I…” He hesitated, unsure of what to say.

         “What happened? Did you find Corson? Did either of you say anything?” Kade asked again as Tress came up beside them.

         “I… uh…” Gordon wracked his brain to think. What had happened? Why did he come back? “I found him. Yes. I told him I thought I could help. I asked him what he really wanted and he told me to come back. I was going to argue and then I cannot explain it. It was almost as if I was compelled to return.”

         Tress’ pent up tension and excitement was tangible. The air around them began to heat up. Kade slapped him upside the head. “Will you calm down before you boil us all alive?”

         Grimacing, the magician glared at him. “You need to spend less time with Corson.” He huffed and then looked back at Gordon who was visibly trying to recount what happened. “Do you remember what I told you about the books in the library?” The other nodded. “I think you have figured out what his innate power is. It must be some sort of manipulation magic. That would explain why nothing we have tried has worked yet. His is not elemental, or something that works with incantations, spells, or tangible objects. His is a power of the mind and will, based on his emotions and desires. I must go find him.”

         Kade disagreed immediately. “You are the last person he would want to see right now. I will go.” Without waiting for an argument, he stalked off. When he saw Corson sitting against a tree with his eyes closed, he walked up slowly and sat down beside him. “Corson,” he greeted quietly.

         Without opening his eyes he sighed. “Oh. You. Did Gordon tell you to come?”

         “No. I came on my own because I have something to tell you. Do not say anything until I am finished.” He saw the other man give a barely perceptible nod and continued. “You made Gordon leave.”

         Opening his eyes, Corson began to argue. “I did not. He asked what I wanted and I said I wanted to be alone and told him to go back. If you are going to be petty, then-”

         “Corson, shut up. I told you to wait until I was finished.” Kade felt a pressure building in the air around him, and his mind was urging him to leave. He resisted the mounting discomfort and persisted. “Your magic awakened You are using it now against me. Do you not feel it? Yours is the power of manipulation. Gordon did not even realize he had come back until we asked him what had happened.” The tension in the air continued to build until Kade thought he would choke on the very air in his lungs. “Corson, stop willing me to leave and go back because I refuse. You are being a petty child right now.” Despite his words, the soldier was almost sweating, resisting the urge to rush in the opposite direction.

         “I said nothing,” the former soldier said through gritted teeth.

         “You don’t have to, your will is trying to force what you want onto my own.”

         Corson suddenly calmed. “What do you mean?”
         And then Kade gasped for air as if he was being strangled only moments before. “Thank you.” He wiped the sweat from his forehead and shifted on the ground. Taking a few steadying breaths, he composed himself. “Manipulation magic is focused around one’s wills or desires. It cannot be called upon through spells or enchantments or rituals. It obeys the will and wants of the person and is strengthened by their words when they voice those desires. The books in the library and Gordon leaving you alone. Those were both your innate magic coming out. It is one of the abilities that Gordon was explaining is dangerous in a trial of a wizard.”
         “I have magic,” Corson said to himself. Then his eyes widened dramatically. “I have magic?” He leaped to his feet and spun. “Does Tress know?”

         His companion rose as well. “Of course, when Gordon came back so quickly, we both were worried. Gordon must have realized something when he made to follow you. When he asked you what you really wanted, it must have been because he realized that what you need or desire must have an impact on your magic.” While it was nearly impossible for the knight to believe, he let himself. He had to believe something good. “Let us head back. You should probably apologize to Gordon for forcing him to return against his will.”
         “I didn’t do it on purpose. And he’s the one who asked me what I wanted int he first place. Why do I need to apologize?” he asked as they ran.

         “That is a fair point.” The other said, laughing.

         When they returned to the camp, they were breathing heavily and Corson looked elated.

         “Tress! Help me figure this out.”

         The magician hurried over without hesitation, his own adrenaline making him antsy. “Think of something you really want me to do and then tell me to do it. But!” he held up a hand. “Please make it appropriate and respectful and something that will not cause pain.”

         The knight’s joy faded somewhat as he began to rethink what he was going to try. It had to be something he really wanted. “Tress.” Just at the mention of his name, the wizard felt a pang in his chest and his mind. “Let me see another fire tornado.”

         Tress looked at the other two, hesitating ever so slightly. But the urgency in his mind and the pressure and discomfort building beneath his ribs was turning suffocating. He moved his hands and created a fire tornado. Only after it took form and the heat assaulted Corson’s face did the pressure release and fade away. The compulsion to follow the request was gone as well and he dismissed the twister. “How? How is your manipulation magic so powerful?”

         “It is?” Corson was amazed. “Then why did it not come out sooner? I mean, other than with the books in the library?”

         “I do not know. But it does not matter. It has awakened and you have proven that the Voice has indeed sent you. I must send a message to my lord.” He closed his eyes, his fingers working in the air as if he were forming some sort of mechanism or building something complex. When he finally opened his eyes again, he blew into the air and a small fiery bird burst from nothing and streaked through the air toward the castle. “That magical creature will return to the castle and become a message that the king can read, informing him of your awakening and the nature of your magic.”

         The next morning, the group sat around the fire as breakfast cooked. Corson had practiced his magic on a bird who left her nest for a while while Kade climbed the tree and grabbed her large eggs or them all for their meal. They had been unsure if it would be successful but it was. As the men watched the eggs cook on hot stones and the bread cook on other hot stones and the water heated up in a deep imprint on another hot stone, they considered their next move. Corson’s awakened magic changed things significantly.

         Tress spoke first. “We know the storms usually come from the west. From the Gore Sea. Instead of heading to Briar like we have been, we should head west to Aeror and see if anyone has seen anything odd. It is entirely possible that the unknown kingdom is responsible.”

         This is what I was afraid of. “What exactly is the unknown kingdom? And why is it so, um, unknown?”

         Kade answered him. “The unknown kingdom was once the kingdom of Urefell. But the Darkness descended upon it without warning. No one knows exactly what happened. But the rumors say that no one was left alive. Those where were found still walking around looked as if their very souls had been taken from them. Their eyes were black and empty and their faces were devoid of any emotion or reaction. They were wanderers in their own land. Soon, people gave up in their attempts to find survivors and the realm was abandoned for good. No one knows what is there anymore. There may be nothing, but there also may be a grave evil that is causing these storms.”

         Gordon spoke up. “That being said, we have been extremely lucky to have made it this long without any storms. The first thing we need to do is map out all areas where we can take shelter between here and the port. Once aboard a ship, we should be safe as long as the rain isn’t fire or termites or anything of the sort that would destroy a wooden vessel.”

         Surprisingly, Corson had nearly forgotten why they were on this journey to begin with. He was so concerned with being a failure, that he forgot the rain might melt his skin off or dismember him or something even worse. It had been nearly a month and a half now and this world still was so foreign to him. “Where do we get a ship?”

         Kade plated the eggs and bread while Gordon made coffee with the hot water. “The king owns the port town on the shore of the Gore Sea. We can take a ship under a royal order. Even if they say no, I am confident you could convince them.”

         Corson rolled his eyes and took the plate he was handed. Since Tress’ supplies did not contain any sizeable weapons except his staff, he had his bag packed with eating utensils and plates and bowls. The other men all had supplies to keep their weapons in tip top shape and to repair them, but Tress had first aid and food supplies with him. Gordon retrieved his map from his saddlebag and laid it out on one of the larger rocks near their fire. He pointed out certain places marked as safe zones. Those spots were places in the landscape that offered some sort of protection from the storms. They were near one where they currently were camped. Looking over the map, the knight saw numerous points between them and the port town that were marked as safe during a storm. They made their route based on those places and packed the map away again. Once they had finished eating, the men saddled their horses, mounted up, and turned back toward the west. Then they headed to the first safe spot.

         The three men were within sight of the gaping cavern when the thunder crackled across the landscape. It startled the horses and froze the men’s blood. They glanced at the horizon in front of them and saw the rain. They could hear a deafening sound of the storm heading toward them. In a panic, they kicked their steeds and prayed to the Voice to make it to the cavern in time. Just as the last rider approached the opening, pain seared his back and the horse screamed, spooking and darting into the dark opening and down the tunnel. The others raced to catch up and get control of the animal. The horse left a trail of blood behind it. It was Gordon’s horse. When they had caught up, the big soldier had already calmed the steed and had dismounted to check over his mount. The horse's rump was covered in deep slices and from the feel of it, so was Gordon’s back. He could feel that his clothing was tattered and he could feel the wet, sticky dripping of blood on his skin.

         He turned as the others rode up. Corson cursed and looked at the others in horror. “We will have to stay here until the horse heals at least a little.” Tress and Kade agreed and they slowly made their way back to the entrance to the shelter. Looking on the ground at the mouth of the cavern, they saw the cause of the bleeding horse and rider. Raining down from the sky were millions of razorblades.

         Corson’s face lost its color. “What in the devil’s fresh hell is this sorcery?” he muttered. How is this even possible? How am I supposed to fix this? This is not even real. It can’t be. This is impossible. Razorblades do not just fall from the sky. Maybe if he went far enough into the cavern, he’d appear back on the trail he was hiking. He slowly backed away from the entrance and disappeared into the tunnel. The others noticed quickly.

         “Let him go,” Tress said darkly. “He needs time to come to terms with this. Let him be and he will come back.”

         Corson stumbled through the stone corridors, his mind swirling as if in a blender. This is hell. I’m in hell. He began talking to himself out loud. “Razorblades. The rain is razorblades! Even if I do have some form of manipulation magic, I can’t will the rain to just disappear. These people are insane. I’m insane. I just have to find the end of this cavern and I’ll go back home.”

         Kade followed his friend at a distance. He listened to the hysterical rambling, rubbing the back of his neck uncomfortably. He was sympathetic, of course. If he had been thrown into the middle of a raging conflict in Corson’s world, he would probably feel the same way. One does not simply adjust to a new reality like this in a month. The man’s entire existence was turned on its head without warning and now he was in a world where the world itself was trying to murder him. It was a lot to swallow coming from a world without magic. He had never seen someone outside of a warzone break down mentally, but it was not surprising.

         “Curse all of these people and this world and this freaking rain and the king and the magicians and the two moons and the stupid sun that’s the wrong color!” the knight yelled at the stones around him. “And curse this cavern that hasn’t let me out to the real world yet!” A dull thud was heard as he punched a wall, followed by a cry of pain and aggressive cursing. “And you, Voice! Whatever you are and however real or not you are.” He held up two middle fingers to the ceiling of the cavern instead of the one he did earlier. “I’ll find my way out of here without your help.”

         Tress really thinks he will return on his own? He’s lost his mind. While Kade wanted to go back and update Tress and Gordon, he was hesitant to leave his friend alone. It was quite a while before Corson finally slumped to the ground, weary and overwhelmed. He was not crying, but he was strangely calm. After nearly an hour of yelling at the stone walls, he had collapsed. He sat, his back against the wall, head in his hands. The soldier waited for a few minutes, but when the other man did not move, he slowly came to sit beside him. Instantly, the pressure in his mind and chest fell on him. “Corson. I am not leaving you alone.” The pressure lessened and began to fade.

         “I hate this place, Kade. I don’t belong here and I want to go back home. There is nothing here that I can do. I can’t talk the rain out of falling,” the miserable man muttered.

         Leaning his head back against the rock, his companion chuckled. “Have you tried?”

         Corson gave him a sideways, annoyed glare. “I cursed it.”

         Kade’s response was more lighthearted than Corson found appropriate. “You obviously need to work on your cursing abilities then, because I do not think the storm realized it had been cursed.”

         The knight’s shoulders slumped as he relaxed slightly. Kade was the brother and best friend he never had in the real world. Even his battle buddies and he were not this close. Nothing could convince him this world was real. And also, nothing could convince him that it wasn’t. “How are you okay with all of this, Kade?”

         “All of what?” his friend asked. “The rain? The magicians spying on our land?” he shook his head. “I am okay with none of it. But what can I do? Unlike you, this world is my home. It is all I have. I cannot just walk into a cave and find myself another home like you can. Normal people cannot do that. You may not be supernatural, but you are not normal, and there is a reason for that.”

         Looking up at Kade, the army man sighed. “Do you think it is possible for these storms to be defeated and for the magic to be rebalanced?”

         Giving a sad smile, Kade looked at the ground. “I do not know. It may be too late for that. But you are the best chance we have, so I have to at least try to believe it can work.” The two men sat there in silence for another twenty minutes before they both seemed to come to the same conclusion that it was time to return. Rising, the soldiers walked back up the corridor toward their other two companions.

         When Tress saw Kade and Corson returning from the tunnel, he let out a deep sigh of relief. If anyone could help the knight, it was Kade. The men sat down at the small fire, taking the food and canteens that were offered to them. The conversation was sparse and awkward. Eventually, the army man said his goodnights and lay down by a wall, facing the mouth of their shelter. The others looked at each other in concern, but remained silent.

         Corson dreamed in stark color, memories flooding his mind. Memories he had not thought about in years. And all of them were horrific.