Kaija: Queen of Stone

21.5

We spent most of our day navigating throughout the woods, taking twists and turns. For a while I thought we were going in circles. Arawn weighed heavy on my mind. The tentacles embedding into his body like silver to a sword being smelted. Lenox claimed Kaija was on the other side but from the amount of walking, he was wrong. No one spoke until the sun vanished from the canopy of the trees.

"We should stop for the night," Dari declared. "We are all tired and need rest."

Everyone nodded. We moved in sync, prepping the campsite. There were no objections, no fights. Even though I was annoyed with the constant bickering between Arawn and Dari, I kind of missed it. Dari sighed, sitting on the ground next to the fire. He placed his head into his hands, lifting his black hair from his forehead. I tried not to listen to his whispering but it was hard not to overhear from two feet away.

"I'm so stupid," he declared. "If I didn't pick a fight..."

Rodi walked over and sat next to him. She picked up his hand and held it with hers. "It's okay," she whispered. "We all make mistakes. It helps us to make better choices in the future, it forms us into the people we become."

"Thank you for being kind to me. Even though I decked you in the chest."

She sighed, laughing. "It's funny now." Besides, you want to be kind to everyone, you never know what friendships you'll make and how long you will have them for." Her voice broke, the tears fell. Rodi collapsed her head to her knees and sobbed. Dari reached around her, drawing her fragile and small body into his chest.

"You've been through a lot," he whispered. "I can tell."

"Tell me about it. I've seen more deaths than anyone should."

"I am sorry to know that."

"I think the saddest part of my life wasn't losing my parents," she murmured. "I think it was losing my saviors."

"Qia and Tiroa?"

She nodded, her eyes brimming with tears. "They had been my family more than my mother and father. Sure, they provided for me and they took care of me and I will always be grateful for that, but... Qia taught me things. She taught me how to be strong and resilient, even when they weren't there."

"That's wonderful."

Rodi nodded. "It is," she agreed. "I wouldn't have survived without the two of them. If they never found me, I would be burned or buried."

Dari released his grip around her, his face blooming red. I could tell that he was uncomfortable. "I think we should sleep."

Rodi scoffed, rolling her eyes. The shadows played on her face, causing her eyes to darken. "How can anyone sleep after seeing something like that?"

"I guess you are right. But at the same time, sleep is important for us. We need it."

"We have a mission," he answered. "We were picked by Queen Mara to help her. It's an honor. We should be well rested and vigilant. So we can live to tell the tale and to tell those of Arawn's death. It would honor what he was about. Arawn would be a part of history."

Rodi sighed, shaking her head. She looked straight into the flames. "You are right," she whispered. "It is an honor. I just..."

"Just what?"

"I feel so alone when I close my eyes."

Dari reached his arm around her, pulling her into his body. "There," he whispered, laying down. She lowered with him, their gaze strong. "Now you are not alone."

The two of them fell asleep. I lay awake, staring at the embers as the fire began to die.

"I know you are awake, Queen Mara," Makaio called from beside me. "Are you restless?"

I swallowed hard, my throat raw from the screams. Arawn's face haunted my mind. "Yes," I answered. "I am."

"You are not alone. No one is ever alone when death makes its appearance and takes what we love and cherish."

His words piqued my interest. "Do you know about death?"

"Very well," he replied. "I would agree more than anyone here even though Rodi argues she does."

"I am more than sorry to hear that."

"As am I but these are things we cannot change."

"Wise words."

"Do you remember how I told you about my daughter and Baria in the throne room?"

I nodded. "I don't think I could ever forget."

"I never told you what happened with the rebellion."

I sat up, and stared at him. He was staring at me. I saw the fire in his eyes even though it was close to going out. "What happened?"

"We formed the rebellion days after I visited with Baria and she insulted me and my family. It was a group of fathers and mothers, dedicated to make Udan better for their children," he began, his eyes now vacant. "We thought the best thing to do was to try and breach the castle since it was unguarded and the queen was easy to access." He sniffled. "We weren't planning to hurt anyone, we just wanted justice. We wanted peace at night and in our days, knowing that our children could grow and live and survive."

"We went ahead with the plan and when we arrived at the entrance of the castle, standing in front of the door was Jonga and his men. Men from the wall that had no business in being in our streets. We were afraid. I remembered that day my hands were shaking. The look in Jonga's dark eyes told me one thing: no one was going to survive."

I raised a brow. "You are here today."

He nodded. "But not my comrades," he explained, sniffling. "The people I roped into my rebellion died. Not me." Tears stoked his face. "I watched as they were gutted. Spears in the belly. Screams, terrible screams that haunt my dreams, surfaced from their throats and rang out through our kingdom. Jonga spared me, not out of mercy. No, it was out of cruelty. He let me go home to my family, coated in the blood of my friends." His voice broke.

"That's awful." My voice croaked as the shock made my fingers numb.

"My children asked me what happened and I didn't know what to say so I did not say a thing," he whispered. "That night, after I had done my best to wash the blood off, Rava asked me what the screams were. My children heard the screams while playing. We were supposed to keep them safe and now, they are just as haunted as me."

I reached over, taking Makaio in my arms. He hesitated before wrapping his arms around my neck. I held him close, feeling the tears burn my eyes. I wanted to take away his pain and suffering. The fact that death looked me so deeply in the face burdened me.

"I am sorry you had to endure such a thing," I whispered. "And that Rava had to."

He pulled back. "Don't apologize for me," he answered. "Because of you, we got what we wanted."

I smiled, sniffling back the tears.

"You were our rebellion," he whispered. "The day I saw you in the village, I knew it. I saw the person you were and who you were going to become. The divine sent you to us and granted you Baria's power because they saw her cruelty. We are blessed to have you in our lives."

"I am blessed to your queen," I answered, sniffling once more.

"With the peace you've brought me, Queen Mara, I feel like I can sleep again without the screaming haunting me." He laughed in disbelief, shaking his head. "I can finally dream again."

I smiled. "I will sleep better knowing that I have eased your pain and mind."

He nodded, laying down. "Good night, Queen Mara. Do not fear death like I once did. It will consume you. Hope and pray for the divine answer and it shall come."