Savior of the Damned

Phaedra was quiet during her watch. At twelve, she didn’t know what she was supposed to be looking out for. Still, it had seemed like a good idea for them to take turns looking out for danger while the others slept. She glanced over her shoulder at Demeter, fast asleep next to the banked campfire they had built to cook a small dinner. Eldren had supplied the tools that were helping to keep them fed, and Phaedra hated everyone enjoyed that but ostracized him.

“Go catch some shuteye,” a quiet voice said. Phaedra startled, turning to see the young redheaded elf who had joined them as they fled the city. Through the woods, past the graveyard, she and Demeter had run, and he had found them on the other side. It hadn’t been Demeter who had seen him, and it hadn’t been Demeter who wanted to give him and the others a chance. But Phaedra had pointed out there was safety in numbers.

She rubbed her tired eyes. “Thanks, Eldren,” she said before going to join her sister by the embers of their campfire.

***

Armed guards stopped them at the gates. Over the wall rose a building in the distance, which Phaedra had insisted would save them. The kids with them had all agreed as well, so they marched toward the walled city, dirty and tired and hungry as the food had finally run out a couple days ago. The group had chosen Demeter and Phaedra to talk to anyone who would listen, who stood at the front of the group. “I’m sorry, kids, we can’t take any more refugees.”

Phaedra scowled and stepped forward. “You’ll just let us die then? We fled a war. They killed our families. And you’re going to stand there and tell us better luck next time? I don’t think so,” she said, drawing herself up to her full height, which was much shorter than the guard. She puffed her chest up, feeling dizzy as she did so; she wasn’t going to be turned away. “You have to help us. Isn’t it a requirement to render aid to the needy or something?”

The guard faltered. “Well, no, but . . .” he furrowed his brow, sighing. “Hold on.” He gestured to someone behind him. “Get Orso. We have kids at the gate. Maybe Temple can help.”

Phaedra smiled as the man went through the gate and into the city beyond. “There, was that so hard?”

The guard sighed again. “That’s the first time I’ve taken orders from a kid,” he murmured. “Just wait here,” he said to the sisters. “I can’t promise anything, but if anyone can help, Temple can.”

Phaedra walked back to the knot of kids. She spied Eldren towards the back, sulking. She had stuck by him once she saw how the others didn’t seem to like him, and outright treated him awfully. He spent most of the time hanging out at the back of the pack, which struck Phaedra as unfair. He was only a year older than her, and they had become fast friends. “They’re sending for someone who might help.”

“I have a bad feeling.”

Phaedra lightly punched Eldren’s arm, though her smile belayed the same worries Eldren had voiced. She could see it in his face. “They’ll take us in. They have to,” she said before looking around. Phaedra glanced at the other kids that had come with them. They were all fleeing the violence that was everywhere. Rumor was it was the end of the world, but Phaedra didn’t know about all that.

Activity caught her eye, and a couple of adults came out to greet the kids. There was a man who looked to be in his thirties that came towards the small group. “Where did you guys come from?” he asked, horrified, as the kids clustered around him and started talking at once. “Okay, I can’t hear all of you at once,” he said. “The two girls who talked to the guards. Where are you?”

Phaedra grabbed Demeter’s hand and pulled her up to the front of the group. “I’m Phaedra. This is Demeter,” she said. “They all joined us as we were fleeing Haven. We’re looking for sanctuary.”

This is Sanctuary City, so you found it. But we don’t normally take in vagabonds.” He looked at them, sighing. “Though I suppose we can make an exception this one time.” He held his hand up as all the kids started talking again. “You’ll need to learn a trade if you want to stay. But we’ll take care of you if you do.”

***

Phaedra sat up with a gasp, the world spinning in a brilliant array of colors. Slowly, everything settled, and she frowned. Dark gray stone and poor lighting had replaced the tan, brightly lit walls of Temple. She looked around, blinking, and startled as The Magus came into view. Phaedra swung around on the cot and was on her feet in an instant, fist balling up in the fabric of the plain white button-down shirt he was wearing. Surprise registered on his face a split second before Phaedra’s other fist connected with his cheek. “Where am I?” she demanded, raising her fist to strike again.

“Please don’t assault my subordinates,” a voice asked, sounding irritated. Phaedra’s fist fell and she let go of the Magus’s shirt. He smoothed it with a sigh. “Well, Phaedra, how do you feel?” an older man said, coming up to stand just out of reach. He was a tall mountain of muscle; gray-streaked brown hair combed into a modern style and a neatly trimmed beard with a white stripe down the center of his chin made him seem almost relatable. “You’re feisty. I like you,” he said, grinning.

Phaedra snarled at him in anger. There was no mistaking who she was talking to. “Easy for you to ask, necromancer. Let me go, now.”

Aurelius laughed. “She doesn’t get it, does she Torin?” Phaedra glanced at Torin’s uncomfortable expression; he averted his light blue eyes to avoid eye contact with her. “You were like her once too, you know.” Aurelius laughed again as the man named Torin exhaled. Phaedra felt a twinge of sympathy, realizing he didn’t find it nearly as funny as Aurelius did. “I’ll explain everything, but maybe you should take her to get settled. Show her around some,” Aurelius suggested, still laughing.

“Not until you tell me where my sister is,” Phaedra said, anger a comforting heat.

“I’m here,” Demeter said, voice as quiet as ever. “Stand down Phaedra. There’s no need for aggression here.” Torin stepped to one side as Demeter came up to the shaking Phaedra. “Poor girl, you got your throat torn out,” Demeter said as she gently touched Phaedra’s throat. Phaedra flinched from the touch, feeling bad as soon as she did so. Demeter dropped her hand, a small smile gracing her face. “It’ll be okay, Phaedra. I promise.”

“Now that the reunion is over with, I’d like you to go with Torin.”

Phaedra glanced at Torin, who stared at what must have been an interesting crack on the floor. “What if I don’t want to?”

Aurelius arched an eyebrow at her. “I don’t recall giving you a choice.”

Phaedra scowled. “Or what?”

Aurelius rumbled, a deep sound that came from his chest. Phaedra could feel the frustration rolling off him in waves, which startled her into silence. “You can obey of your own free will or I can make you, but you don’t have any other choice. Listen, or else.” Aurelius looked at Demeter. “You can come with me.”

Phaedra scowled and took a step forward, but Torin’s hand shot out to grab her right arm. Phaedra looked at him, ready to snap, but Torin shook his head no. She stared at him, only seeing him for the first time. He had a long face and short, light brown hair, with round glasses that emphasized his face. His pale blue eyes were as dead as any human’s back on the surface, which caught her attention. Phaedra turned to address Aurelius, but saw he was already gone.

“You don’t have a choice. He finds he gets better results giving the illusion of one, but it’s just a means to an end.” He dropped his hand and looked away. “Let me show you around,” he said, stepping away from her to walk to the only doorway in the room they were in.

“Where are we?” she asked, looking around at the cabinets that held skulls and bones instead of the vials she expected.

“The infirmary,” Torin said, almost too quiet to hear. “We heal just fine on our own usually, so he has no need of doctors or nurses or anything and uses it as a resurrection chamber. There is a woman here who can mend undead flesh, but that’s not real healing magic. Not on us at any rate.”

Horror crept up on Phaedra. “I’m like you,” she said, desperation turning her veins to ice. She needed to get out, escape. She couldn’t serve Aurelius, could she?

Torin’s mouth twisted into what would be a smile, if it wasn’t so bitter and lost. “Welcome to the club,” he said, voice pitched low, as if afraid of someone overhearing. “Most exclusive one there is.”

Phaedra’s stomach knotted hard, and she backpedaled. “No. I can’t. This isn’t happening.”

“I said the same thing myself,” Torin said, looking away. “Did you dream?” he asked, voice still low, almost sympathetic. “I did too, when I first came here. I still do sometimes, though we don’t need much in the way of sleep these days.” He opened his mouth, hesitating. “The dreams are different now, though.” He looked down. “Things that I thought I had once forgotten, things that I had buried, they lurk in the dark when I close my eyes.” He took a deep breath as he closed his eyes for a few moments, just to open them again. “The good things, the joyful things, even the dark things, they all come back when I lay down.”

“Why are you being so nice to me?” Phaedra said, tight chest loosening as Torin talked to her, voice soothing. “You killed my sister.”

“Because I didn’t have a choice. And now you don’t either.” He deflated somewhat. “I just want to tell you that you’re not alone.” He took a step back, easing some of the tension Phaedra was holding onto.

“Why don’t you escape? Rebel? Anything?” Phaedra demanded, back pressed against the wall.

What little light was present in Torin’s face died. “There is no way out except through death. And unless you’re exceptionally lucky, you’re stuck serving him, no matter your personal feelings.”