Running is a victory

Entering Håkon’s house, I find it lit only by the faint white glow of a crystal. He’s sitting at the wooden table, arms crossed, staring at me.
«You’re an idiot,» Håkon mutters as he gets to his feet, keeping his voice low.

“What’s he complaining about now? Ugh, I’m tired, I don’t feel like answering.”

«They stayed awake for hours waiting, before finally collapsing,» he says, glancing to my left. I turn my head and find Nadia in Laila’s arms, both wrapped in a blanket, asleep on the floor. «I don’t know what happened out there, but when Nadia didn’t see you, she got upset immediately. Luckily, the Ultra Super Hyper Mega Supreme Chief calmed her down. She convinced her you’d come back, and to wait here with her.»

“She really took care of Nadia?” «Hmph…»

«Why are you laughing?!» he snaps, shoving me in the shoulder. «Do you have any idea how worried she was? If you actually cared about that child, you would’ve at least said goodbye to her.»

I’m exhausted, my feet ache, all I want is to sleep—but his words piss me off enough to make me forget all of it. «And you?!» I bark, jabbing a finger at his chest. «Do you have any idea how your mother feels, alone in that empty house? You never visit her. You act like a stranger who only shows up when she has something to give you…» I pause, giving him a quick once-over before adding, «And I’m the one who doesn’t care about the people I love?»

He doesn’t answer, only clenches his fists, his breath heavy. Our eyes lock, and silence fills the room—so thick it feels like it’s crushing both of us.

I walk over to the two sleeping figures, lift them into my arms, and lay them gently onto the beds Laila had conjured in their room. Håkon just follows me with his eyes before lying down in his own bed. I lie on my side, and an hour later, sleep finally claims me.

°°°

A deafening noise shakes the walls and floor, jolting me awake. Screams echo from outside. I get up and see Laila and Nadia already on their feet. She throws herself into my arms. I glance at Håkon’s bed—but it’s empty. «Good, you’re awake.» I turn and see his wife, fur-clad, wearing a mask, with their son in her arms. «Quickly, we have to evacuate immediately!»

«What’s going on?» I ask, still groggy.

«The king’s soldiers are here!»

I hurriedly strap on my belt. «Where’s Håkon?»

«He’s securing an escape route for the village,» she says, tears welling in her eyes.

«Dad…» the boy murmurs.

She strokes his head. «He’ll be back, you’ll see.»

We rush out, swept along by the crowd. «Where are you?!» a voice shouts, warriors and zelena usta run frantically back and forth, the clash of blades ringing through the cavern, a whistle I’ve heard before reverberates—a colossal shadow engulfs us for a moment. I turn toward the giant crystal.

«That’s…»

«Gwiber owl!» Nadia shouts.

Something crashes down from the upper level, cutting off our path, it rises, and I step in front of the woman, drawing my blades, the soldier attacks—I parry with my dagger, counter, and slice off his arms, “What have I done?” I stagger back, my stomach lurching, I bend forward, the soldier lowers himself, pressing his stumps to his shoulders—reattaching his arms, he swings upward in a brutal strike, but someone yanks me back, a clang of steel.

«What are you still doing here? Run!» the warrior roars.

Sweat runs down my face in rivulets. “I don’t get it.” Laila pulls me along, and we keep running across one of the bridges. «I cut off his arms…» I mutter, staring at my sword.

«Fighting is pointless…»

«What?» I turn to the woman.

«Don’t you know? The king’s army is made of zombies.»

A familiar appears—a sobizajits—slamming into the woman and her child. Something yanks me back, a tentacle strikes the bridge, tilting it sharply, we scramble backward as the sobizajits shifts into a cherveny roh, carrying the woman and child to a nearby exit, the bridge keeps tilting, Nadia slips, I clamp the dagger between my teeth and grab her hand, an iron plank breaks loose, we fall—no, float? The entire bridge hovers, then settles back into place with people still on it.

«You’re welcome,» Laila says with a grin. I sheathe my weapons and we run on. «Seriously? Not even a thank you?»

Tentacles lash again, smashing the bridge into pieces and wounding people. «Land us!» I shout as we plummet, this time, Laila lowers everyone gently, then sets the bridge fragments ablaze and hurls them at three smert jesera, their piercing shrieks of agony echo, our bracelets glow, and Laila collapses, I dive, catching her.

«Why did you grab me? You know I can’t get hurt.»

«And you knew hurting them would hurt you.»

A deep thud resounds, we turn, it’s the gwiber owl, «Finally, I found you!» From it descends a face—or a helmet—all too familiar. «Didn’t expect to see me again, did you?»

The beast takes flight with a thunderous beat of its wings. Nadia stares at it, focusing her power. «Let it go!» I bark, scrambling to my feet. I step in front of Nadia, blades drawn.

«What do you plan to do with those toothpicks?» he sneers, pressing a hand to his forehead. «Oh, by Rugiewit, you survived Stoyan by pure luck, and now you’re getting cocky? Just look at your face!» He gestures sharply at me. «You look like you’re about to cry.»

I clench my jaw. Smoke rises—a clang, followed by a green and a red flash. Two figures step out from opposite sides.

«I’ll grant you this—you’re skilled,» the captain says, pointing his sword.

On the other side, there’s Håkon, wielding two ochiupaty skulls the size of shields. «Thank you for protecting my family,» I barely hear him murmur.

«Out of the way, taxidermist. I only need the dead boy and the girl. The rest of the village doesn’t matter to me.»

My swords grow heavier, dragging my arms and gaze down. “Of course. He’s here for us… I don’t want to go back to Goran, but I don’t want Thyra’s village destroyed either… What should I do? This is all my fault—for listening to Laila, for following Håkon. If I’d just stood my ground, no one would be suffering because of me.”

«These people are my guests. I won’t let you harm them!» Håkon declares. “What?!” I look up at him.

«Oh, YES!» Wilkotak cheers, fist raised. «I love when idiots like you fight for nonsense! Come on, bring it!» he taunts with a beckoning hand.

Håkon leaps forward—but vanishes. A crash, I turn, he’s pinned in a crater, a strange jester-like puppet clutching his neck.

«HAHAHAHAHA!!!» the captain doubles over with laughter. «Did you really think I’d waste my strength on someone like you?!»

«What is that?» I whisper.

«Loutky,» Nadia answers.

«What?! That thing’s a loutky? But I thought they looked like rabbits?»

«They’re all different.»

The puppet readies to strike Håkon, but something slams it aside. «Thyra!» I shout, relieved at the sight of her massive form, shield and spear in hand.

«Son, are you all right?» she asks, stepping protectively in front of him.

«Yes. Cough, cough!» Håkon climbs out of the crater and stands beside her.

«Good. Now, who might this be?» Wilkotak asks, resting his sword on his shoulder.

«I am Thyra, matron of Nebb, and I will not allow you to breathe another breath in this place.»

«That was rhetorical. I don’t care who I’m about to kill.» A green flash—the spear tip nearly pierces the captain’s armor. But the loutky from Bekov intercepts, gripping the shaft. More arms sprout from its back, Thyra yanks her spear free, dodging the follow-up. «You nearly died just now,» Wilkotak jeers. «Why do you country folk think battles are fought one-on-one, face-to-face?»

«You!» Thyra shouts. «Go! Get out of here!»

«But…» Laila begins.

«Move!» Håkon yells at me.

Nadia summons a cherveny roh beneath her, I mount, pull Laila up by the hem of her pants, and we flee at speed while they and the others cover us, Nadia blazes brighter, conjuring more cherveny roh to help as many villagers as possible, while Laila reshapes the terrain to ease their escape, we enter a secondary tunnel, its walls lined with Nadia’s familiars.

After a while, we burst out into the open, our mount transforms into a gwiber owl, carrying us far from this place as fast as its wings can take us.