If someone asked Kalas what happened tonight, they probably wouldn't get a better answer than a confused stare. It's not that he's lost his memory - honestly, he just doesn't think he'll ever be able to talk about it. Talking about it would mean surrendering to the reality of what happened, and that's the last thing Kalas wants to do.
It's pointless and ridiculous, of course, but there's still a part of him that keeps telling him he shouldn't worry, it was all too quick and horrible to have really happened, and soon he'll wake up and he'll be home with Fee sleeping in the bed next to his, a peaceful smile on his face instead of dark rivulets of blood.
Kalas really wishes he could believe it.
He feels a lump in his throat and immediately tries to think of something else. He can't let his sorrow consume him, not yet. He swore he wouldn't have peace until the murderers who took away his family are all in hell where they deserve to be, and he'll do anything to keep his promise. Anything. Even...
Kalas glances at the small figure in white walking ahead of him. She hasn't told him her name yet, but she doesn't need to: he's already heard it dozens of times. "Lady Melodia is such a sweet girl, isn't she?" "Can you believe it? That's Lady Melodia! What's she doing out of the mansion?" "I'm telling you it's the truth! Lady Melodia found me in the crowd and she smiled at me! I feel like the luckiest guy in the world", and of course "Out of the way, kids - Lady Melodia and her escort are passing through!" Still, he's never really seen her before. Malformed harbingers of evil aren't very welcome in the streets when the heiress to the duchy of Mira is meeting her people. Besides, whenever Melodia shows up in public she's surrounded by so many people that Kalas usually steers clear of her of her on his own volition. Seeing her here and now, close enough to touch, only contributes to making tonight look like a dream. He's not sure if it's a good or a bad one, though.
What everyone says about Lady Melodia seems to be true: she's one of the prettiest girls Kalas has ever seen. Okay, the prettiest. Her skin is almost unnaturally pale, so much so that it would make anyone else look sickly or like a walking corpse, but it gives her an ethereal quality, as if she were a beautiful creature from another world destined to disappear at the first ray of sunlight. And it makes her bright eyes stand out even more. Her step is proud like a queen's and playful like a child's, her voice caressing like a cool breeze.
That's not why Kalas feels drawn to her, though. He's not a young boy following his crush around, doing everything she says in the hope that one day she'll love him back. Love is not a feeling tonight, only a distant word that won't actually mean anything for a long time - maybe forever. No, Kalas isn't looking for love. He's looking for power, he's looking for payback, and if anyone can give him what he needs, it's Melodia.
He doesn't know why he's so sure of it. Maybe it's because she's one of the richest, most powerful people in Mira? But that would make her grandfather, Duke Calbren, as valid a candidate to help Kalas as Melodia is, and for some reason Kalas knows it isn't true. Melodia is special way beyond her status and possessions, even though Kalas can't really put his finger on the reason why that is. There's just something about her – be it the absolute certainty that imbues her every word, the awe she inspires with her mere presence, or something else entirely – that makes Kalas believe anything is possible. He doubts anyone else would have been able to hook him up with a Guide spirit, for starters. He's just met Melodia and she's already made him so much more powerful than he could ever dream to become on his own.
As for the spirit herself... Kalas isn't sure how he feels about her yet. After what happened tonight his instinct would be to shut himself off from the world and never let anyone get close to him again. Too bad that's kinda hard to do now that there's a voice in his head that can feel everything he feels, maybe even know everything he thinks, and will never leave him alone. Not even for a second. For someone who grew up like Kalas did, always hiding from everyone that wasn't his close family and shielding his true feelings, it sounds terrifying. Well, on paper at least. If he really thinks about it, though... Dira's presence doesn't feel half as suffocating as it should. To the contrary, her warm glow is already comforting Kalas from the loss of Gramps and Fee, and while in any other circumstances he'd feel guilty about trying to move on from them so soon he welcomes it now. He's got too much work to do to stop and dwell on what happened - better to slay his enemy first and lick his own wounds later.
It's the strangest sensation. All his life Kalas has been alone - well, not really been as much as felt. He felt like he was the loneliest person in the world, even when he was around Fee, because Fee was smart and special and he would do great things one day and Kalas would have to let him go or he'd just slow him down. So every moment he shared with his little brother felt too much like borrowed time to Kalas, and as much as he treasured and enjoyed the time they spent together, more often than not it ended up leaving a bitter taste in Kalas' mouth.
He doesn't have to worry about Dira leaving him behind, though. The spirit isn't stuck with him as a family member - no, for some crazy reason she chose him, and Kalas is sure she'll be there for him as long as he needs her. He never thought the same night that ruined his life would make him feel safe for the first time since he can remember.
We're a team now, you and I, he told Dira not half an hour ago, and he meant it. Kalas knows he'll never have a family again, but this thing he and Dira and Melodia have is enough for now. He doesn't need friends after all, he needs allies, and he's pretty sure he just found the best ones he could have asked for.
There's something about her new companions that breaks Dira's metaphorical heart. It's easier to figure out what it is with Kalas - after all it was his utter despair that drove Dira to him. She hates herself for it a little, because she always thought of herself as a fun, laid-back free spirit and yet it was a cry of pain that eventually made her feel the need to come to this world and bond with a miserable soul. Is she getting sappy?
She'd be seriously worried about that if she wasn't too preoccupied worrying about Kalas. Kalas, who only agreed to bond with a spirit to become strong enough to get his revenge. Kalas whose grief and hatred Dira can feel as her own, so deep and relentless that it's taking all her effort not to get lost in them. The grief Dira can get behind - she'd do anything to put an end to it, but seeing as she can't go back in time and change what happened it's unavoidable. It sucks, but it means Kalas is going to process this in the end and that one day it'll hurt less. It's the hatred that really has her worried. The way Kalas swore to destroy each and every one of the strangers that hurt him... In a way it's understandable, because he's just a boy and his wounds are deep and fresh, but the strength of his conviction has Dira fearing the worst. There's not the slightest doubt in her mind that he'll stop at nothing to carry on his promise, and Dira knows it's a path that it's easy to get lost on. She'll have to keep a close eye on him, make sure he doesn't throw away all his youth and humanity in a pointless quest for revenge.
And there's no doubt that the boy is going to be a handful. After all Dira's been his Guide spirit for like half an hour and by the looks of it they've already joined a cult - which is fine by her as long as they don't start sacrificing chicken to the Mighty God of Petty but Extremely Annoying Pains to give the emperor stomach cramps or something. That's just undignified, especially for the poor chicken.
To be fair, though, Melodia doesn't seem like the kind of girl who'd sacrifice chicken. She's probably more of a tear-out-babies'-hearts kind of girl. Kalas seems to be okay with following her, but that says more about his poor judgement than it does about Melodia's trustworthiness. The girl is trouble, plain and simple - everyone who finds a lost boy in the middle of the night and promises him the blood of his enemies in exchange for blind loyalty immediately earns a spot on Dira's blacklist. She would take Kalas away from Melodia in a heartbeat if she could, because she is exactly the last person that can help him deal with his loss in a right, healthy way.
She can't, though. Take Kalas away from her. A bond between two souls is all about free will, which means he gets to do what he wants - even if it's something as dumb as following a creepy manipulative girl he barely knows. If Dira wants to help him she'll have to make him realize what's actually best for him, and that'll take time; until then, she's stuck with Melodia.
That's not to say Dira doesn't feel for the girl. She hasn't bonded with her so Dira can't feel her emotions the way she feels Kalas', but it's not too hard to see that there's something broken in her. She needs Kalas as much as he needs her right now, and Dira wishes so bad that she could find out what happened to her and maybe help her, if it's not too late. Great, she's already getting attached to Melodia too. How did she go from only having herself to think about to worrying about two more people? And extremely troubled at that.
That's okay, though. She can look out for them.
Melodia wants to dance and laugh. It has started, finally, after all the waiting and the boredom, and it has started with a bang, with flames and death and despair. Just like all the best stories.
Kalas is walking behind her, taking his first steps in becoming her perfect Angel of Darkness. She's heard the determination in his voice before, when he swore to the spirits than he'd avenge his brother, and she's sure he meant every word - he'll do anything to get his revenge on the soldiers who murdered his family. He'll do anything for Melodia, because he has nobody else to live for now.
Melodia smiles a secret smile. When will the Empire stop doing her favors without even noticing? It would have taken her so long to get Kalas to follow her with his family still alive and there for him to care about. He wouldn't have wanted to bring death and destruction to a world with his little brother in it. Now, thanks to the Empire, his heart has finally been tainted once and for all - not just by the mixture of fear, envy and dislike he's always had for the people in Balancoire, but by the kind of hatred that makes you want to burn down the whole world just to see one single person suffer. The kind of hatred she needs her perfect acolyte to have. They're the harbingers of Malpercio's curse to the world, and curses are much more terrifying if you utter them with nothing but contempt for those on the receiving end and amusement over their impending doom.
The boy still needs work, of course, but they have time. It's not him she's worried about. The Guide spirit, on the other hand... Melodia is a little wary of her. She is the only one who is here for love instead of hatred, and that could be an issue further down the road. She doesn't care about Malpercio, she doesn't care about revenge or the destiny of the world - she's only here because she heard Kalas' distress call and wanted to bring him comfort. What's to say she won't decide Melodia is just using him and try to drive him away from her?
That's the beauty of all this, though: the exact same thing about spirits that might throw a spanner in the works is the one that's making Melodia hopeful everything will work out the way she wants. It's a pretty common belief that spirits are wise creatures bent on guiding their charge on a righteous path, but that is not completely true. Spirits have a very personal concept of good and evil, and they hardly ever apply it - because truth is, they don't care. They don't come to this world to do the right thing or to try and make it a better place. They come for the sake of one person and one person only, their spiriter, and they have no qualms about throwing morality to the wind if it means helping them. It's this single-mindedness Melodia is banking on. If Dira only worries about keeping Kalas safe, she'll be happy to go along with whatever plan Melodia suggests. And they should see the plan Melodia has come up with...
Oh, they're going to do such great things together, the three of them.