Chapter 22: Rise

Callum awakened in a sweat.

His torn, sleeveless royal garb was damp from how badly he'd been sweating.

He was panting, trying to catch his breath.

He closed his eyes, hearing his mother's voice.

And began to relax. Inhale. Exhale. He looked down at the snow.

Something was wrong. He could feel it. But he couldn't understand it.

"Callum?" Ezran called weakly, rolling over in his sleeping bag.

"I'm okay Ez. Go back to sleep." Callum replied, watching his breath curl out in front of him.

He closed his eyes, and focused.

When he closed his eyes, he saw Rayla.

Smiling. He got back on the sleeping bag.

Finding some comfort in the image, he pulled the blanket up, and tried to get back to sleep.

Heartbloom-Freddie Weidmann

The snow glistened in the morning sun. It stirred ever so slightly.

"We take it. But we do not take it lightly."

Some shadows from the cliff overhead blacked out sections of the snow, but at the part where the snow shined brightest, it continued to stir.

"I've seen you get knocked down so many times before, and every single time you get up again."

A four fingered hand, covered in dried blood burst through the snow, trying to grip something, anything.

"I told Runaan you were too good hearted for the work of an assassin."

There was no grip to be found. The snow was too soft.

"Your heart isn't hard enough to do whatever it takes."

Frustration was evident in the fingers, and for a moment, they went limp.

"I failed them."

Then the fingers came together in a frustrated, angry fist.

"Shut up! You're talking crazy!"

The snow erupted, as a figure burst through it, gasping, crying out in pain.

Rayla was gasping, trying desperately to flush away the pain, and catch her breath at the same time, as she crawled out of the snow.

Dried blood stained her green assassin's garb. Her shoulder felt broken. She had landed on it.

She crawled out of the snow bank, and let out a yell of pain as she felt all her wounds at once.

She collapsed onto her back, letting out a hiss of pain as she tried to will it all away.

Her body felt broken. She understandably felt like she'd just fallen off a cliff.

She rolled over again.

"Get up...come on Rayla...GAAAAAH!" She shouted as she accidentally shifted her weight to her right shoulder. "Get...up..." she repeated. She gritted her teeth, and forced herself forward. "Stand up, come on..."

She tried, and her legs gave out beneath her.

"Alright...never mind...not happenin." She conceded, dropping back down to a crawl.

A look down at her stomach revealed that she was still bleeding. Leaving a trail of blood in the snow.

It didn't matter. It was time to move.

She began to crawl across the snow, determination mixed with pain in every movement. She curled her right arm inward, trying to avoid using the ruined shoulder. She instead pulled herself forward with her left.

Her swords were stuck in the snow up ahead. She grabbed them, and folded them into their hilts, thankful that she had not lost them.

Thankful for more than that.

The fall should have killed her. It hadn't.

The pain didn't matter. It didn't matter that she couldn't stand. She had a second chance. She wasn't wasting it.

She had to find them.

"Callum! There's a town up there!" Ezran exclaimed, pointing toward the horizon.

"Wait what?! Really?!" Callum asked, eyes wide with surprise.

They ran ahead, to find a nice little town sitting amidst the snowy plains.

"They might have food! And people!"

"And sleeves!" Callum added excitedly, running behind him.

They walked into the town, immediately noticing actual people walking around.

Going about their day.

"Callum, this place is really familiar." Ezran said, looking around with curiosity.

"That's because it's civilization! Did you miss it, Ez?" Callum asked, spinning in circles. "Somebody give me sleeves! Please!"

"Callum? Ezran?" A small voice called out.

The two turned around, to see a tiny figure waving to them.

She was dressed in a thick winter coat.

For a moment, and from a distance, they didn't recognize her.

Then her giant three legged wolf walked up beside her.

"Ellis!" Ezran exclaimed, running over.

He ran up and hugged the tiny human, moments before being knocked over by Ava, who assaulted him with licks.

Callum walked up behind them, his shoulders losing some of the tension of the last several days.

Things felt momentarily normal. Okay even.

"Callum, it's winter, you're gonna freeze!" Ellis exclaimed, looking at his exposed arms.

"Nah it's all good, I'm already frozen." Callum replied, as they followed her into her house.

She pulled a beige coat from next to the fireplace, and tossed it to him.

"I didn't think I'd ever see you guys again! How are things?" Ellis asked, pulling up a chair, and sitting down.

"Oh it's been good. It's been good. I mean...actually..." Callum trailer off.

"It's been bad. It's been kinda bad." Ezran finished. "There's an army of bad guys trying to kill us."

Ellis arched an eyebrow.

"O-Oh. Why?" She asked in disbelief. "Who would want to hurt you guys?"

"Bad guys. Very bad guys." Callum summed up. "They want to kill Ezran because he's king. Also because he's Ezran."

"Well that doesn't seem very...wait who's king?"

Ezran and Callum exchanged a look, and Ezran shyly raised his hand.

Ellis's eyes widened.

"You're...the king now?" She asked.

Ezran nodded.

"Of Katolis?"

"Yep!"

"And you're..." she pointed to Callum.

"I'm still just a prince." Callum replied quickly.

Ellis nodded.

"Okay. Cool. I have the king of Katolis in my living room. That's kinda awesome actually. As long as that doesn't mean the towns about to get swarmed with your guards!"

"Nope." Ezran replied.

"Dead." Callum added. "All dead."

Ezran turned and elbowed him.

"We don't want to cause a panic." He whispered.

Callum gave him an angry look, then it faded.

"Wow Ez. Mature thinking. I swear, you just keep on growing. So proud."

"Okay wait...all your guards are dead?" Ellis asked, trying to understand it all. "How did you get here?"

"Walking." Ezran replied. "Also an avalanche."

Ellis nodded.

"Okay. So all your guards died, and you two have just been wandering around in the woods on your own? All this time? Wait here, I have some almost thawed loaves of bread around here somewhere."

"That sounds amazing." Ezran said, sitting back and rubbing his stomach.

Callum paused. He was looking out the window.

"Stay here Ez, I'll be right back."

He slid into the winter coat, and leaned out of the door.

Watching the clouds. His eyes carefully searching for any sign of shadows.

A few tense moments passed.

He sighed, then went back inside.

As he did, Borvir broke through the clouds.

Beady eyes glaring down at the house he had just peeked out of.