I've been waiting quite a while to do this particular chapter. And the one after it. X3


The Files of Kazdan Kalinkas

Book One: Not By Choice

Chapter Sixteen: Retribution


UnderWorld Rule #16: Punishment shall be dealt accordingly.


I spent a sleepless night in my room and moped around the next morning, dragging myself from one room to the next without any idea what I doing. I ignored the food Cherri offered me and didn't answer when H'earring asked me what was wrong.

How could I answer? I'd put his life in danger, not to mention the lives of my friends. If Chaor was sincere about his threat—which he usually was—then he wouldn't hesitate to trap Tom, Sarah, and Peyton in Perim the same way he'd trapped me.

I felt sick.

And I felt as though I'd betrayed my friends.

As I was trundling back down the stairs to see if I could drown myself in the hot spring, three figures popped up at the bottom of the steps.

"Hey Kaz!"

I tripped and went head-over-heels over to the bottom. I ended up spread eagle on my back looking up at the three smiling faces of my friends. Tom was holding his Code Scanner over me and grinning. It took a second to register what was happening then I leapt to my feet with a shout,

"You can't be here!"

"What!?" That came from all three of them; a mingling of shock, indigence, and wonder.

"Chaor! It's Chaor! He knows you're here!" I started pushing them, trying to get them to leave, "You have to port out! You have to—!"

Someone grabbed my shoulder and I spun, snatching at them and ready to throw them across the room, before I realized it was Cherri. She looked panicked and was jabbing a finger upstairs.

"Ka—?"

"Shhhhhhhh!" I put a finger to my lips, cutting off Tom, and cocked my head towards the ceiling, listening.

"—is he!? Where's Kaz!?" Demanded a low, rumbling voice.

"H-he's downstairs! In his room!" H'earring squeaked in reply.

Chaor.

I freaked.

"Cherri," I hissed, "Go in my room, stay quiet, and don't come out no matter what! Go! Now!" She obeyed and fled into my bed chamber. I looked around at my friends as the voices got more heated overhead, "No!" I grabbed Peyton's arm, "Don't port! He'll hear it!" My gaze swept the room.

There was nowhere for them to hide! They'd be found! They'd be caught and captured! They'd be just like me! They'd—!

"In there!" I shoved them hurriedly towards the vine covered wall. Sarah started to protest but I silenced her with a withering glare. I gently nudged some of the vines aside and they crawled through. I rearranged and vines and turned away.

Footsteps overhead, moving towards the stairs.

I grabbed a sword from the rack of weapons across the wall and spun it around in my hand.

The door slammed open and Chaor's sulfur stench wafted down.

Ah, varmill! He'd smell them!

I put the edge of the sword to my cheek and whisked it across my skin with a hiss of pain. A line of blood appeared and bubbled over, spilling down the side of my face in a slow seep. I rubbed the back of my hand across it, smearing it around. The silver armor stained red.

He was thudding down the stairs now.

I pretended I was practicing with sword, praying with all my might that my friends would remain undiscovered. Hopefully, the scent of my blood leaking freely would be enough to distract Chaor from everything else.

Besides, he sounded royally pissed anyway.

And boy, when he burst into the training room, was he pissed.

He stomped over to me and knocked the sword from my hand. It clattered across the floor. I stepped back a couple of paces and stared up at him.

"Where are they, Kaz?" He growled, eyes narrowing at me.

"Who?"

He backhanded me before I could think and I staggered back but didn't fall.

"You know who! Where are those slimy friends of yours!? I know they're here! I know they are! WHERE ARE THEY!?"

"No one's here except for me, you, and H'earring." I said coolly, looking him right in the eye, trying to hide my fear, "So piss off."

"Lies!" Chaor roared and stomped towards me again. I backpedaled away, tripping over my own feet in an attempt to get away without turning my back to him, "All lies! You think you're better than me, Kazzy!? You think you can stand up to me!? Then fight me and prove it!"

"And risk my neck for your pleasure!? No thanks!" I snapped back.

"You're mouth will get you killed one day." Snickered the voice, "Killed so you stay dead."

I stopped moving, frozen in the middle of the room. Chaor stood in front of me. I swallowed. I was in so much trouble right now.

"They're not here?" The UnderWorld Lord rumbled.

My fists were clenched so tightly I couldn't feel my arms and my shoulders were aching. My heart was drumming a tattoo of fear on the inside of my chest, my throat felt clogged, and my eyes burned. Anger and hate and dread roiled inside of me like a tornado. I fought to keep my emotions in check.

"No one's here you stupid jerkwad." I said, voice quivering, "You've kept me away from my friends…you're just trying to hurt me again!" I started screaming, releasing my anger with half-truth shouts, "You're teasing me, saying my friends are around, saying they're coming for me when they're not! I'm not stupid, Chaor! I know they're not here because I'm not worth them risking their Code!" How those words hurt to say; molten hot claws tearing at my heart to say the words I'd almost believed when I'd first been caught, "I HATE you!"

Chaor stared at me for a while, as though trying to decide whether or not I was lying. I stared right back, unblinkingly, daring him to prove me wrong.

"Avool llacyee a welyaz otís avool tyellis, yoba." He snarled in the original tongue of Perim, the tongue that Mugic was written in. I couldn't read it and I only knew some words so I didn't know what he'd said but it hadn't sounded good.

I tensed, ready to bolt should he decide to start launching fireballs again.

But he simply turned around and headed back towards the stairs.

I relaxed, unclenching my fists. My arms shook with the release of the tension.

I didn't quite see what happened next.

One second I'd been standing in the middle of a quiet room, breathing a sigh of relief…

…The next there was a whistling sound through the air and I was stumbling back a few paces with a sword through my sternum.

Chaor must have thrown it across the room!

I coughed, hacking blood, fighting for breath. Crimson liquid dripped down my front, down the sword that was plunged halfway through my chest, past my fingers as they grasped weakly at the blade.

Chaor's large, red hand grasped the hilt of the sword and wiggled it up and down a little. My scream turned into a liquid wheeze of despair, blood tasting coppery and hot in my mouth as it dribbled sickeningly past my lips.

"I know you're lying to me, Kaz." The UnderWorlder hissed, fingers tightening on the hilt. I half sobbed, half choked, trying to beg him to stop. Tears blurred my vision, "I know you've seen your friends and if I ever catch them in the UnderWorld…well, you know." He shoved the sword in deeper and I felt it scraping through me to protrude out my back. I was in so much pain I couldn't even scream, only gasp and shudder in shock and torture.

Then the blessed sensation of falling into darkness…

Which was effectively ruined by the ripple in my mind.

I twisted around, still water-based, just in time to see Chaor's fist come flying at me. I gave a watery scream and then splattered against the floor.

That hurt!

I'd never been hit when I was regenerating, all my enemies were in too much shock to do much else than stare.

But Chaor had hit me!

I'd felt the water molecules break and pull apart and it was agonizing. Now I could feel them pulling back together. I was on my knees, half-formed, when Chaor kicked me in the middle and sent my spraying into the air again.

Why was he doing this!?

"Because you're a disobedient stray!"

Shut up!

"Because you're worthless!"

Be quiet!

"Because you're weak!

Leave me alone!

"Because no one loves you…"

I got just enough time to whimper before Chaor blasted me apart again. I didn't know how much more of this I could take. This was horrible torture. I could barely think straight enough to haul myself to my feet, if only to be knocked down again and splattered by Chaor.

Chaor.

The Lord of the Underworld.

My master.

"Sick freak."

I was still reforming when I heard Chaor say, "I think that should teach you a lesson for now, Kaz. Disobey me again and I won't just capture your friends…I'll kill them too." He thudded through the other room, up the stairs, and slammed the door.

A few moments later, H'earring came barreling down saying Chaor had gone. I heard the cries of my friends but could not respond. I hung my head, still made of water, my lower half slowly and painfully molding itself into shape.

"No, don't touch him." I heard Tom say, heard the fear in his voice echoing with anger.

I gasped as I solidified into flesh and blood. I stayed on my knees, staring at the floor, at the crimson stains there, at my fists clenched on the rock.

"Kaz?" Peyton said tentatively.

"I…" The words didn't want to come out. I forced them and they sounded choked and strained, "I…I didn't want you…to see…I didn't want you to see that." My voice was shaking, tears threatened but I pushed them back, "I didn't want you to see…wh-what he could d-do to me…!"

"Kaz, no one…I mean…we…I…" Tom was stumbling over his words.

"Dude…" Said Peyton without any conviction.

"It's okay, Kaz," Sarah put her arms around me and pulled me into a hug, "It's okay."

I struggled feebly against her hold, "No it's not…! It's n-n-not! It's not!"

"Kaz," Sarah said gently, one arm around my shoulders and her free hand in my matted and messy hair, "It's okay. We're here for you. It's okay to cry. Okay…?"

I held my breath for the briefest of moments, feeling vulnerable ands lost.

Then I collapsed into tears.

It actually felt good to cry.

I sobbed, half screaming most of it, convulsing with my cries in Sarah's arms. I didn't even care anymore, I just needed to get it out. I look back on it now and think how weird it was for Sarah to be the one to comfort me like that. Maybe it's some sort of maternal instinct girls have. I don't know. I don't understand girls.

In any case, she was there.

She was there, she held me, she didn't care that her shirt was soaked with salty tears, didn't care that I curled into her lap on the floor, didn't care that I wrapped my arms around her and dug my fingers into her back as though if I didn't she would disappear, didn't care about the cold steel of my armor, didn't care that she had just seen how much control Chaor had over me.

I was a mess.

At some point, she got me to get up and move to my room. I lay on the bed, crying, gripping my pillow with tight fingers. I heard Sarah's voice but was too immersed in sorrow to understand her. I did feel her stroking my hair, though, and patting my shoulder or rubbing my back.

It was nice.

I felt loved.

I felt wanted.

It put me to sleep and I dreamed that I was back home, safe and comfortable, with my family and friends.

It made me…happy.


When I woke up, I was sore and hungry. I groaned and stretched, shuffling out of my bedroom.

The little house was quiet. I walked through the tiny room that held only the table, paused to rub sleep from my eyes, and headed up the stairs. The fire had burned itself into low embers when I opened the door but it was enough to see the four figures huddled around it, breathing softly in a deep slumber.

My throat closed but I turned away and crept into the kitchen. H'earring was sitting at his low table, barely visible in the long, dark shadows. He didn't say anything, just waited for me to scrounge up enough food to sate my hunger and situate myself at the other end of his table.

"They wouldn't leave until you woke up." Said the little Creature, swiping a chunk of the bread I'd broken up, "Cherri was keeping watch until she fell asleep."

"Why aren't you in bed?" I asked and then swigged some water, relishing the cool, reviving taste.

"Couldn't sleep."

"What's wrong? You never miss a chance to snooze."

"Chaor's been…I think he's hiding something."

"Aren't we all?" I dunked a piece of bread into a shallow bowl of cold stew and gnawed on it, uninterested in what Chaor was doing.

"Kaz, I think he's planning something…!"

"Who cares if he is!" I snapped back a little louder than I meant to, "As long as he leaves my friends out of it, I could care less!" I saw the distraught look on H'earring's face and sighed heavily, "H'earring, I hate Chaor more than I've ever hated anyone in my entire life. He took away my life and turned me into…he turned me into a killer. Maybe not a cold-blooded one, maybe not one that follows his orders to the letter, but a killer all the same. I hate him. And I'm doing the best I can to fight back without getting my friends hurt. Or you. Or even Cherri." I rubbed a hand over my forehead, "But there isn't much I can do. Chaor knows what I'm doing every second of every day—or at least, he knows where I'm at. I can't just run off like Tom, Peyton, and Sarah want me to. Even though I wish I could."

H'earring didn't say anything, which was probably for the better because I was done talking. I turned my gaze towards the living room, looking at the black silhouettes lining the floor.

They couldn't stay here.

They were in too much danger.

But I ached to see them go.

I stood up and slipped silently into the living room, crouching beside the largest figure,

"Peyton. Pssst, Peyton, wake up." I shook his shoulder, "Come on, buddy, wake up." He made a big show about grumbling and flopping about but he eventually sat up and rubbed his eyes. I smiled, "Get Sarah up, will you? I'll wake up Tom."

I didn't wait for a reply, just crawled over to my best friend. I paused a moment, looking at him in the gloomy light. He looked…stressed, even in sleep. I'd never seen him so haggard and disheartened. It made me wonder how bad I looked.

"Tom. Tom, get up." He swatted at me lazily, still in the pull of slumber, "Wake up!" I pushed his shoulder hard enough so that he flopped onto his back. He grumbled out something that was probably an insult and then pushed himself up with an over-dramatic yawn.

"What?" He mumbled, tousling his hair in the dimness.

"You guys have to port out now, 'k?" He glared at me, fierce blue eyes catching the light of dying embers and glittering with stubbornness, "Cut it out! You saw what Chaor did! He'd do that to you too if he caught you here!" I kept my voice just above a whisper, crouched in front of my still half-asleep friends, "So get out for now and come back tomorrow night. No Tom! Night! Understand me!? I might have a mission so I might be gone and there's no point in you guys hanging around with your liv—Codes in danger. Okay!?"

None of them were happy with me but they saw the sense enough to agree. Peyton reached into his bag, which was propped on the wall behind him, as Cherri shook herself into wakefulness and started stoking the fire.

"Here, dude, we couldn't get nachos but I'm sure you'll appreciate that!" He tossed me two bags of chips, a candy bar, and a—now warm—bottle of soda.

"Thanks guys," I said smiling.

I was startled when Tom gave me a hug, "We'll come back for you, I swear it. And we'll get you out of here. I swear that, too." He backed off, Code Scanner in hand, "I'll…Kaz, I'm gonna…go see your mom and dad."

I looked at him and he looked back at me as though awaiting my approval on the matter. I nodded once,

"Okay. Just…" I clenched my fists, "I wish I could tell you to tell them that I love them. And that I miss them. A lot." I put a hand over my face to try and hide how much I was hurting inside, "But I can't…they'd just get mad at you…"

"They love you, Kazzudy." Peyton said encouragingly, "Parents always love their kids."

"Tomorrow night, we'll bring stuff for smores." Sarah said firmly, "And we'll have a campfire." She looked at the dull embers in the fire pit, "Inside."

I chuckled, bid them good-bye, and felt my heart twist and wrench out of place as they vanished in a swirl of blue-white light.

I sat in the semi-darkness, feeling suddenly alone despite the presence of H'earring and Cherri.

I'd never felt so alone in my life.


"Varmill" means vermin, rat, or traitor and "avool llacyee a welyaz otís avool tyellis, yoba" means 'you call a sword to your heart, boy'. THIS IS A LANGUAGE I MADE UP!! PLEASE DO NOT STEAL!!

Thank you.

Well, do you hate Chaor now!? Hahahahahahaha! He killed Kaz again! What a jerk face. XP I hate Chaor in here but outside this fiction…he's cool.

On a side note…

ANGST!