The seal bull barked and sniffed the air. Kelda froze behind a pile of broken ice, gripping her spear until her knuckles ached.
I am a ghost, she thought. I am a shadow, I am a thought, you don't see me, you don't smell me-
The bull snorted and resumed its meandering course along the ice shelf, searching for a mate. Kelda breathed out and crept forward, testing the ice in front of her cautiously with the butt of her spear. Bulls were stupid during the breeding season, which made them easier to hunt- but also much more dangerous.
In her opinion, that just made it more fun.
This bull was an old fellow, almost twenty feet long, covered in old scars and heavy muscle. She'd been stalking him for almost a full day now. She glanced up at the sun, heavy and low in the sky, casting red rays over the snow. She'd have to decide soon whether or not to attack now, or go back to camp for the night.
The bull snorted and turned towards her again, huffing aggressively. It wagged its massive head back and forth, peering dubiously at the rocks with tiny eyes hidden in folds of fat.
"Right," she whispered to herself.
It knew that she- or some other predator- was there. She'd have to move fast, before it decided to charge her- or, worse, slip off into the frigid ocean.
The bull looked around, bellowing a challenge to the air. She seized the opportunity and raced to the cover of a pile of rocks to its left, holding her spear at the ready. The bull humped its way clumsily forward towards where she had just been lurking, barking furiously.
She exploded from cover as it passed her, leapt onto its back and plunged the spear into its neck. It screamed and thrashed violently, hurling her from its shoulders to the sea ice, leaving her spear stuck beyond her reach.
"Shit!"
She rolled to her feet and dodged as the bull charged her, felt its sharp teeth tear the skin of her thigh. She grabbed the thick folds of its neck and dragged herself astride it, blood streaming down her leg. The seal bull roared, snapping furiously at her, flailing its massive tail. She pulled her spear loose and jammed it, as hard as she could, into the seal's head, twisted. The bull bellowed, writhing on the crimson snow. She leapt out of the way and crouched beside it, watching its death throes.
It bled out quickly, light fading from its tiny eyes with a final whimper. She pulled her spear free and touched the bloodied blade to her forehead in a salute.
"Well fought, old fellow," she said, grinning. "But I won this one."
She bandaged her leg with scraps torn from her jacket and began the laborious process of skinning and dressing the bull. By the time she was done, the sun was almost below the snow-covered hills, and carrion birds were squabbling over the entrails. She finished burying the meat, marking the spot with a bright strip of fabric. She'd passed a group of hunters on her way out- she'd tell them where she'd buried the meat, and they could bring the frozen portions back to the village. She bundled the skin up and slung it across her shoulders, then began the weary limp back to her camp, leaning on her spear.
As she walked up to her camp she heard voices. She frowned, debating whether or not she should throw the pelt away and run.
"Slave girl!"
She'd been spotted. She sighed and limped closer. Men in bright armor clustered around her simple skin tent. What meager belongings she'd left at the campsite had been scattered over the snow.
"Slave girl, what is the meaning of this?"
"Hello, Cassius. I felt like going hunting, so I went."
"In trousers?!"
"You can hardly expect me to fight a charging seal bull in a skirt, can you?" She tossed the bloody pelt to a legionnaire. "Hold this for me, will you?"
Cassius sighed and passed a hand over his eyes.
"Disarm her, will you?" he asked a soldier petulantly.
Kelda knelt and began dismantling her tent, laying her spear in the snow beside her.
"Touch that, and I'll stick it through your guts," she said conversationally.
The soldiers glanced nervously at each other. Kelda rolled up her things in the sealskin tent and bundled it onto her back.
"Right," she said, levering herself to her feet. "I suppose Borius wants me back now, does he?"
"If you would be so kind," Cassius said cooly.
"Hmph." She looked around and grinned. "Wow, a whole legion, just for little old me? Cassius, I'm flattered."
He stared at her, icy, held out his hand.
"Slave girl. Give me the weapon."
"Make your own." She gripped it tightly, glaring at him. She'd made a new spear for each of the thirteen winters she'd been a slave, had spent weeks carving the hilt with delicate runes and hunting charms, and she'd be damned if she'd let some filthy Imperial get his prints all over it.
"Listen to me well, girl," Cassius growled, exasperated. "If we go back and tell our dear Governor that you slipped and quite tragically drowned, he wouldn't even bat an eye. The glorious empire has no room for troublemakers like you, so allow me to use a metaphor even your little barbarian mind will understand. You are on thin ice, slave, and it's breaking apart beneath your furry little boots."
She glared at him, then thrust the spear point-down into the snow and limped away.
"We should head back to the village," she growled. "You lot don't want to be stuck out here at night. There's wolves and worse in these hills."
-x-
Kelda woke from a dream of fire and lightning to a thunderous explosion that rocked her shoddy little bed in the slave quarters. She sat up, bleary-eyed, rubbing her cheeks.
"What?"
"Kelda!" Another slave, mousy and frightened-looking, raced into the room, almost dropping the vase she was carrying. "Kelda, come quickly, the Governor wants you!"
"What's going on?" she asked groggily, pulling on her shoes.
"Some kind of army's attacking! They blew up the gates! Folks are saying that they're demons or something!" She shook her head. "And on Midwinter's Eve, too! For shame! Have they no decency?"
"Ooh, they sound like fun!"
The other woman stared at her in disapproval.
"For god's sake, Kelda, what's wrong with you?" She snapped. "You'd better hurry up. The Governor doesn't like to be kept waiting on his bath."
"How can he bathe at a time like this?" Kelda demanded.
"Word is his brother's come to see what all the fuss is about."
"Who, Marius? Coming here? I thought he spent all his time tonguing the emperor's ass at the Capitol."
"Kelda!" the other slave snapped, scandalized. "Go, before he has you whipped, again!"
"I'm going, I'm going."
Kelda hurried into the hall, gingerly testing her weight on her injured leg. The wound had been mostly superficial, but it still stung with every step. She glanced at the heavy door of Borius' villa. It was barred and guarded by four legionaries. She debated for a moment whether or not she could break past them and out into the fracas in the village, shook her head after a moment. She couldn't fight four soldiers on her own, and her injured leg would slow her down if she tried to escape in the chaos. She shuddered, gathering her willpower, and entered Borius' chambers.
The stench hit her almost as soon as she entered, the reek of rotting food and heavy perfume. No matter how fast the slaves worked, they could never seem to keep the Governor's chambers clean.
"Ah, slave girl, there you are." The Governor beckoned her to his sumptuous bed with a bloated, ring-crusted hand. "Help me to my bath."
He slung a flabby arm around her shoulders as she hauled him upright. She was relieved to see that he was wearing a wine-stained nightgown, at least. He leaned close to her, blinking his piggy eyes up at her, reminding her of the old seal.
"Barbarians are attacking, you know," he said petulantly. "It's dreadful, really. Can't they see we've given you people everything? Fine food, culture, the arts-"
"An assortment of interesting smells," Kelda said, trying to only breathe through her mouth.
"Precisely." Borius swung his ponderous girth out of the bed. "Now, slave, unfortunately we must hurry. My tedious brother is coming to pay my little town a visit. He has the absolute gall to claim that I don't know how to control you people."
"I can't imagine why," Kelda said dryly.
"To the baths, slave. I am in need of a thorough scrubbing."
"Sir!" A legionnaire clattered to a stop in the hallway, saluting. "The demons have broken through the gate. They're making their way towards the temple. We can't hold them back!"
Borius made a disgusted noise.
"I supposed I have to do everything myself around here," he whined.
Kelda rolled her eyes.
"I supposed there's no time for my morning bath, either."
"Uh...you're really needed outside, sir."
Borius sighed, and held out his arms.
"Oh, very well. Slave, dress me."
Kelda stripped off his nightgown, holding her breath, and dressed him quickly, trying not to let her eyes focus on his fleshy pink folds.
"These demons," she asked the soldier. "What do they look like?"
"Oh, they're horrible! They have awful glowing eyes and teeth like knives, and all manner of strange things upon their heads!"
"Rubbish," said Borius dismissively. "No doubt they're rebels in some sort of costume designed to frighten the locals. There's no such thing as demons."
He waddled outside, shivering in the cold despite his bulk. Kelda and the soldier followed close behind. Borius stopped short, gaping.
"D-demons!" he exclaimed. "My gods, man, they're demons!"
"I did inform you of that, sir."
A mass of creatures broiled about the marble temple, gleefully tearing the graceful pillars down. Kelda squinted in the sun, trying to see. There was something strangely familiar about them- something about the way they moved. And there, in the back, a tall figure in black-
"I am not at home to demons!" Borius stuttered, trying to back into the villa.
"Sir, please!" The legionnaire demanded, holding onto his shoulder. "We need your help!"
"I must bring word of this affront to the Emperor! Pack my things, slave girl, we must leave at once!"
"Sir, please, the troops need you here!"
"The Emperor must be informed!" Borius shook his fist towards the temple. "You- you've ruined my Midwinter's Eve! We'll see what Emperor Solarius has to say about this!"
"I'm sure the Emperor will be heartbroken ," Kelda said snidely. "He'll probably take it real personally, I bet."
"Slave girl, go pack my bags!"
There was a sudden flash of blinding blue light. A tall, thin man with all the charm of a vulture stepped through a bright portal, looked Borius up and down with disdain. Borius blinked at him piggishly.
"Marius!" he exclaimed in surprise. "Where- where did you come from?"
Marius walked to the overlook, peered down at the temple through his monocle.
"Hmm." He looked at them with contempt. "Emperor Solarius is very concerned, brother, that you have allowed Nordberg to be most violently raided by a- a magical barbarian!"
"Er, the situation is under control, Marius. My men are rooting out the source." Borius nodded at the legionnaire, who looked confused. He nodded at him again, more emphatically, made little shooing motions with his hands.
"Oohhh," the soldier said, understanding, saluted, and raced away.
"Well, they had better do," Marius snapped, eyeing the soldier with scorn. "You were sent here to prove yourself as governor, and show you've a backbone beneath that blubber!"
"He hasn't," Kelda replied. "It's blubber all the way through."
Marius gave her a quizzical look, as if she were a particularly clever dog that had just imitated human speech.
"You should really whip that one more often, Borius," he said.
"Ah, yes, but to be honest, it's hard to find a soldier willing to do it."
"Whatever for?"
"I think they're scared of her."
"Well, do it yourself, then."
"Honestly, do you really think he can even lift his arms above his head?" Kelda asked. "I'm right here, you know."
"How troublesome." Marius shook his head. "Deal with the barbarians, little brother, and then we'll see about handling this slave of yours."
"I'd like to see you try!"
"Ugh, fine." Borius waved a hand. "Cassius! Cassius, where are you?"
"Here, sir!" Cassius jogged out of the villa, hastily buckling his pants, boots unlaced. "One of the lads just woke me. What's going on?"
"Take a regiment and deal with these barbarians, will you? Crush them, it's almost time for my lunchtime bath."
"Sir!" Cassius saluted and clattered away.
Marius frowned, watching him.
"Really, little brother. I had hoped that, as it is very nearly noon, your soldiers would be awake and dressed. I see that my hopes were unfounded."
'Everything is under control!" Borius snapped. "How am I supposed to work with you chattering like a bloody magpie in my ear?"
"Like a magpie, you fat sod?"
"You do look a bit like a magpie," Kelda mused.
"Fat sod?"
"Honestly, Borius, I would have thought you could handle Governorship of one tiny town!"
"Oh, do shut up, Marius!"
Kelda tuned out the sound of the argument, leaning forward, trying to get a better view of the barbarian horde. They had torn down the temple now- that stark reminder of Empire occupation- and were moving swiftly through the village. She smelled something strangely familiar- the smell of wood smoke and lightning. The air felt charged, ready for a storm. As she watched, the black figure- a man, maybe, or a horned demon?- raised a hand, and blue light crackled from his fist to strike a soldier.
"No," she whispered, incredulous. "No, it can't be! Can it?"
The demons were leaping, scrabbling forward, tearing through regiments like paper. She saw Cassius fall, face frozen in a blank mask of surprise, as the figure in black cut him down with an axe as tall as a man. Her heart leapt in her chest.
"No," she whispered again, hands shaking, afraid to hope. "No, it's not- it can't-"
"Slave girl!" Borius snapped. "Pack my things, we're leaving!"
"Borius, you useless lump! If you leave now, I swear to you you'll never hold a government position again!"
Borius whirled on his brother, suddenly suspicious.
"Marius! You were the one who sent me here, weren't you?"
Marius stared at him coldly.
"I don't know what you mean, Borius."
"You were the one who sent me to this godsforsaken, dangerous backwater, just because you knew Solarius favored me!"
"You blubbery fool! Always thinking it's all about you! No wonder mama left us!"
"Wow." Kelda leaned back, smirking. "I was...not expecting things to get quite that awkard."
"Don't you bring mama into this!" Borius snarled, furious, jowls shaking. "That's it! I'm not speaking to you anymore! I'll handle this myself!"
"I'm so glad we're governed by children," Kelda said.
"Fine, handle it yourself, then! But don't come crying to me when you ruin everything!"
Kelda turned away, rolling her eyes, looking for the barbarians. The village was suddenly, eerily silent. Soldiers lay groaning, and the snow was stained red. But the barbarian force was nowhere to be seen-
There was a sudden grate of stone on stone behind her. She whirled, startled, for a second not comprehending what she saw. The vast, vainglorious statue of Borius atop the villa was moving forward- and then, before anyone could move or think, it was plummeting down.
She gasped. Marius swore. Borius shrieked. The statue hit him like a juggernaut, pinning him to the ground. She looked up, met burning golden eyes beneath a black helm.
"Oh my gods," she whispered, and then, "Witch boy! Witch boy, is it really you?"
Borius was groaning, flailing helplessly at his stone arms. She looked at him incredulously- how on earth was he still alive? He was tougher than she would have expected.
"Witch boy!" she shouted again.
The figure in black looked down at her, unreadable beneath the helmet. It was him, she though- she was sure of it! The soldiers said he'd drowned- they'd seen him go under, lost in the cold sea- but somehow, he was here. He was here, and he was tearing down everything she hated.
"You came back!" she said, wondering if she was dreaming.
Did the eyes hold a smile? He inclined his head to her, striding closer. She held out her arms in a plea.
"Get me out of here before he makes me start scrubbing again!" she said, and then laughed aloud.
"How dare you!" Marius was shaking with rage, held out one thin finger in admonition. "You have insulted the Emperor and my family! This will not go unpunished, mark my words!"
The armored man ignored him, striding closer. Marius swallowed hard and vanished in a pillar of blue light.
"Slave!" Borius coughed wetly. "Slave, get me out of here at once!"
Kelda looked down at him, grinning, heart soaring.
"No, no way!" He was already dead, she thought, and she was alive, and she was free. "Even your crevices have crevices. Yuck!"
She laughed, looked up at the warrior approaching her. The man cocked his head, staring down at Borius.
"Barbarian!" Borius extended a quivering hand towards him, imploring. "I- I surrender! Maybe we can come to some sort of compro- augh!"
The man swung his axe once, twice, and Borius' body went limp. The warrior gestured, and the demons beside him went to work on the statue, tearing it apart. He walked to the edge of the platform before the villa, surveying the town.
"Nordberg," he shouted, in a deep voice that sent a shiver all the way through her bones. "I control you. I am your Overlord. Kneel!"
Out on the streets, wave after wave of people dropped to their knees, their faces frightened. They knew him, too, Kelda realized, wondered what he'd do with them now that he'd returned.
"It's really you," she breathed. She reached out and hesitantly touched his shoulder. He glanced at her, startled. "Sorry. I just-" she swallowed hard. "They- they told me you were dead. They said you drowned. Obviously, they were wrong."
"Kelda?" he asked.
"Yes." She grinned up at him. "Yes, it's me. Why didn't you tell me you were alive, you idiot?"
"It's a long story."
Her grip tightened on his arm.
"Take me with you," she demanded. "Back to wherever it is you've been living."
"You want to come with us? What about your father?"
"He died when the empire attacked the village thirteen years ago. There's nothing for me here."
He stared down at her, silent. He was so tall, she thought, with shoulders broader than any man she'd ever met. She wondered what he looked like beneath all that armor. She blushed, clamping down on the thought.
"You know, I want to see bits of the world that aren't covered in snow," she said shyly, smiling up at him. "How about you and I get reacquainted? I'd like to know what you've been up to for all these years."
The ground shook, and the earth split as a black tower shot through the rock. She stepped back, eyes widening. The witch boy caught her arm.
"That leads to the netherworld. My home," he told her. "Do you still want to come with me?"
She grinned up at him.
"Perfect," she said. "Just let me pack my hunting gear."