The next night was even colder than the last and, to make things worse, a blizzard whipped up, coating the cloudy buildings with a fresh lick of white. Aldric held the extra blankets around himself even though they scratched. He had not bothered to change, his own clothes would suffice. Hours passed before he fell asleep but when he opened his eyes, Aldric felt that they had only been closed for a tiny amount of time.
Sitting up, he found that the only other person in the room was Cozmo, a star-shape beneath a scraggly orange and pink throw blanket. Wondering where everyone else had gone, Aldric made his way out the front door, stood shivering on the step and glanced in all directions. A few people strolled up and down the streets, dressed in woollen jackets or cloaks. Aldric wandered amongst them, all the way down to the tavern.
The door slid open. He caught sight of Evie and Raiden sitting together at a table, engrossed in conversation. Aldric tried to slink in unseen but it was too late. He had been spotted. Evie noticed him first. She nodded in acknowledgement but did not meet his eyes. Raiden gave a slight wave of the hand before turning the movement into a casual brush of his hair. Aldric shuffled over to them and pulled up a spare seat.
'Morning,' he said.
'So it is,' replied Raiden. 'Selwyn and K went to a garage or something, to see if there's any way to fix the ship.'
'Uh huh,' Aldric mumbled. 'Then we can go home right?'
'That's the plan,' said Raiden. 'I'm not leaving Feliciana.'
Aldric thought of all those people trapped in Gliendale. So many would be dead by now. December, where would she be? Where was his father? Could he be...? No. Aldric wouldn't consider it. What if he was looking for him, not knowing that he was millions of miles away? For a moment, Aldric's vision became blurred and he could feel the pulse in his neck thudding. He took a deep breath and everything melted back into focus.
K and Selwyn burst through the door. It was obvious from the looks on their faces that they had no luck. Their chairs scraped across the icy floor as they took seats opposite him.
'There's one more place we haven't tried,' Selwyn said without preamble. 'It's a bit out of the way but-'
Raiden stood up. 'Where?'
'Edge of the mountain range,' Selwyn leant on the table. 'But with no means of travel? And I don't suggest walking, not with the storms we've been having lately.'
'Maybe over a couple of days?' suggested K. 'I've done the journey before. You know I can handle myself out there.'
'No,' said Selwyn, clenching his fist against the table.
If only there was a way, thought Aldric, and then he remembered what had happened when they had only just arrived onto this world. Raiden's strange incantations and how that terrifying beast had become tamed.
'We can fly there,' said Aldric.
'Eh?' Raiden looked perplexed. 'The ship's wrecked and we left it way back. Or have you not been paying attention?'
'By Ripto,' Aldric explained. 'You can calm one, like you did before.'
'That would be almost impossible,' said K. 'Last time was a fluke.'
'Nothing I do is an accident,' said Raiden. He raised both of his eyebrows melodramatically. 'Come on K, I'm up for it.'
'Do what you like,' said Selwyn, 'but K stays with us.'
'I'm going with my friends,' said K. 'Whatever they decide to do. You're just disappointed that you can't come and join us.'
Selwyn didn't look impressed. 'I'm not your bloody father,' he said. 'Do what you want but be back by nightfall.'
***
Raiden, Evie, K and Aldric set off in search of a Ripto but the search was much more difficult than they thought it would be. For ages, they wandered, seemingly aimless through the thick white mist, their footsteps being covered over by the heavy snow.
'Here Ripto,' Raiden called as they drifted towards the mountain passes. 'Who wants a nice big slab of meatie-weetie?'
Evie laughed but her eyes were sad.
Aldric let out a huff. "Not gonna work anyway," he said, kicking his feet. They had been walking for just half an hour but it felt like so much longer. He was struggling to keep the warmth from escaping from under his jacket.
Raiden tilted his head, listening. 'Can you hear that? I heard one growling from over there,' he squinted at the side of the mountain. 'Be on your guard.'
They walked cautiously. Raiden stopped outside a cave and crept closer. Aldric heard noises coming from within the cave. Scratching. The sound of something crashing into stone. From behind them, a loud growl drifted through the air. Aldric spun around but could barely see a thing. Again, the growl sounded, louder, closer. Evie and K scarpered towards the cave. Aldric watched them disappear into the darkness. Raiden was nowhere to be seen either. He must have slipped inside the cave too. Another growl whipped across the sky. Aldric lost his nerve and followed his friends.
'We're cornered if we stay in here,' said K, turning back, running into Aldric.
'It's not safe out there,' he told her.
'It's not exactly safe in here either,' she said, rushing off. She lingered by the entrance.
Meanwhile, the scratching noise had stopped. Raiden fumbled around. He cupped Feliciana's pendant in his hands and blue light burst out, illuminating a startled figure further down the cave.
'Who's that?' She exclaimed, standing up against the wall.
'We're looking for a Ripto,' Raiden replied. 'You seen one?'
'Yes I have,' she moved closer, into the light. Her wavy amber hair was matted and crinkled as if it had started to freeze and her skin was nearly as white as the snow outside.
'My name is Tal,' she said, her voice had a rugged charm to it.
'I'm Raiden. This is Evie and Aldric. Our friend K's just outside, keeping watch.'
'Nice to meet you I should think,' Tal replied. 'We don't get many visitors, not from so far away.' She held up a chisel. 'Well, you caught me.'
At first Aldric didn't know what she meant and then he saw what had been the cause of the scratching sounds. Behind them was a detailed engraved picture of a Ripto. Tal noticed Aldric staring at it. 'Must be fate,' she said excitedly.
A brisk wind rushed into the cave bringing a scream down with it. Aldric's heart leapt up to his mouth and he ran. A Ripto towered over K who lay in the snow. She was very still. Aldric drew his sword but Raiden came up behind him.
'Don't you dare hurt it,' he said. His eyes widened slightly as he noticed K on the floor but he still put an arm in front of Aldric to keep him back.
Aldric could feel a hammer banging away inside his head. He had to stop it. Stop it all. Raiden pushed him back harder and Aldric relinquished, dropping his sword. Slowly, Raiden lowered his arm and stepped towards the Ripto, muttering the same words he had before.
'She might be alright,' said Tal, putting her hand delicately on Aldric's shoulder. He flinched and Tal took her hand back. 'Though I don't know what she did to make the Ripto attack her like that,' she continued. 'I mean, they're so placid.'
Evie looked at her as if she were an idiot. Aldric wanted to shout. Tal didn't know anything about them. K would never do anything that would provoke a creature to hurt her. She was the most kind, considerate, and intelligent person he knew. She wouldn't even be able to provoke anything accidentally.
At last, the Ripto lowered its head in compliance. Raiden shooed it and the creature shuffled over to a pile of nearby rocks like a naughty pup.
Aldric sprinted over to K who looked so small lying there in the snow. As he approached, he was sickened to see blood seeping through her jacket. Raiden was knelt over her, his fingers pressed into her neck, desperately searching for signs of life. Aldric held her frozen hand and scowled disapprovingly as Raiden slapped her gently in the face. She stirred, tilting her head to reveal more splatters of blood on her pale cheeks. Raiden looked panicked. He lifted K out of the snow, carrying her in his arms like a ragdoll.
'Quick,' Tal cried. 'Come with me, my uncle is a doctor, and he'll help. My ship is over here, just over here...it's small but I'm sure you'll fit...she'll be alright.'
They followed Tal and with huge effort, all managed to squeeze into the tiny ship.
'Put pressure on the wounds,' Evie said professionally, fumbling through her pockets. 'I have bandages.'
Seconds later they had landed. They all piled out of the ship and into the building ahead of them. They hastened down a corridor, arriving at a pair of doors which opened up into a huge barn-like building full of ships and vehicles. An old man was working on one of them and nearly fell off his ladder when Tal burst in.
'Uncle Delroi,' she said breathlessly, 'Emergency.'
Aldric and Evie hurtled themselves through the doors and Delroi looked as if he had been caught in an unexpected hailstorm. Aldric held the door open for Raiden who nearly collapsed to the floor as he bombarded in. The whole situation caught Delroi off guard. He went bright red and slid down the ladder clumsily.
'Yes, well,' he stuttered, his voice a forced whisper, 'Come through here,' he gestured the way and Raiden carried K through yet another set off doors. Aldric went to follow but Tal stopped him.
'He works best when he's alone,' she explained, 'Don't worry, he'll do the best he can for her.'
Raiden came back, head looking to the floor and hands in pockets. Aldric didn't like it at all. He had never seen him looking so withdrawn before, neither did he like having to place their trust in someone they had never met. What if she died? How would they break the news to everyone else who cared about her? How would he cope? He couldn't bear to lose anyone else.
Tal asked if they wanted any refreshments but wouldn't take no for an answer. She showed them the kitchen and poured some juice for them all whilst rambling on about everything that came into her head.
'We're quite out of the way out here, we don't get a lot of business,' she said. They had in fact been taken in as guests by the owners of the place they had been trying to get to in the first place. Her monologue was shortly interrupted by Delroi bursting into the room.
'Is she going to be okay?' Aldric asked, getting to his feet.
'Most probably yes,' Delroi replied half-heartedly, 'But she's lost a lot of blood, beast didn't do any severe damage. She's just a bit shaken, sleeping it off.' He scuttled off to finish working on his ship. Aldric felt Delroi was a little rude as if he was more interested in his ships. Nevertheless, he had said she would be alright so Aldric couldn't ask for anything more. They all guzzled down their juice before Tal led them away so that they could all check up on her.
They peered around the door and saw she was asleep. Evie sighed, 'Poor girl,' she whispered.
'She's a fighter,' Raiden told her, 'She'll be awake and ready to go any minute. I bet you.'
There wasn't anything they could do so reluctantly; Aldric and the others went on a guided tour with Tal. Raiden told her their original plan and how it was ironic that they'd ended up where they wanted to be.
'At a cost though,' Tal replied apologetically.
'It's such a coincidence isn't it?' Evie said.
'Not really, I'm up at the caves every day.'
'So have you got what we need?' Raiden asked.
'Course we do!'
'How much will it all come to?'
'Ooh,' Tal smiled, 'It's going to cost you a lot.'
'Tell us,' Raiden persisted, 'How much?'
'One kiss,' Tal ran off before Raiden got the chance to argue. She winked at him before disappearing behind a door.
'Is she serious?' He asked irritably.
Aldric was becoming even more infuriated by the second. He knew they had been kind helping K and offering them hospitality but Tal's behaviour was inappropriate for the situation. They met up with her later at the front desk. Raiden handed her a handful of coins.
'I told you,' she laughed, tucking her long locks behind her ears, 'I don't want your money.'
'Okay,' Raiden sighed, he leant over the desk, 'Kiss me,' he winked at her, 'have as many as you want!'
'Why won't you just accept the money?' Evie asked Tal, 'You're taking advantage of him.'
Raiden smiled, 'It's just a kiss Evie,' he said, 'Why, are you jealous?' Evie turned pink.
'Why would I be? I just think this behaviour is depraving! That's all.' Aldric's thoughts were focused on K as he watched the scene unfolding. It was like nothing was real yet here he was, watching some sort of comical performance whilst his best friend was lying injured only down the corridor. He didn't feel like joking around. But before anyone could kiss anyone, a scruffy young man entered the room.
'This is my brother, Freckle,' said Tal peevishly.
'Freckle, really?' Raiden smirked.
'It's Milo,' he gave his sister a glare. Raiden's eyes widened.
'Milo, It's seriously you?' he grinned, 'It's me, Raiden!' The reaction was instantaneous. The two of them were laughing and speaking quickly in a language that no-one else could understand, as if they only had seconds to get out everything they wanted to say to each other.
'How do you know each other?' asked Tal.
'You don't remember Raiden,' said Milo, 'Come on, everyone remembers him! Crashed into the citadel, he and his family stayed with us for months whilst we built him a new ship. Of course we didn't live here at the time.'
'Sorry,' she said, 'still got no idea. How long ago was this?'
'Oh wait,' said Milo, 'You weren't born then.'
'So you're an Isahiel too,' said Aldric. Milo gave a nod.
'I'll just go get you the parts for your ship,' he said and left the room.
'Will these parts work?' Evie asked, 'K said that the Atarikkan ships were a bit specific.'
'I'll improvise,' Raiden replied and he smiled cheekily at her.
'What?' Evie's cheeks went pink.
'You were jealous!' Raiden laughed.
'I was not,' she argued. 'You can kiss whoever you like. I don't care.' Raiden shook his head in amusement. Tal smiled.
'Don't be mean,' she said, 'Raiden, was it? Leave her alone. She isn't interested. Come on, I'll show you around a bit more, maybe we can find something to do whilst Milo's putting your parts in a trunk for you.'
'I'll stay here if you don't mind,' said Evie.
'Sure,' replied Tal as she and Raiden left the room. 'Let's go see if Freckle needs some help first,' her loud peppy voice floated through the metal of the door.
'Why do you even call him that?' Raiden's amused voice faded away, as did their footsteps, until a door slammed and all was quiet.
Aldric grew tired, so decided to go and sit with K for a bit. He left the room too. Evie didn't even notice. She was too busy pretending to read a book she had found on the front desk. He made his way down the corridor to K's bedside, though it did take him several attempts to find the right room. She looked peaceful. Just looking at her, he didn't think anyone would think she had just been attacked. She had bandages wrapped around her abdomen; blood still stained her face as well as her jacket which lay crumpled at the end of the bed. Aldric folded the jacket up neatly and turned it over so that he could not see the blood. He wanted to wipe the blood from her face but decided that it would be best if she did that herself. He didn't want her to wake up to him towering over her with a wet cloth.
K's eyes flickered open as if waking from a nightmare. She gasped and Aldric made sure that she could see him. Her eyes wavered over him. She smiled.
'Hello,' she said, 'I'm alive then.'
'Looks like it.'
'Where are we?'
'At the garage,' Aldric replied.
'Selwyn and Cozmo are going to be furious,' she sighed.
'Why?' Aldric wondered. He had almost forgotten them.
'I almost got myself eaten,' she moaned.
'It wouldn't have eaten you,' said Aldric, 'Not all of you anyway,' he laughed, but he quickly became solemn, 'What happened K?'
'I'm not sure,' she replied; they were not words Aldric had ever heard her say before, 'I'm guessing that it was protecting its territory. Maybe the Ripto was from the same family as the one we saw the other day. Perhaps they have grown more cautious about strangers.'
'It's my fault,' Aldric said, 'I'm sorry.'
'Don't be, it had nothing to do with you,' she sat up, wincing with the pain, 'Wow I'm dizzy!' She glanced at Aldric who was looking back at her with a concerned expression. 'Don't worry about me,' she insisted.
Milo had finished packing the trunk. Tal stood by, her arms folded, 'We were just coming to give you a hand!'
'I don't need any help thanks,' he hauled the trunk shut; 'You can pay later, before you leave.' After getting no reply, he looked Raiden up and down, 'Alright?' He smiled. Raiden gave a single nod, 'What's your story? Where have you been all these years?'
'Nowhere,' Raiden lied.
'Everyone has a story to tell.' Milo insisted.
'That's what our uncle says,' agreed Tal, 'He brought me up. Our parents both went missing.'
'Sorry to hear that,' replied Raiden, 'I liked them. Where they disappear to?'
'If we knew that we would have found them by now,' said Milo. He sat down on top of the trunk, 'So how's your dad these days? Floyd, wasn't it?'
'Yeah, there's not a lot to say really,' he shrugged, 'He went back to prison but he's out now.' Tal smiled awkwardly.
'Enough,' she said in an uppity way, 'Let's go find something fun to do,' she grabbed Raiden's hand and whisked him away, leaving Milo, sulky on top of the trunk.
The day drew darker. Aldric was still at K's bedside. Delroi had made sure that they were well fed. He shuffled into the room often but hardly even gave them a glance. The last time he had visited he had muttered a 'you'll be alright' which was comforting in a way. K had been sleeping a lot but woke up when the door opened, hitting the legs of his chair. Aldric turned around, annoyed. Raiden and Evie were stood in the doorway, the huge trunk supported in their arms.
'We're ready to go whenever you're ready,' Evie said courteously. K nodded and started to clamber out of the bed. It was a struggle and Raiden put a stop to it.
'But not right now,' he said. 'You need to rest.'
'I've had plenty of rest,' said K, but all the same, she lay back down and closed her eyes.
'Tal's taking us back isn't she?' Aldric asked. Raiden handed him a scarf.
'Wrap up warm,' Raiden instructed them, 'We will still have a bit of a walk. Can't go parking a ship anywhere near the city can we or Neret and her gang will be down on us like a pile of ice bricks!'
'I don't think K is up for walking,' said Aldric. K opened her eyes at the mention of her name. She reached for his hand and patted it gently.
'I can manage,' she said, almost patronisingly. 'Can we just go? The sooner we get back and fix the ship, the sooner we can go home.'
'Alright,' said Raiden, 'If you're sure. You have money don't you.'
K got up and made the bed behind her, 'Yes,' she said, 'Selwyn lent me some.' Aldric handed to her, her blood-stained jacket. It was all she had for the return journey.
'Oh, and Aldric,' Raiden began, opening the door for him and K, 'Give Milo his scarf back. It wasn't very nice of you to take it from him was it?'
'Hey,' Aldric protested, 'you're the one who stole it, not me!' Raiden clapped him on the back.
'Can't take a joke can you?'
'It wasn't funny,' said Aldric, 'So you nicked it?'
'Milo gave it to me.'
When Raiden saw that Aldric was unconvinced, he lowered his voice.
'Look, it is bloody freezing out there and all you have is that stupid jacket. I was trying to be nice but if you don't want it I'll take it back.' Aldric said nothing. 'You really think I'm a bad person don't you? Trust me Aldric. I don't nick things!'
'No need to get all serious,' said Aldric, 'It's only a scarf.' He wrapped it round his neck, let K go ahead of him and followed down the corridor, through the front desk room and straight out of the door. Milo and Tal were taking them back in Delroi's ship as it was larger and more conveniently parked.
They arrived in a familiar sight and landed only metres away from where the cave was. Aldric knew that this was the exact spot where the 'incident' had taken place. K shuddered. Aldric squinted. The greying clouds told them that it was getting close to evening time; a couple of stray snowflakes greeted them as they stepped out of the ship. Tal swept past Raiden and gave him a smile before getting back into the pilot's seat. Milo snuck behind Evie.
'Sorry about earlier,' he said into her ear, she jumped, hitting him in the face with her hair as she did so. He laughed at her.
'What are you apologising for?' she asked him.
'For my sister messing with your boyfriend,' he said obviously.
'What?' she spluttered, 'He's not...'
'Hope to see you again sometime,' he said, walking off. Milo also gave Raiden a quick shove as he walked past. 'And you too.'
'Aren't you popular today,' K joked, linking arms with Aldric. Raiden strode ahead, waving with large waves as Milo and Tal levitated away. Evie followed behind all of them, scuffling her feet and making trails in the snow as they headed back. She held the trunk behind her with its handle and dragged it, erasing her miniature trails and replacing them with one large track.
Luckily, they arrived back on the outskirts of the city just as the sun was setting. K pulled off her ripped and stained jacket as if to hide it from Cozmo and Selwyn who they could see hanging around outside the front of the Tavern. She screwed it up behind her back. Tal had given her a white shirt to replace K's torn one but it was thin enough so that her thick bandages could be seen underneath. They noticed.
'What happened?' Cozmo exclaimed. 'We told you it was dangerous!'
'These things happen,' Selwyn shrugged though a glint of guilt shone through his eyes. 'But you're tough.'
As the sun disappeared into the next hemisphere, Raiden explained what had happened over dinner, telling it as if it was all just a story. Evie tried to emphasise the treatment K should have received. She asked K for details but she didn't remember any.
'Just rest,' she said. 'That's what Delroi told me to do. Take it easy, wait for the cuts to heal.'
'Cuts,' Cozmo spluttered some of his drink down him and this made him even angrier. 'The thing took chunks from you!'
'Still,' said Selwyn, 'you're safer here than you are at home. The Lords should've arrived at Etchagon by now. The conferences will commence and in another couple of days they'll return with good news. I'm sure of it.'
'Or bad,' muttered Aldric but no-one heard him.
That night, K had the privilege of having a whole bed to herself. Cozmo and Selwyn squeezed into the other whilst Evie, Raiden and Aldric curled up on the floor in their blankets, huddled together, whispering stories about their homes.
'What's LendoZiya like?' said Aldric. He had heard stories from his Dad, but neither of them had been there. It was times like that he realised how much he missed his mother, even though he couldn't even recall what she looked like. 'I've heard it's nice,' Aldric added quietly.
Raiden looked up as if he had been offended.
'Nice?' he exclaimed. 'Aldric, my friend, LendoZiya is more than just nice. Just imagine,' he slouched back as if the scene was unfolding on the wall in front of them. 'Golden fields glistening on a hot summer's day. White palaces peaking over the greenest hills. Courtyards filled with a rainbow of exotic fruits. Sculptures of legends. Art, the music, the drums...and did I not mention the night sky whose stars shimmer with a thousand different colours. It's just brilliant. You'll love it.'
'You really think I'll get to see it one day?' said Aldric.
'Sure,' said Raiden. 'You too, Evie. We'll save Atarikka from the Jagophites and go travelling the stars. I'll show you guys everything.'
All of the previous arguments were forgotten and even Raiden slept that night. He leant against the wall, head tilted back. The usual tough demeanour that hung around him vanished and Aldric and Evie waited for him to stop twitching before they covered him with one of their itchy blankets. And later that night, Aldric dreamt of white palaces and imagined that he was lying back on dewy grass and watching a black sky erupt with thousands of rainbow stars.