Calliope [Book 2]

Mido yelled to Calliope as he watched her lay helplessly on the ground, his voice lost in the chaos of war. He sprinted toward her just as the witch appeared above her and sent the final blow to her prey. Just as quickly as she appeared, she vanished, leaving Calliope lying alone on the battlefield. Mido continued to run towards her just as Queen Ryenna appeared at Calliope’s side. Mido watched as the witch queen fell to her knees, bringing Calliope into her arms. She looked up and met Mido’s gaze. Her eyes looked through him, lost and hopeless, as the black witch continued to wreak havoc over the land. The ground shook and erupted as the air exploded around them. Mido watched, horrified, as Calliope and the witch queen vanished once more.

Mido dropped to his knees as the black smoke continued to swirl over the land. Soldiers continued to drop around her lifeless, helpless prey to her vicious attacks. The kings and commanders shouted to their armies, demanding they pull back, but it was useless. The undead army pushed forward, growing stronger with their captain.

Ian’s hands grabbed at Mido, pulling him to his feet as Mido continued to stare in a helpless trance. He dragged Mido backwards, ducking to avoid the black smoke as it whipped around them, cackling laughter echoing around them.

“C’mon, Mido, give me a hand here,” he grunted as he attempted to drag his friend out of harm’s way.

The witch queen appeared once more, suddenly, causing the earth to shake and crack beneath her. She raised an arm into the sky, summoning a spell before she threw the spell towards the black smoke. The smoke fell out of the air and crashed into the ground as the witch’s body took its form once more. Queen Ryenna appeared above the witch suddenly, a spell already emitting from her fingertips, holding the witch down, freezing the witch.

“Be gone, demon,” she hissed at the witch. The ground crumbled beneath them as Queen Ryenna continued to hold the witch down. The ground began to crack and split, opening the land and revealing an endless pit. Queen Ryenna stood above the witch as the ground continued to part; she held her hand steady as she backed away. The witch remained stuck to the ground, unable to move or counter the attack. The ground parted, the space growing larger and larger until it reached the edge and the witch fell over. Queen Ryenna continued to hold her spell as the crack began to close, locking the witch away to burn below the earth’s fiery crust.

The undead army shrieked as the last of the witches disappeared, leaving them without a commander. Queen Ryenna summoned another spell – a force wave that shot across the land. The spell quieted the undead army, and one by one, they began to fall, returning to their peaceful, lifeless state. Queen Ryenna emitted another spell and each soldier and citizen returned to their respected graves all over the world until the only bodies that remained were of the soldiers that assisted in the war.

Queen Ryenna stood in the middle of the field, catching her breath as she looked over the damages to her world. The human armies stood tall as they watched the battle come to a horrifying end. It an attempt to protect her people one last time, Queen Ryenna raised her arms and transported each army back to their respective kingdoms.

Mido found himself once more in Asmar’s castle. He scrambled to his feet and sprinted outside, greeted by the setting sun over the kingdom of Asmar.

“No!” he shouted into the kingdom. “Ryenna!”

Mido watched as his soldiers helped each other up, looking around, thankful to be back at home. Mido sprinted back into the castle, pushing passed Ian and Jon. They chased him through the empty throne room and once more into the back room. Mido crumpled the maps in the room in anger. He tore the maps off the wall and kicked at them with his boot.

“Mido,” Ian tried to calm him, reaching forward, but Mido spun around and punched him in the nose. Ian stumbled backwards, his hand on his nose as blood rushed through his fingers.

“Mido, enough,” Jon said.

Furious, Mido threw the table onto it’s side and fell to his knees, heaving. Ian and Jon watched as his rage subsided and he stayed quiet on the floor.

“Where is she?” Mido panted. When no one responded, he yelled it louder.

“Queen Ryenna must have her,” Ian mumbled.

“She let her die!” Mido yelled. “She killed her. I want that bitch dead.”

“You don’t know what happened,” Jon attempted to assure him.

Mido panted; his chest burned. His vision blurred. He couldn’t breathe, he couldn’t think, he couldn’t speak. He just sat there and panted as his hands clenched into fists at his side. Suddenly, he grabbed his dagger and whipped it at the stone wall where it came crashing down with a loud clang.

“Get out!” he yelled to them. “I don’t want to see any faces unless you have Ryenna’s head!”

Ian and Jon hesitated, looking to one another before turning and leaving Mido alone, closing the door behind them.

“Should I get Maria?” Jon asked, peering at Ian’s blood stained hands.

“No,” he muttered nasally. “I’m fine.”

They stood in silence for a moment in the empty throne room.

“That’s it?” Jon finally spoke. “The war is over?”

“That’s it,” Ian replied softly.

“That can’t be it. Calliope. She can’t be gone.”

“I don’t know what happened to her,” Ian said simply.

“What do we do?” Jon turned to the door that shut the grieving king away from the rest of the world.

“Get out of here,” Ian said.

“I’m not-”

“Go!” Ian’s voice echoed off the walls of the empty throne room.

Jon hesitated, his eyes full of pain. He looked to Ian for reassurance, but found none.

“He’ll be okay,” Jon said, as if to assure himself, but he did not believe the words.

“I’ll take care of this. You don’t need to be here.”

Jon’s heart sank in his chest. “I can help.”

“You’ve helped enough, but he can’t be helped now.”

“Ian-”

“Go,” Ian hissed. “Don’t make me say it again.”

Jon looked once more to the door before turning away. “Don’t let him do something stupid,” he said over his shoulder before leaving Ian alone in the throne room.

Ian watched as Jon disappeared around the corner. He stood for a moment, expecting him to come back, but when he did not, Ian made his way into the kitchen where he splashed water onto his face. He wiped his face with his shirt, moving as much of the blood as he could. He leaned against the wall, throwing his shirt on over his head, and stared at the floor. He had to check on Mido, but he wasn’t sure if he could bring himself to move.

He finally mustered up the courage and the energy to push himself off the wall. He left the kitchen and made his way into the throne room once more, crossing the room and knocking softly on the door. When there was no answer, he sucked in a breath and pushed the door open. Mido sat on the hard floor, his back against the far wall, his eyes closed. Ian double checked before he stepped forward; Mido’s chest rose and fell quietly. Ian joined his friend against the wall, sliding down and hitting the hard floor. They sat together in silence for a very long time. The sun had long gone to sleep behind the horizon and the room grew very dark, not a single candle lit.

Mido’s hoarse voice finally broke the silence. “Why?” he asked.

Ian turned to his friend but said nothing. He could just barely make out the black shape of Mido’s body.

Mido was quiet. Ian stared into the darkness of night. It hadn’t quite hit him, the events that took place just hours ago. His body was still reeling from the anxiety of the war. But, as he sat there in the darkness with his grieving friend, it finally did hit him, and it hit him hard. He buried his face in his hands as he realized that the young witch was gone. He squeezed his eyes shut in an attempt to hold back the tears that marked him as less of a man.

“Take over, Ian,” Mido muttered quietly. “Be king.”

Ian sniffed quietly in an attempt to hide his tears. “What?” He felt Mido shift next to him. He turned to his friend, but it was too dark to see the pain that scarred his face.

“Rule this kingdom.” Mido’s voice was just barely audible in the silent room. It shook with each breath he took.

“You are it’s king.”

“I am no king. I am a fraud. I am a blacksmith.”

“You’re not,” Ian said.

“Why?”

Ian was quiet as the question rang through his ears, pulling at his heart. “Because,” Ian said simply, unsure of what else he could say, or even which ‘why’ Mido asked him. Why did he join the hunt for Calliope? Why didn’t he kill her when he had the chance? Why did he fall in love with her? Why was he a pawn in this war? Why was she gone? Why?

Mido sucked in a breath. It took everything he had to keep himself from getting sick. His head spun and nauseated him. “I can’t do this,” he forced the words out of his painfully tight throat. “I can’t do it without her.”

Ian was quiet; he didn’t know what to say to comfort his hurting friend and it ripped him apart.

“I don’t want to live in a world without her,” Mido continued.

“You have to.”

“No. I won’t. I can’t.” Mido shifted again.

A light caught Ian’s attention. He looked over at his friend as the moon’s reflection glistened off the dagger in Mido’s hands.

“Mido,” he whispered in the dark, his heart pounding violently in his chest. The dagger continued to turn over in his friend’s hand. Ian was stunned, still as stone, unable to move as he watched his friend contemplate suicide. The dagger finally stopped moving. Mido’s fingers gripped the handle tightly and raised the blade against his chest. Ian’s heart stopped. “Mido,” he repeated. He threw himself across his friend, knocking the blade out of his hand. It landed with a loud clang against the floor, the sound ringing threateningly in their ears.

“Stop it, you idiot,” Mido barked at him. “Give it back.”

Ian slammed his friend into the wall. “Get up,” Ian shouted to him. “Get up, damn it, get up.” Ian stood, dragging Mido to his feet. Mido’s knees shook and stumbled forward under the weight of his own body and into Ian, knocking them both to the floor once more.

“Get off of me,” Ian growled. He felt Mido roll over beside him. They both lay on the floor, staring into the blackness of the night, their uneven breathing the only sound to fill the room.

Ian didn’t know how long they stayed like that, but before he knew it, the sun began to light the sky. He looked over to his friend who continued to stare at the ceiling, his eyes red and his face pale. Ian sat up and brought his knees to his chest, staring at his boots.

“Why couldn’t you let me do it,” Mido muttered.

Ian got to his feet. “Because I can’t handle another death right now. Give me a couple weeks at least, okay?”

Mido shifted his gaze to Ian’s. “I can’t wait that long.”

“Get up, fool,” Ian hissed, nudging at Mido with the toe of his boot, but Mido did not move.

“I said get up!” Ian said, shouting this time. When Mido didn’t make an effort to move, Ian kicked his friend harder. “Get up, get up, get up,” he yelled, each time kicking him harder. Mido groaned and curled up onto the floor, gasping for breath when Ian finished kicking him.

“Okay,” Mido grunted, throwing an arm in the air. “Stop it.”

Ian reached a hand down, helping Mido to his feet. They stood in silence. Mido turned toward the window and watched the sun light the land, bringing them a new day. Mido reached toward the dagger on the floor - Ian’s heart leapt in his throat - and placed it in it’s home on his hip. He turned and without a word, left the room. Ian followed him as he made his way across the throne room, stopping as King Sloan approached him. Prince Lucas and Jon stood behind him, watching with uncertainty.

“Going somewhere?” King Sloan asked.

“Get out of the way,” Mido murmured.

“Mido,” King Sloan put a hand on his shoulder, his eyes soft. “I’m so sorry, son. I came as soon as I could.”

“I am not your son,” Mido hissed. He pushed passed the king, but King Sloan grabbed his arm, pulling him back.

“Don’t you dare think about hitting me,” King Sloan warned as Mido spun back around. “I banished you once, I’ll do it again.”

“I don’t live in your kingdom anymore.”

“I know you’re angry, Mido, but don’t take it out on me.”

“Angry? You think I’m angry?” He glared at the king. “Let me tell you just how I feel. I’m furious that you think you can claim to be my father after all these years. I’m confused as to why I was used in some witch queen’s game of chess and why I had to be the one to suffer. I’m depressed because I lost the woman I loved. And you know what gets me the most? That all this time, I’ve just been a damned pawn for everyone else’s shit. My whole life has been turned upside down. I’ve been pushed to the edge. I’ve literally been to hell and back and almost lost my fucking mind. But I could put up with all of this – all of it – if I didn’t have to watch Calliope die, right before my eyes. And I’d love to be able to see her one last time and give her the peace she deserves, but I can’t even do that because I have no fucking idea where her damn body is. You want to know how I feel? That’s how I fucking feel, you disgraceful, inconsiderate dick. You want to be a father? You can start by not using your own damn son. Get out of my fucking face. I don’t want to see you ever again.” Mido panted, his face red with fury, his cheeks wet as the tears found their way out of their hold.

King Sloan was quiet as Mido’s words cut through him. “All right,” he said quietly. “As you wish.” Without another word, Librona’s king turned away and left the castle. Prince Lucas hesitated, his sad eyes on his brother for a moment before he, too, turned away, following his father’s footsteps outside of the castle.

“Mido,” Ian’s voice called to him.

Mido whipped around, furious. “What?” he shouted. He gawked as he saw Queen Ryenna standing at Ian’s side, Calliope’s body in her arms. Mido’s heart stopped as he watched the queen bow before him and place Calliope delicately on the floor. Mido couldn’t move.

“I’m sorry, Mido,” the witch queen said, her voice cracking. “I tried everything I could.”

“Don’t say it,” Mido whispered, shaking his head. The tears continued to fall, quicker this time. “Don’t say it.”

Queen Ryenna and Ian backed away as Mido approached the lifeless witch. He fell to his knees and looked over Calliope’s body, as if expecting to find some sign of life. His hands shook as he pushed a lock of hair out of her face. His lips pinched together as he sat back on his legs and began to cry.