Knowledge is Deadly: Book 1: The Azuran Series

Chapter 8

Katelyn walked through town. It was afternoon now. She had probably missed lunch. She entered the inn and started going up the stairs. A door opened and closed slowly. She turned the corner and looked to see who it was. Aspen was looking at her door wearily.
She started down the hallway slowly.
"Looking for me?" She asked, a hint of annoyance in her voice. He whipped around to look at her.
"Yes! Blake said you came back but no one has seen you. Where did you go?!" He asked clearly both annoyed and frightened.
"I-that's a long story.." she said, taken aback.
He started towards her. "Katelyn. Are you hurt?" He asked calmly.
She shook her head. "I'm fine."
"Well go get some rest." He said standing aside.
She brushed past him into her room, but she was too distracted to even try to sleep.
She found a book on the shelf and sank into her bed to read it.

•~•~•~•~•~•

Time passed and the sun continued to set. and she heard a knock. She looked up at the door from her book.
"Come in." She said, brushing her fingers through her hair. The door swung open and Kilin walked in, closing the door behind her.
"Hey Kilin." She greeted with a small smile.
"Hi." She said returning the small smile.
"What's up?" She asked, putting her book on her dresser.
"I wanted to tell you what I think we should do. Before I do it." She said leaning on the bed frame.
"Ok... this is about leaving isn't it?" She asked sadly.
"Yes, it is." she stated.
Katelyn sighed. "What's the plan then?"
"I want to leave for my hometown." Kilin said simply.
"Yeah, you told me that." Katelyn responded calmly.
"Soon." Kilin added.
Katelyn looked at her, "how soon?"
     "Preferably tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?! We just got here!"
"Katelyn, I don't like it here. It isn't safe." Kilin coolly stated.
"What makes you say that?" Katelyn asked.
"Something feels off, We are to close to the castle, and we haven't seen any guards protecting the place."
"Are there supposed to be guards at a normal town?"
"Not all but most. Mine does which is safer." Kilin said crossing her arms.
"But we have everything we need here." Katelyn said, gesturing around her room.
"We are going. Blake agrees and is talking to Aspen now." Kilin said sternly.
"We've only been here one day!" Katelyn pleaded, not wanting to pull out her most desperate card.
"Time doesn't matter!" Kilin snapped.
"I'm not ready for another two day walk, Kilin." Katelyn said, calming her voice.
"It won't be hard. And this time we will have food and water."
'Hopefully.' Kilin thought
"I'm not talking about the need for supplies. I'm talking about this." She pulled the blanket away from her legs and rolled up the end of her pants so Kilin could see her ankle. It was badly bruised and swollen.
"Aspen can help you walk." Kilin said glancing at it sadly.
"I don't want Aspen's help." Katelyn said with a sigh.
"You need his help."
Katelyn fell back into her bed. "Let me talk to them."
"Your so defensive. Why can't you just-" she stops and her expression go from surprised to pissed. "I know what this is about." She said harshly.
"What?"
"You don't want to leave him." She practically spat.
"Who- Jackson?"
"Yes! He has never talked to you and now he is? Don't you think it is a little weird?!" She said throwing her hands in the air.
"He has talked to me before!" Katelyn said defensively.
"Never for more than a minute! Your letting him cloud your judgement!" She snapped.
"And you're letting Kile cloud yours!" She snapped back. Kilin tensed up.
"Kile doesn't cloud my judgment!" She said defensively.
"As soon as you see him, you want to leave. It makes sense."
"That isn't why I want to leave!"
"It's one of the reasons."
"It is not!" She said, her voice cracking.
Katelyn studied her. "You know, you and Kile lie the same way." She noted.
"Don't talk like you know him!" Kilin snapped with a sudden harshness.
"I've met him. I was going to tell you about that.."
"What?!" She snapped.
"Yeah.. if you'd calm down I'd tell you."
"How do you expect me to calm down?!" She said, her voice cracking again. She too had gotten rattled by the accusation.
"I don't expect you to. But at least try." Katelyn said gently.
"I-I.." she cut herself off and sighed.
Katelyn didn't hesitate to begin. "When you ran off I came too so I could tell you something. Blake was following you so I followed him-"
"You too? Can I not have any privacy?" Kilin said cutting her off.
"I had to tell you something! Now listen. I saw you with Kile and when he left, I went after him because I wanted to know who he was. Now I wish I hadn't. He's annoying."
"He isn't annoying." She mumbled softly.
"Yes he is. He knew I was following him so, you'd be proud of this, he led me in circles deeper into the woods. We talked some, but I got annoyed with him so I started to come back. He insisted on walking me home, hence the nickname, puppy." Katelyn rolled her eyes.
"Your the puppy?! I heard he we quite annoyed with you." She said quietly.
"He shouldn't have been. I could have gotten home on my own."
"Not if he lead you astray. There is no hope with that." Kilin said.
"You've had experience then?"
She scoffed "Lots."
Katelyn laughed quietly. "One of the reasons I don't want to go to your town is having to see him again." Katelyn said with an eye roll.
"He'll grow on you."
"I doubt it." She said, looking down. "Have you told him about me before?"
"No." She said plainly.
Katelyn raised an eyebrow. "Never? Are you sure?"
"I haven't seen him since I came to the castle 2 years ago." She said sadly
"Oh.. well, he knows me Kilin. I don't know how. It's creepy."
"Work." She mumbled in response.
"I don't think Kile does normal work... I mean, in what kind of job would he know how to fight, how to sneak around in the woods, and stalk people?" Katelyn asked suspiciously, her mind pulling some of the pieces together.
Kilin was quiet and studied her face.
'We both do..' she thought.
"Katelyn, I can explain."
"Please do." Katelyn asked, sitting up straight.
"Just don't scream, ok?" Kilin said leaning against the wall.
"I'm not going to scream." She promised.
"Ok.." Kilin said. "Me and Kile were raised in a camp of.... warriors. We've been trained since Before we can remember for tracking, fighting, and killing. That's what we do.. we kill people." She said with a blank face.
Katelyn was quiet. Almost everything made sense.. She wanted to choose her words carefully. "You were trained to kill.. like an assassin?" She asked, eyeing Kilin, who nodded.
"Why- why couldn't you tell me this before?"
"At the castle, I was a different person. Out here I'm Back to being me. While at the castle I didn't want things to change. It was just easier.." Kilin said trailing off.
Katelyn swallowed. "So you train to hunt people down... if Kile knew who I was he must have been hunting me..." her eyes widened. "Why?"
"If he was going to kill you he would have done it already. He doesn't normally pass up such an opportunity."
"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" Katelyn said.
"Look, I don't know why he was tracking you." Kilin responded.
"You used to work together. You don't have a clue?"
"Well the locket would be a good guess but I don't think that is why."
"There isn't another reason. Ask him." She suggested.
"Why would he be looking for something you don't have?" Kilin asked raising an eyebrow at her.
Katelyn hesitated. "Kilin... that's what I needed to tell you." She tugged on the chain and her locket fell on top of her shirt, where Kilin could see it. "I do have it." She said guiltily.
Kilin's jaw dropped and she looked at the locket with wide eyes.
'Holy hells of Azura.' Kilin thought.
"I should have told you sooner. It was selfish of me.." Katelyn said, shaking her head.
Kilin closed her mouth.
"Anything else?" She asked, obviously holding back the questions in her head.
"It's not a normal necklace... it's, well, magical."
"Magical?" Kilin asked, clearly unimpressed.
'She going crazy..... to much stress....' she thought.
"I'm not crazy, I swear! I can read thoughts." She said seriously.
"yeah ok..." Kilin said.
'Leave her be..... clearly needs sleep...'
"Kilin, you have to believe me. Why else would they want a locket like this?" She asked, holding onto it.
"You can't read minds." Kilin stated sternly.
"Yes I can. Think of something, anything. Random, preferably." She said in the same tone.
'Kile doesn't like hights but won't admit it.' Kilin thought looking at Katelyn skeptically.
Katelyn felt surprised that she picked up the whole thought. She was getting better at it. "Kile doesn't like heights but he won't admit it." She repeated orally.
Kilin took a step back.
"Wha-what? How did you?" She stammered.
'This isn't possible....'
Katelyn looked down at the locket. "I thought so too. Kilin, this changes everything. Magic is real."
"Magic isn't real. I'm going crazy." She said and started towards the door.
"This is one of the reasons I didn't tell you... Wait, where are you going?" She called.
"To wake up, clearly I'm dreaming." Kilin said turning to look at her.
Katelyn sighed. "This is reality. Better get accustomed to it before it's too late. You have to trust me." She raised an eyebrow. "And if you won't, why don't you ask Kile? He knows about this too."
"It doesn't make sense. You have never had magic before." Kilin said.
'What am I saying...... magic.... how would Kile know?'
"Right, and I've never had the locket before either. My dad.. he gave it to me before he-- before I left him."
'He's been reading ours.' Kilin thought.
"I need some air." Kilin said starting towards the door again.
Katelyn looked down at her hands and sighed.
'Well, I tried. If that's how she reacted what would Blake and Aspen think? Oh wait, I can just read their minds.' She fell back on the bed with another exasperated huff.
"What?" Kilin asked standing at the door.
"Nothing." She said sadly.
"Fine." Kilin said and opened the door. She scoffed.
"She's in there." She said and walked past whoever was outside Katelyn's door.
Katelyn laid on her bed, not moving. They walked in slowly and closed the door behind them. They hesitated before walking slowly towards her.
She looked up to see Aspen. "Yes?" She asked.
"I was just checking on you." He said standing at the end of her bed.
"Why? I'm fine." She said sitting up after she had hidden her locket underneath her shirt.
'Should I ask...' his thoughts said. He just sighed.
She opened her mouth to reload to his thoughts, but quickly shut it.
"So, have you heard Kilins plan?" She asked.
"Yes. Blake told me." He said simply.
'She hasn't..... let her on her own time.' He thought to himself
"And you agree with it?"
"I see her concern but we need to wait a little while longer before we leave." He said simply.
"Thank you!" Katelyn said with relief. He nodded.
'Screw it, he said to make sure.' Aspen thought.
"Katelyn, can I ask you something?"
She studied his face. "Sure.."
"You spoke to your dad at the castle right?" He asked keeping calm.
Katelyn's eyes faltered.
"Yeah..."
"Did- did he give you anything?" He said
Katelyn bit her lip.
"Why?"
"Katelyn, please."
She sighed. "Yes. Some last words, and..." she rolled her eyes, giving in, and pulled out her locket, not meeting his eyes.
He let out a relived sigh and leaned against the bed post.
"What?"
"I'm just glad he got it to you." He said simply.
"How do you know about this?" She asked in a harsh tone.
He looked at her, surprised at the harshness in her voice.
"He told me. He wanted me to tell you if he couldn't." He said softly.
"T-tell me what?" She asked quietly.
"About the locket. It sounds crazy.." he said trailing off.
"Would you just tell me already?" Katelyn snapped, realizing she probably already knew what he was about to tell her.
He sighed.
"He said it's been in your mom's family for centuries. After she died he knew it would pass down to you, so he kept it. He was afraid it would do more harm than good. This is where it gets crazy. He said it's magic. That the wearer can read minds." He said
"How long have you known?" She asked, not very shocked.
"A few days before he actually assigned me to you." Aspen said looking down at his feet.
Katelyn put her head in her hands. "You didn't think to tell me, and neither did he? 'Hey you're about to receive a very important magical object that people are willing to kill for, here's a little heads up.'"
"Well I was waiting for you to say something about the locket." He said crossing his arms.
"I know, I should have told you already. But if you had known-" she shrugged and leaned back on her pillows.
      "I'm fine with it Katelyn." He said looking over at her, his bright blue eyes soft.
     She met his eyes sadly. "I wish he would have told me earlier. Then maybe we wouldn't be in this mess.."
     "He knew this was going to happen. He warned us and told us where to take you." He said with a sigh.
     Katelyn grunted angrily. "We could have had more time to prepare!"
     "Don't yell at me." He said gently.
     "Sorry. I'm just confused." She said in a calmer tone.
     "So can it actually do the mind thing?" He asked curiously.
     She nodded.
     'Wait really... that's weird..... reading these...' he looked at her confused.
     "Yeah, I know. I can't really control it, and I can't pick up full thoughts yet." She said, fumbling with her locket.
      "He said it would take some time and that he thought you we're strong enough to control it." He said looking across the room.
     Katelyn closed her eyes and shook her head. "What else did he say?" She wondered, wanting to know every detail about her dad.
     "Ah... stuff like don't let her die or get rid of the locket. Watch out for-" he gasped and his eyes widened.
     "What?"
     "Rafe. He said Rafe." He groaned. "I should have remembered sooner!" He said loudly. He ran a hand threw his hair.
     "What do you mean? Remembering a name wouldn't have changed anything."
     "He said watch out for Rafe, he wants something desperately. He mentioned two sons and a father, Carl I think." He said
     "Carl has two sons?" She asked, looking up at him.
     "That is what he said. Two." He said Looking at her.
     'Great.' Katelyn thought with a sigh.
     There was a knock at the door.
     Katelyn jumped up out of bed and looked at Aspen. "This doesn't look right.." she said quietly.
     "What doesn't?" He asked in the same tone. 
     She pointed at him, then to herself, then to the closed door. "You. In my room." He rolled his eyes.
     "Only you would notice that type of thing." He muttered.
     "Right... Come in!" She called. The door opened and Blake walked in.
     "Kilin made me come. She seemed angry so I did." He said closing the door behind him.
     Aspen raised an eyebrow at Katelyn.
     'It's just Blake.' He thought.
     "She's angry now too?" Katelyn asked with a groan.
     Blake looked between them.
     "If now's a bad time..." he said taking a step back.
     Katelyn smirked at Aspen. "Told you." She said before looking back at Blake. "You can't be serious. I thought you had better judgement than that."
     "Eh, you never know." Blake said with a shrug. He walked towards them.
     Aspen sighed and looked over at him.
     "So why was Kilin making me come talk to you?" He asked, standing beside Aspen.
     "I don't know." She lied. She didn't feel like explaining the locket again.
     Aspen shot a harsh glare in her direction.
     She sighed and looked at Blake. "She didn't tell you why you should talk to me?"
     "No she said she sounded crazy and left to the roof, I think." He said.
     Katelyn held her locket up and explained how she had gotten it from her dad and what it's magical powers were. She looked at him expectantly once she was finished.
     He just blinked.
     "So it's a magical locket... like... ah sort of like... ugh. Never mind." He stammered running his hand threw his light brown hair.
Katelyn sighed. "It's a lot to take in, I know."
"It's just magic." Blake said calmly.
"You're taking this strangely well.." Katelyn observed. He shrugged.
"It's not I'm going to freak out over a little magic." He said simply. Aspen glanced at him confused.
"You knew it was real?" Katelyn asked.
"It's not a secret." He said glancing around the room and then back to her.
"So everyone knew except for me and Kilin then?" Katelyn asked, aggravated.
"He didn't know. He is just... calm." Aspen said glancing at him.
"Right. Unlike someone..." Katelyn said, glancing at the door.
"Wait did you know about magic before now?" Aspen asked.
"Of course I did." Blake said. "My mom..." he shook his head.
Katelyn looked at Blake. "What about her?" She asked curiously.
"She's crazy about that type of thing."
'At least.... she was before.' Blake thought.
"Before?" She said aloud.
"Nothing. You didn't hear that." He said blushing slightly.
"Right. Sorry." Katelyn apologized. She silently vowed to learn to better control what she said.
'Not even my head is safe.... oh crap... that isn't....' he looked around nervously. 'Hummm...'
Katelyn stared at the ground and tried to ignore his thoughts racing in her own head. Aspen looked between them.
"Well... I'm going to go then. Seeing as you're fine." He said looking at Katelyn.
She met his eyes and nodded, then looked back down. Aspen walked toward the door and then left. Blake watched the door close and then looked at Katelyn.
"You're still here.. look, that's all I can tell you. That's all I know." She said, sounding irked.
"Katelyn, where did you go earlier today. I hoped you came back her but you weren't here." He said calmly.
"Oh.. I was going to come back but then I saw Kile." She frowned thinking about him.
"You just saw Kile and that alone delayed you around an hour?" He asked skeptical.
"No. No, I followed him." She said guiltily.
"You followed a random guy in the woods?!" Blake snapped and shook his head.
Katelyn grimaced. "I wasn't thinking. And I wanted to find out who he was. I regret it now, really. No point in lecturing me."
"I'm not going to lecture. Azura knows I hate those." He said.
'Azura?' Katelyn thought.
"Good. So do I."
"Who was he?" Blake asked.
"He is extremely annoying, and didn't tell me who he is. But Kilin did... if I tell you, you have to promise not to say anything." She said seriously.
"I swear by Azura's name."
"What? Oh, whatever. Kile and Kilin are from the same camp... a camp where they train-" she looked around and lowered her voice. "Assassins. That's what Kile is, and he was tracking me."
Blake was quite.
'Assassins?... how... that- but-'
"He was following you?" He finally asked.
She nodded solemnly. "Blake, I literally followed someone who was trained to track me down and kill me!" She said fearfully.
"That was stupid." He said bluntly.
"Shut up. Don't you think I know that?"
"Evidently you don't." He said crossing his arms.
"I do now!" She snapped.
"Right..." he said raising an eyebrow skeptically.
Katelyn huffed. "Remind me why you care?"
"Why would I not?"
"Because you don't even know me!"
"So! I have a soul!" He said throwing his hands up in the air and letting the fall to his side.
"Well, you don't have to care. I already have a guard."
"I don't have to be a guard to care." He said stubbornly.
"Whatever.." she said, looking away. She felt surprised at that comment. He seemed to care more than her dad did.. she shook away those thoughts.
"What's that?" Blake asked curiously flooding his voice.
"Huh?" She asked, looking up,
"On your hand." He said looking at her left palm. She looked down and closed her hand into a fist.
"It's noth-" she sighed and shook her head. "It's a mark that I got once I attained my locket." She said honestly.
"Can I see it?" He asked hesitantly.
She looked at him and reluctantly held out her arm, opening her palm so her hand was flat. He took a step closer but didn't take her wrist as he looked at it. His eyes widened. She studied his face.
"What is it?"
He looked up at her confused.
"You don't know what it is?" He asked like it was common knowledge.
She raised an eyebrow.
"N-no."
"It's Azura's symbol." He said looking back at it. "Why is it on your hand?" He asked allowed
"Wait, first, what is Azura anyways?" He gasped and looked up at her.
"W-What?!" He asked in shock.
"Would you please explain?" She demanded.
"How do you not know and you live in this side of the mountain range?" He asked allowed again. "Azura is only the most widely known god in the country."
"And what does that have to do with this?" She asked, holding up her hand.
"That is her symbol." He said simply
"Um... ok?"
"Some say it's supposed to represent the sun. Others say it represents Azura and her seven relics." He said.
"Relics?" She asked.
"Yeah. Like magical objects. But they have been lost for centuries."
"Sure... and right after I receive this magical object, I get her symbol on my hand. That doesn't twitch a nerve?" She said, connecting things in her mind.
He was quite.
'Go ask your mom, Blake. I don't want to ask my mom.... but... she doesn't want to... you...' he thought
She smirked. "Whatever you say."
'She caught you.. shut up.'
Katelyn put a hand over her mouth but couldn't stifle her laugh. His face changed to a bright red quickly.
"You're fine Blake." She laughed.
He ran a hand threw his hair.
"I catch myself doing it a lot." He said quietly
"I can't say I've never done that before." She said with an amused smile.
'See it's fine. Normal even... so helpful.' He thought and clenched his teeth as he caught himself doing it again.
She pursed her lips to hide her smile as she watched him.
"Stop that! It's embarrassing.." he said looking down at his feet
"I didn't do anything!" She protested.
'She you didn't..' he thought as a mentally replied.
Katelyn was feeling exhausted for some reason.
"I'm so tired.." she said, rubbing her eyes.
"You did chase a guy through the woods." He said
"That's not why.." she said, trying to think. But her mind was foggy and she couldn't think straight.
'is she ok? Obviously...' His thoughts trailing off. The thoughts only seemed to make her loose focus.
"Sit down." He said placing a gentle hand on her shoulder.
She eyed his hand but obeyed and slowly sat on the edge of her bed.
He looked at her.
"Get some rest." He said slowly.
She sighed. She felt like that's all she ever did here, rest. But she agreed to do so. He gently helped her lean back. After she was settled he took a hesitant step away from her.
"Go Blake. I'm fine." She said quietly.
"Are you sure? You look horrible." He said softly.
"I'm positive." She said, forcing a reassuring smile.
"Ok." He said and walked to the door.
"Really, Get some rest." He said and headed out the door, closing it behind him.
She sighed and turned onto her side. She fell asleep fast, clutching her locket.