Autumn

Chapter One- Keyne

Two Years Ago

Throughout most of Keyne's life, he'd been filled with tough experiences.

They were like weeds, sprouting in the most beautiful gardens in the most annoying times. They were easy to pull out of the ground, but they'd grow back in an instant. And if you ignored them- if you let them spread- they'd cover every inch of space in an overwhelming green, swallowing your flowers and ferns and hogging all the nutrients in the soil. And even when you thought they were gone, they'd be there, waiting until the next rain shower to cause you more trouble.

But Keyne had learned to deal with the weeds, no matter how big they got. He'd learned that if you squashed them down fast enough they'd have trouble coming back.

He'd learned to sit through all the yelling and fights, his door closed and his head drowned in other, more important, more happy thoughts. And when the fights were over and his moms apologized, he'd dismiss every word and believe every lie they told him. He'd teach his siblings to do it, too.

When they'd come into his room, covering their ears as the thunder of their parent's harsh words came down, he'd run his fingers through their hair and remind them that even after the most destructive storms, there was always sunshine.

But when the divorce happened, he almost took back every reassuring word he'd ever told them.

Their mothers refused to see each other, uprooting half of their family and tearing them apart. Keyne remained with his birth mother and his two siblings that he shared blood with, while his other two moved across the kingdom with their mom.

It was rough at first, but Keyne would not let the weeds take over. He focused on saving the things that could be saved, controlling the things that could be controlled, like his life and the well being of others. He moved to their kingdom's capitol city for a while to train to become a royal guard- the highest rank among all the knights and guards of their kingdom's military, and the strongest of all the fighters.

Not only did becoming a royal guard make him stronger and earn his family a fortune, but it gave him hope. His mother would smile and his sisters would dare to dream.

If only that had lasted. If only happy moments weren't ripped away so fast, like plants being uprooted from the soil. If only he'd had the chance to make more people in his life smile.

All these thoughts ran through Keyne's head in a never-ending circuit, making everything feel so much more real and painful. He had this sinking feeling in his gut as he tightened his grip around his sword in his hands that this might be the last battle he ever fought.

Warning bells clanged from every tower or church, their clappers rocking back and forth in his skull. Shouting came from all directions, villagers and firefighters and soldiers, scrambling to keep the village from falling apart.

Almost every building was on fire, the warmth of the flames licking Keyne's cheeks and making sweat pour down his face and his hair stick to his forehead. He gasped for fresh air, smoke filling his lungs and making his body ache with every step.

He closed his eyes and tried to shut it all out, the noise, the smell, the dizziness that clouded his thoughts. He tried to focus on his breathing, deep and full, but the air was thick and heavy with smoke. He doubled over in a fit of coughing, the world around him swirling and shaking. Warm sweat collected in pools under his eyes and nose, and tears lined his bloodshot eyes.

"Keyne!" A voice called, barely cutting through all the chaos. "Keyne!"

He stumbled back, trying to get a look at the person calling his name. He knew that voice, but his brain couldn't process who it was. He tried to rub the blur of sweat and tears out of his eyes, but he only rubbed ash and dirt from his hands deeper in.