All That Is Red (7 page)

C
HAPTER
7

I awoke with a start; the sun was already fully on my face. I instantly realized that I had overslept and was late for breakfast. Thankfully, I had fallen asleep in my clothes,
so all I had to do was sprint to the commander’s quarters.

Nalin was correct in that the commander’s quarters were hard to miss. It was the largest building in sight and it was perfectly circular. Two guards holding crossbows stood on either side
of the stately wooden doors, but they didn’t even balk when I burst into the room.

The room contained a stately table at which six people, including the boy and the commander, were seated. It stretched from the door to the other side of the room and behind them on both sides
stood servers. Every head turned to stare at the sound of my entrance and watched as I took my seat next to the boy.

“So nice of you to join us,” the commander, who was sitting at the head of the table, said coolly. She whispered something to the people on either side of her, causing them to
nod.

In front of me sat a Trigon man with a handsome mustache on each face. When he saw me, he winked. Past his head, I saw the familiar faces of Nalin. Before composing his faces into the exact same
blank stare that all the other servers seemed to be wearing, he gave me a secret smile.

“This is my secretary,” the commander introduced the man to the left of her. “And these are my two generals: General Devonport ...” she paused as the woman to her right
curtly nodded and then continued, “... and General Gerrard.”

The man in front of me smiled at his introduction. I instantly decided I liked General Gerrard better than General Devonport and the commander’s secretary. There was something about the
soft twinkle in his eyes. “We were just discussing our plans for the Red cause,” the commander said. “We would like to enlist your assistance. We need all the help we can get.
Yours especially.”

I was surprised that she had singled me out in that way. I also wondered of what help I could possibly be, since I didn’t have any skill at all in fighting.

“Well, what do you say?” General Devonport asked impatiently, disrupting my thoughts and scattering them about aimlessly.

“I ... I don’t know exactly what to say.”

“Surely you must be honored that the commander especially wants your help,” General Devonport replied.

“I am ... very much so,” I said, but my words were much more certain than my voice. “I just don’t know how I can help.”

“How are you with one-on-one combat?” the commander asked.

“I’ve never tried it.”

“And public speaking?” she asked.

“In front of large groups?”

“The very sort,” the commander answered.

I recalled the last time I was supposed to speak in front of a large audience. It was last year, at a school function. Before I went up on the stage, I had felt so nauseated that I had to have
someone else give my speech for me, while I hid in the bathroom. I didn’t even get to speak, but I didn’t need to, to know that I would have made an utter fool out of myself if I
did.

“No,” I simply said.

There was a moment of silence before the commander spoke again. “We’ll find a way for you to help with the Red cause.”

I didn’t feel as remotely sure as she did, but in a short time, I had learned to trust her.

The conversation droned on to other topics of great importance to the cause, but of little significance to me. For the most part, the discussions seemed to swim right over my head or through one
ear and out the other. Having missed breakfast, all I could think about was the gnawing hunger that ate at my stomach.

In the middle of one of the commander’s rants on artillery safety, my stomach sounded a loud gurgle. My appetite had chosen a fine time to return. While the commander genuinely
didn’t seem to hear it in the midst of her raving, her secretary and General Devonport had a hard time pretending not to notice. Nalin, standing behind the two generals, was frantically
trying to stifle his laughter.

General Gerrard shot me a sympathetic smile and soon I felt something land in my lap. I looked down to see a piece of bread that he had without doubt saved for me. I flashed General Gerrard a
smile back in return. This was our secret; I hid it in my pocket and ate pieces of it as the talk between the generals, the commander, and the boy prolonged.

When, at last, the conversation dwindled down to only a patter of words, the commander rose from her seat and ultimately excused us all. Everyone stood at once, trying to get out of the room
quickly and to whatever other business they had to attend.

“Feel free to visit me at any time in my rooms,” General Gerrard said kindly. “It tends to get lonely sometimes.”

When he left, the room was empty save for the commander and myself. Before I could speedily excuse myself, the commander asked me to stay.

“I was hoping that you could be of great service to me; to the Red cause,” she said. “I noticed your care of the Trigon girl, whose parents both perished at the hands of the
White. You showed remarkable love considering the short length of time you knew her. She was a stranger, yet you helped her.”

I thought of what the commander might say if she knew of my numb heart. I doubted that she would have congratulated me on my ability to fake emotion. “It was nothing really,” I
finally said. “It was what every stranger in my shoes would have done to help a child.”

“But still,” the commander persisted. “What you did was no small feat. That, combined with your human blood, I think you would be a worthy choice to lead the Red cause ... to
lead us.”

What she said astounded me. I couldn’t think of myself leading anything, much less the cause and the commander.

“To lead the Red cause?”

“Precisely that.”

“But why?”

“The prophecy, of course. A human without a past will rise up to champion the Red cause. You are that human.”

“I’m ...” I tried to think of a good word to use. “... flattered that you would think me a worthy choice to lead the Red, but I don’t think I’m that
person-”

“Nonsense,” the commander cut me off, “the boy told me a seer came to you and recognized you as a very possible leader for the Red cause.”

“The girl,” I remembered the pixie-like girl we met by the river. The girl who had given me a blade.

With that, the commander produced my blade. My hand subconsciously reached out to grab it, but she whipped it from my grasp.

“The boy also told me that you saw something reflected in the blade. If that isn’t proof enough that you are our leader, I don’t know what is.” I shook my head.

“I’m not a leader, of you or of anyone. This seer said I’m only a possibility. That doesn’t mean that I’m the one.”

“Are you familiar with children’s stories?” the commander asked me suddenly.

“No, not really.” I didn’t know where she was going with this.

“Do you know of our history?”

I was puzzled with what she meant. “I’ve heard of the first Red cause and the girl who led it. Especially the girl.”

“But do you know the story like children do?” The commander asked. “Come.”

The commander took me by the hand and led me out of the room. We passed the guards who stood to either side of the door and walked by clusters of houses with people milling about, until I
realized what the commander was showing me.

“In the land of the blind where sight is restored,” children jumping rope sang to the rhythm of the balls being bounced. “Happy made are kinsmen whose kisses greet the
poor.” Every other word, the rope slapped the ground keeping pace. “But where is the eye when the streets run Red?” The children’s smiles and laughter were a stark contrast
to what they were singing. “Where is the eye when streets are filled with dead?”

Only at that last line did I realize what they were singing about.

“It’s all a metaphor,” the commander said, voicing what I had been thinking. “Kera is the eye.” The commander caught me off guard, as I hadn’t considered that
she knew her. “I knew her. I was with her the day she was killed.” The commander turned toward me. “How else do you think I got these?” She pointed out her scars. “We
all lost something that day. I was just lucky that I didn’t lose my life.” She paused.

“I...I don’t know what to say-”

“How about nothing? There isn’t anything to say. We’ve already lost so much, but we can still lose more if we don’t stand up to the White. That’s why we need
you.”

“I can’t help with that-”

“You’re wrong.” The commander’s voice was hard. “You’re the one person who can help the most.”

“And what if I’m not the one? What if I’m another Kera?” I sucked in a breath, as I saw the commander’s scarred face. “I can’t lead a rebellion.
I’m not even a part of all this.” I turned to go, but she gripped me by the wrist and forced me to face her.

“How can you be so selfish?”

Her words struck me with a strength that a physical blow could not. I realized it was because I heard truth in them.

By now, I was desperate. I tried to convince myself that I wasn’t selfish in walking away from leading the cause. Somehow, that too failed and I couldn’t believe myself. I knew that
the commander was right.

“You don’t have to say anything,” the commander stated. “Just think of what I’ve said. You would be a most valued leader. It’s your choice.”

She handed me the sheathed blade. It was a comforting weight against my leg as I walked out. I left with those words ringing in my head. They reverberated again and again, echoing louder each
time. ‘It’s your choice.’

I walked out of the commander’s quarters and into a mass of people. There were both Trigons and humans, none of whom had even the merest clue of what had just taken place in the
commander’s rooms. Nonetheless, they were all individually affected by it. They didn’t know of the proposition posed to me, but, either way, it would drastically change their lives; it
could even result in their deaths.

It felt good to be one of the crowd. My face was only one of many and it blended in and out of focus with the rest. There was a Trigon group to my right and a human group to my left. The idle
chatter and greetings around me filled my head and drowned out the mantra singing in my mind.

Eventually, I found myself in the solitude of my room. I didn’t mind the quiet or the detachment there. I rather enjoyed it, as it gave me a moment to recollect myself and let my facade of
emotion drop.

I noticed a Red envelope lying on my desk. It was peculiar I noticed it, as its color was quite similar to that of the desk and it almost blended in.

The envelope’s flap was sealed perfectly closed, as if someone had taken great pains with it. The letter inside was also written on Red stationary. It was in a neat hand and thanked me
profusely for accompanying Lilith here. It wasn’t until the end of the letter that I saw that it was sent by her grandparents. I felt all the better knowing that Lilith was in safe hands. I
knew that someday when she was older, her grandparents would tell her what really happened to her parents; however, for now, they were just on a long trip.

I wanted to thank them personally, but I didn’t know where they lived. Knowing the commander’s secretary would be able to tell me, I walked back to the commander’s chambers. He
kindly pointed me the right way, describing it as next to one of the mess halls.

The cabin wasn’t hard to find. It wasn’t the biggest building or for that matter the smallest, but there was something very unique about the cabin. The outside was dotted with Red
poppies. They were on the windowsills, on the ground, by the door, and everywhere else in between. They gave it a pleasant homey sense, especially in contrast to the angular mess hall that stood
next to it.

I hesitated, but knocked on the door while thinking of what to say. Luckily, I didn’t have long to wait before a stout old man opened the door.

“Keldon?” I asked, for that was the name in the letter.

“Yes,” he replied, looking a little perplexed.

I thought his confusion was because he didn’t know who I was. I was about to introduce myself when Lilith wriggled by him.

“I knew I heard your voice!” she said beaming. “You know who this is,” she told her grandfather. “Wasn’t I right, Grandpapa? I knew I’d see them both
again.”

“Yes, you are sweetheart,” Keldon said. “Now, why don’t you run inside and get Grandmama.”

Lilith ducked inside and disappeared from view, but I could still hear her puerile footsteps.

“Nice to meet you,” Keldon said, extending his hand, which I promptly shook.

“Likewise,” I said, putting my facade of emotion firmly back in place.

Lilith appeared again, this time dragging her grandmother behind her by the hand.

“Lovely to meet you,” Aurelee said. I remembered her name too from the card she signed. “Won’t you please come in?”

Accepting the offer, I was pulled in by an enthusiastic Lilith, who promptly sat me down in the nearest chair.

“Would you like something to eat or drink?” Aurelee asked.

“No, thank you,” I responded, as I glanced around at the room.

Though the furnishings matched every other cabin and building in the area, there was that nostalgic feeling reflected again inside, which was also discernible outside.

“What a beautiful house you have,” I said and saw Lilith’s tiny face glow in pride.

“Why, thank you,” Aurelee replied. “We do our best to make it feel homey.”

I told her that it most certainly was.

“Keldon,” she called to him. “Why don’t you and Lilith go out for a breath of fresh air?”

“But I want to stay,” Lilith pleaded, looking at me.

“I’m sure our guest will be here when you come back.”

“Do you promise?” Lilith asked me.

“I promise,” I said. It reminded me of the first promise I made her. Since then, we had been through a lot.

Keldon left with Lilith in tow. Closing the door, I heard her remark that they had to walk quickly, so I wouldn’t leave before they came back.

“Isn’t she the sweetest,” Aurelee said with a smile. “We just can’t thank you enough for bringing her safely to us.”