Portent 

Rebecca’s face was pale. “Alana…”

The War Witch nodded.

“What are you going to do?” She wrapped her arms around her shaking frame. “That girl will go through what we did. No, something even worse.”

Alana bit her lip as her stomach twisted. Rebecca was always a kind woman. Their past experiences never broke her softness. Perhaps these kind of things were genetic. Something that was already decided long before the two women had entered the world. Alana smiled grimly. Perhaps she was always meant to be a monster, like her father. But she did have one thing.

“Rebecca, that man. He’s wearing no costume.”

…

It was a lie.

A small lie.

Details withheld rather than warped.

She smiled as She watched Her lovely knight carry Alice. The child sat on his shoulders, holding the side of his helmet. Alice eagerly rocked back and forth with star-filled eyes as she took in the sights.

Maxwell was happy. That much was obvious. He was significantly outside of his comfort zone, but Her knight was an open book to Her. She smiled to Herself, feeling Her chest warm as She watched him.

This was a life he deserved. A life of family and belonging.Yet, he was never meant for it. The will of the universe had different plans.

He was born in a time when he was need, just as She was.

The visions of Her past played before Her once again.

She fell.

From where She did not know, nor did She know why.

But She was angry.

As She sped through the overcast sky, She saw the horrors of the world. The evil things of man and demon.

The creatures that corrupted man.

The man that worshiped the creatures.

The man that corrupted man.

The visions of it all had raced past Her as she descended from the stars.

Her boiling rage cooled at a sound.

A sound that tore Her heart asunder.

Crying. The wails of a child, a baby.

The scene was before Her. A woman of once staggering beauty lay in bed, pale and lifeless. Her blonde hair, undoubtfully once a rich gold, lost all color. Its pale strands covered her right eye, leaving the left an open and vacant blue. The child, reflected in that dim aqua, lay on the pillow beside her, screaming. A man laid his head on the woman, hugging her and the child, quietly sobbing.

She found herself drawn to the infant. She brought Herself next to him, reached for him.

What would She touch him with?

She had no body.

She had to be human. Look human.

She looked to the dead mother then back to the child. He opened his eyes, tears flowing down his cheeks.

He saw Her.

His weeping stopped and he stared at Her with curiosity.

The memory never left Her. Fate brought Her and Maxwell together, and She intended to stay with him until the end.

But She was scared. Was She related to these damned things Maxwell hated so much? How would he feel about Her?

She bit Her lip and dug Her fingers into Her dress.

“Max! Max! Let’s go over there!” Alice eagerly chirped.

“Got it.”

She looked up from the dirt and smiled again, pushing down the melancholy in Her.

Why not take a moment and enjoy what they can? Moments like these are rare and may never come again.

…

Rebecca leaned back in her chair with wide eyes. “He’s the real deal?!”

Alana nodded. “There is something different about that knight. You should have seen it, Rebecca.” Alana stretched her legs and looked at her shoes. “Oglal’s body was a bloodied mess. No normal man could have done that. That demon was prey for him. The knights we were told about never matched this.”

“Why would you have someone like that around you, Alana? If The Grand Luminary found out-”

Alana snapped her gaze at Rebecca.

Rebecca’s voice trembled. “Alana, they’re going to kill you. You understand that right?”

She smiled grimly.

Rebecca rose and hugged her friend. “Let me help you.”

Alana broke, tears streaming. “You were right to go, Rebecca. I was such a fool to think I- Alice, her mother, oh the things they did! The things I’ve done!” Her sentences were impossible to finish between the sobs.

…

“Oh!” Alice yelled. Her finger shot over Maxwell’s head, pointing towards their right. “Max! Max! There it is! A Tommy Thump!”

She dug her elbow into the knight’s side. “She’s so casual with you now.”

Maxwell couldn’t help but grin and She did the same. He navigated through the crowd of men, women, and children as he approached what Alice so eagerly pointed towards. He couldn’t help but notice the occasional odd glance, but again he assumed they thought him part of the fair like Alana said.

“Look, Max! Look!” She yelled as he found a clearing and saw his destination.

His spirit immediately sank.

Before him was some machine. Gears turned and creaked as the thing crookedly spun the upper body of an armored figure.

A caricature of Ansel.

The motions were sharp and twitchy as the gears shifted its limbs. In its hand was a rubber sword. Children, with their own rubber swords, ran around its base, hitting Ansel and blocking his “attacks.” A sign stood next to the machine. “Demon Warrior Ansel.”

This was the legacy of the knights.

His ancestors legacy.

His father’s legacy.

“Max?”

Blinking, the knight looked up to Alice. Her eye were confused. “What’s wrong, Max?”

…

They could not see the pain in the boy’s face.

His armor not only shielded his body, but his emotions as well.

She rubbed his back.

Maxwell was not the only outcast of this damned world.

Together they could destroy this evil force that controlled all.

…

“You think the knight will really help you with this?”

Rebecca kept Alana in her arms, waiting for her to calm.

With a raspy breath Alana finally responded. “Our goals aren’t too far apart. At the very least I know he can protect Alice if I fail.”

“You felt it too with him, didn’t you?”

Alana silently nodded.

“Be careful, Alana. I don’t know what that presence is with him, but its dangerous.”

“I will. Thank you, Rebecca. For everything.”

Rebecca released Alana and gave her a warm smile. “You three are welcome to stay as long as you need.”

Alana wiped her eyes. “We’re going to leave in the morning. The sooner we go the better for us and you.” She then smiled. “You know, when you asked if Alice was mine, I almost said yes. That’s what it feels like a lot of times. I love her like my own. I wish… I wish I had a life like that. A life of a mother.”

Rebecca smiled. “You still can be, Alana. It's never too late.”

Alana did not respond. She merely thanked her childhood friend and left.

…

When Alana arrived back in the dark room Alice was asleep. Maxwell sat under the window, sword against his shoulder. She could not tell if the knight was awake or not, but she did not care.

“If you’re still awake you can take that bed. I’ll share with Alice.” She murmured. Alana did not want to think anymore. Her gut was a swirl of emotions and guilt. She collapsed beside Alice and pulled her close. No matter what, she would not allow those people to harm her. She fell asleep to the beat of Alice’s gentle, careless breaths.