Kale had strange dreams that night, dreams like he’d never had before. When he’d woke the next morning he felt groggy and a little out of sorts. At first he didn’t even notice it was missing but as he got ready to go work in the fields and reached to take the ring off for safe keeping it wasn’t there. His heart almost stopped. He knew that he’d placed it on the middle finger of his right hand the night before but now it was nowhere to be seen.
How could this have happened? He thought as he began to scour the room until his uncle began yelling for him to get to work. He reluctantly decided he’d have to look for it later and hope that it just fell into a corner of his room somewhere.
After working in the fields all morning and afternoon Kale ran back into the cabin. He tore his room apart, pulling all the clothes out of his chest, moving the furniture away from the walls looking for the missing ring. It was all in vain. The ring was nowhere to be found. What would Cara think? They’d only just found it and he’d said it was supposed to be a symbol of their friendship, now he’d gone and lost it. He hung his head in shame looking at his hands.
As he looked at his right hand he thought about the night before trying to mentally retrace his steps. He hadn’t seen it this morning but now he could see a light traced around his middle finger. He tried looking at it more closely. The more he tried to focus on it the less he could actually see that was different but Kale could feel a tingling sensation that emanated from under the skin. “Hmm, weird.” Guessing the sensation was from the lingering impression of the ring he pushed it from his mind to return thinking about how he could have lost it. He figured it had to be around his room somewhere.
Kale thought hard for a few minutes. He and Cara were supposed to meet again in a few weeks and he didn’t have any money to replace the ring before then. Kale decided that until the day of the meeting he would continue looking for the ring and hope he would catch a lucky break. If all else failed all he could do was tell her the truth and hope that she didn’t end up singeing his hair this time, whenever Cara got really angry she would usually let off a crackle of lightning or a stream of fire. He sighed, “I am so dead,” he groaned to himself.
___________
As the night of their meeting came closer, Kale felt worse and worse about misplacing the ring. He had continued to search everyday, thinking of new places it could have fallen but it was no use. Along with losing the ring, he’d also been having strange dreams ever since that first night he’d put it on his finger, waking up suddenly and out of breath most nights. To top it all off, the tingling in his finger felt like it had spread, he could now hear a constant buzzing and made it incredibly hard to concentrate.
He was tired and getting increasingly worried about Cara’s reaction to the news. So when it came to the night they were supposed to meet, Kale arrived at the hollow one whole hour before. He sat under the light of the full moon and waited for her to arrive whilst trying to prepare himself for the worst through his buzzing head.
As he waited, Kale felt strange. Instead of just the tingling he could feel a new prickling sensation running all over his body. He wasn’t sure what it was but he guessed it was all part of his increasing dread. He tried breathing deeply and rubbing his hands over his arms in an attempt to quell the sensation. After what seemed like an eternity, but was really only a few minutes, the prickling became increasingly painful and seemed to pull at different ends of his body. Then almost as soon as it had started it subsided to the original buzzing in his head. Kale slumped next to the old hollow a little out of breath and a little worried until he could make out footsteps approaching from the forest behind him. It must be her, he thought, his heart fluttered in his chest. He managed to sit up a little training his eyes on the tree-line until he could see glimpses of Cara’s figure amongst the dark shadows.
As she wound her way through the trees her long red hair shown in the patches of light from the moon like a flaming candle burning bright. As she cleared the tree line she was smiling and seemed to be in a good mood. A cloud covered the moon and as she looked up ready to greet Kale she stopped dead in her tracks. “K-Kale?…..I-is that you?” She whispered.
In the shadow cast by the cloud, Kale stood up, crooked his head in confusion, and tiredly chortled “No it’s the boogie man.” When Cara didn’t respond Kale continued. “Well that’s a weird way to greet your oldest friend.” As he waited for Cara to respond the cloud shifted and the moon shone bright again as he continued. “What’s up with you? Usually you’d come back with some glorified retort.” Again he waited for her to speak. She seemed unusually tense and she had a strange look on her face. “Tell me who else would be in the middle of the woods, this late at night, waiting for some scrawny, red-headed girl to arrive at some old tree? No one else really knows about this place but us Cara.”
As if hearing her name seemed to wake her up, Cara, not taking her eyes off Kale, quickly closed the gap between them and suddenly cupped his face tightly.
His voice sounding a little squished in her tight grip asked, “Cara? What are you doing?” He was surprised by the sudden switch in her personality and had lost his footing, falling awkwardly back on the downed log he’d been sitting by a few minutes ago.
“This is impossible!” Cara exclaimed evident shock and fear in her voice.
“What are you on about? Is there something on my face? You’re acting like you’ve seen a wraith or some other terrifying beast. And why are you gripping me so tightly?” Kale asked as he wrestled her hands away from his face and rubbed his cheeks.
“Have you not looked in a mirror lately? Do you feel ill?” Cara continued with a rush of questions and remarks while looking at him with evident concern.
“What? I looked in the mirror this morning. I’m pretty sure I saw my usual round, grimy face staring back at me, not some daemons like you seem to be envisioning while looking at me. As for my health, I feel well enough just a little tired is all, but right now I’m more worried about you.” Kale responded rising to his feet and holding Cara at an arm’s length. “Are you ok Cara? You’re acting strange. Has Aloe been working you too hard during your lessons?
“Great Divines,” Cara shook her head, “you don’t even realize what’s happened yet.” She said softly. “I feel as though I’ve entered a terrifying nightmare. How do I explain this?” Then noticing Kale’s right hand, she took it in hers and exclaimed panicked “Kale, where’s the ring?
“Ah-oh you noticed…” Kale said sheepishly avoiding eye contact. “Well… Okay, I swear when I left the other night, it was on my finger but then when I woke up the next morning it was gone. I searched everywhere for it but couldn’t seem to find it. It’s like it just disappeared! I’m really sorry Cara, after everything I said and convincing you that we should keep it I went and lost it. I promise I’ll find a replacement soon, I just have to save up a little more.” Kale hung his head ready for her to lay into him about being so irresponsible. Instead…
“IT’S GONE?” A look of pure shock and terror washing over her features. As she looked more closely at Kale’s hand. She took a few deep breaths trying to compose herself. Seeming to gain control she said with a pained and serious expression. “Kale, what do you remember since putting on the ring?”
“Ah… Well, I remember putting the ring on with you, it was a little loose and felt kind of cool to the touch. By the time I reached home, it felt a little more snug and tingly. I didn’t really think anything of it since I’d never worn a ring before. I went to bed, then when I woke up the next morning I was getting ready to go into the fields and noticed the ring was missing. But I’m not sure what that has to do with why you’re acting so strange Cara.”
“Did anything else happen since that first night?” Cara pressed. “Anything out of the ordinary? Did your aunt or uncle say anything to you?”
“My aunt and uncle didn’t act any different from normal I guess. Besides the tingling sensation I got from the ring… If I had to say something was different or out of the ordinary it’s the dreams I’ve been having lately and how tired I’ve been feeling.” Kale said shaking his head and shrugging.
“I think we should find something for you to look at yourself with.”
“Why’s that?”
“Well, if I’m being honest I knew something was off about that ring we found. It appears I was correct but I’m not sure if you’ll believe me until you can see for yourself.” Said Cara as she began twirling and pulling at the end of her long red braid with trembling fingers. Cara only did this when she was really worried or puzzled about something.
“What do you mean by off? Are you talking about that strange aura you could feel before?” He asked still confused but becoming increasingly uneasy.
“Yes, that feeling exactly. I don’t think you ‘lost’ the ring… I-I think it may have fused with you.” Cara said haltingly.
“What do you mean by ‘fused with me’?” Kale asked as a pang of fear ran down his spine like a bucket of cold water.
“You see this pale impression on your finger?” Cara said pointing to the indent encircling Kale’s finger.
Kale nodded his head, barely able to make out his hand in the dim light let alone his finger as another cloud blocked out the moon but he knew what Cara was talking about.
“Well, I think it’s what magicians call a magic brand. I’ve never seen one in action before but the band contains ancient magic glyphs and looks similar to what was described in some manuscripts I’ve read. According to my limited knowledge, magic brands can vary in power and effect. This particular one I can’t read because the glyphs are unknown to me.” Cara tried to explain. “I didn’t notice any glyphs on the ring from before but it did give me a weird feeling. It must have had a conceal spell cast over it so we wouldn’t be able to detect it. When you put the ring on I think the conceal weakened slowly and the brand was activated. Once the brand settled I think the ring simply dissolved having served its purpose.”
Kale remained silent trying to understand what Cara was trying to tell him. He still didn’t understand what she was saying.
Noticing Kale’s blank expression Cara sighed. Figures, explaining foreign magic concepts wouldn’t make any sense to him, she thought. “I think you’ll understand if we can just find a reflective surface somewhere… I don’t have a mirror with me today but… Aha! I know where we can go, follow me!” As she began pulling Kale behind her as she charged back, deeper into the forest.
They walked through the forest for a while until finally Kale had, had enough of what seemed like an aimless midnight stroll. “Cara, where are we going?” He asked slowing down their pace. He’d been feeling more than a little strange as they made their way through the forest. His body felt hot and heavy despite the cool air. His legs and feet felt a little strange too with one of them feeling like it was wrapped in a tight coil of snag weed.
“We’re almost there. There’s a lake around here somewhere…” Cara replied a little out of breath. Just then something caught her eye.
“Ah, there it is.”
A few seconds later the two exited a tree line and came to stand next to a wide but shallow lake.
“Wow.” Kale breathed. “I had no idea this was here.”
“It’s only been here for a short while, just since those storms a few weeks ago subsided. It will probably be gone before summer starts.” Cara said beaming at her find, then growing serious again began “Kale, I’ll cast a light spell to help you see but I want you to look closely in the water.”
Kale, knocked out of his reverie, shook his head softly and knelt at the edge of the water. “I can’t see anything different Cara.” Kale said looking into the water just before another cloud covered the full moon.
“Just give me a moment Kale,” Cara replied trying to concentrate. Then she whispered a phrase in a foreign language. All of a sudden, a faint orb of light appeared next to her shoulder. “Take a closer look Kale.” She instructed as she moved a little closer to kneel beside him, the ball of light moving with her.
Kale turned to peer into the glass-like water. At first, he still could not see what Cara had been trying to describe earlier but then he noticed something shining back at him from the water. “Whoa! What the –?” Kale started as he moved his face just inches from the water’s surface. His eyes, naturally green, shone with a faint, reflective, bluish-green, light. He blinked not believing what he was seeing. When he opened his eyes again he could see his face more clearly. What reflected back at him was no longer his face. His once rounded face had become sharper and more angled, his nose was flatter and wider, his hair longer and, even in the dim light, he could see streaks of black intermingled with his brown locks, he also noticed his top canine teeth now protruding slightly from the edges of his mouth.
He reached up and touched his face in disbelief. As he watched his reflection do the same he knew that it couldn’t be a trick of the light. He traced the altered features of his face and ran his fingers through his shaggy hair. He felt rather than saw his once rounded ears were longer and pointed. He couldn’t see the tips as they were now tipped with what seemed to be short black hair which hid them amongst the blackened streaks in his hair.
Kale retreated from the edge of the water looking down at his body. Although, he didn’t really feel all that different, he could tell now that other changes had taken place. He held up his hands and could now see they had formed a type of light padding on each section of his fingers and palms. As he turned his hands over he saw his fingernails were no longer the short, dirty, nails he had before from working in the field, but rather each came to a fairly sharp, curved point; almost like a claw.
Kale began to shake. “What is this?” he whispered, the realization of what Cara had tried to explain to him finally settling in.
The question hung in the air for a moment before Cara started, “I-it’s the brand Kale. I-I’m not sure how but somehow that brand has…it’s changed you…”
Kale’s heart began to thunder in his chest and Cara’s words seemed to roar in his ears. “What do you mean?” Kale whispered hoarsely. “You’re the magician here Cara, you have to know how to fix this! Right?!” Kale asked looking at his trembling hands, his voice growing louder as his panic grew.
“Kale, please calm down—” Cara started to respond tears welling up in her eyes.
“Calm down? Cara, how am I going to explain this?! What will people say?! No, I can’t even go home looking like this! I look like some sort of freak! No one would recognize me. You didn’t the first time you saw it!” Kale began rocking into a fetal position with his head in his hands and legs pulled tightly into his chest.
“Kale!” Cara said his name in a solemn but commanding voice.
Kale froze only to look at her with fear, anger and pain in his eyes and words frozen on his lips.
“I know you’re scared,” Cara said her voice trembling with emotion and tears streaming down her face. She knelt down beside him and softly placed her trembling hand on his cheek. “All I know right now is that although your features have been shifted, you are still you and we are going to figure this out. I’ve never heard of a magic that could do all this, that doesn’t mean all hope is lost.”
Kale opened his mouth to respond but clenched his teeth together tightly and closed his eyes to draw comfort from Cara’s warm hand. This wasn’t Cara’s fault, he thought to himself. She’d tried to warn him, and he in his greed, had thrown caution to the wind. It was his own fault, and now he was paying the price. He squeezed his eyes tighter to keep tears from forming in his own eyes and finally choked “what do I do Cara?”
“Well first, we need to find help but I’m not sure where to start. This type of magic is unknown to me. I agree you shouldn’t go home like this, at least for the time being. I think your aunt and uncle would understand but the rest of the town would take one look at you, say you were ‘cursed’ and try to run you out of town. Not only that, but rumors would spread and you could also be hunted down to be sold or worse.” Cara paused, “also…”
“What is it?” Kale asked when she’d trailed off.
“Kale, I don’t know the extent of the brand’s capabilities.”
“What do you mean?”
“Like I said before, I’ve only read theories on this type of magic and they were only vague descriptions at best. I can’t be sure if the information I read is accurate. What I mean is that the changes could be stable or…” She paused looking Kale with a deafening seriousness before continuing. “Or they could continue as long as the brand is intact. Only a powerful master would be able to decipher these glyphs, learn the criteria of this spell, and figure out a way to break it.”
Kale gaped. “You mean it could get worse than this?!” He clenched his hands and muscles willing his mind to think rationally. “W-what about your Master, Aloe? He’s got books that you’ve read but would he be able to fix it?”
“He may… “ Cara began, “even if he knew how to fix this outright, I’m not sure he’d be one we can fully trust… You see, Master Aloe is skilled but he also has a thing for experimentation… If we were to go to him directly, I’m sure he would try to help but he would most likely ask you to partake of a few experiments in exchange for his help along the way. And, he may or may not end up with an answer in the end. So I think it best not to tell him.” Cara pondered a moment. “However, if I were to just ask him a ‘theoretical’ question based on my reading, he might be curious as to my interest in the subject but less likely to pursue anything. Also, if he doesn’t have the answers we need then he might at least know where we could start looking.”
“Well, I guess that’s as good of an answer I’ll get for now.” Kale sighed in a defeated tone looking up at the sky. It seemed almost too bright now and he had to squint to help shield his sensitive eyes. Now it must really be a trick of the light, he thought. He sighed again and in a voice heavy with resignation said, “it’s late, and we can’t do anything about, this tonight.” He gestured towards himself. “Let’s go back to the hollow and rest until morning. Maybe we’ll wake up and this will all have been just a really bad dream.” Kale said grimacing.
“A-alright.” Cara agreed half-heartedly.
The two rose and made their way back through the forest to the hollow, Kale insisted that Cara walk in front and keep her orb of light shining so they could see better. They remained quiet on their trek back, Cara looking back at Kale every so often with a scared curious look in her eyes. Kale attempted to act and walk normal every time he caught her looking but he couldn’t help but feel off balance, his movements restricted and causing him to trip up almost every time. Eventually, they made it back to the hollow, crawled inside, and lay on blankets they had left behind during one of their previous visits together.
“Kale, I’ll go to town first thing tomorrow to speak with Master Aloe,” Cara said as she lay facing him, already struggling to keep her eyes open. “I’m sure… we’ll figure… this out…”
“Thank you Cara.” Kale said softly as he brushed a lock of hair away from her cheek while she tried not to yawn.
Kale was restless and continued to lay awake, watching as Cara soon fell asleep. She always had the ability to fall asleep so easily and looked so peaceful when she slept; He envied her a little, but he enjoyed watching her sleep. As she began to dream her nose would crinkle and she would make soft noises.
Watching her put him at ease. What would I do without her? She’s my everything, he thought as he watched her shift slightly in her sleep and breathe deeply. They had been through everything together, including the accident that had killed both their parents.
He looked down at his hand where the magic brand encircled his middle finger. It softly pulsed ominously in the darkness. How could I be so careless? Normally, I’ll get into trouble but get out with a slap on the wrist or some minor punishment. What did I do to end up like this? Why is this time different? I should never have picked up that ring. What was I thinking? He shook his head and looked back at Cara’s sleeping figure and his mind started to wander through their past misfortune together.
They had both been somewhat unlucky in life but everything would always have a silver lining. For instance, when their parents had died Kale had been lucky that his mother’s sister and his uncle were willing and able to take him in. His aunt was kind, his uncle strict and hard working but they both treated him fairly.
Cara had been taken in by the town’s magician Master Aloe. Aloe had at first only taken her as a potential housekeeper but after he ran her through a few magic trials discovered she actually had talent and decided to train her instead. Now she was a full fledged apprentice with a very bright future ahead of her.
Though they both had lost their families they had both been lucky to have someone take them in, and without that accident they might not have met. They spent as much time as they could here, in the old hollow tree, as they could playing games or talking about their new families. As they grew up something had changed between them, Kale still couldn’t explain what had changed, but he couldn’t imagine what would happen if Cara ever left.
Kale winced in the dark, at the sudden thought of Cara being able to leave this town and travel to attend the magic colleges in the Capital. She technically could have left a year ago but Kale knew she had stayed because of him. It made him feel a little guilty but he was glad that she was here now.
Cara moaned softly in her sleep and Kale could just make out her smiling.
Kale rolled onto his back to stare at the hollow’s naturally curved ceiling and wondered if they could really trust Master Aloe. They didn’t have much of a choice since they didn’t know any other magicians. Ultimately, Cara seemed to trust him but as far as Kale knew he was a stern, grumpy old man, who could never truly be satisfied. Cara would sometimes arrive at the hollow for their meetings with tears streaming down her face after a particularly hard lesson. Kale more than once had considered going down and teaching that magician a little something but Cara had always managed to talk him out of it. Now they didn’t really have any hope of figuring out how to fix this curse without his help.
Kale grumbled lightly to himself, shifted a little on the blankets, and tried to push the thoughts from his mind by closing his eyes. Despite his restless mind, he managed to drift off to sleep. However, like the last month, his dreams were strange and fitful. He dreamt of being chased by crowds of people and fleeing into a large, dark forest. He could sense that he must look fearsome due to the emotions emanating from the mob and the labor of having to move through the close trees. Suddenly, he tripped and came crashing to the ground. Cara was ahead of him, she looked at him with tears streaming down her face, there was in so much pain in her eyes. She turned and began walking away. Kale called out to her but she didn’t turn back or respond. He tried to reach out and grab her, but he couldn’t reach her. As she finally faded into the darkness, Kale woke up reaching out, gasping for breath, and dripping with sweat. He scanned the space around him in a panic searching until his eyes fell on Cara’s face peering in through the hollow’s opening.
“Are you alright, Kale? You’ve been tossing and turning for a while but I thought it best to let you try and sleep more.” She said concerned as she entered, sat next to him, and placed a hand on his cheek turning it slightly. “I thought something might be happening again, but it looks as though nothing’s changed since yesterday.” She picked up his hand and inspected the finger with the magic brand. “Interesting” she said “ the magic brand seems almost invisible in this light. The glyphs are still strong so we aren’t out of the woods yet, but I think this means you’ll be okay for a little while at least.”
Kale breathed in and out for a few minutes trying to quell the fear induced by his nightmare. He looked down at his misshapen hand and twinged at the sight of it. He was still half hoping everything that had happened last night was part of his nightmare but by looking at his hand he only confirmed that it was not. “I guess that’s good news.” Kale said sarcastically.
Cara raised an eyebrow at him.
“I’m fine, just a bad dream.” Kale shook his head and smiled weakly at her. He couldn’t tell her what he’d dreamt, she’d only worry more and refuse to go back to town and he needed her to leave at least for a little while.
Reluctantly, Cara smiled back. She could tell when Kale didn’t want to talk about what was bothering him. Instead she turned her attention to the small handkerchief she had wrapped in her lap.
“I’ve brought back a few berries and things from the glen for you to eat. It’s not much but hopefully it will help you feel a little better.”
“Thanks.” Kale said as he grabbed a few berries and popped them into his mouth. He hadn’t realized how hungry he was but now that he had food he felt ravenous. One thing he noticed while he was eating was that he missed the taste of meat. The thought kind of surprised him since he almost never had meat. His aunt and uncle couldn’t really afford to eat meat except on special occasions so they usually ate a lot of protein high vegetables. But right now all he could think about was a thick, juicy piece of meat… He shook his head and figured this small meal would at least quell his hunger for a while and he could probably find something else to eat a little later.
Cara smiled watching him eat up every last berry, glad to see at least he had retained his appetite. “Well then, I suppose I’ll leave you to finish your breakfast and see what I can find out in town. May I stop by your house to pick anything up?”
Kale paused a moment to consider her question. “Well I suppose I may need a change of clothes or two, if we plan on continuing to live in the hollow for a while.” It wasn’t until after he’d said it, that the thought of living with Cara in such a small quarters made his face and ears burn.
Cara didn’t seem to notice, she was busy jotting down a list into a small leather bound notebook. “Alight, I’ll grab some clothes and maybe a pack with some supplies.” She said without looking up. “Is there anything else?”
Kale, awkwardly cleared his throat and thought of his aunt and uncle. They were probably worried about him. He usually told them when he’d be gone and for how long. “Please tell my aunt and uncle that I had to make an unexpected delivery to the city and that I’m sorry I left without telling them. Also, that I don’t know when I’ll return. They may ask more but just tell them that I didn’t have time to give you the details. It should help them to not worry while I’m… While I’m gone.” Kale added with a melancholy smile. He felt bad about lying to them but he knew that he couldn’t tell them the truth either.
Cara offered an apologetic smile, then suddenly slapped her cheeks between her hands and assumed a determined air. “Okay then, I shall return before dark.”
As she stood and turned to leave, Kale, suddenly reached up and caught her hand.
“W-what? Did you forget something?” Cara stammered a little taken aback.
“I–um no. Sorry. I reached up without thinking…” He said slowly releasing her hand, his face becoming hot he turned his gaze from hers. He’d almost forgotten about his dream but it all came rushing back to him as he watched her turn to leave. Sheepishly he continued, “Just–just be careful on your way.”
“A-alright then. I’ll be going now.” A little confused, she gripped the side of the hollow’s entrance hesitantly looking back at Kale. “And um..”
“What?” Kale asked still blushing and unable to look her direction.
“Maybe…Maybe you could take a bath? Or not just a thought. I’ll see you later this evening.” She offered shyly added as she disappeared through the opening.
Kale sat in the dim light of the hollow staring at the opening his whole body burning with embarrassment.