This is a short story from my epic fantasy world Caldiria.  The ghosts of the past can be painful to endure.

Kira preview story.

The cold, harsh wind swept over the wastes as a lone figure walked along the twisting road, bundled in dark clothing. The sun setting, casting a pale shadow over the Reldishin lands, a frozen hell where the snow only thawed for one week every year. Massive snow-covered pines with icy daggers helped to block some of the wind.

The figure pulled at her hood and hurried her pace. Being caught out in the open wasn’t an option. The Reldishin Empire’s goons were out in force these days. The Empire was trying to recapture its glory days when they covered most of Caldiria and weren’t forced to hide in the snowy wastes tolling away. They abused their citizens, demanding everything from high taxes to slave labor to keep their palace fires lit.

The wind blew off the figure's hood as she came over a hill, revealing her face. She had short azure hair and dark blue eyes. She didn’t react as the piercing cold ripped at her flesh, reaching for her hood and pulling back down, continuing on her way.

In the distance, she could see a broken steel gate jutting out of the snow. It was the entrance to an old cemetery, now deserted. She walked past the gate and into the rows of graves, most dug up and robbed by criminals or the Empire. Not even the dead were sacred in the land anymore.

She came upon a torn set of grave markers and wiped the snow from them.  Pelton and Velira Strider.  The gravers were long empty, and the markers nearly faded. The figure knelt down next to the graves. “After all this time, I finally track you down so I can say goodbye once more, and you are taken from me once more.” She looked at the holes in the ground. “Life just isn’t fair. It is a cruel and cold existence, and those of us who have to go on are left alone to suffer and endure alone. Even monuments left to honor the past are defiled.”

She punched the marked causing it to crumble. “Why do we even bother to go on if everything that we hold dear is taken from us?” She wiped away an icy tear. After a moment, she composed herself and set the grave marker back upright, but it wasn’t any use; the damage had been done. Still, she fought, trying to fix her mistake. “Damnit, this won’t be my fault.” She threw the grave marker into the hole in frustration and buried her head in the snow.

“I shouldn’t have come here. I shouldn’t have come.” The sunset as she sobbed, letting the cold night take her.

***

“Wake up, Kira.”

She stretched her arms into her mother’s loving gaze. “I have a surprise for you.”

Kira jumped out of the cold cot that she called a bed. “What is it?”

Velira walked to the other end of the ice-covered room. “You will have to wait until your father comes home.” She turned around to see Kira pouting. “Don’t’ look at me like that. You know that he would be devastated if he didn’t get to see your face when you opened the gift we got you.”

“But mom.” Kira groaned.

Velira picked up Kira and set her on the bed. “Now, now. You are going to be a big girl. How old are you going to be turning tomorrow?”

“Seven.” Kira brimmed with happiness.

“That is right. Old enough to start taking on responsibility for yourself. You know the law.”

Kira bounced her head back and forth as she spoke in an annoyed tone. “All children over the age of seven must support the rebuilding of the glorious Reldishin Empire. I know.”

They heard the sound of a door slamming from the other room. Kira jumped up. “Daddy.”

Velira put her hands on her daughter’s shoulders.

“Wait here. We don’t want you seeing your surprise early.”

Kira narrowed her eyes. “But—“

Velira went to the door. “No buts. Now stay here.” She went through the door and into the kitchen. Kira went to the door and pressed her head against the frozen wood, listening to what her parents said on the other side.

“Pelton, what happened to you?”

“It is nothing. I just had to answer some questions on my way home from the forges today.”

“Your arm is frozen over with blood. I wouldn’t call that nothing.”

“Will you lower your voice? I don’t want our daughter to know about this.”

There was a loud banging at the front door. “In the name of the Reldishin Empire, open up.”

“What in Velork do they want?” Velira asked.

“I don’t know. But let me handle this.”

Kira cracked the door open to watch what was happening. She watched four heavily armed men push their way into their tiny home, all wearing dark obsidian plate armor covered in snow. The tallest of the four had to bend as he entered the house and carried a massive scythe on his back that cut into the ceiling's ice layer. He took off his black and blue helmet, revealing a bald head with small green eyes.

“We have reports that you are smuggling Anchorhead Fire weapons into the capital.”

Pelton threw up his arms. “What? They are lies.”

The man with the scythe crossed his arms. “Then can you explain where you were today, sir?”

“Working at the forge. At my job that I was assigned by your Empire.”

“If you don’t mind, we will still have a look around.”

“Sure,” Pelton said. “Not that I have a choice.”

The men started to ransack the house. Kira became worried that they would come into her bedroom before her father moved one of the over-turned tables in front of her door. After a few minutes, one of the men dragged in a few weapons from outside. “Sir, I found this in a cellar out back.”

“So, do you want to come clean now?”

Pelton crossed his arms. “I have never seen those weapons before. What is this?”

“We will be the ones asking the questions from here on out.” The man with the scythe took a few steps forward. “You are going to be coming with us.”

“No, you can’t take him.” Velira cried out.

Pelton put his hand up. “It’s ok. We will get this sorted out. I have done nothing wrong.”

“They don’t care. Once you step out that door, I won’t see you ever again.”

“Ma’am, I suggest you calm down.”

“Listen to him, Velira,” Pelton said. “We don’t want to make things worse.”

Kira backed away from the door, bumping into a table as she did so. A candle wobbled back and forth before falling onto the ground.

The man with the scythe turned around. “What was the noise?”

“It was nothing,” Pelton said.

“Go find what made that sound.”

Pelton rammed into the man with the scythe and grabbed one of the Anchorhead flame weapons, activating it. He held the flame saber out in front of him before slashing one of the Empire goons across the chest. The blow only bounced off the black armor, and the blade bounced off the floor, extinguishing once it hit the ground.

The man looked annoyed as he drew his weapon and slashed Pelton across the chest, blood erupting from the wound. Velira cried out, but the goons grabbed her by the arms, one kicking her in the chest. The man with the scythe turned towards her and cut her clean across the chest with a fluid motion. She fell to the ground in a lifeless heap.

The Empire fiends then looked back at Pelton, who was coughing up blood on the ground. Their leader spat on him. “You should have just come along quietly. But then I wouldn’t have been able to have some fun, would I?” The dark plated man laughed as he left the room, slamming the door as he went out.

Kira waited to make sure the black-armored men wouldn’t return. She then tried to push her way out of her room, straining against the barrier on the other side of the door. After a few moments, she fell onto the other side of the door, kissing the icy floor. She stood up, shivering before rushing to her dads' side.

“Daddy.”

Pelton took in a shallow breath. “Kira?”

Tears ran down her face. “Get up. You promised me a surprise today.”

He raised an arm to touch Kira’s cheek. “I am sorry, sweetheart. I don’t think I have the energy to show you that surprise today. It will have to wait until tomorrow. Daddy needs to rest now.”

She pounded on his side. “But you promised.”

“Just wait one more day for me? I don’t want you to see me like this. I will make this up to you. Don’t worry.” He coughed up more blood. “Don’t worry, Kira.” His hand fell limp to the side.

“Daddy? Get up. You promised. Daddy?” She looked over at Velira. “Mommy?”

Kira put her head into her lap and sobbed. Ice formed around her hands. “You both have to get up. You just have to.” She slammed a tiny fist down on Pelton once more, her icy hand causing him to freeze solid. “You have to. You promised.”

She looked at her now frozen father and back at her hands, her body trembling. Unable to find the words, she dashed out into the falling snow, icy tears falling down her face.

***

The figure sighed as she stood up from the grave markers. “Ghosts of the past, that is all you are now.”

“Kira.”

She turned around, her hand turning to ice.

She let out a sigh of relief when she saw that it was her uncle come up the ruined pathways. “Yensen? What are you doing here?”

“Looking for you.” He stopped by the ruined grave markers. “Your parents’ graves?”

She looked down at the defiled graves. “I don’t know why I came. There is nothing here for me but bad memories.”

He put a worn hand on her shoulder. “Kira, that was fifteen years ago. What happened to your parents—“

“Was my fault. If I knew what I could do back, then I could save them. They are dead because of me.”

He sighed. “No, they are not.”

She turned away from him. “Did you just come here to try and convince me of that?”

“No. I want you to reconsider my offer.”

Kira shook her head. “No.”

“Kira.”

She turned around. “I said no. Your rebellion is destroying the country. It isn’t making anything better; it is just making the Empire come down harder on its people to flush you out. Why do you think they showed up on my parents’ doorstep that day? I don’t’ want anything to do with the Empire, with you or this war.”

“But Kira with are family.”

She took in a deep breath. “I will be grateful for you taking me in and raising me when I had nowhere else to go, but I can take care of myself now. Please, leave me alone with my ghosts if all you want to do is pester me about pulling me into your forsaken war.”

Yensen narrowed his eyes. “This affects all of us. You can’t just hide out here in the cold forever.”

She turned away from him. “The cold never bothered me. I will be fine.”