The Crimson Dawn

The night was lifeless and cold, Atlas heard nothing as she patrolled the forest, the sound of crickets gone in the winter and Atlas was glad to only hear her footsteps on the forest ground. This was Atlas’s third night out on patrol, and it was going the same as it had before, dull. The only reason Atlas was out here again was because of Marley, a girl in the same sector as her who hated Atlas for no apparent reason. We all knew someone like that, someone who just wanted to make your life hell. That’s who Marley was and Teyla, the woman in charge of the Red Sector, just loved Marley and put her in charge of making schedules and such, because Marley would never be unfair.

Atlas’s breath became foggy in the cold as she walked through the quiet forest, the shadows playing in the dark as her lantern hit her side where it was tied. In truth, Atlas didn’t mind the walk in the night, nobody dared come near Kestva out of respect and monsters rarely came so high in the mountains where no towns are. So, most nights were quiet and uneventful, the way Atlas liked it, she didn’t like the clatter of blades in the training arena that echoed off the walls was sometimes too much for her. She liked the quiet prayers in the White Temple.

Atlas felt the movement before she saw it, their blades met as she turned to it, what she thought must’ve been a wandering monster. She saw him in the lantern light, a red-eyed elf a few feet away from her. She’d never seen one before and he must’ve seen the surprise on her face because he lunged for her again to catch her off guard. She deflected his blade and tried to pierce his side, but he moved too quickly.

As the elf lunges again, Atlas can only barely deflect and dodge, feeling the blade graze at her side. She was thankful for her leather armor in the instance. He rears back and slices her arm, and she hisses and backs off. She holds the sword in front of her, the thought of dying finally crossing her mind and she finally understood what Teyla had meant by the rush of death.

Before Atlas could think of a way to get herself out of this mess, Jarin came out of the dark and the Elf was unconscious and on the ground. With a yell, Jarin lifted his blade above his head, intent on driving it through the Elf's chest.

"Stop!" Atlas called, and Jarin froze before the blade pierced the stranger's chest. "He is down and we need answers, Jarin. Teyla would not want us to kill him." Atlas reasoned and Jarin looked at her breathing hard, he was one of the few who would listen to her, the others would only hear Marley barking in their heads. Jarin nodded, sheathing his sword and slinging the Elf over his shoulder with a grunt.

"You're wounded," he said gruffly and looked at the cut on her arm and shrugged. He grunted again and started walking. Jarin was a few years older than her and taller than Atlas by miles. He was part of the Red Sector like her and had helped her settle in when she had first arrived at Kestva. Kestva was a holy place, home of the guardians, the Whites, Reds, Blues, Yellows, and Greens, all divided into sectors by colors. They were all children when they arrived here, either given up by their parents or orphans.

It didn’t take long for them to arrive at Kestva, they could still see some light coming from the windows of the main building. The gates were quickly opened for them, reds calling out for the whites as they noticed the luggage Atlas and Jarin carried along with them. Igraine hurried out to meet them, her white shawl following behind her as her sisters followed behind her.

“Atlas, Jarin, what have you found, Children?” Igraine spoke and Atlas instantly felt safe. Igraine had cared for her as long as she could remember, Igraine had cared for everyone at some point.

Before Atlas could speak Jarin did in his gruff voice. “This Elf attacked Atlas in the woods, we brought him alive for questioning. He injured Atlas.”

Igraine spared Atlas a worried look, unable to see the blood in the red fabric she wore, and Atlas smiled at her and shook it off. “I’m fine, Jarin makes it sound worse. It is only a cut.”

Teyla came up beside Igraine, a matching red shawl around her head as she gave Jarin and Atlas a familiar glare. It is not that she was angry, it was just that her face seemed to be stuck that way. Her jaw moved as she looked from Atlas to Jarin and something seemed to be coming together in her mind.

“Jarin, bring the Elf to the cells and Atlas visit the yellows, his blades could be poisoned,” came Teyla’s harsh voice and Jarin moved immediately, following orders with no delay. Atlas on the other hand continued to stand there and stare at Teyla, she had a nasty habit of trying to read people’s minds. “Atlas, move.” That kicked Atlas into gear and she started towards the infirmary. Teyla and Igraine followed behind Atlas as she climbed the hill and entered the threshold.

“Hey, y’all,” Atlas greeted as she entered, instantly taking her seat on the bed in the far corner, her usual spot. Quinley chuckled as he rolled up his sleeves and came over to her with his bag and a raised eyebrow as Igraine and Teyla came in as well.

“What could you have possibly done to harm yourself in the middle of the night, dear star?” Quinley spoke in his deep, soothing tone, like fresh seawater. Teyla folded her arms and looked at Atlas expectantly, she wanted to hear the story as well.

Atlas sighed and unbuckled her leather armor from her chest, as well as her red cloak. She took off her shirt and showed Quinley the cut before she began the story, recounting her patrol and the strange encounter with the elf as Quinley worked on the cut. Atlas finished and got dressed once again, all that was left from the cut was the residual dried blood.

Teyla stared at her and Igraine stroked Atlas’s hair with a soft smile. “I’m glad you’re alright, star, and that Jarin was lucky enough to get there when he did.”

Atlas swallowed and looked at Teyla, her hand was on her chin, and looked thoughtful instead of angry for once. It was scary. She put her hand down and looked Atlas in the eyes for a moment before sighing.

“You should’ve told me, Marley was abusing her privileges, I know this is your third night out on patrol. Is Marley sleeping safely still in her bed? Someone needs to get her out and on patrol, this is unacceptable behavior from a Red,” Teyla growled and looked around, seeing who she could order around but all the reds were either at the wall or on the other side. All the ones that were up anyway. “I am glad you survived, Atlas, it is no small feat to live from an attack from an Elven assassin. You were truly lucky, thank Lady Raven for that. It wouldn’t have done us any good losing such a promising recruit.”

As she walked away, Atlas let herself grin at such high praise from Teyla. Igraine continued to play with Atlas’s loose hair, she touched a strand and frowned, it must’ve come apart in the fight. Quinley handed Igraine a hair tie, hearing Atlas’s thoughts. He gave Atlas a friendly pat on the shoulder and a gentle squeeze before he left to attend to his other patients.

Atlas turned so Igraine could begin braiding her long, fluffy, ash-blonde hair. The entire thing was a mess and in the way if it wasn’t put up in some way. Atlas smiled as she felt the familiar hands tend to her hair and it brought memories from when she was a child of Igraine doing her hair.

“Igraine, may I talk to the prisoner when he wakes?” Atlas questions and Igraine stops for a moment before continuing.

“I can talk to Teyla, but you need rest, Star, and it would be better if someone more experienced interrogated him,” Igraine spoke reason, she always did, she was a White, a leader. But Atlas didn’t want to talk to the Elf to interrogate him… she wanted to sate her curiosity. Once Igraine finished Atlas’s braid, she turned around and gave her a hug and Igraine sighed into it, knowing what Atlas wanted. “Fine… talk to him but stay on the other side. You are not done with training, you are lucky, remember that.”

“I tasted death, I almost saw the Grim Wolf,” Atlas pulled away and saw Igraine’s worried look, but Atlas smiled only to reassure her. “I won’t go on the other side of the bars, I promise.”

✧

A commotion came from the darkness of the cells down in the Green Sector. Rachel, a 16-year-old Green who was escorting Atlas through, looked at her with wide eyes full of shock and a hint of fear. Rachel was the nervous type, always fumbling and Atlas wondered how she had become a Green. It was no offense to Rachel, she just didn’t seem to fit, but Igraine said that everyone eventually fills into their role, and nobody ever gets put into the wrong sector.

“Go. I’ll figure it out, I’m a red, remember?” Atlas told her and she nodded and ran off to find one of her superiors. Rachel was only a few years younger than Atlas and Atlas couldn’t help but wonder if she was ever like that when she was 16.

Atlas bent down to quickly grab the small knife, hidden in her brown boot and crept down the stone stairs into the Cell Block. Atlas was unfamiliar with this place, she’d maybe only been down here once or twice when she was little and rebellious. There was never anyone down here anymore, but Kyr, the head Green, told me it was almost full during the last War, 40 years ago. It wasn’t hard for Atlas to guess now what was happening down there, their Elven prisoner was awake and not very happy with his situation.

Jarin waved Atlas over to him once he saw her come down the stairs, he was breathing heavily and there was a new cut on his cheek. He wiped the blood off with his hand and Kyr put a hand on the Red’s shoulder.

“You should visit the Yellows, Jarin, I can handle things from here,” Kyr spoke softly, and Jarin nodded, looking at Atlas.

“It’s nothing, Atlas, stop giving me such a concerned look. The Elf woke while we were searching him for weapons, caught me by surprise is all,” he spoke softer, but he couldn’t quite get that gruffness out of his tone. Jarin walked past Atlas, intent on following what Kyr told him to do.

Kyr smiled at me and put his hand on Atlas’s shoulder, “I won’t be too far, holler if you need me.” He assures her before walking after Jarin and Atlas turns to look at the prisoner.

There wasn’t much light in the Cell Block but it was better than out in the forest with the lantern light strapped to her hip. He had dark long hair that covered most of his face as he leaned forward, his arms resting on his knees as he sat impatiently in his cell. He looked up at Atlas with his red eyes, a menacing look but Atlas didn’t feel deterred. She smiled at him and sat against the cell opposite his, the iron bars uncomfortable to lean on but she ignored it.

“I’m Atlas, the girl you tried to kill in the woods earlier,” Atlas introduced herself and his head tilted upwards more to get a better look, his blood eyes scanning her. His eyes were the strangest thing about the Elf. Atlas had never seen an Elf before, they rarely left their beloved homeland, but his eyes weren’t unnerving to her and that’s what captured her attention the most.

“An empty threat. If I had wanted you dead, your soul would be with the Grim Wolf,” he speaks in a snarl, his eyes boring into her, watching for her reaction. Looking for signs of fear.

“You’re just saying that because it unnerved you so much that two humans beat you,” Atlas smiled, and it was easy for her not to give him what he wanted. He only scoffed at her answer and looked away. “Fine, it was Jarin that surprised you. I would have been dead without his help.”

The Elf looked back at her before huffing and looked down again. “Oh, don’t be a sore loser. Don’t feel too bad, he almost became a Green despite his size.” His piercing eyes met hers and she could tell that she was getting nowhere with teasing and baiting him. “Who are you and why have you come to Kestva?”

After a few minutes of nothing but the sounds of their soft breathing, the Elf looked up at her with a glare. “I am Altair of the Seventh Order of Assassins.” Altair… that name was almost familiar like she was supposed to know it. Maybe it was some sort of famous name the Blues had tried to drill into her when she was a child, but Atlas had never the heart for old history. “You are not frightened by the thought of an assassin attacking you?”

Atlas thought about it. “Nah.”

Altair raised his eyebrow and looked at her incredulously. “Nah? No guilty thoughts coming to your mind, not frightened that someone powerful sent me to kill you?” Atlas looked at him like he was crazy, obviously, he was used to sniveling cowards.

“I mean… I steal pastries from the Kitchen sometimes… okay it’s more like every day but I don’t think the Yellows would get so mad that they’d go out of their way to send an Elven Assassin to kill me. And they must be pissed you didn’t finish the job if they did,” Atlas smirks as she hears a slight growl from the grumpy elf. “I’ve never left Kestva, no one outside of Kestva even knows I exist. You made a mistake when you attacked me, that’s what you’re so mad about.”

“I was being cautious. I don’t make mistakes,” he snarls at her, and for a second it looks like he might throw himself against the cell.

“Who are your targets then? Why come to Kestva?” She waited for an answer, but he just stared at her silently, his eyes flaring in the darkness. Atlas realized she wasn’t getting an answer, standing up she brushed herself off before looking at Altair again. “You did make a mistake because I am not who you are looking for. I’ve been here since I was a baby and I’ve never left, not even once.”

“I know.”

“Then be honest. Teyla will not be as kind- or as funny as me,” Atlas thought she saw a glimmer of a smile on his face but it was too dark to be sure. He didn’t say anything more and Atlas left, heading up the stairs and she could see Kyr’s figure at the top, waiting for her.

Kyr stood on the last step, his arms folded in front of him, and Atlas only stared up at him with a small smile. “He’s the Seventh ordery assassin named Altair or something like that.” She told him, remembering exactly what had been said but she also knew that Kyr had listened to every word by his face. It must’ve been very echoey.

“Elves train their assassins well, he won’t speak if he doesn’t wish to,” Kyr informed Atlas and she frowned, she was part impressed by their resolve and part disgusted with it.

“So, he’ll throw away his own life, rotting in that cell, simply because he’s sworn to secrecy? I mean- don’t we just want to know why he attacked me??” Atlas scoffs and Kyr shakes his head with a laugh.

“The reason is likely tied into his mission,” Kyr pats her on the shoulder, and it feels like she’s a little kid again asking another stupid question. “This is why you are a Red, Atlas, you don’t understand the necessity of secrets.”

“But you do so keep the pastries on the down low,” Atlas whispers and Kyr shakes with laughter but otherwise seems to agree.

Atlas woke with light shining bright in her eyes which was unnatural to her, she rolled out of bed, checked out the window, and viewed the sun in the middle of the sky. Atlas groaned and closed the curtains before getting dressed in her Red Guard uniform, not looking forward to the scolding from Teyla. Not waking up at the butt-crack of dawn was like a crime in her eyes, Atlas was convinced that Teyla never actually slept and was some kind of machine she had heard about from the Blues.

Atlas walked out of the bunker and into the common area where a few Reds were scattered about on break. A few spared Atlas a few glaring looks but looked away as soon as Jarin came in, smiling big when he saw her. His loud footsteps almost shook the ground as he walked over. Atlas felt herself frown at such happiness, she was about to get chewed and probably would get dish duty from Teyla and Jarin was grinning at her.

“Teyla told us to let you sleep, some type of reward for last night,” he told me, putting his arm around her and Atlas immediately smiled.

“If I knew almost dying would get me a reward, I’d do it more often,” she told him playfully, before following Jarin out of the common room and away from the jealous Reds that haven’t slept in since they were 12. Atlas quickly realized that they weren’t going out as Jarin led them to Kyr, Igraine, Teyla, Runo, and Aegar. As usual, they were all arguing while Igraine was trying to keep the peace, once she noticed Atlas, she cut through the other sector leaders and pulled me over, excusing Jarin, and Atlas was suddenly in a Temple Meeting.