Sanctuary (Dominion) by Kris Kramer

easily have been another traveler, or a pack of bandits, or some other unsavory types. I didn't care. I was too tired to worry about danger. The fire beckoned me like a siren with its song of warmth and comfort.
    I approached the camp and saw a single figure sitting on the ground, leaning against a tree, an apple in hand. The orange glow from the fire lit up his face and I happily recognized Arkael, who didn't seem surprised to see me. I laughed, weakly. I'd done it. I'd caught up to him, like I knew I would. He was just a man after all, one with whom I could walk, and eat, and share the comfort of a fire. My victory was tempered, however, by overwhelming fatigue. He said nothing as I stumbled off the road and stood at the edge of his camp, every ounce of stamina gone from my body.
    "Can I sleep here?" Those were all the words I could muster.
    Arkael examined my weary visage, no doubt deciding if he’d continue to toy with me. After an unnecessarily long moment of contemplation, he nodded and I found some level ground near his fire and laid down my satchel. Sitting down required far too much effort, so I just fell instead, ecstatic to be off my feet. I’d never walked so far at such a pace in my life. And my spent body reminded me of the harsh price I would pay later.
    Arkael took a bite of his apple, watching me with a hint of amusement as I tried to warm myself by the fire without expending any more energy than was necessary. "You're persistent," he said through a mouthful of fruit.
    “I suppose." I took a deep breath, pulling my extra robe around me while trying to find a spot that would give me the least amount of discomfort.
    “Hungry?” I looked up to see that he’d sliced off a bit of his apple with a small knife. He held it out, but I shook my head.
    “Maybe in the morning,” I mumbled. “Thank you for the offer, though.” I laid my head down on my arm and let my eyes glaze over while staring lazily at the fire. The flames licked the darkness surrounding it and bits of soot and burnt wood floated off into the air. Arkael watched me in silence.
    "You're welcome to travel the same direction as me,” he finally said, “but not the same path. Remember that."
    I understood his meaning, and normally I would have tried to glean a few more details from him, but not tonight. I didn’t have the strength or the desire to argue. "Of course. Thank you."
    I closed my eyes. As tired as I was, though, sleep did not find me right away. Given a chance to finally rest, my mind made one last attempt to reconcile everything I'd seen today and it found the effort lacking. I looked over to see Arkael leaning back against the tree, staring off at the western sky. I watched him for a while with half-closed eyelids, and I wondered who exactly sat across from me. Was he divine? I'd found him, which suggested otherwise, but could he be something else?
    "Have you seen God?" I asked. He blinked, and his eyes darted to me for an instant before settling on the apple in his hand.
    "No."
    "Has God ever spoken to you?"
    He shook his head slowly, as if contemplating a thought or a memory. "No."
    Neither answer satisfied me, but I could tell I’d continue to get nowhere with my questions, so I gave up and closed my eyes again. As soon as I’d started drifting off, however, Arkael’s voice broke my near-slumber.
    “God doesn’t involve himself in these matters.”
    “What?” I muttered.
    "Angels and demons," he said, his gaze distant. "They’re the ones who scorch the earth around you. You cannot fathom the lengths they go to over the fate of a man's soul. They battle over each and every one as if there is no greater prize to be had, and they will destroy everything to claim victory. You walk around,” he pointed at me with a stern finger, “without understanding the treasure your flesh carries within it. I see the nightmares made real and the horrors created simply to infect what some men are capable of ruining on their own. I walk