by Ink Bamboo
Zaros just happened to fit both requirements.
Seeing the reactions of the council members, Richard decided to intervene. If he let them continue on with their line of questioning, they would arrive nowhere. “Anyway,” he said. “What else can you tell us about the situation in the forest?”
“A few things,” answered Amro. “They tried to pin the massacre in the forests on your faction, for example. That’s why I decided to come here. We share a common enemy.”
Richard sighed. It was natural for his brother to scheme such a plan. Placing the blame on him was something his brother had done ever since their earlier years. This news simply confirmed some previous bits of information they knew about Zaros.
“Is that all?” he asked, thinking back to Nolan’s previous reports.
“Of course,” said Amro, placing the conversation to the back of his mind. Sharing information with the rebel’s leadership was a way to make use of them in the future.
Unlike the criminals and slum dwellers in Sol, authority amongst the rebels couldn’t be earned with power alone. They were a political kind, bound together by the interests they hoped to achieve in the future. To earn their trust, he needed to offer something they valued.
Richard, however, wasn’t satisfied with Amro’s offer. There were still things he wanted to know if possible. “Would you mind explaining then, why you’re a wanted man in Nyx? Is it related to how you dealt with those assaulting your settlements?”
“No,” said Amro. “That’s a different issue altogether. Once I left the forest, I made way to the southern town of Sol. While there, I took the life of a certain noble.”
“You did what?” asked Katherine. Amro’s answer had taken her by surprise. Nobles held authority over a city’s guards. For someone to be able to take the life of one, it meant he had the strength to face the entire guard and survive.
“Baron Lapas, if I recall correctly,” added Amro with a slight tone of mockery. “He tried to kidnap the wrong person.”
A soft chuckle could be heard coming from Nolan. “I always knew that old man Lapas would end up dead because of his trade.”
Taking a moment to reminiscence, Nolan continued, “Slaving can only work properly when you make slaves of another nation’s citizens. The Lapas family should have been abandoned their trade when the conflict between our nation and Ionia came to a halt.”
Richard stopped Nolan from continuing. Discussing politics wasn’t the point of this meeting.
Facing Amro with a stern face, he pushed the conversation towards his own objectives. “So boy, tell us, what is your goal?”
Amro looked at Richard, not a trace of hesitation as he answered, “I crave to kill the ruler of this kingdom.”
“Is it for what he did to your village?” asked Richard. He could easily make use of the boy if his desires stemmed from revenge. Under his promises, the boy would become an useful puppet for his goals. In more ways than one, Richard knew he was as cunning as his brother.
“That’s right,” said Amro, thinking back to Zaros’s motivation and the deal they had struck with each other. Amro would give him the power he desired to attain his revenge in exchange for Zaros giving up everything else to his cause. “I’ve sworn to take care of him.”
“Fine,” said Richard, a smile rising on his lips. “During the upcoming war, I want you to be by our side. We’ll have Arkus introduce you to Jan, he is our strategist. We have a better use for your skills than placing you at the front lines.”
Amro nodded his head in acknowledgement of Richard’s offer. Once he got back the divine weapon Magnus had been holding, he would be able to single-handedly win this war. The fact that the rebels would help him was simply a way to streamline the process through which he would fulfill his end of the deal with Zaros.
Arkus stood up, placing his hand over Amro’s shoulder. His expression displayed annoyance after being silenced one too many times during the meeting.
“We should go now, boy. I’ll introduce you to Jan,” he said, trying to distract himself.
Amro stood up and nodded towards the remaining council members, leaving along with Arkus. Once they were out of the room, silence befell Nolan, Richard, and Katherine.
“Richard,” said Katherine. “Are you sure you want to sacrifice him? He has great potential that could benefit the kingdom in the future. He could even become a weapon for us to use as deterrence against the church.”
After a short pause, Richard offered an answer to her question. “That’s precisely why we must dispose of him. Did you see the look in his eyes? Those are the eyes of a beast that can’t be tamed. He’s only here because he finds as much use in us as we do in him.”
Nolan nodded, adding his own thoughts. “I know his kind. They won’t hesitate to kill to accomplish their goals. I’m sure not even you want someone like that with us.”
“Isn’t that just both of you being afraid because of unfounded superstition?” asked Katherine. “We all fit that description, and yet, I don’t remember any of us hesitating to ally with each other.”
“No,” said Nolan. “It’s different this time. His eyes are vacant.”
“Why does that matter?” asked Katherine.
“There’s usually rage, sadness or ambition behind the eyes of someone who has stained his hands in blood,” explained Nolan. “His were simply empty, like this wasn’t anything more than a game to him.”
“Regardless,” said Richard, offering his thoughts on the matter, “we can make use of him. His life will fuel our ascent to power.”
“I see,” said Katherine, reluctantly looking upwards. “If not him, someone else would’ve had to take his place. I guess he can only blame his luck.”
✽✽✽
Amro followed Arkus towards an unknown destination. The bronze-skinned man’s stride was full of confidence, each step carrying as much determination as the one before it. He was a simple man with an equally simple attitude.
“You know,” said Arkus, resting his hands above his head. “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a youngster as resolute as you. Nyx’s youth is nowadays full of people who have given up, too weak spirited to fight their masters.”
“Very few would have been able to avenge their fallen townsfolk or even gathered the courage to go against a noble. Even fewer would have succeeded, so I commend you for that. Kudos.”
“I haven’t avenged them,” replied Amro, recalling the terms of his promise to Zaros. “Only once the king’s head lies in my hands will that promise be fulfilled.”
Arkus scratched his stubble, yawning before placing his hands back down. “I see, it’s good to have a goal. Just try not to get lost in the details when you chase after it. It’s easy to lose track of yourself with the passage of time.”
True, thought Amro. A simple seed of distraction can grow into chaos once nurtured by the waters of time. Just how many wise-sages have failed to stay true to themselves across history?
Looking towards the moving clouds, Arkus continued. “Men must have a purpose. Something that gives meaning to their lives. You don’t want to look at the sky and doubt the value of your existence in the moment of your death. No, you want to fall with pride, convinced you did everything you could to achieve your goals.”
I like the way this human thinks, thought Amro.
Amro reminisced about his early days. A time where he had been young and naïve, free from the sense of duty placed on ancient paragons. An age where humanity had still not fully comprehended the complexity of magic or the intricacies of faith. A forgotten era where he had transcended history.
Back then, his most loyal soldier had uttered similar words to him. His now forgotten shadow seemed to overlap against Arkus’s back, bringing memories from old. However, all were equal upon death. His old friend had long since entered the reincarnation cycle many times over. Only the present remained. The present, and himself.
“I guess what I’m trying to say, boy,” said Arkus, finall
y coming to a stop in front of the building where Jan was taking a short rest, “is that you must keep looking forward, regardless of what may come.”
Turning back, Arkus offered Amro an honest warm smile, “Now, should we go in?”
Chapter 16
Memory.
Magnus woke up next to his bed, exhausted and covered in sweat. His eyes opened up, greeted by the blurry scene of the roof moving from side to side. It took him a few seconds to realize the building wasn’t collapsing. Instead, his eyesight had deteriorated one step further.
The night before had ended with him falling down without being able to reach his bed. A feeble attempt to look at the starry sky had drained him of all his remaining energy. He had only been able to take a few steps before kissing the cold hard ground.
What time is it? thought Magnus. He noticed the sun was no longer visible from his window. Must be around the middle of the day.
He slowly straightened his back, feeling the ache that came from a night with the ground as his partner. He was tired. Barely any strength answered his call as he struggled to rise to his feet.
Magnus forced himself into his bed as scenes of the previous days crossed his mind. His mind was filled not only with displays of Richard’s greed but also scenes of Erin’s worries. Her disconcerting words still run in his ear. ‘Someone is watching us,’ she had said. Could she be right or was she thriving in paranoia?
If she’s right, then who could it be? Magnus pondered.
However, Magnus couldn’t rid himself of that feeling scratching at the back of his mind. He wasn’t known for having an inflexible mind. As long as the possibility was there, he wouldn’t rest easy.
Amongst the rising tide of questions, Magnus felt the dryness of his throat, another consequence to his recent wave of exhaustion.
“I need some water,” he said, taking a flask of holy water from inside his robes. It might have been a waste to drink holy water like it was the regular kind but he didn’t care. He had many of them stored in his pocket dimension. Too many to care, in fact.
A few seconds later, Magnus could feel the refreshing effects of the blessed liquid acting on his body, washing away the fatigue that had settled in for some reason.
It must be the consequence of constantly peering into the river of fate, he thought. I should probably stop.
Alas, he knew he wouldn’t follow through his own advice. His divinations had become the only hope of releasing Erin sometime in the visible future. She was worth every sacrifice he made.
Still… thought Magnus, organizing his thoughts. Erin’s instincts should be sharper than mine. So I should look into that matter.
Despite his hatred towards the church, Magnus was capable of recognizing the benefits of personally receiving a god’s guidance. Erin’s instinct was an example of such a situation. She had a sense for danger that could rival that of most skilled assassins. Therefore, he couldn’t come to terms with discarding her worries.
Weird, thought Magnus. It feels like I’m forgetting something.
“Wait, weren’t the paladins leaving today?”
Magnus’s feebleness disappeared once he remembered half of the initiate paladins were leaving to report back to the church. He couldn’t afford not to be there. This operation was related to Erin, and as such, everything called for utmost perfection. Should her failure be perceived as treason, he wouldn’t be able to bear the consequences.
After gathering his breath, he exited his room, forgetting that he was still sweaty and covered in the robes he had used the day before. With a few spells, however, that was quickly fixed. His skin glowed with traces of being washed and the air around him was replaced with the fresh scent of magical fakeness.
As Magnus walked outside, he slowly reverted to his serious and formal self, hiding away the traces of exhaustion previously displayed on his face. He promptly saw an initiate paladin carrying a few bags of provisions slung over his back.
Magnus gazed around, realizing the group had still not left the rebel camp. A breath of relief emerged from his lips as he noticed their horses were still tied to their feeders.
The initiate paladin walking by noticed Magnus looking around. He placed down the bags he was carrying, saluting Magnus as he said, “Sir Magnus, we will be leaving soon. Were you looking for us?”
Magnus nodded his head. “I just wanted to see you before your departure. I wanted to remind you to deliver my letter.”
The paladin nodded, he was the one who’d received Magnus’s letter the day before. Despite his personal opinions of the man, he wouldn’t hold back in delivering something meant for the cardinal’s eyes. That was the obedience instilled in him by the church. That was his duty.
As Magnus turned around to leave, the Paladin’s eyes flashed with a glimmer of mischief. A trace of a smile appeared on his face as he stopped Magnus from departing.
“Sir,” he said, a rare tone of fake politeness on his voice. “Miss Erin was looking for you earlier today, but she didn’t get an answer when knocking on your door. You might want to look for her.”
Magnus gave the man a nod, asking him to explain further, “Where is she now?”
The initiate paladin smiled, his mischievous plan coming to fruition. “She chased after a young man, sir. There’s no reason to worry, of course, five of my brothers are with her.”
“Chasing after who?” asked Magnus. He could have sworn he heard the word ‘boy’ mixed in that sentence a moment earlier. Since when does Erin even chase after people?
“A boy, sir,” answered the paladin candidate. “She said something about needing to talk to him.”
Magnus’s mouth widened in rare surprise. The shock of Erin displaying interest in someone else, a boy to say the least, was enough to suppress him from noticing the vagueness in the initiate’s words.
The man in question grinned as he saw the success of his plan. Erin had clearly stated that she was going to speak with the boy to find about the state of religion in Nyx. The young man had an age close to her own, something rare amongst the rebels. Through his eyes, she expected to learn how to better serve the church in this territory.
She was likely in it only for the information. Of course, the wanna-be paladin wasn’t going to clarify that much to Magnus. The misguided inferences of the worried mage were none of his business.
The paladin candidate thought of adding fuel to the fire, but before he could do so, Magnus was no longer visible. The old mage must have gone after Erin.
That’s payback for my apple.
✽✽✽
Erin’s golden hair swung from side to side, drops of sweat falling off of her face. Her petite frame was busy chasing after a young man in the dunes outside of the rebel camp.
Why can’t I seem to catch him, she wondered. Despite her best efforts, the boy only seemed to get farther and farther away.
At some point, she had left the paladin candidates guarding her behind. They had no longer been able to keep up with neither their speeds nor the constant change of directions. How had this even started? In the beginning she simply intended to ask the boy a few questions. Now, however, she felt victim to her pride.
He can’t get away.
Amro, on the other hand, kept running with little worries on his mind. The young girl chasing after him represented baggage he was able to deal with, just not at this moment. A series of preparations needed to be finished before he did so.
“Stop!” yelled Erin. Her sweet voice strained to speak in a volume not common to herself. “I just want to ask a few questions.”
But despite her requests, Amro simply ignored her. Talking with the girl would grant him no tangible benefit at this time. He kept moving forward, making his way further away from the rebel camp. He had already memorized all the blind spots in the rebel’s patrol route.
“I told you to stop!” repeated Erin. Her aura gathered on her feet as she shot forward, multiple times the speed she had been running at previously.
&
nbsp; Amro dodged to the side, not bothering to receive her tackle. Using his aura to deal with a child was far from honorable. What’s more, he might end up triggering her instincts, summoning the attention of the puppet master behind her.
Erin frowned, clearly surprised by Amro’s evasion. She was taught the movement technique directly by her goddess. It was an art meant to burst forward, reaching crazy speeds the more energy she placed under her foot. Her predecessor had made a name of himself through its use alone.
How? she wondered. It doesn’t make sense.
The more she followed after the boy, the more her curiosity was piqued. A rare feeling was stimulated within her heart. It’s challenging. It’s almost… fun?
The excitement in her heart forced her to try again, fail, and try yet again. No regards for failure could be found in her determination. She was intent on catching the elusive boy ahead of her. Somehow. She just needed to keep trying.
The amount of time she needed in between steps slowly decreased. Her focus rising exponentially as she felt the wind resist against her speed more and more every minute. Faster, faster. Alas, no matter how much she tried, how much she improved, she still couldn’t catch the boy. It was a new feeling to her.
Is this frustration?
A myriad of feelings alien to the young girl flooded her heart. Fun, frustration, fatigue. All of them were new to the blond-haired youth. Why had she not experienced this before? Why?
She laid on the ground, exhausted, a trace of a rare smile forming on her face. Her muscles were sore from the tireless charge. Yet despite her feebleness, there she lay, a strange sense of peace forming in her mind.
When was the last time she felt like this? Her weeks were usually filled with training, studying, and worship. She couldn’t recall the last time anything different had happened. No, she actually could. It had been years since then, but the memory still existed in the back of her mind. Locked, hidden away.
For reasons unknown to Erin, the memory seemed to reject her call. It acted like it had a mind of its own. However, she wasn’t one to give up. Her aura, a strength unique to her soul, spread through her mind.