The Sage's Reign

by Shakyra Dunn

  “Don’t tell me that you actually came to care for him,” Hinju sneered, picking up his fallen son’s sword, dragging it across the soil. “The two of you were enemies. He led you to me. He hauled you through the mud to save his own skin, and in return, you cut his body to pieces to use him as a servant. Yet, here you are, mourning him.”

  He shoved Solus to the ground with his foot. Solus jumped to a stand only for a fireball to strike his chest. Solus dropped to his knees, shakily staring at the blood on his hands, his body burning. Leilana grit her teeth, trying to crawl over to him, blood spilling down her sides. Solus stared at the dust drifting along the skyline, watching the sun begin to rise in the east. There were mere minutes left before time was up and Hinju was back at full strength. Leilana’s powers would close off again, and they would lose.

  “You’re willing to risk everything to stop me. It’s a shame. You would have made a formidable king if you had simply obeyed me. Your brother would have been a faithful servant.”

  “No one is meant to be a servant to the world forever,” Leilana exclaimed, though strained, on her feet and approaching the two. “We all defy our fates a little at a time.”

  “Fate is set in stone, Leilana,” Hinju told her, pointing the blade in her direction. “We cannot unravel the strings tied around our necks so easily. We can choose our paths and follow them until our feet are calloused on the sand, but never where we end up when the day is done.”

  “But that’s what makes our lives so fulfilling,” Leilana tried to reason. “Master Hinju… there’s a lot that this journey has taught me. I failed your test to become a Warlord. I haven’t gathered all the totems like you asked, but I think that’s fine. The bond that I shared with my friends is far greater than something that a mere trinket as a memento has come to offer me. Surely, you’ve made some friends in the past since becoming a Warlord too. You have to understand how that feels.”

  “Much like you’ve seen, friends come and go someday. And one day, life is to be cut short.” The statement jolted Solus from his stupor, but he didn’t stir. Leilana lowered her head. There was no changing his mind. Hinju approached Leilana, grabbing her by the chin, tilting it and forcing her to face him head-on. “My dear, there is much that you neglected to understand about the purpose of your journey. You were an Arcana, trivial and unsung in comparison to someone established. And now, you are a Sage, a rebel. There will be no acceptance for you in Adrylis, just as there shall be no acceptance for your beloved. I will give you one more chance. Run away, and never return.”

  “I will never abandon my allies. That is my duty as a princess, and as Solus’s protector.”

  “So be it then,” Hinju said simply, holding Kinaju’s blade to her throat. “I hope that you find peace in the next life.” Acting with haste, Solus reached for his broadsword, shakily holding it up to his throat before brushing away his hesitation.

  “Father!” he shouted. His eyes sharpened when he met Hinju’s gaze, and the older man turned up his lip in irritation. “She goes free, or I relinquish my soul here and now.”

  “You’re not brave enough,” Hinju retorted. “And even if I did let her go, she will likely bleed to death before you were to stop me.” He gripped Leilana’s chin tighter, and she fought to pull away, grunting in pain. “Why not let me put her out of her misery?”

  “Just watch me.” Once he had Hinju’s undivided attention again, Solus pulled the blade closer to his neck, cutting a thin line across flesh, blood dripping onto his clothes.

  “Solus, don’t do this!” Leilana exclaimed.

  “You need me, Hinju,” Solus implied. “I’m the only Necromancer of Gularin, and the last seal to the kingdom as Remiel’s chosen heir. I’m also your only remaining child in light of Kinaju’s demise—without me, there will be nothing left for you to fight for. My life has many means to an end, and I will take it away if you don’t release her now.”

  Hinju slowly loosened his grip on Leilana, who dropped to the ground like a rock, wheezing from the agony of her wounds. Solus watched the sun’s movements for a few seconds before stepping closer to Leilana, keeping the sword pointed at his throat all the while. He knelt at her side and took her into his arms, supporting her head with his right hand.

  “Solus,” she told him weakly. “We’re out of time.”

  “No, we still have some,” he said softly. “I just don’t know what else we can do…”

  Leilana’s eyes suddenly went wide, and before she could muster up any words of rebuttal, Solus had wrapped his arms around her, shielding her from an inferno that took hold of his back and right arm. His body was next to hers, barely moving. Leilana shakily reached out her hand and pressed it to his shoulder, trying to stir him. His breaths were labored, as though knives had nicked his lungs. The burns he had sustained in the past were blanketed with new ones, blood and grime coating the reopened wounds. His hair was singed, burning off in chunks.

  “Solus! Solus!” she screamed.

  “Curses,” Hinju hissed. “I was hoping my aim was accurate enough to hit her.”

  She continued to cry out his name, hoping that he would look up at her and smile, that he would recover, but he never did. She held his hand in both of hers, tears streaming down her face. He had protected her, all so that she could live a little longer. But it was in vain—the Orb of Concord was nearly exhausted of its energy, and she didn’t have any more strategies to overcome Hinju. He was drawing near, and there was nothing left for either of them to accomplish without certain death.

  “Solus… Please don’t die… please…” She lowered her head onto his chest, gripping to his shirt. “I love you, you can’t just… leave…”

  Two hearts intertwined, burning bright. One of love, another of passion.

  Secure your own future, acting as one.

  The illustrious and familiar glow of a renewed aura encircled Solus’s body, leaving Leilana wistful and curious all at once. Hinju stopped dead in his tracks, narrowing his gaze. His totem was awakening. Hinju started up another spell, but right before it could connect, Leilana thrust her hand out and cast a barrier around them, sealing them both away from his compromise.

  “There has to be a way out of this,” Leilana mumbled to herself, sitting back briefly to ponder over her remaining options.

  The sun was rising, the haze of the crimson sky was clearing, and Solus was beginning to expire. The barrier wasn’t going to protect them forever. She reached up to wipe away her tears, and her fingertips grazed the Orb of Concord. Her energy in usage was spent, but maybe someone else could carry on the will to fight in her place. And she already knew who deserved it.

  She folded her hands, pressing them against her chest. “Warlords of Old. I am not skilled enough to complete this mission. But I believe that there is someone that can, and he needs my support. Please, allow me to eradicate your traitorous spawn in another manner.”

  For a few passing moments, she wondered if her prayers went unanswered, but retracted her thinking when a surge rushed through her mind.

  Princess Leilana Erovina. There is something that you must understand. Every wish garners a greater sacrifice. How much are you willing to put on the line?

  “Anything if it means that Solus can live and succeed.”

  Very well then. We will trust your judgment.

  Leilana was left clutching her throbbing head, crying out in pain. Her eyes were burning, her senses sweeping between agony and deception—the Warlords always had a knack for toying with people and taking away what was most necessary. She already knew from the start what was going to be put on the line, and so long as they finished this together, she didn’t mind.

  The Orb of Concord ripped from her left eye, hovering above Solus’s body, bathing him in a cool light before embedding itself into his forehead. Steadily, he rose, sword in hand. Leilana marveled at the grace of his dignified stance, clutching her eye. With one sweep of his blade, Solus cut through the barrier, and they touched base on the g
rass. Hinju watched his son’s actions with amazement and overall confusion. His stance and body language had evolved so much in a matter of minutes.

  Solus glanced back at her in the corner of his eye. “You may rest easy, princess. All will be fine.” Leilana’s vision became hazy and she collapsed, but not before Solus grabbed her hand to catch her as she fell, lowering her safely to the ground.

  “You’ve nearly lost your battle with the sun,” Hinju pointed out, a finger extended towards the looming sunlight. “Are you certain that you want to try again?”

  One last fight?

  Solus couldn’t wipe away his smile upon hearing his best friend’s voice. “One last fight.”

  Solus lifted his left hand, a psychosomatic wave coursing through Hinju before he found himself adrift. Baffled, he summoned for his crystal shards. Solus held up his right hand and curled it into a tight fist before pulling back as though he were set to throw a punch. When he pushed forward, Hinju felt a metaphorical blow to his body, the crystal shards falling to the ground, the favorable glow no longer visible. Hinju glared at Solus as he was returned to the surface, holding out his hand to draw forth the shards, but they didn’t heed his command.

  Solus took a step forward, then another. Hinju’s eyes were becoming panicked, his hands shaking. He stared down at the shards as they shattered into dust, one by one. Solus tightened his grip on his sword. Leilana’s blistering magic. Kinaju’s burning blade. Rem’s binding heart. The strength of his allies carried him to this point of no return.

  “I did this for you!” Hinju shouted feebly, backing away from his son. “I couldn’t bear to see you grow and suffer in a world where ruin was sure to come!”

  “You’re correct, it was sure to come,” Solus said coldly, continuing forward. “But it was by your hand that such a fate was thrust upon this world. And now, you have nothing. Do not continue to run. Face your end honorably, Warlord Hinju Leerus.”

  These words made Hinju stop dead in his tracks. “You’d kill your father in cold blood?”

  Solus plunged the sword into Hinju’s heart, and the man gasped, slumping over Solus’s shoulder. He was careful to make sure that removing the blade was slow and painful, much like recovering from his own wounds were. Once Hinju went free, Solus pushed his corpse to the ground, flicked his finger and lit an elemental flame over his body, watching it burn to ash in minutes.

  “The world needs better than someone like you,” Solus told the pile of ash and bone. “Someone with proper will should lead Adrylis.”

  The Orb of Concord escaped from Solus’s forehead, leaving him woozy. A crack formed in the powerful device, and a single shard fell to the ground. Solus picked it up and placed it close to Leilana’s hand, knowing that she would find a greater purpose for it in the long run. He didn’t remain standing for more than a moment while watching the weapon fly off into the shining sun before he too succumbed to his exhaustion.

  The last thing that Solus expected to wake up to was muffled cheers. When he sat up, he found that he was inside of the castle, his back well-adjusted to the soft cushioning of the mattress. Moreover, he was surprised to find Sien sitting at his bedside, smiling at him.

  “Morning, sleepyhead.”

  “Sien,” he acknowledged. “What are you doing here?”

  “I heard you were in the market for a physician, so I got here as soon as I could. I’m glad that I was able to reach you in time. I’ve been lofting here for a couple of weeks now, tending to you and Leilana. Lancett has been keeping watch outside to make sure no suspicious figures step in, and Erya is studying in the library because I couldn’t drag him away for anything.”

  “What is all the noise?” Solus asked.

  “All of Linmus. They’ve been waiting for you, praying for your recovery,” she told him. “They come here every day.”

  Solus glanced up at the closed window, pressing a hand against the glass before pushing himself onto his knees to marvel in the crowd waiting below. There were hundreds out there, hoping for their new prince to come to. He recognized some of their faces—once upon a time, they were under his spell, trapped by the element of Necromancy, and now they walked tall. They were alive again. He laid his forehead against the glass, tears filling his eyes, a smile lining his lips. He had avenged Remiel and brought peace back to Adrylis. Now things could begin anew. Sien took his hand, and Solus held on tight, continuing to marvel at the people below.

  The war was over.

  “Where’s Leilana?” he asked suddenly.

  “Like any ladybug, she’s flittering around looking for her own path,” Sien stated. “She woke up yesterday, and she’s been taking the time to recover. But when I went to see her this morning, she told me that she was planning to return to Magiten Academy.”

  “She’s leaving?” he whispered. He practically leaped from his bed and dressed in whatever proper clothes he could find, almost falling over as he pulled on his pants. Sien covered her eyes with her right hand and averted her gaze. He ran a hand through his hair to find it trimmed far shorter than he recalled, but he didn’t mind the lighter weight. He was starting out of the door when he whirled around to face Sien, offering up a bow. “Oh! Thank you so much for your support, Sien! I have no clue what I would do without your expertise and kindness.”

  “Flattery gets you everywhere,” Sien joked as he dashed through the halls.

  Solus bypassed Erya, who was stepping back into the library with a book in his right hand and a steaming cup in his left—likely tea, his own personal poison.

  “Erya!” he called. Erya nearly dropped his cup, startled by the man’s voice.

  “Prince Solus,” he almost squeaked but managed to reclaim a few ounces of his dignity before he spoke up, “I’m glad to see that you’re awake.”

  “Thank you for taking care of me,” Solus responded. “Have you seen Leilana?”

  Erya stirred up his recollection. “Briefly while I was out of the library getting a fresh cup. She told me farewell for now, but I wasn’t prying into her thoughts.”

  “Where did you see her?”

  “The dining hall. I think she was going to the courtyard to exit into the city limits.” He glanced at the pocket-watch around his neck to check the time. “That was about twenty minutes ago. She may have already left the castle grounds.”

  “Thank you!” Solus continued down the halls, and Erya shook his head, chuckling to himself. Love was a funny trifle of coming into a new life.

  Solus didn’t slow down for even an instance as he went running down the winded, carpet-ripped stairs two at a time, jumping from the last four to touch the unpolished floors. His shoes skidded against the tiles as he ran, pushing through the large double doors at the end of the hall in time for the afternoon sun rays to beat down on him. For a moment, he went completely blind, but couldn’t allow himself to adjust to the light for long.

  “Solus?” Lancett called, having narrowly avoided being smacked by the door. “What’s the rush? You’re supposed to rest after, you know, resting for a while, or you’ll burn out.”

  “I know, and I plan to, but this is important. Have you seen Leilana pass through here?”

  “Uh, yeah,” Lancett admitted before rummaging through his back pocket, holding up an envelope with the Vesarus family insignia sealed on the flap. “She left this note for you. She wanted me to give it to you when you woke up. I didn’t think it would be this soon, and I don’t think she did either.”

  Solus took the envelope from Lancett but couldn’t bring himself to open it. He longed to speak to Leilana in person, and he didn’t know when he would have this chance again.

  “If you’re trying to catch her before she takes off, she’s probably still in town. Doesn’t hurt to try. Go get her.” Learning from his previous mistake, Solus stuck the letter in his back pocket, laid a hand on Lancett’s shoulder, and then took off for the city limits.

  Lancett lowered his hand and smiled.

  Linmus in broad daylight w
as tattered, but the land was no longer ghostly and battered. In a matter of weeks, the broken town was beginning to shift back into its state from days long past. Five years of desolation had truly made a difference in everyone’s lives, but times were changing again. With their own hands, they could shape their fallen country again. It would take effort, but anything was possible. Maybe it could even become more prosperous than Remiel had hoped for.

  He bypassed Kinstreak Bakery and peered inside. It was devoid of chairs and tables, but it was visible from the outside that there was some construction being made to the building. The floors and booths had been cleaned of the rotten food, and it no longer reeked of mold. He was relieved that some memories could be restored over time and wondered if Phiran would continue to guide him from the other side, just as he had supported him throughout childhood.

  The market was empty, but he could still smell meat drifting along the dainty air. He folded his arms behind his back and marveled in the distant sound of the waterfalls, the fated place where he and Rem spent their days in solitude from the palace. Such carefree days were long gone, but they would never completely fade. He would be able to carry on with his spirit now that peace was beginning to seep into the cracks of retribution.

  A black and grey pigeon flew past his line of sight carrying a note between its talons. Solus squinted at its presence, following its flight patterns until it landed in front of a girl a few meters away. Her dark hair was pulled back into a sleek bun, and she was wearing a long dark cloak over her clothes, carrying a dark blue tote on her side. She brushed some loose strands of hair out of her face as she carefully pried the note from the bird, opening the letter. Once she had finished reading, she stroked the bird’s head before sending it on its way.

  Solus tapped her on the shoulder, beaming when she met his gaze. “Hello.”

  “Solus!” She threw her arms around him, burying her face in his chest. “I didn’t think you’d be up so soon, I’m glad to see you!” Solus kissed her head, pressing his forehead against hers.