Legacy of Dreams: Freedom

by Thomas J. L. Green

  Good.

  Salazar stayed in the crowd through the whole mass. He enjoyed the anonymity, although Katherine looked like she wants to murder him.

  “Are you still mad about what I did in the arena?” he asked her.

  “Mad? You painted a target on your face and now the Order of Palai turned the symbolic war into an actual one. You don’t need the royal guard to survive this, you need a royal fortress manned by royal army,” Katherine evaluated.

  “I am not that weak, Katherine,” Salazar tried to reassure her.

  “That’s the problem. A weaker man would stay out of the harm’s way; you intend to block the tide with your own hands,” Katherine countered.

  Salazar said nothing.

  “What are you trying to prove, Sal?” she asked softly.

  “That I can,” Salazar breathed.

  “You already did that,” Katherine challenged.

  “In Xona and nearby areas. Only a small part of the continent,” Salazar mused.

  “Last time a powerful magician tried to change the world, it led to a war that killed off over half of its population and led demons into it,” Katherine pressed on.

  “I shall do better than my ancestor,” Salazar retorted. He whirled and left, leaving stunned Katherine behind.

  The remaining matches were more entertaining than the first set. Now that the maze was demolished beyond repair, the rest of the matches were a simple team deathmatch. Salazar observed it with content, especially since the cheering of the crowd echoed through arena many times louder than during the maze runs. The teams were mostly unimpressive. The slaver teams were a mixture of obvious demonic monsters and demons more or less disguised as humans. It was obvious that they showcased the human slaves at the opening event and then went on to replace them with pretty much fully demonic lineups. There was little to be done about it and was brutally effective. Out of the thirty-two teams, only three non-slave teams advanced to the second round. His team, team of Illysaeas and the team of Ghalkel. The losses of lives were so massive that they had to cancel the losers bracket.

  This makes it easier to stand out as there are only three likable teams left. On the other hand, the other two are a stiff competition. Raven and The Beast have likely already become famous across the entire continent. Printing press could do small miracles when combined with carrier birds. The team of Ghalkel is half ridiculous but half impressive.

  Indeed, the team of Ghalkel put up quite a show as well. After entering the arena, they decided that ten on ten would be unfair and boring so they had a massive argument over which five of them fight. Five men were selected. Four urushnii warriors and a man with a glaive that wasn’t that much smaller than the Urushnii. They wiped out the enemy team in a completely dominant fashion. The most impressive one was Tal’Sec, the oldest of the Urushnii warriors. The eight feet tall Urushnii was scary by himself, especially when he was wielding a greatsword that was as long as he was tall. What made him impressive was the speed and agility with which he wielded the absurdly massive blade. He easily kept his opponents away from himself while mowing them down.

  “Do you think you could handle him, Katherine?” he asked his captain when they were watching the fight.

  “It would be hard,” she evaluated, “I would need to take a spear or another polearm to have any hope of getting close to him. He is still a lot stronger and taller than me, so if he could match my speed, he would cut me down like nothing. That’s thinking one on one, in a group fight it would be even harder because they all keep a formation practiced to perfection.” She was clearly not happy with her own assessment.

  “That’s a formation? They look like they stand randomly,” Salazar countered.

  “Their reaches are so long that they can’t stand too close to each other. I bet that if you measured the distance, they stand exactly, so there is about one-foot distance left between them should they fully swing their weapons around,” Mark joined into the discussion.

  “If we face them, we have to overwhelm them with magic,” Zacharias concluded.

  “Talking about magic, how is your research going? Oh and don’t try to tell me that you didn’t all rush to the library straight after our match to figure out what my magic is,” Salazar pivoted the topic with a large smile.

  Zacharias, Ludwig and Yvonne all twitched in their seats uncomfortably.

  “By what we found so far what you did is impossible. I mean, what we could find was either too slow and obvious to be used as fast as you did or too weak and limited to affect something as large as the maze. Second problem is lack of gestures and any observable effects of the magic itself. Third one is that your magic didn’t affect just the wooden part of the maze, but the metallic one as well. That can either be done by affecting the metal directly or giving the wooden part properties that would make it strong enough to bend metal, both of which is impossible by anything we found,” Yvonne shot out the entire summary in a span of seconds.

  Salazar made a smile so smug he almost felt bad about it. Almost.

  40

  Luna

  Luna did what she could to help Iowen, but she just wouldn’t sleep.

  “When I close my eyes, all I see is the raging inferno and all the screams get louder,” Iowen told her for the hundredth time.

  “I know it’s horrible, but you need to sleep! At least drink the sleeping elixir then!” Luna protested.

  “I am not taking any drugs!” Iowen cut back sharply.

  “I am trying to help you!”

  Iowen said nothing and just continued staring at the wall. She has been like this for the past three days. She would just lie on her side and stare at the wall, sometimes eat and drink something, sometimes faint from the lack of sleep. But she never stayed unconscious for long plus fainting isn’t exactly falling asleep. Luna tried to get help from Samantha, but since Iowen wouldn’t drink any elixir, take any drug or as much as drink alcohol, there wasn’t anything Samantha could do. So, Luna just stayed with her. The moving to Cinderwell was up in two days and she had no idea on how to handle it. Iowen didn’t seem to have any intention of trying to walk and she couldn’t carry her around.

  How is she so stubborn? I need to put her to sleep so I can go see Yen. Hell, I want to go see Yen anyway, but I just can’t bear the idea of leaving Iowen behind like this.

  Luna just lied in the bed next to her and hugged her from behind.

  “It will be alright,” she whispered into her ear. She got no answer.

  41

  Raven

  Raven was having a good time. The cell remained empty so he could practice and rest undisturbed. Luna was taking care of her friend so she was busy and he could go see Yvonne undisturbed. This cell was closer to where she liked to sing now that the slaver mansion was burned down. He was surprised by how little he cared about what happened to it or anyone who was in it when it burned down. The peaceful days were coming to an end because they would be moving to Cinderwell soon. Raven went to the gathering spot. His cage wasn’t there, so he went to fetch it from the side room.

  “You won’t need that,” prince Stallington smiled at him as he was bringing the cage to the room. Stallington stood by a large and well decorated white horse. The rest of the team was gathered. Luna was missing.

  “I’m taking the cage,” Raven evaluated the situation.

  Everyone stared in surprise.

  “I thought you wanted to see the world,” prince Stallington challenged. He was the first to gather himself.

  “I shall see it as a free man. Till then, I am taking the cage,” Raven cut him off and put the cage on the cart.

  I shall not risk being recognized by Yvonne. Not for as long as I have shackles on me. The covered cage sounds good.

  “As you desire,” the prince agreed and turned around to others.

  “What happened, Jonathan?” Raven asked.

  “What do you mean?” the prince shot back.

  “You just let me go against what you planned wi
thout a fight. That is unlike you,” Raven evaluated.

  “Have you heard of Raven and The Beast?” the prince asked with a smile.

  “Why would that make you so happy?” Raven retorted.

  “My city is the home of Raven and The Beast. Nothing brings as much money and people as fame,” Stallington smiled.

  “Sounds good. I will go fetch Luna,” Raven concluded and went to his former room. On the way, he passed Stallington’s slaves who were carrying their things. At the door stood Tal’Sec, visibly troubled. Raven greeted him and slipped by to enter the room. Luna was there pacing around the room.

  “Look, Iowen, I understand you don’t want to, but we need to move! Both our teams are heading out and we can’t stay here!” she was shouting in desperation. Iowen lay in his bed.

  Raven entered the room and observed the situation for a bit. All their things and transported furniture were already deconstructed and taken away, only his bed remained.

  “I know we need to go, no need to remind me!” Luna barked at him when she noticed him.

  Raven went to look down at Iowen. She looked up at him, her eyes filled with despair. Their eyes met. “I forgive you.”

  Raven turned around after he said it. He heard Iowen whisper thank you before she started getting up from the bed. Raven left through the door.

  “How the hell did you do that?” Luna shouted at him when she caught up to him in the tunnels between the cells.

  “Is she alright?” he asked her back.

  “Yea, she thanked me, hugged me and went back to her team like nothing was wrong. Back to the question, how the hell did you do that?” Luna blurted.

  “I don’t know,” Raven shrugged.

  “That doesn’t make any sense! I told her a thousand times it’s not her fault and it did nothing!” Luna protested.

  Raven had no answer, so he just kept walking. They soon arrived at the gathering place and he headed to his cage.

  “OI! Why the fuck is Raven going in the cage?” Luna shouted at prince Stallington as she realized.

  “Because I want to,” Raven ended the discussion before anyone else could say anything.

  “I offered him a horse,” prince Stallington conceded and motioned to the fine steed that was standing nearby.

  Luna found herself speechless once more.

  42

  Lucas

  “Drowning sorrow in alcohol?” Merewen asked Lucas when she found him on the roof of the Palai barracks. Lucas took a big gulp from the bottle and turned to her.

  “Have you come to gloat?”

  “Nah… found this thing in the cellars,” Merewen refused and took out a bottle. “Ladies first,” she announced, opened the bottle and took a long swig.

  Lucas took the bottle and did the same. “Tastes by smoke… not bad,” he evaluated.

  “It was in the cellar when it caught on fire and somehow survived… I freed it out of my men’s grasp,” Merewen chuckled. Lucas took another strong swig and handed it back. Merewen went to stand next to him, leaning on the railing of the balcony.

  “How’s Iowen?”

  “Bad. Miranda put some calming symbols around her bed, but that ain’t nearly enough,” Lucas revealed.

  “Have you talked to her?”

  “I don’t know what I would say. She looks like she lived through her worst nightmare. The nightmare I created and made her take part in. I suck at this.”

  “Where’s the hard part? Just go there, apologize and help her get over it,” Merewen offered.

  “I am not apologizing.”

  “Why not? You lie all the time, why would this time be a problem?”

  “Principle. I can’t apologize for success. That would just spit on memory of all I killed there.”

  “We killed,” Merewen corrected him, “you talk like it’s all your fault, but really it’s a team effort.”

  “I call the shots; I bear the blame.”

  “Always the martyr… why are you trying with her anyway? It’s not like it’s gonna go anywhere.”

  “Very motivating, Merewen, thanks,” Lucas smirked.

  “Seriously. Does Neh still want you to find someone?”

  “Yeah.”

  “And you are still a good husband and you do what the wife says. I actually feel bad for you… not that much though,” Merewen laughed.

  “What do you think I should do?”

  “Dunno… but I do know what you will do. You will spend an eternity looking for a way to free her. You either succeed and live happily ever after or die trying. Everything else is inconsequential. Iowen, the Order, me… we are all just means to an end.”

  “Sorry…” Lucas breathed.

  “Don’t be. I like it. It’s comforting to know where I stand and that I am actually a part of a larger idea. One that makes sense and is worth being pursued.”

  “And yet you throw away my dearest spear…”

  “I hate that thing. You’re gonna get it back anyway. You always do… this is what? Sixth time you’ve lost it?”

  “Eighth.”

  “You really need a weapon that can’t be thrown,” Merewen chuckled.

  “Or I need subordinates who don’t throw away my stuff for fun… and more booze. We are out,” Lucas exclaimed.

  “There is still some in this one,” Merewen lifted the second bottle. She turned it around and emptied it into herself, “now we are out of booze.”

  “Very funny.”

  “I got more in my room,” she tossed up and turned to leave. Lucas waited for her to disappear inside the building. He observed the city for a while longer, sighed and went to his chambers.

  The wall was slippery, but Lucas was good at his craft. Like a shadow, he descended the wall and peered through the window. Merewen’s room was poorly decorated. There were weapons and armors scattered along the walls. It was dominated by a large sofa next to a tall fireplace and a bed by the far wall. Meweren was on the sofa, staring into the fire. Lucas soundlessly slid the window opened and sneaked in. The fire in the fireplace was like a blazing inferno. It reached from the floor all the way to the ceiling, completely filling the huge fireplace. It filled the room with intense heat. Lucas carefully closed the window behind him. He scanned the room, looking for the keg of spirits that was supposed to be there.

  “Came to steal my booze?” Merewen asked poisonously from the sofa without turning around.

  “How’d you notice me?”

  “Felt a whiff of cold air.”

  “How the hell would you connect a whiff of cold air to me sneaking into your room? Plus, you weren’t supposed to feel it since you are by the fire, anyway,” Lucas protested.

  “Yet I did… looking for this?” Merewen lifted a bottle full of brown liquid so Lucas could see it.

  “Perhaps.”

  “Come and take it… if you can.”

  This fucking heat... I need to be fast else I boil.

  Lucas advanced to the sofa and peered down over Merewen.

  “Why are you naked?”

  “It’s hot in here… why are you dressed?”

  “It’s cold outside.”

  “I don’t see any booze outside,” Merewen smirked while playing with the bottle in her hand. The keg from which the spirits originated was seated directly under the sofa, so Merewen was almost sitting on it.

  “I will just borrow this and leave you in peace,” Lucas leaned in to grab the bottle from Meweren’s hand.

  For as long as she wears armor, one can imagine she is this big because she is fat. Seeing her beautiful sinewy body glistening in the fire makes that impossible. Bloody Merewen, she who was forged in a thousand battles. It fits her well.

  “Did you wash yourself, so I don't perceive you were coming in? How thoughtful of you,” Merewen purred as Lucas leaned next to her. He grabbed the bottle and it didn’t budge.

  “Give me the bottle, Meweren,” Lucas insisted.

  “My hand must have gotten stuck with it,” Merewen smirked.
<
br />   “You turned the fireplace into a gate of purgatory… I’m surprised the sofa isn’t catching on fire,” Lucas observed while still trying to force the bottle out of Merewen’s hand. Her grip alone overpowered him effortlessly.

  “I had it waxed… plus the fire isn’t that bad.”

  “The fire iron is literally melting in it.”

  “You are going to melt if you keep that heavy tunic.”

  Yes… but I am not giving up so easily.

  “Nashimaeal will burn me alive if he finds out,” Lucas straightened up and started undressing.

  “You better cover it up properly… because it’s gonna get a lot steamier once you unwrap the bandages,” Merewen chuckled.

  Not a chance.

  “Why the hell would I do that?” Lucas challenged. It’s been years since the last time he took off the bandages wrapping his body from wrists to neck to ankles.

  “Because it would take forever to scrub your burned ashes off my sofa after they catch on fire.”

  “They are almost fireproof,” Lucas smiled.

  “Almost doesn’t cut in the face of my flames,” Merewen announced and the fire cracked. It shot out a heat wave.

  “That would be more than inappropriate,” Lucas tried.

  “I ain’t gonna tell anyone, are you?”

  “I think I should just go,” Lucas evaluated.

  “You should… but you will have no booze,” Meweren smirked at him while taking a gulp from the bottle. Lucas shot out his hand and grabbed the bottle. He couldn’t move it the tiniest bit as Merewen held it firmly.

  Fuck off.

  “No peeking,” Lucas announced as he let the bottle go and went to take off his bandages. These enhanced bandages that fix and clean themselves were the best thing he ever bought. He didn’t like taking them off… not since it forced him to see the sets of runes carved into his own body. Lucas checked Meweren isn’t looking and went on to remove his pants as the bandages were impossible to remove unless he was fully undressed. He didn’t like taking them off. It made him feel vulnerable. As he was just about done, strong burning hand caught him by the shoulder and pushed him backward. Merewen flipped Lucas over the sofa and landed him next to her, his head in her lap.