by Milo Woods
“Really?” Seeko couldn’t believe he had actually changed his mind. He smiled and nodded. “Thanks, Greg.”
“Keith,” he said quietly. “I lived in Irris.”
A small laugh escaped from Seeko before he spoke. “Keith … so you’re not the rebel leader.”
Keith shook his head. “They burned down the town because it was feeding the rebels. They were right, it was feeding the Shadow of Dawn, but the markets in town were not. They burned down the town instead of the farms, which was what really provided the food. A stupid move for the Irenic.” He looked back over to the survivors. “Irris’s citizens haven’t done anything illegal to either empire, and the farmers have all left now under the Shadow’s banner.”
Seeko looked over to the prisoners. “They might just believe that. But what about you? What did you really do?”
Keith looked down before speaking. “I was a rebellion caravan guard, and a damn good one. So I did work for the rebellion, if that helps the survivors’ cause.”
He’d rather save the others than himself, Seeko concluded. Hopefully, it didn’t come down to choosing who lives. “Okay, so you were just hired to protect a caravan. You’re not the leader.”
He sat silent, looking at the ground. “Just save the other prisoners, hero.”
Seeko nodded and left for Mori with an, “I’ll try.”
/ / / / /
“It was the farmers that were feeding the rebellion, not the merchants in town,” Seeko said to Mori. She sat on a rock, her back facing the camp. “The citizens were innocent.”
Mori leaned forward, questioning him. “So no one deserved to die?”
“No. Maybe the Lord of Irris knew about the rebellion.” Seeko sat down in the grass adjacent from her.
She nodded, looking impressed. “Tomorrow morning, you should tell Todd about what you have learned.” She smiled. “I didn’t believe you, but you seem to see the good side of people, even if you whine about everything else.”
He gave her a dirty look with a smile. She moved to the blanket lying across the ground, then she lay down to sleep. Seeko looked out into the vast darkness, then up to the ring in the sky. He closed his eyes. There was still a long way to go. He still had to seal four more portals.
“Seeko, you should get some sleep. Tomorrow is going to be a long day.”
He looked over to Mori, who propped herself up with an elbow. “Oh … yeah,” he said. “I’m so used to keeping watch, I forgot. Where do I sleep?”
“Right here,” she said, patting the blanket.
Seeko raised an eyebrow but the darkness hid his face. “No, I’m serious, where?”
Her dark figure scooted over on the blanket, leaving an open space. “I am too, but if you don’t want to, you can sleep on the grass.”
Seeko rose and slowly moved to the blanket. Was she just tricking him again? She had to be. His foot found its way onto the blanket and he sat on it. He hesitantly lay down next to Mori after a moment. His heart thumped, making it hard to think. I’m lying next to her. What do I do? Without waiting another second, he rolled on his side, away from her.
“Good night,” he said quickly to prevent further awkwardness.
/ / / / /
A boot to the face woke Seeko up. Kazuma, the owner of said boot, chuckled. “Ya fools, I had a tent set up next to mine and everything. Ya didn’t have to sleep on the outskirts of the camp. It took me an hour to find you two. We’re almost ready to go!”
“Why were you looking for us, anyway?” Mori asked.
“Good news! While you’re here, you’re under my command! Welcome to Grama Company, Seeko!”
Seeko shifted in the blanket. “Great. Go away, I’m sleepy.”
Mori laughed. “It’s like he doesn’t remember that I enjoy dumping water on him or anything …”
Seeko was ready to go by the end of her sentence. “Point me in the right direction, Captain!”
Kazuma pointed into camp. “Go meet up with the rest of the company. They’re over there.”
Seeko paused. “What about Keith, er, I mean Greg?”
Kazuma put his hands on his sides and scanned the camp. “He will be hung soon. If you still want to stop it, I will go with you to speak to General Todd.”
“Once we pack up,” Seeko said, “I’ll go talk to him.”
“We better hurry, then. Greg is waiting for you to save him,” Mori said. She placed her hands together and made herself look helpless, mocking him.
He rolled his eyes at her. “Oh, ha-ha. I’m a hero. I might as well act like one.”
With that, Kazuma walked away, waving.
“I’ll go with you, for moral support, I guess,” Mori said.
A half an hour later, Seeko found his way to General Todd’s tent, one of the few still standing. Todd stood within his tent, looking at a map on a table. Seeko caught his attention and he faced him. Seeko saw that today he stood unarmored. He was wearing an Irenic tunic like the other soldiers.
“Have you come to try and change my mind, Seeko?” The general crossed his arms, ready to listen. “Okay, let’s hear it. But please make it quick, I have things to do.”
Seeko went over the details in his head before speaking. “The Irris citizens weren’t the ones that were aiding the rebels.”
General Todd sighed, lowering his arms. “Who was, then?”
Seeko explained what Keith had told him last night, tying together how the prisoners could not be rebels. However, he decided to leave out the part where Keith worked for the caravans.
“So you’re telling me that the man we captured is not Greg of Adaelm, but a man named Keith. How do you know that he’s telling the truth? He could just be lying to get us to let him go.”
“Wouldn’t the people recognize him as the rebellion leader? He sits alone and doesn’t talk to anyone.”
Todd looked over to one of the soldiers for approval. The soldier thought before nodding hesitantly. “Give me a little bit of time to verify this information.” Todd began walking to the prisoners. “Seeko,” he said. “I may have misjudged you.”
Seeko smiled and looked at Mori. Her expression was that of shock. “That was … surprising. Your opinion carries a lot of weight, Seeko.”
Seeko followed General Todd until the prisoners were within sight. Todd, flanked by two guards, walked up to Keith, who remained seated on the ground. Seeko stood and watched Todd speak to the prisoner. A town burned down due to ignorance. If that’s how they took care of crime, Seeko could see why there was a rebellion in the first place.
After a few minutes, Seeko could tell he had succeeded. The prisoners laughed and hugged each other. Seeko smiled in response and looked to Todd, who just stared back, shaking his head at Seeko’s enjoyment.
Keith stood up and dusted himself off. A nearby guard handed Keith his sword. The quiet warrior turned toward the edge of the camp and walked away. Seeko shrugged at the sight and looked back to the rejoicing townspeople. They still had nothing to go back to. His smile faded.
Seeko and Mori found Kazuma preparing when they returned to where his tent stood. “How did it go, Seeko?” Kazuma asked when they got close enough.
“We actually convinced him to let them go!” Seeko said. “They’re free.”
“Really now?” Kazuma said with a hint of a smile. “Wow. Where did they go?”
“I guess they went back to Irris. I actually did it. I guess being a hero has its advantages.” It’s really been a downhill journey. It feels good to do something visibly helpful for once.
“Congratulations, then! I just hope you’re right about him.” Kazuma patted Seeko on the shoulder and went back to getting ready. Seeko helped Kazuma ready the company for departure, and by midday, the army was ready to move.
Hours went by as they trudged eastward. Wagons pulled by kitseans behind the army carried all the equipment, lifting Seeko and Mori from the burden of their own bags. Kazuma stood in front of his company, and both Seeko and Mori walked beside him.
&n
bsp; “Kazuma, I know you lived in Vicussa. Do you miss it?” Seeko asked after a while.
Kazuma continued walking without even a glance to him. “The demons took everything I had from there. Nothing in that town could make me live there again. It has been corrupted by the Halcyon now and is probably riddled with demons. Besides, it’s in the middle of the desert. Who would want to live there?”
Seeko backed off and let him walk without his questions. He looked around for something else to pass time, observing the soldiers around him. Two weeks of this, he thought to himself. He slowed his steps and steered away from the rest of the company. Seeko soon found himself behind the company, being passed by the supply wagons.
A flame lit in Seeko’s hand. He took the jade light and set it into his clothes. His control of fire prevented his clothes from burning and allowed him to move it along his arm. A sigh escaped the hero before he threw the green ball of fire into the sky, watching it travel until he could no longer feed it.
“I’ve never seen such reckless magic,” said a familiar voice from behind.
He turned and found Keith standing there. The large man was shaking his head, his scarf blowing behind him in the hot summer breeze.
“Keith, what are you doing here?” Seeko asked.
Keith pointed toward the tail end of the army and started walking. “You better keep walking or you will fall behind the Irenic stooges.”
Seeko followed alongside the swordsman.
“I’m here because … I have nothing left,” Keith said quietly.
“What about the other villagers? You have them.”
Keith shook his head. “I gave up on everything. I gave up on life, on them. But you didn’t. I have nothing to live for, but you saved me. Why?”
Seeko let out a deep breath. “You didn’t do anything wrong, so why should you die? Anyone is worth saving if at all possible.”
“What about Irris?”
“I would have saved them too, if I could have.” He frowned as he thought of those who died.
Keith stopped in his tracks, his voice harder than before. “Irris is gone now. I have nothing.”
“I’m sorry, but it’s not my fault.”
“It is your fault, hero. You kept me alive.”
Seeko lost what little sympathy he was feeling for Keith. “So you would rather die? I saved you from the Irenic Empire. What more do you want with me?”
Keith looked in the direction Irris once stood. The charred remnants reflected in his eyes, but his face betrayed nothing. He faced back toward the army and began walking. “A purpose.”
What did that mean? “So you want me to give you something to do? I’m busy with the demon portals and the Irenic army, if you didn’t know.”
Keith looked back and gave Seeko a cold stare. Keith’s expression made it obvious what his response was.
“So that’s it, then?” Seeko said.
Keith continued to march forward, oblivious to Seeko.
“Fine, but don’t cry to me when a demon rips your arm off.” Seeko caught up to the brisk Keith, the army considerably ahead. Mori wouldn’t be happy about this.
They were a considerable distance away from the army, so Seeko decided to ask Keith some questions. “What are you going to do now that you’re following me?”
“I was a caravan guardsman before. I will be a guard for you now, hero.”
“My name is Seeko.”
Keith paused. “And the girl you travel with?”
“Mori.”
“Daughter of Luxant?”
“You know her?”
“No, but the Shadow of Dawn does.”
Seeko placed his hand on his sword. “Is she in danger?”
“I doubt it. They know of all the Irenic lords. This war will end with another war, they know. Neither kingdom has an heir. Both will collapse into a war of succession.”
“Then I will stop that too,” Seeko said, staring straight ahead. “I’m the Hero of Endetia. I will bring peace.”
“Your arrogance will get you killed.” His face cracked into what Seeko determined was a smile. “Unless you’ve got someone watching your back.”
Seeko paused and fell back a step. Did he really want this man watching his back? Could this Keith be trusted?
Only time could tell.
16: Transformation
12 Sheri, 112 AV: Day 111
“What?” Mori said as the army prepared to camp for the night. “It’s one thing to save him, but to bring him along is too much!” Seeko and Mori were alone inside their tent, adjacent to Kazuma’s. “I thought he hated the Irenic Empire! Why does he want to help?”
“He has nothing else, Mori.”
“He could still be working for the Shadow of Dawn! Did that not cross your mind?”
Seeko frowned. “What does the Shadow of Dawn want with me?”
“I don’t know, Seeko. Maybe the necklaces, or maybe they want to kidnap you. There’s just something he’s hiding,” she said. She squinted at him. “What is the matter with you? You don’t seem to care that he is also either Halcyon or a rebel.”
“I trust him. Helping me gives him something to do, at least for now. Please don’t hate me for trying to help someone.”
Mori was about to give a rebuttal when they heard a man scream in the adjacent tent. The duo rushed into Kazuma’s tent, where they found a laughing Kazuma and a stoic Keith speaking across a table. At their entrance, Keith turned to face them with a frown.
“Kazuma, can we talk to you in private?” Mori said, shooting Keith a nasty glare.
Kazuma’s chuckles subsided. “Anything for Luxant’s daughter and the hero!” He made no gesture to send Keith away, however.
“Leave!” Mori said to Keith.
Keith rose and walked past her. He paused near Seeko, whispering, “How do you stand her?”
Seeko let out a small laugh.
“I’ll be out here when you three are finished talking about me,” Keith said as he walked past the tent flaps.
Mori spoke up first. “He is probably still working for the Shadow of Dawn, Kazuma. At the very least, he is holding a grudge against the Irenic Empire for burning down his hometown. Why did you just let him into your tent?”
“Ya think he just wandered into here by accident? Grama Company has made it our mission to protect Seeko. And Seeko took in this bandit, so I was questioning him.”
“And?” Mori asked.
Kazuma shrugged. “He’s funny. He reminds me of Seeko.”
“Do you trust him?” Mori said.
“Of course not. However, you’ll be surrounded by company elite during your stay with the army. He won’t be able to so much as blink without Captain Kazuma knowing!”
Mori looked to Seeko. “See? Kazuma doesn’t trust him, either.”
Seeko rolled his eyes. “I’m telling you, he means no harm.” Did he really believe that, or was he just rebelling against them?
“There will be four guards posted at your tent tonight, watching him,” Kazuma said. “Go get some sleep.”
Mori nodded, taking Seeko with her outside. Seeko scanned for Keith but couldn’t find him in the darkness of the summer night. So, they went back to their tent, pulling back the flaps to reveal someone waiting for them.
Keith’s frame was silhouetted against the light fabric of the tent. He held a dagger in one hand. Mori screamed at seeing him and tried to use magic, but couldn’t. Keith turned to them and dropped the dagger.
Seeko reached for his spark and found he couldn’t, either, his green spark just out of reach. Perturbed, Seeko fumbled around and eventually pointed his short-sword at Keith. “What are you doing in here? Where are Kazuma’s guards?”
“I mean you no harm.” Funny, since his dagger was covered in blood and he didn’t answer the question of where the guards were.
Seeko edged closer to him. “Explain. Now.”
Keith gestured to the ground, where a dead man lay in an enlarging pool of blood. “He was
a Halcyon agent. He poisoned the food with raxanweed and was going to kill you. Do you feel its effects?”
“Is that why I can’t use magic?” Seeko asked.
Mori nodded. “How do we know you didn’t set this all up?”
Kazuma burst into the room at that moment and shot a glance at Keith before saying, “Are ya alright, Mori?”
Keith spoke again. “Do you really think I would kill a man just so that I could get to you later?”
“If you were an assassin, you might have,” Mori said.
“Why then did I not attack you after realizing you were poisoned?”
“How did you even know he poisoned us?” Seeko asked.
Kazuma was the one who answered this question: “Josh was a cook here, so he would have access to our raxanweed. He was secretly an Irenic double-agent. We were using him to learn of Halcyon troop movements. Guess we know his true colors now.”
“You two have no value to the Shadow of Dawn,” Keith said. “I have no ties to them anymore. I was telling Kazuma of their headquarters.”
Kazuma whistled and a couple of guards entered the room. “Clean this place up and move their tent.”
So, Seeko and Mori waited outside in the humid darkness, staring at Keith opposite the red fire Kazuma started.
“I never sleep,” Keith said after losing a staring contest with Seeko.
“I doubt that very much,” Seeko said.
“Wind magic lets me stay upright even when exhausted. I haven’t slept for years.”
Was he for real? Seeko was starting to believe this expressionless man.
“Ya seriously never sleep?” Kazuma asked, sitting down next to Seeko. “Your tent is ready, Seeko, by the way.”
“Nope,” Keith said. “Never sleep.”
Seeko imitated Keith’s face as best as he could. Finally, Keith broke from the pressure, saying, “Joking.”
“That makes it easy,” Kazuma said with a laugh. “I don’t have to get ya a bed! Ya can just stand out here with our guards.”
“That’s a great idea, Kazuma!” Mori said as she made her way back to the tent. “Hope he likes bitebugs!”
Keith’s face went still and he looked to Seeko, who shrugged. “You dug your own grave, Keith.” Then he followed Mori into the tent, a smile crossing his face.