I nodded, “Spirit and me saw one of them watching us through the bushes.”
He nodded. He started to pace, I had never seen him so worried. He looked at me with worry in his eyes, it was profound and sad.
“I don't want all these innocent people to die; they are individuals who have families and lives. They are risking their lives for a cause that can kill them” He said.
“Don't worry; I think we have more backup than we need.” I said. He looked so cute with the line that creased his forehead. I gently gave him a small kiss on his lips. He looked surprised, but I turned around before he could see the blush that covered my cheeks.
“I'll go tell everyone to get ready to fight,” I said. Then I ran off. Every so often I would tell someone what to do, and they would tell the people in their group. I had people run ahead of me and warn others. I ran as fast as I could. I know Nate had someone go the other way to inform the other side. It was one huge group. Thousands of people got ready to fight. Probably 20,000 people combined from all the kingdoms.
By the time I got back from warning one of the kingdoms I was exhausted. It had probably taken me thirty minutes to run through the crowd.
It pained me to see young girls and boys around Rowan's age ready to fight for their world.
I saw a man in the crowd of our fighters. He was looking around, and his clothes looked strange. I started to head towards him.
He looked at me, and I saw his eyes widen. He grabbed a sword out, and a toothless smile lit his face. I could see the threat in his eyes as he pulled out a knife running at me. One of my soldiers next to him noticed, and he grabbed out a sword. He stabbed the man in the gut. Others around looked quite confused but then a rush of Lumine came onto us. The war was starting and the man in the crowd was only a lookout.
I ran to help the struggling people. It looked like they had orders not to kill us all either because most of us would just get whacked in the head and then left on the floor. Our numbers were being cut down quickly.
Only 10 minutes in of people slashing and running at each other we had lost an incredible amount of individuals.
I would come up against a Lumine and stab them in the back; I learned it was best to take them where they weren't looking.
We needed help; we needed skilled soldiers, where would we find old soldiers that weren't on the Lumine’s side? I thought. Then something clicked. The Whispering Willow! It was the place where everyone's deepest secrets lie. I needed better troops… The lost souls! Most of them were soldiers who didn't know who they were supposed to be.
I turned around and ran. Every so often I would stop to chop down a Lumine.
My arms hurt, and my legs grew weak and tired. My leg was bleeding from a knife wound. I limped my way over to Nate.
“Nate” I yelled. I grabbed a big log and smashed the guy he was fighting over the head with it. I grabbed his arm and pulled him towards the tree. I had my sword out, and he had his cutting down anyone in our way.
I pushed him through into the Willow tree. I gasped and saw the war stop. Everything went quite. It was like the world was paused.
I turned around to see purple glowing vines. I walked into them and saw Nate. He was staring at the girl I saw before.
She smiled at me.
“Hello hero,” She said. She looked directly at Nate. “May I have the 6 gifts?” She said. He looked at her curiously.
“I will give you all my trapped souls for the war. They will do as I say and fight for you; all you have to do is give up the gifts of evil.” She said.
“I can have all your lost souls for the entire war if I give you the gifts of darkness from all the kingdoms?” He asked.
She nodded, “Yes that's what I said. Plus I already own the gifts. I was the one who gave them to the Kings and Queens. If you do as I say you will win the war and all those who will die soon will get to live.” she said.
He nodded finally trusting her. He went to hand them to her, but she shook her head.
“Set them on the floor,” She said. He laid them out carefully. She looked them over. She pulled the knife from out of my hand and slit her wrist. Purple goo came out instead of blood. She wiped it all over the knife. She looked it over and smiled.
“Don't touch the sap,” She said pointing to the purple goo and handing him the knife.
She sat on the floor and beckoned us to join her.
We sat down next to her. She grabbed The crown that gave you No physical pain. She grabbed it and set it on my head.
She grabbed the knife out of Nate 's hand. She sliced the exact same spot on my arm, and Green goo came out. She smiled and wiped some on the knife.
Now the knife was mixed with purple and green goo from both the girl and me. She handed it to Nate.
“Now we are ready,” She said with a small smile. She grabbed up the globe and set it on top if the crown on my head. I was surprised to see that it fit perfectly and stuck on to the crown. She grabbed the mirror and the sword. She held the mirror into the handle of the sword and made me keep it.
She handed me the necklace but didn't put it on me yet.
She looked at Nate. “What was the last gift that you got.”
“The crown” Nate said. She nodded.
“Stab its heart,” She said. He plunged his knife into the small heart on the crown. From it fell the purple sap. My green fluid from the blade mixed into it and dripped down my forehead. It burned, but it didn't hurt at all.
She put the necklace on me. I choked. I felt worse than death. I wanted to claw it off my neck and tear the crown off of my head. I felt nothing. It was horrible.
“What was the second to last,” She asked.
“The globe,” He said.
“Stab the heart,” She said. The small heart it the globe pulsed. He stuck the knife into it, and more sap seeped down... It burned.
“Next?” She said.
“The Sword,” He said.
He stabbed the little heart on the sword before she told him too. It dripped down my arms. I sighed. The burning felt cold, it was the only feeling I could feel so I thrived on it.
“The Necklace,” He had said before she asked. He stabbed it. The sap went down my chest, and I smiled. The other sap crusted to my skin.
“The Mirror,” He said thrusting the knife in the last gift. He looked up at the girl.
“Go on cut the last gift,” she said.
“I didn't get a gift of evil from Beral,” He said.
I nodded, “It's true he didn't.”
Her head was bowed, but she looked up at him with a small smile, it looked sad. “I thought you knew,” She said. She shook her head. “I'm so sorry, but you have the last gift.” She said.
“What I don't understand,” Nate said looking confused.
She pointed at me, “She's the last gift,” She said.
Nate 's eyes widened. He dropped the knife, but the purple glowing vines of the Whispering Willow caught it and suspended it in mid-air.
“No, that's not going to happen, I'm not going to stab Amaryllis, I'm not going to kill her.” He said. Anger filled his gaze.
I watched quietly.
“It's already too late, if you want to save the girls soul, then you have to kill her. The poison stuck to her skin. There is no way you can take the gifts off. She is no longer her. If you don't kill her, she will end up killing herself trying to look for feelings. It's what happens when you wear them all” She said.
He grabbed my arm and tried to rip the sword from my hand. I just watched quietly. I saw the sadness in his eyes. The purple and green sap stuck to my skin. I couldn't let go of the sword. I stared at the mirror, but nothing reflected.
“You can't do this to me, to her, she didn't know this was going to happen you can't just take her life,” He said.
“It doesn't matter, she doesn't care if she dies, She would want to protect the world for everyone else.” said the girl.
He screamed at her. I sat on the floor messing a
round with the sword.
Nate bent down next to me. He looked so sad. There was nothing to be sad about. I wanted to be sad too but I couldn't.
“Just do what you have to do to save your kingdom. It will only work if you are willing to give up all the evils,” said the girl.
“There isn't a bad bone in her body,” Nate said with a snarl.
“Her evil is making you obsessed, she is part of these evils by being an addiction,” The girl said.
I stood up. “Why can't I feel anything, I want to feel something,” I said to the girl.
She looked at Nate with pleading eyes.
He sat on the ground and put his head in his hands. He looked so sad, so alone. I wanted to tell him to smile and be happy, but I don't even know how to be happy, I never wanted to wear the necklace again. I wanted it off.
I sat down next to him. He looked up at me. I looked at him but didn't know what to say. I want to feel something, if death made me feel something, then I wanted to die.
I grabbed the knife from the vines and opened up his hand. I set it in his hand and wrapped his fingers around it.
He stared down at his hand. I grabbed his hand and put the tip of the knife to my heart. He let out a sound that sounded something like crying. He set the knife on his lap and slipped his hand behind my neck.
He kissed me, but I sat still waiting for him to finish what he was doing.
His lips pressed against mine with desperation and love, but I felt nothing. I grabbed his neck and pulled him closer desperate for feelings, but nothing came. I shook my head and pulled my lips away.
I hoped I didn't hurt his feelings, I remembered loving him. I wanted to feel that love, I couldn't. I needed it.
He made the strange sound again. He backed away and stared into my eyes. I waited. He let out a sigh and grabbed the knife.
His hand was shaking. The girl sat and watched quietly. I grabbed his hand helping him keep it steady.
I pushed it against my chest. The blade slid in, and I felt the burning pain. I closed my eyes I started to cough. Blood came out of my mouth when I did.
I looked at Nate his eyes were wide, and he looked shocked at what he just did. He started screaming something, but I couldn't hear him. A tear dripped down onto my face, but it wasn't mine. I smiled; I would always love that man.
XXXII Second Tear
Nate
She coughed up blood and a small smile formed on her face. That didn't matter, I was screaming at the girl standing next to me. A tear rolled down my face and fell on Amaryllis cheek.
I pulled her into my lap. Her hand had fell limp in mine. I pulled the knife out of her chest. I rocked her back and forth, “come back, please come back,” I whispered. I put my mouth on hers and tried to give her air. Her blood was on my lips from her mouth. My hands shook, and tears fell down my face. I had never cried before this.
“This is your fault!” I screamed at the lady in the corner.
“You have to go, they are waiting for you. You have to use my lost spirits. How about I give you a deal, any lost children under the age of 18 may stay with you even after the war. The others I get to keep, this is only because of your loss,” She said motioning towards Amaryllis.
Anger flashed through my eyes and I cried. I cried and then got up. If there was never a war, to begin with, this would have never happened, I thought.
I stormed out of the Whispering Willow tree my sword in my hand and anger flashed on my face. I wouldn't give up no matter what.
All the lost souls ran into the fight with me. They each had a weapon of choice and knew lost fighting techniques that would make it certain for them to win.
I sliced and stabbed at anyone who got in my way. I cut them all down. I know I wasn't supposed to kill them, that was my own rule, but I couldn't stop myself.
Tears fell down my face I couldn't make them stop. The girl in the tree, was Willow herself. I knew because she looked like the famous paintings of that young lady. She was powerful but not at all evil, the sap was wicked.
I heard Willows voice in my head, “A man who has only shed one tear is a man who has only loved once. A man who can't stop their tears is a man who loves unconditionally, I know how it feels to watch the one you love die, it snaps you in half and takes your soul. Think straight and fight back don't let it kill you, don't let it kill you, There is no way you can stop love, and there is no cure for crying,” She said. I really hated her, but she was right.
I let the tears fall, and I kept fighting, but I didn't kill them fully.
I heard Amaryllis in my head. “What are you doing silly,” she laughed. I could imagine her looking at me with those happy eyes, “The only way you can stop this war is to get rid of the one who started it, the person who gave them a reason, put some sense in their head.” She said. I remembered how her eyes would crinkle and her freckles would look perfect on her grinning face.
Then I saw her in front of me, she was wearing that green cloak and that comfortable fitting shirt and loose pants. She was beckoning to me, and she laughed. She looked healthy, she looked alive.
I knew she wasn't there, but I still followed her like a lost puppy. She looked back every once in a while her grin sparkling, and she would make the most beautiful sound when she laughed. She turned to me and put her finger to her lips as if to hush me. She started to laugh her eyes glimmered and then she faded away.
A tear rolled down my face, I wanted her to come back. I looked past where she stood, and I saw a small building.
At least ten Lumine guards stood in front of it. That's where the Queen is. Amaryllis led me straight to her. I snuck up to the side of the guards. I stood next to him and pretended to be a guard. I took a knife and stabbed him in the stomach. I pulled out my sword and cut the leg off the other guard. The other 8 surrounded me. I sliced at one but instead of hitting flesh I ducked a shot from one of the guards on the left of me. I tripped one stumbling another, and the other six were soon taken care of by Lost souls. I stormed my way into the small hut.
There was a chair facing another direction. I heard a lady's voice. I couldn't see her from behind the thrown. She was talking to a Lumine.
The Lumine looked at my raw state. He said something to the woman behind the thrown. I didn't hear her answer, but I got my sword ready. He walked right past me.
The lady in the chair got up. I saw the back of her. She turned around and glared at me.
I choked when I saw her face. Her eyes widened, and she stared at me. She was beautiful. Her legs were long, and she was tall.
Her face structure was stable, and her jaw was set firm. The way she walked was like she was trying to show her power. She had dark blue eyes, and her hair was still that dirty blond that unnerved me.
She had excellent hips and was wearing a cute black dress that looked like it was meant to kill.
There was something that I recognized in her face. She was…
Joy.
The girl I thought had died, my best friend.
I wanted to run up to Joy and hug her. I didn't, she was my enemy now. I stumbled affected by the truth.
She was the reason why I had to kill Amaryllis.
“Hello Queen Petunia,” I spat at her. I swear she flinched a little when I called her that.
“Hello Nate,” she said. “Do you remember me, I know I do.” I thought I saw old feelings flash through her eyes but they were gone as quickly as they had come.
“No, I don't know who you are,” I said. I stared at her.
“Let me introduce myself, I'm Joy,” she said with an evil grin. It was that moment that I realized Joy was gone.
“No, you’re not Joy. Joy died the minute you were made. Someone took Joy and made her you, they made her something Joy would hate. I despise you and so does Joy, do you think she would want to kill all those innocent people for power?” I asked her.
“I am Joy, I'm helping you all. They will end up killing you in their ways, Nate join me. Please help me, I'm
your best friend. I helped you escape this place. The killing gives me power, I have learned that now.” She said. I could see her jaw twitch in defiance. She didn't even really believe herself. She was messing with me, making a joke out of my feelings for Joy.
“That's not funny, Joy is dead. You are not my friend, you tried to kill me. Now I have to kill you, it's for your own good. Joy would want that.” I said. She grew even angrier.
“Get out of my head! Get out of my head!” She screamed. She grabbed her forehead in pain. “I will kill you, I will kill you and make sure you die, you are destroying me. I am doing good things, I am helping others you can't do anything to me. I will have power, and you cannot stop me. You would never kill Joy,” She screamed at me.
Her eye twitched, and a look of madness showed up on her face.
“Sometimes it's better Without Joy,” I said. I pulled out the knife. It still had a little bit of poison. It would put her to sleep for days.
She grabbed out her sword. Her mouth twitched in a smile.
“You know, you're right. There is no need to be funny, Joy is dead. I killed her,” She said taunting me.
I ran towards her. She swiped her sword trying to test me. She didn't think I would kill her.
I aimed for her gut, but she maneuvered out of the way. I knew she would attack right when I was weak, so my head ducked immediately when I saw her go for my head.
I swiped her off her feet, and her back hit the ground. I straddled her body, my knees holding her arms down. She struggled underneath me, trying to position her sword in a way that could hurt her enough to break free.
I stabbed her arm, and she laughed getting ready to fight me. Her struggling was slowing. Then her eyes widened, and they rolled back. The poison had taken effect. I picked her up and carried her outside. I walked up to a man.
“Please alert them that the Queen of Lumine is dead and if they don't surrender they will be too,” I said. The man nodded. The news traveled fast. Most of them surrendered without a struggle, and barely any lives were lost. Doctors loaded people on wagons to take them away to a healing center, and all the lost souls vanished, other than the children. The children who were lost souls would soon find a new family.
Without Joy Page 19