Chapter 10

  “We should be back in the capital by tomorrow,” Saku said, clapping his hands. “It will be good to sleep in a warm bed, will it not, Lord Akira?”

  Akira said nothing and urged his horse to move faster. It was tied to a wagon and ignored him. Saku was the only Kolori soldier left who would even talk to him, and that was usually to gloat. After the disaster against the Realmwalker, his star had fallen, and his troops had been reassigned. Saku had dragged Finley’s body out of the tent the next day, but never left Akira alone.

  Flexing the fingers on his right hand, he felt a tingle, but his shoulder was dead. It had started to turn a putrid black a few days ago, with the stench of old meat and death. He could no longer lift his hand above the waist. Now it rested on the pommel of the horse. The slightest movement sent shivers of pain through his body. Akira gripped the reins of the horse with his left hand. He was dying and no longer cared. All he wanted now was his sword and one last chance to die in battle. He missed the idea of glory, of being a hero. Too much of the last year was spent in hatred.

  “Sir Reginald has promised to come meet us and escort you to a personal audience with Emperor Thanatos,” Saku smiled. He wiped his head and tucked his sweat cloth up his tunic. “You look like you have a question. What is it, Lord Akira?”

  “Why haven’t you arrested me?” he asked the General. The question had been playing on his mind in the week it took them to return to the capital. “I’m still free to escape, and you could have killed me anytime. Why haven’t you?”

  Saku waves his finger in the air. “I couldn’t do that, Lord Akira. Blessed Zial, in her wisdom, has declared you to be Emperor Thanatos’s distant cousin. Only he can decide your fate.”

  It still hurt to talk. The doctor in the camp had removed the stumps of Akira’s teeth, leaving him with nothing. He was stuck with gruel for his meals and had dropped a stone already. He turned to the red sun as it set and chuckled. If he survived this night, he could look forward to dying at the hands of Reginald’s blade.

  Saku had some men help Akira off his horse and into a tent. They left him there on the floor and set a soldier outside. No bed. No blanket. No food. The gruel only came at dawn. He was a prisoner in everything but name.

  The doctor came and lifted his tunic to check on the wound. When he removed the bandage, he sucked in the air through his teeth. Akira could hear him gag as he applied a healing ointment to it. The smell turned to a mix of mint and death.

  “There’s nothing I can do for you, Lord Akira. The only thing that will save you now is a miracle from Zial.” The doctor replaced the bandage and left, closing the flap. Akira saw the soldier standing at the entrance and knew there would be one more on the other side.

  He couldn’t feel his sword either. Saku said it was safe, but since waking from the battle, he hadn’t touched it. The song was all he had left. He wanted to hear it one last time before he died.

  “No! I can’t die. Not like this,” Akira said, tears falling down his cheeks. It hurt too much to lie down. Sitting was a little better, but only by a hair.

  “This is Sam’s fault,” he grumbled. “Her’s and that thief, Ayasse. If she hadn’t broken my sword.” He fell over onto his good arm. The potion had been able to fix that, but something about the metal ball prevented the medicine from working on the wounds they caused. Several men had already died screaming, despite prayers from Zial.

  Sam. Sam! SAM! This is all your fault!

  He gave a silent scream in the depths of his mind and rolled into a ball. Akira knew he was going over the same argument again and again. She had destroyed his sword and broken his jaw. A part of him, deep down, thanked her for that. With the song broken, he could finally focus on the guilt of what he had done rather than the seduction the song brought.

  Not that he had. Anger and hate had replaced the song, driving him forward.

  It had seemed right to destroy the village and erase her memory. His relationship with her had benefited both of them, and he needed her strength. Besides, she was an enthusiastic lover, much more passionate than Mel had ever been. He still remembered his first impression.

  She was beautiful. When he first saw her practicing in the castle yard, her form and movement had drawn him in. He had to have her. Mel hated the lie he had to live, but it was easy. He had grown tired of Mel, anyway. She had become too clingy.

  Akira rolled onto his back and stared at the roof of the tent. “Is this all my fault? Can I blame her for everything?”

  “What is?” a voice came from the back. “Blame who?”

  “Rock?” Akira turned to the source of the voice and saw the green-clothed man work his way under the back of the tent. He forced himself to turn, wincing at the pain. It was worth it. He couldn’t stop smiling. He was no longer alone. “How did you get in here?”

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  “The guards in the back took a break, and I was able to sneak in,” Rock said, looking at Akira. Concern filled his face. “What happened to you? The stench coming off you is worse than a cesspit.”

  “I was betrayed by Saku and lost a battle. They don’t use decent potions here, so my shoulder is dying. I’m joining it.” He chuckled. “I’m finally paying for all the pain I brought other people.”

  Rock rustled in his bag. “Don’t say that. Because of you, so many people were saved. Remember the campaign to the North? You stopped the demons from routing the army and brought back the king’s head. A lot of green kids were saved that day.” He pulled out a silver potion. “Besides, I found this in Sywid.”

  “Is that…” Akira pointed at the bottle.

  “Yes. What you asked me to find. The text was wrong, though.” Rock stepped forward and placed his hand under Akira’s head. “A lot of the documents pointed further East, and this thing won’t cure everything. There might be something stronger out there, I couldn’t make out everything I found in the temple. This one is limited to mortal wounds, but the formula is stronger than the basic potion. It took me a while to gather everything, and I don’t think I will be able to get more soon. Two of the ingredients are beyond rare. I think I got the last ones available anywhere. It should take care of that festering shoulder.” He placed the lip in Akira’s mouth and tipped it back. The silver liquid flowed down his throat.

  “Why does it always taste like Porku dung?” he asked, gagging.

  Akira felt a warmth work its way up from his stomach and to his shoulder. He could feel the tissue start to knit and clenched his lips together. It wouldn’t do to scream out and attract the guards. He writhed on the ground, rocking back and forth as the drug worked its way through his muscles, digging out the worst of the pain. A smell of burning meat filled the tent, mixed with vomit and offal as the pus drained down his arm.

  He sat panting as the warmth receded. He still couldn’t move his arm well, but it no longer sent bursts of fire across his body when he touched it. Just the stiffness of not having moved it for a week. That would be easy to work out. Even the pain from Ayasse’s wound had disappeared.

  “I’m going to live?” he said.

  “For now.” Rock, dragged in the guards from the front of the tent. “We’ll take care of the rest later. Come on, let’s get out of here.”

  Akira flopped onto his back. What’s the point? I have nowhere to go. Relancia hates me. Kolori has betrayed me. Or did I betray them? I can’t remember anymore. I’m probably still going to die, but at least the pain is gone. When I face Sir Reginald, I can at least die like a man.” He turned to Rock. “Thank you for everything. You’ve been a good friend.”

  Rock stood over Akira and looked down. “I can’t believe what I’m hearing. Are you really giving up?” The sun hadn’t set yet. The light filtered its way through the opening in the tent, framing the man.

  “Maybe. I spent all this time hating Sam for what she did to me, but maybe I should have been hating myself.” Akira went over the confession and licked his lips. “I do wish I had some teeth left so I could enjoy a steak before they kill me.”

  Rock sat down. “This is not the Akira I know and love. That man was strong, fearless and took what he wanted. He never let anybody tell him what to do.”

  “I think he died. Sam killed him, and Ayasse shoved in the knife,” said Akira.

  “How does that make you feel knowing Sam will never pay for this?” asked Rock.

  Akira closed his eyes and imagined Sam’s face in front of him. Her smile and her laugh when he said something funny. Her rage when she defied him. He saw the disgust in her eyes when he cut down the mayor of the village. It was not his fault that the traitor consorted with demons, marrying them and having children with them.

  He was the one the Holy Sword chose to be the hero of Relancia, not some stupid bimbo. He felt the rage work its way into his chest, powering his heart and fade away. He couldn’t hold on to it. He covered his eyes with his good arm so Rock couldn’t see him cry. “What good is revenge? I’m never going to see her again anyway.”

  “She’s near here,” Rock said.

  “What?” Akira removed his arm from his face. “What do you mean?”

  “While coming back from Sywind, I passed within spitting distance of her group. Her, Ayasse, a young girl and a couple of Demons were laughing and having a good time. They looked to be going past the desert. I followed them for a bit. Sam seems to be leaning in on the Demon girl, though. As for the boy, he reminded me of the Demon King.”

  Akira sat up. He knew Rock’s words were false. Sam couldn’t have moved on from him, especially with a Demon and a woman. He grabbed the front of Rock’s tunic. “Are you telling me the truth?”

  “May I never wear green again if I’m lying,” Rock swore.

  Dropping Rock’s tunic, Akira placed his hands on the ground and felt himself start to hyperventilate. “She’s happy when I’m miserable. I’m separated from my sword, my teeth. With my shoulder, I’ll probably never be able to weld it properly ever again, and she’s started a new relationship. I pushed away Mel for her—”

  “I always like you two together,” Rock said.

  “Shut up!” Akira forced out through clenched gums. “Sam and now the Backer both destroyed my life. They turned me into this pathetic mewling mess, hoping for death as a release. And Saku is ready to drive in the knife.” He paused and looked at Rock in the face. “Part of me was ready to go as punishment for my sins. I am so tired.”

  “You’ve never done anything wrong, my Lord,” Rock said, kneeling.

  Akira looked at Rock, his eyes widening. “You’ve never called me that before. Why now?”

  Rock’s face turned red in the setting sunlight. “I was one of the men in charge of security at your manor in Gose, Lord Akira. We never met; only your father knew about me. When Kolori invaded, I wished to fight, but your father had me bring your sister to safety. Her magic was too powerful, and he knew Kolori would kill her on sight. I was one of the servants with you the night we escaped.”

  Rock’s words hit Akira like a blow. He felt his world drop from him. “My sister is alive, and you’re just telling me this now!” Akira could feel the rage burning up in him again. It was reigniting the fire in his heart and driving away all the pain that Rock’s potion hadn’t touched. “We’ve been companions for over two years.”

  “She made me promise not to, my Lord. She said that if you knew where she was, it would have been too dangerous. When Eon put out a call for heroes and I saw your name on the list, I knew this was my chance to help you and maybe help her,” Rock said.

  “What do you mean?” asked Akira.

  “Yoruhi is here, in this camp. It’s how I was able to find you so quickly.”