Chapter 7

  “Arrows, fire!” shouted Akira, pointing at the man on the horse.

  Three shafts flew through the orange sky. Two landed behind the moving target, but the third got the horse in the leg. The animal’s scream filled the field as it fell over, trapping the man under it.

  “Excellent shot, Finley,” Akira said, patting the boy’s shoulder. “You have a future as an archer.”

  Finley looked down and blushed. “Thank you, sir.”

  Akira smiled. General Saku was right. Learning their names had made it much easier to lead them. He had forgotten why he resisted doing it for so long.

  “Let’s go see who we caught,” Akira said, urging his horse forward. The other twelve with him filled out to the side, sweeping for any other enemy.

  This was the third scout they’d found over the last five days. The first two had been hidden in the trees, and Akira’s men almost passed them by before being spotted by Finley. This third one was in the grassland separating the two kingdoms. There were few farms this close to the border. While the land was excellent, the fighting around here was always quite intense, and a popular pastime was burning fields.

  Within a day’s ride north, Akira knew there was a small city, Gose. It had been almost ten years since he had returned to this area, and everything reminded him of his childhood. He had never come this far south. His father always told him it was too dangerous. However, the sights and smells were the same, threatening to overwhelm him in nostalgia. The blue grass gave off a peaceful, fresh scent that made him want to run through it. For a moment Akira was transported back to when he and his sister, Yoruhi, would run through the fields around his childhood home.

  He pushed the slight twinge of guilt away. It wasn’t his fault he’d never looked for her.

  The scouts were becoming annoying without Rock here to assist him. Finely was good, but Rock’s scouting skills would have made finding the infiltrators much easier. If that book Akira had discovered in the library was correct, there was something in Sywin that could stop his constant pain and possibly heal his teeth.

  He’d heard rumours of a magic potion like this before, but always dismissed them as fake.

  Coming up on the scout, Akira hopped off his horse and stood over the man, trying to pull himself from under the horse. The animal was panting in pain from the arrow wound. While the rider was an enemy invading Kolori land, the animal was innocent.

  “Someone put the horse out of its misery and bring me the prisoner,” he said to his men. Finley and Janus sprang forward, drawing their swords.

  The enemy soldier crawled forward, trying to get under the grass. He must have injured himself in the fall. There was no way he could escape. The trail of blood would have betrayed him immediately.

  Finley got behind the prisoner and kicked him in the head. Janus went to the other side and wiped his dirty sword on the enemy’s cloak. They got on either side and dragged the man to Akira. Finley grabbed the man’s greasy hair and yanked the head back.

  “Froth?” Recognition hit Akira, and he forced his horse to take a step back, unsure of what to do. Guilt threatened to overwhelm him.

  “Traitor!” Froth spat at Akira and winced.

  Akira got off his horse, knelt, faced his old friend, and smiled. His indecision had passed thanks to Froth’s statement. This was his world now. “Traitor? How can I be a traitor when Eon forced me into this position?” He felt nothing for this man. The guilt was only for the things they had shared. They had drunk, fought, and laughed together, but that was the old him.

  Still, he wasn’t ready to kill him quite yet, especially if he had valuable intel. “Tell me, Froth, how many soldiers does this new general have with him?” Akira reached for the broken leg and twisted.

  Froth gave a fresh cry of pain but continued to glare at Akira.

  “Who is this new general? Why haven’t I met him before?” With each question, Akira twisted Froth’s leg a little more. Froth panted, sweat running in rivers down his face. “I want to stop this, Froth, for what we shared. I owe you that much, but you have to give me something.”

  “Never!” He spat at Akira again.

  Akira sighed and stood up. He directed two men with him to take Froth back to the temporary camp they had set up. “Treat his wounds, feed him, and don’t let him escape. Send Mel to him when we get back to the main camp.”

  “Melisia is here?” Froth spoke.

  The two soldiers stopped moving at Akira’s gesture and waited. Froth sat up on the ground.

  “Yes, she’s here, in our main camp. We thought it best to tempt you out of your hiding places, and it looks like it worked.” Akira had to promise Thanatos he would put her under the compulsion when they returned to the capital. He hadn’t felt it was necessary out here, and it still left a foul taste in his mouth. Mel would hate it, but it would keep her safe in Kolori.

  “So, will you tell me why this general wants her?” Akira asked, kneeling.

  Froth started laughing. “He said you’d bring her. I owe Tam three coins.”

  “What are you talking about?” Akira stood with his hands on his hips. He was losing his patience with the man. First, he wouldn’t answer questions; now, he was making fun of him. There was only so much disrespect Akira could stand. He had saved his life here. Standing orders were for all scouts to be hung as a lesson to the others.

  “Why do you think we were so easy to find?” asked Froth. “We had plenty of time to scout the area. This was our home, traitor. You should have remembered that. We were waiting for you to show up.”

  “What do you mean?” Akira grabbed the front of Froth’s tunic. “We ambushed you.”

  Froth shook his head. “An ambush can work in both ways, you fool. We knew you were here after the first scout didn’t come back. You probably thought you were smart killing him. He had volunteered his life to make sure his information got through. We all had. When he died, our general knew to the second. I wasn’t expecting you, though. The general will be happy.”

  “Who is this general?” Rage had replaced Akira’s calm. There was no way some lowly soldier could get the better of him.

  “The Lord Realmwalker has come a long way to meet you, traitor.” Froth spat in Akira’s face. “He’s probably already on his way to your camp now.”

  Realmwalker? Akira remembered that phrase, but that was Sam. She was the only Realmwalker he knew about. Froth would never work with her again. He remembered the other man, the Backer. He ground his teeth and threw Froth to the ground. “Bind his wounds. I want him ready to travel in twenty minutes. We’re going to ride hard.”

  This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  “My Lord, where are we going?” asked Finley.

  “We’re heading back to the main camp. You heard what he said. I have a bad feeling about this.” Akira spurned his horse around and started galloping back to their temporary camp. They were going to need the rest of the men for this.

  **********************

  Akira paused at the destruction and patted his panting horse. He’d smelt the ashes from the forest and had pushed his horse harder to get here. The tents were smouldering and equipment was scattered everywhere. A short rain in the evening must have put out the bigger fires, but the smoke still stung his eyes. Looking at the bodies sprawled across the field, it reminded him of the village where Sam had tried to save the children. He hated that day, hated having to kill all those people, but it had to be done. They were traitors. These people were soldiers and his comrades. They didn’t deserve to die like this? Pushing the thought aside and shoving it under a huge rock, Akira took off his gloves, hung them from the pommel of his horse, and dismounted.

  “What happened here?” he shouted. “Somebody, report.” Nobody had met them when they arrived at camp. Finley and Toth had been sent ahead to prepare for their arrival, but they weren’t here. Except for some birds feasting, and the noise of some small fires, it was silent.

  “Bring me Froth, and somebody, find Finley,” he shouted, fists clenched at his side, twitching towards his sword. His fury threatened to break out of his chest. If he touched his blade, the song would calm him, but it would also ask for blood. A clear head was more important when he spoke to the prisoner.

  Two of the men dropped Froth at Akira’s feet. The broken leg was turning black and would need to be cut off soon. Froth was pale and without treatment, he’d probably die. “Tell me what happened here and we’ll take care of your wound, Froth.”

  “The Realmwalker’s been here and judged your men to be false. The reign of Zial is over.” Froth spit on Akira’s boots.

  “I’ll believe that when I meet this supposed hero.” Akira ground his teeth.

  “Sir!” a soldier shouted from beyond the tents.

  Akira looked through the broken material and saw Finley pick his way past the bodies. The young man looked unhurt, but filthy. Dirt and blood stained his light leather armour.

  Finley stopped in front of Akira and saluted.

  “Report!” said Akira.

  “Sir. There was no one left alive in the camp when Toth and I arrived. General Saku and his men are gone as well. The casualties are confined to the new men recruited for this campaign. There are no casualties from the General’s men among the dead.”

  “Where’s Mel?” asked Akira. A pit dropped in his stomach. He had planned to trap this new general, but with Saku’s disappearance, things had changed. Did Saku betray him to this Realmwalker? Did he have to join Sam and Ayasse on his list?

  “I was unable to find the mage or her body,” Finley said. “She either escaped or was captured.”

  “I told you,” laughed Froth. He got to his knees behind Akira and thrust his head forward. The Realmwalker will see you destroyed.”

  Akira whipped out his sword and Froth’s head rolled to the side of a broken tent. He picked up the edge of Froth’s cape and wiped the blood off the blade. “Perry,” Akira shouted.

  “Yes, sir.” A young man standing to the right of Finley saluted.

  “Take three men with you and track where General Saku has gone. I want to know in which direction and how long ago he left.” And if I need to kill him.

  “Yes, sir.” He saluted again and picked three scouts to follow him.

  “The rest of you, gather the bodies of the men here and prepare them for burial. We won’t leave them to the wolves,” said Akira, turning away from the destruction.

  “Yes, sir. Umm, what about the scout, sir?” Finley asked.

  Akira looked back at his old friend’s head and said nothing. His hands shook. Bile came up his throat. “Leave him.” He turned away and went back into the forest. The time for guilt had ended.

  *************

  Mel was sprawled on the ground by the lake, exhausted of magical power and holding her hands over the knife wound in her stomach. Lord Robert glared over her. There was no way she could heal herself now. Her blood made an ever-widening pool. She was helpless.

  “Why the hell did you run, fool? Where’s your Master, woman? Tell me now, and I’ll let you have this recovery potion,” Lord Robert said, holding out a bottle of amber liquid.

  Mel spat out a wad of bloody phlegm, “Tysone? I don’t know. He disappeared over a year ago after that bitch Samantha appeared, and he erased her memory. I think he went to the East.” She reached for the bottle. Pride was no good to her here.

  Lord Robert sighed and tipped the potion onto the grass, spilling half of the precious fluid. Mel squeaked and grasped for the liquid soaking into the dry soil.

  “That’s not the answer I wanted to hear,” Lord Robert growled. “One last time. Where is your master?”

  Mel flopped back into the dirt. “Just let me die, please. And throw me in the lake. I’d rather be food for the fish than the wolves. All I’ve ever done is make one horrendous choice after another. I refuse to make that one. If he knew I betrayed him and told you any of his secrets, he’d flay the skin from my bones and keep me alive long enough to make me beg for death.” She smirked at Lord Robert. “At least this way is quicker.”

  “Blast!” Lord Robert knelt and pulled the knife from Mel’s stomach.

  She grunted as the blood gushed out.

  Lord Robert reached forward, lifted her head, and tipped enough of the potion into Mel’s mouth to arrest the bleeding. He poured the rest on the wound directly.

  She sputtered but swallowed the amber liquid, enjoying the taste of life. Rock’s potions always tasted like porku dung. Staring up at the older man, Mel’s voice rose.

  “What do you think you’re doing? You chased me across half the continent, and destroyed a two-hundred-man scouting party, all to kill me. Now you save me?”

  “There’s no way I’m going to kill a young woman, no matter my personal feelings on the matter,” Lord Robert said, standing and tossing the now empty bottle. “The soldier who stabbed you has been disciplined as well.” He gestured to a pair of mages. They surrounded Mel and began chanting. “I plan on binding your magic and you will assist me. I must find your master.”

  Robert spun around and directed his guards to follow him.

  The binding spell settle around her with tingles and pin-pricks. It was similar to the chains that the Kolori used, but not as heavy. “Why do you want him? He hates people,” Mel shouted. The Kolori dampeners were decent for a non-magic country, but she had already broken them trying to escape. This spell would inconvenience her for a while, but she would break it.

  Lord Robert stopped and turned around. “You know where Samantha comes from?”

  Mel sneered and nodded. “You sound like her.”

  “My daughter Nadia, was injured in the accident that brought Samantha here.”

  “And you need him to heal her,” Mel nodded and scoffed. “He won’t do it. That man cares about nothing but his studies.”

  “No. Nadai has already been healed,” Robert said, crossing his arms.

  Mel’s head drew back. “If she’s healed, why do you want my teacher?”

  Lord Robert was silent, glaring into Mel’s eyes. She didn’t like the deadness in them, but couldn’t look away. It was one thing to toss away pride to save your life. When it came to power, Mel was not going to lose.

  “My daughter’s body is weak but functional. Her mind is another matter. When she learned of your mental manipulation magic, she wished to possess it by any means. After she found you were second to your master, she wished to possess both.” Robert paused and licked his lips. “With you in my hands, she will be pleased. I should be able to delay her, but I fear she is getting close to achieving that goal.”

  “Why does she want that?” Mel asked, narrowing her eyes. He didn’t like his daughter’s goal.

  Lord Robert tilted his head. Mel knew that the most dangerous time in any partnership was at the beginning when you had to sound out the new ally. This was when mistakes happened. However, she found Lord Robert to be very intriguing. Unlike Akira, this man knew what he wanted. That attracted her, even if he was frightening.

  “She wishes to eliminate all free will, all strife, all conflict in the world. To make it a utopia. While the sentiment is admirable, the execution is flawed. When it was an unobtainable wish, I had no trouble supporting it. Now that she has found the means to achieve what she wants, I cannot allow it to happen. Denying free will for any reason will destroy us as surely as it will save us. Her desire must not be full-filled.”

  Mel raised her eyebrow. “What about me? I know his spell. Are you going to kill me?”

  Lord Robert was silent again.

  “Well? I’m not getting any better here?” Mel snapped.

  “Watch your tongue. I’d considered it. Eliminating you would save me a lot of trouble. However, I have a distaste for senseless violence and after seeing the results of your spells, I’ve realized that you are nowhere near as skilled as your Master.”

  “I don’t know whether to be flattered or insulted.” Mel huffed.

  “I’m not interested in your feelings,” Lord Robert said. “You will assist me in finding him, or I shall leave you here. I cannot risk sending you to her.” He turned away and mounted his horse.

  “What if I don’t want to?” Mel raised her chin.

  “Your defiance is cute but useless. My daughter’s agent is already closing in on your master. It’s only a matter of time before she finds him. Then things will get worse.”