Chapter 14

Akira faced two soldiers across the field of short blue grass. The rest of his men had flattened a space big enough to serve as a practice ground on the edge of the Deadland forest. One of the soldiers had chosen a shield and mace, the same type Sam used. The other one held a sword.

It was difficult to find competent training partners in the army. Most of the soldiers were nowhere near his level. He was reduced to facing deserters and those who failed in their duties. They at least had the basic military training everyone had gone through and because of their crime, no one cared what happened to them. He tended to kill too many of his regular sparing partners. Two against one at least gave them, the advantage.

“Come!” He beckoned to them.

“This is crazy,” a balding man with a crooked nose said. “Why do I have to do this?” The younger man next to him nodded his head in agreement.

“The punishment for dereliction of duty is death. However, If you can land a blow on me, any blow, I’ll pardon you and let you go back home,” Akira said to the older soldier. He turned to the younger man. “The same goes for you. Now let me prepare. You’ve disrupted my concentration.”

Akira slowed his breathing and closed his eyes. When he opened them again, he raised his hand and signalled, come. He was ready to fight.

The challenge this time would be to hold back all his skills and rely only on defensive ones. If he attacked them this would be over in moments. Today he wanted to defeat the two deserters in as few movements as possible. It would allow him to improve, even with useless partners. He needed this fight to last longer than a few swings.

The older soldier rushed his position raising his mace while the younger one held back. Akira stepped forward and met it with his sword. He remembered the last training session he had with Sam. She was terrible and relied on her strength over skill to get her through any fight. However, she was relentless. Even blocking her strikes forced him to look for the best way to use her strength against her. If she were here, he wouldn’t be forced into this situation. He felt the image of Sam cover the man, changing his ugly nose into Sam’s face.

She faced him and swung her mace in a wide circle. She had gotten a little better. Akira was still able to block the mace and send it to his side. Sam blocked his counter with her shield and pushed him back. Her strength was formidable, but not impossible to deal with. Swinging the mace in low towards his knee to cripple him, he was able to reverse his sword in time to block it. The force of the impact sent shivers up his arm.

“You’ve improved. I’m impressed,” Akira said as a smile crossed his face. “I don’t want to end this too quickly.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” Sam yelled in his face. Her voice changed back into that of a middle-aged man’s. “You told me to attack!”

“It’s no use trying to disguise yourself. I know what you are.” Akira came in hard, feinting to the right then attacking from the left, switching his angle at the last second. Unable to move his shield in time, the old man died as the sword bit deep into his ribs. Akira smiled and completed the swing, cutting his body in half. As he fell, Akira swung the blade to get the blood off and turned to face the younger soldier.

“Next.”

“Forget this.” The soldier threw his sword to the ground and raised his hands. “I give up. I admit it. We let him escape, but that was because Tam found a stash of ale. We don’t deserve this. Please, don’t kill me.” He was pleading on his knees, hands crossed in front of him.

“Had enough fun yet?” Mel’s voice broke through Akira’s fog, and he blinked his eyes.

Looking down at the man on the ground, he saw the traitor he was trying to punish; his blood was leaking into the black ground. The younger one was kneeling to the side, his sword at his feet. Akira straightened up and sighed.

“I was in the middle of some training, Mel. What do you want?” He wasn’t happy. Ever since he came to this black forest, things have gone wrong. First, he lost to the Demon Lord, and then his sword was destroyed. They were repairing it now, but it wasn’t here yet. His teeth still hurt, his tongue sticking through the holes in his mouth and destroying any chance of using his smile to enhance his reputation. Now Ayasse had escaped. Akira wanted to blame Mel for that. She must have relaxed the wards around the thief as a punishment for spurning her. He couldn’t prove it, but she might have tampered with the rations as well. It is something she would do to get back at him.

She was too valuable to punish, so he settled on the guards.

“Our troops are in position, and the attack is on for the day after tomorrow. I thought you might like to check them out,” Mel said with a shy smile.

“Fine. I’ll be there after I finish my training. I need to get better if I want to face the Demon King. I must be at my best to defeat him, the man is a Sword Master.” Akira faced the kneeling man and cringed at the smell. “He’s soiled himself.” Throwing up his hands, Akira turned away from Mel. “Do what you want with him. I have to practice my forms and they were a waste of time.”

Mel directed some soldiers to take the babbling man back to her tent and clean up the body of the other one, leaving the two of them alone for the first time since the tent. Akira sighed. There was another soldier ruined. Even the worst deserter could get their punishment lifted if they worked hard enough. Akira would rather inspire his men through honour than fear. Mel enjoyed punishing them a little too much, especially now. They didn’t come back the same.

Akira moved into his opening stance, let out a deep breath, and started moving through the first form. His Master told him to always control his breathing. Everything stemmed from that control. If he was unable to do that, a child could best him. His mind went back to Goido, on the edge of the Kolori empire. Working his forms always brought back bitter memories.

“Have you heard from Rock?” Mel asked, trying to distract him.

“No. He disappeared after we met Eon. Good riddance.” Akira flowed into the second form; his sword outstretched as he brought it back behind his head. He imagined his sisters were watching him. He missed them. He could do anything when they were there. One of them died in the attack. He didn’t know what happened to Yoruhi.

“Maybe he’s joined up with Sam? He did like her.” The smile was back. Akira hated that smile. It usually sent shudders down his spine, today, it was just water. He was in his moment.

“If he did, I’ll run him through as well.” He slashed and jumped into his third form. “Don’t you have a soldier to play with?” Push her out. She couldn’t distract him today.

“Humph!” Mel crossed her arms and continued watching Akira.

Akira shut out the world. Usually, when doing his forms, nothing could distract him. Not even Sam. She wasn’t going to get away with what she did. The humiliation she heaped upon him, breaking his sword.

No, shake it off. She won’t take this from me as well.

A rustling in the forest brush to his right alerted him to the arrow before it left the bow. Akira spun around on one foot and sliced the shaft out of the air. Landing on his right foot he shot to the trees. A second arrow followed the first from high in the branches to his left. He couldn’t avoid that one.

“Akira!” Mel shouted. She released a simple wind spell knocking the arrow off course. She aimed another spell at the black tree it came from and unleashed a fireball. It caught in the dry branches and the tree erupted into an inferno. The second assassin tumbled down and landed on his neck with a loud snap.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

Surprising the assassin in the bushes, Akira sliced upward with his sword splitting the man in two. He turned back to Mel. Their guards were nowhere in sight. “There should be one more of them,” he yelled to her. “Stay alert.”

Smoke gushed out from the burning tree engulfing the two heroes. Akira could no longer see where Mel was. The tree had become a fiery haze, the heat pushed him back.

“This isn’t natural!” he shouted. “They’re using smoke!”

“Where are you, Akira?” Mel coughed. Her voice started to rise as the panic took over. He needed to stay calm if they were going to get out of this.

A new swordsman rushed from the smoke, plowing into Akira. He deflected the strike and countered with a low slash under the arm. The swordsman jerked back and avoided the killing blow. He rushed forward forcing Akira into a defensive stance.

The clash of swords echoed through the field. Akira was fighting for his life and starting to smile. This third man was skilled. He could feel the other man’s training coming through each sword stroke. If he wasn’t trying to kill him, they could have become good sparing partners.

The smoke continued to spiral around the two of them, blocking his vision and worming its way into his nose. He started to cough. The fire spread to other trees, surrounding them.

“Put the fire out, Mel,” he coughed. The smoke was getting worse. “I’ve got the third man.” Akira took shallow breaths. He didn’t want to choke and leave an opening. The third man was silent as he circled Akira. Pivoting on his back foot, Akira launched himself at the swordsman. He brought his blade in low, forcing the man to counter. Akira continued to drive the assassin back into the trees as he went on the offensive. He pushed him into the smoke, moving closer to the tree. The heat from the fire licked his face, singing his hair when the swordsman tripped over the body of the first archer and stumbled.

Seizing the chance, Akira sprang forward and lopped off his head. He finished, swinging his sword to the side getting off as much blood as possible. That was great. Why couldn’t there be more of them? He took a deep breath and started to cough. “Mel, the smoke. Get rid of it.”

Akira felt Mel’s wind magic drive the smoke away. He raised his face to the breeze took a deep breath and smelt cinnamon. Stumbling forward he put his hand to his head as the world started to spin. “Not again.” He’d faced this smoke before. When it cleared the last time he was standing over the bodies of his Master and sister.

“Akira! Wake up!” He heard Mel’s shouts and blinked, clearing the fog from his eyes. There were three dead assassins at his feet, and his sword was covered in blood. The smoke was gone. He could sense the energy shield surrounding him was getting weak. Mel was lying on the ground, whiter than usual, with her hands out. Akira could see the power flowing off of them.

“What happened?” He turned to Mel and frowned. “Did you do something to me?” Do I have to kill you too?

“You suddenly started shouting for Sam to come and face you, then rushed me as I was putting out the fire,” Mel said, on the ground, shaking with anger. “I was able to cast a shield on you and stop you, but you could’ve killed me.”

“Sorry.” Akira put his sword down. “I’m fine now. I need to rest.”

Mel lowered the shield and stood up. “You do that to me again, and I will use the lightning spell on you. Damn, the consequences.” Taking a deep breath, she faced the carnage in the field. “What happened here? Who were those men?”

“I don’t know.” Akira shook his head. “I thought they were Kolori assassins. They usually operate in three-man groups and they like to use this kind of illusion smoke. However, they are never this bold.” He bent down to remove the masks. “They are humans, so that rules out the Demon King. Maybe.”

Three of Akira’s guards ran up. “Forgive us, sir. We didn’t notice the men sneaking into the camp. We’ll have to double the watch.”

Akira nodded his head and pointed to the bodies with his sword. “Take those things and have them searched. I want to know everything about them. Check their clothes, markings, and tattoos.” He wasn’t going to punish his men today. This fight was the most exhilarating thing that had happened in days.

“Yes, sir.” The three saluted Akira and gestured for several more men to help them. They would take the bodies to the medical tent.

He turned to Mel. “Tell the generals I’ll be over to see the troops when I’m ready.” He went to the trees and sat down cross-legged. “One breath in and out clears the mind.” He needed to review the fight in his mind. Find out where he went wrong and how he could get better.

He heard her scoff. “Fine. I’ll let them know. You bloodthirsty fool.”

***********************************************

Sam stared at Ayasse. He was lying on a bed with Healer looking over him. He had been beaten and burned. His face was a mess of scratches; he was no longer the cute young man she remembered. His eyes were swollen, his nose and his fingers had been broken and set. Sam saw some evidence of healing on him. He had been tortured, but why? Sam pushed that thought away. She didn’t want to accept it, but it kept coming back.

“What happened?” She asked Healer. Maybe there was another explanation.

“We don’t know everything. All we can say is that he’s very lucky to be alive.” Healer waved his fingers in the air. They were almost hypnotic, moving like a willow in a breeze.

“Ayasse, are you awake?” Sam asked the small man. “What happened to you?”

Sam wiped his eyes with a wet cloth. They were caked with blood and gunk. He had to blink them a few times to fully clear them. “Sam,” his voice croaked. “It’s good to see you. I was afraid I’d killed you.” He cleared his throat and coughed up some blood onto the blanket. Healer grabbed a cloth and wiped his face, muffling what he said next.

Pushing the dryad away, Ayasse continued. “Akira and Mel took me. They wanted to know what was happening with you. I tried to tell them nothing, even though they were very persuasive.” Ayasse raised his hand to his face and winced. When he pulled his hand back he widened his eyes and wiped his hand on the blanket.

“Why are you here?” Sam asked. “I thought you’d left me. That I drove you away,” She was looking down, and her foot was tapping on the floor. Healer had already stepped out, leaving the two of them alone. She hadn’t even heard it leave.

“Of course not. I needed to get the Master Pill. With the soldiers in the way, I had to move through the shadows and you couldn’t do that. I’m glad you read my note. I have the pill here for you.” Ayasse reached into the darkness next to his bed and pulled out a small vial with two pills in it.

Sam looked away from Ayasse’s face and the vial and sighed. “You did all of this for me and now look at you,” she said, crossing her arms and hugging herself. “Kale’s people were able to cleanse the poison from my body. I haven’t had any visions for a while. You were right to send me here,” she said. “I wish I could have read your note, but the written language is beyond me.” She fidgeted. Maybe if she pushed the blame on him, it would soften her guilt.

She thrust her hands to the side. No! I refuse to shift the blame here.

Ayasse nodded and his shoulders fell. It appeared the tension left his body.

Sam walked around his bed. She needed to say this. She couldn’t deny it any longer and the knot in the pit of her stomach was threatening to break. “I hated you for leaving me.” She swallowed her pride and stared at the side of the bed. “I’m always trying to control everything. When I do something and it fails, I get angry and lash out, blaming others. I pretend to be strong when I’m not. It usually works, but when it fails, it backfires spectacularly and people get hurt. What happened to you, Akira’s invasion with the Relancia soldiers, all of this in on me.”

Ayasse was silent. She saw his eye follow her as she paced in front of his bed.

“I let my opinions get in the way every time and forced my way through. When we went to the village, you were right and I was wrong.” That hurt to say. “When we were in the forest, I should have apologized.” She knew she was making a mess of everything.

Ayasse put the pills back into the darkness next to him. “I see. Thank you for the apology. I’m also glad you were able to get the cure. I will keep the Master Pills ready for you, just in case. Dragonfly is an insidious poison, and there are cases of it returning, even after getting the treatment in time.”

He forced himself to sit up and held her hands. “You are a powerful, proud woman. Beautiful and strong. You should accept yourself for who you are and stop blaming yourself for how others respond.”

“It’s difficult to let go. You don’t know what I’ve gone through,” said Sam as she rolled her fingers together.

Ayasse was silent as he stared at her face. “No, I don’t. Your life is yours. Please don’t worry about the medicine or my injuries. They aren’t your fault. At the time, what I did was the best choice I had, and I’d do it again. I wouldn’t leave you with a note, though.” He closed his eyes and laid back down.

“Why would you do all that for me?”

“While it’s true, I don’t know what you’ve gone through, you don’t know my story. As a child, I was taken and trained to kill. I was castrated and had no choice in my first Master’s decisions. I refused to kill innocents, though, even if he punished me. I was good at killing, so he allowed me some rebellion. All I had to do was get so strong that no one could tell me what to do. Eventually, he got tired of me and sold my contract to Thane.”

Sam stared at the thief. Her eyes welled up with tears. “How, why?”

“That’s not important at the moment. Just remember, you are the one who decides your fate. Thane allowed me some freedom, but I had to take responsibility for my choices. She taught me everything I needed to know about poisons and killing. I have no regrets. I have chosen my fate, and I’m at peace with it. Now, please go. I’m tired.” Ayasse closed his eyes, and Sam watched as he drifted off to sleep. Healer didn’t have a potion to give him for the injuries. Demon potions wouldn’t work on humans. However, often all the body needed was rest.

She stood up and left the room.