Like failing to contain a campfire, Akisane unleashed something he had no hope of stopping. The streets turned into a bloodbath as those who suffered at the hands of the Duke found others who betrayed them and murdered them. A crowd of war scythe-armed rebels pulled a stocky bald man out of a four-story stone building and hanged him from the limb of a twisted oak at the end of the block. They destroyed the paperwork they found in his study, as it contained the names of peasants in violation. He didn't drop from a height that could snap his neck, so he wiggled and kicked until he finally stilled.
A tall woman only in her shift was tossed from a second-story window. She brained herself on the cobbles and stared unblinking at the chaos around her. Supposedly, she had worked closely with the Duke's men and weaseled on her own family.
There were a few dozen such episodes. No matter how much they begged for their life they were killed. No one was tortured, robbed, or anything else; they were simply eliminated for their crimes against the populace.
The blood moon seemed to reflect in the eyes of the Dunaguardians. They appeared as demons with a ruby glean in their eyes.
Only a few were unaffected; it must have been Akisane’s subconscious choice to leave them as they were. Shank, Amat, Bahram, and Hawk remained normal. Lopside was harder to judge as he engaged in the violence.
Hawk stuffed a scroll into his pack and bundled his pen and ink. “What are you going to do next?” He made it sound like there was some sort of plan.
Akisane thought about it while he felt a tingle at the back of his neck caused by the brutality behind him. “It's probably smart to stop the messenger now that I’m stuck with the sword. More importantly, I must return the sword to Thailoc’s prison.” That was not a pleasant thought. Trying to sneak back in with Thailoc’s half-unchained would be risky. He would have shaken in his boots, though he lost specific fears when he took Darksun. They've been cut from his mind like a surgeon would remove a limb.
A peasant girl with striking gray eyes looked up at him. She had a limp when she scooted closer. “The ash sun will rise tomorrow. The end is nigh.” Did she expect him to believe that a poor girl in the streets had the ability of prescience? Ridiculous. Yet, it harbored some warning in his heart.
Hawk continued as if they hadn’t been interrupted. “How will we get away from the mob?”
“I don't think we can. I’ll take them to the arena, and we can lose them there, where there are many hidden passages into the castle.”
“That's a lot of eyes to try to give a slip. And they’ll wreak havoc.”
“It won’t be my problem for long.”
They mounted and began back to the castle in a long line with Dunaguadians in tow. Akisane hoped few would join, but a mass followed.
Darksun emanates excitement. You won’t succeed. The dark sun has been prophesied, and Thailoc shall break free.
I don't believe the future is predestined.
The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
The future is anything, but one can only paddle so close to the edge of a waterfall before the boat will inevitably go over.
Perhaps Darksun told the truth. Nevertheless, he had to try. It would be the last chance.
The road to the castle was steep, so much so that the line drew out long as those who struggled fell behind. Akisane held out his hand. “Okay, give me some of that wine.”
Shank grinned and slopped some of the dark liquid into the bejeweled goblet.
It tasted sweet and brought relaxation nearly instantly. Akisane still felt the power trickling in from the people around him, through the sword, and into his body. Though it had slowed, it remained steady, and he wondered how long it would possibly go on for.
How do I stop it?
It's easy.
How? There was no answer.
Finally, they reached the bridge, and their horses clip-clopped over the stone until they reached the drawbridge. He saw the stain of his crime once again.
“Akisane, what is going on?” John called in the parapet. The soldiers' bowstrings creaked as they pulled them taut, ready to unload.
“It's okay they're with me.” But that was a ridiculous thing to say. But the man paused a second as if considering the words.
“No.” John seemed to search for words. “Turn back.”
Akisane looked to Shank, to Hawk, and to Lopside, though only Shank responded with a shrug. “You know who I am. And you know who my father is. Open the portcullis.”
Darksun rattled in the scabbard. You must fight.
“I say again, open it.”
An arrow loosed and punctured a peasant through the ribs. He gave a wheezing gurgle as he died, and his lifeless body rolled into the void.
Don’t you feel angry?
There was a new power at Akisane’s fingertips. New but not new since he couldn’t pinpoint exactly when it had originated. It crept up so slowly that it didn’t feel foreign or enigmatic. And when he decided to end this, it was his will springing out to his followers. Two Dunaguardians bent their backs and howled in pain and then hunger. Their fingers curled into claws. Wings sprouted from their backs, and they took to the sky. Their teeth grew too long to stay in their mouths. Arrows tried to find their mark, but the transformed easily flew to the side, and when arrows did find their targets, they didn't penetrate deep enough in the skin that had turned into tough hide.
His creatures rushed forward and tossed soldiers from the battlements. And when they were done, they pulled the leavers round and round to open the gate. Open, the Dunaguardians began to file towards the next gate. His creatures opened that, too.
I feel like I'm transforming just as they did. What am I becoming?
Darksun flew into his hand as he led the mass toward the arena. You are not becoming anything else but yourself. You are now more yourself than you ever were.
The sword spoke the truth. He shook his head to ward away his own thoughts. Stick to the plan. There's no reason to escalate things.
Henry (Akisane)
Level: 17
Vertical Rings: 7
Focus: Telekinesis
Secondary focus: Shadow walker, fire walker
Weapons: Darksun Sword - 85% corrupt, decay+12