Chapter 23:

As the evening approached, Annabel prompted me to create a fire for Ren and myself, pointing out that, as a spirit, she wasn’t at risk of hypothermia - but we were. Thankfully, the forest was still nearby, and there hadn’t been any rain all day, so finding dry wood was much easier than during my last attempt to make a fire.

I gathered a small pile of dry sticks and arranged them, and as I began contemplating how to start the fire – realizing I lacked the tools I had last time – Annabel offered a quicker solution. She raised her hand above the stack of sticks, and suddenly, a flame ignited.

That was way quicker than the last time.

I brought Ren closer to the fire and sat down beside her, warming up.

I took one of the turmibark pills, washing it down with some water from the waterskin the merchant had reluctantly added to our trade. It was the second pill I’d taken today, and I hoped by tomorrow I’d start felling a bit better. My face still needed tending, but that could wait for now.

“What more can you tell me about Lind?” I asked Annabel. I wanted to gather as much information as I could. There was no way I was going there blindly, like I had with Vedem.

She shrugged. “Not much, really. It’s a simple village - quite big, though. The last time I was there, back when I was alive, I heard they were planning to expand even more. But to do that, they needed a grant from the capital.”

“A grant?”

“Yes.” She replied. “Apparently, once a village reaches a certain population, it needs to be recognized as a town before it can accept any more people. For that to happen, the village has to apply to the Ministry of Internal Affairs for a grant to officially become a town. From what I heard back then, it’s a bureaucratic mess, so I don’t know if they ever completed the process.”

Judging by what the merchant had said, they hadn’t.

“That’s so stupid.” I muttered. “What happens to villagers who want to move there but can’t because the village hasn’t gotten the grant?”

Annabel shrugged again. “I’m not sure. I guess the kingdom expects them to find a different village. But I’d bet the mayors just accept new villagers anyway and hide the real numbers, sending false reports to the capital.”

We sat in silence for a while before I broke it with another question. “What can you tell me about the baron here? Santon Tremoux?”

I asked to gauge how much Annabel really knew about the area. If she was lying, and Lind was some sort of trap, her answer might give her away. But if she was telling the truth all this time, I wanted to know more about the baron. If he turned out to be some ex-military man, he could be a friend of Alaric Belton, and that would be troublesome.

“Wait, Santon Tremoux?” she asked, her voice tinged with confusion. “So the younger son took the title?”

She seemed genuinely surprised, so she clarified. “The Tremoux family is one of the oldest in Morthryga. The first baron, Bastian Tremoux, fought in the last demon war and was given these lands by the king of that time. The title has been passed down through the family ever since. Last time I was here, Gaetan Tremoux was the baron - a very...peculiar gentleman. He was old then, and everyone expected his eldest son to inherit the title. But from what you’re saying, it was the younger son who took over. I wonder why and how...”

I had nothing to add. I’d only learned the name this afternoon, so I didn’t know how to continue that line of conversation. Instead, I shifted the subject. “What about your friends? What can you tell me about them?”

Her face lit up with excitement. “Oh, where to start, really? They were the most amazing bunch ever!”

“Really?” I asked, prompting her to continue. I wanted to know more about them.

“Seb was our party’s healer.” She began. “He finished his education at the University of Magic in The Free City of Larina with the title of Master at just twenty-two. A brilliant healing mage, but also so, so, serious all the time. Always. Every time someone cracked a joke, he’d just give this blank stare before scolding us for joking before dangerous quests.” She laughed at the memory. “Eventually, we softened him up a bit – my greatest achievement. He became less intense and even chuckled at some of Axel’s jokes. And let me tell you - Axel’s jokes are terrible! He’s lucky he’s so charming.”

I smiled weakly, wondering if that’s how my crewmates in the Blood Moon Foxes saw me - the overly serious guy who kept to himself at first. I hoped they’d eventually seen me in a better light, just as I’d come to see them.

“Leia was a weird one, but in a good way.” Annabel continued. “The girl was scared of her own shadow. Literally. It was hard to talk to her at first because she was so shy and awkward. But after a quest we had in the north of the kingdom, something changed, and she became much more talkative with us. She was still shy with everyone else, though, yeah?”

“Why take in such a difficult person?” I asked, though in truth, I was thinking about myself. I’d often wondered why Elandor took me in after seeing the kind of person I was.

“Well, she’s a terrific mage. Is a terrific mage.” Annabel corrected herself with a smile. “I was more of a combat mage, focusing on big area-of-effect spells, but Leia knew more precise spells, and had the right minerals for them. I feel like we complimented each other perfectly. Her knowledge of magic - both theoretical and practical - was way beyond anyone else in our party. Sometimes even Axel’s.”

So, she was a genius mage - that’s why they took her in. But why did Elandor choose me? There were so many orphans on the streets of Willox. Why me, specifically? Was it just thanks to our chance encounter that day? I guess I’ll never know.

“So, you believe she’d know more about the calcite?” I asked.

A month ago, I didn’t care about the calcite’s magical properties. I just wanted to deliver it to Kase and that Tayn guy and be done with it. But now, with it bound to me until my death - and an archdemon already coming to claim it - I needed to learn as much as I could to improve my chances of survival.

She nodded, a nostalgic smile on her face. “If anyone other than Alaric Belton knows, it’s Leia.”

I knew I had to use the time before reaching Lind wisely, so I decided to ask Annabel more of the questions that had been on my mind.

“Why did Axel decide to go against him all of a sudden? Against Alaric, I mean.” I asked.

“He never trusted him.” Annabel replied quickly. But her expression darkened with anger as she continued. “That man, Alaric Belton, is evil. How he was chosen as a Champion is beyond me.”

I could tell her hatred for him ran deep. Personally, I despised him for what he’d done, but it seemed Annabel’s feelings went back further.

“From what I remember, he was a soldier in the army who almost single-handedly turned the tide in Morthryga’s war against Recandia twenty-five years ago. It makes sense they’d make him a Champion after that, doesn’t it?” I asked, trying to draw her out. Praising Alaric, even indirectly, felt wrong, but I believed it was the best way to hear her - and Axel’s - true feelings about him.

“I didn’t mean it like that. I know why he was chosen.” She clarified. “But out of all the times Axel worked with him, I’ve never seen Alaric do anything remotely heroic. It’s like he doesn’t care about human lives at all.”

“The leader of the Champions doesn’t care about his own kingdom’s people?” I said, feigning surprise. Axel had said the same thing. And in truth, it was exactly the same feeling I’d gotten from Alaric during out brief encounter in the treasury.

“Yes!” Annabel exclaimed. “Get this: one time, he and Axel were traveling near a village where a demonic breach suddenly opened. While Axel immediately jumped in to save the poor villagers from being abducted to Hell, Alaric just strolled around, ignoring their pleas and cries for help. In the end, Axel saved everyone on his own, and Alaric just smiled coldly and said, ‘I always trusted you to get the job done’.”

Her story sent a shiver down my spine, though I wasn’t surprised. I had felt and witnessed the same cold ruthlessness when we met.

“And that’s how he acted like when Axel was there.” She pointed out. “Now imagine how he behaves when no one’s around to hold him accountable. Can he really be trusted to save anyone?”

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Her words unsettled me further, but something else bothered me too. “What about the villagers? And Axel?” I asked. “They saw that he was reluctant to help. How can he still hold the status of Champion after that?”

Annabel shook her head. “Oh, Luca...What could anyone do against him? He’s probably the strongest man to ever walk the earth. I love Axel with all my heart and would never say this to him, but his belief that he’ll eventually reach Alaric’s level of power isn’t based on anything. I don’t think anyone could ever match it. It’s as if Alaric Belton was blessed by all the gods - both the gracious and the evil.”

She paused, her voice heavy with unease. “Even if the king condemned him to execution, do you really think anyone could contain him? Alaric Belton has enough power to wipe entire continents off the face of the earth if he wanted to. The fact that he can, combined with his vile character, is the most terrifying thing I can imagine.”

I nodded slowly. It was naive of me to ask. Alaric Belton was widely considered the strongest Champion among all the kingdoms - perhaps even in all of humanity’s history. The only person alive that was ever mentioned as a potential match to him was Yongdan of the Kase Kingdom, and even that was a mere speculation.

Alaric Belton was the main reason Morthryga had remained peaceful for the last two and a half decades. The last time it was in war, when Alaric was just eighteen, he single-handedly forced Recandia to surrender.

“I know you feel the same way, Luca. What you saw from him in the treasury wasn’t even a fraction of the ruthlessness he’s capable of.” Annabel said, her voice soft but knowing. Yet she immediately apologized before I could say anything. “I’m sorry. That was insensitive of me to say.”

We remained silent for a while, the weight of Alaric’s power lingering in my thoughts. It was enough to terrify me for the day, so I shifted the subject entirely.

“What’s the extent of your powers?” I asked, trying to understand how spirits like her even operated. She could always lie, but it was better than staying completely in the dark. She could use some kind of magic, evident by her barriers, magical needles, and starting the fire, but she also lacked a corporeal form. On paper, she sounded almost overpowered.

“Not much, really.” She replied simply. “I can light a fire and use some protective magic, as you’ve seen. But that’s about it.”

“What about the needles?”

“Oh, right. I can only use them against hellspawns. In general, I can’t harm humans. Or any other living being, actually.” she replied.

“Wait.” I stared at her in disbelief. “So if we got attacked by bandits right now, you wouldn’t be able to help?”

She shook her head slowly, as if we she wanted to argue but knew I was right. “Well, I wouldn’t be able to attack them. But I could still help you out somehow – maybe throw a barrier or something.”

Was she lying? Trying to make me drop my guard? It wouldn’t surprise me. I didn’t believe a word of it – there had to be more abilities she was hiding.

“Don’t worry. Nothing bad will happen.” Annabel said, sitting across from me by the fire. She reached her hands toward the flames, a soft smile on her face.

I watched her closely, confused. It seemed like she was feeling the warmth, which didn’t make sense for a spirit.

“Are you able to feel it?” I asked in surprise. “The fire?”

She chuckled. “Oh no. It’s just a habit of mine. I try to act as alive as possible - for Axel’s sake.”

Her words reminded me of earlier, when she was breathing hard after we’d exited the forest. It had seemed absurd for a ghost to be out of breath, but back then, I hadn’t been sure she was even a ghost. Now, it made more sense.

“You must really love him to do all that.” I said, thinking about the small nuances she added to her appearance just to make the man she loved feel better.

“I do.” She said, a goofy smile on her lips. “More than anyone or anything in this world. That’s probably why I’m still here, even after my death - for him.”

“Why the needle knives, though?” I asked, curious. “Did you use them when you were alive?”

She shook her head. “No. I have no idea where they came from.”

***

“I’ll keep watch. You can rest.” Annabel said when night came, her voice soft but firm. “Spirits don’t sleep, so don’t worry about me.”

For some reason, her words put my mind at ease. If she wanted to harm Ren or take her away, she could’ve done it earlier when I was busy trading with the merchant.

Still a bit reluctant, but too exhausted to resist, I allowed myself to close my eyes. Before I did, I took a loose thread from my coat and tied one end to my hand and the other to Ren’s. If someone tried to move her while I slept, it would be enough to wake me up. It wasn’t perfect, but it was the best I could think of.

And then, I fell asleep.

In my dreams, a familiar face visited me - Belferon.

The old man sat by the bonfire at that abandoned estate where we had first met. His back was to me, and he was warming his hands over the flames. But something else caught my eyes – sticking out of his neck, on the left side, was the knife I had killed him with.

It seemed like he noticed my presence and turned around to greet me, a smile on his face - the same fake smile he’d used to make me trust him in the first place.

He opened his mouth to speak, but instead of words, pained groans and gurgles came out, followed by lots of blood. He noticed it and seemed embarrassed by it, glancing down at the mess, then gripped the knife’s handle and yanked it from his neck. Blood gushed down from the open wound, spilling from his neck and mouth.

He coughed, as if trying to clear his throat from the blood, before speaking in a disturbingly jovial tone. “Come, my boy, sit with me by the fire.”

I watched his merry facade as blood continued to pour from him, pooling around his feet, but strangely, I wasn’t disturbed by it.

“It’s my fire. I don’t need your permission or invitation.” I said, stepping over the growing puddle of blood and sitting across from him.

“My, my, still as spicy as ever.” He said, laughing – and with each laugh, the stream of blood intensified.

“What in the hell are you doing here?” I asked, impatience rising.

“Keeping company for that guy.” He said, pointing toward the corner of the room.

There, heavily wounded and bleeding, sat Kenneth - the man I had tortured to death against my will. My stomach twisted at the sight of him, his horrific injuries a reminder of what I had done. Of what Lida forced me to do.

In contrast to Belferon, Kenneth was silent. At first, I thought he was dead, but no. He sat there, very much alive, his eyes fixed on me. His face was bloodied, and his chest rose slowly with each painful breath.

Belferon laughed hysterically, and the blood pouring from his neck intensified even further.

“Let him be.” He grinned, nodding toward Kenneth. “Lida got that guy’s tongue, anyway. Literally.”

“What are you really doing here?” I repeated, my patience growing thin.

“Just paying a visit to an old friend.” Belferon said, still smiling.

“We’re not friends.” I answered immediately, my voice sharp. “You disgust me. Always have.”

The puddle of blood beneath him, which had been spreading across the floor, began seeping down through the holes and cracks in the wooden boards.

Belferon looked momentarily surprised by my words, then spoke in a more serious tone. “Have I not helped you in your time of need? If it weren’t for me, Ren would’ve died shortly after our meeting.”

“You didn’t do it for us.” I shot back, refusing to accept his twisted logic. “You only did it because you were planning to sacrifice us for your own sick reasons.”

Belferon opened his mouth to argue, but before he could, a different familiar voice pierced the room, cutting him off. “Don’t bother reasoning with this two-faced liar.”

I turned, and there stood Jhad, leaning against the wall beside me. His injuries were grotesque, the gaping holes in his body revealing the wall behind him. Blood pored out from him in torrents, yet he didn’t seem bothered by it at all, as if they were a mere inconvenience.

“Bet you didn’t expect to see me here, eh, you little shit?” Jhad sneered, a sick smile spreading across his face.

“And what are you doing here?” I asked, my skin crawling at the sight of his broken, injured self.

“Do you really have the guts to ask me that?” he spat, his voice filled with rage. “You sent me to die! You knew she was an archdemon!”

“You were going to kill me!” I shouted back, trying to defend myself.

Jhad chuckled darkly. “So, your life is worth more than mine? Keep telling yourself that if it helps you sleep at night.”

Meanwhile, Belferon shrugged, the motion causing even more blood to spill from his neck, staining his clothes.

“Does it really matter why I helped you?” Belferon asked, his voice calm. “You needed help, and I provided it. Yet that didn’t stop you from killing me.”

“Oh, is that it? Is that what this is?” I snapped, anger rising. “Are you here to guilt-trip me? Then know this - I don’t feel guilty at all! I had to save myself and Ren, and you had it coming. You old bastard!”

“You say that,” Belferon laughed, his voice cold, “and yet I’m here. And so are they.”

I opened my mouth but couldn’t find the words.

The nightmare was mine, and their appearance here – Jhad, Belferon, even Kenneth - meant that somewhere deep inside, I hadn’t fully accepted their deaths, no matter what I said or believed. But, why? I had to do what I did, didn’t I? I had to kill Belferon, or Vorlexia would've taken my soul, and Ren would’ve died. And Kenneth? That wasn’t even my fault - I wasn’t in control. And Jhad? It was either me or him.

Belferon laughed before speaking. “Do you remember our talk about the echoes of our past?”

“Unfortunately.” I replied slowly, my voice tense.

“Very good.” He said with a wicked smile. “Because now it seems like we’ll be the echoes you carry for the rest of your life. And I wonder...how many more echoes will join us here to haunt you in your nightmares?”

***

Annabel woke me as the first rays of sunshine broke through the trees.

“I’m sorry I woke you up so early, Luca, but since we took so many breaks yesterday, I thought we should start today’s journey as early as possible.” She said, quickly adding. “And it’s not like I blame you or anything. I wish I could be more helpful to you.”

I nodded groggily, slowly rising from the ground.

I felt so tired. My nightmares had made sure that I wasn’t as rested as I’d hoped and left me sick.

I untied the thread between Ren and me, and considered continuing the training routine I’d started in Vedem, but the sharp pain in my body reminded me it wasn’t a good idea yet.

“Take a break, will you?” Annabel scolded gently. “Let your body heal first.”

I nodded reluctantly. “Yeah.”

I took another turmibark pill, washing it down with water before tying the food sack around my arm and slipping the waterskin into my coat pocket. Then, I lifted Ren onto my back in a piggy-back, ready to continue.

“Do you think we’ll make it today?” I asked.

Annabel looked thoughtful. “I’m not so sure...Maybe by evening, but only if we keep going most of the day with little to no breaks. It’s going to be hard for you, so tomorrow afternoon might be more likely.”

“Then, we’ll make it today.” I said determinedly.

“But, Luca, you’re pretty hurt. You shouldn’t push yourself too much.” She said, her tone filled with worry.

“I’ll be fine.” I said confidently. “We’ll make it today.”

I was willing to push through the pain to get us to Lind. We had to make it there today. This time, I had a good feeling - Lind wouldn’t be a repeat of Vedem. I’m sure.

I would suffer as much as needed if it meant reaching a healer today. And if the pain became unbearable, I’d take another pill and push through it.