by Thomas Green
Luna gulped. She searched for a sign of levity in Miranda’s eyes, finding nothing but cold rage. “No. I like living.”
“Then why are you acting as if you don’t?”
Luna sighed, her insides clenching. “I don’t know. To sneak away from you to go to the arena was stupid, but I had to do it, anyway.”
“Why?”
Luna closed her eyes and clenched her arms tight around Miranda’s back, doing her best to ignore the dagger’s tip that was touching her skin. “Xona was my last place to go. I’m a known human-eating monster in Grimdawn, and a wanted murderer in Cinderwell, Redwall, Slupsey, and Illysaeas. Xona was the only large city where I’ve been and am not unwelcomed. If Salazar puts a bounty on me, I have nowhere to go once the tournament ends.”
Miranda scoffed. “It’s not like the continent is made of six cities.”
Luna sighed. “But it’s these lands where I want to live, where I know people, where I’m not a total nobody. I wanted to build on the tournament to get… somewhere. To run away would make the whole effort a waste of time.” A tear slid down her face. “And another huge failure added to my name.”
“What about me? Hmm? I don’t see myself figuring in any of these alternatives.”
Luna forced out an awkward smile. “I can’t tell if you care about me or if I am just a mission for you.”
Miranda gawked, her eyes glistening. “What?”
Luna shrugged. “I can’t judge when you lie to me and when you don’t. Back in Xona, you both rejected me and kissed me like you loved me on the same day. I believed you both times, which means you can fake emotions to the point where I cannot tell whether they are real or not.”
A tear slid down Miranda’s face while she threw the dagger away. Luna noticed something new in her eyes beyond the ever-present rage. Pain. Not the physical pain, not a momentary flash of pain, but a glimpse of something more, something darker. Like an infinite thunder echoing through Miranda’s soul.
Luna paused, her mind filling with guilt. “I’m sorry.”
Miranda shook her head, turning sad. “Don’t be. This is my… problem.”
Luna cleared the hair from Miranda’s face. “You have forgotten how to have a real relationship, haven’t you?”
“You are no better. And no, animals don’t count.”
Luna laughed and raised an eyebrow.
“Okay, okay… okay. I’m bad at this, but I’m trying.”
“Did you think it was a good idea to put a dagger to my throat the second I woke up?”
“The part where I come up with great ideas that turn out to be stupid hasn’t changed. That was one of them.” Miranda’s expression twisted into a vicious grin. “And on a side note, the face you made was worth it, and it made you honest for a few seconds. Because normally, there is no honest person between the two of us.”
Luna laughed. “Yeah. Being a human-eating monster, I’m usually the evilest person in the room. Not next to you though.”
Miranda drew a sharp breath, but then slowly exhaled instead of exploding like Luna expected. “Maybe. Anyway, I will be honest for now. Don’t get used to it because I don’t do that very often. Yes, you started as a mission on which Lucas sent me because the archbishop reminded him we are supposed to be good people. So, yes, I played with your feelings to make you do our missions because you were easily disposable in case something went wrong.”
Luna pressed her naked chest closer to Miranda's, sensing how the rhythm of her heartbeat changed when she lied. “True, except for the reason you are saying.”
Miranda paused, gawking. “How did you tell?”
Luna rolled her over, getting on top of Miranda, putting her face an inch before hers. “That’s a secret. Now, tell me the truth.”
Miranda sighed. “Lucas called me on not having a relationship in thirty years and set me up with you.”
Luna realized she had it backward. Miranda didn’t suppress the heartbeat to lie, but instead, for her lying was so normal she was nervous and uncomfortable when telling the truth. “I thought I was a pile of mess.”
“Oh, you are. And it’s so sweet I can’t help myself.”
“Why?”
“I can’t help everyone. I can’t make the world a better place.” Miranda’s eyes wandered to the side, peering at the wall. “But I saw I could help you… and got caught in it.”
Luna dove onto her neck, sucking in the skin to leave behind a bright love-bite, making Miranda tremble with her heartbeat speeding up. She couldn’t help herself but relax. “So, what do we do?”
“You join the Order, get the bindings redone, and we figure out this relationship thing afterward.”
Luna’s face split into an awkward smile. She never wanted to become a soldier. Among others, her father was a former general, an excessively famous one, so becoming a lesser version of him was the last thing she ever desired. Yet no matter from what angle she thought about it, she was short on alternatives. Her original plan to have her bindings redone as a payment for all the missions she had done for the Order and then quit to live a normal life was gone. Unless Salazar had decided to forgive her, she was a wanted criminal everywhere she cared about, so she had nowhere to go. She couldn’t answer Miranda before knowing what Salazar would do, but she also had to say something. “What would I have to do to join?”
“You fill a few papers and my girls will process them.”
Luna noticed Miranda’s heartbeat steady as she spoke, making her own heart stop. “What part of this was a lie?”
Miranda raised her chin. “None.”
“This can never work if we keep lying to each other.”
Miranda rolled her eyes. “I may have taken care of the paperwork already.”
Luna wondered why everyone insisted on making decisions for her. Especially the ones she would have never made. She found no strength to fight her over it, so as she saw no better answer, she merely stared blankly at Miranda. “You signed me into the army without asking me?”
“Ehhh… well… perhaps.”
“What would you do if I changed my mind?”
Miranda shrugged. “I would have convinced you. I’m good at that.”
Luna wished the second part wasn’t a lie. “And?”
Miranda pierced Luna with her gaze. “I don’t know how you are checking if I’m lying or not, but stop it, now!”
“No.”
“You are such an annoying little runt.” Miranda gave her a long glare, but as Luna didn’t yield, she continued. “And you have nowhere else to go.”
Luna squinted. “How do you know that?”
“After the insane aether fuckfest that was the arena fight, Salazar came to visit your cell. He didn’t kill you, but as I was coming to pick you up, I heard him saying you weren’t welcome in his lands.”
Emptiness devoured Luna’s insides. She hoped, prayed that this wouldn’t have been the case. It was, making her eyes wet and stingy. “You don’t have to be so blunt about it.”
Miranda laughed so callously it made Luna’s blood freeze. “Stop calling me out on lying, and we can go away from the uncomfortable truth.”
“No.” Luna closed her eyes. “Let’s keep going. Do you like me?”
Miranda caught Luna by her nape and pulled her in to match her gaze. “I do.”
Luna’s cheeks heated, looking down while her heart sped into a frenzy. That wasn’t a lie. “Okay, I will join the Order.”
Miranda’s lips caught onto Luna’s, washing away her worries, putting her soul to peace.
39
Raven
The freezing grip of backlash held Raven’s insides. Yet departure for Illysaeas, the time to go home had come. He put on his armor, took the package that contained the remains of Nibbles and headed toward the meeting point. I am sorry, my friend, but we have one more trip ahead of us.
He met Samantha along the way. She greeted him with a broad smile. “Oh, God, finally! I was so worried about you!”
Raven smiled. “So
rry to have made you worried, Sam.”
She approached to support him from under his shoulder, but he pushed her way.
“I can walk by myself.” He led the way to the meeting point.
Only Prince Stallington and his servants were present. The slaves were loading up the wooden carriage while the prince stood by a white warhorse. He threw Raven a curious smile. “Was it necessary to beat up your own team?”
He smiled. “Yes.”
The prince nodded, his face grim. “Finubar and his group left this morning, and a crimson-haired woman took Luna away from Samantha’s chambers, so we are all who remain. I have prepared a noble steed for your ride home, and I wonder whether my effort was futile?”
Raven shrugged and approached the tall stallion. He put his hand onto the saddle and flung himself onto the horse. The warhorse reared up, knocking him down on his back.
Samantha stifled a laugh while Prince Stallington extended him a hand to help him rise to his feet. “You need to take it slower. First, let the animal come to know you, then get up, but do so gently, like you would mount a lover.”
Raven took his hand, careful not to knock the old man over.
Stallington fished an apple out of his robes and handed it to him. “Here, try feeding it the apple.”
Raven approached the horse, this time, carefully. After petting, the steed accepted the apple from his palm, and half an hour later, he mounted the steed once more.
His vision shifted. Within an instant, the stone room disappeared, and Raven gazed upon a massive field in front of him. He glanced over his shoulder to see a humongous army at his back, stretching from one horizon to another. Men, horses, creatures he had never seen, all stood behind him in formed ranks. On their banners shone the symbol of the sun, the symbol of Alnil.
On a black horse next to him sat a blonde woman, wearing blue robes while holding a glaive over her shoulder. As his gaze slid over her elegant form, they fixed upon a shield hanging by her horse’s back. On the polished steel, he saw a reflection of his face. The exact image of heavenly beauty he used to conjure with his aether. Yet this one wasn’t fake. He stared at her, mouth gaping while she threw him a wicked smile. “You just had to start a war over a dog, didn’t you?”
Raven blinked, and his vision returned to normal. He was still in the arena complex, staring at a barren stone wall.
“You look like you have seen a ghost,” Stallington said, bringing Raven back to his senses.
Raven leapt down the horse. Without a word or looking around, he entered the cage they used to transport him and let them cover it with thick, black cloth.
***
The image kept haunting Raven. Days had passed, but he could not get it out of his head.
“How much do you want to kill me?” the familiar voice of Luna dragged him out of his thoughts.
Anger flared within him, searing his insides. “Never in my life have I ever wanted to kill someone as badly as I want to kill you now.”
She gulped. “Are you going to?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Wouldn’t help.”
The cloth covering his cage slid to a side, revealing Luna standing next to it, wearing her brigandine with her mud brown hair flowing freely. She opened the bars, entered and sat down next to him. “I am sorry about what I had done.”
A faint smile split Raven’s face. “I’m not.”
“You shouldn’t be.” She returned his smile. “So, what happened?”
“What do you mean?”
“I have never seen you this confused.”
He shook his head, knowing she was right. “Ever since you… killed Nibbles, I’ve been having visions.”
“Visions?”
“Not sure how to call them. They are like memories of someone else.”
Luna frowned, scanning him with an inquisitive stare. “Given that you are the man who isn’t disturbed by being raised That doesn’t sound like enough to disturb you.”
“He has my face. But not this one.” He focused and covered his face with his aether, conjuring the image of heavenly beauty. “This one.”
“I thought that visage was random.”
“Me too. And there’s more. Whoever’s memories I’m seeing feels aether around him the same way I do and has an aether manifestation identical to mine. It’s like he is… me, but isn’t at the same time.”
Luna raised an eyebrow while she formed a devious smile. “I’ve got no idea what this is about, but this sounds like something for which you need a drink, and I happened to glimpse a wine barrel at one of the wagons.”
Raven nodded. They walked out of the cage into the night. As the convoy lay asleep, they had no issues taking the barrel and pouring themselves each a mug of wine. Its taste was sharp and strong, making Raven wonder what everyone sees in the drink.
Luna smiled. “Stallington sure knows how to pick the wine.”
He stared into the mug, wondering what the difference between good and bad wine was. He doubted he would ever find out. The thought vanished from his mind as its focus returned to the blue-robed woman. There was something about her that made his mind refuse to abandon thinking of her.
As Luna toyed with the mug, looking at the wine splashing within, she said. “I don’t know whose memories you are seeing or why. But I know you won’t find the answer by slaving around for Stallington.”
Raven’s expression turned sour. She was right. But he didn’t feel ready to leave. The path he walked in the prince’s name had yet to end, and he wanted to see where it led. “I don’t know.”
Samantha, awoken by the noise, approached them from behind the wagon, throwing them a wicked smile. “Stealing the prince’s wine?”
Raven’s cheeks flared, turning his gaze to the ground. Luna grabbed a mug, filled it with wine and handed it to Samantha. “An offering for silence.”
Samantha sighed, took the mug and sat next to them. They drank and chatted for most of the night. When they were sufficiently inebriated, Raven turned to Samantha. “If I leave, will you come with me?”
Luna’s cheeks flushed while she tried to appear invisible. Samantha formed a tight smile, gazing into the distance with glazed eyes. “I am old, Raven. I have spent my whole life serving Stallington, and I will never do anything else.”
“Not an answer.”
She sighed. “I can’t. Even if you gain your freedom, I won’t get mine.”
Raven smiled. “Will set you free as soon as I can.”
“No… don’t. Don’t waste effort on me.”
“Why not?”
Samantha shook her head, her wrinkles deepening. “Because I would hold you back. I would be like a heavy ball shackled to your leg.”
“Can go slower.”
“But you shouldn’t. You are the type of man who can change the world. I know it sounds insane now, but it isn’t. In Redwall, you fought one of the most powerful men in the world and won. You don’t need an old woman clinging onto you.”
“Need a healer though.”
Samantha’s eyes sharpened. “No, you don’t. You need to stop getting intentionally hit so you can see me.”
Raven shook his head but said nothing while Luna decided their discussion was much less interesting than the wine.
“I know you have been doing that for past about eight to nine years. I had tested you and took a long time healing you when you came with a broken rib. Ever since then, you suffered ten times more cracked ribs than before. It is sweet, Raven, really… but it’s not real. I think the only one who truly hit you in the arena was Salazar. I understand why you let everyone else land a few hits on you since it’s a good way to make the matches more interesting and it also allowed you to see me after every match, but that doesn’t turn it into a reality.”
Raven held Samantha’s gaze. “Don’t you want to see your children?”
Her wrinkles deepened. “I do, but that doesn’t matter. They would neither recognize me nor believe me.
They think I died forty years ago.”
Luna spat wine and gasped. “What?”
Samantha turned to her. “Right, you don’t know. I became a slave to pay off my debts. By that time, I was seventeen and already had two sons, one and two years old. I sold myself to slavery, to Stallington.”
Raven arched an eyebrow as his chest tightened. “That’s not what you told me the last time.”
The smile Samantha threw him was a lot of things but neither guilty nor apologetic. “You are a good man, Raven, so you would have tried to do something about it. But I have never wanted you to do anything about me, for this arrangement suits me. I was to be Stallington’s slave for ten years. I struck a deal with him after four. He pays me like a regular healer, and I work for him while he sends all my pay to my family. And it works wonderfully since my sons have both studied at a college in Xona for that money. Now, I have five grandchildren, who all study well, all thanks to the amount of gold Stallington still pays to my husband for my work. I have had a good life, Raven, and I want to finish it the way I have chosen to live it.”
Raven sighed. “I am sorry.”
“You shouldn’t be. Neither am I. We made ourselves a pretty world crafted from little lies, and it has been working great. It’s just… I feel that it will end with this tournament, so I figured we should clean things up before that.”
“Why should anything change?”
Samantha smiled. “It will. I don’t know what, but it will. What I want from you is to promise me you will not try to free me.”
Raven formed a sour face and said nothing. He disagreed, but it felt too selfish to say no.
“Oh, come on, you owe me at least this little.”
“Alright, I promise,” Raven said, his heart sinking. “I disagree with it, but I promise I won’t try to free you.”
Samantha emptied her mug and went back to sleep. Once the sound of her steps left the air, he turned to Luna. “May I ask you for a favor?”
“Sure.”
“Need two things. First, visit the Masters of Contracts guild and check Act 5791C.498Z. It should be the official record of Jonathan’s challenge to me, and I need to verify it’s still valid. If it is, please have them send someone to the finals with its copy. Second, find where Samantha’s husband lives. I want to see the result of her sacrifice with my own eyes.”
