The two bounty hunters laughed, tears streaming down their dirty faces with trails of brown.
Mythia wondered if they had any idea that they had captured both the queen of Terra and the leader of the Rejicio. Something told her if they did, they'd be halfway to Trigonus by now. She tugged again at the ropes, wishing desperately to have a wack at them with her magic. She watched as the man continued to sharpen his blade, which ended in a tip so long and narrow it made her shudder. A trip to Trigonus suddenly didn't seem as bad as being cut up and cooked with the herbs the woman was now pouring a bucket of water over. "I demand that you untie me." Bello’s eyebrows shot up into her forehead. Zane snickered.
“Who exactly are you?” the man asked suspiciously. He glanced over at Zane. “Most new recruits don’t have such a big mouth…”
Zane swallowed, but Mythia opened her mouth before he could. “I am the queen of Terra and that is the leader of the Rejicio. You had better untie us before our guards arrive, which should be shortly.”
The two bounty hunters looked at eachother for a moment before bursting out with laughter. “How could that be?" the woman asked. "When I'm the queen of Terra." She ruffled her dirty hair and puckered her lips in a revolting manner.
"Don't listen to her," Bello said suddenly. Mythia glared at her. "What I am curious to know is who you both are. You look familiar."
"The name's Luvenca," the woman answered. She pushed her filthy foot onto her husband, who held the long narrow knife with a sneer. "And this is Kay."
Bello sat up straighter, wincing in pain as she did so. “I know you..."
"Maybe. We used to live in a Rejicio campsite, in the eastern woods,” Kay said slowly. He then pushed himself up and walked over to Zane, placing his hands on his hips. "With our two sons."
Mythia stared at Zane. “Are these your-”
“Parents?” Zane sighed. “Yeah.”
“Zane, don't forget who took you in when these imbeciles-,” Bello started to say, but Kay kicked at her across the face. The skin around her eye swelled immediately.
“Damn the Rejicio.” He spat at her. Bello sat straight and resolute, despite the painful bruise forming on her face. She looked livid.
“Father!” Zane yelled. “You were kicked out from the Rejicio because what you are doing is wrong. I tried to tell you. Miles tried to tell you. You never listened."
“The Rejicio was supposed to be a place where we could be ourselves,” Luvenca replied. “Clearly that was a lie. Becoming bounty hunters has been the best decision we've ever made. All the gold and flesh we can dream of...”
Zane rolled his eyes. "And completely dissolving any relationship you had with your sons and friends. Great choice."
Mythia watched as Zane’s parents glared at him, full of hate and hurt. She looked over at Bello, broken and bruised, but still full of pride. "Is your hunger for gold and guts really stronger than your love for your own children?"
Zane glanced at her curiously. “I've often wondered the same thing."
Kay scowled at his son. “That’s the talk of a child, Zane. Love is something from fairy tales, it will never happen amongst human beings. They’re too selfish. All you can do is stick to those who won't stop you from getting what you want. That's the closest to love you can ever get.” He walked back toward Bello and stared down at her, his brown eyes blazing in hunger. Luvenca watched with abated breath as Kay raised his long blade and directed it toward Bello. He pulled his hand back through the air, then suddenly froze. A look of fear crossed his face as a blast of wind pushed him out of the way. He tumbled back, screaming, and landed in an unconscious heap on the needle strewn floor.
A loud shuffling brought forth Miles, Krea, and Ten from in between the pine trees. Miles had his hands stretched out, a look of pure loathsome at his father who lay tangled up on the ground.
“You're wrong father. I'm sorry you'll never understand that,” he said slowly. Kay remained still with his eyes shut, but his chest was moving. He had been knocked out cold. Luvenca stared wildly at the newcomers before tugging at her husband, trying desperately to revive him. Krea ran over to Bello and untied her. Ten cut at Mythia’s ropes with a pocket knife. Miles stared angrily at his parents before rushing over to help his brother.
Shaking the dirt off themselves, they stood up. Krea had to help Bello steady herself on her feet. Miles and Zane shot one last disappointed look at their mother who was still trying to shake Kay awake, before they all turned away and hurried out of the forest.
◆◆◆
The Doctrine settled himself back by Titus’s side. He shuffled close to him and nodded. Titus gave his three fiery beasts one last dance high up into the sky, the bounty hunters’ heads all tilting back, their eyes locked on the flaming beasts. Before they could tear their eyes away, Titus tugged on the Doctrine’s arm and they dashed between an opening between the hunters.
The three fiery beasts suddenly went out in a puff of smoke. The bounty hunters shook themselves out of the peaceful reverie that had consumed them before realizing their prisoners were escaping.
“GET THEM!” Lurco bellowed. The hunters pulled back their bows and shot at the escapees. Titus grabbed the Doctrine out of the way of a whooshing arrow just in time. They pushed their legs as fast as they could go, as arrow after arrow whizzed by.
“Did you find the manuscript?” Titus yelled, clutching at his side as they ran.
“Yes,” the Doctrine replied between gasps. “And what I found… was disturbing.”
Titus ducked as another arrow flew past his head. “How so?” They leapt over the crumbling stone wall and out of Fenniks, down the dirt path. The bounty hunters still chasing them.
“You know the peaceful kingdom we both dream of?” the Doctrine asked, pulling in one breath after another with each stride.
“Yes, the city of Pax,” Titus answered.
“The manuscript mentioned it, but it said Mythia must travel there.”
Titus frowned at him for a moment before whipping his face behind them to glance at the bounty hunters. They had slowed down to retrieve the fallen arrows and refill their sheaths. “What does that mean?”
The Doctrine slowed slightly to catch his breath but kept up a steady jog. “It means the Kingdom of Terra will never be Pax. It means… it's somewhere else.”
Titus suddenly stopped in his tracks, his eyes round. His eyebrows knitted together, forming a confused frown.
His frown stayed pasted to his face as he fell to the ground, an arrow sticking up from his back.
◆◆◆
“How much time do we have till the tournament?” Mythia asked as they made their way into the northern woods. The pine trees had changed to white birch. They were nearing the mountains as day slowly turned to night. The cold northern air greeted them with a chilly flurry.
Bello glanced at the darkening sky, her left eye nearly swollen shut. “It’s tomorrow. We wasted an entire precious day, thanks to those fools.” Her eyes were full of venom.
“Shouldn’t we cancel the attack?” Krea asked nervously, taking in Bello’s injuries.
“No,” Bello said resolutely. “This is too great of an opportunity to miss. The king’s good mood and lightened security around Trigonus won’t last long.” She peered over at Mythia.
A light flurry swirled through the air as they reached the mountains. They clamored into Rejicio City, the thick mountain walls casting a sense of security from the outside world. Rejicio people ran up to them, quickly bringing ice and medicine to Bello. Others offered the group water and food. Mythia took a goblet full of water and gulped it down thirstily. She handed back the empty goblet to the old woman that had offered it and thanked her profusely.
“So,” Zane suddenly said to Mythia, Krea, and Ten. Miles crossed his arms over his chest. “You met our parents.”
“Lovely couple,” Miles added. “Especially once you really get to know them… I imagine Bello will send out some soldiers to hunt them down for c
apturing her.”
“Yeah, such a shame. They were really swell people to grow up with. I’m sure you can imagine.” Zane scratched the back of his head.
“Well, you two turned out all right considering what you were raised by,” Krea mentioned, casually throwing a smile at Miles who returned it easily.
“How did you end up with us, anyway?” Mythia suddenly asked Zane.
“Just as you and Bello were walking out, I decided I could use some fresh air… I left the mountain just as my father clamored you both on the head. I tried to stop them… guess that earned me a hit to the head too.” He pointed at a large, tender lump just visible beneath his red hair.
“Being the good big brother that I am,” Miles chimed in, “I noticed Zane walking out so I followed him. Apparently Krea and Ten were close behind. We followed their trail pretty easily, since you three were apparently dragged by ropes the entire way and good ol’ ma and pa didn’t bother to cover their tracks.” Miles looked bashfully down at Mythia, as though waiting to be scolded for his parents’ actions.
“Thank you,” Mythia said, taking him by surprise. She looked around at all four of them. “All of you.”
“Mythia,” Ten said quietly. “Do you have any idea what you mean to us? To the entire kingdom?” He placed his hand on her shoulder and peered down at her from his great height. “You give us hope. You give the whole of Terra hope. Without you… there is no future for anyone. You are the righteous queen of Terra, and we will do all we can to keep you safe.” His once somber face was filled with a new spark as he smiled down at her, the other three nodding their heads in agreement.
Another hand appeared on Mythia’s shoulder. She turned around to see Bello standing there, holding a chunk of ice to her face. “Take your recruits home. You all need to be well rested for tomorrow. We leave before the sun rises. Don’t let what happened today interfere with our plans.” Mythia’s heart plummeted through a gaping hole in her stomach as Bello turned back toward the group of concerned Rejicio. Mythia looked at the faces of her friends, a sudden sense of doom impending upon them all.
Try as they did, no one could sleep that night. Ten, Miles, and Zane ended up sharing the same room as Krea and Mythia. They dragged their mattresses onto the floor from their original bedroom, ignoring the raised eyebrows and snide remarks from the rest of the male recruits.
Ten lay with his arms behind his head, staring at the ceiling, deep in thought. Miles placed his mattress strategically close to Krea’s, so Zane placed his practically on top of his brother’s. Mythia lay on her side, watching her recruits, wondering which of them, if any, would still be alive this time tomorrow.
The door slowly opened and Eldrid walked in. The boys sat straight up, thinking for a moment they were in trouble, but Eldrid raised his hand and gave them a kind smile. He sat on the edge of Mythia’s bed.
“In a few hours we leave.” His voice was low, but not somber. The torchlight flickered against his eyes. “We should make it to Trigonus by noon, where we meet our enemy in the front line. Don’t forget we’re the ones with the upper hand. We will be catching them by surprise when they’re at their most vulnerable, and we have magic.” He glanced down at Ten who was frowning at his own hands. “And those of us without magic have something else they don’t have.” Ten looked up at him, frowning in the dark. “We have purpose.” He stood up. His smile turning more serious. “We fight to end the king’s hateful and violent reign. They fight to keep it, despite them not all agreeing with it. Our purpose is stronger.” He walked toward the door and lingered in the doorway for a moment. “You might not sleep tonight. But at least you can relish these last few hours of safety with each other.” He smiled and left, closing the door behind him, leaving a trace of his wisdom as his words hung in the air.
◆◆◆
The Doctrine dragged his friend on his belly into the thickest set of trees he could find. Titus was far heavier than he was able to lift, with his bulking muscles and tall stature, but the Doctrine pulled him deep enough into the woods to hide him well. He covered Titus with brown soggy leaves and fallen branches and crouched down low as the bounty hunters flew straight past them, running aimlessly into the woods. He waited until silence had shrouded the trees and the ground was still for more than a few minutes, before throwing the leaves and sticks off of Titus and studying the damage the arrow wedged in his back had caused. The blood flow wasn’t bad, but he suspected that the arrow was stopping him from bleeding out even more. If only he had healing powers. If only Mythia were here… did she even remember her powers yet? Did she even remember him?
He took in a deep breath and glanced anxiously around for wild herbs. Anything to help his friend from his impending death. He tore off one of the legs on his pants and tied it tightly around Titus to stop the blood flow before pulling out the arrow. Carefully, slowly, one millimeter at a time. Blood spurted out the second it left his skin with a loud squelch, but the Doctrine was ready. He wrapped the extra fabric around the arrow and twisted it tightly, creating a tourniquet. The linen was immediately soaked in red. The Doctrine shook and collapsed onto his knees. Tears swelled behind his eyes, but he pushed them back, choking on them. Titus’s breathing was getting shallower by the moment. He ripped off his other pant leg and held it against the wound, pressing on it with all his strength. Glancing wildly around now, desperate for yarrow, knowing that all the herbs and flowers were long gone with the coming of fall.
He lay down upon his friend, shaking with sobs as they took over. The feeling of utter helplessness cascaded over him. He pulled from deep within himself, whatever ounce of magic he had and pushed it into Titus’s back. Mentally filling the wound with a gift he did not possess. Grasping at fictional straws.
Titus’s breathing slowed down to a stop. The Doctrine gasped, and gently pulled himself off his back. He stared at his friend’s face and got a sudden shock when Titus’s brown eyes were staring straight back at his.
“Didn’t realize how much you cared,” Titus blurted out. His voice was hoarse, but stronger than the Doctrine dared to believe. He ducked back down and checked Titus’s pulse. His thumb grasped around his friend’s wrist, slipping from all the blood on his hand, and felt a slow pump. Slow, but stable.
He watched as Titus’s eyes rolled back and his breathing became steady until he fell asleep. The Doctrine settled in with one hand resting reassuringly on Titus’s back to make sure the steady movements of each breath did not cease, before allowing himself to close his own eyes.
“Rest, my friend,” the Doctrine muttered. “For in sleep the body heals most forgivingly.”
15. PATER’S BLESSING
It was too soon, too fast. If anyone slept, it was immediately interrupted by horrifyingly vivid nightmares and panicked, pounding hearts. Eldrid was in their room gently waking them up far too suddenly, the moments in between his appearances fleeting through their fingers like water lifted from a spring. Trickling away too quickly. They relished every fallen drop.
Mythia shook as she pulled on her battle gear. Dark tunic, full length chainmail, thick tights. Heavy boots. She wished Ventus was there to do her hair as she pulled it back into a braid, tucking it under and wrapping it around itself to create a tight bun at the nape of her neck. A familiar sense overwhelmed her, a vague memory of her pounding heart on the morning of her marriage to the king. She trembled at the thought, her memories still sketchy and broken with long pieces fallen out like shattered glass. Why did she do it? Why did she marry the king? She could not pull enough strings from her mind to remember a reason. The something within her stirred again, feasting on the delicious thoughts as she struggled to pull up more memories out from the abyss of her mind.
She tucked her helmet under her arm and waited patiently for her friends to finish dressing, their voices silent apart from the occasional half-hearted sarcastic joke thrown in to cut the thick tension. They walked into the kitchen to a great heaping of fried eggs, bacon, buttered toast, and tea. An
extra special breakfast for the recruits. Mythia couldn’t help but wonder whose last meal this would be. How many Rejicio soldiers were waking and eating for their last time at that very moment? She made sure to push her fellow recruits to eat second and third helpings, hardly touching the food herself, but letting the tea fill her with a false sense of internal comfort. She refilled her cup a few times until her jitteriness was more from the caffeine than from her actual nerves.
Mythia looked around at the rest of the recruits, regretting never getting to even know their names. Wondering if it was better this way in case any of them ended up dead during battle, until Eldrid stepped up and tapped his goblet with a knife. The somber room fell even more silent as they turned to face him.
“It’s been short, but an honor,” Eldrid said. His voice was strong and clear. “In better times, I would have never thrown my newest recruits into battle so soon, and so unprepared. But the kingdom is falling, and this new order must be stopped.” He looked into each of the twelve recruits’ eyes, giving them all a moment of his attention. “I do believe you have all learned and grown most impressively, given the very few days of training you’ve received. I have watched as many of you overcame weaknesses.” His eyes landed on Ten, who stood awkwardly with a cup of tea halfway to his mouth. “Those who once singled themselves out have grown to work as a true and most loyal member of a team.” His eyes smoothed over to Krea. “And those who once thought they were not good enough, have realized their irreplaceable worth.” Krea beamed so brightly her blue eyes lit up the room.
Eldrid cleared his throat and started to pace. He appeared to be considering something before walking across the large kitchen and reaching into his pocket. He stopped in front of Mythia.
“There is something you all must know before we venture out into the face of battle and possibly the face of our deaths.” The recruits stared at him, wonderingly. Eldrid pulled out a shimmering crown with thin, crisscrossing triangles. “The queen fights amongst us today.” He gently placed the crown upon Mythia’s head.
Mythia: and the Awakened Beast Page 19
