Rebirth of the Heroes

by NAK Baldron

  It's all my fault.

  CHAPTER FOURTY-EIGHT

  Amethyst Nation, Fencura

  Kaito-Tanken Akio,

  You should be receiving this in conjunction with another letter I wrote beforehand. They cut us off from outside contact until this point.

  I trust you've been upholding the clan's honor, and doing as you see fit with our holdings. Being away from Shinzo is proving harder than I imagined. The lack of your council has been most troubling.

  Ren isn't adapting well, and seems to have developed a block from being able to use his powers. The constant demand for learning and practice means we don't have much time to socialize. He is under such stress that I wouldn't want to burden him further with my own issues.

  Have you found an advisor of your own? Don't try to hold in your concerns and run the clan by yourself. I know I left you ill-prepared to take over, but you must find your own First Sworn. I'll return as soon as possible. Stronger than ever. But until that day, it's up to you Akio.

  Stay Strong,

  — Shaya

  She folded the letter into a tiny square, and used the wax provided to seal it, but without a mark. The clan seal she would normally use was back in Shinzo, and now the property of Akio.

  A hard truth to accept.

  * * *

  Nadia hadn't exaggerated. The source-light bathed the courtyard in a hot golden light. It appeared that nearly every sorcerer was outside enjoying the fine weather. Over one hundred sorcerers walked about on the other side of the courtyard past the fountain—only a few wore their robes, most choosing to wear far more revealing outfits. Not unlike those worn on the smaller islands of the Sapphire Nation—highly practical, but too undignified to be seen on Shinzo.

  After nearly an hour of tanning in the light, Shaya saw Nadia crossing the boundary line from the main courtyard to the apprentice's side. Dressed in a tight-fitting top, which revealed her pale stomach and shorts, Nadia looked like a woman on vacation, not the sorcerer in charge of the new batch of apprentices.

  "Hello," Nadia said cheerfully. "Are you enjoying the warmth?"

  "Yes," Shaya said.

  It had been so long since she felt the warmth of the source-light and her body had missed it dearly. Aside from the rainy season, Shinzo was always warm during the day, and cool at night. Perfect weather by all accounts. Even from those few tourists they received.

  Shaya got to her feet as Nadia was passing, who turned back. "Are you waiting on me?"

  "I have two letters." Shaya produced them from inside her pants.

  A semi-translucent blouse was as far as she was willing to push etiquette. As a former Thief Lord, the other Thief Lords would expect her to carry herself with dignity befitting the station, and dressing as a commoner on the beach wouldn't do. Failure to live up to their expectations would make Akio's position even more precarious. She refused to do anything else that would make his life harder.

  Nadia took the letters and flipped them over to read to whom they were addressed too. "I will see to it that Kaito-Tanken Akio receives these."

  "Thank you." Shaya bowed.

  "It must be hard on you."

  "Excuse me?"

  Nadia continued walking away and called over her back, "Giving up your position as Kaito-Tanken."

  Shaya opened her mouth to speak, but no words came forth. There was nothing to say to that. She hadn't realized Nadia knew of her past.

  Do all the sorcerers know?

  Shaya watched as Nadia walked to the twins.

  Are they fighting?

  INTERLUDE VII

  Emerald Nation, Fencura

  When the twins reached their common room, Abaze collapsed on the couch and stared at the ceiling. Adaku took a seat next to him. Despair clung about the room as they both thought of their mother, who could no longer be an aid to their sides. Mitaire continued to rise in Abaze's mind. He'd lost two loves of his life within a matter of a day.

  Adaku hugged her brother, then stared at the ceiling with her brother. Both felt overwhelmed and weren't sure what to do. Adaku wanted to consul her brother but wasn't sure how, settling for resting her hand on his shoulder.

  I'm so sorry, Abaze, Adaku transmitted. I wish there was something that we could do to convince father that Mitaire is a worthy girl.

  It would be pointless, Abaze transmitted. If I ever mention her name around him, he'll have her killed within the hour.

  I believe you're right, Adaku transmitted.

  I could run away with her, Abaze transmitted.

  Father would learn of anyone close to her and torture them until someone cracked, Adaku transmitted. Then anyone attached to her would die a gruesome death before father's men tracked you down. You'd have to take her entire family, but that would make you far easier to find.

  You're right, Abaze transmitted. It wouldn't be fair to her family.

  Adaku reached up and stroked Abaze's hair. Maybe we should find something to get our minds off things?

  I need to talk with Mitaire, Abaze transmitted. I need to tell her I can't ever see her again.

  Would you like me to go with you? Adaku transmitted.

  No, I need to do this alone, Abaze transmitted. But thank you for not telling father about me and her.

  Of course, Adaku transmitted. Blood is all that matters.

  If only dad understood what that truly meant, Abaze transmitted.

  I'm very disappointed about how far father has been willing to go, Adaku transmitted. I knew he could be hard, but I wasn't sure he would ever publicly kill someone over love. He's proved me wrong.

  I'll help get you out of the castle so that nobody can get to you, Adaku transmitted. But you need to promise me that this will be the last time.

  Father knows that I'm going out to break my relationship with Mitaire, Abaze transmitted.

  I don't think he meant for you to talk to her, Adaku transmitted. I believe he wanted you to forget about her and damn her feelings.

  I can't do that, Abaze transmitted. That wouldn't be right to her.

  You need to wait for the right moment, Adaku transmitted.

  After mom's funeral, Abaze transmitted.

  * * *

  The source-light rose to the zenith in the sky, bringing a warm day while not fighting any clouds. The wind carried the sweet smell of recently bloomed flowers. Those who had gathered for Rayowa's funeral stood by the open hole that had been dug the day prior, near the great tree.

  Abaze and Adaku had assumed there would be a significantly larger gathering for their mother's funeral, but only them, their father, a few of his advisors, Kelechi, and a priest were there for the burial. Even though the source-light shone brightly, the twins felt as if they were being rained upon.

  Everyone silently stood and stared into the empty hole, except the priest who looked at the group of men who were pulling the cart that carried Rayowa up toward the burial grounds. It clanked as they moved at an even pace. The twins glanced occasionally at the cart moving their way, but both wished that it was a horrid nightmare that they'd wake up from.

  Mobo stood taller and straighter than anyone surrounding the hole. His advisors and Kelechi all bore their sad expressions, but their king stared into the hole with a stoic expression upon his face. Adaku glanced at her father and felt a tinge of anger as she couldn't comprehend how he could bear a face with no emotion. He always claimed that he loved their mother, but had it been a lie? A guise of a proper ruler? Would he find a new lover and forget their mother once she was buried in the ground?

  The cart came to a stop as the men reached the group. After pulling one of the cart's sides down, they hauled the corpse off. Rayowa's body was covered in a forest-green cloth. The men carrying her gently lowered her body into the ground, stepped back, and bowed to the body in the grave, then to the king. The priest gestured for one of them to help him as he reached into the hole. They pulled the cloth from her body.

  She'd been dressed in a beautiful white dress. They'd don
e her makeup and hair to make her appear more alive, but it didn't work to make the children feel better. They'd hoped that the cloth would've stayed over her. Adaku's tear silently streaked down her face. Once the cloth had been fully removed, the priest gestured for the men to take the cart back, which they promptly saw to after another bow at the king.

  Everyone waited for the priest, who took a stance near the head of the grave, but he waited until the cart was out of earshot and the sound of creaking could no longer be heard. To the twins, it felt like ages as everyone just stared at their mother's body. The priest cleared his throat before speaking and drawing all eyes to him.

  "We gather today to bear the passing of our beloved Queen Rayowa Okonkwo, wife of King Mobo Okonkwo," the priest began. "The mother of Prince Abaze Okonkwo and Princess Adaku Okonkwo. It is here under the watchful eyes of Maduenu that we let go of her spirit to be returned to the central tree where it shall wait for the souls of her loved ones."

  "My king," the priest said, "are there any words that you'd like to say."

  Abaze and Adaku looked at their father, whose expression hadn't flinched the entire time they'd been standing there. When he shook his head, it felt like a stab in their hearts. Abaze could feel the tears emerging and swallowed hard to keep them down, but they gathered in his eyes and blurred his vision.

  "Then it is with a heavy hand that we return Queen Rayowa's body to the earth," the priest said.

  The priest took a handful of dirt from the pile which had been taken out to create the grave, then sprinkled it over her body. With this, several of the king's advisors took up shovels. Adaku and Abaze both walked over to the shovels and ran into each other as they reached out for shovels of their own. Their father used one of the shovels to push in the first large pile of dirt, then handed the shovel to another.

  Abaze and Adaku began shoveling dirt with the others onto their mother's body. Neither realized their tears were soaking the collars of their clothes. As Abaze walked past his father, Mobo reached out and subtly elbowed the boy. When Abaze looked at him, the king gestured for him to raise his chin and hold his head up high—a ruler must never appear weak, even while facing death.

  Abaze took a moment to turn away from the others and wipe his face clean. After a deep breath, he returned to fill in the grave, and he held the same stoic look like his father. It took the better part of an hour for them to fill the hole, and every time Adaku looked at her brother, she felt a burning rage that he was being watched by Mobo. Their father was trying to turn her brother into a monster who felt nothing like himself.

  Once the grave was filled, the priest took a moment of silence, then took a flower out of the large vase on the ground near him. He placed the flower onto the freshly covered grave, and everyone else did the same until the vase was empty and all the flowers covered the dirt patch.

  Mobo took the lead in walking back toward the castle and the others followed behind in a precession. The only one who continued to glance back at the grave was Adaku, whose cheeks had turned red from the steady flow of tears.

  Goodbye, mother, Adaku thought to herself. I still need your strength and love.

  * * *

  Abaze swallowed the lump in his throat as he approached Mitaire's house and considered turning around and running back to the castle. He came to a stop, but after quelling his churning stomach with a few deep breaths, he continued toward her house. A prince did not turn away from the task at hand, no matter how unpleasant.

  "Mitaire, let's go somewhere private where we can talk," Abaze said from underneath his gray robe. Mitaire had just snuck out of her house.

  When she tried to lean in and give Abaze a kiss, he turned and started walking in the other direction. She assumed there was someone around he didn't want to see, but when she glanced in all directions, there was nobody near them. Abaze walked at a faster pace than ever before, and her heart beat faster. She knew something was wrong.

  Abaze took her into a dark alley far from the main roads and turned to her in a small nook. She could barely make out the features of his face as he pulled his hood down.

  "Mitaire, we need to be done with this," Abaze said.

  "What do you mean?" she asked.

  Taking a step back from him, she could make out the outline of his face better, while her mind raced as she tried to comprehend where the conversation was leading.

  "We need to stop this little game that we're playing," Abaze said. She couldn't make out his expression and strained to see if he were making some sort of joke.

  "What game are you talking about?" she asked.

  Abaze took a moment to peek out of the alley, searching for anyone that his father might have sent after him. Only a stray cat could be seen.

  "This foolish game between me and you," Abaze said. "It needs to stop now."

  "Our love?" Mitaire asked, her tone angry and hurt at the same time. "Our love was just a game to you? I thought you loved me. I love you."

  "It's been fun." Abaze peered into the darkness so that he didn't have to look at her face. "But it is over, and it's time that we're done with it."

  Mitaire could feel the warm tears pouring down her face even though she tried to hold them in. She couldn't even tell if he had a tear in his eyes, but his tone proved that he didn't.

  "Abaze, you can't be serious?" Mitaire asked. "All those things you've said to me. The way we made each other feel. It wasn't a game."

  "You're just a common girl," Abaze said. "I'm the Prince of Zaria. You couldn't truly think that we were meant to be together. You've had to have known it the entire time."

  "No, I believed every word that you said," she said, her voice turning angry. "You may not love me, but I love you."

  "Well, you better stop," Abaze said, making his tone angrier. "You'll only be hurting yourself if you believe that."

  "You're a monster," Mitaire said and pushed him further away from her. "You let me believe it all, just so you could have your way with me?"

  "Goodbye, Mitaire," Abaze said and stepped out of the darkness.

  As he walked out of the alley, he could hear Mitaire collapse to her knees and begin sobbing. For a moment, he thought to go back, to make her feel better. But it wasn't the person he was meant to be. If his father found him, they would both be punished.

  It began raining as he stepped out of the alley.

  He tried to block out her wailing cries while walking along the road with his cloak hood up. He didn't turn back and a few seconds later the sounds of her crying faded and he only heard the rain as he made his way back to the castle.

  CHAPTER FORTY-NINE

  Texas, Earth

  Monday, November 7th

  Over the next several days, Kandice and her aunt worked together to plan Blake's funeral.

  It shocked Mr. Goldsmith—Kandice and Blake's attorney—to learn about Blake's death. He explained he would have to look into how to address Blake's trust fund, but he was working under the plan of transferring it to Kandice.

  When Kandice and her aunt went to pick out a casket, they got into an argument over which one was best. Kandice wanted to go with a simple oak casket that had been stained black with blue satin inside. Her aunt insisted that he should be in a far more elaborate metal casket. Their argument became so heated that the funeral director had to excuse himself so they could work it out. After a ten-minute yelling match, Jackie conceded to Kandice, and they both broke down in tears, which made Kandice feel dirty somehow. Pastor Gerlock had agreed to oversee the burial.

  The police released Blake's body on Sunday, and the funeral home scheduled the burial the next day.

  Jackie called Kandice to let her know they had the body. It surprised her to hear Jackie's voice was back to normal. There was no longer any sound of understanding and sympathy. With each conversation they had, Jackie grew more interested in Blake's death.

  Jackie knew he'd been hanging out with Kandice more and felt there was more to the story than everyone said. Blake never
left the house prior to Kandice moving out, so in Jackie's mind there was no way he would have been in a park late at night. With Kandice and Blake as close as they were Jackie was insistent that Kandice knew why he was in the park. But Kandice held strong and continued to reassure Jackie that she knew nothing of the sort.

  CHAPTER FIFTY

  Amethyst Nation, Fencura

  If only the grass were taller.

  Adaku missed the fields outside her father's city—the long expanse of golden grass swaying in the breeze from the coast. Grass, as far as the eye could see.

  Here in the Amethyst Nation, their grass was short and well-groomed, rather than tall and wild. The grass of her homeland symbolized her people, whose bodies had fertilized the land for thousands of years. In some regards she and her people were that grass. They lived off their livestock, and the livestock lived off the grass.

  What's the plan? Abaze transmitted.

  Adaku looked up from the grass under her toes, to find her brother standing before her. Anger boiling underneath the surface of his eyes.

  Why is he always filled with rage?

  Ever since their naming days, Abaze had been an angry man. More than once their father's court advisors covered up Abaze's indiscretions—in essence, condoning his actions. At least two young men about the same age as him, were living off of stipends paid by the treasury because Abaze had lost his temper and permanently crippled them.

  All life has value, but not in his eyes.

  "What is the plan for the test?" Abaze asked.

  "None of your concern."

  Adaku immediately took a step away from her brother. She'd not intended to rile him up with a quip. It had slipped out on its own. They were in public before all the city's sorcerers. She didn't think he would hurt her here. But he might. Would he hurt her later?

  "This is no game." Abaze darkened his voice. "Father expects us to become sorcerers and to do that it would appear I have to pass a team test with the likes of them."