Once we leave this place, I’m going to start training again.
“Move out of the way, you two!” he shouted.
Enyo and Fellis took that as their cue and leapt aside. The two cerberus heads they’d been fighting tried to go off in separate directions. This left the middle head wide open, and it was that head that Jacob aimed for.
Before the cerberus could see him, he appeared in front of it, throwing out his left fist and smashing it into the middle head. Then he unleashed all the stored-up energy in his body. It burst from his knuckles like a massive cone of destructive force. The cerberus was engulfed in the conical beam of energy. The wind howled, the air was rent, the cerberus’s yowling was overpowered by the roar of his attack, and through it all, Jacob gritted his teeth as the skin on his knuckles was burnt off.
When the energy petered out, the cerberus was gone—along with about fifty meters worth of forest.
Fellis whistled. “That was impressive, but don’t you think you went a little overboard?”
Wiping the sweat from his head, Jacob disagreed. “No. A cerberus is one of the strongest beasts around. The best way to deal with one is in a single, decisive blow.” He looked back at the giant trench and sighed. “That said, I might have used a bit too much power back there. I was panicked, so I didn’t have good control over my energy.”
“I think that was awesome,” Enyo admitted.
Jacob grinned. “Well, thank you.”
“What should we do now?” asked Fellis.
“Leave,” Jacob said bluntly. “That last attack of mine is bound to have been noticed by Alyssium. Even if they aren’t aware of our escape, they’ll at least send someone to check this place out.”
“Where should we go?” Enyo asked. “I’m not even sure where we are.”
“Don’t worry.” Jacob sent her a reassuring smile. “I know where we are. We’re in the northern quadrant of the forest. If we travel about twenty kilometers north, we’ll eventually hit the sea.”
At the mention of the sea, Enyo’s eyes sparkled. “I’ve never been to the sea before.”
“You probably won’t be able to for a while yet,” Jacob said apologetically. “While that will be our next destination, we need to find a place to rest first.”
“Tired after that last attack?” Fellis teased.
“I think we’re all tired,” Jacob countered.
“I second that,” Enyo agreed. “I could do with a nap right about now.”
“See that? Enyo agrees with me.”
“Hey, I never said I disagreed.” Fellis shrugged. “I’m just saying.”
Journeying through the forest was, fortunately, easier than fighting a giant three-headed dog. Jacob took the lead. He walked through the trees, placing his hands on them as if somehow communing with nature. He wasn’t, of course. Jacob couldn’t talk to trees, but he’d played in these forests many times before going off on his journey, and he could tell where they were based on the feel of the bark.
They eventually came upon a large waterfall connected to a lake. The blue waters were clear as crystal—so clear it was possible to see the bottom, along with the fish and other water animals that made the lake their home. Glades of tall grass jutted from the water, swaying in the breeze, and an array of colorful flowers bloomed near the edge.
“Oh, wow,” Enyo muttered. “It’s so gorgeous.”
“Isn’t it?” Jacob said with a smile. “I stumbled upon this place when I was twelve. Anyway, there’s a cave behind that waterfall. It should serve as adequate shelter from search parties.”
There was, indeed, a cave behind the waterfall. It was surprisingly large, almost tunnel-like in how far back it went. The rock walls were sturdy, if uneven. Water dripped from the ceiling and ran between cracks in the walls. Their feet splashed against puddles on the floor.
Since they were trying to avoid detection, Jacob led them all the way to the back. It was a lot drier in the back as well.
Because of their hasty exit, they didn’t have much in the way of supplies, or indeed, any supplies to speak of. Jacob had to find twigs and branches and used old-fashioned methods to light a fire. He also caught some fish and grilled them over the fire so they’d have something to eat.
Everyone decided to get some rest after their light meal. Fellis laid down on her side and fell asleep almost immediately. Jacob laid on his back several meters from Fellis and also tried to get some sleep. It proved impossible, not because he wasn’t tired—he was—but because he knew that Enyo was still awake.
He opened his eyes a crack and glanced at Enyo, who sat in front of the fire with her knees drawn up to her chest. Sighing, he realized that he wasn’t going to be able to sleep with her like that. He was too worried.
Jacob stood up and wandered over to the fire, sitting down next to her and feeding the fire some more wood. He didn’t say anything. Instead, he waited for Enyo to speak, which she did, eventually.
“You know, I… even though I expressed a lot of confidence in you when we were separated, I was really worried about you,” Enyo admitted. “It was even harder when I heard you’d been imprisoned. If it wasn’t for the confidence that I have in you, I would’ve worried myself to death.”
“I’m sorry for worrying you,” Jacob said. “I hadn’t meant to let myself be captured like that. Lust proved to be a stronger opponent than I imagined.”
“Lust? You mean that woman from the Dark Council?”
“That’s the one. It seems I underestimated her a great deal. She might not have your old man’s power, but her experience was able to easily counter my own strength. To be honest, I’m kind of ashamed about how handily she defeated me.”
“I can’t believe she defeated you, either.” Enyo wrapped her arms around herself. “I’ve grown up hearing stories about the Dark Council, about their power and their cunning. Even though I knew they were strong, I still never imagined they could be strong enough to beat you.”
Jacob thought back to his battle against Lust. It was true that he’d been defeated, but he felt like part of the reason was because he’d been holding back. They had been fighting in the middle of a human city, so it wasn’t like he could have gone all out, lest he wanted to demolish the entire city and kill its people, which he didn’t want. The last thing he wanted was more death on his hands.
However, there was also the matter of experience. His battle with Lust had shown that she knew more about combat than he did, that she had experienced more than him. Her tactics, her deception, the way she used her powers to trick him and then hit him from behind, it all denoted to one irrepressible fact: Lust was simply a better and more cunning tactician than he was.
“I’m sorry, Jacob,” Enyo said suddenly.
“Huh?” Jacob glanced at her. “What are you sorry for?”
“For everything,” Enyo admitted. “I dragged you all this way with me, promised to send you back to your world, and even decided that I was going to go with you, but I couldn’t keep my promise to you. I was found out and the otherworld gate key was taken back. I don’t even know if I can keep my promise to return you to your world now.”
Placing a hand against his chest, Jacob wondered if the warmth he felt was due to her words or what her words meant. She was more worried about keeping her promise to him than she was about herself. It had been so long since someone had put him first. He’d forgotten what it felt like.
He scooted a little bit closer, close enough that their shoulders were touching. “You know, I don’t really think I would mind staying in this world if it meant being with you.”
“W-what?”
Jacob smiled at her wide-eyed expression. “Before you appeared in front of me, my life was pointless, dull, and monochrome. It had no meaning beyond living to see the next day. You changed that. Since meeting you, I’ve remembered what it was like to have companions and people you trust to watch your back. I’ve been able to smile and laugh. I’ve been having fun. All of that is thanks to you.”
E
nyo’s face lit up in a fetching blush. She looked away, as if doing so would somehow hide the redness of her cheeks.
“I-I didn’t do much.”
“You did enough,” Jacob countered. He placed a hand on her cheek and turned her head around so she was facing him again. “I want you to know that I’m very grateful to you. Not just that, but I’m glad you showed up in my bar all those months ago.”
“O-oh…” Enyo wasn’t able to turn her head because of his hand, so she shifted her eyes away from his face. “Y-you’re welcome.”
“Enyo, now that you’ve gotten a chance to know me, do you still love me?” he asked. Enyo looked back at him. “I know that you had feelings for the hero known as Jacob Stone, but now that you know he’s just a normal person who abandoned his duties because he felt betrayed, how do you feel about him?”
No answer was forthcoming at first. After another moment, however, Enyo, her cheeks still lit up like fireworks at a festival, said, “My feelings haven’t changed… no, if anything, my feelings for you have only… they’ve become stronger. When I was younger, I only loved Jacob because of the stories I’d heard, because you were a hero, but now that I’ve gotten to know the real you… w-well, I think the real Jacob is a lot better than the stories I’ve been told.”
“Is that so?”
“Hm.”
Jacob had been reluctant to let himself grow to love this young woman at first, even after finding out about her crush on him. There hadn’t been time, he’d told himself. They were on a journey and couldn’t afford to let themselves get distracted, he would argue with himself. Yet the longer he spent in her presence, the fonder he became of her. And after they were torn apart, his fondness for her had become even stronger. It had grown to the point where Jacob felt like he could be happy even if he didn’t return home, so long as he could remain with her.
What had really made him realize his feelings was when he and Enyo had been separated. While he’d kept himself occupied in prison, not a day had gone by when he hadn’t thought about Enyo, when he hadn’t wondered if she was safe. The idea that she might be in trouble and he didn’t know it had made his chest ache. That, more than anything, had confirmed the feelings that he’d been doing his best to put off.
“In that case, I believe there is something important that I need to tell you,” Jacob confessed as he leaned down until their foreheads were touching.
Enyo’s pink eyes were like rounded plates. Her cheeks, caressed with a lovely shade of pink, complemented by her snowy skin and pink hair. From the moment they had met, Jacob had thought she was beautiful. However, it was moments like this that made her appear truly enchanting.
“What do you want to tell me?” asked Enyo, her voice a mere whisper.
“I wanted to let you know that I love you, too,” he said before leaning down the rest of the way and pressing his lips to hers.
Enyo went stock still for a moment as if she’d been zapped by lightning. Yet the moment soon passed, and she responded to the kiss with the same eagerness she had when fighting—only less violent. Her arms went around his neck, and her head tilted up to better access his lips.
As the kiss continued, Jacob decided right then and there that even if he never saw his home again, he would be okay.
There were some people in this world who he didn’t want to live without.
***
Enyo frowned as the boat that she was on rocked and swayed. She didn’t particularly like the motions. It didn’t help that she was blindfolded. For whatever reason, having a blindfold covering her while the boat rocked and swayed, creaked and groaned, made her sick to her stomach. Why did they even have to put this thing on her anyway? She was in a holding cell. It wasn’t like she could actually see where they were going.
They probably thought it would be amusing. Damn pirates.
About a month ago, a group of pirates had shown up around the Njord Peninsula. They’d kidnapped several young women from various villages across the peninsula, but none of the locals had been able to do anything. That was why she was there. Her job was to locate the pirate stronghold.
Of course, that meant getting herself captured.
She leaned against the wall. Her hands had been tied behind her back, but that didn’t concern her overly much. It would be a simple matter to break her bonds. A single word incantation would be enough to sever the ropes tying her down.
I wonder how far out at sea we are?
It had probably been around a day since she’d allowed herself to be kidnapped. None of the pirates had tried anything yet… well, one person had gotten a little frisky, but that man was now missing a hand. She knew that she needed to act the part of a helpless woman, but there was no way she’d allow some grubby man with dirty hands to fondle her.
The creaking of the door opening made Enyo turn her head. Still acting the part of a scared young woman, she huddled near the corner of the holding cell. The person who walked in chuckled.
“P-please don’t hurt me,” Enyo begged, making her voice as high pitched as possible.
“Don’t ye worry, lass. Me boys and I ain’t gonna hurt ye. Yer far too valuable fer that,” the man said in a heavily accented voice. She couldn’t place his accent, but she didn’t think he was from Terrasole. “Our, ahem, customers like it when the merchandise we sell is unsullied.”
It took a lot of effort to remain in character, especially since all she wanted to do was throw this man out of a window. Still, she knew that she couldn’t afford to lose her cool. A lot of young women were depending on her.
Jacob, I hope you’re having a more pleasant time than I am.
***
Jacob wasn’t having a pleasant time. At all. The problem was that he just didn’t like boats. They rocked and wobbled and were altogether unpleasant. It didn’t help that his boat was tiny. He could feel every motion made, and it was making him sick.
Up ahead, the boat that Enyo was on could be seen as a small speck in the distance. The plan was for him to follow from a distance, while Enyo infiltrated them by pretending to be taken captive. They would both attack once they knew the location of the captured women.
Unfortunately, the ship had been traveling all day and showed no sign of stopping.
Putting a telescope to his eye, Jacob watched the ship as it sailed into what appeared to be an archipelago. He removed the telescope and began rowing again. His muscles burst with energy as he used Linked Energy Manipulation to enhance them, which consequently caused the boat that he was in to speed across the water’s surface.
He followed the ship into the archipelago. Jacob was careful to stay outside of any potential observer’s sights, sticking to the ship’s blind spots where sailors didn’t bother looking because who would be stupid enough to follow a ship that large unless they were in a ship that was just as large and had weapons to defend themselves with. This allowed him to move without being noticed, and it allowed him to stay in sight of the ship as it sailed into the large entrance of a cave.
This must be their hideout.
Now all he needed to do was sneak inside, wait for Enyo to start the party, and then join the fray.
Simple.
***
Enyo was grateful when the boat finally stopped. Not only did it mean she wouldn’t feel so queasy, but it also meant they had docked. Hopefully, this meant she would be able to end this charade soon.
The door creaked open and footsteps echoed around the room. “A’ight, Missy. It’s time ye came with me!”
A filthy hand grabbed her arm. Enyo was hauled to her feet. Her blindfold was removed, and then shoved forward, toward where she knew was the door. With her hands tied behind her back, a pirate shoving her along, and her weapons with Jacob, she strode forward, leaving the holding cell and making for the stairs.
As she stepped onto the deck, the wooden planks creaked beneath her feet. She turned her head, looking up at the mast, which had a blank flag that was currently slack. It showed no symbol, d
enoting that it had no affiliation with any country. All around her, men stopped what they’d been doing as she walked by at sword point. They catcalled and howled, made degrading remarks, and wolf-whistled. She ignored them. Once Jacob came with her daggers, these jerks were getting an enema, Enyo style.
The boarding plank was already attached to the dock. The pirate behind her, a grizzled old man with a missing hand, stained teeth, and a haggard face, pushed her down the boarding plank. She would have kicked him already, but she contained herself. She needed to find the women who’d been kidnapped. Then she could kick ass.
Her footsteps and those of the pirate’s echoed ominously inside of the vast cavern. The sound of water splashing against the ship and rock faces accompanied the rhythm of her feet. Enyo felt a mild moment of discomfort as she stepped on the dock, which groaned underneath her weight.
“Keep going, miss,” the pirate behind her said, using the word “miss” like it was a personal insult.
Enyo said nothing as she was led deeper into the cavern. There appeared to be many intersecting passages in this cave, and the route that she was forced to take was winding and twisted, sort of like the people who’d kidnapped her.
Upon reaching a rickety old door, the pirate opened it and shoved her inside. “Yer gonna be stayin’ in there until we’re ready to sell ye off,” he said before slamming the door shut.
“Prig,” Enyo muttered under her breath as she straightened up.
Blinking several times to let her eyes adjust, Enyo gazed at the many frightened and tear-streaked faces that greeted her. They were the women who’d been kidnapped. They were all huddled against the wall, bound at the wrists like her. She frowned for a moment, but then put on a reassuring smile.
“Excuse me,” she called out, “but do any of you know if there are any other captives being held somewhere else?”
No one spoke at first. She had the strangest feeling that they were confused. They looked at each other, as if silently asking the people around them what she was talking about. However, one brave girl, who couldn’t have been older than fourteen years of age, stepped up.
Journey of a Betrayed Hero- Volume 2 Page 15
