Of Heroes And Villains (Book 4)

by Julius St. Clair

  “Just tell me something,” Bastion said, his eyes cast down to the table. “This whole thing and what’s about to happen—this looming war between me and Mason…is that the only reason you’re coming to me right now?”

  “What do you mean?” Kent asked, but Daisy put a hand to the Langoran’s mouth.

  “I’m not going to lie to you,” Daisy said. “I don’t know you. That’s the truth. You might have some impressive abilities underneath, but I’ve barely seen them. Yeah, I’m coming here first for myself. I want some protection of my own, and yeah, if Mason really brings the heat, we’re looking at a long conflict. With no enemies on the horizon, this will be as close to making a name for myself as I can get. This is as epic a war as I can hope for. But with that being said, that don’t mean I want to see you get slaughtered either. You saved my life today, and you’re a sweet kid. Even if I didn’t get something out of it, and we went our separate ways, I would have at least defended you in word.”

  “I wasn’t sure whether to admit it or not,” Kent replied. “But I feel the same way.”

  “Not to say we can’t become friends for real,” Daisy said. “Isn’t that how life works out anyways? You start talking to someone based on common interests and then things bloom from there. You don’t start out friends the first second.”

  “Yeah, but you don’t have to be so brutally honest,” Kent laughed. “Geez. I wasn’t going to say all that.”

  “Bastion should know where we stand,” Daisy said, looking across the table. “And we should know where his mind is at too.”

  “I’ll take you up on your offer,” Bastion smiled, looking to each of them. “Who knows what will happen?”

  “That’s the spirit!” Daisy shouted. The elderly woman next to her grunted in annoyance.

  “So what happens now?” Bastion asked. “Do we just hang out? Do we prepare for opening day? I’m completely clueless when it comes to social war.”

  “We’ll take care of all that,” Kent smiled. Daisy’s attention was drawn to the left as the sound of benches and tables being moved reverberated throughout the hall. The music was picking up, and castle staff was already beginning to clean up the mess from the isolated food fight. Based on the smile on her face, Bastion figured that she enjoyed whatever was coming next.

  “Ah, our training begins now!” she cackled like a mad woman. Bastion looked over at Kent with wide eyes, and the Langoran just chuckled to himself.

  “What do you mean?” Bastion asked, when Daisy grabbed his hand.

  “WE DANCE!”

  “Oh no,” he laughed. “That’s not happening. And you can’t fool me. That has nothing to do with training.”

  “Says you!”

  “You might as well go,” Kent laughed. “She won’t take no for an answer. Besides, it’s a lot more fun than you think.”

  “So what are you going to do? Just sit here at the table and watch?” Bastion asked, his heart beating fast.

  “Oh no, I’m going to join in the singing. You’ll see. I’ll be up in front with the other musicians and singers.”

  “I didn’t know you could sing.”

  “There’s a lot you don’t know about me, but that will come in time.”

  “What do you sing?”

  “Stop stalling!” Daisy shrieked, to which Kent placed his hand on her shoulder.

  “Just a moment, Daisy,” he said, turning back to Bastion. “I usually make up lyrics to go with the music that is being played at the moment. It was actually an old pastime that Langorans used to enjoy, before we built our plazas and golden streets. As of right now, our people are quite divided, between those who still enjoy the rubies, gold and flair, and those who search deep within ourselves for hidden treasures.”

  “Make up songs?” Bastion chuckled, to which Daisy joined in. Kent scowled and muttered something under his breath.

  “Sorry,” Bastion calmed down. “I didn’t mean to offend you.”

  “Don’t worry about it,” Kent smiled slyly. “Just be careful. I might just make a song about you. One that will withstand the test of time. I can already hear the tune. Ah, I think the lyrics are coming to me now…

  Bastion, whose strength is beyond measure

  Thinks he can withstand the conflict like a tanner to leather

  His enemies laugh as if tickled by a feather

  His eidolon wilts as a rose gets redder

  Together, I conjecture that we can endure any weather

  But whether he can do better alone, I can’t gather

  Alone he is short, he’ll be swallowed by tides, he’ll get wetter

  And only then he’ll find that Daisy and Kent are his true treasures.”

  “Are you sure you don’t want to rhyme some more?” Bastion asked him, rubbing his ear. “Because I really think you do. You seem to really enjoy it.”

  “You should have danced,” Daisy said, shaking her head.

  “Ah, oooo, what is that?” Kent said, as he placed the palms of his hands on his temples. “I think another song is emerging from the depths of my soul. This will be a good one.”

  “FINE!” Bastion shouted, grabbing Daisy’s hand and pulling her from her seat. “We’ll dance until our feet bleed!”

  “That’s all I ask,” Daisy giggled, giving Kent a wink. Kent laughed heartily and went back to eating. Bastion groaned as he watched the people on the dance floor. They were all doing their own thing, flailing their arms and kicking up their legs. Toes were crushed, but laughs were in abundance, so the howls were often drowned out. He noticed that Talia and Zhou had left this portion of the evening, but Catherine was still going strong. She was dancing with one of the merchants, each one trying to outdo the other in their own interpretative jig. Bastion nearly smiled, but he fought it, turning to Daisy for help.

  “Do we have to?” he pleaded. “I’ll probably end up breaking someone’s leg.”

  “Hmmm, that is true,” she said, just thinking about his strength for the first time. “Perhaps we should wait for a more structured atmosphere.”

  “Yeah, I think you’re right,” Bastion said, trying to sound disappointed the best he could. Daisy gave him a ‘yeah, right’ smirk and clutched his hand tight.

  “Come on. We can do something else.”

  “Like what?” Bastion whined, but Daisy barely paid attention to his reaction.

  “Just wait and see,” she laughed, taking him past Kent and his meat, out the dining hall, and the rest of the castle.

  * * *

  They were to reach the Kingdom border in record time, and for that, James was grateful. If all went well, he might have a little time for rest before he had to teach at the Academy. With only two more days before then, he was already dreading the trips he would have to make between Allay and Prattle. Since he was a Master Sage, there was no use delegating the task to another, and especially since Talia and Zhou didn’t have the background knowledge of the Quietus like he did. All they remembered was the Siege, and the little bit he had told them about himself.

  He looked back at the Quietus he was escorting—a man named Oltain. He was keeping up very well despite his lack of nourishment. He was in his full transformative state, running on all fours while James maintained his Sage form. He didn’t want to reveal his second nature just yet. After the battle with Thorn, he realized all too well how keeping one’s arsenal hidden was very valuable.

  “How much longer?” Oltain rasped.

  “A few more hours at most,” James shouted, his voice cracking for a moment. “Day or night, it doesn’t matter. The Queen will want to speak with you.”

  “If you are lying about this, you will die.”

  “It won’t come to that,” James promised. “We’re not lying.”

  “If you are not lying, then who were the Sages who came to us earlier?”

  “I don’t know,” James replied, slowing down a little for the Quietus to better maintain his pace. “But we will find out.”

  “That man back at o
ur camp—he’s not the leader.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  “Because you’re stronger. A lot stronger. That makes you the leader, not him. Did you intentionally keep silent?”

  “No, I didn’t. Believe it or not, there is more to leadership than raw strength.”

  “So you are not the leader?”

  “I am. It’s just that I still look up to the man you have as a hostage. And I wouldn’t underestimate him.”

  “It doesn’t matter. If those Sages earlier were not from your camp, and you are not lying about the story you gave us, then we will be allies soon enough.”

  “Why is that?”

  “Because those Sages…they were a lot stronger than you are.”

  “Are you sure?” James asked through squinting eyes. “I think I would have felt someone more powerful than I.” Oltain merely smiled.

  * * *

  “Where are we going?” Bastion asked flatly. He was past the point of whining. He was just ready to get their venture over with. Daisy continued to pull him along, and he let her. Why did he let her? He could have easily ripped his wrist from her grip and ran off. She wouldn’t be able to catch him, and he could go off and read one of his books. He knew that he didn’t care for anything she had planned.

  The problem was…he did care for what she thought of him. Being the type of person who kept to himself and his books, he was more observant than the average villager. His books taught him character and case studies, and life confirmed them. He was still young, and he certainly hadn’t seen much battle, but generally, he was able to read people well. When they were in the dining hall, he could see the interest in Daisy’s eyes. Sure, she had admitted to the selfish side of their mutual relationship, but he could tell that she had a curiosity about him that even went beyond that. Kent, from what he could tell, was all about business. That was fine. But Daisy…it was nice to see that she admired in some way. What was it about him that drew her closer?

  After his time in Quietus, and his foster parents, he believed that no one could ever like him. Forget love. That was a notion he had long dismissed. But like? That was still in the realm of possibility. Catherine had shown it, and now Daisy had. What was it about him? He wanted to know so badly. Maybe then he could replicate the act or whatever he had said, and then other people would start liking him too.

  “Okay, here,” Daisy said, letting go of his hand. Bastion looked around them. They were still in the meadow, but they were as far southwest from the castle and the village as possible. It was obvious that Daisy aimed for privacy.

  “You’re not going to kiss me, are you?” Bastion found himself blurting out. He slapped his mouth with both hands and kept them there as Daisy laughed heartily.

  “Is that what you want?” she howled.

  “No,” he said, his face red and hot. She took one look at him and shook her head. “Sorry, love. These lips are sealed for now. You gotta earn that.”

  “I’m not—whatever, let’s just move on. Why are we really here?”

  “Besides the make out session?” she winked at him. Bastion folded his arms. “Okay, okay. I’ll stop. In all seriousness, we’re here to…solidify our union.”

  “Oh my goodness, that doesn’t sound sensual to you?” Bastion scoffed, throwing his hands in the air. “You’re serious right now?”

  “Yes!” she declared, her face straight. “What? What’d I say? Solidify our union! No one says that? Hey, it’s not my fault you thought we were out here to lock lips, or whatever your boys call it nowadays. I’m all business right now, tomato face.”

  “Okay, explain away,” he sighed.

  “Alright, Bastion, now don’t get mad, but listen close. We’re not going to be able to form an alliance at the Sage Academy if we can’t trust one another. In order for there to be some trust, you gotta let me in a bit. I want to spar with you.”

  “That’s not going to happen,” he said adamantly.

  “We have to, otherwise it’s no deal. I would still want to hang out with you because I think you’re an interesting guy, but I wouldn’t be able to. Not without trust.”

  “I don’t see how this brings forth trust.”

  “Those with Mason are going to push you. Hard. And I need to know what makes you tick so I can jump in and cool down the situation if I have to. I have to see your limit.”

  “I’m not going to do that,” he said again. “I refuse. Daisy, I don’t think you understand…I could kill you. I’m not talking about intentionally either. Sometimes…sometimes I can’t control it.”

  “Then why are you going to the Academy?” Bastion’s eyes met hers, and he could read her expression plainly. It was a serious question, so serious that it almost made her angry. He clenched his fists and took a deep breath.

  “Because I want to be a Sage. And not just a villager that learned how to unleash his eidolon. I want to know what my purpose is. What I’m…supposed to do with what I have.” He looked down at the palms of his hands. “Am I supposed to lead people into a new era? Save them? Tear it all down? I don’t know. All I know is that I can do all of those things. I just need someone to point me in the right direction.”

  “Then let me help you find it,” she said, taking a step toward him.

  “But why? What if I choose wrong?”

  “You won’t know until it’s already too late, but that’s how choices work. All I know, is that I’ve been waiting for the same thing…in a way. I train hard. I do my chores and concentrate on my studies. I hang out with my friends. I eat. I sleep. I breathe. But everyone does that. What makes me so special? What am I supposed to do that makes a difference? Especially in a time of peace?”

  “I don’t know,” Bastion admitted. “I really have no clue.”

  “Well, we’re going to find out together,” she said with a wide grin. “I think today was my sign. I could have died today. But you just happened to be there, for whatever reason. And you were the only one that saw and felt what Mason was about to do. And you had the strength and speed to stop it. I don’t know what it means, but I figure that I might as well find out. So why don’t we take this journey together? We both want the same thing anyways.”

  Bastion couldn’t help but smile. Maybe this was exactly what he needed. A change of scenery from his foster parents. New mentors through Queen Catherine and the Master Sages. A couple friends to share in the weight of the path before them. Perhaps he could grow after all.

  “Okay,” he said, letting go of the fear. “I’m ready to try this.”

  “Thank you,” she said, extending her hands toward him, as if beckoning for him to place his into hers. But he knew better. He stood vigilant, and in the next second, the red hook swords appeared, just as he knew they would. Bastion placed a hand over his heart, but it wasn’t over awe at what he just witnessed.

  Chapter 10 - Push

  James took the Quietus through the secret back entrance by the northern wall. He didn’t care about the Quietus knowing. If anything went awry, their guest wouldn’t have the knowledge for much longer.

  They snuck in quietly, crouching into the low tunnel and through the vines and dripping water that fell from the cobblestone cracks. James didn’t mind taking point. He knew how to release his eidolon from behind him. Oltain wouldn’t even see it coming.

  “We’re in the castle of Allay now,” James whispered, as they both entered a room that looked like a dungeon. This affect was not lost on the Quietus, as the liquid skin on his back began trembling. James held up a hand to console him, but the quivering continued. James knocked on the wall at the far end of the room, and a sole brick was removed. Light streamed in and pierced his eyes, but he knew not to flinch away. Only an intruder would hide.

  “Zhou,” James called out, his eyes adjusting quickly. He tried to ignore the loud music and celebrating going on in the dining hall. His stomach rumbled.

  “Yes, James,” he said. His voice was gruff and thick.

  “I need you to get Ca
therine and have her meet me in the private deliberation chamber. I have someone with me that she’ll want to meet.”

  “Yep,” he said, trying to peer in behind James. “Do you want me to examine the prisoner? I can’t see him, but I sense something strange.”

  “He’s fine. Just get Catherine, and make sure to open up the wall before you leave.”

  “Okay,” he said, leaving to get the Queen. James sighed in relief. Zhou wouldn’t understand. At least not right away. It would take too much time to explain to him the situation, and they were already short on time. James turned back to Oltain and nodded to him, ensuring that all was well. The wall in front of them opened up and parted a few seconds later. The brick that had been removed earlier was the only individual piece. Oltain’s eyes widened in surprise as the light flooded in, revealing a pristine marble floor and smooth stone walls, covered in luxurious, dark purple banners. What Oltain didn’t know was that behind the luxurious walls were more dungeons and cells.

  Oltain maintained his Quietus form, but it didn’t matter. No one would come strolling down that particular hallway, not without going through a series of private halls and chambers, which was strictly forbidden, and heavily guarded.

  James and Oltain took a right, walked down the long hallway, and then entered the oak doors lying in wait. Inside, the room was small, but it had great significance. Much like Arimus’ old room at the Sage Academy, this particular room was the place where all of the Master Sages met. There weren’t many of them. Only himself, Catherine, Zhou, Arimus and Talia. But they got the job done.

  “Take a seat. It’s okay,” James said, as he plopped down into his assigned chair at the head of the long oval table. Oltain studied the polished wooden surfaces, the immaculate craftsmanship on the chairs themselves and nearly lost his composure. His knees became weak as he realized just how long it had been since they had seen anything remotely civilized. They had spent too much time in the ruins of their enemy’s city.