“Having trouble falling asleep, Partner?” Durandal said in a metallic voice.
“You could tell, huh? What gave me away? The fact that my eyes are open, or the fact that my breathing hasn’t grown any lighter?”
“Sarcasm isn’t your strong suit. You should go back to being an optimistic brat. It suits you more.”
“Whatever.”
A gentle silence ensued, broken only by the rustling curtain as it swayed in the breeze. Jacob used that time to think about the past. Like Durandal had said, he had been a naive and optimistic brat back in the day. He took what people said at face value, helped people even when there was nothing in it for him, and did his best to befriend everyone he met.
That was why it had been so easy for others to use him.
Jacob turned on his side. Thinking about the past made him remember how foolish he’d been to trust the words of others. People were greedy. They wanted what they couldn’t have, desired what others had, and were willing to do whatever was necessary to acquire that which was not theirs. They used people like him in their mad schemes for power. Then, when they had no more use for someone, they tossed them aside like trash.
It sickened him.
“I’m sorry. I did not mean to make you angry. However, please believe me when I say that I am neither lying nor trying to trick you. I can get you back home.”
Liar. She has to be lying. There is no way back home.
That woman had been the same, he was sure of it. She would’ve used him for her own purposes, and then, once she had what she wanted, Jacob would have found a dagger in his back. That was how this game was played.
“Are you thinking about that woman? Enyo?” asked Durandal.
“Absolutely not.” Jacob scoffed. “Why would I bother thinking about that girl? I don’t care about her. The only person who matters to me is me.”
“I sense a liar,” Durandal taunted. Jacob gritted his teeth. “Don’t think you can fool me. We’ve been partners for way too long. I know you inside and out, so I can tell when you’re not being honest with yourself.”
“What do you know about me?”
“I know that you’re a good person who used to never think about not helping someone when they were in trouble.”
“People change,” Jacob said softly.
“Aye, they do,” Durandal agreed. “But you haven’t. I watch you every day, Partner, and no matter how hard you try to pretend otherwise, I can tell that you still enjoy helping others.”
Jacob twitched. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Denial isn’t going to help you here. Jacob, you’ve always been a heroic young man. When you journeyed into Alfheim to rescue those half-alf children, I saw your mettle. When you fought against Níðhöggr for the sake of a single soul, I acknowledged your strength and compassion. Whether you like it or not, you are, have been, and always will be, a hero. As such, it is in your nature to want to protect and save others. You can deny it, but I know that deep down, you know this is true.”
Jacob rolled over again, trying to ignore Durandal’s words to no avail. Much like Enyo’s words the previous night, these words haunted him, taunting him with the truth that rang through them, the truth that he didn’t want to acknowledge.
He would never be able to fall asleep like this.
“I am begging you. Please, grant me this one request, and I’ll do whatever you ask of me.”
The harsh memories of rejecting Enyo burned a vivid image into his mind. The dejection on her face as she left via the window wracked him with guilt. He’d done what he could to ignore his own feelings, but the longer and harder he tried to deny him, the stronger they became.
Alaya, damn it…
Jacob stood up. His bare feet padded across the creaky wooden boards, over to where his clothes were hanging. He grabbed his faded brown leather pants and put them on. Then he threw his long-sleeved off-white collared shirt on. Wandering over to the chest, he opened it. Inside was his armor, chainmail and an enchanted tunic.
“Partner?” Durandal asked as Jacob put on the chainmail, which glistened a vibrant silver in the moonlit night.
“Be quiet. You’re the reason I’m putting this on.”
The glossy tunic shone brightly in the light as he pulled it over the chainmail. When he turned, symbols revealed themselves as moonlight illuminated them, silvery letters to an arcane language that few people knew. Jacob then put on his gloves and strapped his vambraces to his forearms, followed by his socks and leather boots before, finally, he strapped Durandal’s sheath to his bandoleer.
“I’m guessing you’re planning to rescue the young lady?” the sword asked. “About damn time.”
“Shut up.” Jacob scowled. “This is all your fault. If you hadn’t bugged me so much, I wouldn’t be doing this.”
Jacob looked at his reflection as he closed the window. His blond hair was darker than it used to be. It was also longer, reaching all the way down to his chin. Messy bangs hung over his ice blue eyes, which appeared more cynical than they had been so many years ago. Despite only being eighteen years old, Jacob felt like he looked much older. It must have been the haggard appearance of his face.
Durandal continued talking. “So you say, but I know you better than you seem to think I do. You would have rescued her anyway. I’m just pushing you along so it happens without delay.”
“I think I’ve been too lenient on you. From now on, you’re only getting sharpened and oiled once a month.”
“If you did that, you wouldn’t have an awesome sword to slay your enemies with.”
“I’m sure I’ll manage somehow.”
Bickering with his sword as he left the bar, Jacob grabbed his cloak on his way out, stepped onto the mostly empty street, and swiftly moved through the town.
The moon hung over the free city, heedless of the events that were taking place down below.
***
The Knights of Terrasole did not have a base inside of Albany, a free city that did not belong to the kingdom controlling the continent. They couldn’t afford to strongarm the mayor letting them stay lest it ruin their image. That said, they did have a fortress several leagues outside of the city. It normally took around one day to reach.
Jacob was able to reach it in less than four hours.
“Man, that is some fast running,” Durandal said. “I’ve never seen someone run as fast as you.”
“The benefits of energy manipulations.” Jacob shrugged.
A single tower jutted from the ground, standing several dozen meters over him. It was taller than the tallest building in Albany, which consisted of small single and two-story buildings. Jacob judged it to be at least four stories in height. The tower was surrounded by a wall, upon which several guards walked along, carrying bows and arrows. There was only one way in, a large archway that had no gate.
Well, only one way for regular people.
“So, how are we going to do this?” asked Durandal.
“You are not going to do anything,” Jacob said. “I’m going to sneak in, grab Enyo, and sneak out. You just stay in your sheath and keep quiet.”
“No fair.”
“Life’s not fair.”
Jacob blinked several times as power flooded through his eyes. He’d heard it been called “ki” by some people, but that was back in his own world, and it was usually only in cartoons and stories. No one had a name for it here.
He redistributed the power evenly, steadily enhancing his vision until he could see perfectly in the dark. Had there been a mirror or body of water near, he knew that if he looked at his reflection in it, his eyes would have been yellow.
There were six guards standing along the wall, two guarding the gate, and there were undoubtedly more inside. Knight squadrons were always grouped in units of twelve. That meant there were at least four inside. Two of them would be guarding Enyo. One of them was going to be at the entrance to the tower. The captain was probably sleeping.
Okay…
Under the cover of night, Jacob moved swiftly across the grassy plain. The rustling caused by his stealthy trot was masked by the blowing wind. He moved to the far side of the fortress, the back, where the guards were sparse.
Jacob eyed the guard standing on one of the lookout points. The wall was about… five meters tall. He calculated the amount of strength he’d need to jump that, judged it to be doable, and then channeled power into his legs and feet.
Strength engulfed his legs as he ran across the clearing, blood pumping to his muscles. Reaching the wall in record time, Jacob shot into the air, grabbed the wall’s ledge, and flipped over it before landing in a crouch. He looked left and right. The guards still weren’t paying him any mind.
He aimed to keep it that way.
Before the guards could look could in his direction, Jacob had already raced across the small walkway and dropped off the other side. His arm strained as he caught the ledge. Now hanging there, he observed the tower itself.
The tower was an ugly thing made from large stone bricks. Aging and weathered, the tower looked like something that had been abandoned centuries ago and had only recently been reoccupied. With his enhanced eyes, he could pick out the chips and cracks that lined the surface. They would make excellent hand and footholds.
It had been awhile since Jacob had used his abilities, but as he called on more power, the familiar sensation flooding his body felt like an old friend that he hadn’t seen in decades. It touched him, suffused him. He could feel his muscles being strengthened. Care was needed when augmenting his muscles, however. If he used too much power, he’d end up busting straight through the wall… which would have been bad.
When he had what he judged to be enough power, Jacob shut the flow off and maintained it. He took a deep breath. He held it. Then, exhaling his breath one in go, Jacob launched himself off the wall and soared through the air. The wind whistled around him. It was only for a second, though, and then he slammed into the tower.
His strength enhanced, Jacob dug his fingers into the wall, gouging out tiny holes along the cracks and crevices. With his veins bulging, arms flexing, Jacob scaled the wall. He moved slowly. There was no need to attract attention by moving too fast and making noise. Several meters above, a window shone with the light of flickering candles. Five meters. Two meters. One. As he reached the window, Jacob lifted himself up and peered inside.
There were three people inside. Enyo was resting against a wall. She was in shackles. Her face was bruised, her left eye was swollen shut, and there was blood smeared across her mouth. The two guards were sitting at a table on the opposite side. One of them was the knight who’d spoken out when they had questioned him the night before.
“I still can’t believe you let the wench get you like that,” the other knight laughed.
Douchenozzle number one’s face turned red. “She just caught me by surprise! That’s all! It won’t happen again!”
Now that he was looking more closely, Jacob could see that the douchenozzle had a large scar running along the left side of his face, throbbing an angry red. It hadn’t been there before. He must have received it while they were apprehending Enyo.
“Well, you’re not the only one she hurt. I imagine the captain is still keeled over in his bunk,” the other knight said.
It sounds like Enyo put up quite the fight.
Jacob looked back at Enyo. Her clothing had been stripped away, leaving her in her underwear. This was standard procedure when interrogating someone. By stripping a person of their clothes, you strip away their dignity. It made getting information out of them easier. Judging from her labored breathing and the way her head bobbed, she must have gone through an interrogation already.
It was probably to get the location of whatever she stole out of her.
With his options limited, Jacob decided that the best method to rescue Enyo was to knock the two knights’ unconscious. With luck, no one would come in here for several more hours, and he would be able to sneak out unnoticed.
Timing was going to be essential.
Jacob lowered his head. The laughter from the uninjured guard penetrated his ears. He heard the douchenozzle scream back. Taking several deep breaths, Jacob counted down to three, and then he sprang into action.
Time seemed to slow as Jacob cleared the window. He could see the douchenozzle’s eyes widening as he landed on the wooden floor. Jacob rolled across the floor, leapt to his feet, and thrust out his fist into the back of the other guard’s neck. The man went stiff. Then his body went slack. Jacob caught him and gently lowered him onto the table before turning his attention to the douchenozzle, who had opened his mouth, presumably to scream.
Jacob wouldn’t let him.
With his enhanced legs, he leapt over the table, catching the knight’s face in a kick. The douchenozzle spun around. Jacob rotated in midair and kicked him in the face with his other leg.
Landing on the ground, he caught the knight before he could fall to the floor. Like the first one, he gently lowered the douchenozzle, whose wide eyes were rolled up into the back of his head, to the floor.
Time returned to normal. Jacob had a headache.
Standing up, Jacob made his way over to Enyo, who must have heard his footsteps. She looked up with eyes that were narrowed and fierce. The expression of defiance left, however, when she finally realized who was standing before her.
“J-Jacob?” she asked as if unable to believe her eyes.
“Enyo,” Jacob said. “I’m here to get you out of here.”
“W-why?”
Jacob looked away. “Because I’ve… I’ve decided to hear you out.”
Enyo’s eyes widened as Jacob grabbed her shackles and, with a bit of physical augmentation, ripped them apart like paper.
“Don’t misunderstand me,” Jacob continued as he held out his hand. “I haven’t agreed to help you. I’ve merely decided to at least here what you have to say before coming to a decision.”
Tentatively reaching out, Enyo placed her hand in his. Jacob marveled at how soft it was as he pulled her up. She had callouses from what he guessed were daggers, or maybe short swords, but they didn’t detract from the silken feel of her skin.
“That is a prudent course of action, I think,” Enyo said. “Once we are away from here, I will tell you everything.”
“I’ll hold you to that.”
Enyo nodded and followed Jacob as he walked over to the window. He peered outside. The guards were still standing as they had been before. It appeared as if no one had heard the short fight between him and the two knights. Good.
“How are we going to escape?” asked Enyo.
“You’re going to wrap your arms around my neck, and then I’m going to scale down the wall.”
“But you don’t have any climbing equipment.”
“I don’t need it.”
Enyo accepted his words with a nod. Jacob climbed onto the windowsill, and then lowered himself down the other side. Enyo followed him. She stood on the sill, careful not to step on his fingers, and then climbed over him until she could wrap her arms around his neck.
There was a moment, just one, where Jacob remembered that Enyo wasn’t wearing anything except her underwear. Her breasts pressed into his back. He took several deep breaths to keep his mind on the task at hand.
Her breathing hitched in his ear.
“Are you scared?” he asked.
“Not scared so much as nervous,” she admitted. “But I trust you.”
“That’s an awful lot of trust to place on someone you just met. It sounds foolish to me.”
“Then I guess I am a fool.”
“Oh, I like this girl,” Durandal said.
“Didn’t I tell you to be quiet?”
Grunting, Jacob proceeded down the wall, digging his fingers into the stone. There were going to be a lot of holes in this wall, but he hoped no one would notice them until the next morning. As he scaled down, reinforcing his arms, neck, back, leg
s, and fingers, he tried to ignore Enyo’s breath against his ear and her chest as it pressed into his back.
How distracting.
They reached the bottom without incident. Jacob thought about their next move. His body was beginning to feel the strain from being augmented, so he couldn’t afford to do anymore climbing. That left traveling out through the front.
I’m out of shape.
“Can you fight?” Jacob asked.
Enyo nodded. “I’m versed in martial combat, though I work better with daggers than fists.”
“We’re going to knock out the guards at the front entrance. Don’t kill anyone.”
“I have no intention of killing.”
“I’m not even gonna be used,” Durandal mumbled, as if trying to one-up Enyo.
Jacob ignored the sword.
He and Enyo moved around the tower, traveling toward the front. There was one guard standing at the door to the tower, a bored looked etched upon the man’s face.
Jacob turned to Enyo. “What is your magic aptitude?”
Enyo blinked in surprise, but she still answered. “My magic is… light based.”
Now it was Jacob’s turn to be surprised. “Light…?”
Light magic wasn’t necessarily rare, though it was unheard of for a dark clansman to be capable of using it. Their nickname hadn’t sprung out of nowhere. They were called “dark clansmen” because their magic was always darkness based. Poison. Mind control. Shadow manipulation. Alucard had been a master at using death magic. He had expected the man’s daughter to have a similar power.
Enyo squirmed. “I-I can use light and darkness… but I’m better at using light magic.”
She has two types of magic?!
Jacob pressed a hand to his head. “Woman, are you trying to give me a headache?”
“I-I’m sorry.”
Dual magic was nearly unheard of. It was so rare that in his years of travel, the only indication that there may have been people capable of using two types of magic was through folktales and legends.
Journey of a Betrayed Hero- Volume 1 Page 3
