Jacob didn’t even bother looking to see if she was alive. He’d felt her neck snap with his punch. That combined with the impact when she hit that pillar meant there was little chance of her having survived.
Fellis whistled as Jacob walked back over to Enyo. “Remind me never to get on your bad side.”
Ignoring the remark, Jacob knelt back down and tenderly scooped Enyo into his arms. He didn’t want to move her because it could affect the healing process, but they couldn’t afford to stay there. They needed to get to the next town. It would be better if Enyo could rest on a bed anyway.
“Please take us to the nearest town,” he said to Fellis. “After that, let the drake return to Deterion.”
“Very well.” Fellis smiled as she mounted the drake again. “Hop on. Just be sure to keep a tight hold of Enyo. I don’t want her falling off.”
Jacob nodded as he climbed onto the drake. He glued himself in place with chi, and, as Fellis took hold of the reins, he held Enyo close to his chest.
Feeling the labored breathing of his companion, Jacob thought about the Dark Council assassins that they had met so far.
He could only wonder about what sort of disaster would strike them next.
CHAPTER 5
CHAMPIONS OF THE DARK COUNCIL
Vicus was a village located nearly two dozen leagues from Deterion. It was smaller than Altus and Deterion, and the architecture that could be found there reflected that. All the buildings were made from wood and possessed thatched roofs. They appeared sturdier than the constructions found in most small villages, but there was no denying their quaintness.
After arriving at the village, Fellis sent the drake they had stolen back to its master. Meanwhile, he had carried Enyo to the nearest inn. He’d received some strange looks for carrying a woman who was unconscious and covered in bruises, but that was all. It wasn’t like this sight was unusual. Most of these people probably thought they were victims of an attack.
Monster attacks happened quite frequently to the unwary.
The room that they had rented had two beds. It was small, but that suited Jacob just fine. His only real concern was how they would work out sleeping arrangements, though he imagined that he would be sleeping on the floor.
Since Fellis was now with them, Jacob had stepped out of the room while Fellis stripped Enyo of her clothes and bandaged her wounds. Rather than stand outside, he made himself useful and went downstairs to grab some food for them. He had a few gold coins left. Fellis was done dressing Enyo’s injuries when he returned.
“That energy manipulation thing that you did is really impressive,” Fellis said as she picked at her food—steamed potatoes with two chicken legs. “Most of her bruises had already vanished by the time we arrived here, and the few that remain are healing up more quickly that I had anticipated.”
“Linked Energy Manipulation is hands down the best practical skill a person could ask for,” Jacob boasted. “Not only does it allow me to enhance my own strength, but it also lets me manipulate the energy found within others.”
“Ah.” The way Fellis’s eyes widened told him that she understood what he was talking about now. He guessed she’d been under the assumption that his powers were some type of magic. “That is indeed a fortuitous skill to have. I had no idea there was someone left in this world who knew how to use Linked Energy Manipulation.”
“By the way,” Jacob continued, “don’t you think it’s time you told me about the Dark Clan members that we faced off against? It won’t do if we fight them again, and I’m in the dark about who they are and what sort of magic they possess.”
“Yes, I suppose I should tell you about that, shouldn’t I?” Fellis sighed.
Jacob walked over to the bed that Enyo was resting on and sat down, ignoring the way the mattress sunk underneath his added weight. He looked at Enyo. Her eyes were closed, her mouth was partially open, and her face looked peaceful. The bruises that had covered her face were gone, leaving behind unblemished porcelain skin.
“The Dark Council has decided that they want to reclaim their ‘Dark Lady,’ in other words, Enyo. To that end, they have chosen seven champions, who have turned this mission into something of a competition.” Fellis finished her meal and set the empty plate aside. “I am one of the seven that was chosen, along with Shade, Wraith, and Heart, the woman whose face you caved in with your fist.”
At the mention of how he’d practically destroyed that woman’s face with a single punch, Jacob shrugged. “She upset me.”
“Indeed,” Fellis said, her expression conveying a hint of amusement. “In any case, aside from myself and those three, there are two others: Nemesis and Darkness.”
“What can you tell me about them?” Jacob asked.
Enyo shifted on the bed, seemingly trying to make herself more comfortable. She mumbled several times and smacked her lips. Then she settled down once more.
Fellis shrugged. “Not as much as I would like. I don’t know a whole lot about those two. Nemesis is a very large man who wields two scimitars. I do not know what his magic is, but his skills at dual-wielding is nothing to scoff at. Darkness I know even less about. She’s never been the talkative type.”
“So, we’ve got two more enemies that we don’t know much about, which means we’re essentially going to be fighting blind.”
“Pretty much.”
“Great. That’s just what I need: more unknowns.”
“As someone who once fought his way through the darklands and defeated the Dark Lord himself, I imagine fighting against opponents with unknown magic is something you’re used to.”
“Just because I’ve fought against unknown opponents before doesn’t mean I like to do it, or that I want to do it again,” Jacob retorted. “Anyway, I guess we’ll just have to take them as they come.”
“I suppose so.”
Jacob finished eating his meal, and then set the empty plate on top of Fellis’s. He thought about what they should do from now on, but without knowing when, where, and how these last two enemies would strike, he couldn’t formulate a solid plan. In the end, he would be fighting a reactive battle.
Enyo shifted some more, drawing his attention. His companion had suffered quite a bit at the hands of that woman. Remember how he’d seen Heart torturing Enyo for her own sick amusement pissed him off. His blood boiled just thinking about it.
“You’re quite protective of her,” Fellis said. Jacob glanced up. “Of Enyo, I mean.”
“I guess.” Jacob ran a hand through his hair. “Speaking of Enyo… why have I been getting the feeling that you want me and her to become intimate?”
Fellis smiled. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Don’t play coy with me,” Jacob snapped. “Back when we were chasing after Enyo and her kidnapper, you talked about how Enyo was in love with the hero, and then you went on to suggest that I speak with her about her feelings. You wouldn’t have done that unless you wanted us to get together for some reason.”
Fellis was silent for a time, and Jacob had no issue letting that silence become prolonged if it meant she would eventually answer him. During this silence, his eyes were once more drawn toward Enyo. Several bangs had fallen into her face. Jacob reached out and gently brushed the bangs away.
“You already know what is required of the Dark Lady, or rather, you know what the Dark Council makes those with the title of Dark Lady do,” Fellis said. “From the moment she was born, Enyo’s fate has been to birth the next Dark Lord once her father was felled. However, doing so is a death sentence.”
“What?”
In response to what was undoubtedly his flabbergasted expression, Fellis offered a bitter smile. “Giving birth to a Dark Lord requires untold amounts of magical power, far more than what any normal person would have.”
Dark lords were born with insane amounts of magical power. If someone were to put it in averages, then a single dark lord would equal an army of about 5,000 paladins. The power they wi
elded was on a level that few people could ever reach. Jacob still sometimes found it amazing that he’d been able to defeat Alucard in single combat.
“Impregnating the Dark Lady is not done through normal means. It is done through a ritual that creates a life. This ritual involves all seven members of the Dark Council sending their power into the Dark Lady. However, receiving that much power from seven of the most powerful Dark Clan members in the world doesn’t come without a cost. Likewise, giving birth to a being with the power of those seven is a death sentence. All dark ladies are essentially sacrificial lambs whose only purpose is to give birth to the next Dark Lord. Once their purpose is done, they’re dead bodies are tossed aside.”
Ignorance is said to be a bliss, but Jacob, having experienced quite a few hardships thanks to his ignorance, had believed otherwise—until now. Learning this new piece of information made him sick to his stomach.
He hadn’t known anything about how dark lords were created. It had always been one of those things that everyone just accepted. Every generation there was a dark lord and a hero, they would do battle, one of them would die, and the process would repeat itself with the next generation. This was how it had always been, and no one had questioned it.
Learning the truth was hard.
“I see.” Jacob pressed a hand to his face, rubbing his eyes as if they’d suddenly become sore. “So, the reason you want me to get with Enyo is because if she and I are together, you believe the Dark Council will leave her alone?”
“Not quite,” Fellis corrected. “It’s not enough for you to just be ‘together.’ You and Enyo need to be sexually active.”
Jacob was glad that he had finished eating, or he would have choked on his food at those words. “W-what?”
“The Dark Lady has to remain pure for the ritual to work,” Fellis explained. “Part of the ritual involves the act of ‘staining’ the Dark Lady’s purity. If the Dark Lady isn’t pure, then the ritual won’t work properly.”
“So… the Dark Lady needs to be a virgin for the ritual to work?” Jacob asked.
“Yes.”
“I’m not sure I understand,” Jacob confessed. “Why does she need to be a virgin?”
“Because of the dark nature of the ritual,” Fellis patiently explained. “Rituals like this involve perverting the nature of people. The power necessary to fuel the ritual is created by staining those who are pure in mind, body, and heart.”
“Is that also why Enyo wasn’t allowed outside of her home when she was younger?” he asked. “To keep her pure?”
Fellis crossed one leg over the other and nodded. “Yes. By keeping her contact with others, especially men, to a minimum, the Dark Council ensures her purity.”
Jacob still didn’t understand, but perhaps that was because he was human. The nature of the Dark Clan often eluded humanity. It was at least part of the reason their two sides were always at war. They just didn’t understand each other.
That didn’t matter to him, though. He didn’t like the idea of Enyo being used in such a ritual. Throughout their journey, she had been nothing but kind and helpful. She’d put up with his act when they had been gathering information on the Phantasma Forest, she’d protected him when he’d been poisoned, and she’d defeated Agatha. Enyo was an invaluable companion now, and he considered her to be a good friend.
He couldn’t say he loved her because he didn’t know what his feelings were anymore. At one point, he had thought he loved Alice, but after she allowed the hyenas known as the White Council to take advantage of them, whatever feelings he might have possessed had turned into resentment.
That said, he couldn’t deny that, from a purely physical standpoint, he was attracted to Enyo. He thought she was gorgeous. However, thinking that someone was physically attractive wasn’t the same as being in love.
Fellis suddenly standing up made Jacob snap out of his thoughts and look at her. She smiled as she grabbed the plates. “I think I’m going to take these down to the barkeep.”
“Okay.”
Walking out of the room, Jacob’s last glimpse of Fellis was the door closing behind her. Then he was alone with Enyo.
“This is a fine mess I’ve gotten myself into,” he said to himself.
It seemed like no matter where he went or what he did, trouble always arouse. He wondered if this was the curse of a hero, or maybe it was his own personal curse. Was he destined to always face dangers and troubles in this world?
“I’m sorry about Fellis,” Enyo said, her voice a soft whisper.
“Oh. You’re awake.” Jacob looked down. Enyo was staring back at him with half-lidded eyes. “How are you feeling?”
“Like I got beaten up by an old hag.”
Jacob grinned. “I don’t know how old she was, but you did get beaten pretty badly.” His lips twitched, the smile left, and a frown took its place. “I’m sorry. This only happened because I was careless.”
Enyo shook her head. “Please don’t apologize. I’m the one who should be saying sorry. I came to you for help, but I never told you everything.”
“Are you talking about the ritual to create a new dark lord?” he asked.
“Yes.” Enyo closed her eyes, and her body sunk further into the bed with a boneless quality, as if she was so exhausted that staying awake required more effort than it was worth. “I didn’t tell you about the ritual because I didn’t want you to think I was trying to make you fall in love with me.”
“Fellis did say that you were in love with the hero version of me,” he said.
“It is true that I fell in love with the stories that Fellis used to tell me,” she admitted. “However, I know that you aren’t the same as the person who I heard about in the stories of you. You’re different than him.”
“Does that disappoint you?”
Enyo shook her head. “On the contrary, the you that I kept hearing stories about always seemed unreal, like you were larger than life. The Jacob who I met that night at the pub felt a lot more real, more attainable. If it’s you, I feel like I can stand by your side rather than look up at you as you’re raised on a pedestal.”
To stand by his side. He’d never heard someone say that before. Not even Alice had told him that she wanted to stand by his side as an equal.
“Is that really all you want?” he asked.
Enyo smiled tiredly and, raising her hand, she reached out. Jacob only realized a few seconds later what she wanted, and he clasped her hand in his. The tired smile on her face became just a few decibels brighter, which might have been due to pink hue spreading across her cheeks.
“The only thing I want,” she began, “is to spend the rest of my life with you in the world you came from.”
He stared at Enyo, unable to comprehend her answer. It was so simple that he couldn’t help but think she had an ulterior motive.
Jacob had spent his entire life in Terrasole learning that people couldn’t be trusted, that, if it meant getting what they wanted at the expenditure of his trust, they would betray him without hesitation.
The White Council had abused his trust, Alice had abused his trust, and he didn’t even know where his old companions were. It was only natural that he wouldn’t trust Enyo at her word. At the same time, he wanted to.
He really, really wanted to.
“I see,” Fellis said as she entered the room. “So that is what your goal is. You are seeking to accompany Jacob to his original world.”
“Fellis…” Enyo muttered.
“I’m glad to see that you are awake.” Fellis’s smile was far more tender than anything Jacob had seen from the woman thus far. “I apologize for trying to fight with you. I had not realized that you already had such a well thought out plan.”
“It’s okay,” Enyo murmured. She looked about ready to fall asleep again. “I figured you had a reason for trying to stop me. I’m sorry I never told you what I was planning.”
Fellis sat down on the other side of the bed, and, leaning over, she placed
a kiss on Enyo’s forehead. The sight reminded Jacob of his mom. Back before he was summoned to this world, she used to kiss him on the forehead just like that.
“Get some rest, Enyo,” Fellis said. “You’re still recovering and need your sleep.”
“Right…”
Enyo sighed as she closed her eyes. Her body relaxed, her grip on his hand slackened, and her arm became limp. Despite this, Jacob remained holding her hand.
“I believe we should get some sleep as well,” Fellis said.
“Yeah,” Jacob agreed. “You can take the other bed.”
Raising an eyebrow, Fellis cast him an inquiring glance. “Oh, are you planning to sleep on the floor, or is your intention to slip into Enyo’s bed once I’m asleep?”
“I’ll take the floor,” Jacob said, unbothered by the woman’s teasing. “But I plan to remain here for a little while longer.”
Fellis sighed. “You’re no fun.”
“I say that all the time,” Durandal said.
“Both of you should be quiet.”
It wasn’t long after she slipped into bed that Fellis fell asleep, her breath evening and becoming deep. Jacob stayed awake. He held Enyo’s hand, unsure of why he didn’t feel like letting go.
Visible through the window, a thousand stars twinkled like specks of white on a pure black canvas.
***
The plan that Jacob and Enyo had come up with after retrieving the gate key was to travel toward Alysium, sneak into Avant Heim, and use the otherworld gate to escape to his original world. Their original plan had taken something of a nose dive after all of the trouble they had in the Phantasma Forest. Somehow, instead of ending up closer to Alysium or even back in Altus, they had landed themselves on the other side of Terrasole.
Despite this initial series of setbacks, they had decided to continue their journey. Since Vicus, the city they found themselves in, was located north east of Avant Heim, they needed to travel south west. This would take them through several major cities, including Tellus Caelum, the second largest city in Terrasole.
Journey of a Betrayed Hero- Volume 1 Page 18
