Fated for War

by Travis Bughi

  Abraham and Nicholas furrowed their eyebrows and glanced to Gavin, but the knight just grinned and shrugged so they turned back to Takeo.

  “I can’t tell if you two are serious or not,” Abraham said.

  “Honestly, neither can we,” Gavin replied.

  “You’re both mad,” Abraham noted, “and yet I can’t help but envy you a little. It sounds like you two are headed for an interesting future. If you make it out alive, I’d like to hear the tale.”

  “We’ll be back,” Gavin said. “If not for you, then for Emily. Takeo wasn’t the only one who loved her.”

  Takeo cast a glance to Nicholas and saw the young man staring ahead across the Great Plains. His sudden silence was unnatural for him, prompting questioning looks from other two, as well, but none thought it prudent to speak up.

  It was a full day’s journey to Lucifan, and they passed the time with a bit of idle chatter, some jokes concerning Abraham’s love life, and eventually the question of Gavin’s own past. Nicholas had yet to hear where Gavin came from or why he was interested in following Takeo, while Abraham only knew some of the story, so the knight felt obliged to tell them.

  Like Takeo, Gavin had been orphaned. Unlike Takeo, he’d found a family in an orphanage run by an old gnome named Madam Sweeney. She was stern yet fair, well liked, and had a heart to rival an angel’s. She’d raised Gavin, doing what she could to instill a sense of right and wrong in him, but he hadn’t truly become the man he was today until he’d been brought before the angels to become a knight. He’d realized then the worth of honor and decided to devote his whole life toward achieving that ideal. Gavin was also quick to mention that his late best friend, Sir Duncan Macalister, had been the most honorable man of all, an idol worth living up to. As to why Gavin followed Takeo, he admitted that the strongest reason was sheer curiosity.

  “I resigned from the knighthood, as you know,” Gavin said, finishing his short tale, “and replaced training and duty with drinking. Rejected and lacking purpose, I decided to drown my sorrows in wine, ale, and rum. It was no easy feat. My nightmares were tough things that refused to be diluted no matter how much alcohol I poured into my veins, and I likely would have died if Takeo hadn’t come and drug me out. I joined him on his little quest to help Belen and her son, and now I feel a strong desire to help him again. On my own, I can’t seem to find a purpose to live, so without angelic guidance, I suppose this samurai will have to do.”

  “A poor replacement,” Takeo said.

  “It’s an insult to call it a replacement at all,” Gavin corrected.

  They shared a smirk.

  “And, in some decade and a half or so, you two plan to return?” Nicholas spoke up. “To Angor, for the boy, Cyrus?”

  “That’s what we told Belen, yes,” Gavin answered. “He’s a werewolf given his humanity back by an angel, so if he desires to leave the safety of his clan, he can. If one or both of us is alive and unencumbered, we will make an attempt to help him.”

  “Heh.” Nicholas cracked a broad smile. “You would make Cyrus into Emily, then? That makes you Chara, an old woman.”

  “That’s a thin comparison,” Takeo replied, “yet not inaccurate. By the time we return, we will be old, at least old by a warrior’s standards.”

  “Yes, that’s a long time to wait,” Abraham said. “A lot can happen between now and then.”

  Takeo and Gavin only nodded to this, which seemed to be acceptance enough.

  They reached the grand city of Lucifan just as the sun was setting and used the last dregs of light to enter it. The main road was a wide, beaten path of dirt where grass could not grow due to being trampled every day by hundreds of feet, hooves, and cartwheels. Alongside the road just outside the city was a great pile of shattered stone, the ruins of the colossi that had once protected the city during the time of the angels. The stone had yet to be quarried, most people believing the stuff enchanted, or perhaps haunted, by the spirits of those huge, moving statues, but Takeo knew it was only a matter of time before the leprechauns began to steal the free building materials. Nothing remained sacred forever.

  One colossus, the one last commanded by Emily, was still intact. Since her death, it had stood guard in the waters of Lucifan’s port, facing east toward any enemy that dared enter. In the darkness of night, it could hardly be seen except as a silhouette that blocked the stars. Takeo knew it was there, though, appearing watchful forever, when in truth it was nothing but a hollow shell. It would never move again, and Lucifan’s protection was now in the hands of its people and its military.

  Time would tell if that was enough.

  For now, though, the four of them had other concerns. They traveled into the city unmolested, Abraham’s spurs clicking loudly enough to echo across the stone buildings and sending any would-be thieves cowering from the dangers a gunslinger posed. Takeo kept one hand on his katana, however, as any samurai would do when walking through unfamiliar territory.

  They encountered no one but a group of knights soaring overhead on winged pegasi, and those knights took no interest in the four men walking along the open streets. Abraham led the way to a building with a wooden sign hanging above the door that read Banshee’s Wail Tavern. Takeo recalled the place dimly and was in no way surprised to find more than a few drunken patrons inside. However, he was surprised to find that most of those patrons were amazons.

  Studded leather armor, treantwood bows, arrows, knives, short hair, and an appetite for drinking and fighting to rival a viking, there had to have been a good forty in all, and those were only the ones he could see. Takeo tensed as he had not expected to see so many. Neither, apparently, had Gavin, Nicholas, or Abraham, who all balked. The amazons, in turn, those who recognized them, gave a cheer and shouted their welcomes. Takeo only knew one of them, a woman named Leda, and was relieved to see a familiar face amongst the crowd. She strode forward, her wide hips swaying beneath a small waist, and threw her arms open.

  “Abraham Stout arrives at last!” Leda shouted. “Our sister’s brother and our would-be king were we so inclined!”

  The amazons roared their drunken laughter, and Abraham turned bright red. He attempted to hide it with his hat, but Leda came forth and tossed the hat off. She wrapped an arm around his shoulders and swayed back and forth.

  “He’s here! He’s here!” she chanted. “Fetch our Queen and bring the prince!”

  “Leda!” one shouted.

  “Shhh!” others begged.

  “What?” Abraham stuttered, going rigid. “Prince? What prince?”

  “Oh, damn it!” Leda swore and smacked her forehead, making her curvy chest wiggle distractingly. “Stupid drink! Oh, please, Abe! Please! Don’t say anything. Act surprised! Please! Pretty please? Fighting please? Ugly please? Whatever kind of please you’re into, really—that kind of please. Whew! I need another, I think. Damn I’m thirsty!”

  Abraham stuttered but stopped dead when the crowd parted to reveal a tall amazon with broad shoulders, straight, black hair, and a thick build. She was a woman who walked confidently, filled a room with her presence, and commanded attention with a hard gaze. Takeo saw all of this in a heartbeat, but what his eyes lingered on was the small bundle she carried in her arms.

  Adelpha came forward, and Abraham nearly stepped back. He wasn’t afraid, Takeo knew, only overcome with emotion. His face was flushed, his eyes watery, and his bottom lip quivered. Beside him, Nicholas coughed and then nudged his older brother forward with an overzealous elbow, nearly knocking the gunslinger over. It worked to break the spell, though, and Abraham strode forward to meet his queen halfway.

  “SSSHHH!!” Leda stumbled forward and caught herself on Gavin. “This is the best part.”

  “Leda, please,” Adelpha said.

  “Sshh!” Leda said to Gavin again, grabbing his stubbly chin. “Keep those cute lips closed.”

  Gavin nodded, gave her a glance, and then turned back to the couple.

  The bundle was still covered, though
none needed assistance in discerning its contents. Abraham was already crying, a few tears rolling from his eyes while he worked to maintain his composure. Without his hat, there was nothing to hide behind, and his breathing was broken as he sniffed through a clogged nose.

  It even brought moisture to Adelpha’s hard eyes.

  “Remember what I told you?” she whispered, clearly audible over the dead silence of the tavern. “If I had a son, I’d bring him to you?”

  “Oh,” Abraham stuttered out, his lips murmuring a yes, and then nodded his head.

  “You’re a father now, Abe,” Adelpha said.

  She handed the bundle to him, and he took it with such awkward movements one would have sworn he carried a thing made of thin glass. When at last he had it, and Adelpha had corrected his arms to hold it properly, she peeled back the cover to reveal a sleeping baby no more than a few months old.

  What little control Abraham had left shattered, and he wept, waking the baby up and making it cry.

  Chapter 6

  Once Abraham had regained control, he shushed and cooed over the child in an attempt to make it stop crying. In this, the gunslinger missed the mark, and the baby went on crying until all the amazons were laughing and Adelpha had to take the baby back to calm the little guy down. She took him to a table, set him down, and motioned for Abraham to take a seat beside her. Nicholas went over, as did some of the amazons, but Takeo and Gavin removed themselves to a table nearby.

  “What’s his name?” Abraham asked, taking a seat and reaching out a finger for the baby to latch onto.

  “I didn’t give him one,” Adelpha answered. “We’ve just been calling him Prince. I thought it proper that we should name the children who will live with us. You get to name the boys, and I’ll name my daughters.”

  “William,” Abraham said instantly. “William Stout.”

  “And I’m Uncle, now,” Nicholas said over the top of them, grinning wide.

  The baby, William, looked at Abraham cautiously and then began to wiggle and breathe heavily. Now freed of the swaddle, he kicked his legs and shook his arms in stick motions, his eyes going wide at all the attention being poured over him. For a moment, it seemed too much, and he began to tear up, but Adelpha shushed him and swaddled him with the blanket again.

  Meanwhile, Gavin, catching Takeo staring at them, nudged him.

  “Did you ever want children?” he asked.

  “Hm?” Takeo replied, blinking.

  “You know,” Gavin said, pausing. “You and Emily. Did you two ever talk?”

  Takeo took a moment to reflect. The answer to the question was straightforward, but Takeo held off because he was curious why Gavin would ask that question. Why would any two men who loved the same woman talk about that?

  He decided to keep those thoughts to himself, though, and replied honestly.

  “No. We hardly talked about the future. We didn’t even speak of marriage, or living together, or what our plans would be once Lucifan was saved. There was no need to get our hopes up that we’d both survive.”

  “But did you want them?” Gavin pressed.

  Takeo paused and took a deep breath. Then he leaned forward to whisper because he knew the opinion he was about to express was an unpopular one.

  “No again,” Takeo sighed. “I don’t see children as a joy. To me, they look like a burden. Maybe it’s because of my own rotten upbringing that I shudder to bring any living thing into this harsh world, but mostly, I think it’s because I just don’t want to be responsible for someone’s life again. As a samurai, I was forced to serve my lord, and it was a step above slavery. To be at the beck and call of a wailing child seems a similar fate. I’m afraid I’d probably be just like my brother if I were a father.”

  “Huh,” Gavin huffed. “No wonder you were so quick to run from Angor. Were you afraid Belen would guilt you into taking Cyrus?”

  “Not afraid, just eager to be free. One year with a kid was one year too long.”

  “Do you think Emily felt the same way?”

  Again about Emily, Takeo thought. Why is he pressing me? Surely this can’t bring him joy, asking about the woman he loved who chose me?

  “I do,” Takeo said. “She was not one to run from her fears. I think if she’d had thoughts towards children, she would have mentioned them.”

  “You two whisper poorly,” Leda said, appearing suddenly and dropping into the seat beside Gavin before swinging a drunken arm around his shoulders. “And what about you? You want babies? You are seriously cute. Do you know that? You and me would make some seriously cute babies. Oh, damn it. I’m too forward, aren’t I? Aren’t I, cutie?”

  Leda giggled and fell over in just a way that her shapely chest pressed up against Gavin’s arm. The knight, Takeo noted, neither balked nor squirmed at Leda’s gestures. Actually, to Takeo’s inquisitive eye, it seemed the man was finally in his element. He turned to her and flexed his arm, letting the muscles harden where she grabbed for support and giving her a charming smile that could have warmed a vampire’s heart.

  “I’m sorry, what was your name again?” he asked.

  “Leda.” The amazon grinned, cheeks flushing red.

  “Nice to meet you, Leda. My name’s Cutie.”

  She giggled and playfully slapped his chest. Takeo thought to disappear but wanted to do so strategically.

  “Gavin,” he said.

  “Hm?” the knight muttered, peeling his eyes away from Leda’s chest.

  “Before I retire for the night, I have some business to attend to. I’ll take Nicholas. Can you stay here and get us rooms?”

  “Oh, yes, of course.” Gavin smiled and nodded.

  Takeo stood up and paced away from the entire scene. He watched Leda fall over Gavin again and begin whispering in his ear. Nearby, Abraham was still coddling his son, who’d fallen asleep. He and Adelpha talked, and occasionally the amazons surrounding them broke into fits of laughter, making William stir.

  Also with them was Nicholas, and Takeo smirked at what he saw. The big man was being made a spectacle of by the women, just like Gavin. Several had taken to standing close to him, touching his enlarged biceps or sneaking fingers up his chiseled back. Unlike Gavin, Nicholas was not taking these tactics in stride. He seemed rather surprised and nervous. It was enough to make Takeo smirk, and after watching the boy suffer for a few moments, he decided to save him.

  “Nicholas!” he shouted.

  A few amazons pouted while others threw jeers as Nicholas pulled away from their clutches to join Takeo on the other side of the tavern. He came over at nearly a jog, so eager was he to flee.

  “Takeo, what is it?”

  “Before we sleep, there’s someone I need to see,” he said. “It’s not wise to walk Lucifan alone. I’d like you to join me.”

  “Gladly,” Nicholas said, glancing fearfully over his shoulder at the women giving him hungry looks.

  They retreated from the tavern as quietly as they could, taking to the darkened streets of Lucifan and the cool night air.

  The weather in Lucifan was always some form of cool, neither too hot nor anything beyond uncomfortably cold. He figured this was due to it being a port city, as all cities near the water seemed to share the trait of having consistent weather. Also, being so near the ocean, the smell of salt lingered in the moist air, something most people on the Great Plains found nowhere else. It was no wonder so many thought this place magical.

  To Takeo, though, without the angels, it was just another city. The only reason it held any significance to him at all was because this was the place where he’d met Emily, the city she’d died in, and also the only place in the world she’d claimed to love.

  If Nicholas shared his sister’s thoughts on Lucifan, he did not show them. As soon as they passed the first street, he gargled spit in his mouth and lugged it onto the cobblestone.

  “So where are we going?” he asked. “Oh, and thanks for saving me.”

  “You’ll see,” Takeo replied. “And
you’re welcome. I’m surprised the amazons tried to tempt you at all. One would think they’d remember you prefer men.”

  “Most of them did remember,” Nicholas said, shrugging. “Some just didn’t care. They said I only preferred men because I hadn’t been with a real woman. I should have expected this, honestly. I should have remembered how aggressive amazons can be. They are a lot like viking women. You tell them no, and they hear a challenge waiting to be met. They’re as bad as most men.”

  “Interesting to hear you say that.”

  “Hey, just because I like to touch beards doesn’t mean I think all men are angels.” Nicholas shrugged. “Some men—too many—don’t take no for an answer, and it’s at those times I’m glad that I have a strong right hook.”

  They found the main trade road and made their way towards the center of the city. In the night, few buildings could be seen beyond those adjacent to their path, but Takeo felt confident he was headed in the right direction. Along one street, they stopped at the sound of footsteps down an alley, but they moved on at the sight of a little boy darting off into the shadows.

  “There are likely many more orphans these days,” Takeo mused aloud. “Many lost fathers and mothers from the battle against Jabbar.”

  “True,” Nicholas said, then shrugged. “All the buildings are repaired, but lives cannot be replaced. Other things are different, too. Trade is probably half of what it used to be, if the rumors are anything to go off of. I only get bits and pieces of news on the farm. Things sound dire, though.”

  “Did you happen to gather why there are so many amazons this trip?” Takeo asked, switching the subject as the question struck him. “Emily told me the amazons only go in groups of about twenty.”

  “I was thinking the same thing!” Nicholas beamed. “Adelpha said there were a good sixty women this trip! There would have been more, too, if Adelpha hadn’t arbitrarily limited it to that amount. They all want to come and see Emily’s grave. She’s something of a legend to them now, having followed Heliena across the world to serve justice—also surviving basilisk poison, that too. I pity my poor brother—oh, and my mother. That is going to be the strangest meeting, my mother who ran away to get married, seeing some half-hundred amazons coming to honor her daughter. If I don’t find a viking ship out of here, I’ll be excited to return home and watch the results. Drunk, of course.”