Brother, where are you?
“So, is Beth coming over?” Serenity interjected, noticing the drawn expression on Emil’s face.
There were two seats empty at a table for six. The one at the head of the table was for the late husband of Grace. The other alongside Taeo was reserved for Elizabeth, one of Grace’s girlfriends.
Serenity’s question echoed to the ends of the table. Despite her attempts, the silence remained strong. Grace, from the other end, looked up as if she had heard something but wasn’t sure.
“Um, I don’t know. It’s strange that she hasn’t dropped by these past couple of days,” Grace said before looking down to continue picking at her food. “Hope she’s okay. I tried to get something out of her, but she’s been distant lately...nothing but hellos and goodbyes.”
“We did see her on the way back home, Mother. She didn’t say much. Taeo was with her son when Emil and I passed by...barely recognized her.”
Emil paused to reflect and remembered the look on Beth’s face when they were walking through town. The lady who ushered her child inside as he walked by. That was her. The look of fear on her face blinded him from noticing her, or rather, he refused to believe what he saw.
“Poor child, she must be going through something,” Grace said as she shook her head, still picking at her meal.
What Serenity failed to mention was that when they saw her, she was cowering away, grasping at her child. Her withheld information, however, was for a just cause. Looking over at Emil, she realized that he was still sore from the previous string of conversation. He was no monster. That she knew for certain. But still, there were those who thought otherwise.
Chapter 2: In A Perfect World
The pounding on the door startled them from their meal. Emil, Grace, Taeo, and Serenity looked towards the front of the house as the door continued to vibrate in tandem with the string of urgent booming.
“Do you want me to get it?” Emil asked while rising from his seat.
“No,” Grace said with a smile. “Finish your food, dear. I’ll get it. Didn’t we have this talk already?” she teased. As Grace traveled to the front of the house, she wondered who would be bothering her at such a time of night. Her hand hovered over the wooden knob as she pressed her ear against the door, waiting for another series of knocks. But there were none.
“Who is it?” Grace said, still leaning with her ear pressed against the wooden door.
There was a noticeable pause.
“It’s Beth.”
Grace’s shoulders dropped as she exhaled with a sigh of relief, elated at the voice of her long-lost friend.
“Can I come in?” the voice said from the other side.
“Yes, of course you can,” Grace responded. “One second.” Grace quickly started to work on the chain lock to let in her best friend. As she worked against the lock, she smiled to herself eagerly; expectant to hear of what she had been missing as of late. How were Beth’s children? Was she seeing anybody new? Their chat sessions had become something that she yearned for during her friend’s recent absence. Without her husband around, it had been a while since Grace had the luxury of talking to someone her own age. “We were just thinking about you. Serenity mentioned that she saw you earlier.”
After fidgeting with the chain lock for some time, she finally managed to open the door, and to her surprise, Beth was not alone. The grin that Grace wore quickly faded as she stared out of the opening in horror. There Beth stood, backed by a platoon of heavily armored foot soldiers sent by the king himself. The blood red seal etched into their plated armor struck fear into her heart as she stood there, dumbfounded, by the betrayal of her best friend.
I’m sorry, Beth mouthed as the guards crossed in front of her and presented Grace with a worn piece of paper; a bounty for Emil.
“Have you seen this man?” one of the guards asked abruptly, severing the already fragile ties of the former friends. Grace looked down at the tan piece of paper the guard held and then looked up at Beth, who was partially hidden behind his shoulder. The maroon hood that rested on top her head glowed dully in unison with the flickering torches the other soldiers held.
Grace studied the picture as if she’d never laid eyes on the young man on the worn sheet of paper. Her scrunched brows pulsed as she analyzed the bounty. With a confused look, her gaze met once again with the guard in front of her.
“No, never seen him before in my life. What’s going on?”
By now, Emil and the others had gotten wind of the situation. Grace was in audible range and Emil knew that she was only trying to buy time. Serenity grabbed Taeo by the hand and began to quietly go for the back door.
“Wait,” Emil whispered. “If they are here for me, then the place is already surrounded. If you and Taeo go, they’ll know that I’m here. Take Taeo and something to defend yourselves with and hide. I’ll hide too, but I need to be close to your mother in case she needs me.”
Serenity quietly shook her head and tugged on Taeo’s hand. He looked up at her, confused but obedient. She turned to him with one finger over her lips, only removing it to whisper, “Come on, T. In here.”
She quietly crept along the interior of the house, grabbing a stray knife before entering one of the rooms. After Taeo followed suit, she quietly shut and sealed the door. With a muffled sigh, Emil focused his attention on Grace, who was still at the front of the house face-to-face with the Royal Vanguard.
He pressed himself against a wall as he readied himself for the worst. Grace was doing all that she could, but the man in front of her was persistent.
“So you’re telling me that you’ve never seen this man before in your life?” the guard questioned her once more.
“No. Never,” Grace responded adamantly, looking directly into his eyes. He glared at her with squinting eyes before turning back to address the other men who waited outside the door. For a second, a moment of relief coursed throughout her body, and then a dull pain flashed across her cheek.
There was a scream followed by a loud thud. Emil bit his lip as his mind speculated about what was happening on the other side of the wall. He glanced over at the room that Serenity and Taeo were in. Thankfully, they didn’t make a sound.
The guard hovered over Grace as she lay there. He had struck her in the face and now she was looking directly at the polished blade that swung only inches from her.
“Don’t hurt her!” Beth cried out from the doorway. One of the guards yanked at her bicep, turning her towards him.
“Shut up! You swore he was here, didn’t you? We have orders from the king to use any means necessary to take down this abomination.”
The grip on her arm grew tighter. The man beneath the helmet no longer seemed human. How blind could she have been?
Tears welled up as she looked down at her fallen friend and realized the evil that she had just committed. Grace was bleeding heavily on the floor from the gash on her nose that was caused by the metal gauntlet.
“Now, where is the boy?” He closed the distance between Grace and the finely polished blade.
“I...I don’t know,” she said as she crawled away, shaking her head.
The guard let out an un-amused chuckle as he stepped closer.
“Stand up,” he commanded, but Grace remained stationary. It was clear that she was afraid. Her body shook uncontrollably with fear as he towered over her.
“Please don’t hurt her!” Beth pleaded.
“Shut up!” The guard turned, interrupting Beth’s plea. “You’re the one who did this to her...so shut your mouth. Backstabbing your friend for only a few pieces of gold.” He scoffed as if amused. “Pathetic.”
His rash comment froze Beth completely, shutting her off as she dwelled on her past mistakes.
Grace slowly turned her head to Beth, both broken and confused. Silent tears fell from her cheeks as she looked deep into the eyes of her betrayer. Beth searched for the words inside herself to make amends, but before she could air how she felt, th
eir mutual vision was separated by the main interrogator.
The head guard squatted down to Grace’s level. He sheathed his sword and stared at her intently before clasping her face in his hand. Grace tried to struggle with all of her might, but she soon found that her strength was no match for his. She tried her hardest not to scream as he clamped his cold steel fingers around her cheek and began to squeeze.
The head guard chuckled as he drew out a small serrated dagger he carried on the side of his armor and examined it. A smile ran across his face when his eyes met hers.
“Now sweetie, if you don’t want to talk, you don’t have to. It’s just that a very reliable source said that he was here, and we came to get him, that’s all.”
With new life, Grace struggled to break free, but once again she was no match for him. No matter how hard she tried to struggle, he remained in complete control.
“I don’t know anything!” Grace said as she broke into tears. “I promise. Just let me go. Please!”
Her plea fell on deaf ears. The hold he had on her intensified. The crushing pressure he had on her cheeks caused her to cry out in pain as he clamped down.
“I think...I think I’m going to cut off your tongue!”
“No! Please! No!”
At the sound of the captor’s threat, Emil’s heart stopped. His eyes widened as he envisioned what was happening on the other side. The heart-wrenching cries ignited a familiar warmth that radiated from the base of his palm.
“I’m going to give y—”
A dagger sunk into the side of the guard’s neck. A crimson puddle formed where he fell. The others gathered at the sight of their fallen leader and Emil never parted eyes with them. His gaze remained focused straight ahead, peering outside at the Vanguard troops who marveled at the sight of his pulsing hand. Beth was amongst those troops, awestricken yet terrified at what she had just seen. She backed away slowly, knowing that he could take her life in an instant if he wanted to. As she stood in fear, she waited for the inevitable, but her death by his hands never came.
Emil remained still, dagger in hand. The once pulsing blue light on his hand now glowed dully and lay idle by his side. He stood firm as he watched her move further into the darkness.
The remnants of the Royal Vanguard rallied closer.
“Surround the house!” one yelled. “Light it on fire!”
The dull blue light brightened and danced while it began to slowly grow in size.
“Can you stand?” Emil asked Grace, his eyes still entranced on the armed men before him.
“Yes,” she said as she gathered her strength and rose to her feet.
“Hide.”
Grace complied but only after she went deeper into the house and retrieved Emil’s sword, incased in its sheath. She had armed herself with a knife of her own, as well. “Here.”
“Thank you,” Emil said after clutching his blade. “Now go.”
The guards took that moment of distraction as an opening and rushed towards Emil. The sword in Emil’s hand glowed sky-blue as he charged at them, head on.
As Beth distanced herself from the house that had begun to burn, she saw not a monster, but a man who would stop at nothing to protect those he loved.
The five that charged Emil dropped almost instantly against the brave wanderer, who took every opening possible to kill those who put his newfound family in danger. There was no point in holding back in a situation like this. Not after what they had already done.
After they fell, Emil ran back into the house and opened the door to the room where Taeo, Grace, and Serenity were hiding.
“We have to move. They’re trying to burn the house down. Follow me...but not too close.”
He sheathed his sword and ran out through the front door where more guards waited for his return. With a grunt, an orb pulsed from his hand and ignited against the armor of one of his opponents. Without breaking form, he grabbed the dagger from his side and swiftly assassinated the others who stood in his way. He looked back, unmoved, at the burning house that smoldered behind him. The peace that once rested in his eyes had now been lost; submerged deep within the rivets of blood that ran down the tip of his blade. As Grace and the others came closer, the glow of his palm faded once more.
“That was only the first wave. You need to run...go somewhere safe. They won’t stop until they have me.”
Grace placed a hand along his cheek, running her fingertips lightly along the contours of his face, holding back her tears.
“Please be safe.”
Emil grasped her hand in his, lowering it down to her side.
“I will...thank you for everything.”
She stood silently as she tried her hardest to ingrain the image of the young hero who had saved her yet again deep into her memory, wondering if she’d ever see him again. Taeo was buried in Ren’s arms, gripping the hem of her dress as he held her tight.
“You’re one of the good guys, right Emil?” Taeo asked.
“Of course...and I won’t let them hurt you or anybody else. I just need for you to look out for your sister and your mother while I’m away. Keep them safe, Okay?”
Emil directed his eyes towards Serenity and saw traces of ash caked around her cheeks. Narrow stripes of her pale skin were visible where her tears had fallen. He wanted to say something, anything, except goodbye, but his mouth remained still.
“Emil!” she called out in a frenzied panic while pointing behind him.
A stream of fire swirled through the interior of the village, hurtling full speed at Emil.
Shit. There’s not enough time!
“Stay close to me!” Emil yelled as he placed both of his hands in front of him. Almost instantly, a blue sphere of light surrounded them just before the fire reached them. Emil tensed as the fire collided with the exterior of his shield of light, the flames violently washing over and around the energy that protected them.
Hugo? It would be him.
Wisps of fire seeped through the barrier, lashing at Emil’s skin even though he had diverted all of his efforts into keeping the shield strong. As the pillar of fire pounded away his energy, the light that encircled Emil and the others began to wane. The crashing waves of heat intensified as they remained trapped inside what little protection Emil had to offer.
With Emil occupied by the torrent of flames, the village of Nerai plunged into chaos. Deflected flames from Emil’s barrier had sprouted into fires of their own, causing the townspeople to fight against the soldiers who threatened their homes and way of life. Unable to do anything, Emil heard the clinks of metal swords and cries of agony while the fires that entrenched Emil only grew stronger as his power continued to dwindle.
Holding back his flames is taking too much of my energy. I’m fading fast. If I didn’t have Grace and the others with me, I could slip past his attack, but I can’t risk losing them.
“Ah!” Like a blazed whip, a stream of fire snapped against Emil’s cheek, penetrating through the rapidly weakening orb of light that surrounded them.
Damn it! We’re trapped. He only plans on holding me here until I tire out, then he’ll rush me when I’m defenseless. Coward! Using the villagers against me like that.
“Hugo! Leave them out of this. Fight me!” Emil growled from behind his barrier. “Don’t be a coward! I’ll fight you one-on-one. Just you and me!” Emil continued to pour out more of his energy into the barrier, but the fires only intensified. “Hugo, listen to me! This has nothing to do with them!” Emil screamed. A spiral of flame crashed into Emil’s barrier, causing his knees to buckle from the impact. It was clear that Hugo had no intention of a fair fight or sparing anyone who crossed his path. “You don’t have to do this!”
Amidst the chaos, three of the townspeople managed to break free of the main skirmish and saw the power struggle on display between both Emil and Hugo.
“He’s the only one that can save us... He’s the only one who stands a chance against that general.”
“I didn’t
know the king’s generals had abilities like that! They’re monsters!”
“I don’t think we are supposed to know... and by the way things are going, it seems like none of us are supposed to make it out alive. Chances are, they plan to slaughter us all after they take whatever they want. As much as it hurts to say, our lives are worth nothing at this point, but Emil’s is. If we can give him some breathing room, maybe he can save this village. I’m not going to say I was the nicest to him during his stay, but I do know that if we want our children to have a chance at living, we need to do what’s necessary. I’m just a baker. Before this day I’ve never taken a life, but for the sake of the village, I’d be willing to give mine. If we rush him as a team, it’ll provide Emil with an opening, and maybe, just maybe, he’ll win. That man he’s up against has already killed his own troops as well as some of our family and friends. I doubt he has anything human left in him. If Emil’s our only hope that the village remains safe, I’ll gladly take my chance on him... I’m going.”
From the group of three, the baker broke out into a sprint, yelling at the top of his lungs with his sword raised high above his head. The two men behind him amassed the same courage and chased behind him, joining him on his suicide mission.
No! They can’t! They’ll die!
Emil noticed them from afar, but was unable to do anything to stop their advances. All he could do was watch as he maintained his barrier of light.
“Stop! Stop! He’ll kill you!” Emil yelled as they stormed closer. “Don’t!”
As the three men honed in on Hugo’s location, Hugo turned his head to them and flashed a devilish grin before directing one of his palms in their direction. Horror fleshed across their faces once they realized that their fate had been sealed. Hugo’s palm ignited and a small spark flickered before blossoming into a tremendous flame that danced elegantly in the center of his hand.
The Last Light Series Omnibus One: - The Dreamer and the Deceiver - All Things Eternal - Ode to the King: A Superhero Epic Fantasy Collection (The Last Light Collection Book 1) Page 2
