Legacy of Death_Revenge

by Thomas J. L. Green

  Zerae turned red. She detached from him and awkwardly looked into the ground. “Good night”, she whispered and headed to the inn.

  “Good night,” Lucas wished her and disappeared.

  Zerae took a long while to calm down as soon as she reached her room.

  What the hell do I do now? Because this ‘perhaps’ was a really strong yes.

  41

  Lucas

  I need to detox, right fucking now. I can live with the fact that the constant overuse of dream walking drugs eats up my reflexes, I’m fast enough anyway... but I cannot afford being unable to hide my emotions. I have too many secrets while being around excessively perceptive people... and I’ve really, really fucked up tonight.

  Lucas strolled through the castle without being noticed. He knew these paths. He walked them every year. Soon a large hall appeared in front of him. The half-destroyed hall was sealed from entry, but there were more than few secret entrances. It was the old throne room, after all. He walked up and stood in front of the throne. Half destroyed throne with a woman dressed in gold pinned to it. Pinned by a broken blade of a sword. She was frozen in time. All the surroundings of the throne were frozen in time, down to the drops of blood waiting to fall. Lucas focused and jumped into the frozen space. A prison made of darkness, prison out of time and space.

  “Hey, Neh,” he gently greeted the woman sitting on the other side of the glass wall.

  “Hey… you are early,” she smiled warmly.

  Lucas sagged down by the glass wall. He couldn’t bear to look at her.

  “What happened?” she asked caringly.

  “I fucked up,” he sighed, “badly.”

  “What happened? Are the kids alright?” Nehamah pried urgently as leaped to the glass wall.

  Inches away… yet completely out of reach.

  “Yea, they are fine… at least for now. I just… slipped with Zerae,” Lucas admitted.

  “What the hell do you mean, slipped? You didn’t tell her, did you?” Neh shot sharply.

  “No. But I wasn’t far… for a moment, I seriously wanted to tell her,” Lucas stated sadly.

  “You can’t, Lucas. You know this better than anyone… it would destroy her. Her and everyone around her. She can’t know. Ever. You swore me you wouldn’t tell them at the start, do not break your oath, Lucas!” Neh demanded strongly.

  Easier said than done… there is a limit to how much suffering I’m willing to witness.

  “I know… I guess I just really need to detox.”

  “Detox? From what?” Neh narrowed her eyes, “are you taking drugs again? I thought we have had this talk enough times, Lucas!”

  Well… apparently not.

  “I bit off more than I could chew. We started a massive campaign, more than three times larger than the largest one in the history of the Order. Coordinating it requires way too many way too long jumps. I had to start taking lotus again to be able to keep doing it,” he said.

  “How much and how long?” Nehamah inquired.

  “Just a bit from time to time,” Lucas attempted to evade.

  “Do not bullshit me, Lucas, these petty lies may work with others, but they downright insult me!” Neh exclaimed.

  “On average, about a leaf per day for past two years and a bit,” Lucas confessed.

  “And before the two years and a bit? You didn’t go from nothing to a leaf per day,” Neh whispered threateningly.

  “Two to three leaves per week, give or take.”

  “You are joking, right? What the hell, Lucas?! That’s a total junkie level of drugs!” she scolded him, “this has to stop! It’s been rotting away at your soul and don’t try to tell me you are alright! You aren’t! Even I can feel the difference! Anything above one leaf per month is insane!”

  “I am sorry, I will start detoxing from today,” Lucas offered.

  “Damn right you fucking will! You have children, Lucas, I know you aren’t exactly a role-model of a father, but that doesn’t mean you can be a junkie! No more drugs. No lotus, no alcohol, no tobacco, no weed, nothing for at least a year! Understand?”

  “I understand,” Lucas agreed.

  “Swear it to me, Lucas!” Neh insisted.

  “I swear I will detox and stop taking drugs for at least a year,” Lucas announced.

  “Good! Anyway, are you still insisting on the stupid plan to free me by killing our siblings?” Nehamah didn’t give Lucas a break.

  “It’s not stupid,” Lucas protested.

  “Isn’t it? You kill everyone related to us and then what? You still don’t have the draconic god, do you?”

  “I’m working on it,” Lucas stalled.

  “That means a no. For hell’s sake, Lucas, give it up! I’m not getting out of here. I know it, you know it too. Just give it up and seal me in here so my soul can perish,” Nehamah commanded.

  “No.”

  “There is no happy end for us, Lucas, there never was. There is no heaven to take us, no place to hide… there is nothing but suffering. The most we can choose is how we get it,” Nehamah stated.

  “I don’t accept that. I never did and never will. Yeah, there isn’t a future for us. Not with how things are now… which I shall change them. I don’t care who or what I have to destroy to achieve it; I shall carve out a future where our children can live without fear of the Red God. I shall tear down the heavens before I accept defeat,” Lucas refused.

  “You haven’t changed… in all these years, you haven’t lost your dream. It makes me both happy and sad… happy to see the man I used to love still exists, sad that he kills himself by it. Give it up, Lucas, you won’t win,” Nehamah shook her head.

  I can’t stand it anymore. She is right, I know it. Nobody knows it better than me…

  “If I can’t have the world I want, then I shall burn it and start anew. Do not underestimate me, Nehamah, I am not done yet. I don’t ask you to believe in me… I know I’m a century too late for that,” Lucas breathed.

  “What are you asking me to do then, Lucas? Watch you slaughter our family only so you fall at the end? No matter what happens here, the ninth legion shall eventually find you. Find you and kill you. You can’t escape it; you know that. Let me die before it happens, so I don’t have to watch!” Nehamah pushed.

  “No. Just sit tight and wait for me to win. You can scold me when you are free,” Lucas smiled softly.

  “I hate you for this, I really do. Leave now, I hear the whispers, we are out of time,” Nehamah ordered.

  Lucas rose and walked to the door of darkness, “I love you, Neh.”

  “Do not come back,” Neh commanded.

  “You don’t get to tell me what to do,” Lucas shook his head and left.

  “I love you too,” Neh whispered once he was gone.

  42

  Leena

  “The first shipment is about to arrive,” Leena announced as she started getting up from the bed.

  “Hmm… do you think Zerae will forgive us?” Astril asked awkwardly. She felt guilty, truly guilty.

  “It will be alright, Zerae isn’t the type to hold grudges, is she?” Leena asked back.

  “She is. She constantly throws old things at me… it’s like she has a little book where she writes everything bad that I ever do, every little accident or mishap,” Astril sighed.

  “Don’t worry, we will do a good job here and it will be fine,” Leena encouraged her.

  “I hope.”

  They got ready and headed out.

  They had no idea how, but the Palai Order somehow snuck a ship through the massive storm. A ship with over three hundred Faye prisoners on it. They were chained together and gagged. The men took them out in lines of twenty.

  “This will be a long day,” James breathed as he saw it.

  “Why?” Astril asked, clueless.

  “The cabin can’t hold more than twenty of them at a time, that’s a lot of trips,” he revealed.

  “Cabin is a nice way to call the wooden platform that
we have,” Leena smirked.

  James didn’t answer. It was indeed like that. A wooden platform attached to a mechanism that let them descend it down into the abyss that stretched all the way to the caverns below.

  “Anyway, what shall we tell them?” James asked the girls.

  “Dunno,” Astril answered instantly.

  “Well we have to tell them something and I’m not the one who should deliver the news,” James chuckled.

  “I will make a speech, Astril will say it,” Leena announced.

  “I’m really bad at making speeches,” Astril remarked awkwardly.

  “You will do fine; it will win you some points with Zerae,” Leena contested.

  “I guess.”

  Astril went with the first batch. The chained Faye looked more than confused as they got herded on the wooden platform and descended into the chasm. The descent was long, very long. When down, Astril, Leena and James’ men led them to the prepared provisory camp. The cavern people did a good job at making it look better than what it was. They lined them in front of it. They continued until they got all of them down into the cavern.

  “Here’s your speech,” Leena handed Astril a piece of paper.

  “I thought you would tell me what to say,” Astril looked at the scrambled writing.

  “You will do fine; everyone’s waiting already,” Leena countered and pushed Astril forward.

  She stepped in front of the crowd and went over it. She knew most of them. They were confused, but their wounds were bandaged and they didn’t seem starved.

  “Eh… well, Astril started awkwardly, “we have made a deal with the Palai people. Well, Zerae did. Actually, we just tagged along. Anyway, you will be safe here. This tent city is where you can stay for now. We will get you out when things calm down, but now we can’t because the matron would execute us. She would also execute you so… just please stay here. The people in the city over there should help with food and stuff; it would be nice to help them back. Just please don’t kill them, any of them. Zerae worked really hard to convince everyone to do this, so don’t screw it up. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do… actually, don’t do anything I would do, either. You won’t be here for too long. Anyway, we will sneak you up once the war is over. Actually, don’t mention Zerae, at all. We will probably get found out, eventually, so just say this is all my thing and don’t mention her. She will be pissed, but well she is better pissed than publicly executed. I will manage, don’t worry about that. Any questions?”

  Silence and awkward stares met her.

  “You need to ungag them first,” Leena whispered from behind.

  “Right!” Astril went and, together with Leena, they started removing the gags and shackles from everyone. The ones they freed went on to help the others.

  “You seem awfully alright with this,” Astril observed.

  “Beatrice explained us everything,” one of the freed Faye smiled.

  “Oh! How is she? I haven’t seen her in… forever!” Astril exclaimed.

  “She’s fine… we will also be. Don’t worry; we will cover for Zerae,” she smiled warmly.

  “Thank you.”

  “Well… that went better than expected,” Leena evaluated.

  “I still hate making speeches… anyway, let’s go celebrate the cavern city!” Astril tossed up.

  “Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Leena asked poisonously.

  “Why not! There is never a bad opportunity for a celebration!”

  “If you go there, you will want to go see May. I am sure Zerae would be delighted to hear you went to shag the cavern woman in her absence,” Leena pointed.

  “She won’t find out, it will be fine,” Astril dismissed it.

  “So, you plan to lie to her? Are you sure that’s a good idea given what happened the last time?” Leena didn’t let go.

  “Ah… hmm… meh. You are right, let’s go back to the camp,” Astril conceded.

  I should feel bad for how hard I’m playing her… but I don’t. Zerae’s had you for long enough; it’s time for a change of the handler.

  They finished unchaining everyone, loaded the equipment on the platform and took it all up.

  “Ready for some action, girls?” James intercepted Astril and Leena later that day.

  “Always, but make yourself warm,” Astril smirked. They were in bed with Leena, naked.

  “Grab your gear then, we head out in an hour,” James commanded and left.

  The girls obeyed and met him outside. His men were already on horses and forming ranks. Ivan intercepted them to hand them each a horse.

  “Do you know how to ride this?” he asked Leena coldly.

  “Of course, she knows how to ride,” Astril smiled charmingly and hopped onto the horse, “come on horsie, let’s have some fun.” She motioned the horse forward and went to James.

  “Where are we going?” she asked innocently.

  “East. There is a pirate captain who has run out of luck; we shall release him of his misery.”

  James’ small army quickly formed ranks and headed out. The pirate fleet was very, very hard to miss.

  “Well… that’s a lot of ships,” Astril breathed as they looked over the fleet that was passing along the coast. There were standing on steep cliffs, which made the ships look small.

  “See that cave over there,” James pointed.

  “Yep, what about it?” Astril pried.

  “I shall need you to get there and secure it. You shall get your share of fighting, don’t worry,” James commanded.

  “Okay,” Astril confirmed and dashed off. A mixture of leaps and short teleports got her there in no time.

  “Everyone, get in positions,” James ordered and went to the edge of the cliff, “I’m going in first.” He ducked down, put the hand on the rock and started chanting.

  Leena saw blood leave from his wrist and soak into the stone. Ivan took Leena by the shoulder and led her back. They all went back a dozen meters, leaving James on the cliff alone. The first pirate ship was just under them. The stone cracked and the whole cliff started sliding down. James stood at its head, riding it like a wave. The landslide split the pirate fleet, isolating the first ship from the rest. James leaped on the ship and the shouting started.

  Leena looked around. Most of the bandits went on the landslide and the cliff to their side. They carried heavy shields and formed a defensive line on it.

  “Careful,” Ivan remarked and Leena stepped aside. He carried a large tree trunk over his shoulder. He tossed the log up, dug his hand into it and threw it forward like a spear with one powerful motion. The log dug into the side of the leading ship.

  “Showoff,” Kuroko, another of the leaders of James’ group remarked.

  “Meh, that’s not enough to sink it, I will need another one,” Ivan sighed.

  “I can fix that,” Leena smiled. She spread her arms and grey flame sprouted. It flew up above the ship in a wide current. There the flame gathered into a large cube. The ball of flame solidified into stone. The massive stone cube fell on the ship and crashed through it, splitting it in half. It turned to dust as soon as it did.

  “You’re kidding, right?” Ivan breathed.

  “No, why?” Leena asked innocently.

  “That’s Leviathan’s Reach, one of the nine flames of hell!”

  “Nah, you must be mistaking it for something,” Leena dismissed it with a smile.

  “I ain’t mistaking shit! Grey flame that solidifies to stone and then turns to dust? There is no way I am mistaking it for anything! There are entire legends written about it. How the hell did you get it?” he exclaimed.

  “Well… let’s just say the origin of us Faye is a bit less mysterious than we like to say about ourselves. Please don’t tell anyone about it; I like to keep that name a secret,” Leena remarked gently, “anyway, back to the battle.”

  The pirates on the main ship were abandoning it, making way for the coast. They were heading straight for Astril’s cave. The rest o
f the pirates were desperately trying to get around the landslide, but the raging storm made it impossible. A part of them was trying to get on the cliffs, but it was easy for James’ men to hold the elevated position.

  “Time to move,” Ivan ordered. They took the last fifty men and went to slide down on the coast. They made a defensive formation and waited. The pirates who reached the shore numbered about two hundred men. They were led by a man who had four large tentacles sprouting from his back.

  “Ewwwww,” Astril exhaled as she saw him, “what now, anyway?”

  “We wait. They are trapped between us, the cave, the slide and the sea. James will eventually get tired of killing off the small fry and swim in to get the captain,” Ivan revealed.

  “Will your friend be alright, by the way?” Kuroko asked.

  Ivan laughed. “Right, you weren’t around when Astril was.”

  Leena turned to him, “what do you mean by that?”

  “You don’t know? Astril was with the group for almost a decade; I figured you would know," Ivan added.

  A decade? That’s all the time Astril was gone. I knew Astril went to ‘explore the world’. No wonder she was so guilty when she was around James and Zerae at the same time. She must not have told her either. I always knew Astril is keeping secrets, but I never figured she would be so good at it.

  “Ah, right, I forgot since it was so long ago,” Leena smiled.

  The pirates didn’t take long to head into the cave.

  “Meh, Astril’s gonna steal all the fun, again,” Ivan sighed.

  I’m actually not sure if this isn’t too much for Astril. I know she’s hiding her strength when Zerae is around, but… what if she is hiding it even from me? Not that I’m not doing it myself… I’m just amazed that she can still surprise me even after knowing her for about eighty years. I guess we lie to each other more than we are willing to admit.

  Screaming soon started echoing out from the cave.

  “Wanna bet how many will make it back out?” James asked as he suddenly stood next to them, “I’m bank.”