“Why?” Keta asked simply, looking down at the weapon.
What do you mean? You needed to stop that man. For some reason, you would not kill him, when it would be so easy with your abilities. The voice was so alluring, so intimate. It was as if they were his own thoughts.
His own...thoughts? “You...you controlled me...you used my body?” Keta exclaimed in shock.
There was a noise. Laughter? But of course. You and I have been together for so long. That is why I knew that you were holding back. You never use your full power. So I came to your aid.
And now, you have come to my aid. It has been so long since I tasted death, tasted blood. But now that I have, we will become stronger. You have claimed your first kill. And now you and I, we will be unstoppable. The world shall fear us.
And those were the last words Keta heard from Abyss, as he hurled the weapon off the cliff and out of sight. With the last of his strength sapped from him, Keta collapsed to the ground.
“Forgive me...Master…”
***
“The general has been defeated. Retreat.”
Erisda parried a blow from Xuan, and was in mid swing when the call went out. Xuan looked up, confused as well. Keta had really done it! Erisda thought ecstatically.
He returned his focus to the Demon in front of him, narrowing his eyes. Now all he had to do was finish this one off. But to his surprise, Xuan’s battle stance faded and he stood up, putting his weapon aside.
Not sure whether it was an enemy ploy, he stood with his guard up. “What are you playing at, mercenary?” Erisda asked.
The Demon gave a solemn shake of his head. “General Delta was my employer. If he’s been defeated, then my contract is void. I have no further business with you.” And he turned and started to walk away in the direction of the fleeing Xegin army.
Erisda was stunned. It was over, just like that? “What do you mean by that? Aren’t you loyal to the Xegin?” He asked, trying to wrap his head around everything that was going on.
Xuan didn’t stop walking, but he did raise his voice to be heard. “It’s not about loyalty, Erisda Walker. It’s a mercenary matter. I follow my orders to the T and do not deviate. I am not a part of the Xegin army. I was only hired to take care of you.”
Xuan turned his head to look at him one more time. “It does me no good to fulfil dead men’s wishes. For now, our business is concluded. But who knows, I may end up in the Xegin’s employ once again. Best keep your sword arm ready.”
And with a wink, he was gone. Erisda wasn’t quite sure how he felt about that guy, but he had to respect his skill with a sword. But there was no time to worry about that. The battle was won. He had to make sure that Keta was all right.
He owed the kid that much.
***
“The general has been defeated. Retreat.”
Tianna heard the call and saw the other Xegin begin to pull back. Keta had defeated Delta then, his communications having gone offline. Beta had been leading the soldiers from the rear, and he had reluctantly sent up a signal flare.
Zeta had been pushed back by another that had come with Keta, a Demon. He was engulfed in flames and was holding back her forces. Alpha was being attacked by a young Human swordsman, barely keeping up. Further ahead, Gamma had advanced through the enemy lines, but was being held back by Keta’s ally, the one that had rescued him. Everything was going terribly.
It was customary to retreat after the general of the operation had been defeated. As an Imperial General, she knew this. And yet, as the Xegin forces began to pull away, she found herself moving towards the hill where she had last seen Delta.
The last place she had seen Keta Night headed.
Even now, the reports from all communication lines confirmed that Delta had been killed in battle. His dream of a free Teforia would never be realized.
Keta Night...it was hard to believe that not long ago, she had counted the young man as a friend. But, he had humiliated her in combat and thwarted her army. He had murdered her commanding officer. Now, she hated him.
She would not hold back this time.
“Pardon me, ma’am, but I’m afraid I must intervene.”
Tianna had been so focused on revenge that she had forgotten the Human soldier that had prevented her from engaging Keta in the first place. The soldier had proven quite competent, avoiding anything she had thrown at him.
“Out of my way, Human.” Tianna said brusquely. She didn’t want to fight anyone else right now. Only Keta.
“Terribly sorry, but I cannot do that. The battle is over and your soldiers are retreating. It would be in your best interest to do the same.”
Tianna whirled around in fury. This soldier was different, he did not experience any hesitation in facing a Xegin general. How odd, she realized, though they had been engaged in combat for a time now. He was wearing a mask over his face. Most Humans did not employ headgear like the Xegin. She was curious why this one decided to don a disguise. But she was in a hurry.
Tianna lifted her sword and held it pointed at the newcomer. “I’m only going to say this one more time. Leave now or I will not hesitate to kill you.”
There was a small chuckle from behind the mask. “A Xegin attempting to fight with a sword? I thought you were all used to using those guns of yours.”
Tianna smirked. “I find it wise to be proficient in all forms of combat. You’d best not take me lightly.”
“Then come, let us cross blades as one general to another.” And the Human soldier rushed at her. She could tell that his mastery of the sword was impressive.
Fortunately she had upgraded her sword fighting protocols with the advanced data she had collected from Keta in their last encounter. It was one of the perks of being a Xegin. Every move the enemy made was recorded.
And now, her armor was assisting her in matching those movements. Although not precise, she was athletic enough to pull off the basic moves. And strangely enough, Keta’s fighting style was oddly similar to this Human’s.
Tianna smiled. This Human had no idea that she had spent the entire night going over combat simulations against Keta. She now had an advanced strategy against him. So it was safe to assume that it would work against a mere Human.
And so she lunged with her sword. As predicted, the man met it with a parry and she let herself fall into it. As he aimed to riposte, she quickly drew her gun and fired point blank. She had devised a way to combine two combat systems. To her surprise, he had dodged at the last second.
But even this was according to her plan. Utilizing the surprise advantage, she cut at the man with her sword, and he barely managed to block the attack. It was a clumsy block and he lost his footing. Tianna had started keeping a second sword at her waist following her battle with Keta. Using her mind, she lifted it from its resting place and stabbed forward in the air.
A clean hit, straight through the shoulder. The man cried out in pain, impaled by the weapon and his sword arm fell. Her new fighting style she had developed had tested eighty percent success rate against Keta. She had done it. She gripped the sword in her hand and moved in for the killing strike.
“Enough!”
The voice boomed through the battlefield, and her sword stopped in mid air. The Human had reached up and caught it with his left hand. The blade dug into his skin, but he held it tight as blood seeped down his arm. With a mighty thrust, he shoved Tianna back and fell to one knee.
What a pitiful sight, she thought, looking at this man. He had a sword lodged in him and his left hand was bleeding profusely, hanging at his side. Tianna had no love of killing people, but this man was an enemy of the nation. With a general of their own dead, perhaps she needed to respond in kind, to ensure a balance of power.
As she walked forward, sword at the ready, the man slumped his head. “It appears...I have underestimated those of the Xegin. I had heard they were skilled, but to have someone as magnificent as you amongst them. How very interesting.”
Tianna did not
slow her approach. “You fought well, General Ivaldi. However, one of our own has been killed. I will answer in kind. Forgive me.” But there was an eerie calmness surrounding the defeated man. Had he accepted his death?
“It seems that I cannot hope to best you as I am now. I didn’t expect it to come to this before everything was prepared, but...well, you are a magnificent specimen. Very well, out of respect for you, I will show you what I am truly capable of.”
The man reached up and pulled off his mask. And he looked up at her and Tianna let out a gasp. There was no way that what was in front of her could be happening. But it all made sense now. But the revelation had come too late.
“Well then,” a different voice came from the man now, icy and threatening, “Let us begin.” And that was when Tianna stepped into a new nightmare.
13
It had been two days since the Xegin had launched their attack. Erisda and his army had somehow come out of the fighting unscathed. This had been in no small part thanks to Keta, Pent and Max, who had assisted them in keeping their enemy at bay.
Keta had been the one who had defeated the Xegin commander. General Delta had outmaneuvered Erisda, hiring a swordsman skilled enough to give him pause. If it had not been for the trio, Erisda and everyone in Aurora would be dead.
He had been the first to reach Keta, who had passed out from his injuries. And he saw what had happened. It was during the battle that Keta must have killed General Delta.
Poor kid. That must have been tough for him, Erisda had thought to himself. The young man spoke so highly of peace, hoping to avoid violence. And yet he had done what he did to save his people.
Erisda had carried Keta back to the city personally, and made sure that he received the best medical treatment. It was his fault that the kid had been forced into that position. It was the least he could do.
It was my fault. I let that mercenary distract me. Why didn’t I take care of him sooner? There was no turning back time however. All Erisda could do was move forward.
As evening fell, Erisda was sitting at Keta’s bedside when he finally woke. The young man was covered in bandages and he sat up, looking confused. And then a look of dawning comprehension crept onto his face.
Keta turned and vomited.
“I take it that was your first time taking another man’s life?” Erisda asked nonchalantly.
When Keta was finished, he wiped his mouth with his arm. He looked at Erisda, suddenly angry. “How can you say it like it’s nothing at all?” He demanded.
Erisda smiled sadly. “I am a soldier. Killing people comes with the territory. Even so, when I killed my first enemy, I took it a little better.”
Keta turned away. “I...swore I would never kill anyone. I wanted to make a world where everyone could live in peace, even people who were once enemies. I have now broken that vow,” Keta said in a choked voice.
Erisda nodded his head. “That is a beautiful sentiment, Keta. However, you must realize that it is completely unattainable in the age we live in, yes? We are in constant battles against others.”
Keta turned back to him, wiping away tears. “That was why Sanction existed. We were to stand as a deterrent for all that.”
Erisda stood abruptly. “And that is why things ended the way they did with Sanction.”
Keta let out a gasp, stunned that the man would say such a thing. He must not have expected the soldier he had come to know to say such hurtful things.
Erisda caught the look and said, “Peace, Keta. I do not say such things to be cruel. However, I believe it is now time to share some information with you. About our shared history, which is why I know so much about you and Abyss.”
Keta frowned. “Shared history with you? Why do I have no recollection of any of this,” he asked.
Erisda let out a grim laugh at this. “It was quite some time ago, when you were still young and new to Sanction. You see, I was once a member of the Brotherhood of Shadows.”
“I can already see your head buzzing, but please don’t interrupt me for a time, I need to get this out there,” Erisda said, seeing the look of genuine surprise on Keta’s face. He had probably never heard of Humans being part of the Brotherhood. But he needed to get things out in the open.
“I was part of Inferno’s Brotherhood following his split from Xehemoth. Yes, I know about the Dragon Lord. I had grown disillusioned with the way the Empire had become and their treatment of the Demon clans.”
“So I left and sought out those who wished to help the clans. You should have seen Inferno’s face when I came to him. But I quickly won him over. In many ways, I was a lot like you, wanting to help others.”
Erisda tilted his head up at the ceiling, a wistful look upon his face as his tale continued. “When my skills with the sword became apparent, he offered to train me. And so I learned a few new tricks. It was the reason why I could go toe to toe with Xuan. We were both trained in the same style of sword fighting.”
Erisda’s gaze darkened. “Eventually, ‘Master’ Inferno gifted me with a special blade. Abyss. With it, I was able to fight past my limits. But you already know it’s corrupting nature.”
Erisda stopped speaking, as if in a trance, staring at his hands that were balled up into fists. “But how did you end up parted with Abyss? Tell me, what transpired? I must know,” Keta asked.
Erisda looked up, aware that he was crying. “I left the Brotherhood and Abyss behind the day I murdered the woman I loved while under the spirit’s influence.”
It was years ago, but he remembered it like it was yesterday. It haunted him. “I still remember regaining control and seeing her lifeless corpse on the floor. There was blood everywhere. I don’t even know what triggered it. Abyss just had a hold on me by then.”
Erisda wiped his eyes dry. “I am no Demon, Keta. I wanted to aid Inferno and the Brotherhood as best I could. I took any path I could to gain power. I begged him to teach me anything. Eventually, I did gain power.”
Keta was staring intently, and Erisda looked down at his palms. “But that power changed me. I had become something more. I was messing with things no Human should attempt. I became a monster.”
Erisda was silent for a few minutes afterwards. When he had finally regained his composure, he turned to Keta. “I left with my daughter, determined to get her far away from the fighting. I had robbed the girl of her mother. I had to try and atone for my evils.”
“The least I could do was fight for a nation that sought peace amongst all races. That is how I ended up here. This was supposed to be my penance.”
Erisda walked up to him and put a hand on his shoulder. “Abyss is a Demon blade. It has no right being with a Human. I thought that you, being a Kitaan, could handle it. Forgive me.”
Keta shook his head. “No, it was my fault. I wielded Abyss because I thought I needed more power. The power to change the world. I was greedy...and careless. And now General Delta is dead.”
Erisda frowned. “Keta, this is a war. People die, especially those who lead the soldiers in battle. I did not come down to see you to tell you otherwise. I came to explain myself. You and I may have never crossed paths while I was in the Brotherhood, but know this: I am done being a revolutionary. My only allegiance is to my country, to keep my daughter safe.”
Erisda grasped his hands together. “If you had not killed General Delta, I would have. That madman would have disintegrated my daughter in a cataclysmic explosion. I cannot forgive people like that as you would,” Erisda said bluntly. “I am not like you, Keta. I appreciate what you represent, but I cannot accept it. You see, Humans are fragile creatures. For all his words, General Delta was once Human. What caused him to hate us so eludes me, but I must end this war. To that end, I will have to kill again.”
There was an awkward silence between them. “Why are you telling me this, Erisda?” Keta asked at last.
“On the battlefield, you told me that if I continued to kill Xegin soldiers, you would end up my enemy. The Xegin were thre
atening my daughter, and the home I had come to love. If I had to slaughter everyone to prevent that, I would have.”
Erisda turned hollow eyes to Keta, realizing with a sharp jolt the conviction behind those words. “Do you understand? I will end this war. Things like justice mean nothing to me any longer, only survival. For my country, my people and most importantly, my daughter. And if you get in my way, I will not hesitate in taking you down.”
With those final words, Erisda got up and left the room, leaving Keta to his thoughts. The kid will have to figure out the rest on his own. For now, I need to figure out how to end all this before the nation is bathed in flame.
***
Keta stared at the door Erisda had just stepped through. Had the man come to console him...or threaten him? He couldn’t tell. But he now knew a little more about the weapon Abyss, and the mysterious man himself.
All at once, Keta realized that his way of thinking was alien to the people of the world. Pent had told him something similar back in Frostclaw Village . Keta wished that people didn’t have to fight, but could he go on his whole life like this?
Still, it did nothing to appease him over the death of Delta, just informed him that it had happened in the past. He didn’t have time to ponder it because at that moment, someone else walked through the door, a person who must have been waiting for Erisda to leave.
“So this is where you’ve come to wallow,” came the sneering voice.
Keta turned away, suddenly tired. “Leave me alone, Pent,” was all he could say. The Demon child was finally free of his bandages, looking refreshed. He had come out of that last battle unscathed, it seemed.
The boy would not be ignored as it turned out. He made his way to the other side of the bed, forcing Keta to lock eyes with him.
“You had to fight, and in battle, people die.”
“Stop it…”
“No, this has to end. So you had to kill someone, get over it,” Pent said harshly, thrusting himself forward so he was in Keta’s face. “You are a swordsman. The sword you carry into battle is not a toy, nor a symbol of peace. It is an instrument of death! You need to accept that.”
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