by Aaron Hodges
Enala shook her head. “No, thank you,” she looked around. “Thank you all. I had no idea what you went through to find me. If not for you, I don’t think I would be alive right now. That Balistor, he would have found me, one way or another. I am sorry for how I’ve acted,” she stepped up and hugged Eric.
“You’re welcome,” Eric smiled back as they drew apart.
They turned at the sound of Gabriel climbing to his feet. Enala’s heart sank as he stared at her, his face twisted with emotion. He clenched his fists and closed his eyes. He opened his mouth to speak, and then closed it again. Spinning on his heel, he stalked from the field.
Enala glanced at the others. “I’ll talk to him.”
Six
Gabriel looked up as the door to his room opened. Before he could object, Enala slipped into the dormitory, eyes downcast. She clenched her fists, sucked in a breath, and then crossed to sit on the bunk opposite him.
Neither of them spoke. They sat quietly in the dark, the silence stretching out into an unbearable tension. Gabriel gritted his teeth, the bruises to his body and pride feeding his anger. He made to speak, and then thought better of it. With a stubborn grunt, he rolled over on the bed, turning his back to Enala.
“I’m sorry,” he heard her whisper. “I lost my temper. There is so much happening here, Gabriel. So much to take in,” her voice cracked.
Hearing the sorrow, the loneliness in her voice, Gabriel took a breath and turned back to her. “You betrayed me.”
Anger flashed in Enala’s eyes, burning away the tears. She took a deep, shuddering breath, and shook her head. “No, I was not betraying you. I was stopping you from doing something stupid, something you would regret.”
Gabriel sat up on the bed, staring hard at Enala. “I would not regret killing him,” he struggled to contain his anger. “It is all that has kept me going since I left Oaksville.”
“Yes,” Enala replied. “Hate is a strong force. But it is also an evil one – it has already driven you to make awful choices, to commit murder. Or do I need to remind you what you told me last night?”
Gabriel saw again the dying guard in Chole, choking in his own blood. He looked away, unable to face the fire in Enala’s eyes. “No, you don’t need to remind me,” he took a breath and looked back. “But Eric is no innocent. He killed my family, you know this!”
“Do I? Do you? Have you given even a moment to consider everything may not have been as it seemed in Oaksville?”
“You mean that it was an accident?” he shook his head. “I don’t believe it.”
“Don’t, or won’t?” Enala asked.
Gabriel bared his teeth. “Both!” he snapped, and made to stand.
Enala was on her feet first. She shoved him backwards onto the bed, landing on top of him and pinning him flat. “You will listen to what I have to say!” she grated through clenched teeth. “Then you can go or stay, it is up to you.”
Looking into her crystal blue eyes, Gabriel almost thought he saw their colour change, tainted red by the fire of her rage. He swallowed and nodded.
Enala’s expression softened. She released him and retreated to her bunk. “I hope you will stay though, Gabriel,” she sucked in a mouthful of air and blew out. “I need you.”
Warmth flooded Gabriel’s chest, filling him with an urge to go to her, to hold her tight. He pushed it down, determined to keep the anger in his voice. “Speak.”
Hurt spread across Enala’s face and her eyes hardened. “Very well then,” slowly, she began to repeat Eric’s story, of the first emergence of his wild magic.
Gabriel listened in shock as Enala explained Eric had lost his own parents that first night, and had then spent almost two years in self-imposed banishment, haunting the backroads of rural Plorsea. He struggled to block out Enala’s words as she spoke of Eric’s decision to begin a new life in the town of Oaksville, and her account of the slavers who had accosted him within an hour of entering the town.
He knew what was coming next, and try as he might, he heard the truth in Enala’s words.
By the time Enala finished, Gabriel was quietly sobbing to himself, torn again by the loss of his parents, his fiancée’s death.
Could it all have been an accident? He questioned himself. Could this all have been for nothing?
“Are you okay?” Enala whispered, reaching out a comforting hand.
“Leave me!” Gabriel batted away her arm. “Get out, leave me!”
Enala drew back, her eyes watering. She gave a curt nod and stood. Making her way to the door, she turned back at the last minute. “I’m sorry, Gabriel,” she murmured.
Then she was gone.
*************
Enala twirled the practice blade in her hands, taking measure of its weight. It was heavier than the weapon she’d used over the last couple of days, and much heavier than the real sword Caelin had presented her with earlier.
She smiled; its weight would be perfect for building a little more strength and speed into her strikes. Across from her, Inken grinned back.
The older woman moved to position herself in the centre of the practice field. Enala squared off against her, as she had for the last two days. So far they had kept to light sparring, but even then Enala had been hard pressed to hold her own. Inken’s reputation as a bounty hunter was obviously hard earned. She provided a much better challenge than Gabriel, and today Inken promised there would be no holding back. It would provide a good distraction from Gabriel’s continued absence.
“Try not to hurt each other too much,” Caelin joked from nearby.
“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Enala replied.
Inken laughed. “Confident aren’t we?” she motioned Enala forward. “Show me what you’ve got then.”
Enala shifted her feet and leapt, swinging her blade low at Inken’s elbow. Inken stepped back, bringing her own sword down to counter. Enala dodged to the side, reversing her swing to catch Inken’s blade on her own. Steel rang as the two separated.
Inken brushed hair from her face. “Very good.”
Without warning Inken struck out, her practice blade sweeping towards Enala’s head. Heart pounding, Enala blocked high, wincing at the force of the blow. Then Inken’s foot swept up to strike her in the chest. The kick sent Enala crashing to the ground.
Enala gasped but refused to stay down. She rolled backwards, coming to her feet in a single movement before Inken could follow up her attack.
“Dirty move,” Enala commented.
“No such thing in a fight to the death,” Inken replied.
They clashed again, blades ringing as they circled one another. Enala soon realised the truth of Inken’s words. The bounty hunter treated her blade as just one tool in her arsenal– she was just as likely to lash out with hand or foot as she was her sword. This was a new brand of combat for Enala. Her parents had taught her to fight, but they had never taught her to fight dirty.
Fortunately for her, Enala was a quick learner. After half an hour she began to adjust to Inken’s sudden attacks, learning how to avoid the fists and feet lashing at her. Finally, when she thought she might have a grasp of Inken’s unorthodox style, she launched a counter of her own.
Ducking beneath Inken’s swing, Enala lashed out with her foot, driving the bounty hunter backwards. Bringing up her sword, she feinted low. Inken’s blade leapt to meet it, but Enala pulled back and spun on her heel, reversing her sword’s cut. The blow bounced off Inken’s shoulder.
Inken cursed, pulling back, but Enala did not cease her attack. She pressed on, her sword slashing in a series of brutal swipes. Several times her weapon came within a hair’s breath of contact, but Inken was no longer playing around. Lines of concentration were etched across her face, her eyes coolly studying Enala’s every movement. The air rang with the clash of metal.
Then Inken calmly swiped her blade aside and lurched forwards. Caught off-guard by the sudden counter, Enala walked straight into Inken’s head-butt.
Pain lanc
ed from her nose, forcing her back a step. She stumbled, tripping over her own feet and toppling to the ground.
Enala gasped, tasting blood on her tongue. Rage surged through her, a burning in her chest that screamed for vengeance. It built inside, heat spreading through her limbs until all she could see was red. Fists clenched, a low growl echoed from her throat. The sword hilt felt hot in her hand. The tension grew, building until it seemed she must explode.
“Okay, I think that’s enough for today,” Caelin interrupted, stepping between them.
Enala blinked, and the heat vanished. She looked up as Inken offered her a hand.
“Sorry about that, Enala. I got a little carried away.”
Enala nodded, wiping her arm across her face. Blood ran from her nose. Wincing, she took Inken’s hand.
Michael joined them and handed her a towel. “Here, this will help with the blood,” he leaned in for a closer inspection, reaching up with gentle fingers to test it. “Doesn’t look like she broke it. Just a little nose bleed. Keep your head down and don’t worry about messing up the towel. It should stop shortly.”
“Thank you, Michael,” she glanced across at Eric. “Let that be a lesson to you, Eric. Never mess with your girlfriend.”
Eric grinned back. “Don’t worry, I figured that one out pretty quickly. Just last week she shot a Red Dragon through both eyes.”
Enala blinked, unsure whether Eric was joking. Then again, after the fight she’d just had, she wouldn’t put anything past the bounty hunter. The woman was tough.
“Eric,” they all swung round at Gabriel’s voice. Enala’s heart sank. She had hardly seen him for two days, since she had tried to explain what Inken had told her. What he wanted now, she could only guess.
“Eric,” Gabriel said again. “Could we speak? In private?”
Eric looked from Inken to Enala, and then back to Gabriel. He frowned, uncertainty on his face, and then nodded. Gabriel waved a hand at the dormitory and the two moved off towards the building.
“To be a fly on the wall for that conversation,” Caelin muttered.
*************
Gabriel’s heart thudded in his chest as he led Eric across the field. His mouth felt dry, his tongue parched even though he’d just drunk water. His knees shook and a sick feeling twisted his stomach. He could hear Eric behind him, sense the young man’s nerves as he followed Gabriel into the dormitory.
Closing his eyes, Gabriel struggled to summon his courage. Who knew an apology could be so hard?
He hadn’t wanted to listen, hadn’t wanted to believe what Eric had told him. But he could not ignore Enala, not after everything they’d been through. It had been her courage, her innocence that freed him from the demon’s grip. If not for her, who knew what monster he would have become.
Even if she was too late, he thought. He looked at his hands, remembering the blood of the innocent man he had killed. Who am I to judge, I am no better.
He looked up at Eric, standing across the room from him. This was the one he had hunted all this time, had sworn vengeance on. Even now, a part of him wanted to lash out, to drive a sword through Eric’s chest and watch the life drain from his eyes. As he had watched his fiancée’s life drain away.
But he could not, not now.
He breathed out a long sigh. “I’m sorry,” he whispered.
Eric blinked. “What?”
“Enala told me everything. About Oaksville, about your magic, about why it was unleashed. She told me everything you have done since, everything you and your friends did to help her.”
“And you believed her?” Eric walked across and slumped onto one of the couches, a look of disbelief in his eyes.
Gabriel shrugged. “I must. Enala brought me back to the light, freed me from a demon’s spell. I owe her. If she believes your story, so must I.”
Eric closed his eyes, and then looked up to meet Gabriel’s stare. “I am truly sorry for your family, Gabriel. If I could go back…”
Gabriel raised his hand to silence him. A tremor ran through him as he fought down his grief, his anger. “I won’t pretend this is easy. I won’t pretend I can forgive you. But I am sorry for attacking you, for hunting you. And I should not have tried to kill you while we sparred,” he took a deep, shuddering breath. “I don’t know if I trust you, but I do know I am tired of hate and anger. So, let there be peace between us,” he offered his hand.
Eric hesitated, staring at the offered hand. Gabriel could not blame his mistrust; in truth he had spent the last few days debating whether to offer Eric his hand, or a dagger. But he spoke the truth now; the hate must end. He could not live his life beneath the shadow of the past.
Finally Eric gave a cautious smile and took his hand. “Okay, truce it is.”
A long silence stretched out. Gabriel coughed, struggling to find the words. Then he shrugged. “Well, shall we go practice with those swords?”
Eric laughed. “Don’t think it’ll be so easy this time. I’m ready for you now,” he waved towards the door, clearly doing his best to hide his nerves.
Gabriel smiled as Eric opened the door and let in a fresh blast of icy air. Outside the sky had opened up, and rain now bucketed down, leaving water pooling across the grassy fields. The wind caught the door and threw it back against the wall before Eric could catch it. Thunder rumbled in the distance.
Inken and Enala had just walked up the steps and quickly ducked inside. Caelin still stood in the rain, arms folded, eyes catching theirs. He beckoned.
Gabriel’s heart sank as he looked out at the rain. He stepped out the door, allowing the cool water to run down his face. His hair and clothes were instantly drenched.
Gabriel shivered as he followed Eric to where Caelin waited, already regretting his apology. Or at least the timing of it.
“Good luck,” he heard Inken call from the doorway.
“Think I’ll need it?” Eric shouted back over the rain.
“Most definitely,” she called. Laughing, she and Enala disappeared into the house.
“That doesn’t bode well,” Eric observed, glancing at Gabriel.
When they reached Caelin, the sergeant wasted no time tossing them each a practice sword. “If you two are done making up, perhaps today you can learn to work together. It’s time I showed you how a real swordsman fights,” he waved a practice blade of his own. “Touch me if you can.”
“What?” Gabriel asked.
In response Caelin leapt forward, sword sweeping out at Gabriel’s weapon. The blow knocked the blade from his loose fingers and sent it tumbling. Gabriel flinched back as Caelin rapped him lightly on the arm.
“You will both work together to fight me. Let’s see what the two of you can do,” Caelin grinned.
Gabriel gritted his teeth, glancing at Eric as he retrieved his sword. Eric gave a quick nod and then looked back to Caelin. It seemed the young man was willing to test their fragile new trust.
Raising his sword, Eric edged sideways away from Gabriel. Realising Eric was trying to divide Caelin’s attention, Gabriel moved in the opposite direction. Together they attempted to encircle their foe.
Caelin grinned. “Very good. Let’s see just how fast you can move,” he stepped forward, blade slicing towards Eric.
As Eric jumped back, Gabriel sprang to the attack. Eric’s sword rose to block Caelin’s blow as Gabriel stabbed out with his own weapon, aiming for Caelin’s exposed back. Caelin’s sword slid through Eric’s guard and struck his arm, then the soldier was spinning on his heel, sword already raised to parry Gabriel’s blow.
Gabriel’s blade rang as their weapons met, then pain shot from his shoulder as Caelin’s sword slid up to sting him.
Next thing Gabriel knew, he was toppling to the muddy ground, tripped by a blow from Caelin’s foot. He swore as water soaked through his cloak and touched his skin. Shivering, he climbed back to his feet, mud dripping from his clothes. Eric moved to his side and shot him a glance.
“Together?” he whispered.
Gabriel nodded and they launched themselves at the sergeant. Eric’s blade found only empty air, but the ring of steel and shock down Gabriel’s arm told him his had at least connected. Reversing his weapon, he stabbed for Caelin’s side, even as Eric struck again.
Caelin spun in place and Gabriel’s thrust swept past. His fist swung out, connecting with Gabriel’s head to send him reeling backwards. He kept his feet this time, but his vision spun and blurred around the edges. He backed away, shaking his head to clear it.
Across the muddy grass, Eric fought on, lashing out with wild swings at their wily foe. Caelin slipped past each attack like an eel through water, his sword licking out every so often to parry a blow which came too close. The grin he wore told them both he was enjoying this far too much.
Gabriel took a tighter grip of his sword and threw himself back into the battle, determined to wipe the smile off Caelin’s face. They attacked together, swords flashing as the rain poured down around them. They swung at Caelin’s face, his legs, his arms, anywhere they could.
Not once did their blades touch skin.
To his left Gabriel saw the frustration building on Eric’s face. His own anger bubbled towards the surface. Then Eric lurched forward, blade raised high. Grinning Caelin moved to block, just as Eric dove forward, ducking beneath Caelin’s attack and coming up within the sergeant’s guard. He raised his sword to strike.
Caelin’s knee rose up to smash Eric in the face. The younger man reared backwards, sword dropping from his limp fingers. He swayed, head lolling to either side, and then toppled to the ground.
*************
Eric’s vision spun as Caelin’s blow staggered him. Pain lanced through his head as he dropped to his knees. He swayed, a sudden weakness spreading down his body. He glanced up at Caelin, opened his mouth to speak.
Then darkness rose to swallow him.
But he was not alone there.
Eric shuddered as another presence slithered into his mind. The foreign touch sent a tremor down to the foundations of his consciousness. Shadowy fingers rose around his thoughts, dark claws slicing into him.
