Honourbound: A Progression Fantasy (Surgecaller Book 3)

by Todd Herzman

  Jakob stumbled back one more step before regaining his balance in full. He pulled off the helmet and threw it against the cobblestones, touched the blood on his face, then looked at Huon. ‘You really don’t want me to take you with me, do you?’ He frowned, stepping forward. ‘Why? I’m your father, shouldn’t that mean something?’ He held up a fist, clenching it. ‘We have both suffered at the hands of the Everlasting King. We’ve suffered at the hands of surgeless oathmasters. I lost my wife to the Immortal of Fire. We want the same things, son. All I want is to liberate our people. Don’t you understand that?’

  Huon moved back another step. ‘I understand. But I can’t do it the way you want me to. I can’t just… become a murderer. There are good people out there, good people who are stuck under the enemy’s control. You really want me to kill them?’

  Jakob’s frown deepened. Huon wasn’t sure he’d ever seen so much expression in the man’s eyes. ‘Killing is the only way, son. I can’t defeat the Everlasting King, not when he has an army behind him. We must free the surgecallers, one by one. We must give them their freedom.’

  ‘Freedom?’ Huon surged flame into his clenched fists. ‘You want to give them freedom? You call yourself a Saviour, but all you want to do is control me. I heard the way you spoke about the Knights formerly of House Terr’al. What did you do, to bring them to your cause? Torture them?’

  ‘I did what was necessary.’ Jakob pointed at Huon’s wrist. ‘You should understand that, now you have the binding.’

  ‘What did you lose, when you got this? Your conscience? Your ability to love?’

  Jakob looked taken aback. ‘You think I don’t love you? I am hard on you because I love you.’

  ‘You abandoned me! Three times! I was forced to kill people. The Immortal of Fire, the Immortal of Earth, they both turned me into a murderer.’

  ‘That was to make you understand. To make you stronger.’

  ‘If you truly cared for me, Father, you’d let me go. You’d let me get on that ship, and go. And if you truly cared for the countless surgecallers oathbound in the Everlasting King’s realm, you wouldn’t have left the Immortal of Fire alive. You would be out there, fighting the war. I’m not strong enough to yet—not strong enough to make a true difference. But you are.’ Huon almost spat the words in Jakob’s face—though he wasn’t sure if it were true. There had been plenty of Immortals in the Queendom of Arisalon. Plenty of people who should have been able to make a difference, but hadn’t. Maybe his father wasn’t strong enough—but he should have tried.

  He was strong enough to try.

  ‘I’m biding my time, son. As the Everlasting Kind expands his realm, so do I expand those who believe in our cause. It has taken me years to get this far—it will take me years to get farther. But trust me, I am doing all I can. You’d be able to see that, if you were by my side.’

  ‘I’ll never be by your side,’ Huon shouted. He would have surged roar as he’d said the words if he could. ‘Not in a million years—no matter what you do to me.’

  Jakob pointed at the cut on his cheek, already healed. ‘You think this cut means you’ve won?’ He stepped forward. ‘You wanted this fight, son. You made up the terms. If you don’t adhere to them.’ He pointed at Liona. ‘Do I have to threaten her life, like I did the last time?’

  Huon bit the inside of his cheek. When Jakob had stopped the fight to talk, Huon had hoped it would mean he would be able to convince him… but this man, he seemed deaf to Huon’s words, only caring for what he wanted.

  ‘I can show you how to be strong, son. I can show you how to use the soul binding to its fullest—show you what you’re truly capable of. Please, just come with me.’

  I can’t win this fight, Huon thought. Even with all the restrictions in place, it was just… too impossible.

  But what in his life hadn’t been impossible? There were so many things he’d done that had been impossible at first—he’d escaped an oath binding—he’d actually found a way.

  He couldn’t just wait around for Captain Avery to get here—the captain alone might not even be enough. Even if they did send an Immortal, Jakob has beaten them before…

  No. He wasn’t just distracting Jakob in this fight—he had to win.

  Even if it was impossible.

  ‘I’m not going to lose.’ Huon gripped his sword in both hands. No limits. ‘I’m going to defeat you, and you’re never going to bother me again.’

  The frown fell from Jakob’s face, replaced with that stone-cold look that reminded Huon so much of Bern. Maybe the soul binding hadn’t been the thing to make him this way—maybe he’d always been that way, and Huon’s mother just… hadn’t known.

  Or she lied to me—told me stories of a father who was a good man.

  Whatever the case, Jakob was like this now.

  Huon didn’t wait for the man to attack him this time. Instead, he checked his reserves. Surging so much of everything… he was definitely low. Jakob wouldn’t be—his reserves would be as deep as the depths that had held his stronghold under Lake Lorrilar.

  This isn’t the time for doubt.

  Huon let out a natural breath.

  If you’re out there, Celestial, please, hear me.

  Huon triple-surged speed, sprinting at his father. He couldn’t fight the man in the traditional way. He couldn’t fight him head on. He was too fast. He’d been able to dodge almost every single strike Huon had sent his way, and Huon could no longer do anything to disorientate the man.

  But that didn’t mean he couldn’t lock him up.

  He hasn’t chosen an earth surge, Huon thought, remembering the technique Jamison had used against him in the Justice Arena, locking up one of his limbs, and preventing Huon from using his own earth essence on the rock. Huon didn’t know how to use that technique in the same way, it was something he’d yet to learn. He couldn’t stop another surgecaller from surging earth essence to be rid of it—but Jakob couldn’t surge earth essence, not if he wanted to be true to the deal they’d struck.

  This could actually work.

  As Huon ran, gripping his sword in both hands, he surged earth, pulling up the cobblestones. The great thing about elemental essence was that it tended to be far easier to hit one’s target—they couldn’t block or dodge a dozen simultaneous strikes. Not even Jakob would be capable of such a thing. At least, not restricted as he was.

  And Jakob wouldn’t bother blocking such strikes. Huon had sent countless ice shards at the man originally, and they hadn’t been able to penetrate his armour. As long as Huon didn’t send the strikes for his face, the Legend wouldn’t feel the need to dodge or block them.

  The cobblestones flew into the air.

  Though Huon was able to juggle simultaneous surges at once, for this, he would need as much focus as he could muster, considering it was a technique he’d never used before.

  I can do this.

  Wind swirled around Jakob as the man stood his ground, staring at Huon, eyes cold as ice. Like before, he had one palm outthrust, his other hand neatly behind his back. He held a long stance, his left leg forward. There was no hint of worry or fear anywhere on his face.

  Huon leapt into the air, slashing down with his sword. Jakob’s chin rose. Almost casually, he stepped out of the way.

  At the same time, the cobblestones shot at him. There were fifteen in total—about as many as Huon could hold in the air without threatening to deplete his earth essence too early.

  But the cobblestones were no longer hardened rock. Huon had broken them down until they looked like melted metal. As the rocks impacted Jakob, they gripped onto him. The first smashed into his right ankle. The next, his left wrist. Jakob glanced down at the rock as Huon landed on the ground, whirling to look at him in full.

  Jakob looked about to break the rock when the other globs struck him, further locking up his limbs until he could no longer move. A deep chuckle released from the man’s lips. ‘Very clever.’

>   There were many ways to break out of such a technique, but the ones Huon knew all involved elemental essences the man didn’t have access to. He couldn’t heat the rock, with fire essence. He couldn’t slash through it with water.

  All he’d chosen was wind.

  If Huon had thought of this back in the Justice Arena… I wouldn’t have been strong enough to perform it back then.

  Wind essence began to pick up around them. Huon could feel it, forming in the air. It grew, building up faster and faster, until it formed into a small tornado.

  ‘This isn’t enough to hold me.’ Jakob smiled, even tied up as he was. ‘Not for long.’

  ‘It will be long enough.’ Huon stomped the earth, surging it around Jakob, ignoring the tornado slashing against him. It wasn’t strong enough to budge them, not with the earth clinging onto both their feet. Even as Huon stomped, he cultivated earth, sunk into it. He may not have been able to cultivate elemental essence while fighting, but they weren’t fighting anymore—not while Jakob was stuck in that rock.

  Huon couldn’t help but smile. The smile felt… different to any he’d worn before.

  He’d won.

  He’d actually won.

  No limits.

  As he sunk into the earth, his core feeling heavier by the moment, he surged fire essence. Not enough to melt the rock, just enough to make it hot enough to burn. He didn’t know if it would make it through the man’s armour, but he hoped it would.

  He wanted the man to feel pain.

  More pain than he’d ever felt.

  Huon ceased cultivating earth, and surged more of it, until the casing around Jakob was so hard he’d never be able to break out—not without cheating, not without breaking their deal.

  ‘I am never going to join you.’ Huon gripped Jakob’s shoulders with both hands engulfed in flame. ‘Concede, Father. Surrender.’

  The heat grew. Beads of sweat formed on Jakob’s brow. Huon could see the pain in the man’s eyes—gone was the coldness from before.

  Then, through gritted teeth, Jakob smiled. ‘You’re doing it, son. You’re finally doing what needs to be done.’ His eyes widened, a crazed look in them. ‘Don’t stop now. I won’t surrender—not until you make me.’

  Why is he goading me? Huon kept triple-surging flame, ensuring it wasn’t hot enough to melt through the rock.

  Pain returned to Jakob’s eyes.

  I can do this. I can win.

  Chapter 31

  Pain, Huon thought. Make him feel pain.

  Someone was shouting, but Huon couldn’t hear it. All he could see was the pain in his father’s face. The man’s eyes turning up, revealing the whites, until they flickered closed.

  ‘Huon!’ Someone grabbed him on the shoulder.

  Huon shoved them aside.

  Then he was tackled to the ground. Huon surged strength, ready to respond, ready to fight—

  Liona knelt over him, holding his arms down. ‘Huon, stop. Breathe. It’s just me!’

  The second Huon had realised it was her, seen the worry in her eyes, he’d stopped resisting. His body went limp. He breathed in, deeply, and looked over Liona’s shoulder at Jakob standing there, encased in stone. He’s unconscious.

  Even through all the pain he’d felt, the man hadn’t broken the deal. He’d… he’d wanted Huon to hurt him. Wanted him to do what he deemed necessary.

  Huon looked into Liona’s eyes. He should feel guilt for what he’d done—for causing another human so much pain—but the pit that had been in his stomach, that pit that had been filled with guilt… it wasn’t there anymore. ‘I…’ He faltered. I’m sorry, he should say—but he didn’t feel sorry.

  He’d never wanted to cause someone pain before. But today, he had.

  And he’d enjoyed it.

  When Liona saw that he wasn’t going to fight her, she stood up, then gripped his forearm in a surgecaller greeting, pulling him to his feet. ‘You did what you thought you had to,’ Liona said, though the words sounded somewhat unsure. When she looked at Jakob, the worry lines in her forehead only deepened. ‘We should go. Back to the ship. If he wakes up and decides to break that deal…’

  Huon looked around, as though coming out of a daze. There were people around them, but none of them were Captain Avery. His original plan, to fight until she came to rescue them, never would have worked.

  I didn’t need her to rescue me—I did this by myself. He’d called for the Celestial, too. But again, the person who had soul bound him had ignored him. Left him to fend for himself.

  Huon walked past Jakob, remembering the pain he’d caused the man. He should regret it.

  But he didn’t.

  He wanted to cause the man more pain.

  He deserves it, for abandoning me.

  Liona took his hand, though she didn’t hold it in the same way as before. When she looked at him… was that fear in her eyes?

  Was she… afraid of him?

  They walked back to the docks in silence, the events of the fight running through Huon’s mind. Even with all the restrictions Jakob had put upon himself during the fight, there was no way Huon should have been able to win. Yet he had.

  But… Jakob had smiled, at the end. When Huon was causing him pain, he’d smiled.

  Huon remembered fighting Bern, back in Jakob’s stronghold. He’d done all he could not to kill the man, even though it would have meant the Immortal of Fire’s death—even though it would have freed him of his binding.

  He could have won—he could have killed Bern. That’s what Jakob had wanted him to do. He’d wanted Huon to be ruthless, ruthless like he was. But he’d fought it—he’d fought the binding and won.

  Now, Huon remembered why he’d done that—he remembered his thought process, at the time.

  But he no longer understood it.

  A part of him was worried at that, wondering if this… if this was what he’d lost, in that deal with the Celestial. That aspect of his soul. Had he been cold, staring at Jakob, surging the flames, making him feel so much pain? I’d had to do it, to win. To be free of him.

  That was true. He had done what he’d needed to.

  But the thing that part of his mind worried about was the way in which he’d done it. He hadn’t done it with cold eyes, like Jakob or Bern might have. He remembered that now.

  He’d done it with a smile.

  ~

  When they returned to the ship, Captain Avery was already back from her meeting with the King of Ganadon. She’d informed the Ganadonian king of the war in Arisalon, of what the Everlasting King had done—of what Huon had seen, of the total and utter destruction and enslavement of the queendom.

  Apparently, the man had not been worried about the danger.

  The captain’s forehead was heavily creased as she told Huon and Liona this.

  ‘I may not believe as the two of you do—that the Everlasting King will take over all of Harolan—but I do believe he is a threat. More of a threat than my king wants to believe…’ Captain Avery shook her head. ‘I’m beginning to wonder if this is a poor time to sail away from my kingdom.’ She looked out to sea. ‘But I think… perhaps this is the most important journey for me now. There are Celestials out there—people who are far stronger than the threat we face. If we can enlist their help…’

  Enlist their help. Huon wasn’t sure that was entirely possible. When the Celestial had spoken to him, he’d told him that he couldn’t be seen to interfere. That people of his advancement weren’t supposed to. He’d told the captain this already, however, when she’d asked for his story. Now, he held his tongue. He didn’t want her to doubt this journey—didn’t want her to choose to stay behind.

  Liona was quiet, even back on the ship. After they’d spoken with the captain, she’d let go of his hand and walked to the other side of the deck. Huon had wanted to follow—wanted to ask her what was wrong.

  But he knew what was wrong.

  She’s afraid of
me.

  It hadn’t all happened at once, when Huon had taken on the soul binding. But he knew now, that it was happening. He was changing, becoming more ruthless.

  Just as my father wanted.

  That aspect of his soul that he’d lost… it must be why. The Celestial had done this to him. This—this was the true price he’d paid.

  Huon wasn’t sure if he cared or not—which made that small part of him, that one that had been worried as he’d walked back to the dock, become even louder.

  He should be worried about this.

  Captain Avery recalled the rest of her crew onto the ship earlier than she’d planned. Originally, they were supposed to spend the night in Ganadon, but after Huon had told her Jakob had tried to take him away, her worry lines had deepened.

  ‘I need you with me, Huon.’ The captain gripped his shoulder. ‘Your my link to the Celestials. I can’t have him take you away.’

  Gale was the last to return. The moment he and Snow were back on deck, the sails were let down, and wind was surged into them.

  Huon went below deck as the ship left port. He sat on his bunk, legs crossed beneath him, and meditated, trying to uncover what he felt. Maybe he was making this out to be worse than it was. Maybe the reason he hadn’t felt guilt for hurting his father like that was because it had been necessary, and because the man had personally wronged him. Were it anyone else… Huon might still have done it, had he needed to, but he certainly wouldn’t have enjoyed it. He certainly wouldn’t be free of guilt.

  Would he?

  He stayed down there for what felt like hours, examining his own mind, his own thoughts. The longer he did, the more he realised he couldn’t just shrug this away. He’d changed, in a way he’d never wanted to—in a way he’d sworn he never would.

  I will walk the right path, he thought. I will defeat the Everlasting King, but I won’t… I won’t become that.

  Logically, these thoughts made sense to him. But he lacked the same feelings he’d had around them before—the same drive.

  When Huon opened his eyes, he found the cabin filled with sailors turning in for the night. Had he really been in here, that long? He looked toward Liona’s bunk. It was empty. Huon walked softly, stepping on the parts of the floor he knew wouldn’t creak so as not to wake the other sailors, and walked to the upper deck.