Donte’s sword fell to the ground as he stumbled away from the corpse. Blood still dripped from his hands.
The woman we saved screamed as she scrambled to get away. Other people nearby shouted, drawing more attention to what happened. Soon, a crowd formed, everyone looking at Donte.
“I… I don’t understand… Why didn’t he block it?” Donte asked, looking at the terror forever etched on the face of the man he killed. He turned to me as he realized what happened. “Was it you?”
I nodded. My stomach heaved as I looked at the body of the once-proud soldier. I wanted to throw up. “I did not mean to get him killed. I just… He was about to use his innate talent… I didn’t want you to get hurt.”
“You!” Donte's face turned red as he looked like he was about to shout something, but before he could, he froze. A look of confusion on his face. His legs gave out from under him as he slumped to the ground. He stared blankly at the corpse for a few moments before he spoke, “What do we do now?”
“What else can we do?” I replied shaking my head as I looked at all the people around us, “We have to tell my parents the truth and hope they can explain it to Orias.”
Donte nodded, still staring blankly at what he had done. I hesitated, wanting to reach out and hold him, but stopped myself. I bit my lower lip and turned away. He would not want me of all people to comfort him when I was the reason this happened.
A few more moments passed in silence before my parents were drawn over by the commotion, as well as a group of Avari soldiers.
The soldiers stiffened when they saw the silent corpse of their fallen comrade. Their eyes were naturally drawn to Donte, still covered in blood.
“Do you have any idea what you have done?” one of the soldiers shouted furiously. His hand reflexively reached for his blade.
My dad stepped up, standing between the soldiers and Donte. He spoke firmly as he faced the soldiers. “Whatever happened here, more violence will not solve it.”
The soldier hesitated for a moment, but in the end, he did not draw his blade. “You do not understand. Istvan was of high nobility. His father is the king’s nephew. No matter how much he probably deserved it, Istvan was not someone you can just kill. The royal family will demand justice.”
My dad frowned but did not step aside. “We are not Avari. If your royal family demands justice, they will have to demand it from the Novus Kingdom after we get out of the mist. Until then, you should back off.”
The soldier looked conflicted as his eyes lingered on the corpse, then my dad. Finally, he let out a sigh. “I am not going to fight the silver blades over a dead man. Especially not one like Istvan, but this will not be the end of this matter. Avari royalty are not forgiving people. Wars have been started for less.”
“We have never been scared of war. If that is what your people want then we will be happy to meet them on the battlefield. You can convey this to the Avari when we get out of here. Donte is my squire. I am responsible for his actions. For all intents and purposes, I was the one who killed Istvan. If the Avari want revenge, look for me.”
The soldier paused for a moment, then nodded. “I can tell them… just don’t expect much. Nobility have never been the most rational of people.” Leaving us with that word of warning, the soldiers picked up Istvan’s body and carried it away. Soon enough, the crowd of onlookers also dispersed.
My dad stared quietly as he watched them leave. Once all the Avaris soldiers were completely out of earshot, my dad turned on Donte. “Explain.”
Donte shuddered as he faced the full weight of my dad’s glare. “Istvan… he… I didn’t mean to… it all happened so fast. He was harassing a woman, and I tried to help. We fought, and… I caught him off guard. I am sorry.”
“Sorry? Why are you sorry?” my dad asked, raising an eyebrow, “A knight does not apologize. They face the consequences of their actions directly. The man was half dead already, and as far as I am concerned, deserved death more than anyone here. You killing him was a mercy compared to what I would have done to him. As for how the Avari will react, well, we will worry about that when the time comes.”
“You are not mad?”
My dad grinned as he looked down at Donte. “Mad? My squire beat an Avari knight in single combat. How could I be mad? This event will make every other squire look like wet paper next to mine.”
“But… I killed a man…” Donte said softly.
“And? You want to be a knight, don’t you? Did you think that was just a title, that we train every single morning just to show off? We can spout fancy words about how we are protecting the weak and defending the innocent but at the end of the day that is just a coat of paint covering everything to make it look pretty for normal people. We are soldiers. Killing is our job.”
My mom cleared her throat as she crossed her arms and glared at my dad.
My dad shrugged. “That said, we are not butchers. Always remember what you are fighting for. Do not become a Demon who only lives for bloodshed.”
Donte nodded. He stared straight ahead as he spoke, “I already know what I am fighting for!”
“Good. Then stop worrying about accidentally killing Istvan, and help me move these supplies. He is not worth a single restless thought.”
Carrying supplies through the catacombs left my muscles tired and sore. Aurielle had never stopped trying to improve my body, but it was a slow process. I found myself longing for the bodies I knew from her memories. Decades of refining made her stronger than a Demonkin, capable of breaking stone with her bare hands while still retaining a petite and curvy figure.
Unfortunately, my body was nothing like that. All I could do was wait. One day I would be strong like that, assuming we survived Envy’s invasion.
While I rested in one of the few empty plots of space not occupied by soldiers, a man approached me. His bright red coat was like a beacon among the dull grey armors of the regular soldiers.
“Ye look absolutely exhausted,” General Arthur said, handing me a canteen full of water, “I am surprised those two would bring a tiny lass into such a dangerous place.”
I frowned, standing up despite my tired muscles. I put my hands on my hips and puffed out my chest. “I have faced Demonkin before. This is nothing compared to that. I can handle myself.”
“I am sure ye can,” the general said with a hearty laugh, “I heard ye helped quite a few soldiers with that innate talent of yours. Emotions have been running high here as well. Even without the Demon, this many people in such a small place would start a few brawls. I have managed to keep things under control for now, but it would be nice if I had a little help.”
“I can only use my talent on a couple dozen people before it is exhausted. It is not very strong yet so it does not last very long either.”
“That is more than enough. If ye can calm the generals and highest rankin’ commanders, they will keep the rest in line themselves. Will ye help me?”
“I will do everything I can.”
“Excellent!” General Arthur said with an excited clap of his hand, “let’s get at ‘em.”
The general’s energy was infectious and I jumped up to join him. He led me through the tower, past two giant doors made from the same black bone as the rest of the tower. They shook slightly as every couple seconds another Demonkin slammed their massive bodies against it. A few of the nearby soldiers watched the door nervously, but most simply ignored it. The door was nearly as tough as the rest of the tower and unless something unexpected happened, it would not fall any time soon.
Beyond the door, I could hear the sounds of explosions as soldiers at the top of the tower threw their glyphs down. It would have been hard to believe so many creatures were dying just a few steps away if it was not for the smell. Even through the door, the Demonkin blood smelled terrible. A mix of acidic rot that made a person never want to eat again.
I quickened my pace, hoping to get away from the horrible smell as quickly as possible, and not because of the irrational fear that the door would not hold and let thousands of Demonkin charge in, slaughtering everyone. It was definitely not that.
General Arthur chuckled at my reaction. “Don’t worry lass. Even if the door was broken it would not be the end for us. In fact, before your parents told me about the catacombs, I was planning to open the door letting the Demonkin in to prevent a drawn-out siege. Still might, depending on how that harpy acts. Don’t want her getting too cautious yet.”
“Is that really a plan?” I asked in disbelief.
“Better plan than starvin’. At least that way, they only attack from one direction, and we can use the smaller hallways of the tower to keep them funneled where we want them.”
“Could you really win if you let them in like that?”
The general shrugged. “No one can know everythin’ that will happen on the battlefield. War is all about guessin’ what the enemy will do. If ye know that, then creatin’ a plan is easy. We got lucky this Demon is still young. She does not know anything about war yet. I can use that to my advantage. This will be good practice for when the real thing comes in the future.”
“Envy,” I said softly.
“That’s right. Your dad warned me about it, and my scouts have confirmed it. A real war is comin’ soon. Somethin’ this little skirmish cannot compare too… I cannot wait.”
“Are you… excited?”
“How can I not be?” General Arthur replied with a boisterous laugh, “Do ye know how many years it has been since I had a real war? Ye were just a babe last time it happened. All I ever get now are boring little border skirmishes with the Kala kingdom. Those lunatics are not fighting a war. They just want to slaughter a few people before running away. They come the same old way, and we send them back the same old way. The king will not let us invade Kala so all we can do is defend. It is boring.
“Aren’t you a duke? Can’t you use your position in the king’s court to get what you want?”
“Bah! The king's court, never seen so many bad hats in my life. Everyone in the court is just a puppet. Nobody has any real power to make decisions anymore. It is just a pompous show the rich use to impress each other. I tell ye, I was happier before I became a duke. Battles every day, fighting against the Ciel Empire. Now that was a proper war. I should never have won us that victory at Shrike’s Bason. I could have kept the war going another ten years if I lost. Of course, I would have probably also been executed by my fellow soldiers if I lost that battle, so… maybe not.”
General Arthur stopped talking as we reached the first of those he wanted to be treated. A stout man and general to the Exous army. According to General Arthur, he had always been prone to sudden violent outbursts, so nobody knew if he was actually affected by the Demon or if it was just his normal personality. Just to be safe, I was supposed to treat him anyway.
When I used my talent on the man, he smiled in a way that sent shivers down my spine. He looked like he wanted to eat me, and even reached out to grab me. It was only thanks to General Arthur intervening that I was safely escorted away.
Not for the first time, I wondered what I was really doing when I used my talent on people. Aurielle had a guess, but it was tricky to confirm it. I wished I could control the talent properly, but that would only come with training and time. Maybe one day I would be able to actually pick how a person reacted.
Still, as strange as it was with both of us being the same person, I was somewhat envious of Aurielle. Her innate talent was incredibly powerful. When she was at full strength, she was capable of raising armies with a single wave of her hand, healing injuries, and even reviving after death. Meanwhile, all I got was this weird emotional influence ability.
Slightly depressed by the thought, I sighed as we moved on to the next person for me to treat. At least I was useful for this. After treating another dozen commanders, I found out my next patient was Orias. Around him were three thousand infected soldiers baring the Avari crest. When he saw General Arthur Approach, he rose and gave the man an awkward salute with his injured arm.
“General, thank you for saving the Avari soldiers. If not for you, everyone here would be nothing more than food for those beasts.”
“All people are enemies of the Demons,” The general replied, placing a hand on Orias shoulder, “I am just sorry I could not reach them sooner. I hear the Avari general sacrificed himself leading a group of volunteers to delay the Demonkin horde.”
Orias nodded. “Right now, I am the highest-ranking among those that remain. I have been infected by the mist so I do not know how much longer I can be of help, but so long as I am in charge, the Avari are at your command.”
“I will be counting on you then. Rest for now and save your strength. Soon enough we will be launching our counterattack.”
Donte’s sword fell to the ground as he stumbled away from the corpse. Blood still dripped from his hands.
The woman we saved screamed as she scrambled to get away. Other people nearby shouted, drawing more attention to what happened. Soon, a crowd formed, everyone looking at Donte.
“I… I don’t understand… Why didn’t he block it?” Donte asked, looking at the terror forever etched on the face of the man he killed. He turned to me as he realized what happened. “Was it you?”
I nodded. My stomach heaved as I looked at the body of the once-proud soldier. I wanted to throw up. “I did not mean to get him killed. I just… He was about to use his innate talent… I didn’t want you to get hurt.”
“You!” Donte's face turned red as he looked like he was about to shout something, but before he could, he froze. A look of confusion on his face. His legs gave out from under him as he slumped to the ground. He stared blankly at the corpse for a few moments before he spoke, “What do we do now?”
“What else can we do?” I replied shaking my head as I looked at all the people around us, “We have to tell my parents the truth and hope they can explain it to Orias.”
Donte nodded, still staring blankly at what he had done. I hesitated, wanting to reach out and hold him, but stopped myself. I bit my lower lip and turned away. He would not want me of all people to comfort him when I was the reason this happened.
A few more moments passed in silence before my parents were drawn over by the commotion, as well as a group of Avari soldiers.
The soldiers stiffened when they saw the silent corpse of their fallen comrade. Their eyes were naturally drawn to Donte, still covered in blood.
“Do you have any idea what you have done?” one of the soldiers shouted furiously. His hand reflexively reached for his blade.
My dad stepped up, standing between the soldiers and Donte. He spoke firmly as he faced the soldiers. “Whatever happened here, more violence will not solve it.”
The soldier hesitated for a moment, but in the end, he did not draw his blade. “You do not understand. Istvan was of high nobility. His father is the king’s nephew. No matter how much he probably deserved it, Istvan was not someone you can just kill. The royal family will demand justice.”
My dad frowned but did not step aside. “We are not Avari. If your royal family demands justice, they will have to demand it from the Novus Kingdom after we get out of the mist. Until then, you should back off.”
The soldier looked conflicted as his eyes lingered on the corpse, then my dad. Finally, he let out a sigh. “I am not going to fight the silver blades over a dead man. Especially not one like Istvan, but this will not be the end of this matter. Avari royalty are not forgiving people. Wars have been started for less.”
“We have never been scared of war. If that is what your people want then we will be happy to meet them on the battlefield. You can convey this to the Avari when we get out of here. Donte is my squire. I am responsible for his actions. For all intents and purposes, I was the one who killed Istvan. If the Avari want revenge, look for me.”
The soldier paused for a moment, then nodded. “I can tell them… just don’t expect much. Nobility have never been the most rational of people.” Leaving us with that word of warning, the soldiers picked up Istvan’s body and carried it away. Soon enough, the crowd of onlookers also dispersed.
My dad stared quietly as he watched them leave. Once all the Avaris soldiers were completely out of earshot, my dad turned on Donte. “Explain.”
Donte shuddered as he faced the full weight of my dad’s glare. “Istvan… he… I didn’t mean to… it all happened so fast. He was harassing a woman, and I tried to help. We fought, and… I caught him off guard. I am sorry.”
“Sorry? Why are you sorry?” my dad asked, raising an eyebrow, “A knight does not apologize. They face the consequences of their actions directly. The man was half dead already, and as far as I am concerned, deserved death more than anyone here. You killing him was a mercy compared to what I would have done to him. As for how the Avari will react, well, we will worry about that when the time comes.”
“You are not mad?”
My dad grinned as he looked down at Donte. “Mad? My squire beat an Avari knight in single combat. How could I be mad? This event will make every other squire look like wet paper next to mine.”
“But… I killed a man…” Donte said softly.
“And? You want to be a knight, don’t you? Did you think that was just a title, that we train every single morning just to show off? We can spout fancy words about how we are protecting the weak and defending the innocent but at the end of the day that is just a coat of paint covering everything to make it look pretty for normal people. We are soldiers. Killing is our job.”
My mom cleared her throat as she crossed her arms and glared at my dad.
My dad shrugged. “That said, we are not butchers. Always remember what you are fighting for. Do not become a Demon who only lives for bloodshed.”
Donte nodded. He stared straight ahead as he spoke, “I already know what I am fighting for!”
“Good. Then stop worrying about accidentally killing Istvan, and help me move these supplies. He is not worth a single restless thought.”
Carrying supplies through the catacombs left my muscles tired and sore. Aurielle had never stopped trying to improve my body, but it was a slow process. I found myself longing for the bodies I knew from her memories. Decades of refining made her stronger than a Demonkin, capable of breaking stone with her bare hands while still retaining a petite and curvy figure.
Unfortunately, my body was nothing like that. All I could do was wait. One day I would be strong like that, assuming we survived Envy’s invasion.
While I rested in one of the few empty plots of space not occupied by soldiers, a man approached me. His bright red coat was like a beacon among the dull grey armors of the regular soldiers.
“Ye look absolutely exhausted,” General Arthur said, handing me a canteen full of water, “I am surprised those two would bring a tiny lass into such a dangerous place.”
I frowned, standing up despite my tired muscles. I put my hands on my hips and puffed out my chest. “I have faced Demonkin before. This is nothing compared to that. I can handle myself.”
“I am sure ye can,” the general said with a hearty laugh, “I heard ye helped quite a few soldiers with that innate talent of yours. Emotions have been running high here as well. Even without the Demon, this many people in such a small place would start a few brawls. I have managed to keep things under control for now, but it would be nice if I had a little help.”
“I can only use my talent on a couple dozen people before it is exhausted. It is not very strong yet so it does not last very long either.”
“That is more than enough. If ye can calm the generals and highest rankin’ commanders, they will keep the rest in line themselves. Will ye help me?”
“I will do everything I can.”
“Excellent!” General Arthur said with an excited clap of his hand, “let’s get at ‘em.”
The general’s energy was infectious and I jumped up to join him. He led me through the tower, past two giant doors made from the same black bone as the rest of the tower. They shook slightly as every couple seconds another Demonkin slammed their massive bodies against it. A few of the nearby soldiers watched the door nervously, but most simply ignored it. The door was nearly as tough as the rest of the tower and unless something unexpected happened, it would not fall any time soon.
Beyond the door, I could hear the sounds of explosions as soldiers at the top of the tower threw their glyphs down. It would have been hard to believe so many creatures were dying just a few steps away if it was not for the smell. Even through the door, the Demonkin blood smelled terrible. A mix of acidic rot that made a person never want to eat again.
I quickened my pace, hoping to get away from the horrible smell as quickly as possible, and not because of the irrational fear that the door would not hold and let thousands of Demonkin charge in, slaughtering everyone. It was definitely not that.
General Arthur chuckled at my reaction. “Don’t worry lass. Even if the door was broken it would not be the end for us. In fact, before your parents told me about the catacombs, I was planning to open the door letting the Demonkin in to prevent a drawn-out siege. Still might, depending on how that harpy acts. Don’t want her getting too cautious yet.”
“Is that really a plan?” I asked in disbelief.
“Better plan than starvin’. At least that way, they only attack from one direction, and we can use the smaller hallways of the tower to keep them funneled where we want them.”
“Could you really win if you let them in like that?”
The general shrugged. “No one can know everythin’ that will happen on the battlefield. War is all about guessin’ what the enemy will do. If ye know that, then creatin’ a plan is easy. We got lucky this Demon is still young. She does not know anything about war yet. I can use that to my advantage. This will be good practice for when the real thing comes in the future.”
“Envy,” I said softly.
“That’s right. Your dad warned me about it, and my scouts have confirmed it. A real war is comin’ soon. Somethin’ this little skirmish cannot compare too… I cannot wait.”
“Are you… excited?”
“How can I not be?” General Arthur replied with a boisterous laugh, “Do ye know how many years it has been since I had a real war? Ye were just a babe last time it happened. All I ever get now are boring little border skirmishes with the Kala kingdom. Those lunatics are not fighting a war. They just want to slaughter a few people before running away. They come the same old way, and we send them back the same old way. The king will not let us invade Kala so all we can do is defend. It is boring.
“Aren’t you a duke? Can’t you use your position in the king’s court to get what you want?”
“Bah! The king's court, never seen so many bad hats in my life. Everyone in the court is just a puppet. Nobody has any real power to make decisions anymore. It is just a pompous show the rich use to impress each other. I tell ye, I was happier before I became a duke. Battles every day, fighting against the Ciel Empire. Now that was a proper war. I should never have won us that victory at Shrike’s Bason. I could have kept the war going another ten years if I lost. Of course, I would have probably also been executed by my fellow soldiers if I lost that battle, so… maybe not.”
General Arthur stopped talking as we reached the first of those he wanted to be treated. A stout man and general to the Exous army. According to General Arthur, he had always been prone to sudden violent outbursts, so nobody knew if he was actually affected by the Demon or if it was just his normal personality. Just to be safe, I was supposed to treat him anyway.
When I used my talent on the man, he smiled in a way that sent shivers down my spine. He looked like he wanted to eat me, and even reached out to grab me. It was only thanks to General Arthur intervening that I was safely escorted away.
Not for the first time, I wondered what I was really doing when I used my talent on people. Aurielle had a guess, but it was tricky to confirm it. I wished I could control the talent properly, but that would only come with training and time. Maybe one day I would be able to actually pick how a person reacted.
Still, as strange as it was with both of us being the same person, I was somewhat envious of Aurielle. Her innate talent was incredibly powerful. When she was at full strength, she was capable of raising armies with a single wave of her hand, healing injuries, and even reviving after death. Meanwhile, all I got was this weird emotional influence ability.
Slightly depressed by the thought, I sighed as we moved on to the next person for me to treat. At least I was useful for this. After treating another dozen commanders, I found out my next patient was Orias. Around him were three thousand infected soldiers baring the Avari crest. When he saw General Arthur Approach, he rose and gave the man an awkward salute with his injured arm.
“General, thank you for saving the Avari soldiers. If not for you, everyone here would be nothing more than food for those beasts.”
“All people are enemies of the Demons,” The general replied, placing a hand on Orias shoulder, “I am just sorry I could not reach them sooner. I hear the Avari general sacrificed himself leading a group of volunteers to delay the Demonkin horde.”
Orias nodded. “Right now, I am the highest-ranking among those that remain. I have been infected by the mist so I do not know how much longer I can be of help, but so long as I am in charge, the Avari are at your command.”
“I will be counting on you then. Rest for now and save your strength. Soon enough we will be launching our counterattack.”
