Nitesh explained everything that he had learned to Farren. Farren also shared in his newfound knowledge and for the majority of the trip, they discussed history and exchanged theories, learning from one another and enjoying every second of it. Tacey had made herself bitter. She couldn't find the decency in herself to so much as look at him, let alone talk, heavens forbid, forgive him. She spent the two week journey to Larush saying as little as she could to anyone.
Every night, Farren would attempt to make peace with her, and every night he would fail. It usually went that Farren would sit down beside her and wait for a few minutes to say something. Upon saying anything, Tacey would stand up and disappear into the darkness and would return an hour later as quietly as she left. By that time Farren would have fallen asleep, or feigned it to watch her crawl between her blankets and sigh. Every few nights he would wait for her to drift in to dreamland before he would get out of bed and lay beside her. He noticed a change in him in these nights; how simply listening to her breath, watching her twitch her nose and mumble nothing's made him feel at peace.
It made him think back on all the couples he had met in his journey's through Lorighilt and made him want the same for himself. He thought about how nice it would be to settle down in a single place, somewhere far away from the scolding of Larush, the busy noise of Careemn or the high class society of Parlock. Sharome wasn't much of anything anymore, though it was only a matter of time before a town went up in its place. He wanted a place in the country for Tacey and himself. But not only them, he wanted it share it with some children. Children. I could be a father to them that I never had. Teach them and bring them up with beliefs, convictions, ideals. This was all, of course, only if Tacey could ever forgive him. He felt he deserved a swift kick in the cohorts, but not this bitterness that she had towards him. It wasn't necessarily outside of her to do something like this, but he felt as much as Nitesh and Tamesis that Tacey was taking things a little out of proportion. As things stood, it looked as if she would never forgive him. After staring into her closed eyes for an hour, Farren would retire to bed as well, often thinking of ways to earn her forgiveness.
The mornings were as they ever were. Nitesh would usually wake up a few minutes before Farren. After stretching and training for an hour with him, Tamesis would wake up and stretch, often not bothering to practice at all. She would roll their bags and douse the fire and wake Tacey up. Soon after, they would depart. Farren and Nitesh were the only ones who ever bothered with navigating. They would do it between their discussions of history. Tamesis would often follow behind them, not caring at all about the lives and adventures of dead men. Every hour, she would make a single statement aimed at Tacey, who would only respond with a nod or half-hearted expression.
After a fifteen day journey they arrived in Larush. Standing at the gate, Farren and Nitesh both requested passage, the girls remained silent.
"We banished the two of you a long time ago! You are not to enter under any circumstances."
"Have it your way, guard, but let the women through."
The guard complied, opening the doors half way. Tacey and Tamesis trotted through reluctantly. Right behind the second horse Farren charged through before the doors could close. He gave the gat guard a left hook and Nitesh threw a rock the size of a fist at the guard on the wall, who was ready to sound the bell. The rock hit the man in the temple, knocking him out at the very least.
"Addison is likely waiting for the right time."
"He's somewhere out there. When do you want to warn the townsfolk?"
"Let's get something to eat first, in case they decide to ignore us and throw us out."
"Good idea."
They went to the tavern closest them called the Figerey. It was a small joint that stayed alive thanks to regulars and the weekly occasion. Few people were ever there at this hour. At the door, a man walked with a big belly walked out burping and mumbling to himself. Farren could hear gold ringing in his pocket and decided to throw him behind the tavern into a haystack and choke him out of consciousness. Nitesh smiled when Farren showed him the coins that would buy everyone a meal and then some.
The waiter recognized them but said nothing. He took their orders and went in back to inform the cook. A few minutes later the owner came to their table saying he would not serve them.
"We're hungry, Bobby" Nitesh pleaded "Don't make run back there and cook it myself. We have the money and we intend to pay."
"You's nothing but a bunch of nomad's and ye think I'll serve ye? You know what kinda trouble this can get me."
"Shut it, Bobby. Nobody's going to know. Besides, you never get business this time of day. We'll be quiet and we've got the change to leave a hefty tip."
"Just finish your meals quick and be outta here."
Tacey ordered an afternoon breakfast of sausage and eggs. Tamesis ordered a ham sandwich on rye and the boys ordered the biggest steaks the cook was willing to serve sided with a baked potato and a choice of salad. For old time's sake, Farren ordered a glass of vodka and Nitesh ordered her personal favorite: Whiskey. The girl's seemed satisfied with milk. Before the meal arrived the boys had finished their drinks, ordered two beers each and then drank more during and after.
"We should-uugh-damnit I was going to say something…Oh yeah! We should go talk to the mayor now."
Farren waved his hand "screw it. I don't wanna. Let's just get a room and ugh…"
"sleep?" Tacey finished.
"That's it. Sleep."
"Addison is going to kill everybody. Him and that stupid army."
"No no no. I've been thinking." Farren pointed at Nitesh's eye, aiming with his finger and trying to focus. He gave up after a few seconds, deciding that he was drunk and continued.
"When is everybody in this towns stupid?" Farren slurred as he was leading up to his point.
"All the damned time."
"No no no. The occasion!"
"Holy piss, yer right!" Nitesh slammed his fists on the table and stood. He staggered, knowing his glory had come and gone he sat back down. "He's gonna attack when everybody's piss drunk! I would do that too!"
"Exactly. Piss drunk. Like us"
"no, I'm not- I mean a little but-not-ok I'm drunk."
"me too. But I can walk."
"Oh, I can walk too."
"No you can't." Farren argued gleefully. "You can never walk when you're drunk."
"I will-fight you."
"You want to?"
"No. but I will if I have to."
"I don't want to either. Fighting drunk is sos stupid anyways."
"And we can't fight cause we're brothers."
Farren was about to drink, but slammed his glass down pridefully. "You're right."
"Alright, you two! That's enough!" The manager shouted from behind the counter.
"Oh, Bobby" Nitesh stuttered. "You're such a buzzkill."
"Let's go, brother. We gotta get a room."
Nitesh agreed and the girls quietly followed them out.
"Hey, you forgot to pay!"
"Oh yeah." Farren fumbled around his pockets. "'Ere."
Farren threw down an amount he hadn't bothered to count and so was completely unaware he had only payed for half the meal. The manager, looking across the room couldn't tell whether he'd thrown down half the bill or all and decided to have some faith in a drunk man's honesty. He would be pissed off later when he counted it.
They paid their way for a room of four with two beds, the innkeeper working was young and hadn't known she was inviting in a couple of Wanderers but she hadn't bothered to question as she had only been working a few weeks for a testy boss.
In the room Tacey and Tamesis enjoyed relaxing in their beds. Nitesh and Farren sat together in a the hallway looking out a second floor window reminiscing about the town they had grown so much to hate, but had through all of it found an eternal bond with. Neither could describe it, neither even dared to
admit it, but it was swelling hard against both their hearts. They had brought the bottles that they had ordered from the restaurant and sat quietly on the window sill with their preferred drinks. It felt like days had passed before they said anything. Farren was trying to think of what could be said that hadn't, wishing so much that they hadn't been raised as rivals. Nitesh spent his silence organizing his thoughts for the speech he felt ready to give. He decided to start at a subject that was lighter, but something he was curious about.
"Do you love Tacey?"
"More than anything."
"That's what I thought." He smiled as he took another swig. "I wouldn't say something like this sober, but before I say anything I want to say it's been on my heart ever since I found out."
Farren listened with great intensity. He understood that Nitesh was referring back to the first time they had met as friends in the library of Sharome.
"I'm glad I have a chance to say this. With Addison and his Guard attacking-this whole town is going to witness the greatest battle in over two-hundred years. This battle is the salvation of Larush."
They had both sobered up since the restaurant, and Nitesh felt himself becoming too sober to say things comfortably. He gulped his whiskey a few times and wiped it from his chin.
"When I found out that I was the penance project and that I had a brother-everything made sense. I never knew where I came from, and unlike you, I never had any memories of being abandoned. For all I knew, Trent was my father, but he openly denied it and so I took it as truth. I didn't have a father or a mother; I just turned up one day and Trent had the decency to take me under his wing. That's all I knew."
He paused to look at the window and watch Farren take another swig of vodka.
"We always had a connection. You don't have to agree cause I know you felt it too. It was that connection that made us hate each other so much. It's what drove us to the rivalry we had. And that helped everyone; it helped me, you, Trent, the townspeople, even that two-timing whore, Lida.
"Nitesh-" Farren interrupted. Nitesh stopped his speech midway and drank as Farren jumbled his words together. "Why were you banished?"
Nitesh smiled toward the sunset "I damn-near killed two barkeeps and attacked the mayor. I wasn't gonna kill him, I just wanted to rough him up."
"Why the hell would you do something that stupid?"
"I wanted to be banished. After you left everything just got boring. This town hated me as much as it did you; and I was the only one left to treat like dog-crap. So I decided it wasn't worth it, and I went out to look for you. That was six months after you left. Now that we're on this subject. How on earth did you get booted out of here on such short notice? I had to go through all kinds of court trials and plead guilty half a dozen times."
"Farren smiled at Nitesh's story and then held his head in shame. "It was Lida. You remember how she was. She talked to me the night before and told me some stupid story about how she always wanted to be with me. I was drunk enough to buy in to it. It was at the well east of Trent's dojo; we met at midnight. I arrived there early by a couple hours but I didn't mind; I was away from the glares of the public and I had a bottle in my hand. I was set for the night even if she didn't show up. The hours passed and she arrived on time as promised. She said 'no one will know' and 'I've wanted this forever' and in my stupor I couldn't resist her. Those eyes and hips and her voice, it was too much for me to take. I fell in to her like the drunk fool I was. We claimed each other right there at the well. I wasn't her first, but she was mine. It being my first time, I finished too quickly for her tastes, which was especially surprising since I was drunk. I could see her disappointment and she cursed me for being 'half a man.' She put her clothes back on in a flash and before I could say another word, she was gone. The next morning I'm dragged from bed hung-over and forced outside the gates."
"That was all?" Nitesh asked in disbelief. Farren took another swig.
"That was all."
"So you slept with the mayor's daughter, he heard about it and in an outrage decided to have you gone."
"I guess so."
"What a damned slut." Nitesh puffed. He thought for a moment about Farren's misfortunes and then continued the speech he had paused earlier.
"Farren, I mean this. I've always thought of you as a brother. I hated you because I had to, because we had to. But deep down, I've always loved you. Know that."
"I know that."
"Damnit. I wish we could go back and change everything. Our life freakin' sucks and this town sucks harder. And now, out of some blind duty, we have to save it and every cocksucking drunk who lives here."
"It's not about us, Nitesh. It never has been. It's about our beliefs. Even if we die, our ideals, our convictions live on and that alone is worth living in this hell-hole for twelve years."
"You're a better man than me. I can't think like that. I don't have convictions like you. Damn I wish I was the man you are."
"I'm not a hero, brother."
"Not yet. But you will be, mark my words. You will be."
"I don't want to be."
"Heroes never want to be heroes. Sluts never want to be sluts. Mayor's-well, they want to be mayor's. but my point is it's not up to you. It's up to history; it's up to the people who remember you."
"No one is going to remember me."
"You've spent the last three years traveling this country saving lives and inspiring people and you're telling me you're not going to be remembered?"
"it's not-"
"It doesn't matter. What I wanted to tell you is this: Live free and love life."
"That's it?"
Nitesh stood with his jaw hanging "Yes that's bloody it. You were just talking about beliefs, believe in this. Go against everything you were raised to do. To hell with mercenaries, they fight and die and die empty. Don't die like the rest of us. Make a life that no one else ever wanted for you. Make a life for you and yourself and the ones you care about most. I'm not a philosopher, but I know in my heart that if you have that, then you can die with some satisfaction. You can die with something to hold on to. You can-you can die knowing you're loved."
Nitesh gave in to the power of his own words and caught a tear sliding down his cheek. "Live, brother. Let the past die and live for the present. Live for you."
"I will."
"Swear it."
Farren looked out the window for a moment then returned his gaze to Nitesh's deep eyes. "I swear when this is over, I am going to let the past die behind me and live only for the present. For me and those that I love. And when I do die, I'm going to die with something to hold on to, and something to be remembered by."
Nitesh wiped his cheek. "Good."
"You swear it too." Farren urged.
"I want to, brother. But something doesn't feel right."
"What do you mean?"
"This battle...I think only one of us is going to come out alive."
"Don't talk like a fool. You don't know what's going to happen out there."
"After the battle, I will make the vow."
"I will hold you to it."
It's not in my nature to forgive. Not like you can.
Twenty minutes later, five mercenaries garbed for battle rushed upstairs with the mayor trailing behind them. The men drew their swords and waited for orders, the mayor stared, wondering which to gaze down. "Why are you here?"
"I could ask you same thing." Nitesh began. "But it's good you're here, we wanted to talk to you."
"I have nothing to say to either of you."
"Then you can listen. The Supreme General Addison is coming here, and he will be taking on the night of the occasion."
"You are not welcome in these walls, get out." The mercenaries attempted to restrain the two of them, but a minute and a half later all of them were on the floor knocked out.
"Listen to me, mayor. I spoke to Addison back when he was attacking Parlock. I fought him there, and he told me that Larush was next."
"We are prepared to face Addison, we don't need you fools getting in the way."
"Fools?" Farren spoke up. "We may be fools, but at least we can fight." Farren kicked his most recent victim, who gave a grunt of disapproval.
"Besides," Nitesh continued, "Every worthy soldier you have is going to be passed out drunk by the time he sets fire to this place."
"How do you know he is going to use fire?" The mayor questioned, implying that Nitesh was a soldier of Addison's."
"Any half-brained idiot would use fire if they were attacking a town made of-" he knocked on the oak wall "wood."
"I will make the necessary preparations, but I want you two out of here, especially you." He pointed at Farren.
"I'm not the only one who's slept with your daughter, mayor." He complied with the mayor's demands and began to walk out, punching and breaking the mayor's nose as he passed. "Before Addison attacks, have a look at her diary." He left the mayor there with his mercenaries and freshly broken nose.
Two hours later Tacey woke up from the nap she had mistakenly taken. She had only meant to lay down to relax but the trip had exhausted her more than she thought. Upon waking, her mood had changed entirely. She remembered talking with Tamesis for the first time in weeks and listening to her say that it wasn't Farren's fault. He had been raised to worship women, and he had cared for her. She was having some trouble being convinced, but she felt her guilt catching up to her.
She left the room to look for the boys, thinking they were still talking in the hall; all that remained there, however, was blood on the floor. She looked through the inn, asked the innkeeper about them, who, afraid of confrontation, said she knew nothing. Tacey worried until late that night when Farren sneaked back to the room through the window and closed it behind him panting.
"Hi, sorry I'm late."
It had taken him longer than he had originally suspected it would. In the bright starry sky of the fall that Larush had, it was too easy to see something. Even then his careful steps were interrupted by the noise of footsteps that were not his.
"Where have you been?"
"Nitesh and I were found earlier by good ol' mayor. He forced us back out of town. He sat down before continuing "Nitesh is outside town at the camp we set up west of town, on the hill. I wanted to come back to tell you we were found and forced back out. We want the two of to stay here until tomorrow evening. Leave town before the sun goes down."
"Is that when Addison is attacking?"
Farren nodded "The occasion."
"Where can we find you?"
"You're not going to. You're both leaving town and hiding in the woods where it's safe."
"I can fight!" Tacey yelled.
"You have a bigger job than fighting." Farren continued. "Get as many women and children out of town as you can. Not many are going to believe you, so get some kind of party going and tell them it's out of town. Women and children only. The men need to fight-no matter how drunk they are."
"Even if they're as drunk as you were?" Tacey snorted.
"Even if they're as drunk as I was." He said with a mysterious peace about him. "Look at me, Tacey." He grabbed her shoulders and pulled her inches from his face. His breath was hot and heavy. In the darkness, his eyes seemed to shine at her, his hair brushed against her forehead and she felt her knees weakening. "This battle is going to decide the fate of our nation." He thought for a moment, deciding how to best put his words. "I'm done wandering. When this is over, you'll have me forever."
She felt her eyes watering, she struggled to speak. Her cheeks blushed brighter than a signal fire. She put her arms around his waist and leaned her face against his chest. "Don't leave me." She whispered so quietly that even she had trouble hearing it. His body was warm and welcoming; never had she felt so needful to have him close to her. That need turned to emptiness when he pulled away and leapt out of the window, not to be seen for the remainder of the night. The word forever rang in her mind again and again.
Tacey made haste the next morning to prepare for the celebration outside of town that wouldn't be happening. She went through taverns and knocked on doors, feigning an excitement that was almost immature. Most women took to the invitation enthusiastically. Tamesis assisted her most of the day, but sometimes split up to do a separate house or entire street. By evening, they had done about as much inviting as anyone could bear to stand. They walked together to the place they planned to meet and waited for the invitees to arrive with their children. The sun had long since settled over the horizon and
a looming darkness came over the mountains. The stars were out early, shining brightly over the battle that would take place soon.
No sooner did the excited patrons arrive when Tacey saw two hundred arrows fired out of the woods in a perfect circle around the walls of Larush. Addison's plan was clear to even her. His intention was to set the walls and outer buildings on fire and let the flames work their way in, driving all the citizens to the center, where they would hope to find the lake in the center of town to keep them from the destruction of the fire. Threre, Addison and his soldiers would be waiting for them, to be slaughtered like drunken pigs. The mayor had done nothing to warn the townspeople. All day Tacey had not seen any sign of preparation other than decorations, food and drink. Tacey saw a few of Addison's archers crawling over the burning walls and run toward the center of the city.
There were at least a thousand women, the children were impossible to count with the way they moved around. Tacey at the end of the clearing of trees they had all agreed to meet at. She stood atop a log and commanded the peoples attention, who also saw the flames overtaking Larush.
"Women of Larush, listen to me."
"This gathering was intended to be for our enjoyment away from the town. "lie to them, lie to them, lie to them. "But this attack did not favor in to our plans."
"We have to go back to our husbands!" a woman from the crowd shouted.
"Our husbands would want us safe and away from danger."
"What the hell do they know?" another shouted from the back. "I don't know where you're from, but in Larush we run the house!"
Tacey could think of nothing to say in defense, Tamesis rescued her.
"Whether we run the house or not, our place is not on the field of battle."
"Addison doesn't stand a chance against us!" the woman from the back shouted. Another woman closer to the front pushed Tacey off the log and took the place where she was standing just a few seconds prior. "Here me, women of the honored village of Larush!" She shouted from her pedestal. "Addison has come to take not only the lives of our men, but also our children! Also us! Let us join with our soldiers in battle and stand on the ground that is ours! When he is defeated, we will begin the retaking of this land as our own, and a new crown will step forward in the glory of Larush! Who is with me!?"
A crowd roared and began marching back down to Larush, completely out of Tacey's control. Not a soul remained with her except Tamesis. The women stooped so low as to even bring their children in to battle with them.
Retaking the country? Where on earth did THAT come from?
"We have to stop them!" Tacey shouted running after the crowd, falling back after a few steps realizing her ankle had been sprained.
"As you said, Tacey, our place is here." Tamesis said calmly, inside her heart was pumping sorrow.
"We're going to be the only one's left!" She shouted at Tamesis. "We have to help them; we have to help Farren! We have to help Nitesh!"
"That may be, but if we are the only survivors, the world is going to need us to tell the story."
"I don't want to tell the story!" She shrieked as she limped toward the hill. "I don't want this fight! I just want Farren!"
Tamesis felt her heart tearing right before her. She sympathized with Tacey and wanted badly to agree, but her duty to Nitesh outdid her emotions and so she waited. She knew that Tacey would only calm down if she was outcold, it was her duty to stop her.
Farren had long put aside his vows to never kill. With his knife in hand, he slit the throats and stabbed the hearts of soldier after soldier. He couldn't estimate how many Addison had, but he guessed that Addison was greatly outnumbered. The men of Larush were already dead drunk and even such a catastrophe as this couldn't bring them out of their gut-wrenching puke fest. Farren saw them dying left and right, doing the best he could to save them, but even when he stopped a soldier from stabbing a dazed drunkard, he would only stay behind to die in the fire.
"Get out!" Farren shouted to a man passed out in a burning doorway. The man was dazed and confused, unable to tell a fire from a pool of blood. "You fool! Your world burns around you! Are you satisfied!?" Farren dragged the man out of the wreckage by his pant leg and tossed him in a nearby puddle.
"This liqer." The man grunted as loud as he could. "It's different. It's not the-" he was interrupted by his own vomit.
Farren's eyes were opened wide. At some point in time Addison had put something in every bar in town. He and Nitesh hadn't been affected. "Last night." He said aloud, recalling the dozen times he had heard someone moving about in the shadows. Last night, Addison commanded his men to either place something in the liquor or replace it entirely. Any experienced drinker could sober up well enough in a crisis to fight back. Addison's intention was to have everyone sick as a dog, ready to be impaled before he even entered the city. The men weren't intended to move to the center lake, the women and children were. Tacey had almost foiled that plan, but the women of Larush were too prideful to resist the temptation of proving themselves.
Farren saw the women charging past him, carrying pitchforks, axes and scythes, thinking their farm tools would do something to an army of trained soldiers. Farren gasped when he saw the children running with them. He knew he could do nothing. The pride of Larush extended beyond the boundary of words. They lived in pride, they would die in pride. Farren did his part in killing every Guard he saw. A soldier thrust his spear behind and just barely missed his tail bone. He grabbed the shaft before the blade and forced the blunt end into the soldier's belly. Taking control of the spear, he forced the blade in to the bent over soldier's cranium. He saw some of the villagers teaming up on a single soldier and killing him; slaughtering actually. Farren wasn't sure if they were killing out of defense or out of pleasure. He wasn't sure of much anymore.
Behind the short-lived victors a soldier would appear to claim vengeance for his fallen comrade. The Guard had no mercy for defenseless men, women or children. If there were any around, a baby would
be as good as an armed man. Around them, the village burned with an absolute fury. Screams could be heard within the buildings as the roofs collapsed under the inferno. Farren knew in the midst of such a one sided battle, he would need to use his element, but the fires would kill anything he could grow, even if he turned a tree animate. Camouflaging his skin was the best his element could do in this heat. The plants would dehydrate too quickly to be of any use.
"Farren" He could hear Tacey yelling behind him. "What are you doing here!?" Farren yelled. "I did as you said, I gathered the women together outside of town, but as soon as they saw the village burning they came back! I couldn't control them." She reasoned, he understood. She did her best and now she wanted to be of further use.
"You can't fight these soldiers" He told her sympathetically.
"No," She said with assurance. That was her cue to summon a torrent of water three feet across out of her palms and into a burning house, quenching every last flame that threatened it. "but I can fight the fire."
Farren's jaw dropped. In his absence she had mastered her element. Though she wasn't skilled in close quarters combat, if she willed it she could summon a stream of water with enough pressure to put a hole through a person.
"Water the ground." He asked with urgency, pointing to where he wanted it. She complied, soaking the ground to the point it was almost mud. Farren created a seed in his palm and planted it, he closed his eyes, and waved his hands as if he were physically lifting a tree from the ground. Instantly an elm grew thirty feet tall, grew arms and separated it's roots to give it legs. It opened it's eyes, blinking a few times before awaiting orders.
"Protect Tacey." He yelled up at it. The animated Elm nodded and picked Tacey up in to it's massive branch. "Take care of it, Tace. It's going to catch on fire pretty easily. It will be up to you to manage it." He looked back up at the elm, picking up the soldier Farren had just killed. "The men dressed like this are the enemy. Kill them."
The elm nodded and walked off, holding Tacey in one branch and slashing soldiers with the other.
"Save the villagers." He told her as he began to run closer to the center of town.
"Where are you going?"
"I'm going to kill Addison."
Farren, with the spear he had taken from the soldier he had killed and his knife in it's sheath, was within view of the lake, where four dozen villagers had already gathered to be slain by the Guard. To his left a Guard with sword and shield swung at his neck, Farren used the shaft of the spear to block it, kicked the man's shield, sending him back two paces. Farren then turned the spear toward the ground and impaled the guards right foot, twirling in to a roundhouse to the cheek and then a slice right through the neck. When the soldier fell with blood spewing out of his windpipe, he saw Nitesh with his two straight swords slashing through half a dozen men. Nitesh was completely unscathed, and looked to be in perfect harmony with the battlefield. He practically danced from one enemy to the next, finishing them with hardly any work. If it weren't for the inferno that they were fighting in, Nitesh likely wouldn't have
broken a sweat. Nitesh wore a smile Farren had never seen. He was at peace in battle. He was a true soldier, something Farren couldn't comprehend. Nitesh noticed Farren in the distance and held his sword to the air as a friendly greeting.
"Brother! Having fun?" He shouted across the field. Farren laughed at his sarcasm and held his spear up in response. Satisfied, Nitesh charged ahead over some burning wreckage and ahead twenty-five yards to another band of soldiers, dancing among them as he stuck or sliced one after the other, dodging the attacks of his enemies with no hint of effort. If he saw an attack coming he didn't have time to dodge, he pushed another soldier in the way of his comrade's attack. Farren spotted a dozen more soldiers running toward Nitesh with a fury he had never seen. He decided to join in the dance.
Farren telekinetically lifted some roots sticking out of the ground to trip three of them, the other nine ran past them after Nitesh, not noticing him. Farren was satisfied with three of them, reaching them before they even had a chance to stand. He controlled the root he had tripped them with to hold one down by his neck. Another tried to stand but Farren extended his leg to the sky and brought his heel down hard on the back of the soldier's neck. The third had enough time to stand upright, but Farren didn't give him time to strike. He kicked the man in the groan and slashed with his spear in the motion of an uppercut, slicing the man's face in half. The first man was left strangling in the grip of the root and the second was outcold.
Nitesh finished six of them before Farren had a chance to arrive to help. He stabbed the back of one and kicked the other in the back to Nitesh, who was waiting to thrust a sword through his heart. The third stood shaking.
"Do you know who I am?" Nitesh asked. Farren lowered his spear, knowing Nitesh wanted some pleasure out of this. "I am the demon of Larush. The forgotten child of the forgotten king. I was the failed experiment known as the Penance project." Nitesh sliced through the air with his sword while letting his other one dangle from his hand. "Does it ring a bell?"
The man nodded, being of a higher rank and spending most of his life in the Guard. "You didn't expect me to live, did you?" The man shook his head.
"Then isn't it ironic," The man backed in to the wall of a house that had been extinguished by Tacey and the Demon of Larush continued to advance forward, slowly putting a sword through his sternum "that I would be your death."
Blood ran from the soldier's mouth and down his chin, his eyes became unfocused, soulless and he died there standing with the sword in him. Nitesh pulled it out, half satisfied with the blood had had spilt. For him, this was more than purpose, responsibility, or any reason Farren could conjure up to be here. This was for revenge, and Nitesh would not be completely satisfied until every last Royal Guard was dead. Addison watched the duo from across a bridge that stretched over a narrow portion of the lake. Neither could tell whether he was smiling or frowning. He simply stood there, waiting for them to come to him, like they were some kind of brainless pigs going after motionless bait.
"Nitesh." Farren said, not taking his gaze from Addison. "Let's finish this."
"The leader first, the swine later."
The screams could no longer be heard now. Every one that was still alive had yelled their lungs out or escaped to safety far away. The rest were dead. Men women and children were scattered across the burning village like grass seed, waiting to be taken by the flames, their souls gone to a place higher. The O'dreas brothers walked slowly to Addison. All three of them knew he wasn't going anywhere. It was time to stand. The man that had brought all this chaos to Lorighilt would stand before the young men who sought to restore it.
"The king only knew one of you as his son. The other his not even a prince by birthright."
"Save your speeches, Addison. Draw your weapon."
"This city has fallen. All of Lorighilt has fallen, you fools. You have all the time in the world to hear me speak, and so when I bury you, you can rest knowing the truth."
Something compelled the two young princes to listen, and so they did as Addison stood where he had, his legs never moving an inch, though his presence made them believe he was everywhere at once.
"You, Wanderer." He pointed a single finger at Farren. "You're the half brother of Nitesh. He is the true heir to the throne."
"What do you mean?" Farren growled.
"King James, in his weakness, obeyed the Senate's demands for an heir. When he abandoned Nitesh at a wee six months young, he returned to the Royal City Sharome to fib of a band of bandits who had tortured him and killed the child. In truth, he left the boy with that fool, Trent, my inferior brother from birth. Later the Senate demanded another child, but I convinced the good King not to give in. A year passed and James' health began to fail. In desperation, the Senate artificially inseminated good queen Nabeth and faked her death when the young half-prince Farren was born. His real father was a peasant carpenter from Shiftel, which was being built at the time to protect the secret interests of the Crown. Because of his foolishness in caring for the recently-killed Nitesh, the King was not entrusted to even see the boy. By this time, the Senate was so fed up with the monarchy, they began to plot the death of our king in hopes to seize power for themselves and turn this country in to some kind of twisted socialist pig-sty. In my duty to the agreement James and I had made so early in our lives-the Penance Project-I took the boy and hid him for his own safety. If James and I failed, the Senate would need to be stopped. Farren was our insurance, so that order could be maintained should something happen to us. Believing myself that the King's story of the bandits and his boy's death were true, I handed Farren over to the only men outside royalty that I could trust-Trent. Unknown to anyone, Trent raised two princes."
Everything Addison said made perfect sense. It was like Farren brought him an incomplete puzzle and Addison had all the pieces that fir just right. Now the whole picture was clear. The Penance Project was at the heart of everything, and no one but the late King James and Addison knew about it.
"After all that, do I really seem so evil to you?"
"Even if you could justify your attacking Sharome, you killed thousands in Shiftel, Parlock, and now Larush. How do you justify these murders?"
"Shiftel should be obvious to you; the queen and princess hid there hoping to reestablish the crown. I tried to convince them of your father's wishes and they wouldn't hear me. In Parlock, there were some
documents stolen from the Library of Sharome. Merchants began pouring in to the ruins and stealing documents on science and engineering. The historical sections were left untouched, luckily. That kind of technology in the hands of the few rich would cause a war this country hasn't seen in its eight thousand year history. The documents were impossible to trace, though my spies were sure they had no left the town. What would be the purpose seeing as Parlock is-was the wealthiest city in the country, for them to take the documents outside anyway? For the sake of the nation's safety, we attacked and burned Parlock, and the documents. Larush, as you should have seen, knew of it's military dominance. That foolish mayor was ready to rally the entire city against every remaining town in hopes he would have ultimate power over Lorighilt. After all this, am I so evil?"
"Tens of thousands have died, Addison! Have you no compassion? Have you no shame?"
"Those cities were almost the smallest in Lorighilt. If they were as large as Mocodee or Careemn I wouldn't have touched them."
"Then how do you justify Sharome? Did everyone have to die there too?"
"Well-" He thought for a moment." "I just needed some stress release."
"You pig." Farren growled. "You die tonight." Even through his anger, Farren could see that Darkness had corrupted Addison and his judgment. His hair was gray with black streaks, his voice was hoarse, his eyes looked exhausted. He had all the symptoms Kate had spoken of in her journal. Addison's conscience was destroyed, now the only things he had in his heart other than sin was his duty, but even that was corrupted. Later, Farren would come to have compassion for him, but now all Farren could though the fires was the lowest kind of man who was best appreciated when he was six feet under.
Nitesh grew weary of the conversation and decided to strike with a vertical slash curving right. Addison connected his gauntlet and grabbed the arm that attacked him, throwing Nitesh to the side. Farren charged in after, twirling the spear at a speed beyond the eye's perception. Addison remarkably blocked every attack that came near to landing. He dodged with the speed a man his age wouldn't be thought to have. Nitesh came behind Farren, knowing the fight wouldn't and shouldn't be fair, Nitesh stabbed the blade to Addison's back, but Addison seemed to know it was coming, and moved aside so that it nearly pierced Farren instead. They both came at the old man with everything they had, but Farren's mobility was weakened by his weapon, and Nitesh's defense was nothing compared to the stability that Addison had in his Gauntlets. They were titanium; impossible to penetrate. So mobile, Addison could dance circles around both of them; so powerful that a single blow could knock either of them for a loop.
The fight dragged on for nearly half an hour before anyone was touched. The three of them would counter and were countered again and again. Masters of the martial arts, unwavering in their will, they battled to a remarkable tie that was broken when Nitesh landed a single punch on Addison's nose, effectively breaking it. The fight stopped for a moment, they all held their weapons firm in their grip, breathing hard enough to power a windmill.
"So you do bleed." Nitesh finally said.
"It's been so long, I was beginning to think otherwise." Addison smiled, pleased that these young mercenaries were putting up such a good fight. "Let's not stop here."
Addison took the initiative this time, charging Farren first, aware Nitesh would be defending him. Farren took some punches to the gut, Nitesh took a few to the face. Addison had his long hair shortened a few inches by a close call on his neck. He was sliced along the shoulder and once on his thigh. Nitesh distanced himself when Farren took offense on account on Addison losing some footing. Waiting for the right moment, Nitesh charged in full bore, both swords ready for some flesh. Addison saw the warrior coming, dodged a stab that Farren made with the spear that had skinned his other leg. He grabbed the shaft, using it to regain balance, Farren doubled his grip and pulled away, then pushed forward hoping it would loosen Addison's gauntlet off enough to tear it from his hands. But Addison saw the push coming and pulled in, using the momentum to multiply the impact when he smashed Farren in the face with his heel. The blow dazed Farren and he let go of the spear, retreating a few steps to regain his sight and focus. Nitesh saw the spear lunging at him and stepped aside, turning his running momentum in to a perfect jump that seconded two slices at Addison's skull, both skinning his neck, barely missing his jugular. Nitesh landed sloppily, loosing his footing . Addison threw the spear at him, which he dodged only by giving way and falling to the ground. Addison hurried to the downed prince, picked him up and jumbled his face with a series of blows, tore a sword from his left hand and thrust it through stomach.
"The eleme-"
"is useless." Addison finished, kicking him away. In that instant. Farren pulled his sheathed knife and put it through Addison's back, piercing his lung. Addison slumped forward, and Farren pulled the dagger out, stabbing him in the back again and again until the man was completely dead. Farren ran to his dying brother, holding his head up and pulling the sword out.
"Brother-" He spat a wad of blood, knowing it was running down his mouth and dripping onto the cold earth. "it's time."
"Don't say that. Addison's dead. Earth should start working again. I can heal you, just stay with me."
"Don't. I want to die."
"Are you a fool? Shut up and focus." Farren extended his hand over his stomach, but Nitesh smacked it away.
"I'm a mercenary, Damnit. Let me die one."
"You're my brother!"
"I was a mercenary first. My existence was the battlefield. I grew up in a time when there was no such thing, and still I trained night and day, hoping it would come. I hate life, Farren. I've always hated it. The only hope I've ever had was to be beaten in battle fairly, and now I have. Don't rob me of it."
"There's so much life ahead of you, you have so much to do."
"Maybe, but I don't want it. I want this. This is my dream."
"You're a fool."
"Maybe I am. But I will die satisfied." He let out a breath and spat again before saying his last words.
"I am a mercenary. I live to fight, fight to die, die to be remembered. Remembered as a soldier. All the pain I've endured was for this, and now I have it. My legacy is written, Farren. Now let the world have it, let them know what I did."
Nitesh wiped away a tear that had fallen down his cheek. He looked at his hand, trying to remember the last time he had cried. Farren was over him, crying as well.
"Farren. You have a future, a hope. You were born a prince, raised a mercenary, and lived as a wanderer. But I have always been a killer, even now. You can change, brother, and that's why you've lived through this. Your journey is just beginning, your legacy is just beginning. Make it everything it can be."
"I don't want you to die. I don't have anyone else."
Nitesh smiled and put his arm on Farren's shoulder. "Yes you do. You know you do. Listen, brother. Today we were made heroes. You have to tell the story. All the wars of the past are long forgotten, but you can't let our story die. Swear to me. Swear to me you will carry on our legacy."
Farren wiped away his tears. "I swear it."
"Go find Tacey and Tamesis. Take care of them."
"I will."
"Go."
Farren lay his head back on the dirt gently, wishing Nitesh would allow him to heal him.
"Rest well." Farren said as he turned away to find Tacey. Those were the last words the brothers ever shared.
Farren found Tacey and Tamesis. They went back to Nitesh's body together to bury him, but when they returned, his body was gone. They guessed the element had taken claim to him, and so Farren planted a Sanyonut tree and hasted its growth so that it was taller than the one behind the mansion in Parlock. With his knife, he etched the story of the battle in as few words as he could, and then burned them in so that it wouldn't be grown over. They also buried the mayor, Trent, and to symbolize his forgiveness, Farren buried Lida. The rest of the dead Farren buried above ground by covering them in ivy, and grew flowers around each one. They stayed there for a week, burying the dead. Tacey used her element to keep the overgrown graves watered out of respect. The hasty growth caused them to wither quickly otherwise. She also aided Tamesis, who spent the week searching for materials that would be useful for the road.
Tamesis spent her nights in front of a map, marking it up with a pen she had found from the burnt remains of the mayors mansion. Tacey would sit with her for a few minutes and then go to Farren, who would say nothing to her or Tamesis. He would sit under the Sanyonut staring in to the darkness or sharpening his knife. He would return to the dojo they stayed in a half mile outside the city wall. The same dojo he grew up in. It was too far away from the fire and battle to have been consumed. Now its grand interior was cold and haunted. Tacey imagined his pain, but could think of nothing to say to him. He was acting as he had when he left her behind in Parlock and the Fields of Olly and she knew he would be leaving again, likely without any warning. She grew bitter with him, knowing she loved him, but was unable to express it out of her impatience for his reclusive attitude. In the last few days, she said nothing at all to him, and he returned nothing to her.
On the morning of the seventh day, Tacey woke up to the sound of a saddle rustling and a horse thumping it's hooves against the dew dropped earth. She walked outside the dojo to find Farren fully dressed, gearing the horse for his journey. He looked at her in silence. An entire minute passed before Tacey broke the gaze to run back into the dojo, trying to fight her tears. She huddled herself against a corner, he knees against her head, tears stinging her eyes. Her efforts were vain; she wept uncontrollably, deciding she had lost him for good, deciding it was time to let him go. She heard his footsteps coming toward her, and she tried her best to show her strength and stop crying. She didn't look up, she had seen enough of him. She felt him standing right beside her quietly, waiting for him to say something. When nothing came, she broke the silence herself.
"I suppose you're going back to your wandering?"
"Yes." He said brusquely.
"Don't let me stop you. Go. Go chase that sun forever. I guess you'll just leave me here like you always do."
"No." He said as he leaned down. She lifted her sobbing head to see his beautiful eyes gazing at her in that way she had come long ago to love. They gazed at her softly, piercing her soul painlessly and grabbing her heart all over again. His gently stretched out his hand.
"Let's go together."