Chapter VIII
People Die All the Time
For one single fleeting moment, there was a hushed, awed silence. The masters and students of the Allma Temple watched, as the Acarian commander stabbed the son of Lodin through the chest. Red blood flowed, staining the emerging silver of his blade. The man pulled his sword out of Luca, and then kicked him aside like a piece of trash.
Brand's was pale. "No..."
The silence was broken by Emila's scream of pain. She doubled over, dropping her bow and clutching her chest in pain, at the very spot where Luca had been stabbed. All eyes on the rooftop turned to her.
And then, in a single moment, the shock turned to rage. Pure, blind, white noise. She picked her bow back up, and the ice arrow she had been holding, which until then she had been terrified of using, was drawn and fired before anyone could stop her.
"No!" Tranom shouted, knowing full-well the consequences of what would happen.
"He killed him!" Emila cried out, clutching at her breast. She shook, as tears ran from her eyes. "He killed him!"
Brand ran to her, pulling her away from the edge of the building and the image of Luca's death. She broke down, sobbing uncontrollably into his chest.
He did what little he could to comfort her.
Down in the temple yard, Dreevius cried out as Emila's arrow struck him in the leg, just above the knee, hitting the narrow gap in his armour. Then, he cried out again as the ice burst open, the shrapnel within the armour cutting his skin.
"Yeah!" he shouted through his teeth. "Now it's a party!"
Dreevius rolled to the side, the wounded leg doing nothing to inhibit his mobility. As he vanished out of the way, half a dozen Acarian archers stepped up where he had been standing. Their bows were already drawn, the arrows pointing directly into the temple entrance.
Right where Allma and Rael were standing.
"Wait!" Allma cried.
The Acarian soldiers were like machines. They carried out their orders without a moment's hesitation - not even the words of their leader would have given them pause once they were already in action. Six arrows sang through the air.
Allma was nicked on the arm by two of the arrows, and the other four managed to miss him by sheer luck.
"Fire again!" Dreevius called out from the sides, holding his wounded knee and grinning like a madman.
It took the Acarians less than three seconds to draw and fire a second round of arrows. But this time, Allma was prepared. He dashed behind his squire Rael, and grabbed the boy from behind, using him as a human shield. All six arrows struck the unsuspecting boy in the chest. Rael was unable to cry out from choking on the blood in his throat. Allma pushed the boy forward and ran for the safety behind the behemoth corpses.
"Get him!" Dreevius ordered his men. "Do not let him escape!"
The Acarian leader rose up and marched forward into the temple with an unsteady gait. "Raid the temple! Kill any who stand in your way, but bring me the princess of Sono alive!" His men poured in behind him, their weapons already drawn.
"Austille!" Allma shouted, as he ducked into safety behind a behemoth leg. "Austille! Alert Dori! Where are the damn earth magi?!"
Dreevius started to laugh. "No more arrows, huh? Well, we've still got plenty. Their strategy doesn't quite work for sustained battle, does it? This'll be all too-"
He froze. Something had happened. Something he had not expected.
A hand had grabbed his ankle.
"Apprentice! Look at this!"
He looked up from where he was, holding Emila as she wept in grief. Tranom's eyes were as wide as a gold coin. Brand couldn't have cared less. Whatever was happening, there was nothing he could do. Not now. The best use he could be at this point was to help Emila.
"Master, I-"
Somebody from another roof shouted out, "The son of Lodin lives!"
Emila's eyes shot open.
Dreevius stared, the grey skin of his face growing pale, while the boy he had killed not a moment ago, pulled himself up, holding Dreevius' armour for support. There was a small hole in his chest where his heart should have been, out of which flowed a stream of blood. More blood than a human should have been able to lose and still live, actually... his fur coat was absolutely drenched in it.
The boy's face was just as pale as Dreevius' was. The blood loss had left him shaking and sickly. He had to hold the sides of Dreevius' breastplate just to stand. He looked like he was about to kneel over and die, were it for the fact that he was rising to his feet in spite of that death.
And yet, and the boy raised his head and looked Dreevius straight in the eyes, there was the fire of life in them.
The Acarian soldiers charged past them, all of this meaning nothing to them.
The people of the temple were cheering the boy's name.
"Lu-ca! Lu-ca! Lu-ca!"
Dreevius was in shock. He could not move. He wanted to push away the walking corpse in front of him. There shouldn't even have been a corpse. Humans didn't leave bodies; only monsters did. Even Allma's squire, the boy who had died in his place, had turned to mana only moments ago. Only his white robes remained now, being tread over by the mechanical Acarian soldiers.
He couldn't be human. So then... what was he?
Dreevius wanted to do something, but he was frozen. He wanted to push the boy away, to stab him again, to kill him over and over until he stayed dead.
But he couldn't.
He was stuck, frozen in place by fear. The fear of something he had never before seen.
The boy was growing stronger, in spite of the continually flowing blood that was even now staining Dreevius' armour.
The cheering was growing louder. It was like they were cheering him back to life.
"H-how...?" was all Dreevius could bring himself to say.
The boy answered by bashing his forehead hard again Dreevius'.
There was a sick crunch as the top of Luca's skull connected with Dreevius' nose. Blood began to gush out immediately. The Acarian fell back, collapsing in the dirt on his wounded leg.
Without the support, Luca stumbled, but he was feeling a bit more sure of himself. Blood was still running out of the hole in his chest, but not as much as before; he must have been starting to run out.
"How?!" Dreevius cried out, holding his broken nose in his hand. "How do you live?! I killed you!"
"It seems you did it wrong," Luca muttered.
He too, was wondering how this could be. He already had an idea, but even that was far-fetched. He would have to wait to figure it out, though. There was still a battle going on. Thankfully, the Acarians swarming past him were ignoring him, focusing only on Dreevius' orders, for some reason.
"You should be dead!" Dreevius said hysterically.
"And yet here I stand!" he answered.
Dreevius grabbed the hilt of his sword. "Then I'll kill you again. I'll kill you as many times as I have to!"
Dreevius took a single step forward, before the ground started to shake. "What the-?"
A deep rumbling sound filled the air. The magick of a dozen earth-form magi was what shook the ground, but that was not the sound they heard. There was something else. Something beneath them that was waking up.
The already unnerved Acarian went into full-blown panic at that.
"Retreat! Get out the temple now!"
His small army of Acarian soldiers froze, turning on the spot and running the way they had come.
The ground was shaking with a violent intensity now. Cracks were growing from the centre of the front garden now. A heavy aura of mana filled the air, radiating from the ground beneath their feet.
As Dreevius and his men retreated from the temple interior, a large hole opened up in the ground, revealing the deep darkness of the caverns below. Luca ran past this as quickly as his lethargic body could, jumping over the rapidly growing cracks, racing for the safety of the sanctum on the
other side of the dead behemoths.
He was knocked down by a powerful wind. From within the hole, a creature began to emerge. The first thing Luca saw was the wings, long and powerful. With each heavy beat, they cast another wind about the temple. He was pushed back, unable to rise against this current.
Then he saw the creature's back, and the ragged form of Dori, who rode on its back. And after that emerged the long neck, followed by its legs and tail.
The dragon landed at the temple entrance and leaned forward, opening its massive jaws. A stream of fire flowed forth, filling the broken entrance and the grounds just outside the gate. Luca heard orders being barked by Dreevius. The Acarians could not advance while the dragon stood at the gate; not without being roasted alive.
"That'll do, Austille," Dori said once the dragon pulled his head back. "I think they get the message."
"There are yet some who live," the dragon replied, his voice deep and resonant. "Many of them have fled beyond my reach. Some were not as swift, yet the armour they wore protected them from the flames. I would like not to prolong their suffering."
"Very well then, put them out of their misery," Dori said.
As the dragon, Austille, leaned forward and let out another stream of fire-breath, Luca rose on shaky feet.
"Luca!"
He turned to find a large group of students and masters emerging from the rooftops. At the front was Emila, who ran heedless of danger to him, knocking him down again with an embrace.
Luca's muted groans were unheard. Emila wept as she held him so tightly he could not move. He wasn't worried of her hurting him by accident; his life clearly was in no danger after what had happened.
Once Emila had calmed a bit, they were joined by others. Brand and Tranom were there, along with Wiosna, the girl who had been picked to join Selphie's group. There were many others who he did not know.
"Luca..." Brand said, as he knelt by Luca's side. "How... how are you...?"
"Alive?" he muttered, with a wry chuckle. "Is that what you mean to ask?"
"Well, yes," Brand said uncomfortably. "We all saw what happened. Dreevius stabbed you in the heart."
Emila's eyes wandered down to his chest and she gasped as she saw the hole. It was no chasm, being no wider than the thickness of Dreevius' sword. But if one looked directly at it, they could see out the other side.
Her hand found his neck. She felt the veins in his throat, and her eyes grew wide.
"He has no pulse..." she said in a quiet voice.
Only Brand and Tranom seemed to hear her. At the moment, everyone's attention was on the dragon Dori had flown out of the caves. Still, Tranom's expression grew grim, and he looked around to make sure no one was listening.
"Do you think it's the-" Luca started to say, but Emila gave him a look that told him to stop talking, an expression he had never seen from her before. Still, the damage was done.
"The what?" Brand asked.
"We can talk about this in private," Tranom said, quickly and discreetly. "Heal his wound. We can't let anybody see that."
"Of course," Emila said. She drew up her mana and placed her hands over Luca's chest. "I can't believe I forgot. I'm so sorry, I just-"
"It's okay," he told her. "There's a lot going on right now."
Emila blinked, confused. "That's strange... My mana is running low."
"Do you have enough to heal him?" Brand asked.
"Yes, it will be fine," she said. "Or rather... I can close the wound, but..."
"My heart isn't beating," Luca said for her. "I'm alive, even though I shouldn't be. There's blood flowing through me."
"No, there is." Emila had finished healing the wound. "But it's not... blood. It's some sort of substitute, made entirely of mana. It flows through your heart, passing right through like wind. It has no substance, but it keeps you alive. I don't know what to think of it. I've never seen anything like this before..."
"This is a day of many firsts," said Brand.
Tranom asked him, "Can you walk?"
"Yeah," Luca said. "I feel heavy and tired, but I can manage."
"Good," Tranom said. "If anyone asks, you deceived Dreevius. You pretended to be killed, so that you could catch him unaware. Tell no one the truth. It is a thin lie, but it does not take much to draw a connection between your survival and your brother's treachery, so for now it's all we have."
Luca nodded, now understanding Tranom's urgency. Emila had drawn away from him, her eyes distant, lost in her thoughts.
"This tether..." he whispered to her. "Did you know this would happen?"
She shook her head. "It is... hard to explain."
"We'll find another place to talk," Tranom said. "Later, once this battle is done with. For now, Dori has need of us."
In the distance, Dori had climbed down from the dragon and was beckoning for them. Luca rose to his feet with Emila's help. Once he was standing, he felt more stable, and he was able to walk on his own. They slowly made their way through the crowded temple grounds, to where Dori and the dragon were. The dragon did not take its eyes off the broken gate, on the other side of which the Acarian forces could be seen, watching warily just out of reach of the flame breath.
Dori's cane hung from his belt. He was standing on his feet without any need for it.
"We have a stalemate for now, it would seem," Dori said to Tranom, once they had reached him. "The Acarians are neither retreating nor advancing. It seems they are waiting."
"Likely trying to come up with a plan," Tranom muttered, scratching his bearded chin. "They think they can still take the temple."
"These men have no life in their eyes," said Austille the dragon, not moving a hair. "They would rush heedless into their deaths if their leader commanded it. You must be wary of them. It is unnatural."
The students of the temple seemed in awe of the dragon before them. They spoke amongst themselves, and occasional a hand would cautiously reach out to touch the grey scales. Austille paid them no mind, keeping his attention focused on the army outside.
"There is magick in this," Dori said. "Have you seen their armour? It is smooth and polished. There is not a single scratch or speck of dirt on any of them. Nobody stays that clean after weeks of travel."
"I have noticed this," Tranom muttered.
"Excuse me for a bit." Dori took his cane from his belt, and walked away, leaning with each step.
Austille turned his large head just slightly, looking at Luca with his yellow eyes. "Young human. You were the one in the caves yesterday, with your brother."
"Yes, I was."
"Your brother comes to the caves often. He meditates there, and his presence does not disturb me, so I have no quarrel with him. But you... you fell into the water, and thrashed about. Your disruption brought out a creature from deeper waters."
"Y-yes, I did," Luca replied, feeling a bit intimidated by the creature before him.
But, the dragon did not get angry. Instead, the corner of his mouth curled into a toothy grin. "I quite enjoyed that eel. It is not often that I can enjoy such a feast. Often I must spend hours by the side of the lake, waiting for a large fish to come close to the surface."
Austille shifted his weight, moving his front leg to where Luca was, and some of the students backed away, startled by the unexpected movement. The dragon placed his closed hand near Luca, and as he opened his claws up, Luca caught sight of a steel blade in his palm.
Siora.
"You have done me a favour, whether intentionally or not," the dragon said. "So I am repaying you. I believe you lost this in the water."
"Yes, I did..." Luca said. He carefully took the sword from within the dragon's palm. There was no doubt about it, it was definitely Siora. "This sword was my father's. Thank you."
The dragon nodded, and then moved back to his position as guardian of the gate.
Emila turned to Brand, the surprise of wonder and amazement in her eyes. "This is incredible. How long has he been waiting underground?"
"Since the Acarian war, when he and Dori returned from Sono," Tranom said.
"And nobody knew that he was here?" Luca asked him. "The Acarians were caught completely off-guard by this. How could something like this be kept secret?"
"But they were always just rumours, of course," Tranom explained. "The masters knew for certain, and some of the students. Every now and then the story would leak out of the temple, but it was always quiet."
"I heard the rumours, myself," Brand said. "I never could have imagined they were true..."
"So that is the secret of Allma Temple," Luca said. "You have a secret dragon you let out when things get bad."
"He and Dori are partners," Tranom said. "They fought together in the Acarian war. It was the first time a human and a dragon have ever worked together. It helped tip the scales in favour of the Alliance."
"Wow," Emila said quietly. "I never knew that."
Luca thought of his father. Lodin must have known about it; he trained under Dori, after all. They had fought separately in the war, but they must have seen each other again, because Luca had met Dori once when he was very little. Yet Lodin had never said anything to Luca about it... or about Dori at all. What else did he not know about his father's past, or the people he had known?
"Austille is only middle-aged by dragon standards," Tranom said to them. "His scales are still tough enough to block arrows, so the Acarians' archers are worthless against him. They have no way of getting back in, so long as he is keeping watch."
"So now we must decide our next move," Dori said suddenly, joining them from the crowd. "Where has Allma gone?"
Tranom began to speak. "He's-"
"Run away," Luca interrupted. "Like a coward. He used Rael as a shield, letting the boy take the Acarians' arrows. I saw everything."
Everyone grew quiet. Emila had a look of shock on her face, as though she was surprised that anyone could do such a thing. Brand's eyes were cast down. Tranom and Dori stared at Luca for a moment, then exchanged glances.
"We knew that Rael did not survive," Tranom said to him. "There was a lot of confusion after you were stabbed. Rael and Allma ran out of our field of vision before the Acarian archers stepped forth. Are you... absolutely certain this is what you saw?"
"I have no doubt," Luca said. "I was there in the dirt, unable to move. But I could see everything in the garden. I saw Allma shove Rael forward as he fled. He did not hesitate to sacrifice the boy."
Tranom bit his lip. "It may be best if you keep this to yourself for now."
"You're asking me to keep a lot of secrets today," Luca said.
"He is our leader," Dori explained. "He has the support of the people. And we are in the middle of a battle. Your brother is believed to be a mole. What do you think will happen if you go around telling everyone this?"
"Think about what just happened with the Acarian leader," Tranom said. "Your survival motivated the students. But if you should tell them this? Suddenly your survival will look staged to them. It would be easy for them to accuse you of treachery, so soon after your brother. And you only just arrived here. Doubtless, the thought has already crossed a few of their minds."
Luca's fists were clenched, but he could not say anything, because they were right.
"We saw the hole in your chest," Brand offered. "We know the truth. But Dori and my master are right; now is not the time for this."
"So... where is he, then?" Emila asked.
Brand looked over to where the behemoth corpses were. "If he is anywhere, he has gone back to the centre sanctum. I will go and check, with your leave of course, Master."
Tranom nodded. "Yes, yes. Go ahead."
Brand gave him only the briefest of glances before he took off at a run towards the sanctum. Luca watched him go, considering. The princess was still in that sanctum. And so was Ash... locked up and in chains.
The little voice in his head was telling him to go after Brand. He needed to confront Allma, and he needed to help his brother. And yet, if he should harm Allma, what would happen? If the entire temple were to turn against him...
He touched the spot where his shirt was ripped; where Dreevius' sword had gone through him. A wound he should not have survived... and yet, he had.
Luca looked over to Emila. She was standing alone now, watching Austille like so many others. So many students had gathered around the dragon. Others were still on the rooftops, with their bows. Nobody was at the sanctum.
A plan was beginning to form in his head.
Allma, Selphie, her men, Ash, and the two guards assigned to watch him. And Brand.
Eleven people.
He looked over to Dori and Tranom. They were talking to one another, making plans for when Brand returned with Allma's orders. They were paying no attention to them.
Luca went to Emila and grabbed her arm. She turned to him, surprised. He placed a finger over his lips, telling her to be quiet.
"Follow me."
She nodded, and did.
Only when they were on the other side of the behemoths, and out of sight of the students, did Emila speak.
"What is it, Luca? What's happening?"
"It's our chance," he told her as they ran. "Everyone is paying attention to the dragon, and making plans to fight the Acarians. I was coming to get you before, but you weren't in the bedroom. I got sidetracked, because I wanted to help them, but they have the dragon now, so they don't need me..."
"Luca, what are you saying?"
He stopped, and turned and looked her right in the eyes. "He has my brother. He blamed the attack on Ash. But it's not true. I'm going to go into that temple and get my brother. I'll fight anyone I have to. But I'm taking you and Ash, and we're leaving this place while we still can. Whatever plans Allma has, he can make them without me."
"But Brand is in there!" Emila said. "If they try to stop you, are you going to fight them?"
"I can fight anyone," he said, a smile forming on his lips. "Because I cannot die."
"W-what...?!"
"I should have died earlier!" he exclaimed. "People die when they're killed, right? And I was definitely killed... he stabbed me right in the heart. But I'm still alive. It's the Soul Tether. As long as you're okay, nothing they do can kill me. I could go out there right now and fight the entire Acarian army all by myself!"
Emila was looking at Luca like he was hysterical. "We don't know that! That technique... I was never supposed to use it! Nobody has ever done it right, not even my father and he was..." She trailed off.
Luca looked back at the centre sanctum. "It doesn't matter if I can die or not. Even before Dreevius stabbed me, I intended to go in there and save Ash."
"Luca, think about this for a moment... how many people are in there?"
"Eleven. I counted."
"Brand is in there. The princess of Sono is in there! Are you just going to burst through the door, with your sword drawn, and start making demands? Look at you, you can barely walk!"
"I'm fine, I feel a lot better now."
"Be reasonable! Now isn't the time for this. We can leave with Ash once the battle is over."
"That won't work, Emila. He's going to kill Ash in front of everyone in the temple as soon as the fight is done. This is the only chance I have. I can't let anything happen to him, he's the last of my family."
Emila hesitated. Clearly, she didn't agree with his strategy, but she was starting to realise nothing she said would convince him otherwise. "Fine. What do you need me to do?"
"Just go wait by Dori's room. Once I join you with Ash, we'll all escape through the caves."
"There could be Acarians down there!"
Luca grinned and placed his hand on her shoulder. "It doesn't matter what's down there, Emila. I cannot die."
She stared at him for a moment, her eyes wide. She looked like she was staring at a madman. "Luca... please don't be reckless." She was almost pleading.
"Just go," he said. "I'll join you soon."
Rel
uctantly, she turned and started running in the direction of Dori's small house.
Luca placed his hand on Siora, sheathed at his side, and felt comforted that he had it back. Having his father's blade returned to him, after surviving Dreevius' attack; he felt like there was nothing he couldn't do.
Still, he needed to be careful. He might be invulnerable to death, but he could still be knocked unconscious and captured.
Hopefully he would only need to deal with Allma and the two guards he had with Ash. Selphie and her escorts were in another room, but there was the possibility that they might interfere if there was too much commotion.
Luca reached the front door of the sanctum. He slowly pushed it open, remembering when he had first arrived with Emila.
He felt bad for sending her away yet again, but her safety wasn't only her concern. Now that he was wounded again, she would have to keep safe or his own life would be in danger as well. It was better for the both of them if she stayed somewhere safe. He could fight enough for the both of them.
Inside, there was the chamber where they had met with Allma, and the two side rooms. Selphie and her guards were likely still holed up in one of them. And then there was the ladder that led into the basement, which was where Ash would be.
With his hand still on his sword, Luca approached the ladder.
He stopped.
"Stop!" someone shouted from the room to the right. He recognised the voice as belonging to Brand.
Luca turned away from the ladder, and instead approached the door. It was slightly open, as though the last person to go through it had not closed it all the way. As he drew near, he heard the sound of steel clashing.
Luca drew Siora and kicked the door open. Inside he saw a gruesome sight. The armour of four of Selphie's guards was on the floor, stained with the blood of the men who had worn them. One remained standing... the man with the halberd. Behind him stood the princess herself, holding a curved shortsword in each hand.
Before them was Allma, his sword drawn and covered in blood. Standing in between them was Brand, facing Allma, his hand on his scimitar, ready to draw it but looking like he wanted to do nothing less.
"You cannot do this!" Brand shouted at Allma. "Think of the consequences! She is the princess of Sono! Have you lost your mind?!"
"She was dead the moment she set foot in this place," Allma said in an emotionless tone. "Whether by my hand, or an Acarian's. She cannot leave here alive."
"But why?!"
"It is no business of yours, boy," Allma spat. "Now stand aside, or I will cut you down as well."
"Princess..." said the halberd-carrying soldier. "You must flee while I fight this man."
She shook her head. "I cannot. We have another visitor."
Luca stepped forth, raising Siora and pointing it at Allma. "Put down your weapon. It is four against one. You have no chance."
Allma turned, seeing him for the first time. His eyes practically bulged out their sockets. "Y-you! You were killed!"
"Put down your weapon," Luca told him again.
"Brand!" Allma barked. "Lock him up! He must be working with the Acarians! He is a traitor!"
Brand did not move.
"Brand, this is an order!" Allma practically screamed. "As the leader of the temple-!"
"I'm done taking orders from you," Brand said.
Allma spun and swung his sword at Brand's neck. Selphie's guard sprang forward and blocked the blade with his halberd.
"Damn it!" Allma said.
Allma tried to draw away from the soldier, only to find Luca's blade at his throat.
"Move and die," he said.
A halberd, a scimitar, and two short swords were in Allma's face in moments.
"Do you have anything to say for yourself?" Selphie asked him.
Allma was silent.
Luca pushed Allma into the cell which had, only moments ago, been holding Ash. Allma's hands were bound, and his sword had been taken from him. The cell had a magick circle drawn on it's floor, which would block any mana flowing within it, to prevent prisoners from using magick to escape.
Ash had been beaten badly. He was covered in dirt and dried blood, and dressed in torn rags. But he was able to walk without help, and as he stood on the outside of the cell, he looked down at Allma in disgust.
Brand was there with them as well. "This is the best we can do right now," he said. "He's the leader of the temple. We can't kill him. But after attacking a member of the royal family of Sono, he has to be detained at least for the time being."
Allma stared at them, saying nothing. Deep in his eyes, there was a fear that he was hiding behind layers of rage.
Brand turned to him. "He's not going anywhere. We should go check on the princess."
Luca nodded. He turned to his brother, but Ash raised his hand before he could speak. "I'm fine. I've had worse beatings," he dismissed.
The three of them made their way back upstairs, where they found Selphie, her remaining guard, and Tranom, who must have just arrived. As he noticed their arrival, Brand's tall master drew near them.
"Allma has..." Tranom began to say.
"Tried to kill the princess of Sono," Brand explained. "Whether by insanity, desperation, or plot, he drew his blade on a royal. I did what the law decreed, and had him locked away."
"I know," Tranom said, frowning. "The princess has already explained the circumstances. This has certainly complicated things... not only are we under siege by the Acarians, but our own leader has just declared war against Sono."
"Whatever Allma the third is plotting, I will not hold the entirety of Allma Temple responsible," Selphie reassured him. "So long as he is not commanding you against me."
"After this, he has no right to lead us," Tranom said to Selphie. "Dori is the second in command, and I the third. I assure you, that if we are in command, you have no enemy in Allma temple."
"So you are challenging Allma's rule?" Luca asked.
"Dori and I intended to challenge it once the siege was over either way," Tranom said. "We have had our doubts. What you told us about Rael only confirmed our suspicions. The Allma we knew twenty years ago would never have done something like that. Time has changed him. After attacking the princess... I cannot take orders from that man any longer."
"Regardless," said the halberd-carrying guard. "I feel that the princess should leave this place. Four of us were slaughtered here by a man who was supposed to be trustworthy. Her safety is my responsibility, and this temple is clearly not safe."
"With the Acarians outside?" Brand asked. "She's safer here than anywhere else."
"He's right, Jared," Selphie said to her guard. "The Acarian army blocks the road, and we have no way of knowing what parties of them may be in the woods. Not to mention the bandits and monsters out there. There are only a few hours of day left; not long enough for us to make it to the nearest town. We must remain here, at least until the siege is over."
"How can we trust them?" the guard, Jared, asked her. "One of them already tried to take your life!"
"Tranom gave me his word," Selphie said sternly.
"As did Allma."
There was tension in the chamber as they watched the princess glare at her guard. Whatever was to happen, it would be the result of whatever she said.
But she never did. For at that moment, the sound of a loud boom cut through the air.
"What was that?!" Tranom exclaimed.
"It came from outside!" Brand said, darting for the door. Brand threw open the door and ran outside. They all followed behind him.
Outside, there were sounds of shouting and panic. They came from the other side of the behemoth corpses... at the temple gate.
"Dori!" Brand shouted, who had already reached the clear.
As Luca drew up behind him, he saw an unexplainable sight. Acarian soldiers were everywhere... hundreds, no thousands filled the temple grounds. There were pouring in by the masses at the shattered gate, wh
ere Austille was using his claws and heavy tail to take them down by the dozens. They were coming out from behind buildings, or firing arrows from rooftops where the temple's own archers had just been. Everywhere, white-robbed students were being stabbed or struck with arrows, their bodies vanishing. The Acarians moved with mechanical precision, never stopping or hesitating.
It was a massacre. The Allmans were outnumbered at least twofold. Acarians continued to appear, as though from nowhere, everywhere they could. The number was unbelievable; far more than the small army that Austille had chased outside.
Luca felt a shiver and prayed Emila had listened this time.
And yet, he could still feel her. His false heartbeat continued, so Emila was still alive. And he had no sudden pains from their shared connection, so she was unharmed as well.
"This can't be..." Tranom muttered.
"How?!" Brand exclaimed. "How are there so many of them?!"
They were then noticed. A group of archers atop a nearby building turned their attention to them, and two dozen bows were aimed and drawn. The Sonoian guard Jared stepped forth, and a surge of mana filled the air as he used his magick to raise a shield of earth from the ground. The arrows were fired, but they were safe behind the stone wall.
"It does not matter how many there are," Ash said. "So long as we have Austille, their numbers mean nothing. The masters know this, and they will react accordingly. Dori's just waiting for everyone to get out of Austille's range."
"Get back!"
There was then a gust of wind, the telltale sign of Austille's wings. The dragon, with Dori on his back, rose up into the air. In only a few seconds, he had risen above the Acarians gathered around him, and with a blast of his fire-breath, they were incinerated.
"Princess," Jared said to Selphie. "We cannot stay out in the open like this."
Selphie nodded. "Tranom, what would you suggest? It may be time to consider retreat."
"Flee if you wish, Princess." Tranom had drawn his sword. "You can take shelter back in the sanctum. But we stay and fight. If these bastards think they can smear the legacy of Allma Temple...!"
With those parting words, Tranom left them and ran out into the sea of black-armoured men, cutting them down left and right. He screamed, primal and enraged, and his sword was soon dripping red. He was joined by several students, who were beginning to gather in groups.
It was a war-zone. The once-serene temple had become a haze of screams, clashing steel, and bursts of fire. Luca looked to where Dori's house was. Though he could not see it clearly, there seemed to be few people in the area.
"What should be done with Allma?" Luca asked, suddenly remembering the imprisoned leader of the temple.
"Leave him in his cell," Brand spat. "Nobody will look for him down there, and he won't be a problem, either."
Ash turned to Selphie. "If you're going to flee, I would suggest you go now, before any more of them come. The underground caverns have a secret passage that will take you out into the woods."
"The Acarians first attacked from underground," Brand pointed out. "They could still be down in those caves."
"You could always try your luck with the front door," Ash said, pointing to the shattered gate, where swarms of charging Acarians were being consumed by red fire.
Jared scowled. "It seems our best bet. We cannot remain here."
"I know," Selphie said, her eyes sad and regretful. "I'm truly sorry, Luca, Brand, Ash... I cannot stay here. It was safe enough before, but now that they are within the walls... I cannot stay, though I hate to run away. I would help you and fight by your side... but my duty comes before honour. I have an obligation to my kingdom and my father, and fighting here would put my life at risk. Were I not a princess, I would not hesitate to stay."
"Your safety comes first," Brand said. "Get out of here while you still can."
"I know those tunnels better than anyone here," Ash said to her. "It's easy to get lost down there. I can go with you. I can't help much here as it is. The Allmans think I'm a traitor."
Jared frowned, but Selphie smiled and nodded. "Yes, thank you. Where are these tunnels?"
"The entrance is at Dori's house."
Luca placed his had on Ash's shoulder. "Brother. When you get there, you'll find Emila waiting for me. Tell her... tell her I want her to go with you. Tell her to get out of here while she still can."
Ash looked him in the eyes for a moment. The implications of her waiting there for him remained unspoken. "I'll tell her... So long, brother."
The three started off for Dori's house, ducking past the behemoths and making a break for it, leaving Brand and Luca behind.
Brand stared at him for a moment. "You're not fleeing with her? After everything that happened... what made you change your mind?"
Luca looked down at Siora, sheathed at his belt. "I keep trying to run away from things, it seems. But every time I try to run, there's always a reason why I can't."
He thought of Arlea, and their secret plan to run away from Arimos. He thought of his first meeting with Emila, and how he tried to flee from the inn. And he thought of his first attempt to run away from the temple, no more than an hour ago.
"I can't leave while everyone here is being slaughtered," he told Brand. "I couldn't run away before, and I can't now. Whether I can or can not die out there is irrelevant. The Code of Uro tells me to stay and fight."
Brand raised his eyebrows. "Well, that explains a few things. You should have told Emila."
Luca found he couldn't say anything.
Brand placed his hand on Luca's shoulder. "There's a lot of them out there. Odds are we're gonna die. You still up for it?"
Luca smirked.
Dori sent another wave of wind magick to Austille, keeping the dragon from hitting the ground as he swept low once again. His friend let out another breath of fire, and two or three dozen Acarians were reduced to nothing more than blackened armour.
The old man felt young again for the first time in years. It had been so long since he and Austille had had a chance to fly; not since a large group of bandits had tried to rob the temple nearly ten years ago. He knew that Austille was glad to be out of the underground. The caves were spacious, but a dragon only felt free in the skies.
Austille was shamed by his people; banished from his home in the mountains in the south for aiding in a human conflict. Allma the third had agreed to let Austille live in the caves beneath the temple at the end of the Acarian War on the condition that he defend the temple when Allma called for it. The leader only wanted his secret weapon out of the arrangement, but the truth was that it had saved Austille's life. Had he not spent those years under the temple, he would have been slain by bandits, hunters, or his own kind long ago.
And the dragon was enjoying himself, as well, Dori could tell. It had been many years since they had last fought together, but he had a deep understanding of him.
The story between them was a long one, but it had a simple beginning... at the beginning of the war, Dori had found Austille, wounded by Acarians. He was a young dragon, his skin not yet thick enough to block an arrow. Rather than killing him, as most humans would have, Dori healed him, and Austille vowed to repay his debt.
The debt had been payed long ago, but the two had never parted. They were kindred spirits; both outcasts to their own people.
Dori looked down at the temple grounds. There were many Acarians down there... far too many. They were emerging from outside the temple like ants.
This new war - if indeed that's what it came to - was far different than the one Dori and his apprentice Lodin had fought in all those years ago. The Acarians of then were just the people of another nation. They were the enemy, of course, but the Acarian soldiers had families and stories and honour in their hearts. Manorith was a ruthless leader, but he did what he did for his people. The war he launched was the desperate last resort of a dying nation. A three-year plague had killed more than half their population, and was still g
oing. Acaria had never been a prosperous land; but it had survived. For the first time, that had been in doubt. Manorith told his people about the green grass on the other side of the mountains, and led them to Sono so that they might take that land for themselves. In the end, the war was what finished them off.
And then, under the rule of Zinoro, Acaria had emerged from its own death, with an army that dwarfed the size of Manorith's. These soldiers were inhuman; they killed without hesitation, they never spoke, and they charged into death without a single concern.
The nation of Acaria had come back with a vengeance... in only twenty years.
There was a scream from below as one of the students was cut down. It pained Dori to see them die, but such was the life of a mercenary. Nobody expected to learn the secret training of Allma without having to pay a price; whether that was death or service to whoever paid.
He had to be careful in choosing where to direct Austille to strike. The Allmans were gathering in groups where they could, but the occasional flash of white in the sea of black meant that he couldn't have Austille attack there. But when they were surrounded by enemies, those lone students did not tend to live long anyway...
"Dori, look," Austille said. "Down at the gate."
He looked down, his vision no less sharp with age. At the gate, surrounded by several dozen Acarians stood the strange acolyte who Zinoro had sent to command this attack, unmistakable with his grey skin, shaved head, and tattoos.
"He emerges at last," the dragon rumbled. "Shall I strike there next? We can slay their leader. Without his orders, they will be confused."
"Yes, but be wary," Dori said. "He may be preparing some attack."
As Austille flew down towards the gate, Dreevius beckoned and a flurry of arrows flew at Austille from archers on the rooftops. Hundred of arrows.
Dori used wind magick to keep any from hitting him; the rest just bounced uselessly off Austille's skin.
"Fools!" Austille roared. "If that was your plan, you have wasted your chance!"
Even from where he was, Dori could make out the expression on Dreevius' face. He was smiling... a confident smirk.
"Austille, wait!"
It was too late. Dreevius held up his left hand, revealing some sort of strange orb filled with thick black smoke. He channelled his mana through it, and it turned red.
Austille cried out and twisted in mid-air. Rather than come to a stop right before Dreevius, he crashed into the ground, thrashing and writhing in pain. Dori was thrown off of his back, and he flew a far distance and struck the wall of the temple.
Austille roared, thrashing wildly in blind agony. The Acarians swarmed on him by the dozens. In his thrashing, his tail knocked many down, and his claws tore several apart, but that didn't stop them. They surrounded over him like black ants swarming over a piece of dropped food, and while their arrows could not piece the dragon's thick skin, their swords had no such difficulty. They stabbed madly, wherever they could, and drew back blades covered in green blood.
Dori cried out. He rose, ignoring the pain in his old, crippled body. He took several unsure steps.
He did not get far. His body just would not move. He fell onto one knee, realising one of his legs, and at least one of his ribs was broken.
Austille cried out in pain again, whether it was from the strange orb Dreevius held or the dozens of Acarian soldier stabbing him, or both, Dori could not know.
Feebly, Dori tried to crawl to his suffering friend. A boot stepped on his fingers.
"Watch," Dreevius said to him. "Watch as the dragon dies."
Dori could not. He closed his eyes. There was nothing he could do, however, to block out the sound of Austille's screams. Tears ran down his cheeks.
And then... the screaming stopped. The Acarian soldiers continued to stab at the dragon, even in death. They would continue until their leader ordered them to stop.
"Austille..." Dori sobbed in a weak, defeated voice.
"Don't worry," Dreevius said, as Dori heard the sound of a blade being drawn. "You will soon join him in death."
Dori looked up at the grey man before him. He recognised what he was, and he had no adoration for his kind. But no matter what colour of skin he had, or even what species he was, there was no possibility of mercy for him now.
"Oh, how cute," Dreevius said. "The old drunk wants to fight back."
He took a few steps away, giving Dori the chance to climb back to his feet. The Acarian soldiers had finally ceased their mindless stabbing of Austille's corpse, and had now gathered in a large circle around Dori and their master, cutting off any possibility of escape. Not that it mattered, as Dori had no intention of desire to get away. He knew he was finished.
But if he could help it, he would take this man with him.
He rose, leaning heavily on his cane, gasping painfully through his broken ribs. His leg filled him with intense pain, but on a second look, he found it was not broken; at least not enough to completely cripple him.
Dori looked back over at his friend, ignoring the sneering Acarian who waited for him. He sighed, reached within his coat, and drew out a flask.
"For you, old friend," he said. He took a long swig, and when he was finished, the flash was empty. He threw it aside.
He then turned his attention back to Dreevius. The acolyte stared back at him, waiting with a cocky amusement.
"Well? I don't have all day."
"Sorry about this Ash," Dori muttered. "I'm afraid I have to leave you alone now. Hopefully you and your brother can get out of this place." He wondered where Ash was now, and prayed the boy was safe, both from the Acarians and Allma's schemes.
"What was that you said?" Dreevius asked.
"You honourless cur,"Dori spat at him. "I curse you. The death coming for you may not be at my hand, but I pray it will be nothing but slow and agonising for what you have done. Regardless..."
Dori then burst forth, twisting the cane he held as he moved. The top of the polished wood turned, and he drew it out of the rest of it. A slender blade was freed, and he tossed the rest of the cane - in truth, the sheath of his concealed sword - aside.
Dreevius gave a start at the unexpected speed of the ragged old man before him. He hastily drew his own sword, and was able to block Dori's assault just in time to spare himself from a fatal stroke.
Dori landed on his good leg, and as he shifted his weight back to the wounded one, he grimaced in pain. Still, his quick step back was not hindered, and he swung his blade once again, this time low, aiming to take Dreevius' legs off.
Unable to block the attack, Dreevius clumsily stepped back, and Dori pressed his advantage. He swung his light blade in quick, masterful strokes, and it was half by luck that Dreevius was able to block them at all.
But on the fifth, he made his inevitable mistake, and Dori's blade struck his wrist. Despite the sword's light weight, Dori swung it with a skill only a master could. The cut was clean, and Dreevius screamed as he stumbled away, clutching the bleeding stump that has once been his sword hand.
"D-don't just stand there, you mindless fools!" Dreevius screamed. "Kill him! Kill him!"
Dori moved to close in on him, and deal the finishing blow to his now helpless opponent. But a wall of armoured Acarians quickly formed between them, and he had no chance.
Dozens of blades were swung at him, and he fought them off as well as he could. But he was old, and he no longer had the stamina to fight for so long. Dori lasted for perhaps half a minute against the endless swarm of Acarians, slaying five or six of his opponents, before one of them finally managed to run their blade into his back.
"Damn..." he muttered, blood dripping from his lips.
He had a second or so to ponder his life. He thought of his apprentice, and his older brother, the suicidally reckless boy that Lodin had brought up. Ash was so different from his brother it was hard to believe they were related, but the one thing they shared was an intense passion. Lodin himself had had that same passion, before that
business with Manorith and Zinoro had robbed him of it. That passion would drive them to their deaths one day, but it was also a source of strength.
Perhaps he should have told Luca the whole truth of what he was doing.
And then, dozens of blades were driven into Dori, just like Austille, and he was dead.
Emila jumped to her feet when the door to Dori's house opened. She clutched the ice dagger in her hand, fearing that Acarians had finally come to check the place, but she let out a sigh of relief when she saw the long white hair that could only have belonged to Luca's brother.
But when two other people followed Ash in, neither of whom were Luca, she was grew worried.
"Who are you?" she demanded.
Ash glanced at her. "You're my brother's companion?"
She nodded. "He said he would meet me here with you. Who are these two and where is he?"
"This is Selphie, princess of Sono," Ash said. "And her guard."
"Jared," said the guard.
"Okay... and where is Luca?"
Ash shrugged. "Off fighting, I guess. He told me to tell you to flee with us."
Emila blinked. "W-what? I thought he-"
Jared glanced out the door's small window. "I don't think anyone saw us, but we should still make haste. They may have seen us enter."
"Why would he say that?" Emila demanded. "What happened? What made him change his mind?"
He couldn't have been in his right mind, she thought. He knew what would happen if she left without him; as soon as they were too far apart, the tether would be broken and he would die. After all that talk of his about being unable too die, and his relief at surviving, why would he just want to throw his life away?
"Emila?" Selphie said, stepping forward and smiling. "I believe that's what Luca said your name was?"
She nodded, wary of these new people.
"I don't exactly understand what the circumstances are between you two," Selphie said to her. "But I feel that Luca is concerned for your safety. Whatever his reasons are, I'm sure that he means well."
"Ash, where is the entrance to these caverns?" Jared asked.
"Here," Ash said, stepping past everyone and opening the inconspicuous door. The cool air of the caves filled the room.
"Brand is not here either," Emila said to the princess. "What happened to this... group that you were putting together? Has everything been tossed aside because of this attack?"
"Well, yes," Selphie replied. "It is unfortunate, but I cannot remain here. My life is in jeopardy with this attack happening, and if I were to be killed, it could result in many more lost lives."
"Emila, we can talk about this later," Ash said to her.
"I can't go with you!" Emila insisted. "I need to be near him, or he'll die!"
The three exchanged glances.
"Emila, I owe my brother a debt," Ash said, an edge of impatience in his voice. "I told him I would inform you of his wishes for you, but if you aren't coming with us, we'll have no choice but to leave you behind."
Emila looked at the first door - the one leading to the caverns, and then at the second - the door that lead back outside to the battlefield. The room was briefly illuminated by a flash of light, caused by someone using magick not too far away. She heard the sound of a dying scream - an Allman, for the Acarians did not scream - and she flinched.
"No. I will not leave without him."
Jared muttered something and strode past her, stepping through the door to the caverns. Selphie gave Emila a look of understanding, she said, "Good luck," and followed after the guard.
Ash watched her for a moment. "You really care about him, don't you?"
She nodded slowly.
He shrugged, and brushed his long hair out of his eyes. "Well, I don't really know what to say. There's nothing out there now but death. He made a mistake in not fleeing as well."
"A... mistake?" Emila said. "What do you mean?"
"Because he attacked me when I spoke of you before," Ash said, turning his back to her and taking the first couple of steps towards the door. "Clearly you mean a lot to him, as well. But in the end, he chose honour over you."
With those parting words, Ash disappeared into the caves, closing the door behind him.
Silence took the room once more. The only thing she could hear was the muffled sounds of war outside. Dying screams.
Emila looked down at her hands.
Blood.
She had blood on her hands.
It was two years ago, and she was watching as her home was burned. She saw men she had known her whole life, being beaten and slaughtered like animals. She saw the women being thrown to the ground while Acarian soldiers stood over them with lecherous grins. She saw her father's glasses, stained with blood. She saw her mother's dress, alone at the table, a massive pool of blood where her head should have been. Her entire life, destroyed in a single afternoon, and all by one man.
The man with the single, red eye.
"I can't do it..." she whispered, her voice like the flickering flame of a candle in the wind.
She remembered earlier in the day, when an Acarian, after crawling out of the ground with the others, had caught sight of her as she sat on that bench, while she was waiting for Luca to come back.
That man had charged at her, and all she could do was run from him, and put up feeble resistance with her ice daggers. She had many chances to put down her slow, weak enemy, but she never took them. She couldn't kill, not even an Acarian, the people who she hated and feared more than anything.
Life meant so much to her, for she had seen so much of it lost. She knew what a miracle it was that she herself lived. The thought of taking a life herself...
She could never do that.
So now she waited, on the chance that Luca would make it and come back to her. What if he didn't? What if that Acarian man caught him again, and stabbed him through the heart once more? What if Luca didn't survive a second time?
He chose honour over you...
It was not his weakness that he did the right thing. It was a virtue, which was a quality far too lacking in the world they lived in. If there were more honourable men like Luca, then perhaps she would not have been sitting there, hoping that he made it back to her. Perhaps there would not be so much death in the world.
Luca was all she had. She had saved him, and that was the only thing that her life meant anymore. She had saved him from death, after living with the regret of causing the deaths of her family. She travelled with him because she had nothing else; the fact that he lived when he should have died meant that her life was not the pointless wandering she had so long thought it would always be.
What if he died fighting the Acarians? Then it would all be for nothing. She could not let that happen. She couldn't take the chance that the Soul Tether would protect him from death. She couldn't simply sit there anymore and hope.
She picked up her bow.
"I cannot take a life," she said to herself. "I can't hurt anyone out there, not even the people trying to kill me. I'm here to save lives. That's what I'm going to do. I'm going to save him, even if it's from himself."
Emila pushed open the door and ran out into the war-torn temple garden.