Chapter 13: The Fight Is Eternal
“Did you ever get used to killing?” Suria had naively asked, a question she now couldn’t believe she’d been stupid enough to ask.
Isabella had seemed so broken in that moment, even as she kept the smile that no longer seemed anything but self-deprecating. “I wish I hadn’t.”
IXH
Isabella stood atop a hill looking out over the plains around their current encampment. It had been two months since their arrival and they’d seen no sign of the Black Sun or Reis’ forces yet. She was beginning to hope that this meant the running was over; that Freya had been right in that they would remain safe here. Her head knew that wasn’t the case, but it still couldn’t convince her heart to give up its hopes. She squinted into the sunlight and turned, but there was nothing in sight in any direction – another safe day.
“Bella!” The knight turned to see Suria sprinting up the hill, stopping about halfway up. “She’s in the circle again!”
“What?!” Bella began running down the hill and Suria joined her once she reached her. “Why did no one tell me?” Bella shouted as they ran, reaching the edge of the tents and running between and around them.
“I’m telling you now!”
“I meant before it started!”
“It wasn’t planned!”
Soon after the sound of yelling reached their ears, a large crowd of mercenaries came into view. Bella and Suria ran into the crowd and they made room for them to reach the inner edge. Bella came to a stop, grinning as she caught her breath. Hundreds of mercenaries were crowded into a small area; in the middle there was an empty circle in which Haruka stood wearing a sleeveless shirt and shorts, both kept tight to prevent grabbing and make movement easier. Since her porcelain mask was an unfair advantage, Isabella had made her a green cloth mask that she could wear instead. She was also sweating and breathing deeply, as was the large man across from her. Four other men sat nearby looking beaten and bruised, the previous fighters.
“Ruki!” Haruka blinked and looked over, grinning once she spotted Isabella waving. She winked at her and the man she was fighting took the opportunity to throw a punch, but Haruka was expecting such an obvious move and easily sidestepped it. Since his defenses weren’t up (as he’d believed he had an advantage), Haruka’s fist rocketed forward and slammed into his face, bringing his feet up off the ground before his body hit the dirt. Isabella and Suria cheered, as did most of the other mercenaries. Money was exchanged and someone tossed Haruka a towel, which she used as the next challenger stepped up, removing his shirt and boots before moving to the center of the circle.
Haruka tossed away the towel and clasped hands with the man before they backed off. As they raised their fists Suria looked up at Isabella. “Do you think he has a chance?”
Bella shook her head, smiling widely. “No one does, Red. No one.”
Haruka and the man circled each other for a few seconds before both moved forward at the same time. The man threw a punch and she knocked it aside, throwing her own. He blocked it with his other forearm and ducked down, aiming at her stomach. Haruka flexed her stomach and traded that hit for delivering one of her own to the side of the man’s head. He stumbled back and shook his head to clear it and she let him regain his footing before going after him. She darted forward and started high. When his block went up she dropped to a knee and turned her high punch into a low one, slamming her fist into his stomach. As he doubled over she stood and brought her knee up into his chin, and as he went back up she struck his chest with an open palm, sending him back and to the ground.
Cheers went up again as she helped the man up and he declined to continue the fight, laughing and moving to the edge of the circle. Haruka looked around for the next challenger, and suddenly one side of the inner ring parted as Dalgus stepped through. Everyone looked at him as he drew the massive scimitar from his back and stabbed it into the ground, grinning at Haruka. As soon as he began removing his leather armor, the loudest cheers yet filled the air. Haruka looked over at Isabella, who was staring at him in surprise, as were other mercenaries; Dalgus rarely took part in these fights, and never had against Haruka. The knight looked back over at her girlfriend and smiled. “You can beat him, Ruki!”
Haruka nodded, returning the smile, which transformed into a feral grin aimed at Dalgus as she began stretching her arms. The mercenary general discarded his armor, leaving his scarred and muscular chest bare. The six-foot-four man walked into the circle and cracked his knuckles as he took his place opposite Haruka. “How about a real challenge?”
“It’s about time I found one,” the monk said with a glint in her eye. “But do you think you’re it?”
Dalgus chuckled. “I sure hope so, or this is going to make me look really bad in front of my men.”
The word went out fast, and more and more mercenaries were coming to watch. Tons of bets were being made on the next fight in both directions as they shouted out predictions. Haruka smirked, cracking her neck before nodding towards Isabella. “You might have to worry about that, but I’m not about to look bad in front of my girlfriend. Sorry, but I’m going to have to put you down… like a dog.”
“See, this is the worst part about letting people know you’re a werewolf; the terrible jokes.”
“I thought the worst part was the bad smell when it rains.”
“You’re asking for a beating, lady.”
“Please, I can beat a dog any day.”
“Well then let’s see you do it, monk.”
“Ladies first.”
“Are you saying I’m not manly?”
Haruka shrugged and grinned. “I’m dating a hotter girl than you ever will. What does that say?”
“It says that some hot girls have some pretty low standards.”
Haruka laughed. “Alright, that’s enough talk!” She brought her hands up, open-palm with thumbs folded in, and beckoned him with one. “Here, boy.”
The werewolf grinned at the joke but took the invitation, closing the distance rapidly. He moved fast, far faster than one would expect given his size, but Haruka was ready for it. He tried to bowl her over with size but she moved forward at the last moment and went to take out his legs. Dalgus threw himself forward and onto his hands, vaulting back to his feet and spinning to throw a punch. Haruka leaned to the side and threw her own into his chest, which did little. He caught her arm and lifted her over his head and down on the other side. Before she hit the ground Haruka put his arm in a leglock, using the leverage of her impact to force him down on his knees. Haruka released his leg and kicked up, returning to her feet and punching his face three times before he caught her wrist and yanked her up before bringing his other fist down, smashing her into the ground.
On the sidelines Isabella winced. Suria shook her head. “Oooh, that didn’t look fun.”
Ophelia appeared between the two, looking over her glasses at the encounter. “He doesn’t often step in. I think he’s excited.”
Suria looked up at her. “You wanna bet on them?”
The dark-haired woman paused before looking at the younger one. “Twenty on Dalgus.”
Suria blinked at her. A grin spread across her face. “It’s your money.”
Bella took a step forward, raising her voice over the cheers and yells of the hundreds of mercenaries. “Haruka, quit playing around! Show him what you can do!”
Dalgus backed off and Haruka took a breath before spinning to her feet. She brought her hands together and channeled her life energy throughout her body, strengthening her muscles in order to better match the larger man. After a few seconds she moved like lightning, her fist connecting with the werewolf’s chin in a fierce uppercut. Dalgus stumbled back a few steps and she darted forward, throwing another punch that he intercepted, knocking it away. Haruka’s momentum was stopped and they both planted their feet, beginning to trade blows. The impact of the hits was loud enough that everyone could hear, and that only made the crowd cheer harder.
Both fighters had dropped all defenses at this point and were now just seeing who could withstand more punishment. Suddenly Dalgus dropped and kicked Haruka’s legs out from under her. He planted his leg and her back landed on his knee, knocking the breath out of her. Haruka wasn’t done, though; she flipped herself backwards and drove her knee into his jaw as she went, sending him stumbling as she flipped from her hands to her feet. She took off towards him and he punched out but she ducked under it, slamming her fist into his stomach. His right hand tried to grab her and she ducked back under his left arm only to come up and hit his face again. Dalgus spun to his right to backhand her but she went under it and swept his legs out from under him, sending him to his back.
Haruka came up and back down with a punch she thought would finish it, but the werewolf caught it in both hands. He gripped her arm and stood before flinging her away. Haruka spun in the air and landed on her feet, leaving furrows in the dirt as she skidded all the way back to the edge of the ring. As she came to a stop she realized she was right beside Isabella, who set a hand on her arm and leaned up to her ear so that she could be heard over the roar of the crowd. “If you win this,” Bella said in a low voice, “I will make you very, very happy.”
Haruka blinked, looking back at her. Bella gave her a sly smile and she turned back to Dalgus, marching forward and rolling her shoulder. “Alright, time to end this!”
Dalgus raised an eyebrow. “What got into you?”
“Motivation,” she answered before breaking into a run. Dalgus bent down and readied himself for her attack as she sped up. The second she reached him he reacted, bringing his hands up rapidly to catch her… except she wasn’t there. A split second later one of Haruka’s knees slammed into the back of his head and the other into his back. His eyes went wide and as he fell forward Haruka wrapped her legs around his neck and spun him to the ground instead, sending up a cloud of dirt with the impact. She rolled away and back to her feet, smiling at him. “Sorry… I had to.”
Everyone went dead silent for a few seconds before a mass chorus of cheers and yells went up. Once again money changed hands as Dalgus pushed himself to his knees, rubbing the back of his head. “Ow… I should’ve known better than to go hand-to-hand against a Black Sun monk.”
“Ruki!” Haruka turned and laughed as Bella collided with her, throwing her arms around her neck and kissing her hard. Haruka set her arms around Isabella’s waist, grinning as the knight pulled back, smiling proudly. “I knew you’d win.”
Dalgus stood up and dusted himself off, cracking his neck a few times. “Wanna go swords next? Or I could transform?”
Haruka looked over at him, smirking. “No, thanks. Unlike you, I know my strengths.”
The mercenary general brushed dirt from his hair. “No kidding.” He looked at Isabella. “You’ve got a pretty strong protector there.”
Isabella smiled. “The best,” she said as she pulled Haruka down into a deeper kiss.
“Aaaaand they’ve forgotten about me,” Dalgus said with a chuckle as he went to the side of the circle, where Ophelia handed him his armor.
“You cost me a fair sum of money,” the woman said as he pulled it on.
“Oh, I’m fine, thanks. My injuries are minor. I really appreciate your concern.”
Ophelia patted his shoulder. “Maybe you’ll win next time. As far as your injuries go, I’ve pulled objects taller than I am out of your chest; I’m not feeling sorry for a few bruises.”
Suria watched Isabella and Haruka – they definitely weren’t paying attention to the rest of the world anymore. She smiled at the couple, deciding she’d congratulate Haruka later. She began looking around and spotted Able leaning against a tent pole some distance away, outside of the crowd as always. She clasped her hands behind her back, skipping over to him. “Did you watch?”
Able nodded. “Even though I knew who was going to win, it was entertaining.”
Suria tilted her head. “You knew?”
Able smirked. “I’ve fought beside Haruka. I don’t bet against her.”
“Hey, so did I! But I heard Dalgus was really, really good.”
“He is,” Able responded. “But he uses a sword. I’m sure he’s far more dangerous when using that giant thing.”
“So he’d beat Haruka if he used that?”
“Didn’t I just say I don’t bet against her?”
Suria laughed. “Okay, I get it. So why didn’t you fight?”
Able shrugged. “I don’t fistfight. There’s no way I could win against either of them. It’s the same reason you didn’t fight.”
Suria blinked at him. “Um, I’m a nineteen-year-old girl who’s spent most of her life in her room studying books. My punches would feel like a butterfly landing on you.”
“No spells to make yourself stronger?”
“There are but I don’t know them. Why would I?”
“That’s right, you blow stuff up.”
Suria grinned. “Right. Now if we decide to have a ‘blow stuff up’ competition, I’ll join that.”
“So will I.”
Suria raised an eyebrow. “Well… We could do that now…”
Able paused, studying her for a moment before smirking. “You’re on.”
IXH
Two Weeks Later
Haruka chuckled as she sidestepped to avoid Isabella’s punch, backing up against their tent’s wall. “You’re getting slower.”
Bella turned to face her, lifting her hands again. “Probably because we’ve been doing this for hours!”
The monk caught her next punch and spun her around, embracing her from behind and kissing her neck. “We could do something else…”
Isabella smiled, leaning back against her. “Ah… I… really need to keep training… I need to stay in shape.”
Haruka grinned against her skin, placing her hands on her stomach. “There are other ways of getting exercise.”
The knight closed her eyes, tilting her head to the side. “Well… I guess I do… need a break…”
Haruka smiled, having already known it wouldn’t be a tough argument. “Mhmm,” she responded as she moved down her neck.
“Masters Saito, Enyo!”
Both of them groaned as the voice interrupted them from outside of the tent. “What?” Haruka barked out sharply, reluctant to move to the tent flap.
“The General is asking for you. A scout just returned with news of an approaching military force!”
They looked at each other and Haruka answered for them over her shoulder, “Tell him we’re on our way.”
“Ma’am!”
Haruka looked back at Isabella, who smiled at her and laid a hand on her cheek, kissing her softly. “Later.”
“I swear we’re cursed,” the monk said gruffly, drawing a laugh from Isabella as they left the tent.
The camp was dark and quiet, as it was late at night. They moved through the tents towards the one in the center, entering to find Dalgus waiting for them with Ophelia and several of the higher-ranking mercenaries. He waved them in, spinning the map on the table so they could see it. “They’re about here, to the northeast. My scout said that given their pace, they’ll be here in two days.”
“How many?” Haruka asked.
Bella stepped forward. “And are they from Areya?”
Dalgus nodded. “Their standards are definitely Areyan. As for numbers, the scout estimated about a thousand.”
“So we have the number advantage,” Ophelia continued for him, “but given an open fight, we’ll lose a lot of men.”
“So we avoid an open fight,” Isabella said. “Or at least, we don’t just charge in.”
“They don’t know exactly where we are,” Dalgus said with a nod. “There’s a forest here,” he said as he tapped a spot east of them on the map. “There’s a cliff in the center of it that would be perfect if we can get them there.”
“They’re after me. We can use me as bait.”
“That’s… risky,” Haruka interjected, looking at her. “I’d prefer a false traitor.”
Isabella met her eyes. “Oh, give information on where we are-“
“-and how to ambush us-“
“-at the bottom from the top?”
“Right.”
Bella nodded, looking at Dalgus. “Do you think it could work?”
The werewolf rubbed his chin. “I like the misdirection. We could set up a good false camp at the bottom of the cliff.”
“I’ve a way to camouflage our army in the forest,” Ophelia said. “If we set up to the south of the cliff, it should work.”
Isabella looked at both of them. “You’re putting a lot of people in danger just for me-“
Dalgus waved his hand. “We’re mercenaries. We put our lives on the line for money or a cause all the time. This isn’t like you’re putting a town in danger by being there, this is an army. Fighting is what we do.”
Bella sighed. “I still don’t like the taste of it, but if you’re willing…”
“We’re willing. We leave in the morning for the forest.”
Haruka nodded at them. “You have my thanks. We’ll retire for now and be ready to leave in the morning.” She left the tent and turned to Bella as she followed her out. “I need to ask – will you be fighting?”
Isabella sighed. “I have to, don’t I? They’re coming for me.”
“Bella… How long can you even fight for? Are you going to transform? You’ve only now gotten a little better after a long break without doing it at all.”
“I don’t know, Haruka, okay? I don’t know.”
Haruka stopped her, turning her to face her and putting her hands on her shoulders, studying her eyes. “You’ve been in enough battles. You only have a few months left as it is, there’s no…” She looked away and swallowed, and her voice was quieter when she continued, “There’s no point in shortening it further.”
“Hey…” Bella gently took her face in her hands, turning her back to look at her. “I won’t fight. Okay? I won’t fight.”
Haruka blinked at her. “But you-“
“Doesn’t matter,” Isabella said as she shook her head. “My priority is you. Without changing I wouldn’t be much help, so I would have to. And I won’t do that to you unless there’s no choice.”
Haruka sighed, resting her forehead against Bella’s. “Thank you.”
Isabella smiled, brushing her cheek. “I’ll stay with you as long as I can.”
IXH
Ophelia directed the set-up of the false camp as she walked around inspecting the area, deciding on the best use of the location. They were in a large evergreen forest with an interesting geological occurrence – a massive cliff was near the center of the forest. Currently Ophelia stood at the bottom of it, looking far up to the top where she could barely spot Dalgus overseeing the preparations. Their plan was three-fold: first, they had sent someone to the approaching Areyan regiment as a “traitor”. This messenger would explain that their rag-tag mercenary band couldn’t compete with professional soldiers, and would explain their current position and how Isabella was kept within the camp.
The second step was the one Ophelia was currently directing - the creation of a false camp that the Areyan regiment would believe was the real mercenary force. The Areyans would be led to the top of the cliff, where they would easily have an advantage over the camp far below them. The third step was that the main force, led by Dalgus, would be concealed a short distance from the cliff; when the Areyans were gathered atop the cliff, the mercenary force would emerge and charge them, trapping them between their weapons and the cliff edge. Their hope was that this plan would minimize casualties by causing confusion among the Areyans and preventing them from maneuvering.
Once the false camp was complete, Ophelia headed around the cliff and up to the south where the concealment for the mercenary force was being prepared. All of the Bloodmoon Company’s mages were present, going over the spell they would soon have to complete. There were quite a few of them – mages often chose to spend some time doing mercenary work to gain practical experience in their craft. Ophelia had been one such mage at some point, but she had never gone back to her old life. She had been in hundreds of battles of all kinds, from fortress defense to fortress invasion, from monster extermination to wide-scale war. She had discovered a talent for tactics and strategy and remained to put it to good use.
Ophelia had spoken with Suria to ask her opinion on their concealment method, and the girl had shown a special interest in Ophelia’s life. It was understandable and Ophelia expected that Suria would be back to join their company at some point, perhaps after she tired of the pirate life she planned to try out. It all depended on how she reacted to battle, as some people couldn’t take it. Ophelia personally loved it, and she knew she had some sort of darkness in her given how much she enjoyed the prospect of a battle. She watched Suria with the other mages, wondering if the young woman would take to it as she had or find it distasteful. Beside her stood the mysterious young man Able, who seemed to have grown close with Suria since their arrival. Ophelia wouldn’t be surprised if he, too, returned once their current situation was over.
As for the cause of their current situation, she was currently trying to help out any way she could. Isabella had apparently decided not to fight, which, given her condition, was a wise decision in Ophelia’s opinion. Before the battle began she was going to return to their real camp a good distance away for the duration. Haruka had elected to stay with her in case something happened or someone else came for her; her priorities were clear. Their friends Suria and Able, however, would be taking part in the fight. Ophelia always disliked it when outsiders were part of their force as she could not predict exactly how they would act, but given that the two were likely future Company members it seemed like a good idea.
Ophelia was drawn out of her thoughts as Dalgus appeared beside her and patted her roughly on the back, nearly knocking her glasses off as he often did. She adjusted her glasses and gave him a scolding glare that only elicited a glare from the tall werewolf. “How’re things coming along?”
She looked back to the grouped mages. “Everything is ready but the concealment. That will have to be done less than an hour before the Areyan force arrives, as it will only last an hour.”
Dalgus rubbed his chin. “Excellent. Will the mages still be able to fight?”
She nodded. “We have enough mages that none will need to use a great deal of energy to construct the enchantment. They should be fine for battle.”
“They?” Dalgus raised an eyebrow. “Not ‘we’? What’s my best mage doing, then?”
Ophelia smiled slyly. “I won’t be partaking in the battle physically. I have a much better idea in mind for the use of my power,” she stated as she opened the book she held and showed him a page within it.
He peered at the drawing of a circle of symbols, squinting at it. “Wait, I recognize that… Explosive runes? What are you planning to…?” He blinked, looking over at the cliff. “Oh… Ohhhhhhh.” His expression widened into a grin.
Ophelia chuckled. “Suria and I came up with the idea last night. We’ll plant them near, but not on, the edge.”
“You sure it won’t bring the cliff down? That would kill the men we’re putting in the false camp.”
She shook her head. “We’ve modified the spell – force only, directed up and out. All it will do is blow a good chunk of the army off the edge. I’ll be placing them myself, which will leave me with little power for the battle.”
“And Suria? Is she placing them too?”
“No, she’ll be saving her power for the battle. I want her to get some real combat experience. Besides, her fire abilities will be far more useful there.”
“I’m a little worried about her lack of experience for this,” Dalgus said as he folded his arms. “She might injure a lot of our men if she just flings it about.”
“I’ve given her some training since she arrived; I have faith in her.”
“Well then that’s good enough for me.” He looked at his second-in-command. “What do you think about Isabella staying out of her own fight?”
Ophelia sighed, removing her glasses and cleaning them with a soft black cloth. “I do not believe she has any real choice. In her condition she’d only be a liability, unless she utilized one of the ‘transformations’ we heard about from Freya. And from what Haruka said, that would make her condition worse once it ended.”
“So you think she’s making the right decision?”
“I do, though that is not the only opinion among our forces. Some are wondering why we’re fighting her battle for her.”
“Are they?” Dalgus ran a hand over his hair. “I can’t say I blame them. We wouldn’t even have a battle if she weren’t here. But I think we all need to remember that we’re mercenaries; fighting other peoples’ battles for them is what we do. The only difference is that this time we aren’t doing it for gold; we’re doing it to help a friend. And I believe she deserves the help.”
Ophelia replaced her glasses, turning to smile at him. “That is one of the reasons I am proud to belong to this company and not another.”
“Let’s be honest, taking out an Areyan force is going to be good for business, too. Our reputation always needs to be renewed.”
“Such is the business world. However, I am wondering how many times we’ll need to do this.”
Dalgus sighed. “Let’s hope just once. I can only hope they’ll give up.”
“Do you think we’re that lucky?”
“Maybe, but I don’t think Isabella is.”
IXH
Night was falling. The sun was rapidly descending below the tree line, leaving most of the forest obscured in dark shadows. Suria could only catch glimpses of the deep orange sky beyond the trees; above them it had already taken on a purple tint that was nearly black. Ophelia had said this was the perfect situation as it would make their ruse all the easier to pass off, in particular the false camp. The darkness only served to increase Suria’s nervousness, however. She had never been in a battle before, had never killed anyone. She had asked Isabella about it and how to deal with it, to get used to it, but it hadn’t filled her with confidence.
“Dealing with it is different for everyone. For some it’s hard… for others it’s easy,” Isabella had answered with a sad smile. “Pray you never get used to it. The day you get used to killing is the day you question the worth of your own life.”
“Did you ever get used to killing?” Suria had naively asked, a question she now couldn’t believe she’d been stupid enough to ask.
Isabella had seemed so broken in that moment, even as she kept the smile that no longer seemed anything but self-deprecating. “I wish I hadn’t.”
“So you’re used to it now… I’m just terrified.”
“Everyone gets scared.” Isabella had set a hand on her shoulder, giving her one of those smiles that reminded Suria just how long she’d actually lived and how much she’d been through. “Courage isn’t the absence of fear; it’s the ability to accept it and push on anyway.”
Suria sat down and pulled her cloak around herself as the night began to grow colder. She wished she could use a bit of fire to warm herself, but they’d been instructed to suppress all magic until the battle began. She now began to regret wearing a skirt, as her legs were freezing, causing her to rub them to try to warm them. She blinked as a suit jacket landed on her legs, glancing to her right to see Able seated beside her and staring straight ahead. If anything he seemed slightly annoyed having given up his jacket, so she gave him her brightest smile and whispered as loud as she dared, “Thank you.” He merely nodded in reply and kept his eyes forward. She realized he wasn’t ignoring her but was watching for the enemy, and after that she realized nearly everyone else around her was doing the same.
None of them seemed anywhere near as nervous as she was; most didn’t seem nervous at all, and a lot of them actually seemed eager. Meanwhile her anxiety rose as the time passed until the forest was covered in absolute darkness. A few runners appeared and went straight to Ophelia and Dalgus, making a report. They both nodded and Ophelia looked over the assembled army, which was 1600 strong. Three hundred men were in the false camp below, and Suria could hear the noise from them beginning to rise as they lit fires and made the camp look more crowded than it was. The last hundred members of the army remained at the real camp, where Suria knew Isabella and Haruka also were. She found herself wishing they were beside her for this battle, but she knew Isabella couldn’t and Haruka would never choose to leave her alone.
Ophelia snapped her fingers and sent off some sort of signal through the assembled army which made no noise but flowed through them all like a gust of wind, letting them all know the time was near. Suria had no need of that signal as she was at the very front of the army with Able, Ophelia and Dalgus. All mages were at the front to enable them to unleash as much as they could before the armies joined in melee, the chaos of which would force them to be far more careful to avoid killing their own men. Unfortunately that meant she was closest to the enemy.
After a few minutes, the light of torches became visible through the forest. A short time later the approaching army was visible, clad in white capes and silver armor and led by the easily-discernible mercenary “traitor” that was leading them to the top of the cliff. As they grew nearer Suria felt a hand on her knee and glanced down, recognizing it as Able’s. She then realized her leg had been bouncing nervously, a habit she had picked up from days of stress-filled tests spent at a desk. She looked at Able and received a supportive look in return, and that gave her more courage for the battle that was now only minutes away. Able gestured to the east and at first she wondered what that meant before she understood it was the direction of the real mercenary camp.
Able was reminding her that they were doing this for Isabella and Haruka. Suria pushed aside her fear with conviction, looking forward and remembering that these people were here to take Isabella back to a man that would, at the very least, kill her. They had to be stopped and if she could help stop them, she would. The Areyan army regiment was very close now, moving up along the cliff, led by the mercenary. They arranged themselves along the cliff, keeping low at the edge to prevent being seen by what they thought was the main force. Ophelia made a silent gesture and Suria knew it was time, standing along with the other mages and returning Able’s suit jacket to him. She heard the others begin casting and she calmed her own mind, drawing the energies forward from her body and focusing them through her hands, whispering a mantra as she did.
Ophelia raised her hands and watched the mercenary at the edge drop off of it to a waiting net below. There was an exclamation from the Areyan leader that was cut short as Ophelia said four words that detonated every rune she’d placed along the cliff edge, blasting a sizable number of the soldiers off the high ledge with pure force. Cries of surprise went up from the soldiers and the mages then unleashed the spells they’d readied. Suria stepped up and threw both hands forward, speaking aloud the final words of her spell. Two massive fireballs erupted into existence before her and spiraled around each other on a collision course for the enemy army. The impact sent flames and bodies everywhere, raising a chorus of pained screams.
All hell seemed to break loose then as the army rushed forward to meet the enemy as a hail of arrows flew over their heads. Suria barely avoided being swept up in the tide as some of the mages charged forward at the same time, some drawing weapons and others readying spells. The Areyan forces, to their credit, rallied quickly and charged back, fighting fiercely to avoid being pushed back off the cliff. The dark forest lit up as the battling armies were backlit by flames that spread between the trees and over the dry ground. Suria just found herself watching for a moment as the combat intensified and the screams of the dying and wounded increased.
She only barely noticed a soldier rushing her with a sword raised, hoping to take out a mage. Suria reacted on instinct and brought her hand upwards, catching the man with a blast of fire that took him off his feet. He shrieked in agony as he was flash-fried and his body hit the ground as a lump of fused armor and bone; the flesh was seared off and steam and smoke rose from the corpse. Suria stared at it, paralyzed. Another soldier charged her with a spear but she was frozen and unable to move, only watching with wide eyes as he approached, her mind refusing to comprehend the situation. The spear nearly impaled her, but at the last second Able appeared and the man split in half, his body sheared by one of Able’s energy blades. Able straightened and looked at Suria with concern. “Are you alright?”
“Y-yes.” Suria blinked herself out of her trance. “I’m fine.” She shook her head, clenching her fists tightly. You’re not a child! She chided herself. You can’t just freeze and hope other people keep rescuing you. It’s time to fight for yourself. You left because you wanted to control your own life; well, control it! She narrowed her eyes and walked past Able towards the battle. Your friends need your help; give it to them. An arrow flew at her face and she incinerated it in midair before flinging a spear of flame at the archer, leaving only charred remains. A knight approached her from the side and she unleashed a torrent of flame that he deflected with his shield, continuing to approach with sword ready. Suria created a small orb of flame and hurled it past him before creating another in her other hand. “You can’t stop both,” she said as she hurled the second one at his front and controlled the other one into his back at the same time, leaving him only able to block one and take the other, which brought him to his knees. Suria blasted him away with flame before turning and stalking further into the battle.
She was shivering, despite her attempts to suppress it. She was shaking and this time it had nothing to do with the cold. She was scared, and sad, and angry, and felt like she wanted to throw up. But she remembered Isabella’s words and she pushed forward, because she was doing this to protect her friends. And if these guys were going to hurt them then she was going to use all the power she had to prevent that, and no amount of fear was going to stop her.
IXH
Isabella stood outside of her tent, not feeling the cold of the night air. Haruka was holding her from behind and had her chin on her shoulder, and both of them were watching the forest. Light from fires could be seen in the distance, as well as plumes of smoke slightly darker against the night sky. The sound of battle carried to them on the wind, faint but noticeable if one listened for it, especially when they’d heard it as many times in their life as Isabella had. She wished she could be up there, part of the fight that she had caused. Every death on this night was on her conscience and all the blood was on her hands, mercenary and Areyan both. So many times throughout her life were highlighted in her mind, choices she could have made differently that would have prevented any of the things that had happened so far.
Violence was a cycle, and that was never more apparent than in hindsight. The death of her parents led to the death of tens of thousands, and even now, centuries later, the impact still resonated in yet more death in a battle thousands of miles and years from where and when it began. Her death early on could have prevented this, but what, then, would have become of Haruka? Would she have remained in a life she despised? Would that have resulted in worse things for the future?
In the end, time was irreversible, a monster that continued forward heedless of the pleading of those that wanted to stall or reset it. All you could do was accept the past and try to guide the future as best you could. Bella sighed and looked away, her eyes catching Haruka’s. Those green eyes looked at her with such concern and support, studying her so intensely and trying to discern what she felt. Isabella’s entire life was different now, and it was so hard to understand why. When she looked back the entirety of her past was black and white and only her present was in color, only when she added Haruka to the picture. If she thought about leaving on her own her future became grey as well, a grim ending.
Isabella had always been a dreamer, and that part of her had returned with the rest twenty years ago. She imagined a life where things had been perfect; her parents were alive, and she’d met Haruka as a teenager, both simply normal people with no horrors in their pasts. She imagined marrying, with her parents making planning for the wedding a total pain with their antics and pranks. She imagined Haruka’s mother, alive and well, doing her best to set things right and smiling in amusement at the other two. She imagined their parents helping them pick their first house and choosing totally different options that she and Haruka then ignored, making their own decision on something small but comfortable. She imagined adopting a child – there were always those that needed a good home, and she could see Haruka’s parents teaching him or her useful things and responsibility, and her own parents completely undoing that and teaming up with them to create the wildest adventures.
But none of that would happen. That life had been destroyed by prejudice, hate and rage, leaving a trail of violence and pain like a scar across history. Now there was no child, no parents, no home, no family life; only five, maybe six months of time left, if everything went well. And it was so hard not to be bitter and angry, so hard to focus on what she had and not on what was lost. That’s when she finally noticed she was crying, and Haruka turned her around and held her tightly, knowing without explanation what was wrong. Even the strongest person couldn’t suppress fear and sorrow forever.
The monk looked up into the stars, searching there for an answer she knew she wouldn’t find; sometimes there simply wasn’t one.