Trinity Blood: Emperor's Mask
Chapter 6: A Matter of Honor

The soft breeze whispered through the night. Abel sat with his back to a large boulder, stoking the last few embers of the fire. There wasn't enough of a fire left to be too large of a threat and Tres would give a signal if anyone got passed him as it was. Besides the ember light gave something for Abel to do other than drift into another nightmare.

Over a week had passed since the group had left Rome. In that time the others had pulled further from Abel. Asthe hadn't uttered a word to him since their conversation the second day, but Abel wasn't really too shocked at this. He had expected for it to happen. Ion had never really liked Abel too much to begin with. And Esther was most likely just scared of him. All the others still treated him the same. Granted William and Caterina had both been aware of the act and knew what he was really like.

Abel sighed and looked up towards the Ark. "What would you have done, Lilith?" he asked the air. Everyone had loved her and no one had feared her. But back when the empire had been young or even before it had been an empire, no one had feared him either.

He did regret not telling Arthur's descendent everything. But Asthe and Arthur were two very different people. Where Arthur would've offered a joke or a quick laugh, Asthe lost her temper and struck you instead. She was even different from Athy, though the difference was less notable than her Arthur. Athy had been loyal to the empire and to the emperor more than anything else in the world. Asthe was loyal, but there was a warmth he'd gotten from Athy that wasn't there with Asthe. Then Athy's defiance and heart were very different from Asthe's. The one thing they did have in common was their stubbornness.

"Granted," Abel said to himself, "comparing Astharoshe to Athina is like trying to compare Ion to Azul." He gave a choked laugh and kept his eyes locked on the Ark. The short burst of laughter died. "I'm sorry Arthur," he whispered, "the dream has died again and now one of your descendent is going to be dragged into war just like Athy was."

"Who's Athy?"

Abel didn't move at the sound of Asthe's voice. He should've been shocked since he'd not heard her leave the tent, but really wasn't. He let out a long breath and didn't speak. There was no point to it if what he said would only be a viewed as a lie by Asthe now.

The sound of her sitting down beside him followed. Abel moved the sword a little closer to him, not that he cared if she saw it. It didn't make him the emperor if he carried the emperor's sword, right?

"Look, I don't think everything you say is a lie," Asthe started, "but you were dodging my questions."

Abel didn't speak at first. Silence pressed down broken only by the sounds of the night. At last he spoke, "Endre stated you were young, newly awakened back in Venice. When you reach a certain age there are two things that can happen: one you don't care who knows and just mouth it off to people. Two: you would rather keep it to yourself for your own reasons. You saw first hand what age can do to Methuselah."

Silence greeted this. Several long moments passed before Asthe spoke, "I was speaking with Ion a little ago on Imperial history."

"Were you now?" he asked when she paused. His eyes were still locked on the Ark. Part of him knew where this was going and another part of him didn't really care.

"You said you lived through two wars and one of the largest in Imperial history was the Methuselah Civil War," she told him. She hesitated as if waiting for him to speak. "If you were imperial it would make sense that you fought in that war as well."

"It would," Abel agreed. Methuselah Civil War? When did they decide to change the name of that war and why? Mars Civil War worked just fine in his opinion.

"Well are you?"

"Am I what?" Abel still didn't look at her.

"Imperial?" she snapped a little at this, seeming annoyed at his response.

Abel sighed. "A long time ago I lived in the empire, but an exile has no rights to call them self imperial." He stood and moved a little ways from her. "Look, I really don't like talking about the past. Who I was before the Vatican doesn't matter anymore, that person is long dead."

He didn't look at Asthe as he said this. Even if he wanted to believe it, he knew deep down he'd never changed. He was too stuck in his ways to really change. The act had been away for him to pretend to have changed, but the him he was now wasn't so different from who he'd been in the empire. He knew he was more accepting of humans, but had he ever truly hated them?

"I'll be back in a few hours," he stated, "I'm going to see if there is any game around here." He left Asthe alone. He didn't realize until he was far from the camp he'd left the sword back there.

Abel didn't return to the camp until he had caught enough to feed the group. He wasn't shocked to see that the others had already woken. The sun wasn't even up yet, but the group had gotten into the habit of waking early and stopping late.

Both Asthe and Ion had their backs to him when he walked back into camp. William and Caterina were seated together while Esther was getting the water to boil. He skimmed the area and sure enough the sword was now missing.

A flash of gold warned Abel seconds before Ion appeared before him. The rabbits hit the ground with a dull thud as Abel leapt back. A heavy sword whooshed through the air, the tip missing his coat by inches. Dust rose around him as he skidded back. His fingers traced small paths in the soil until he came to a stop.

"Count!" Caterina was on her feet now, "What is the meaning of this?" she demanded.

Abel straightened and looked across the twenty feet to where Ion stood. He held the "Only One" in his hand, Abel's sword as it had been dubbed during the war. The gold down the center of the blade was framed by the sharp silvery metal that was superior to any other metal on Earth. The blade would never dull, but it did look as if Ion had cleaned it after stripping the blade of the cloths.

"This blade," Ion started, his fangs bared at Abel, "is a sacred imperial artifact that was supposed to be handed down through my family for safe guarding. The real one was lost with the emperor eight centuries ago. How the hell did you an exile of the empire get your filthy hands on this sword?!"

"Sacred?" Abel tilted his head to one side. "Is the emperor's hat also held on such a status you call it sacred?"

Ion snarled and charged at Abel. The boy was slowed by the weight of the sword, but he couldn't fully wield it either. It was genetically Abel's weapon which also meant the second Ion drew blood with it the blade would react to protect its master. Thus Abel would be revealed as being the emperor. He needed to end this before it got that far.

Abel side stepped Ion. Faster than any Methuselah could react, Abel reached out and drew Ion's blade from the sheath. The sword was drawn such that it wouldn't cut the clothes Ion wore. Ion twisted and lunged towards Abel in one motion. Sparks filled the night as "Only One" slid away from Abel's neck by a carefully placed parry on Abel's part. Ion's eyes widened at the sight of his sword. Abel didn't let it sink in before he thrust out his leg in a powerful kick.

Ion flew backwards. He landed almost catlike and skidded several feet nearly crashing into a boulder. "You dare take my blade," he snarled.

At this both of Abel's eyebrows rose. Ion was one to talk there, having taken Abel's sword, but he kept his mouth shut. Instead Abel twisted Ion's sword in his hand in a quick check of balance and weight. The blade was extremely light compared to "Only One" and was of a different design which would call for a very different style of swordplay. One that Alexander and Azul had favored.

"If the blade of the emperor is so sacred why are you using it to fight with?" Abel asked in dull tones as he held Ion's sword loosely at his side. The boy was using a blade he was unused to wielding and from what Abel remembered was a talented swordsman but not on level of Baibars let alone those Abel had taught at the dawn of the empire.

"It's a matter of honoring him!" Ion shouted. "I doubt a traitor like yourself would ever understand!" Ion raced towards Abel once more. He leapt at Abel at the last second.

Abel moved. The blade flicked up and slammed into "Only One," deflecting it away from his head. He moved the sword faster flicking it away from "Only One" before he hit the bottom of the guard. "Only One" flew from Ion's grasp. It sunk into the ground a few feet from them.

Ion landed and clutched his bleeding hand.

"What I understand is just how foolish you really are," Abel stated as he moved Ion's sword so it rested on the boy's shoulder. "Attacking head on, not once but three times is a certain way to die especially when fighting with a sword you've never used before and against someone not only trained in the blade but with countless more centuries combat experience than yourself."

Ion stared at Abel before he glanced at the sword next to his neck. "The emperor's honor must be—"

"A dead man has no use for honor," Abel interrupted him. "If he did care, the emperor would be ashamed that a Fortuna would attack someone over something as senseless as his honor! Even more so since you used 'Only One' to try and up hold it." His eyes narrowed. "Now think on this, child, attacking me could have easily ended with your life being taken. It is harder to miss when fighting with swords." With that Abel slammed Ion's sword into the Earth.

He turned away from Ion and moved to where the rabbits still lay on the ground. "Only One" stayed where it was. He skinned and got the rabbits ready to cook, doing his best to ignore the scent of Methuselah blood that was still in the air.

"Excellency, are you all right?" Esther had moved to Ion's side while Abel had been working.

"Abel," Caterina had moved to his side. She placed her hand over his to stop him from continuing on with the food. "Let the Professor finish with this. Walk with me." It was more of an order than a suggestion.

Abel sighed and stood. He passed William the spoon before he followed Caterina a little ways from the group. "What is it?" he asked as they walked.

From her pocket Caterina pulled out a small container with some blood in it. "William took it while you were out," she told him. "It's from Asthe."

"And neither of you told her why you took the blood," he stated.

"Abel," she took his hand in hers, "you need to keep your strength up. For all of our sakes."

He shook his head. "No, I've antagonized them enough as it is for having the emperor's sword with me." He turned away from Caterina.

"Why did you have his sword with you?" she asked.

Abel stopped but didn't look back at her or speak.

"It's your sword, isn't it?"

"What makes you say that?" he asked in even tones.

"I know you were once a leader, Abel. You once told me your place was in the shadows and not leading, but I've known since we first met that you could easily out do me as the leader of the AX, as a leader of a nation."

Abel closed his eyes. "The emperor is dead. He died at the end of the Human-Methuselah War. I am not him."

There was no reply to this and Abel didn't want to look at the girl to see her expression or reaction. He didn't want to know if she believed him or still believed he was the emperor.

"Nightlord," she started, "is your real surname." She moved until she stood behind him. She pressed the vial into his hand. "Take the blood, Abel. You're still our best hope at making it to the empire alive no matter what they think of you or your past."

Caterina moved back towards the others, leaving Abel alone with the vial. He lifted it. The dark liquid within sloshed a little. In the end he couldn't argue with Caterina over their chances at getting to the empire in one piece. He closed his eyes before uncapping the blood and downing it. This was only to keep them alive until he was certain the group was safe within the empire.

At once Abel felt fresh energy surge through his body. He took a deep breath before rejoining the group. After the group had eaten and packed up the camp they were off once more, heading towards the empire and all that would mean. Ion had strapped "Only One" to his back. He and Asthe were speaking in hushed tones, but Abel could still make out every word and understand them clearly even though they were speaking in the imperial language.

"He had the emperor's sword, what if he killed the emperor and took it from him?" Ion asked.

"Ha, he might be many things but I find it hard to see him killing the emperor."

Abel took a deep breath and tried to block out their conversation. Why had Seth made him out to be so great in imperial history? He was a murderer, someone drenched in blood and soaked in lies. No matter if no one believed it, he was a monster at his very core. Peace had been his way of making up for past mistakes, past sins. To make the promise all of them had made so many centuries ago come alive. Then he would have joined Lilith and all of his friends in death, where he would no longer hurt anyone, where others wouldn't fear him and he would no longer feel fear.

Abel was pulled from his thoughts when he heard a familiar nickname mentioned. "Athy?" Ion asked, sounding as if he was repeating something Asthe had asked.

"Yes, do you know who that is?" Asthe asked.

There was a pause before Ion replied, "I remember coming across the nickname when I was really little and studying imperial history under grandmother. I think her full name was Athina Asran, you ancestor."

"Athina? I remember her from history as well, she fought as one of the emperor's most trusted generals during the Terran-Methuslah War. When did she get the nickname Athy?"

"All I know is it was what the emperor's inner group always called her." Ion paused. "Why did you ask her about her?"

"He," – Abel knew Asthe was referring to him – "was talking to her when I came out to speak with him earlier. Or talking to her as if he had known her."

Abel heard Ion's pace quicken. Within seconds he had caught up to Abel and was trying to match his stride to Abel's. "How—"

"Focus less on my past and more with the future, child," Abel interrupted him.

"But only the emperor's inner group called Athina Athy!" Ion shouted. "Who are you really, exile?"

"My name is now 'exile,'" Abel laughed at this, "great way to get me to reply to your questions. It's only slightly above 'trash' and 'filth.' I think I much preferred it when you called me 'terran' over 'exile.'"

"But you're not a terran!" Ion snarled.

"Very observant of you. Did you come to that concultion during out little fight or when Francesco stated my age?"

Ion seemed to bristle under his layers of protective gear. "Answer me. Who are you?"

"Abel Nightroad," Abel replied, "that is my name. If you must know, yes I did know Athy. I knew her father and mother as well back before the empire was even a thought."

"You personally knew Arthur Asran?" Ion breathed this question. For the first time he seemed impressed and almost in awe about this. "What was he like? History says he was the emperor's closest friend, his torvarish through and through."

"Except 'torvarish' is a new term," Abel stated. "What does history say about him?"

"He was great hero, who died to protect the empire and the emperor from terrans. He along with the inner group lived for the emperor and empire. They each would have done anything to protect the empire, even if it killed them." There was unmistakable pride in Ion's voice.

Abel stopped in his tracks, jaw clenched. It was taking a lot of effort not to start screaming about this and he knew his rage was starting to activate 02 by the feeling of his fangs pushing against his teeth and the sudden increase in heat. The only time he felt it really was when 02 became more active during the day and the sun started to burn him.

Instead of replying to Ion, Abel took a deep breath to calm himself before he started walking at a brisk pace. He passed the boy.

"What?" Ion raced to catch up to Abel. "They're what so many people in the empire strive to be, our greatest heroes, our founders!"

"You see them as symbols and not as people," Abel let the words hiss out as a breath. "It at least explains why you place so much on the emperor. A childish view of the world."

"It isn't childish!" Ion shouted. "It's the truth!"

"Who's truth?" Abel demanded and glared at the boy. "History is often built to make those few 'great' people seem almost godlike in the eyes of their people. It's written so that children build a sense a love for their nation, but the truth is hidden deep beneath that. The empire isn't the great place you believe it to be. It's younger than every nation on Earth and within the first three years of it's founding, war started! Does that sound like someone trying to protect their people? Trying to protect the empire!" He had stopped walking and the others were standing a little back, staring at Abel and Ion.

"Only a traitor would say such things," Ion snarled. "Barrack, Alexander Barvon, Arthur and Athina Asran, Solomon, Tabitha and Kayson Williams, and the emperor were our greatest heroes! Each of them gave everything to the empire!"

"But for reasons you don't seem to understand," Abel wasn't shouting anymore. "Each of them dreamed of creating a better world, one far better than the place they grew up. They were just as human as anyone else, with their own faults, hopes, dreams, and desires. Stop trying to place them up as gods, it's not the way they would have wanted to be remembered. And you forgot to mention your ancestor in that list of yours, Fortuna. Azul was a great man and would be assumed to see one of his decedents saying such things."

With those words Abel started off once more.

"You're really starting to get annoying! You know nothing about the empire or our history!" Ion shouted after Abel. "You dishonor the empire with what you're saying. I see why you were banished."

Abel stopped and laughed at this. His shoulders shook and he couldn't stop laughing.

"What's so funny?!" Ion demanded.

It took a moment for him to reply. "I exiled myself." Abel started walking again, not caring too much that Ion wasn't following and that it took a moment for the others to realize he was moving again.


(Author's Note: Yeah, Abel's not acting like himself here. I think I wanted to show how much it hurt hi to see Ion speaking about his oldest and most trusted allies as if they were "gods" here, because it really wasn't what any of them wanted at the end of the day (or their lives) go back and reread chapter 35 of Divergent Path rewrite to see what I am getting at here.)