Death stepped aside that day and let Maya practice her balance. He cracked a smile with her face when War didnt go straight to the practice, but she fared well when the practice came. The only thing that was worrying him was those sudden peaks of pain she felt where her real leg was severed, once it should've been completely healed by now, but still seemed that the wound was made not so long ago.
The Red Rider then said that the training in the next few days could be with him, as she needed more practice with that, and neither of them opposed, Maya even let escape a high-pitched squeak and both of the riders couldn't help but to laugh. Death then told her to rest for the day, to see if it could ease the pain combined with a little of magic, and she had no problem in accepting it. She knew they could see the pain in her face no matter how she tried to hide.
Early in the next day, Death decided to teach her a few lessons about magic before her training with his brother, and realised she was pretty good with it. "Will I be summoning ghouls like you soon enough?" she excitedly asked.
Death chuckled "That, little one, is necromancy. What you're learning now it's only the basic for healing magic"
"aaah, I wanted to learn..." she showed a saddened pout.
"Once you have mastered magic on its whole, then maybe you can learn"
"I'll just read your books for now, then" she smiled and looked down, seeing one parchment with green shards in it. "What are these?" she picked one.
"Healing shards." He picked one as well "These are basically healing magic inside a vessel and it's as useful as healing potions when you're too injured to use any kind of magic, or if you can't use any. Even though they are lighter and smaller than a vial of potion, meaning it's more useful to carry around, they are harder to find, while potions are simply made."
"And how do they work?"
"The magic inside flows through the body of one who breaks it" he explained "Are you feeling any kind of pain at the moment?"
"My leg..." She pointed to the scar.
"Then break it. It will momentarily help and numb the pain."
As she did it, she felt a good feeling flowing through her body and a faint green smoke running through her hand towards her half leg, surrounding it for some seconds and disappearing right next "I feel nothing! This is awesome!"
"Be warned. If you're ever in need to use this, it means you're too weak to continue fighting. If, after using this, you can't make your win, leave the battle and go immediately to a safe place. It has a short time for the effect and once it has worn off, you will collapse, unconscious. And this better happen somewhere safe, or that's just an easy kill for your opponent"
"This is amazing. I know it's a stupid question, but how do you know all of this?" she asked, her eyes with a shine he never saw before.
"if it's a genuine doubt, no question is stupid" he chuckled "But, when you live this much, you simply gather all of this. It's not hard to do once you have all this time." He stopped talking when saw his brother approaching "Your training will start now.
"Can we keep this later?" she stood up with a jump.
"Maybe tomorrow. A nice rest is useful after a day of training. For your head and body"
Death stepped back and War took his place in front of Maya, holding his sword over his shoulder "Pick up your sword, little one. We will start with practice today."
She could not have heard better words. And she trained with all her strength all day, pushing herself hard, even harder than she could endure, and she had to stop herself some times to take some air and focus on making the pain on her chest disappear to continue training.
She was better in her moves, even after only one day of training, War noticed she learned well what he taught, just evidencing that she was a born fighter, but her leg was still stopping her from getting to her full potential with her moves. She still had a lot to learn, but was very impressive to see how quickly she mastered some skills.
When the training was over, she thanked them for the day and went inside to rest, trying, again, to pretend her leg wasn't killing her with the pain. "That will keep bothering her until it's completely healed. Perhaps asking a Maker to remove it so it could properly heal would be better" War stated when they were alone. "Or she will never be able to train properly"
"It was crafted with enhancements. It should've helped to heal. It's just odd how it keeps from healing" he sighed "But yes, perhaps it's better" and he stayed quiet.
"Your mind has been unquiet for a long while, brother" He said "What is wrong?"
"There's nothing wrong."
"I noticed it, Death. How you look at her" War noticed his brother looking at the scar in his chest "She reminds you of Hayla, doesn't she? Even I remember of her when I look at this little one."
"Its not her, War. You know that"
"I know. But do you?"
War didnt get an answer from that. His brother's mind were far from that moment now.
Back exactly to that day.
When Death and his brothers had the order to exterminate their own race, they did it without hesitation, but the Pale Rider's eyes were hopelessly searching the battlefield for just one specific pair of hazel eyes, and, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't find them. He knew his brothers wouldn't have done that, they knew too well that he was the one to do it, he was very clear to state that before they arrived, and would seriously kill one of them if didn't respect his word.
But he didn't need it. Leaving the fun for his younger brothers, he went for his tent. It was the most obvious place, he knew she would be there because she knew that it was the first place he would look. And there she was, sat down in the floor, her back facing the entrance of the tent, her mid length, curly, brown hair falling down flawlessly. She was unarmed, unarmoured and seemed to be in complete peace. Just seemed. Death could well feel how apprehensive she was, and even though she would never admit, a little scared
Death felt her heavy breathing as she tried to calm down her heart beats. "Took longer than I expected..." she said, her voice low, almost sad.
"I was looking for you in the battlefield. I thought you'd be there" he dropped his scythes. She wasn't his enemy "Hayla..."
She placed a finger over her own mouth, telling him to shut up "Just come here, will you?"
And so he did. The loud noise of the battle now all muffled as if it was just another calm day. He sat beside her, noticing she had been crying for a while before he got there, her beautiful hazel eyes, saddened "If we hadn't been so greedy..." she sighed "The things we did to have what we have. We really deserve to be killed"
"You never agreed to the killing, Hayla. Neither did I or plenty of others" Death stared at her "We just wanted a rightful place for our own"
"And yet, we all had our share in all of that bloodshed. And yet, we train our young to learn how to fight to keep this circle going. It needs to stop." She looked at him. One thing he always liked was that he never needed to say a word. She knew just by looking at him. Their bond helped that and even enhanced it." I know it needs to be done, my love. I just regret it has to be done by your hands..."
"Even if it means being killed? I already told you that we don't have to keep with this. There's a place, Hayla. Where I can take you, where the Council or any other wouldn't find out..."
"You know I enjoy my freedom, my love. I can't even imagine how I would feel living somewhere I can't just stay out in the open whenever I wanted. Besides, it would cast a huge cloud of doubt about your loyalty to them, and it would put you at risk. For what you told me, how sure can you be they didn't put a watcher on your backs? Just one has to die, and I rather it wasn't you" she leaned over him, resting her head on his chest "Calm down your heart, my love. We still have some time to stay"
"I can't do that, Hayla. I'm not as cold hearted as I'm pictured around. I don't care if it was an order, I wont do that to you. I can't"
"Then I will do it"
"Of course not!"
"It has to happen, Death. Liking it or not, only four souls are allowed to leave this place after everything. Not five." She stood on her knees to get eye-to-eye with him, placing her hands on his face "Hey. There is no allegiance in Creation that can make me forget or stop loving you. Your bond to me will be over when I die, but I will always have you in my heart. My bond to you will follow me until I reincarnate, and maybe we can be together again"
"I dont want the bond to be interrupted by any means, Hayla. I... Love you. I can't lose you like that"
"You already lost me, my love. Is just a matter of accepting it and doing what you need to do" she kissed him tenderly "I... Just want to ask you one last thing."
"Anything, my love"
"Stay. As long as you can, stay with me. I want to be in your arms one last time" she hugged him, and he felt the warm tears wetting his shoulder. Hayla never cried in front of him. She said it would only show others her weakness and that she really had one.
It hurt him deep inside "Its okay, my love. I'm not going anywhere" he caressed her hair.
"I'm not ready to leave you, Death..." she tightened the hug as strong as possible "I'm not ready for this. I thought I were, but..."
He stopped her words by passionately kissing her, holding her so close they almost merged into one person. And she desperately clung onto him, knowing her suffering would be brief, but his own suffering would just start for what he would consider eons of torture. "I love you, Death..."
Hold on to me, love
You know I can't stay long
All I wanted to say
Was I love you and I'm not afraid
But those three words couldn't find their way out of his mouth. Saying that would confirm that it was really happening, and that there was nothing he could do.
Can you hear me?
Can you feel me in your arms?
Holding my last breath
Safe inside myself
Are all my thoughts of you
Sweet raptured light
It ends here tonight
No other words were needed. They just stayed together one last time, having their own way to say goodbye with those silent and saddened looks, kisses and hugs. It wasn't for too long, the battle was still raging outside and everyone was probably wondering where was Death, but for them, inside that tent that had been countless times a witness of their love and devotion to each other, it could've lasted for an eternity. And her last words, Death wanted to be that 'I love you' she just said, but he knew it wouldn't be that easy.
"Its time..."
She carefully picked up one of his scythes and held his hand. He, for the first time, didnt want to touch his weapon. For the first time, it made him despise it and he refused to take the blade from her hands. "Please, Death..." her eyes filled with tears, which she did her best to keep from falling "Don't make this harder than it has to be"
Death inhaled deeply and held the scythe. Hayla jumped in a harsh kiss, not letting him go. 'Please...' she murmured between the kisses and Death gathered all his strength to make one precise move, that sound being the worst sound he would ever hear. The blade pierced her flesh and came out in one and clean move, and he could feel the blood in her mouth as she chocked with it. Her grip on his arms losing strength as life was leaving her body.
He gently held her head, looking at his lover slowly dying in front of his own eyes, by his own hands. Choking, She tried to say anything, but the blood on her throat didn't let her do so. She then just smiled as she drew her last breath and slowly closed her eyes, one single tear falling down, her hands on his arms falling down to the floor almost in slow motion to him.
"I know it's not her" Death said when came back to his senses, summoning Despair.
"Just be careful, brother. Maybe this resemblance is the reason why you so eagerly want to help her. Maybe trying to have something back" He saw his brother look away, Despair getting uneasy as his master was troubled "You already feel something for her, don't you?"
The Pale Rider mounted his steed, looking straight to the horizon "Do not talk about what you don't know, War." And he just ran with his horse.
