A bit delayed this time. Hopefully, it will be the exception to the rule.
This week! Definetly!
The western incursion. Pt 3
The screams and cries of the wounded and dying could still be heard in the distance from the tent Tatsumi was sitting in. The battle had been declared done half an hour ago by the imperial leadership. Though that did not mean that there weren't still some enemies out there. Just that there was no meaningful resistance left.
He was sitting on his knees on the ground. His hands in his lap. Surrounded by dead bodies. All of them covered up by dark blankets. Only the outlining of the bodies discernable through the cloth. They were all imperial soldiers and warriors. All of the slain that belonged to the western incursion were left for the crows. All except the one in front of him.
He was looking at the corpse he was sitting by. Her features and wounds were mercifully hidden under the blanket. One of the medics that were working in the tent had asked him if he needed any treatment but he had simply waved the woman away with a hand. Since then, nobody had disturbed him. Which was for the better. His mood was rather dark at the moment.
He sighed for the tenth time since he had sat down. He had never expected the reveal of her death to affect him this much. But it had
He had never been that close to her but they had certainly been friends. Only now did he realized that he had actually been hoping for her well being. Only now did he realize that there had been something under her jokingly condescending demeanor towards him and Wave. How she had treated them like idiots. He had always known that that was her way of expressing some kind of friendship and care. And now all those memories of her had joined all the other ones that reminded him of better days. Never to return.
He was unsure about how long he had been sitting there when Esdese entered the tent. He heard how the guards outside it saluted her and noticed how the living in the room tensed up a bit as she entered behind him.
He could feel that she had calmed down a bit as she walked up to him from behind. Her presence didn't feel as threatening as it had back in the forest. But when she crouched down beside him, he could see that there was still blood on her uniform.
She looked at him from the side as he stared down at the body. They were silent for a while before she spoke.
"Were you the one to finish her off?" she asked in a blank voice.
Tatsumi nodded.
"Was it a hard fight?"
He shook his head. "She was just a shadow of what she was in life. It was over quickly."
Esdese was silent for a while. "What a waste." she then sighed. "Well, let's have a look."
She moved her hand down and grabbed the blanket. Tatsumi immediately reached out and took a hold around her wrist. Causing her to stop. "Could you please not? It is a grim sight."
Esdese looked at him for some moments."You are being silly, it's just flesh, blood, and bones, Tatsumi. She is long gone. This is just the remains. It is not the person you held dear."
"All the same." Tatsumi said as he looked at her. "Please. Just leave it like this."
She looked deeply into his eyes as she spoke. "You need to learn how to handle things like this, Tatsumi. I will not tolerate a weakness like this in you. It might become a risk." she said sternly. Then she pulled back the blanket. Revealing Kurome's body.
Tatsumi turned his head to the side. Refusing to look at her.
Esdese studied the body with a calm expression. Her eyes slowly moving across it. "While you behave all meekly and weak now, it sure doesn't seem like you held back when you fought her." she commented. Tatsumi could see that one of her hands reached down to Kurome's body from the corner of his eye. But he couldn't see what she was doing. He would not turn his head enough to see Kurome.
"I guess that you cut off her sword hand before you split her upper body in two." Esdese said as she examined the body. "This must have been a rather vicious swing." she said as her hand opened up half of Kurome's mouth. "Your cut is almost clinical. It veers to the left after it passes her eyebrows but otherwise it is almost completely symmetrical." she said and bent forward slightly to get a closer look.
"You tore two of her teeth from their sockets and you have cut her nasal bone in two. But apart from that, this might as well have been done by a surgeon. I mean, her tongue is perfectly cut in two."
Tatsumi rose up without a word and walked out of the tent. Esdese looking at him over her shoulder as he left. Her expression slightly disapproving but she let him leave. After he had walked out, she turned her head back towards Kurome. She studied what had once been her subordinate for a little while longer.
"You never really felt any resent towards me, did you, Kurome?" she said silently to herself after a while. Grabbing a lock of black hair between her thumb and the side of her index finger. "You fell in love. That was all there was to it."
She sighed silently. Stroking the hair with her thumb. "But in the end, you couldn't keep up with him." she said and let go off Kurome's hair. "In the end, you were too weak to survive your challenges."
Esdese took a last look at the gruesome remains of Kurome and then covered her up with the blanket once more. She stood up from her crouching position. Looking up at nothing. "And now, my other little traitor is all alone out there."
Survive this, Wave, she thought. Come back to me. Grow stronger and then come back to me. So that I can see you one last time before you die.
She turned around and walked out of the tent. Walking away from Kurome for the last time.
Tatsumi was waiting outside of it. His hands in his pockets. Looking down at the ground. He fell in behind her as she started to walk towards the area where the army was setting up camp at the moment.
The field around them was a ghastly scene. The air smelled of smoke and burnt flesh. Fires were burning here and there in the distance. Some were pyres made out of piles of bodies. Collected and thrown together. Burned to clear out the area around them, so that the army could set up a base. Other fires simply remained from the battle. Tents and wagons being set aflame in the chaos of the bloodshed. No one bothering with putting them out now that the fighting was done. Simply letting them burn out on their own.
Now that they were outside of the tent, the screaming was much more audible. Even if it still was in a distance. Most of the dying soldiers from the western incursion were left to their fate. The imperial army occupied with taking care of their own wounded and dying.
"Now that the more urgent business has been dealt with, I need to go and get a new set of clothes. I managed to get my uniform dirty during the battle."
Tatsumi looked at her from behind. The nonchalance of her tone causing him to react. "So now it is just business as usual?"
"Hmm?" Esdese said and looked at him over her shoulder.
Tatsumi stopped. Causing her to do so as well. "Esdese, you just saw the utterly destroyed remains of one of your closest subordinates. Does that not bother you at all?"
"I have been losing subordinates since the day I started to lead, Tatsumi. It is nothing new to me. And besides, Kurome turned against me and the empire."
"Do you truly feel nothing about this? Was she really nothing more than another enemy to you."
Esdese looked at him for a little while. Then she turned around. Her hands on her hip. "What does it matter, Tatsumi? She is gone now. Nothing we do can change that."
"You didn't answer my question." Tatsumi pointed out. He needed an answer. How Esdese always seemed so completely unaffected by the loss of those close to her was one of those cruelties that Tatsumi had a hard time swallowing. Her inhumanity towards her enemies was one thing, this was something completely different.
"I am a warrior and a military leader, Tatsumi. If I let death affect me, I would not be able to fulfill my duties. It will always be a part of my life."
"This was not one out of thousands of foot soldiers. This was not just a number in the statistic. At least it shouldn't be that to you." Tatsumi argued. His voice revealing how upset he was. "This was Kurome. You fought together with her. You drank with her. You laughed with her. Does that mean nothing to you?"
Esdese was silent for a little while. Looking up at the starry sky. "Of course it means something. But you can't let these things control your life, Tatsumi. You have to let it go and move on."
Tatsumi sighed. In the end, she was simply too strong. He already knew this. He knew that she mourned in her own way. She was just way too strong to let that control her. She simply pushed the sorrows away. Having the emotional strength to take it in strides and move on. Even when she lost those dear to her.
"And when I die, you will just move on as well." he said silently.
Esdese studied Tatsumi's expression closely. "We have always said that I probably will be the one who has to live on alone. When that day finally comes."
Tatsumi massaged his eyes with his hand. "I know. It just... it is harder to see how you just walk away from Kurome. Knowing that you one day will do the same to me."
Since he was covering up his eyes, he was a bit surprised when he felt Esdese's arms wrap themselves around him. Pushing him up against her body. "When I finally lose you, it will not be the same, Tatsumi." she said silently into his hair. His head at her chest because of their height difference. "When you die, so will a part of me. I will not be the same person after your death. My heart will die with you. That I am certain of."
Tatsumi's arms slowly moved up around her. Answering to her embrace. "You are way too strong, Esdese." he said silently. Repeating what he had said many times before.
One of her hands came up and started to stroke his head. "That I am." she said.
"Where do you think Wave is?" he asked.
"I don't know." she stated in an empty voice. "But I think he is still alive. Out there somewhere. I think he will return to me."
And then you will kill him, Tatsumi thought. The grimness of the situation a bit too palpable for him at the moment. He couldn''t help but think back as he stood there. His thoughts involuntarily traveling to his friends. To Wave and Kurome. To Akame and Leone. To Lubbock and Najenda. To Mine.
"I miss them, Esdese." he said and squeezed her harder against himself.
They both remained silent after that. Hugging for a little while. Esdese's hand stroking the top of his head. Then she finally whispered. "So do I, Tatsumi. So do I."
Leone could tell that the dawn was getting close. She could feel it in the dampness in the air. Even without the increased perception of Lionelle.
She was unsure if this had been the smartest of decisions on her part. She had decided to follow the little gray haired kid that had promised to lead her to the secret meeting of the imperial general. Running with him through the night. Zig-zagging back and forth between the houses of the slum.
Not that the little child was very quick. He was completely exhausted before long. Breathing quickly and heavily. But soon enough, he stopped. He stumbled the last steps in the alley that they had stopped in. Leaning against one of the walls on one of the houses. He pointed towards the end of the small back street.
"Around that corner." he panted.
Leone looked at him. Not flustered from the small run at all.
She was, however, a bit unsure of this. Mainly because she was unable to fully understand the nature of the child she had been following. He was so blank devoid of emotions. Leone knew how to read people. She knew how to detect the small reactions and movements that gave away people's mood and thoughts but this child was a tough nut to crack. Despite the fact that he barely seemed to be more than ten years old.
But she certainly didn't feel any resentment or threatening signals from the small child. So she had chosen to assume that what the kid said was true. Even if she still didn't know how he knew these things. She still didn't quite trust him.
So she walked past him. Activating Lionelle as she did. Wanting to sharpen her instincts to the max. Just in case he was right.
When her senses were heightened, she noticed that the little kid behind her still felt like an empty slate. She still couldn't read anything from him. She could, however, tell that he remained standing behind her as she moved up to the corner. Still leaning against the wall.
She gazed around the corner. Out into the dark street.
It seemed completely abandoned in both directions. She couldn't detect anyone in the vicinity.
"There is no one here." she said silently.
"No. But there soon will be." the little child behind her said. His breathing finally calming down.
Leone kept looking. And then after a little while, she could detect people in the distance. Walking down the street. Getting closer to them at a steady pace.
Leone lowered herself down slightly. When they got closer she slowly backed into the alleyway again. Moving back towards the small boy with her back first. Crouching down when she was in the shadows again. The small child seemed to recognize what she was doing and backed off further himself. Back towards the alley's other side.
She stayed low and tried to hide her presence to the most of her abilities. Her eyes locked upon the small part of the road that she could see from her position. Listening to how the steps got closer.
And then they walked into view. A small company of people. Not talking. All their gazes directed forward.
There were five of them, Leone quickly counted. She singled out the two people that she thought were her targets. All of the people in the group were wearing clothes that didn't stand out much and they were keeping their heads low. The first one Leone was able to recognize was Faye's second-in-command, Isaak. His stature and form were so muscular that it was easy to guess that it was him.
Faye was a little it harder to discern. She seemed to be walking in the middle of the group. Probably to avoid curious eyes. Since she was the most famous one of them. But Leone saw her brown hair and her instincts told her enough about the other person to make a safe assumption.
She stayed low until they had passed out of her sight around the corner. Then she straightened up slightly.
"Ok, so you might be right about that secret meeting." she whispered. "Otherwise, she would have brought more guards."
She looked over her shoulder, but the little child was gone. She turned slightly and looked around in the alley. Trying to sense where he was. But the kid was gone.
Leone straightened up further after that. Thinking about the situation.
She had the full power of Lionelle at her disposal. She shouldn't even have had to look at the boy to feel that he was leaving. Yet he had. Without her noticing that he did. Had he somehow been able to discern the small moment when she had fully focused herself forward and fled then? But how had he known where she was focusing her attention?
Leone thought about it for a moment but then decided to handle that question later. She had a more pressing matter that she had to deal with. She had to decide if she should pursue the imperial general.
She had no idea of what fighting capabilities general Faye had. She had probably read about it in one of the many reports that Najenda had forced them to read and learn about back in the day. But at the moments she couldn't recall it. But Faye was a general. So that meant that she at least had some sort of capabilities.
On one hand, it was most likely safer to wait and try to quickly fetch Akame. But then she might lose this chance. And they had been waiting for one of the leaders of the empire to leave the palace for almost a month now.
She weighed her options for some moments. Then she finally jumped up on the closest roof. Silently pursuing the general from the rooftops.
"All in all, it was a rather quick affair." Esdese said as she read through the last report. She and Tatsumi were alone in the tent that had been raised for them in the army's current camp. She was sitting at the tent's only desk. "I can't say that I expected much more but I had still hoped that it wouldn't be over so quickly."
"I know you do. But think more about your soldiers." Tatsumi said. Currently lying in the sofa that was stationed on the opposite side in the tent. Wearing a tank top and cargo pants but nothing else. A glass of whiskey in one of his hands. "The shorter the battle, the less of them die."
Esdese sighed and leaned back in her chair. "I took care of more of this battle than all of them did combined. Do you know how many of our own that my barrage struck down by accident during this battle?"
"Not a single one." Tatsumi answered as he stared up at the roof of the tent.
"Not a single one." Esdese repeated. "They should be grateful that they have me. Nevermind that I wish that the battle had been longer."
"Yeah. Grateful that their own leader didn't kill them." Tatsumi said and took a sip from his glass. "You know that they love you Esdese. Most of them would literally take a bullet for you. You are like a goddess to them."
Esdese stretched her arms over her head. A small smile on her face. "Yeah, they are my men, after all."
"Considering how much some of them worship you, I wouldn't be surprised if they would go out and declare you the new empress. If you just asked it of them."
"Yeah. Probably." Esdese said and rose from her seat. "But I could think of few things that would be more boring. Having to only work with administration and nothing else."
"Ohh you sure about that?" Tatsumi said and raised an eyebrow towards her back. "You would literally be dominating the entire world then. Think of all the commands and laws that you could make into a reality."
"Believe me, Tatsumi. Being the great general during the current martial law has reminded me of just how many administrative duties that comes with ruling."
"You know, I am always telling you that you should delegate some more of your work to those around you. I mean, emperor Makoto sure as hell didn't do much real work for the empire. And he was the emperor."
"Makoto was a child. I am a grown woman. These duties are mine. It is my responsibility to see them done to the best of my abilities."
"Always so serious." Tatsumi mumbled. And drank a little bit more whiskey. Not that he was serious about his subtle suggestion. She was already great general. They stood nothing to gain by overthrowing the royal family. That bloodline had little to do with the problems of the empire at the moment.
"Ohh yeah? Maybe I should join you on that bottle then?" she said and started to saunter over to him. "How is it? It usually tastes better when it is the spoils of war."
Tatsumi looked at his glass. He hadn't known that the bottle Esdese had given him had been taken from the dead. "I don't know. Not really a fan of whiskey usually. Don't like the alcohol burn. But any port in a storm."
Esdese sighed but the sound of it was filled with longing. "You can't even handle strong spirits. You are just so irresistibly cute sometimes, Tatsumi."
"By the way," Tatsumi chimed in quickly. Sensing that she was getting into a more playful mood. Wanting to get one thing done before that. "Have you started to question Tom-Tom yet?"
"Nope." Esdese said and put a hand on her hip as she slowly walked through towards him. "He is the key to crushing Makeias. I will not take any risks. I will wait until we are back in the torture chambers of the palace before I start to work with him. I want to be able to access all my tools and toys when I start talking to him."
"I see." Tatsumi said silently.
"I had thoughts about parading him naked into the city upon our return. Whipping him through the streets of the capital. But he is a little bit too capable for that. He will probably be looking for a chance to take his own life. And god knows that he is quick. I would probably have to wield the whip myself. Otherwise, he would be able to just avoid it. It will be safer to just keep him completely locked up until we are inside the palace."
"A good assessment." Tatsumi said. Hiding how her words stung him. He had a lot of regrets about Tom-Tom's current position. And the worst part of it was that he wasn't sure that he should try to stop it.
Makeias was one of the biggest threats out there at the moment. This could be his downfall. And for each less external threat that he had to deal with, the more time he could spend dealing with Esdese and the other internal problems of the imperial government. He sighed lightly as Esdese approached him.
She was almost standing over him when a young man rushed into their tent. Wearing the uniform of a military courier. Immediately crouching down on one knee as soon as he had entered it.
"Sorry to interrupt, great general!" he shouted with vigor. "I carry a message from general Gallus."
Esdese sighed silently and then turned around and looked at the young man. "Gallus was ordered to send all his messages through the new imperial guard. Why would he send an imperial courier to me?"
"I am sorry to inform you that the new imperial guard doesn't exist anymore, great general." the courier said. Staring down at his knee.
Both Tatsumi and Esdese immediately tensed up at that. Tatsumi straightening up to sitting position and Esdese's eyes widening. "What do you mean, soldier?" Esdese asked as she walked up to him. Her voice cold and authoritative.
"The branch known as the new imperial guard has been purged from the imperial guard. All of its members have been trialed and hanged during the last week." the young man almost shouted. It was easy to see that he was fearing for his life right now. But yet he soldiered on.
Esdese's eyes narrowed once again. Cold anger waking up in her. "By whose authority? Those were my men."
The courier looked up at her and reached inside his coat. He produced a letter from it and gave it to her with a shaking hand. Esdese took the letter and brought it up to her face. Looking at it for a second. Verifying Gallus seal before she broke it and started to read.
The tent was silent as she read through the paper twice. The courier staring down at his knee while Tatsumi studied Esdese for any signs. But he couldn't detect any. Esdese's entire presence had grown mute. She didn't give off any reaction at all. Her usual dominating aura was silent. The following seconds felt so long that Tatsumi was about to open his mouth when Esdese looked up from the letter. Her sharp eyes slowly moving over to him.
"What's up?" he asked as he met her gaze. "What does it say?"
Esdese looked at him for a second and then slowly walked over to him. When she reached him, she handed over the letter to him. "I have been given new orders."
Tatsumi looked at her a little bit before he grabbed it and read through the paper. Its message written out in elegant letters.
"To great general Esdese.
We have just now been informed about your victory in dealing with the western incursion. I must commend you on your ability to always bring quick results. As always, the empire is in your debt.
A lot of things have been happening during the time you have been away from the capital. I apologize for not writing to you about this sooner but I have literally not had the time to do so. You commanded me to keep order in the capital and that task has proven to be a much bigger undertaking than I first expected.
Just two days after you left, general Faye brought a huge discovery before the imperial court. She has found a living heir to the throne. It is a young boy named Kotaro. And while he might not be that old, he is still older than the last emperor was when he met his untimely end. God rest his soul.
By the urging of general Faye, the imperial court, together with all the military leaders present in the capital, have decided to repeal the current martial law and instate Kotaro as the new emperor. Taking effect immediately. We know that you will be glad to hear that you will no longer have to bother with the political scene and can now go back to focusing on being the empire's military leader.
During the few days that emperor Kotaro has been in power, he has already accomplished great things.
Together with general Faye, he provided irrefutable proof that the special force known as the "new imperial guard" has been working to corrupt the imperial government after the death of the prime minister. Proof has been presented that they have assassinated and removed members of the military as well as many powerful politicians. They have also kidnapped family members of those that have been leading oppositions against them.
Most of those that worked as the "new imperial guard" have now been trialed and faced justice for their crimes.
But the most troubling part is that all the evidence points to a single culprit that has been leading this organization. The head administrator, Tatsumi. We are well aware of your position to the head administrator, great general. Which is why the emperor himself has issued a direct command to you.
You are to arrest the head administrator and bring him back to the capital. Here he will face a fair trial and will have a chance to defend his innocence.
This is a direct order from the emperor. Delivered to you by my couriers. I know that you will understand the gravity of the situation.
The emperor has also told me to inform you that you will be rewarded greatly for your success against the western incursion when you return to the capital.
Godspeed.
Your servant, general Gallus.
The sun was still rising on the horizon when the captain of the gate started his shift. Saluting his guardsmen as he walked to his position. Standing at the side of the huge gate that lead into the capital. Supervising the morning traffic.
Not that there was much supervising to be done. The stream of refugees that were moving into the capital was enormous. There was no line, waiting, or order to those moving in through the gate. People simply moving through the giant doorway in droves. With carts, horses and whatever belongings they could carry. The road was so crowded that people almost walked shoulder to shoulder.
The captain overlooked the crowd. Sighing heavily. They had tried to keep order and regulate the influx of people moving into the capital for quite some time. But then the higher-ups had decided that the city's police force was inadequate to handle this and a new general had been appointed to fix this.
General Faye had returned to the capital on the orders of the great general. And she had leaped into action quickly. New institution had been established within the city. All new arrivals forced to visit these and had to get registered in different forms. Otherwise, they were risking to be thrown out of the city. The military and the police were constantly looking for people that were unregistered in the city. But due to this, the city's gates were now much less regulated. Since other institutions now overlooked the registration the refugees coming into the city.
So the captain of the gate didn't have much to do now. Except just to be there at the ready, in case some trouble came up. And while he didn't mind the large ease of his workload, he felt that he was not really fulfilling his duties to the empire currently.
He sighed again as he watched the crowd. He had a feeling that this day would be just as uneventful as yesterday and the day before that.
However, just a few minutes after that, he noticed something that drew his attention.
In the middle of the large mass of people, a single cart seemed to have broken down. Slightly tipped to the side. The crowd forced to move around the stationary carriage.
The captain looked at it for some moments. When a little bit of time had passed and nothing was changing, he decided to act.
He nodded to one of his guards and then walked into the crowd. Towards the carriage. Scuffling through the stream of people. Apologizing to the few that he had to push to get past. When he reached it, he saw a couple of old people standing around it. Discussing vehemently with each other. Apparently at a loss of what to do.
"Citizens, you are slowing down the traffic and making the throng worse. I must insist that you move your cart away from the road until you can fix it!" he exclaimed in a loud voice in orde to be heard over the buzz of the crowd.
The old people standing in front of him looked kind of scared as their eyes all moved to him. None of them said anything as the crowd kept moving and buzzing around them.
"Do you need help to move the cart? I might be able to get my men to help you."
The old man closest to the captain spoke up but when he did, the captain couldn't understand a word of what the other man was saying. The people that were standing around the cart seemed to speak another language entirely.
After trying the communicate with them for a little while, the captain had only learned that they didn't understand anything of what he was saying and he couldn't even determine which language they were speaking.
After a while, he turned around in irritation and walked back. Intending to send some of his men to move the obstructing cart out of the way. With or without the consent of its owners. But he never managed to get that far.
It was by mere chance that he didn't. It was by mere chance that one of the stones in the road had been overturned by the one that previously walked on it. It was mere chance that one of the refugees would trip on it. It was by mere chance that he would tumble into the side of the captain. Making him fall into one of the persons he was passing.
Both the captain and the man he had been pushed into staggered a couple of steps. Almost falling over before they regained their balance. The captain moving a step away from the man he had fallen into. Still holding a hand on his shoulder.
"My apologies, young man." he said as he straightened up. Looking at the other man. He was wearing brown and dusty robes. A hood covering up most of his face. The only thing that made the captain identify him as a man was his stature. "I hope you didn't hurt yourself."
"No. Don't worry about it." the man mumbled and tried to turn away. But the captain kept his grip on his shoulder. Not allowing him to do so. There was something about the voice of the man that the captain recognized. Though he couldn't quite place it.
"Are you sure?" he said. "No need to force yourself."
"Absolutely sure." the other man said and pulled away. That was enough the convince the captain that something fishy was going on. When the young man tried to pull away, he loosened his grip a little. So that he was grabbing cloth instead of the shoulder underneath it. Causing the attire of the other man to be torn a bit to the side when he tried to take a step away. Making the hood move up a bit over his head. Revealing his face.
The captain immediately took a step backward. Letting go of the young man. His voice shaky when he spoke. "Admiral..." he gasped.
Even with Wave's slightly longer hair and his improvised eyepatch covering a big part of his face, the captain still immediately recognized his old superior. "Why..." he began but then immediately turned. He was about to start running when Wave grabbed him from behind. A hand over his mouth.
"Please stay quiet." Wave hissed as he held the man back. But since he was covering the man's mouth with one of his hands, it left one of the captain's free. He immediately reached towards his sword.
But when he did, another person stepped forth from the crowd around them and grabbed his wrist. This man considerably taller than both of them and wearing the same type of brown rags that Wave did. A hood over his head.
The captain looked at his assailant as he struggled to get free. But Wave was holding him back and the stranger's grip on his wrist was too strong for him. His panicked eyes moved to those around them. Trying to scream through Wave's hand in order to draw some attention to them.
But to his fright, the entire crowd around them had stopped. All looking at him. No one moving to aid him. A closed circle formed around them. Concealing what was happening from those further away. The captain looked to the side of the gate. Where his own men should be stationed. But when he looked, no one was there. His men were gone.
He tried to struggle some more, but his energy was leaving him quickly. He didn't know why but his entire body felt heavier and heavier by the second. When Wave felt that the man had little fight left in him, he lightened his grip slightly. Moving his hand away from the man's mouth. Able to tell that the man did not have the energy to scream out.
"Where is the..." the captain said. Not able to even raise his voice anymore. Struggling to keep his thoughts consistent. He didn't understand why he felt so horribly weak all of a sudden. "My men..."
He looked down at his arm. The other man still holding his wrist.
His eyes widened in horror as he saw how the skin around the hand that was grabbing his wrist was turning into a darker shade of gray. The change happening so fast that it was visible to the naked eye. His own flesh growing darker. He looked up at the one who was holding his arm. His gaze met by jet black eyes. Without whites or pupils.
"What are you?" he said in a silent a shaky voice. All his energy leaving him.
"The end of the road." Makeias answered. As the man collapsed back into Wave's arms. His conscious already taken away by Morbus.
The moment his body became limp, a couple of people behind Wave walked forward and grabbed each of his arms. Lifting him away. His feet dragging on the ground behind him. The ring of people around them started moving again. Slowly walking into the city.
The men dragged the captain of the gate over to one of the many carts and threw him into it.
Wave gave Makeias a quick look and then pulled up his own cowl and started to walk into the city. Indiscernible from the rest of the crowd after some moments.
The only one who remained in place was Makeias. He just stood there for some moments. Looking up on the horizon. The palace visible far in the distance.
"Home, sweet home." he said and pulled down the hood over his face as he started to walk again. Disappearing into the crowd.
Author's note:
Wow... that took some time. Considering that this was a rather small chapter. But now the part about the western incursion is done.
Job and studies have begun and that has taken its toll on my schedule. Not giving me much time to work on this. But I am determined to keep up my increased pace. Hopefully, I will be able to keep my next deadline.
Job and studies have begun and that has taken its toll on my schedule. Not giving me much time to work on this. But I am determined to keep up my increased pace. Hopefully, I will be able to keep my next deadline.
One of the things that I always thought was one of the cruelest sides of Esdese was how she so easily survived the death of her friends. But now that we get closer to the end of the manga, it becomes more and more apparent that she actually mourns those that she has lost. She just doesn't let it affect her.
Now Bent but not Broken is moving into its final phase. Not that we are anywhere near the finale. There is still A LOT more to come. While I am still trying to beat the manga to the finish line, I am not too confident that I will succeed. Bent but not broken isn't even close to its finale and the manga is already at it.
As always, thanks a lot for reading and thanks for all the feedback! I have some private messages that I have to get through now. Sorry that I haven't been quick with my responses. Last week was very busy for me but I will try to respond to all of them during the coming days. Even if I don't respond that quickly, I still really appreciate them.
Take care of each other.