Chapter 10
Wildflowers grew all around the small cottage, perched high in the mountains. The sun shone down from an ice clear sky, it's rays causing long shadows to stretch from the trees like searching hands. The windmill whirled from atop the mountain's peak, never once stopping, always mimicking the cycle of time. He was standing in the small garden watching four people walk up from the narrow, winding, stream in the valley. Two adults and two children…The thought occurred to him as they grew closer that he may be seen as an intruder, as a threat trespassing on their land. However, with each nearing step their shapes became more distorted, more ethereal and blurred like a smudged oil painting.
"Will you take us there one day, dad?"
"Haha, of course, and we'll see the sunset together, all of us,"
"Mum too?"
"Mum too,"
The voices were of two boys, they sounded quite young. The third speaker was older, obviously the father. He stumbled back as the phantoms passed, not once even glancing in his direction. With their passing came a whiff of wildflowers and spices and with that a feeling of security washed over him.
"Grandfather will be arriving shortly, I'm going to put on the dinner. You boys go and get ready,"
"Yay! Will he teach us some more stuff with the swords? Will he?"
"Only if you don't pester him!"
A woman's voice, like a drifting song. A song he'd heard before somewhere. The images disappeared into the small cottage, closing the door behind them. He stared at it, as if some meaning would come forth but none came. It was then the sun began to darken and the flowers around his feet turned to ash.
Fuget. The night of the flames. The night that he lost everything. Flames piercing the dark sky, like the tips of devils tongues, hungry to suck the hope out of the world. His teacher lay at his feet, six arrows through her chest, her eyes glazed and bloody, unmoving.
"Calintz!" He turned sharply, pulling a muscle in his side. A tall Yason stood before him. A Yason he knew too well from his reoccurring dreams.
"You…" But there was one thing different here, one thing out of place. He was not a child. He grabbed his sword, pulling it out with expert speed to point at the Yason's forehead.
"Please, I do not want to kill you," The Yason said.
"Who are you? Tell me now!"A dark shadow crossed theYason's face, his features shrouded ina struggle of some inner conflict.
"I am Lura…You do not remember me, do you?" he said finally.
"Remember you? How could I? I've never known a Yason,"
"Mano…" The shock struck him. No one had ever known his real name other than Hugo. This man…How? He wouldn't take anymore. He swung his sword towards his target, but no sooner had he made the move than Lura had vanished…Vanished from existence.
"So you're back, huh? Some just love pain…" He turned again and this time Sdei stood behind him, an arrogant smirk perverting his conceited face. Anger and hatred immediately surged through him as memories and pain flooded back, like a dam giving way to all the feelings inside of him.
"You…Haven't you done enough!"
"Haha, still sore I take it?" Calintz growled in anger, plunging at him with his sword. But it was only blocked by Sdei's broadsword.
"You will always be weak, Calintz. Weak because you won't accept the past!" With one mighty uppercut he threw Calintz to the ground, knocking his sword from his grasp.
"Accept the past! This has nothing to do with it!"
"My father told me all about this night, about how they screamed and pleaded, about how every building burned to the ground, hahaha! I wish I could have been there, I would have finished you off then!"
"In your dreams, you arrogant piece of shit!"
"Calintz…" Another voice. A voice he recognised. Agreian had taken Sdei's place and was now standing before him, offering a hand to help him up. Calintz looked at it in disgust.
"You expect me to take the hand that had me tortured and killed?" Agreian frowned.
"You would think I would give such an order?"
"Of course you would. You wanted me punished because I rejected you. You didn't even have the dignity to carry out the deed yourself! You're lower in the gutter than I had ever imagined, Hugo,"
"Calintz…I am sorry I abandoned you. I do not blame you for rejecting me, nor for hating me. If you believe that I sent Sdei, then it seems you cannot trust anyone, even those closest to you,"
"Stop making excuses!"
"All I ever did was love you, Mano…"
The scene flashed and everything was gone. He was in the middle of a battle – the battle he had lost. He watched himself scream orders to his soldiers, who were one by one dying at the hands of a bloody Yason attack.
"Captain! We're not going to make it! We've lost over a hundred already!" Azel shouted, covered in bloody. He gripped the captain's shoulder for support. It all unfolded as clear as when it had happened. He called for everyone to pull back and took on the front lines himself. He didn't care if he never returned to the Tears of Blood Headquarters. They would manage without him. He fought relentlessly for what seemed an unparallel amount of time, blocking blows, slicing at Blast Worm armour, feeling blood run from his many wounds, feeling the electricity of pain surge through him. He knew that he wouldn't last much longer, but he didn't care. He never cared. He gravitated towards the notion of death, of freedom from the restraints and agony of the waking world. And ifhe was going to die, he would prefer to die while trying to do something. Soon his problems would be over, he wouldn't have to try and figure out the mysteries which plagued him. He fell to his knees, his sword coming loose from his hands. Colours swirled around him, detaching themselves from the armour of the Yason, blinding him, consuming him.
Consuming him…
Consuming him…
Until there was nothing left but the notion that nothingness existed…
And then not even that…