His laughter was nails on a chalkboard. So consumed by his ego and self-righteous beliefs, Azamuku didn't even realise the danger he was in.
I can't kill this man with my bare hands, I don't have the strength, I thought. Goodness, to think it's come to this… A worried glance at Yasei barely clinging to life made my heart break all over again. No, too much blood has been spilt. It must end here or terrible things will happen.
"Oho, and what is this?" he asked, poking a long, lean finger at the orange, pulsing wall surrounding him. It fizzed a little as he tried to penetrate it, but remained intact.
"I've borrowed some dimensional space." The sorcerer's eyes grew wide. "This is where you and I must part company. I would like to say it's been fun," I began. "But I can't remember the last time I slept soundly, or didn't feel a brick in the pit of my stomach. Someone has to stop you."
Azamuku clutched his side as he tried to pace up and down the cell. "And that someone is you? How amusing, after everything I have done for your benefit."
Pressing my palms together, the walls shook. "I must concede, you've taught me things I never thought possible."
"Tsk, you have learnt nothing. Such a miserable, useless magician." He raised his hands to the ceiling as if testing the barrier.
"I believe I'm more than that," I countered, as the cube began to shrink. "And I have your tutelage to thank."
"So proud of your knowledge? You have scraped the dregs of an empty barrel."
"I know there's more. Far more than I could imagine."
His jaw clenched. "Then why?"
"The more I know, the worse things get. Your wisdom is not worth the suffering you have wrought. People have been hurt – died. You trample on their bodies like they're nothing. That is not the life I want to live. That isn't who I want to be."
"And who are you, Ronri Okane?" Beads of sweat formed on Azamuku's brow as he braced both arms. He sucked in a pained breath. "You are an outsider."
"Because I know magic like you?"
"Because you have never been a part of this world to begin with, fool."
"What are you talking about?"
"When you see Akisin, give her my regards, would you?"
He knows Akisin? How? The grumpy carpenter seemed to have a lot of unusual acquaintances. Mind you, he's been leeching off me for a while. Perhaps he read my thoughts or saw into memories? I wouldn't be surprised.
I smiled back at Azamuku. "Sounds like the ramblings of a desperate man."
As the walls of the cube compressed with the intensity of my magic, his Adam's apple bobbed. On his knees, the dark sorcerer fought against the pressure. It felt oddly cathartic to see him struggle.
"Oh no, this is the truth,"he insisted. "I know Akisin very well. A true snake in the grass that one, my elder sister."
Blinking at his words, I stopped the compression. He tilted his chin and we stared at each other. I felt a chill go down my spine. "Your sister?"
"Is it so hard to believe? We were both born with immense magical capabilities. Our parents were so proud as we embraced our potential. Each day, we would drive each other forward, compete to be the best magician. Neither of us held back. We were happy.
Then they came with stones and knives. Monsters they called us, the cursed. As mother dragged us away, I watched father drive back that scum. He took down as many as he could before they ran him through. We had done nothing, except exist." Azamuku sank to the floor and rubbed his elbows.
"Where did you go?" I asked.
"Castle Town. We had family there, but our uncle had never been a particularly welcoming man. He took one look and slammed the door. I remember how she knocked and waited like a dog on that doorstep. How she begged. He would never see a whisper of it, she promised. We were normal now. That day our magical childhood ended.
Month after month of chopping wood and sweeping shavings from the floor. Akisin reduced to darning clothes and washing linen. Mother painting the chairs and tables that uncle carved by hand. Magic could have made our lives so easy, but we had been shackled. Forbidden to use anything that reminded me of father. We could not speak of him. She did not preserve anything of the man she supposedly loved. My memories faded into dust with each passing year.
One winter, the flint refused to spark. I knelt on the cold floor, my shaking fingers trying to strike that pathetic silver over and over again. They shook so much that I dropped my pocket knife. When the blade snapped in half, my patience went with it. I cast a fireball and set the kindling and logs ablaze." Azamuku grinned. "It felt so very good, a rush of power sweeping through me. I realised then that I had a choice, it had simply been taken away from me. Torn away by someone who needed to be re-educated.
When I confronted my uncle, he slapped me so hard across the face I saw stars. Before I knew it, I had blown his head clean off. I will never forget the sound it made, such a squish. I never did get those stubborn blood stains out my waistcoat…"
"I'd imagine Akisin and your mother had something to say about that." I massaged my shoulder trying to get some feeling back into it.
He cocked his head to one side. "I released them both from a life that was meaningless, but they were not grateful. Mother made such a racket. The whining and the screaming and I could not understand any of it. She called me a monster. Me! I killed her too."
But did you really? I thought. Still, how can I judge when I nearly killed father all those years ago? Magic in the wrong hands is such a dangerous thing.
Azamuku continued, "That traitor learnt enchantments that weaselled through my weaknesses. 'You are no longer my brother,' she said. 'Get out,' she said. My sister cast me aside into the abyss and never looked back. She slunk into obscurity, hiding her talents to fit in and live with the common folk. Well, I would not stand for it. Ha, you know what became of me."
My head bowed. "The Interloper War."
"Yes, and how it ended." He stood and brushed down his cloak. "Did you enjoy my little story, Ronri?"
"Such a tale might have stirred sympathy once," I admitted. "If only I hadn't seen what you are truly capable of."
My hands clapped together and the dimensional space roared. It shrank faster becoming the size of an apple crate.
"Wait, you are making a mistake!"
"No, I'm correcting a mistake. The Goddesses wanted to claim you long ago and I got in the way."
"Mur-der-er," Azamuku choked. His body folded in on itself; ribs crushing into knees. Neck bent double straining not to snap.
"Says the man with the blood of Hylian soldiers on his hands." I fought to catch my breath. My fight with Yasei had drained me to the point of collapse, but I couldn't back out now. "Take your knowledge and your hate of this world. Take all of it with you…" I yelled, "…to the grave."
One final push. I watched as those eerie, grey eyes popped.
It was done.