Rupture: Rise of the Demon King (11 page)

“So you came with me just to clear your name?” She was using him to regain her honor?

Mori sat there for a second before nodding. It had nothing to do with him, just her luxurious life. Seeko’s face went dull and he started walking off. Strangely, his aches and pains didn’t feel so bad now. “Let’s go.”

“Seeko,” Mori said, catching up. “I came for many reasons. Please don’t think less of me because those reasons are selfish.”

Seeko put on a fake smile. Wasn’t his reason to come to Kismetia also selfish? Maybe she was onto something.

He wasn’t about to admit that to her, however.

/ / / / /

Another day passed and they found themselves between the ocean and Lake Mediose. A river flowed between the two, barring further progress.

“The Mediose River,” Mori said.

Seeko looked at the slow-moving river before him. The water was too deep to cross without getting swept away, and was wide, expanding for at least a quarter mile before hitting the other side. The current eventually made its way to the ocean, and the river expanded even more as it approached the azure sea. Seeko frowned. “We have to cross this, don’t we?”

“Yep, it’s easy,” Mori said as she walked up to the water. Slowly, she placed a foot upon the river. The water held her weight and soon she was standing on the river, looking back at him.

Oh yeah. Water magic.

“Well, I guess that since I can’t manipulate water, I have to cross this some other way …” Seeko took a step into the river and watched the cold water reach his knee. “Jesus!” he said. “This water is freezing.”

Mori looked back to Seeko, only a few steps away from her. “Who are you talking to?”

He looked up from his submerged leg. “It’s freezing,” he repeated.

Mori sighed. “Here, take my hand. You shouldn’t have gotten in, idiot.”

He reached out and took hold of her soft hand. “What am I supposed to do?”

“Just trust me.” Mori smiled and closed her eyes. Seeko felt a strange sensation in his drenched leg. The sensation became a force and pushed his leg upward, and soon Seeko was on top of the water with her, standing atop it as if it were solid ground.

“Awesome! I am Jesus!” Seeko laughed. They walked across the water, hand in hand.

“Who is Jesus?” Mori asked.

“Never mind.”

After about five minutes, they were on the other side. Mori released him and panted, tired from using magic for so long.

“Can you dry my leg?” Seeko shivered as he asked, vaguely wondering if he could somehow do it himself using his fire but not feeling at all like trying at this moment.

Mori recovered her breath and examined herself to make sure she was completely dry. “Sure,” she said, smiling at Seeko. Her hand lifted toward Seeko and almost instantly the water pulled out of his pants. An orb of water formed between them, and then she lowered her arm, letting it fall to the ground. Warmth from the late-spring sun spread through his legs automatically. He looked down at his new clothes, which were already dirty.

“C’mon, we’ll follow this river south to Lake Mediose,” Mori explained. “We’ll follow the coast of the lake until we’re parallel with the mountain. Then we will head straight toward it.” She walked past Seeko, along the edge of the river.

Lush evergreens shaded the two as they followed the riverbank. By the end of the day, the duo had reached Lake Mediose. The lake expanded to the left as far as the eye could see, fading into the horizon like the ocean had earlier. To Seeko’s right was a forest, and towering above that forest was a tall mountain with snow atop its peaks.

Seeko stared at the forest with malice in his eyes. His gaze drifted to the monstrous mountain. The rugged peak was only a few days away. He sighed loudly and looked away. “Ugh, I can’t wait to climb that,” he muttered.

Mori looked over to him and then to Mount Pharos. “I’m not looking forward to that either, but we have to climb it.”

The day faded to night and they made camp next to the lake. Seeko gathered wood and created a fire, but Mori instantly put it out with water.

“Hey! What was that for?”

“We’re close to the portal. There are demons everywhere here. Be careful.”

Seeko frowned. “Okay, sorry. You probably could have told me that
before
I got the wood.”

She shrugged and sat down. “I didn’t think about it until now,” she said as she sat. Uncomfortable, she repositioned herself on the ground. “Sorry, I’m trying my best to protect you. I don’t want our hero hurt, or worse, killed.”

Seeko sat down opposite her. “If anything, I should be protecting you. I am
your
hero, after all.”

“Why do you think I came with you? So that you could protect me and look good?” She looked away, watching the reflection of the ring on the lake.

Suddenly, a high-pitched roar erupted through the night, sending night birds into the sky. The pair searched through the night for the cause of the disturbance but found nothing. Mori began to move toward Seeko, but at that moment, Seeko saw movement out of the corner of his eye. He froze. “Don’t move!” he hissed at Mori. Again he saw movement, this time higher, which drew his eyes upward. “There!” he pointed.

A pair of yellow eyes stared from a tree branch above and away from them. Seeko squinted in the dim light and saw that it was roughly cat-like, like a mountain lion but with a broader, longer body. Mori moved in between the creature and Seeko, shouting, “It’s a demon! Seeko, stay behind me!”

But at that moment, the cat demon screeched and pounced at Mori.

11: Lost!

18 Rynr, 112 AV: Day 87

Mori evaded the cat at the last moment as it landed, jumping quickly to the side. She wasn’t fast enough, though, allowing a heavy claw to clip her. She drew her rapier, and at the same time, Seeko retrieved his bow. Seeko lined up a shot, but at that instant, Mori moved in front of him, lashing at the beast.

“Get out of the way, Mori!” Seeko called out.

“What?” Mori looked back. The glance cost her, and the monster leapt at her, pinning her to the ground.
Mori!
Seeko fired his bow at the monster and called on his spark. The arrow ignited an instant before it hit the beast, piercing and burning the demon. It roared again and rushed at an unready Seeko.

He raised his hands in futile defense, but right then a clear snake of water penetrated the side of the beast and rushed out the other side a ruby red. The beast fell dead an inch from Seeko.

Mori stood on one leg, panting. She was clutching her right arm, heavily cut. The bloody water near Seeko moved once more and flowed into her arm and she was whole again.

That thing had almost gotten to him. And then it would have been “Bye-bye, hero.” He had panicked. Why hadn’t he attacked again with magic? Seeko couldn’t bring himself to look to Mori, afraid that he had disappointed her.

“Are you hurt?” Mori asked quietly.

He hadn’t noticed that she had approached while he was seething. He shook his head. “Some hero I am. I can’t save anyone.” He looked at the monster and kicked it. “I’m supposed to protect you. Protect those guards in Ormant. Not cringe in fear.”

Mori grabbed his hand and held it. “You won’t always be there to protect me. But I can fend for myself.” She smiled at him. “The thought is nice, though.” Mori interlaced her fingers with his. A more aware Seeko would have shunned the gesture, but he liked the feel of her smaller hand in his.

He leaned on her. “I will always be there to protect you. I won’t ever fail you again.”

A tear glistened in Mori’s eye, and she wiped it away. “You’re sweet.” They stood together for a moment, then Mori disengaged and headed back into the forest. “We need to keep moving, before the scent of it draws more predators.”

Seeko nodded, her words reminding him of her scent. He growled at this and pursued her, heading deeper into the forest. He reflected on the feeling of her hand, trying to etch it in his head.

After about an hour, they stopped in a clearing, exhausted. Several large boulders stood nearby and the duo headed to them. The boulders formed natural protection, surrounding them on three sides, leaving only one way to attack them.

“We rest here,” Mori said. “I’ll take first watch. I’ll wake you in a few hours.”

“I should take first watch. I’m stronger, and you’re tired—”

“No. You’re just as tired as I am. Please. I’ll wake you up if something happens. Get some rest.”

There was no point arguing with her. Seeko sat in the alcove while Mori leaned at the entrance, facing away from him. He removed his backpack, retrieved the blanket, and threw it over himself. He was asleep in minutes, his dreams assaulting him with strange demons flashing wicked fangs.

/ / / / /

Morning came and Seeko creaked open an eye, sweat glazing his forehead. Why didn’t Mori wake him? He jumped to his feet and searched for her. Where was she? Seeko left the alcove and reached for his spark. What if she was hurt?

“Mori? Are you out there?” he called. He conjured emerald fireballs in his hands and called out her name again.

Laughter rose from behind him—the mocking laughter of a girl. Seeko found Mori kneeling atop the boulder. He extinguished the fireballs.

“Why so worried, Seeko?” Mori said in between giggles. “I could see better from up here. Plus, I don’t tire as quickly as you, so I never woke you.”

Don’t tire as quickly as I do … Yeah, right.
“Uh, okay. But if you fall over today from exhaustion, don’t expect me to catch you.”

She jumped from the boulder, landed next to him, and flicked him in the forehead. “Oh, so noble. What a wonderful hero.” She giggled again and walked past him. “Let’s go. We still have a few days in this forest. And then we have the mountain to climb.”

Journeying was slower in the murky, overgrown forest. The twisted trees towered over Seeko within the forest, their branches weaving a thick canopy that blocked out the sky. The solid canopy hid both the sun and Mount Pharos, letting only dull beams of light through. Seeko often found himself tripping over broken branches and hidden rocks under the thin brush. Each step left them seemingly more lost than the last. The covered sky removed all sense of direction.

Mori kept close to Seeko as the two treaded through the demon-infested maze. Both Seeko and Mori jumped and drew their weapons at any noise they heard. Several times, they paused and called on their sparks, only to find some small creature fleeing from them.

The dark forest crowded ever closer as the days passed, impeding forward progress with its crooked trees and clawing branches. Mori’s confidence in her directions waned as they fell prey to the repetition of the forest.

Eventually, she came to a halt, hanging her arms in hopelessness. “I thought this was the way, but I don’t know anymore. We haven’t run into anything but trees this entire time.” She leaned her head against a tree. “I mean, I’m glad that we haven’t had to fight any demons, but I’d like a sign that we’re going the right way.”

“I thought about burning down some of the trees to see the mountain,” Seeko said with a laugh. “But I think that would hurt more than help.”

Mori smiled. “Yeah, that wouldn’t be too smart.”

Seeko’s eyes drifted past Mori to a shadow behind her. “Uh, what is that thing?”

A hairy animal face with huge ears rose above the bush; large fangs hung out of the hideous face. Its red beady eyes stared down at the duo.

“Um, Mori?” Seeko whispered.

The breath out of the beast’s inclined nose wafted against Mori’s hair. Wings rose up from the creature and clawed into the nearby trees, matching her height. A second bat rose up from under the first bat and swiped toward Mori. She jumped away, and the two pulled out their weapons. Seeko drew an arrow and aimed it at the first creature. He felt a warm breath on his neck and whipped around. Another giant bat creature was behind him. They were surrounded.

“I’ll take these two, you take that one!” Seeko said, backing away from the bat.

He shot a bat in its left eye and ignited the arrow. The creature screeched, deafening Seeko and sending him to the ground. His head throbbed and he covered his ears to try to stop the pain, the ringing. He stumbled to his feet and drew his sword.

The creature slashed a clawed wing toward him, grazing his arm. Seeko recovered and sliced into the creature’s wing. He watched the soundless retreat of the beast even as he noticed, with relief, Mori avoiding another bat’s attack. The third bat lingered behind the other two, waiting for its chance to enter the fray.

Seeko slashed at the same creature once more, this time shattering the bone of the wing. It screeched, and Seeko fell over once more. In an instant, the third bat was on top of him, biting his arm. He yelled into the quiet void around him as blood gushed from his arm. His shout turned more violent as he held out his hand and summoned a fireball in the monster’s ugly face, burning and blinding it. His arm was set free as the bat writhed in pain. He stabbed the creature and it fell over, scurrying away.

The pause was short lived as a claw pierced his shoulder.
What … useful chainmail,
Seeko thought in between painful throbs. He faced the one-eyed beast and stabbed at its head. The blade struck true and it joined the arrow in its eye. The monster fell over, lifeless, leaving its burnt companion alone.

The scorched bat attached itself to a nearby tree, clawing out toward Seeko. Its distant placement and blind swipes gave Seeko enough time to retrieve his bow. He nocked an arrow and sent it into the beast, dropping it dead.

He looked down at his bleeding arm while his hearing slowly returned to normal. Although the chainmail had prevented a severe puncture, blood stained his new clothes. He hoped Mori could heal this …
Mori?
He’d lost track of her at the end of his fight. Seeko looked around for any sign of her, but found none.

“Mori! Where are you?” Seeko called out. No response. “This better not be another stupid joke!”

The silence of the encircling forest seemed deafening. It felt as if the entire forest was closing in on him. A thousand menacing eyes, more bats perhaps, peered at Seeko from just beyond his field of vision. He searched through the eyes for Mori, for the source of the deafening
silence
. It ended with the snap of a breaking twig behind him. Seeko turned and found the source of the silence.

It was Yoshino.