The Legendary Warrior (Book 5) (3 page)

The Quietus group glared at him, standing side by side
to each other with clenched jaws, closed fists, and rigid bodies. They were doing everything in their power to remain neutral. All together, they waited. Until Bastion was satisfied that the man he had cut was past the point of healing. He would live the rest of his life blind.

Bastion felt a pang in his heart and a queasiness in his stomach all of a sudden. With a heavy sigh, he took a step back, and then another. Eventually he turned around and began walking into the black of the forest, heading toward Allay. James walked beside him.

“You should have let me do it,” James whispered, and Bastion sighed once more.

“You weren’t going to do it,” he said, and James had no retort to that. It was true.

“We could have both walked away.”

“And you would have been killed,” Bastion said, turning to his teacher. “I didn’t want that.”

“Is that the only reason you did it?” There was a lull in the conversation.

“No,” Bastion said, “but it was a big part. The other reason is because…I wanted to show them that I mean business. I mean, we had to kill
Hakin anyways. I might as well gain both respect and the completed mission at the same time.”

“What does it matter to you if you gain their respect?”

“Because I know that I’ll have to deal with them someday. Either as an enemy or a fellow soldier on the field. You heard Hakin. You have to earn it when it comes to the Quietus.”

“It’s the wrong kind of respect. It’s based on fear. We shouldn’t have to force them in
to submission. They are just as important to this world as we are.”

“Catherine’s way didn’t work,” Bastion replied, and James scowled at him. “I believed in C
atherine’s way. I did. It sounded amazing, but it didn’t work in reality. I’m not saying that Lakrymos is the answer, but I think there’s more than having complete love and trust for everyone you meet. You might be right about the Yama, James. We talk with them and do a little diplomacy and all is well. No need for war. Or, they play along until they gain an edge and then they enslave us all.”

“You can’t default to violence,” James said.

“But that’s what you do,” Bastion said, bowing his head. He felt ashamed saying it. “All I’ve seen from you is violence. Catherine was the one who spoke of harmony. You’re doing a good job of trying to teach me her ways, but that’s not who you are, so it’s not coming off right…I don’t know. I…I
am
glad you’re here with me Master James. That much I do know.”

James didn’t respond. They kept walking in silence as James tried not to throw up.
What am I doing?
He thought.
Why am I here?
Bastion was right. All they’ve talked about was how to overthrow Lakrymos, or how they were going to complete whatever mission they were sent on. Either way, violence was always the answer, and that’s exactly what Lakyrmos wanted.

He was the wrong man for the job. It should have been Catherine by Bastion’s side, explaining to him how she made the world so magnificent, and how even when she was fighting for her life, her innocence was never lost. She could teach him how to bloom, while James was
still grasping for answers.

He wanted to become the Sage that Bastion needed. The wise man that would guide the young Sage to the proper path, but he didn’t know what that was. He was ill-equipped, and he was no closer to making Bastion into a true Sage than he had been a couple months ago. Perhaps he would have to figure out his own journey before he was able to pass on wisdom to his young student. He only ho
ped it wouldn’t take long to discover what that was.

The benches within the plaza center were her favorite because it was the easiest place to blend in. Crowds walked behind and in front of her
, but they rarely glanced her way. She was like a fixture, and treated as if she had always been there. It was the lack of attention she had longed for, but she still wasn’t at ease.

While the slapping sou
nd of bare feet hitting cold wet stone permeated the air, and the laughter of children playing nearby fought to capture her attention, Catherine sat, and thought. Whatever plan she decided on, it had to be immaculate, and executed perfectly. Lakrymos could have spies everywhere, and when she did act, she would only have one chance to strike…if striking was even the answer. She wasn’t sure of much lately.

Catherine’s thoughts shut down as a loud clanging noise
from behind opened her eyes. She didn’t bother looking. The noise happened often, but it still managed to steal her away from her task. Langoran waiters were constantly trying to one-up each other by serving their tables extra fast, increasing their speed, and trying to shove other waiters to the side with their massive shoulders. It usually resulted in the crashing of plates and the screaming of guests, as their food was suddenly thrown into the air and splattered all over their clothes. Catherine noticed that a few elderly Langorans came around lunch time each day to take in the entertainment.

“
What do I do?” she asked herself aloud, leaning back onto the redwood bench. She decided to take a break from her thoughts and take in her surroundings. She loved what Zain had done with the place.

The Kingdom of Languor was now open and bright. Though they were still in the process of mining more gold so that they could replace the ghastly (their word) stones they had to use to repair the streets and Kingdom walls, they were having fun tearing down some of the old buildings and opening up the area. Before
, there were a line of shops and homes, mixed in with one another, but now they were separated. What was once the warrior district was now an area solely for houses, and fields made for recreation. The shopping district kept its title, but now the buildings had been torn down and rebuilt into smaller and cozier structures, giving the sun a lot more room to shine through. The air was cleaner and it wasn’t as hot as she remembered.

The crowds of people walking around didn’t change, but since there were more room and the streets were wider, everything looked more structured
and organized. The only thing that stayed the same was the castle. Zain had it rebuilt exactly as it was before, except now, there were shops, small arenas and displays on the inside. Only the greatest of the Langoran merchants and warriors got to sell their wares or fight there. The castle had become a great tourist attraction and a necessity to the Langoran people. Whenever a great fight was held, the people flocked to the castle in droves, and if one had more Langi than usual in their purse, it was an absolutely essential that it get spent at one of the shops inside.

Zain enjoyed it all, and especially
the fact that he was able to make purchases or watch a great fight with a simple stroll from his bedchamber. It wasn’t uncommon for him to leave his new wife in the middle of night and go downstairs to splurge on the expensive jewelry and tailor made clothing.

Catherine chuckled to herself, thinking of how
Zain would try to haggle with the merchants within the castle. Since he was King, he could have easily demanded that they give him their wares, but he didn’t.
He loves the thrill of haggling, I suppose,
Catherine thought to herself, as she found herself focusing on the children in front of her, playing along a fountain with a bronze statue of the Enforcer flexing his muscles in the middle of it. From what she heard, the Kingdom was training a few mysterious Langorans to become the new Enforcer. It’s been said that they were very talented in height and mass manipulation.

“
Your Highness,” Talia said, stepping out in front of the bench and taking a seat beside Catherine. Catherine giggled once she saw the three bags at Talia’s feet. Various gems were sparkling from beyond the weaving.

“I still can’t believe you got a job,” Catherine
said, giggling at the thought of Talia cleaning the restaurant she worked at. Not only did she have to do dishes and re-decorate, she also had to do the laundry for the guests whose clothes had been ruined by the waiters. Zain had said it wasn’t necessary for her to earn Langi that way. She only had to ask, and she would receive money, but Talia had an eye on quite a few gems, and she realized that in order to not look like a freeloader, she would have to work for them.

“They’re so pretty,” Talia sighed in happiness, reaching down to take out a thumb sized emerald. She turned it over and over in her hand. “I don’t even know where to put these yet, but I don’t care. I’ll find a place.”

“What’s Zhou up to?”

“Probably in the castle, still working his way up the chain.”

“A hundred brackets in a tournament is a lot.”

“No shortage of entertainment,” Talia laughed. “He’s scared that we’re going to be leaving any day now so he’s been taking on challengers one after the other. He fought three last night. Did you hear about it?”

“A little,” Catherine chuckled. “I also heard he lost that third round, and the Langorans weren’t going to let up if it wasn’t for the referee stepping in.”

“The
Langorans still have a little bit of a grudge for what you guys did to their Kingdom back then.”

“I don’t blame them,” Catherine said, her voice trailing off. Talia studied her.

“Are you okay? What’s on your mind?

“
I’ve been wondering what to do next.”

“I’ve wondered that myself,” Talia sighed. “Maybe the answer is nothing.”

“What do you mean?”

“Who’s to say that this isn’t fate? The natural course of things? From what I hear,
Lakrymos hasn’t turned out to be the tyrant we all thought he was. At least, he’s not showing his nature yet. Perhaps he was genuine about his love for Allay and we just see things differently.”

“I’m all for the people choosing their King and Queen,” Catherine said, with steady eyes on Talia. “But the basis for his ascension was these
Yama. It was based on fear, and that’s wrong.”

“Unless we prove that they exist. Then your worries will be alleviated…right?”

“I don’t know,” Catherine said, bowing her head and closing her eyes, so she wouldn’t be blinded by the borders of gold around each stone in the pavement. “I have always been royalty, and being Queen was everything I dreamed of. I thought I would be old and senile by the time I was taken off the throne. What do I do now? I don’t even have James…”

“He’s fighting for Allay,” Talia replied, placing a consoling hand on the former Queen’ shoulder. “And that’s what we want, isn’t it?”

“I wish I could see him,” Catherine whispered, wiping her itching nose. “But I can’t think about that right now. I’ll find myself dwelling too much on something I can’t change, when there’s still plenty for us to do.”

“But I thought that there was nothing—”

“—we’re going to find out if these Yama exist. You hit the solution to the problem.” Talia bit her lip and fidgeted in her seat.

“We’re not going now, are we?”

“Get Zhou and tell him the news. We’re going to be heading out tomorrow. I want my father and the young Sages to stay here though…in case we don’t return.”

“Where are we headed
exactly?”

“Prattle. I’m going to need some assistance in figuring out a few things, particularly where I might find these boogeymen that
Lakrymos is so afraid of. If anyone has debated about the Yama’s existence and where they might be, it will be the Prattlians.”

“Allay is right next door, and I’m sure
Lakrymos is keeping track of our movements. Going to Prattle will surely alert him that we’re up to something. Are you ready for that risk?”

“James is risking his life every day. I might as well be more productive. Who knows? Finding a solution to this problem might bring James back to me sooner.”

“We can only hope,” Talia said, giving Catherine a bow, standing to her feet, and then sprinting off toward the castle, where Zhou was surely fighting or treating his wounds. Catherine sighed and sat back on the bench, observing the children at play once more. She envied them. The way they giggled and chided one another. The way their laughter was full of purity and innocence. There was no sorrow behind their bursts of joy. Catherine had no idea what that felt like. Too often, laughter had served as a medicine, not a result of unadulterated fun. It was rare to see such merriment among her people, and she couldn’t help but wonder why.

She looked around at the adults walking past the children, and she realized that they were paying no attention t
o the kids. The adults were simply about their business, too engrossed in their own lives to be worried about the youth. Still, Catherine was sure that if there was an attack on Languor, the children would be the first to be protected.

Perhaps that was what Allay did wrong. They were so focused on the terrors of the world that they forgot to enjoy the good. They forgot that there was sunshine for twelve hours of the day
, along with the night. Although there was truly plenty to be wary of, the adults of Languor shielded their young, knowing that they would face the world in time. It didn’t make sense to have them face the world now. It’s not like they were mature enough to handle it, and it could actually have a negative effect on their growth.

Creating child soldiers…they might be good for quick obedience
, and they were usually weaker physically, so one could impose their will on them easily, but what about the long term? They would be unstable, both emotionally and psychologically, because they were forced to grow up too fast and exposed to things they never should have experienced in the first place.

She couldn’t help but think of Bastion, and she wondered how he was doing. Was James guiding him well? He wasn’t the wisest, for sure, but he had good intentions, and hopefully that was enough. Bastion was the catalyst that would determine the fate of the world—she was sure of it. No one born with that level of power and raw
talent couldn’t be important. They all saw it.

She leaned fo
rward and looked at the children playing even harder. Was that what Lakrymos was doing? Was that his game plan in convincing Bastion to join him? Just letting Bastion have fun being a kid? She was certain that the moment Lakrymos took the crown, he was going to put Allay into ruins, but that would have surely had a negative effect on Bastion, especially since that was what the young Sage expected. She would know. She and James had told the entire Sage Academy. But by defying expectations and not being
such a bad guy
, it made the students consider otherwise, and they were the endgame after all. No general could fight a war without his soldiers.

But she was sure
Lakrymos would strike her people. It was just a matter of when. He was crafty. He was probably gaining their trust first, and then by the time he showed his true colors, every action would be justified. And James wouldn’t have a chance in swaying the young Sage to their side by then. After all, he was more than likely whispering in Bastion’s ear that Lakrymos was a bad guy, while the young Sage was seeing the contrary. James’ constant defiance of Lakyrmos’ will might actually turn Bastion away.

“Darn it,” Catherine whispered, standing to her feet. She was right. They had to act before it was too late. It was time to
reveal Lakrymos for what he was, and she would need help to do it.

*              *              *

Bastion sighed heavily as he stopped outside the door to his dorm room. He couldn’t hear any noise coming from inside so he was sure Daisy and Kent were sleeping. He took another sigh, grabbed the doorknob, and began to turn it when the door suddenly burst open, and a pair of massive hands grabbed his shirt and threw him inside.

Bastion rolled forward and back onto his feet. He turned just in time to throw up his forearm and block an incoming punch to his face. He could see Kent smile through the sudden dim light
of Daisy’s eidolon, casting shadows from behind him. He reached back and grabbed her eidolon before she could swing it down onto his back, and the three of them stood still, staring at each other and smiling. Bastion lowered his arm first, and he knew it was a mistake immediately. Kent tackled him forward as Daisy swung her eidolon down, slicing through Bastion’s hand. Kent and Bastion’s bodies went flying into Daisy’s and into the bunk beds, splintering it and sending it crashing down on top of them. Pounding fists began to sound off on the side walls as groggy students—now awake—made their complaints.

“Ugh, you’re sweating,” Daisy groaned as she smacked Kent in
the face. He laughed and shoved the mattress that had been lying on top of them toward the door. Bastion sifted through the wreckage until he was able to stand to his feet. He extended a hand toward Daisy and she took it gladly. Kent asked for help by thrusting a hand of his own forward, but Bastion swatted it away and they all laughed.