Chapter 9: Moon-Kissed Wounds

A full moon shines above as rescue efforts are carried out in Provo. The town is mostly still intact save for a few burnt buildings. Its people however, are not. The demons moved quickly and without mercy before I was able to stop them.

As I stand in the town square, I can see the pile of bodies continuing to grow. People rush back and forth putting out the remaining fires and tending to the wounded. Father Gordon has set up the church as an extra infirmary where he’s treating the more severe injuries. We're lucky to still have him around. I feel useless just standing there, unsure of what to do next amidst the chaos. The suit is back to its regular white and gold color, shimmering in the moonlight.

Rina and Kizzik stand beside me surveying the situation. Rina keeps touching the bruise on her neck, her stare is distant, detached. I thought she was showing me her hatred before. No. What I see on her face now. That’s hatred. It’s not hot and fiery but cold.

“Lets check the walls around town to make sure they weren’t breached anywhere. The last thing we need is a bandit raid. Gods know they’d love to take advantage of the situation.” Rina leads us down winding pathways towards the edge of Provo.

The moon shines down brightly on us, lighting our path. Even though the threat’s gone, I still feel uneasy. I’m expecting something to jump out at me from the shadows. On top of that, the shadow demon is still stuck in my head, specifically his last words.

Kizzik snaps me out of my fog with a light nudge.

“You did good, kid. Saved my tail and Rina’s, even if she’s not ready to admit it, so thank you from both of us.”

“No problem.” I mutter.

“You saved a lot of other people too ya know? When the demon army attacks, there are no survivors. Not until now.”

It’s cold comfort. So many people didn’t survive, so many more were wounded. Everyone lost someone today. Their suffering weighs on me so much it’s hard to move.

“He said this was just the beginning. That they’ll wipe us all out. There must be someone that can protect them. Don’t you have some legendary hero? What about the military?” I ask hopefully.

Kizzik waves their hand dismissively. “Eh. Heroes are for the story books, relics of the past, and the military is busy protecting more ‘important’ places. It’s just us out here.”

There really is no one. This is so far beyond me. I don’t know what to do.

It’s weird, in the heat of battle I just acted. I didn’t have time to think. Now that it’s calm though, it’s like all that dread finally caught up to me. I could have easily died! Any number of things could’ve gone wrong and instead of being here now with Kizzik and Rina, my head would be delivered to the demon king as a trophy.

“Watch out!” Rina shouts.

I’m so lost in thought I don’t see the hooded figures as I walk right into them. I’m so freaked out, I summon a fire bolt ready to destroy the threats in front of me. The flaming spear forms around me and illuminates the dark alleyway. I’m taken aback as I see a young woman and her child lying on the floor. I must’ve knocked them down by accident.

“Please! Don’t hurt us!” They cower at the sight of me.

The fear on their faces pierces my heart. It reminds me of my own.

“I’m so sorry! Here, let me help you up!” I try to reach down but they flinch.

I have to remember to dispel the flaming missile first. The child is trembling but he takes my hand. I gently pat the dust off him and help his mother to her feet next. They bow fervently before rushing off into the night.

“Hey. Try not to run anyone else over.” Rina scolds

“I’ll try to be more careful.” For some reason this seems to annoy her more. She marches on ahead.

“Back there at the temple, what did that demon call you? A void walker? What does that mean?” She calls back to me.

“I think that’s what they call people from other planes. You think there’s others like me?” I ask.

She doesn’t say anything. We continue our walk in silence.

It takes us the rest of the night but we walk the whole perimeter of the town, examining the ten foot tall stone wall that surrounds it. No major damage thankfully. I’m dead tired by the time we finish. We return to the church sometime after midnight. Father Gordon sits head in hand slumped on a stool in front of a makeshift cot. On it, lies a very old man with goat horns coming from his head. His left eye is covered in a bloody bandage and his arm is being held in a splint. By some miracle, he seems to have found some sleep. Rina gently wakes the priest on the stool and he follows us to a private room. It looks to be his office. The small windowless room smells like old books. A small lantern is lit so we can see and there’s a large oak desk in the middle with parchment scattered across it. I see scrolls, tomes, maps. It all looks very strategic. This must be where they plan their missions.

We debrief the day’s events. Gordon explains the ramifications of the attack. It seems that this is the first time the Demon King’s forces have invaded this far south. They somehow bypassed the blockade set up by the military. He’s not sure why though.

“It doesn’t make sense. Our town has no strategic advantage for them.”

I shudder as I remember the demon’s words. “They were here for me. He tried to recruit me.”

They all turn toward me at the same time. Father Gordon looks mortified at first but then his expression shifts to one of Hope.

“This proves the dawn relic is a threat to him. If Rojan would react so quickly and recklessly, it must be out of fear.”

Gordon turns his focus to the large map that dominates his workspace. It’s weathered from much use, notes are scribbled all over it.

“This is where we are now.” Gordon points to a spot on the map to show me. “The Kingdom of DuSud. The capital is at the heart of the territory, just here. King Pouria, the sovereign of our country, must be alerted to what happened here. We are in dire need of your help Kenji. Will you go there yourself to tell the king what happened here?” It looks like we’re a good distance away from it.

[The Capital is three days away by foot.]

My palms sweat at the idea of having to go before a king. I already make it a habit of putting my foot in my mouth. A member of royalty would probably be offended just by the sight of me.

“Can’t we just send a letter?” I ask.

Gordon shakes his head solemnly. “This information is too sensitive and the road is too dangerous to trust it with a courier. Beyond that, the king will know how best to use the relic.”

Rina says something that sounds suspiciously like a curse word.

“I can't believe we are stuck babysitting you.”

Kizzik sighs heavily. “Well this is gonna be fun.”

“Hush now, the both of you. This is ultimately Kenji’s choice. He is a stranger in this world and isn't obliged to help us. That being said, I sincerely beg you to lend us your aid.” Father Gordon takes my hand in his. I can feel him trembling. “The weapon you possess can save lives. Please!” The priest’s words ring in my ears.

I look back and forth between the others in the room. Images of the destruction outside flood my mind. So much loss and this was just a small scale operation. If I don't act here and now, countless more people will die. I can mope around all I want but that isn't going to change things. Only my actions can bring about a different outcome. I’ve made up my mind. I won’t be too late next time.

“I’ll do it. I’ll join you.”