Betrayal

“Yuji.” He could hear her voice saying it. The memory of their meeting as sore as the truth he realized he couldn’t avoid. If he was honest with himself, he had been grieving for months while avoiding the truth he didn’t want to admit to himself, he was stuck here. The first agony was when he began to act on this life. When he had confronted Mirk and told him he was no longer going to pretend to be the version of Lord Till Bastion that was the original and was instead going to be the version of himself he had wanted to create. The second was when Lady Menodora had seen through him and had told him as much.

He wished he had been able to cry, to lash out at the world, to throw a tantrum like a child, but he couldn’t. The pain and anguish sat within him in an unreachable hole. He spoke with Lady Menodora for only a short time after her breaking revelation. She had been deflated by his flat, cold reaction, but she didn’t press him to speak only asked her accustomed question as he readied himself to stand.

“Is the sun out today?”

“I’m afraid not today.”

“Please wait,” her voice was furtive and desperate, and though he resisted looking at her beauty again he did not stand, “please tell me… please what’s your name?”

“Yuji.”

“Lord Yuji.”

“No. Not lord, or sir. Just Yuji.”

She took hold of his sleeve catching his eye. There was no attempt to pull away and Mirk did not intervene, they remained for a moment with Yuji on his knees looking into her lovely face. She had told the truth, he knew it. It was the reason her gaze had transfixed him when he first entered her tent, there hidden in the bluish-white irises and dark black pupils was the same sorrow, the same pain, and the same misery.

“Thaddea.” Her voice was a sweet breath against his face. “That was my name, before.”

Thaddea.

“I underestimated her.” Mirk admitted remorsefully from his place on Sindacilla’s saddle.

“It’s not like you to admit you’ve made a mistake.” Yuji grinned scanning the forest.

“It is not like you to be so quiet.”

“You have me there.”

The envoy had waited near the entrance to the tent of the Centauri Seren during their interview. When Yuji and Mirk made their exit he said nothing to them, giving only a slight bow of acknowledgement, calling a subordinate to lead them from the elven group. The envoy’s expression more openly curt than usual.

The mongoose adjusted himself in the saddle facing the horse’s rider. “I have something I should admit to you.”

“Oh, and what’s that?”

“I am not capable of casting binding spells.”

Yuji frowned. “What are you talking about?”

“What you saw the morning we met.”

“You mean the morning you interrogated me.”

Mirk gave a mild movement of exasperation. “Call it what you like. That was not a binding spell, it was a flare, a type of fire magic used to momentarily blind your opponent. You had no knowledge of this world at the time so I feigned the ability to bind you so you wouldn’t attempt to do anything foolish or dangerous.”

“So, you took advantage of me?”

“Took advantage? You should be thanking me. With your knowledge you would have gotten your head removed from your shoulders in an hour.”

Yuji couldn’t help a smile, a sudden feeling of lightness easing a portion of his misery. “I’m grateful, really. You’re not wrong, without you I would have died many times over. You were only doing it for my own good, and when you felt you could you told me.”

“So, you are not angry with me?”

“Not at all.”

Mirk perked up, Yuji pulled up on the bridle. “Whoa.” Sindacilla shifted restlessly.

“Did you feel that?” Yuji stared into the trees nothing making itself openly visible.

“The Inner Guard should have gone through the forest to make sure it was clear proceeding our departure.” Mirk stood high in his position on the saddle staring out.

“They did, or so we’re told.”

“Yuji, there are boars coming, great boars. It’s a young bachelor group and a few mature males.”

Yuji pulled the whistle from his bracer playing a call he had memorized. “Can you tell how many there are and from where they’re coming?”

“Eleven maybe fifteen young males from the east, three large boars from the north northeast.”

“Which will hit first?”

“The bachelor party.”

Yuji played another series of sounds, the ground beginning to rumble. Horses approached. Taking his bow he fitted an arrow redirecting Sindacilla. Mirk jumped from the saddle. The first boar took shape. Yuji raised his bow giving the mare light encouragement. Lord Till had practiced endlessly to fire on horseback, Yuji could feel the effort in his body confirming it. He had his own knowledge of the bow. He had shot and killed already. Despite the numbers, he had to have faith he could do it.

The arrow flew, there was a sound and then a great thud as one of the smaller boars fell. An arrow flew past him striking another in the shoulder, a loud angry squeal followed as several more of his men began to engage. The beast’s pace quickened. Yuji nocked a fresh arrow letting it fly, a second boar fell. Another poor shot went past him.

What are they doing?

There was a ripping burst of fire, Mirk’s fir turned from coarse yellow hairs to rich flames. Leaping into the air he collided with the side of one of the male boars, throwing the beast against three others, the impact instantly killed the animal before setting its fur aflame.

More serious archers joined the fight. The bachelor party began to fall like flies between the trees. Arrows were flying chaotically in every direction.

“Yuji, the greater boars!” Mirk was already heading in that direction, the few remaining of the bachelor herd being picked off by the responding members of the vanguard.

Fitting a fresh arrow Yuji redirected Sindacilla, her great strong body shifting effortlessly, her pace quickening to meet the coming threat with her rider. An arrow skimmed Yuji’s leg drawing blood.

They’re shooting at me.

There was no time to look back, aiming in the direction of the oncoming threat he loosed his next shot. The arrow went through the right eye of a great boar, its body gave, stiffly falling to the ground and tripping the second of the three boars.

A sharp burning came from the oozing wound on his leg. He aimed again killing the second great male. Another arrow flew at him, Yuji dodged it. Mirk collided with the last large male sending it flying into the trees.

“Yuji, there are shadow wolves coming from the southeast.”

Yuji took hold of the reins to redirect toward those attacking him. Cold breath, mist appeared before his eyes, looking up ice crystals were forming into knives above him. There was no turning now, digging his heels into Sindacilla’s sides he went forward at breakneck speed, the ice began to fall, reforming above him in quick succession.

Something cut his cheek. Glancing at his shoulder he saw the leather bond of his breastplate had been cut. A rush of wind, the left side was free. He tried to find Mirk in the chaos, the flame that was his body was whipping through a sea of huge dark coated wolves. The sparce men provided to the vanguard were everywhere.

An arrow grazed his arm. There was a surge of water from his left side washing him clean of Sindacilla’s back and onto the grass. Yuji gagged water as he sprung to his feet and behind a tree leaving the leather chest plate behind in his hurry. Having barely caught his breath he began to move. He couldn’t stay still, and he hardly had time to look around and acclimate himself to what was happening. Another arrow flew, he fell only just in time to have it skim his side instead of lodging there.

Ice crystals formed; he rolled through the undergrowth tearing up his exposed skin.

Who is it, who’s after me?

Mirk had explained that mages and element users couldn’t be far from their target, it was just too difficult to get accurate locks and strength behind attacks when your mark was far away. There were at least two elemental magic users, one with water, the other with wind at their disposal. The volley of ice attacks made it difficult for him to follow the direction the arrows were coming from.

I hate survival mode.

Shifting to another location he tried to get a look, attempting to move closer to where much of the vanguard and Mirk were occupied with the shadow wolves.

“Call out to me!” Mirk yelled, his voice seeming some unperceivable distance away.

Yuji made a run for it. “Over here!”

An arrow clipped his right shin as he made it behind a tree. Blood was pouring from his wounds, though they weren’t overtly fatal, but he had no time to assess or pack them. The only blessing was that they were no longer throwing elemental attacks, a sign they were weak users or limited in their magical stamina.

But why?

Trying to stand Yuji got his answer in the flimsiness of his strength. Poison. Every arrow that had struck him thus far had been laced with poison. They likely would never get enough into him to overwhelm his body’s natural defense, but if enough was administered he would go into a catatonic state and be easy pickings for whoever was after him.

“There are mages, Yuji, be wary. I am coming to you.” Mirk called to him again.

His quiver was on Sindacilla, he had dropped his bow when he was flushed from her saddle. He was incapable of magic as he had no elemental gift. All he had was a sword. Yuji felt around his feet, fingers managed to find a rock the size of his palm. Positioning himself on the left side of the tree he rolled the stone in the opposite direction. An arrow fell, Yuji moved running as fast as he could get his body to take him.

The vanguard wore light weight armor, made of thinner metal and leather, for easier movement. Even when they chose to wear metal plating their chest piece often lacked fauld at the base of the plackart. It was this gap Yuji took advantage of, coming on the horse faster than the archer had expected him he thrusted his blade through this gap up to the hilt of his sword. An arrow flew, it caught Yuji high in his left thigh. The pain was excruciating.

Turning Yuji watched Mirk collide with the archer that had shot him. The man skipped like a stone, his final impact toppling a tree several yards away. Taking a step forward Yuji’s gait wavered.

“You’ve been injured.” Mirk was near him, his aura vibrant, eyes searching Yuji.

Yuji’s mind was fuzzy, the fighting was nearly over, dead animals and people were everywhere. The blood coating his hands belonged to the man he had stabbed, the one on the horse.

Why am I disappointed I feel nothing?

“Yuji, you should sit. The rest of the wolves will soon be handled.”

The horse of the rider he had killed had gone only a few yards away. The man had fallen from his mount and in the end had made an attempt to crawl for cover behind a tree but had died halfway between the horse and his destination.

Yuji wondered if he had punctured his lung with his blade. He could recall the sensation. The desperate play for air as your life was slowly voided from existence, but unlike Yuji they wouldn’t be given a second chance.

Yuji tried to take a step his legs buckling.

“Are you alright?” Mirk’s paw on his right knee drew his attention back to reality.

With a somber smile he touched the creature’s head. “Yeah I am.”

They found Sir Reginalt’s body near his horse several yards away from the fighting. Sir Hildebald was discovered to be the archer Mirk had seen to. Thirty-four of the eighty regular members of the vanguard had perished, twenty of them had been killed by their comrades for participating in the coup d'etat. Five had fled into the forest, fifteen had surrendered.

“You’ll have to go back to the main party.” Sir Euric helped Yuji back to his feet after assisting in bandaging his wounds. “This will do for now, but you’ll need better care.”

A sense of delirium created a halo around everything. He knew the poison was working its way through his system, but he wasn’t sure if that was the origin of this sensation. Yuji stood taking Sindacilla’s reins from one of the remaining men, pleased she hadn’t gone too far to recover.

“The other injured men?” Yuji’s mind felt sluggish.

“The others with injuries are not as bad as you, they can continue their duties. We will send two riders back with you.”

“Sir Euric.” The man stopped looking at him grave, worn lines aging him. “For what it’s worth, I’m glad it wasn’t you.”

“That is all your doing my lord. You once inspired antipathy and now fidelity. I am only sorry my comrades were unable to see the change before their foolish mistake. They have learned a cruel lesson.” Sir Euric gave a sharp bow and then walked off to the remaining soldiers.

“You are weary.”

Yuji offered his arm to the mongoose, who climbed up to take a spot on his shoulder to better look at him.

“I suppose I am.”

He mounted on the right side, settling into the saddle. Mirk didn’t leave his shoulder. When the other Vanguard members joined them, they started on the ride to the escort’s main party.