44: Hit the Road Vo

The next morning they silently packed up camp. It was the start of another fine day, where the sounds of birds were pleasant and not that crazed squawk they did when high on cast magic. But the day was still young.

"Well, I guess this is it." Lyra screwed up her face, feeling unsure of what to say next when they stepped outside.

"I suppose you're going back to the Red Sun Guards?" Vo asked but he didn't know what answer he wanted to hear. He had grown close to the woman to see her as a good friend.

She heaved a sigh. "No. Having to kill your commander leaves a bad impression no matter what the reasons are. And I have other reasons to leave Rogue."

"Reasons?"

She nodded. "I want to find the person who killed my sister."

Vo sighed and soberly said, "It's good to gain closure. But, from personal experience, seeking vengeance isn't necessarily a good thing."

"I guess you sought vengeance at one point."

He gestured for them to sit at one of the rock crops nearby. "Since you know who I am, I guess it's fair you know my story on what brought me to Forsaken."

When he had their attention he told the story of the time leading to his exile.

He was born into a volatile family where being betrayed by his mother and sister was their way of protecting him. Values got warped very easily. Don't cry, show your weakness, demand for one thing without trading two things in return... sometimes it was hard to spot friend from foe. His childhood was a constant walk on eggshells.

His sister, Shiana, who was six years older than him had been killed before his eyes by one of Arling's generals. At the time, Arling was his brother's loyal lackey. And Vo was thirteen. Naturally, blame was placed on their father's enemy to gain nobility funding for a proxy war effort. Her death was an opportunity.

Then Akari happened, placing a pause on their family death games for a short span.

"She was promised to my brother who was the crown prince at the time. Lloyd was seven years older than us..."

Akari being the same age as Vo reduced the barriers between them. They instantly got on well and fell in love with each other. Especially, when both were well versed in the political dances and had a desire to bring honorable change to the imperial court.

"I had only turned 15 years old, so all this was just big talk."

It was Akari who taught Vo that there was no real definition of good or evil, just intentions: some selfless and most others selfish. Later on, this value saved Vo's life when he entered his exile days: it helped him see a flexible perspective.

"I came to see, that's the real difference between the upper class and real people."

He and Akari continued to find refuge in each other as the political dances surrounding them became more dangerous and secretive.

Then the strangest event happened. Vo's elder brother was sidelined from the Crown Prince title, choosing to take on Regent Advisor for foreign affairs. Vo was officially declared the title in a glitzy ceremony with Akari to be his wife.

"We were ecstatic and worried at the same time when that happened." Vo fiddled with a rock he picked up from the ground. "My brother would've never given up the title unless my father offered something better. Or worse, they had more devious plans, which involved me being a puppet."

"Then I found out that my father ordered Akari to use her voice to enthrall an enemy nation of millions of people to his will. And the one to control the enthralled masses, by proxy, would be my brother."

"So that's why he gave up the title." Zen frowned, finding an aah moment with Vo's perspective.

"Exactly. Why be a prince when you can be a vassal king?" Vo continued.

Akari had begged the emperor not to ask that of her, because she believed people had the right to their own free will. Vo further explained that there was also a horrible and damning cost to fate. But the emperor kept insisting and threatened the death of her handmaidens: the only women loyal to her.

"I was meant to be her soft spot, so she would do what she was told. But I couldn't let her do that."

So the emperor tried to force Akari to enthrall Vo to prove her usefulness. But she continued to refuse even when Vo said it was okay. He would sacrifice himself for her safety and well being. Of course she wouldn't comply: it would destroy her Vo forever. The emperor had Akari locked like a bird in a cage and declared execution on anyone who tried to help her escape, including his children.

"She has that kind of power?" Lyra gasped.

Vo and Zen nodded.

"She is the Nightingale, the voice of a goddess. When she sings, it can make nations shudder and all thought be one will to whoever the song is written for." Vo sighed.

"So what happened, if you want to tell me."

Vo continued. He couldn't bear to see Akari imprisoned so he planned for her escape with her handmaidens.

"Then Arling found out somehow. My father had his men torture and kill those women. Akari was placed in a room with no windows. I was chained to a water cell."

"He would do that to his own son?" Lyra gasped.

"He's the emperor, so yeah." Vo's expression darkened. "I made matters worse for her. Those women didn't deserve that fate..."

He sighed. "One of Akari's eunuchs managed to free her and help her flee the empire. As for me, I covered her disappearance by facing my father."

Before the royal court, the emperor demanded impossible tasks for the crown prince to complete as compensation for his selfishness.

"I succeeded with the tasks, except one - bring back Akari. I told him that I'd rather meet him in the foulest pits of the Groth Realm than let him near her again."

"Damn Vo, threatening your father like that."

"And in the throne room before important pawns and players of the royal court too." Vo laughed. "Looking back, it was so silly."

He added, "I guess my father sealed my syn powers and exiled me because he suspected our line was at risk of extinction. That was more important than pride, oddly enough. My brother shipped me off to Forsaken with his roshi contacts. I've been fortunate ever since. Years later, I heard my brother was slain in battle. My mother was poisoned and my father beheaded in a public spectacle."

"They'll still be coming for you, Vo." Zen reminded him.

Lyra frowned with a nagging question. "Then why is she back at her family?"

"What's that saying, the devil you know is better than the devil you don't? Akari's family knows the side effects, so they won't ask for more than they should. Otherwise, they pay the price of fate." Vo's brows scrunched together, revealing his worry.

"So, I'm heading to Reisch. I can't let people use Akari like she's a tool." He ran his hands through hair when he added, "I have to save her."

Lyra stared at him for sometime. She never realized how pitiful he was, but he was just fifteen when he had to be his own man. But she also found that fact impressive.

"Do you regret it?"

"What?"

"Being exiled. Does it make you angry that your family didn't choose your side?"

"No. Being a roshi is a far nobler purpose than playing pawn in a game where winning is an illusion."

She nodded. "Just as well I'm coming as your bodyguard then. I do recall making an oath of not revealing the identity of some royal walking target."

"Sounds good." Vo smiled.

"Righteo, let's go. The way to Reisch is through the North Gate." She prompted Vo into a walk.

They both started a pleasant stroll along the path.

"Um, hello? Are you forgetting someone important here, like the main hero?" Zen snapped at them.

Lyra casually glanced back to see him. "Main hero? Please. Vo just said that to make your tiny ego swell double the size."

He flashed her a scowl and stormed up to bonk her on the head. "Well, whether you like it or not, I'm coming with. Vo still needs those coordinates to Akari." He folded his arms across his chest with lofty airs.

"Didn't you say she was last at the border town of Lashay? And then we saw she was back with her family?" Vo plainly recapped his knowledge of her whereabouts.

"Oh, someone's lost their value." Lyra teased Zen.

"I might have fibbed a bit. She was in the Lashay region, just not in the town."

Vo peered at him for sometime. "You're holding something back."

"Okay, fine." Zen let out a breath. "There's someone I'm trying to find for someone I know, who isn't Akari. It'll be good if I have some backup."

"Nice. Well good luck with that." Lyra jokingly slapped his arm.

"You're being mean!"

"You can just ask for my help, Zen. No need to dance around my feelings." Vo teased him.

"Feelings? Tsk, I can just come and get it anyway. I'm Akari's acolyte, remember?" Zen poked his tongue at Lyra.

"You're such a kid." Lyra sighed.

"Well we're not getting anywhere hanging around here. Let's hit the road." Vo restarted his walk.

"I recommend we stop at Shamerston Town. They have top class ale. And I know where to take the pill box that merchant friend gave you." Zen suggested their next destination.

Vo chuckled. "I suspected as much, lead the way."

The three (four including Shane) continued their journey.

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