The Forge Of Kings

Chapter 27: The Pursuit of Peace.

     I walked along the faded paths of Calis, Some people tried to convince me to come out of the rain, take a break, I had no intention of stopping, I just kept pulling the wheelbarrow, I hadn't begun to feel tired, or hungry. I felt nothing, I just continued walking. Ryan rode up on a horse a little while after. He kicked over my wheelbarrow, and snapped his fingers in my face. "SNAP OUT OF IT, AKIRA!" his words echoed, as if he was in the distance, shouting from a mile away.

     He gripped my shoulders and shook me frantically, "AKIRA!" Thunder struck as he yelled, as if the gods agreed with the suggestion. I broke from his grasp and slammed him into the ground with my shoulder. I picked up my wheelbarrow and continued. Ryan ran ahead of me and blocked my way. "You cannot go through this alone, you can punch me, kick me, beat me all you want, but you cannot do this by yourself." His words echoed, but held on a pleading tone.

     There we stood in the pouring rain, at an impasse. I looked him in the eye, and did my best to make sure he heard me. "Leave. Me. Alone." I gripped the wheelbarrow and started to walk. Drake didn't follow me after that. I just walked to Sylhalin in silence.

     "There's someone at the gate!"
"Raise the gate, it's the queen!"
"You look like hell. What happened?"
I walked through town and ignored the stares, I dragged the wheelbarrow up the streets towards the northern outskirts, I decided I'm going to take him to the end of the road. I dragged him for hours. The rain let up about halfway through my journey there. I finally reached the edge of Sylhalin, the end of walls, roads, and civilization. I let go of the handles, and walked the short path to the cottage. I walked in and picked up the bottle of wine off the bedside table.

     I saw the ruffled bedsheets we had left early yesterday morning.

     "My God, I love you, you know that?" Drake's voice echoed in my ears. I scowled at the bed in fury.

      Why didn't I say it back? He deserved better. I turned and left, I walked back to Drake, I grabbed the handles and dragged him towards where we had the picnic. I sat in the grass and opened the bottle. "Cheers, to being alone, yet again." I took a swig and smashed it on the wheelbarrow. I proceeded to punch and kick the wheelbarrow, I'll admit, part of me blamed him for storming off. Getting himself killed.

     I sat there, watching the ships sail through the bay. After a while I got sick of sitting, I wandered the cottage grounds, I eventually found a shovel, I began to dig a hole where the blanket was, right where our picnic was.

     It took me hours, but I managed to get a hole dug, just before dark. I lowered Drake into the hole and covered him with the sheet. I began to fill the hole. "Akira?" I turned in search of the voice calling to me. I turned to see Ryan approaching me from the road. Walking along side him was Clea. I rolled my eyes, "Great, here to rub your miracle some more?" I tried to keep my tone cold and sharp, it was my intention to hurt him enough verbally to leave me alone.

     "No, we're here to make sure you get through this." He said. I scoffed at his words, and continued to fill the hole. All I had to do was save him, be quick enough to get him out of there alive, but no, I wasn't. I was to late. "TO LATE!" I screamed as I threw the shovel into the ocean and climbed out of the hole and charged to the cottage. Ryan stood there. At the head of the hole I had dug, watching me leave. I sighed, and turned around. "What do you want?" I asked low inpatient voice.

     "I am here for you, you don't want empathy, you don't want company, but you will want something eventually, I'm here, I'm your man." He said in a calm tone, I walked towards him. Within arms length. I locked eyes with him, I gave a gentle smile and then proceeded to spit on his armour. I turned and walked to the cottage, I slammed the door and threw a chair at the wall. I was about to lie down on the bed, but I couldn't bring myself to disturb the mess we left.

     I opened the closet and pulled out extra bedding. I build a makeshift bed in front of the fireplace and found myself sleeping. I woke up to Ryan lighting candles in the kitchen, and Clea reading a book on the bed. I immediately got up and pushed her off the bed. I frantically tried to restore what she had destroyed. "WHAT WERE YOU THINKING!?" I shouted. She sat on the floor and cried, Ryan helped her up, and sat her at the kitchen table, not paying any attention to me.

     "Beef stew?" Ryan asked, as he filled bowls at the table. I huffed, "Why can't you just leave me alone you repulsive freak? I don't want your help, nor do I need your help, LEAVE ME ALONE." I marched to the door and slammed it as hard as I could. I took to the road and walked back, I turned and avoided town, the last thing I need, is to be gawked at some more, Or god forbid helped. I walked until I reached the western wall of Sylhalin. I walked through the guards tower and came out in the Sarnawenian Forests. I wandered south for a bit, in a forest just above Zodan.

     I walked through the forest, the roof beginning to close the deeper I went, the air became thick, I continued to trek through the smog until I collapsed, the last thing I remember was being picked up by a tree. Finally. Death.

     The next thing I remember is a firm grasp around me. Holding me in place, "What the hell is it holding?" A man asked. "How would I know?" Another said. I let out a groan. This thing is squeezing me, "It's a woman, Jaeger! Charge it!" I groaned some more, these guys are not making this thing happier. OW. HOLY HELL. I tried to open one eye, the one man slashed the trees arm three quick swipes, and I fell to the ground, The one man dragged me back, I watched as the other continued to fight the tree, and then did a back flip backwards towards us. They both began reciting some sort of mantra, and not long after a shimmering glow rose above us and prevented the tree from hitting us.

     The one man knelt down beside me, "Hello, I'm Takka and this is Jaeger, what's your name?" Jaeger continued reciting the mantra and keeping the tree at bay. I furrowed my brow and tried to stand. "Woah, woah, woah. You shouldn't try to stand up, you're weak, you should rest." Takka seemed to believe what he was saying. I scoffed and stood up, "Should've let me die." I mumbled, Takka began reciting the mantra once more and a bubble appeared before me, he waved a finger back and forth. I slammed on the bubble in fury.

     Takka kept me trapped, I was forced to watch Jaeger fight the tree. Arm. Leg. Leg, then root appendages sprouted from the ground. Jaeger slashed the sword through the tree, and the blast threw him back into Takka's barrier. Takka knelt down over his friend, attempting to wake him. A woman rose from the trees ashes, she gripped her head and approached the clerics. "What happened?" Takka ignored her, continuing to pray for the shield encasing me.

     I slammed my fists against the bubble, but I doubt my words escaped. The woman stood at around my height, about average, she had platinum blonde hair and blue eyes. She wore tattered clothes unlike the clerics, I couldn't speak for myself cause my gown had been ripped to hell. Takka stopped reciting the mantra and the shield fell away. I turned and stormed away, but I didn't get far before I fell unconscious again.
     "I'll get her." I heard Takka say. "Would you get him please?" He asked. I heard the woman give a verbal agreement. I just want to be left alone.

     Alone. Please God, leave me alone.