The Realmsic Conquest: The Hero of Legend - Book 1 [2015 Watty Award Winner]

Chapter Fifty-Two

The castle corridors bustled with Legionaries racing to their assignments and with the Warlord's staff attending to their daily duties. Seku, however, roamed mindlessly through it all, heading towards the mess hall. Since speaking with Igthu and seeing his battered condition, his heart filled with disappointment and uncontrollable anger. He was upset with the Warlord but, most of all, he was upset with himself.

Living as many years as he had, Seku knew the ways of men in power and their quest for more. But he thought Damian was different. The great leader's words of equality and peace were like precious milk to a starving stomach, and Seku drank it up.

He felt special, being personally chosen by the Warlord to work with him. He thought Damian respected his experience and accomplishments. But, in reality, Seku simply fit his needs, nothing more. As an older soldier, he was less likely to be suspected of espionage. It was easier for him to slip through the ranks unnoticed and acquire information from those willing to confide in an experienced comrade. Yet, Seku himself had been betrayed. For Damian had deceived and used him, just as the old soldier had used his own fellows. It burned him up to be so gullible.

As he finally arrived at the mess hall, he found it surprisingly empty. Since the now infamous escape, patrols had been doubled throughout the kingdom, which left little free time for the men. As he grabbed a tray and walked into the chow line, he glanced across the cafeteria and spotted a familiar face. In fact, he'd recognize that hideous scar anywhere. It belonged to Reeze, the new friend he'd met not too long ago during dinner. Seku took a few slices of bread and grabbed a spoonful of veggies.

"No mystery meat this time," he told the kitchen server.

Holding his tray in both hands, he walked over to where Reeze was sitting.

"May I?" he asked.

Reeze, chewing a mouthful of food, nodded his approval. As Seku sat, he could instantly tell that Reeze was in a foul mood.

"You okay, friend?"

The soldier looked up from his meal. Seku immediately saw that the side of his face opposite the scar was extremely red and swollen.

"What happened? Looks like you got kicked in the face."

Reeze rolled his eyes. "Maybe because I did."

Seku stared at him, expecting a joke. But none came. "You're serious, aren't you?"

"Why would I joke 'bout that?" he asked mid-chew.

"I don't reckon you would. I guess you were one of the guards blamed for the dungeon escape?"

Upon hearing the comment, Reeze completely stopped eating. "How you know 'bout that?"

"An old soldier has his ways. I don't know the details of what happened, but I do know that you all were unjustly punished. It doesn't make sense for a so-called great leader to treat his own men like that. It doesn't teach discipline; it doesn't strengthen the unit. It's just cruel!" Seku paused. He could feel himself getting angry again at his own situation.

"Yeah well, be that as it may, there ain't nothin' any of us can do 'bout it."

The old soldier disagreed. "There's always something that can be done. You're telling me it doesn't just burn you up, the things that have been going on around here lately?"

"Of course it does!" he retorted. "Don't get me wrong. Yeah, I wanna live free from magic. But torturin' civilians, and getting' beat up by our superiors ... this ain't what I signed up for." He leaned in closer, "I even know of others who feel the same way as me. But like I said, what can we honestly do about it?"

"You could leave." The words slipped out of Seku's mouth before he could think about them.

Reeze threw back his head and laughed. "You mean desert?"

"No, no, no," Seku said. "I mean ... just leave." The old soldier discreetly glanced around before speaking again in a whisper. "Think about everything that's happened to you personally ... the abuse you've endured, the friends you've lost, the feelings of resentment you now have toward those who've lied to you. Now, think about having a way out of it all."

The soldier politely laughed, but was clearly uncomfortable. "Well, yeah, I would if I could. But where we gonna go? There's no safe place for a Legionarie. We came into the Realm as liberators and have turned out to be tyrants. Anywhere we go, we'll now be hated."

"What if I told you that there was a way out. Would you be interested?"

Reeze sat completely still, his focus unwavering. "You serious, ain't you? You're actually thinkin' 'bout ... leaving?" he barely said the last word.

"I will not confirm, nor deny," Seku stated.

The soldier held up both his hands, gesturing for him to stop. "You gonna get us both killed, talkin' 'bout this!"

"You gonna tell on me?"

"What? Of course not!" Reeze exclaimed, shaking his head. "Look, my reasons for leavin'—if I were even considerin' such a thing—have been etched into my face. But explain to me, what are your reasons? Why are you doin' this?"

"I'm not doing anything," Seku retorted.

"Okay, then humor me. What's your angle in this?"

The old soldier, knowing he walked a dangerous line, chose his next words carefully.

"If I were thinking of doing this, it would be because of a young soldier enlisted in the Legion. The boy is like my son and, like you, he was blamed for the King's escape and mercilessly beaten."

Reeze didn't respond. He simply allowed Seku to continue. "How long will this go on? I've seen the Warlord unleash hell on the people of Centre Pointe for the sake of freedom, and then turn on his own men with the same indiscriminate ruthlessness. I swear to you, that's not a leader at all. That's a monster! And I fear that if we wait around for the next stages of this campaign, it's only a matter of time before you, me, or my son are somehow killed by our own leader."

Seku paused, letting his words sink in. "So I ask you comrade, friend. If there were a way to leave this all behind, would you be in, or would you be out?"

It didn't take long for Reeze to consider the proposition. "You crazy, man. But apparently, so am I. I'd be in." Reeze clasped hands with Seku, which was the soldier's code of honor—sacred and unbroken.

"May our bond set us free, comrade," the old soldier proclaimed. "We're now in this together. Where are you assigned usually?"

"The infirmary," Reeze replied.

Seku grabbed his tray and stood up from the table. "For now, let's continue to meet here ... every other night. I'll feed you information as I receive it. Sound like a plan?"

"Yeah," Reeze said.

"Good. Until then, keep this conversation to yourself."

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