Another Lost Soul

Chapter 15

"You'll begin training here now." Han led me into the arena and tossed a large axe at my feet. "You'll fight with Alenor's weapon of choice."

"What for?"

"Because doing so will wound him greatly." He smiled softly. "When you're not in the arena, you'll be running errands for me."

"Okay, but I've only been training for a week! I don't think it's safe enough to-

"I'll see you on the other side, Amir. Don't drop that weapon until your opponent is dead or immobile."

"But- hey-!" He left before I could ask him anything else, the arena bustling with people of all kinds. I don't think I'm ready for this.

A man with blonde hair and an annoyed look in his eyes stepped out from the opposite side of the arena, sighing. "It's been a while since they made me come out here. I assume you're the one I'm fighting?"

"Guess so." I carefully picked up the heavy axe and stepped back. "What did you do to warrant this kind of fate?"

"Black magic." He stepped closer to me and held out his hand. "Also misguiding pirates into the jaws of sirens."

I stared at his hand. "Its my first time fighting. Mind if we just get this over with?"

"Oh, really? I was hoping you'd be merciful. Looks like my lucky day." He smiled brightly and bowed down. "Be my guest."

Most of those I had to kill had come to terms with it, so the day wasn't too hard for me. I sat in my room at the end of the day, staring at the ceiling. I'm tired.

A small blue snake slithered it's way through the bars of my window, plopping down at my feet and curling around my ankle. I froze in place, nervous. "Are you a magic snake or a normal snake?"

I eyed the note tied around it's body, sighing and unraveling it. The snake wrapped around my wrist and circled my finger as I flipped open the letter.

Strange things are happening. I fear for the lives of my family. You're the only one who can help me.

I'm aware of your memory loss, though either way you wouldn't know who I am. We aren't close, but I've been watching since your return.

I refuse to wear a necklace of chains  alongside my children.

Meet me in the center of town at midnight. We aren't alone.

-Traveler

I can hear a crowd changing outside my window, screaming at the castle with weapons in hand. They're being fought off by guards.

In the center of the crowd is Alenor, who's saying nothing. All he does is stare at my window, flaming violet eyes piercing through the metal bars and meeting my own. Small bursts of whispers cross my ears, slithering into my brain as the blue snake coils at my neck. "Go. Go- Flee-" the whispers mix with each other, each one edging me closer to the bars. "Run- Escape- Flee- Go. Go. Go- Flee-"

"They're protesting something. What is it? Why is he telling me to go?"

The whispers all fell quiet, one standing I've the others as their chants made way to my brain. "An innocent man is taken for each tragedy you face, Han. I curse your kingdom to fall with bloody skies and your soldiers to burn. I curse you to be alone for eternity as payment for the damage you have done." The whispered curse grows in my ears, Alenors voice clear over the crowd. "Die that way."

"Amir." Han stepped into my room, adjusting his tie and grabbing my attention. "You're sure getting a lot of negative attention."

"I expected as much."

"You've got one more. It needs to be done today, so we should get it out of the way while we're still burning daylight."

"Oh. What did they do?"

"It's a child. Meet me at the arena." He left the room, leaving me speechless. A child? What could I child have possible done to warrant death?

I did as he asked, walking into the crowded arena with shaking hands. "A kid....a child..."

"I didn't do it!"

"Doesn't matter if you did it or not, He thinks you're guilty so you are." One of the guards dragged a ten year old in front of me. "Don't bug out on us, Amir. I know you're new but This is how things are done. Kid killed his siblings."

"You! You look kind." The kid looked down, nervous. "Please...believe me. I didn't do it."

"He won't actually kill a child, will he?!" Voices from the crowd worm their way into my gut, leaving me nauseous. "There's no way he did it."

"If you're in here, there must be proof that you did. He wouldn't toss just anyone in here."

"But-"

"I apologize." I lifted my axe. "I hate to do this, but I kind of have no choice. Fight back, okay?"

"I don't want to live with them gone, I just....I don't want to die guilty for something I didn't do! Look at me! Do I really look like I would kill the people I love?!"

"Looks don't matter. What matters is whether you've commit the crime or not." I slammed the axe down into his head, flinching as his blood splattered my torso. "I'm sorry, Kid."

I nearly stumbled at the sound of riots starting in the seats, soldiers protecting me from those attempting to jump over the railing and attack me for what I'd done.

"That was quite heartbreaking." Han walked inside and pulled the axe from the child's head, throwing it behind me. "He really was innocent."

I swallowed. "What?"

"That child's family was murdered right in front of him and yet he was blamed. I charged him guilty for a number of reasons but...I didn't think you'd actually have the guts to go through with such a thing."

"You made me kill an innocent person? Why?"

"Why not?"

"I-...I'm risking everything I have just by standing here! I did this for Alenor, not for you!"

"You must know how my general feels. To think he saved your life and got nothing but pain in return. You treat him like garbage."

"I didn't ask him to save my life."

"Alenor didn't ask you to stand here, did he?" He crossed his arms. "By doing this, you gain nothing but hatred from him. Same goes for Jalaiah."

"You said I'd be doing good by getting rid of criminals."

"You're doing good for entertainment purposes."

"You-..."

"Oh don't give me that look. Did you really think I was doing you a favor?"

"You lied to me."

"Everybody lied to you, don't pin it all on me. I'm not the bad guy here."

"Are you suggesting that I am?"

"You're a killer."

"Because you made me that way!"

"And what will those people think?" He grabbed my face and forced me to look at the arena's audience. "They'll see you as a scary killer. The black sheep of the town, the taker of lives in the west. They'll see you as the Reaper. No matter what led you here, it's who you are now that they can see."

"But that's not me, I-...I'm not a killer!"

"And yet look at your feet." He let go of my face and stepped back from the body beneath me. "Innocents...dead."

"Innocents?"

"Everyone you killed today was innocent. They just came to terms with their upcoming execution."

"You made me do it...that's not fair!"

"Life's not fair." He scowled, black hair falling into his eyes. "Grow up and get over it like the rest of us have."

My heart sunk. "You're horrible."

"I'm as god made me. So was the owner of that blood on your clothes."