Arcanum

Chapter 21: Lucas

I was tired.. Tired that the rebels came back on the same day. Not only that, but I was also using my father's blade again because I still didn't have a new sword.

It wasn't as bad as the first time I used it today, but it still stung like fury on my already burnt hands.

When it became too painful, I dropped it mid battle, and the catori renegade chuckled and swiped at me with their sword.

I ducked under, and kicked them hard in the stomach and sent them back.

I gripped my burnt hands, and cringed.

"Damn humans always messing things up." The catori rebel growled at me.

"You kidding me? The humans want nothing more than to end this war!" I barked as I picked up my sword and quickly stabbed the catori before it could reply.

I breathed deeply as I rubbed my still injured arm, and looked down at my arms. They were suffering from a high degree burn.

I dropped the sword and hugged myself. How did my father fight with this blade without even an injury!?

I heard a battle cry, and I turned to see the catori princess, surprisingly fighting. Fighting the catori renegades though?

"What are you doing?" I asked her, and she ran over, and narrowed her eyes at my wounds.

"You shouldn't be fighting like this."She warned, and I let out a harsh, sarcastic laugh.

"And leave my army? No way." I told her, and grabbed the blade from the ground, but flinched when it sent another powerful jolt through my arms, and I felt it in my chest this time, and I almost dropped it.

I quickly sheathed it, and looked around.

"I need to find the commander." I told her, but she shook her head.

"I will." She told me, but I disagreed quickly.

"I'm going to find the commander. You're not apart of this fight. You shouldn't even be here." I told her firmly, and I raced off.

It was soon that I found a confident looking man standing in a group of catori.

It had the face of a rat. I could see that from a distance for sure.

I jumped high, and slashed down on the man, and hit him on the shoulder.

He yowled in pain, and fell to the ground.

Soon, catori people around me began to attack, but the princess appeared and slashed them away.

I tried to grab my sword, but every movement begun to hurt more and more.

I hissed when I grabbed the hilt, and couldn't pull it from it's sheath.

"Lucas!" I heard a cry from somewhere behind me. The rat man kicked my feet and made me fall. He glared down at me and rose his sword.

But he never got to strike. Trisha intervened when she stood over me, and blocked his sword with her own.

She pulled me up, and striked at him quickly. That's something I always secretly admired about her. She may not be super strong. But she's very quick.

The man was on his knees, and she held her sword at his throat.

"Retreat." She threatened dangerously. The man narrowed his eyes, but I could see his face pale slightly.

"Alright, alright. Retreat!" He had almost a high voice. But the catori people ceased fighting, and quickly disappeared into the forest.

Trisha let the commander go, and I finally fell back.

"Lucas!" She exclaimed and caught me before my back hit the ground.

"Thanks." I said to her, and she smiled, before she glared at the princess.

"What are you doing here..? Did you lead the catori here?!" She spat at the princess, and the princess glared back.

"Trisha no.. Just let her go." I said to Trisha, and she blinked in confusion.

"What about that assassination mission? You never completed it. You could now and end the war."

"But then one side would win and things would be left uneven. We need to settle this properly." I explained, and Trisha stared at me.

"You know the king will never agree to that. He'll probably kill you on the spot for thinking such things." She told me, and I chuckled weakly.

"Oh well, at least I got to realize it." I said to her, and then looked at the princess.

"Just go." I said to her, and sat up, flinching as I did so.

The princess rushed from the battlefield, and I looked in misery at all the blood that stained the once beautiful field.

"We need to get you back to that medic. You're not using that sword for a while either. Just get someone to forge it." Trisha explained, and I nodded and stood up.

Trisha supported me all the way to the medic, and I let them bandage me up.

Was it bad that I prefered Aiyana doing them though? Her hands were so more soft.

* * *

It's been a couple hours after the battle, and it was night.

I snuck out of my room, and got to my horse.

I secretly brought my father's sword with me. I had it bandaged well, so it didn't sting when I had it equipped on my back.

I got to my horse, and jumped on and hurried to the border that seperates the outside world to the humans.

Sure enough, I saw my father standing there.

I rode over, and got off in front of him.

It was awkward for a little to be honest. He just stared at me, and I stared back at him.

"That sword.." He murmured, and I nodded.

"I used it today. Someone broke my other sword." I said to him, and he smiled grimly.

"You shouldn't use that blade until you're ready. Those burns on your arms.. They were caused from the blade, weren't they?" He asked, and I shyly looked away.

"I guess my sword cut didn't help you either." My dad chuckled, and I glared at him.

"Sorry." He said, and rubbed my hair and soon messed it up, just like he used to when I was younger.

"Well I guess I should train you to wield that blade." My father huffed, and I stared at him in shock.

"What?! No dad I'm super busy as it is! Training during the, usually wars go on, and then the king usually sends me out on solo missions during the night!"

I exclaimed quickly, and he shrugged.

"I guess you do need sleep. Huh. Well you do your own private training, right?" He asked, and I nodded slowly.

"Well just come here then!"

"Won't the king get suspicious?"

My father frowned, and then shrugged.

"Just say you're hunting. That's what I used to do to communicate with my friend." He said, and I nearly flinched.

It reminded me of how he was banned and shunned from here.

He became friends with a catori, so he got kicked out of the kingdom.

I sighed, and looked around before I agreed.

"Fine. I'll come in two days. Tomorrow is my day off. The medics have forbid me from even holding a blade." I explained, and my dad chuckled.

"At noon?" I asked, and he nodded.

"I'll see you then, son." He said, and turned away.

"Wait! How's mother doing?" I asked, smiling a little. My father turned to me, and his gaze was cold. Colder than cold. I felt that he could start an iceage with that glare.

"She died two months ago to a group of catori people."