Green embers

chapters 8-10

Chapter 8

Talking about Haku really wore me down. After Reif left, I had dinner and went to bed early. It was a really strange day. I blurted out almost everything about my brother to a person I'd just met. I have to say, it is mostly because he tricked me. Then it occurred to me that maybe he lied to get me to talk. Did he really have an older brother? Was he really executed? Did he just make that up, the whole thing?

Maybe that's the reason why he turned away when I asked him about his older brother. He'd have to invent a story to keep me talking in return. I bet he's making it up right now, wondering what fresh tragic ideas he can come up with to trick me the next time we meet. What sinister evil! I can't believe I got fooled so easily. Then again, I wasn't lying when I said that I would've told him about Haku sooner or later. It wasn't necessary for him to blurt out his secret or make up a story.

‘But why did I tell him?’ I thought in anguish. How could I be so naive? I shouldn't blame Reif for tricking me. I should blame myself for being tricked. Strange but I couldn't deny the sincerity he put into his words. His tone was honest, the kind of tone Haku used when he spoke to me. What a coincidence, that they would have something in common; Reif and my brother.

I got it! That's why it was so easy for me to let my guard down. Reif…in some way…was like Haku. I don't know him that well to judge him, but Reif is the first person since Haku who’s talked to me like a normal person, not as a royal prince. Sure he still calls me prince, but the tone he speaks with...this is absurd; Haku's soul can’t be in Reif' body! That's the most ridiculous idea! I know there are strange things in this world but bringing back the souls of the dead, that's purely fictitious. Even though I wish it could be true...

I woke up really early the next day. I felt strange and as I walked out of my room and opened the hallway window, I remembered my last thoughts before I had fallen asleep. I looked up at the gray sky and decided to start the day without much thought into last night’s weird thinking.

It was dawn so only the servants were awake, cleaning up the palace. Other than that, everything was quiet, except... I heard a strange noise that I didn't use to hear before. It was clattering, like the sound of steel...I followed the sound as best I could. The servants looked at me strangely as I went back up the staircase but I didn't care. I followed the noise till I reached the roof of the palace. The four towers at each corner were high above me. The royal guards were there, some were dozing off while standing, others just pretended they didn't see me. I walked towards the western side of the palace and that’s when I saw the source of the sound. Not too far away, at the roof of the western castle, I saw two people, dueling. Their sword crossing was the source of the sound, reverberating through the air. I looked closely, trying to identify the two duelers. None was wearing a uniform, just trousers and white shirts. One was taller than the other, with long fair hair, tied into a pony tail, almost until his waist. It swayed through the air as he moved swiftly back and forth. There is only one person I know with that kind of hair and that is Erwind. He is a year older than Conrad but he along with Cielo seem like really close friends. The last time I saw Erwind was during my little escapade in the city.

I shifted my attention to the other person, trying to identify him as well. The streak of messy brown hair that moved around didn't help. There are a lot of people with that kind of hair color. I know it isn’t Conrad because he and Erwind are of almost the same height. This guy is tall but not close to Erwind's height. I looked more intensely. Alas, the two duelers stopped. As they saluted, the mystery dueler bowed and when he straightened, Erwind patted him on the shoulder before they put their swords back to their sheaths. They disappeared for a second as they picked up their coats from the ground. Erwind, of course wore a captain's uniform and the other wore a blue uniform with the crest of the 6th squad division...