Child of War (Tales of Autcrem)

Chapter nineteen, returning to war

Hensei ran as fast as he could. He felt as if he had been running forever. He had this horrible feeling in his gut, and he had to get back to Dodd. His entire body burned with Gesh, but he wasn't going fast enough. He made so much distance away from Dodd, but he had to get back. He couldn't leave him like this. Not now.

He knew it was safe, Dodd won, he had to have. So why did he feel like this? What was this horrible feeling? It was because of how Dodd looked when he ran. He looked at peace, like he had accepted his fate, but what was his fate!

He dodged between the trees that started to thin as he got to the place they had been. His lungs began to burn even with the Gesh. His legs started to roar like forest fires. He pushed on though, he had to, he couldn't slow down. It would be too late if it wasn't already.

Dodd why! Hensei shouted in his head. Why'd you have to do this! Why couldn't you just hand me over and end my miserable life? You had so much to live for. Why risk it all for a kid you barely knew!

What a dumb question. He knew it was, but he was full of so much anger, and despair, and sadness that he didn't know what to think. Of course, Dodd would risk his life for a human child. He risked it for so many others. Why wouldn't he risk it for another child he found.

So much to lose if he did, but how much would he lose if he didn't? How much of his soul would change if he handed Hensei over? How much of his life would become hypocrisy and lies? How much would everything lose their meaning if he decided to change who he was to keep what he loved? He couldn't stop being him and who he was, was a man who risked his life for a human child he barely knew.

Hensei tripped on a root as he ran. He hit the ground hard and slide a couple feet. He didn't stay down long, ignoring the little scratches and bruises. Before he could take another step, someone stood before him. He froze as he looked at the last man, he thought of seeing here.

"Captain," Hensei muttered as he looked on the strong and powerful stature of Tennsho Steelheart. A man who looked like the embodiment of steel. Powerful muscles, strong face, hard skin. His skin having that olive tone to of someone form Jezzues. He had eyes like steel and a jawline so strong you'd think it was made of metal.

"We've been looking for you for a while, Hensei." He said in a steel like voice.

"You've been looking for me this entire time. I've been gone for over a week." Hensei said, dumbfounded.

"And we've been looking for you over a week." He said, looking away and, in the direction, where Dodd was fighting.

"Captain, you have to help me," Hensei said, realizing what he was doing. "Please." He said, starting to run. He didn't know if the captain was following, but he didn't care. He had to get to Dodd.

Finally, he made it, he stumbled into the battle-worn field. Bodies laid torn across the ground. Blood painted the grass like a red sea. Hensei would have been stunned by how Dodd slaughtered them, but he was too focused on finding him. Then he saw it. The scene he was terrified to see.

Hensei walked slowly to the broken tree. On its trunk sat Dodd, more like a statue of him. He was covered in so much blood that Hensei thought it was impossible to bleed that much. He was horrified by the wound on his side.

Tears started to fill the corners of his eyes as he tried to hold them back. He just couldn't hold it in. This was harder than any mission, than any battle. Walking up to Dodd was more painful than any of it. It was the same pain he felt when he ran from his dad, when he turned away from his mother, when he watched an old man die in his arms.