The King's Remorse

It Wasn't Him, It Was Me

The black cat's muscles bunch and he launches himself toward me, jaws parting as flames obscure my view of everything but himself. His fiery eyes blaze in sick delight. Light glows on Wolf's forearm. I'm rooted to the spot, unable to move. Phoenix drops to the ground, frozen, as the scorpion bursts to life on Wolf's skin. "You can't kill him." Wolf's voice is strong, sure, but it cracks. His eyes flicker to Wolf briefly before returning to me, burning in seething fury. Why is she defending me? Doesn't she know it's my fault Dove is dead? And doesn't she know weakness gets you killed? I look up at her in horror. How does she not know this stuff?

"He's not going to hurt you. But do you truly want to be a Soldier and the Dust Devil?" Wolf looks up at me, and her face holds an expression I can't identify. My gaze falls to the ground, and I see the blood soaking into the soil and making scarlet mud. After a minute or 2, I manage to choke out, "n-no." Time seems to stop momentarily as I come to terms with the fact that I just admitted, out loud and to other people, that I didn't want to be a Soldier. My shoulders shrug up as I brace myself for the punishment that surely awaits me.

But it never comes. My eyebrows furrow. I just said I don't want to be a Soldier or the Dust Devil. Why aren't they doing anything? Phoenix watches me, eyes narrowed. Wolf doesn't react. "I knew there was something going on, but I didn't want to think anything for sure until I heard it from you," Miles says.

"Is he lying, Wolf?"

"No, Phoenix, he's not." The black cat curls his lip. He rakes his claws through the soil but remains where he is. Why aren't they doing anything? Weakness gets you killed! Especially if you're high up in the ranks of Guard and Soldier. My eyes flicker up as I glance at each of them before my gaze returns to the bloody soil.

Pisces squirms on the back of my neck but it doesn't start to burn.

"What's your actual... Goin' out on a limb here, but the despicable KG14 named you, right? Where'd he come up with the terrible name 'Dust Devil' anyways? Don't trust you for a heartbeat, but for now, I'm not killing you. Take it or leave it." Instinct begins to kick in but I choke back the urge to defend Bryant.

"I-I. D-Dust-..." my voice trails off before I eventually murmur, "Luke." It's so quiet I'm not sure if any of them heart me. I just sealed my fate, didn't I?

"Luke?" I nod in response to Miles. I can't speak; the fear has taken away my voice. Why aren't they doing anything? Don't they know what I've done? I've said I don't want to be a Soldier and the Dust Devil. Don't they know how the ranks of Soldiers work? Weakness gets you killed!

"Well, I'm outta here. I've got a so-called King to kill. Was hopin' you'd be able to give me some information as to how to destroy this King, but it seems you can't. What a shame..." The tip of Phoenix's tail flicks as he rises to his paws and begins to pad away. He watches me carefully out of the corner of his eye. He's testing me, I realize. He wants to see if I've really lost my loyalty to Bryant. He trusts Wolf, but not that much. Maybe he's still hoping I'll say I believe in Bryant. I don't agree with him, but my whole life has been following him and trying to become the model Soldier everyone thinks I was. My body remains frozen until I manage to break through. "W-wait."

"Hm?" Phoenix turns around.

"What," I pause. "What do you want to know?"

"What do you know?" The black cat smiles, but there's nothing friendly in it.

"I... I'm the righthand man of the King. Or was. I don't know if I still am. Or will be. He doesn't know that I didn't kill Wolf. But he probably does now."

"You were supposed to kill me?"

"Yeah. But I couldn't. It wasn't right. Doesn't make up for the fact I didn't refuse, but I'm sorry." My shoulders fall and I look to the ground. Guilt tears through my heart. Wolf doesn't reply.