I pulled on my trousers and walked towards the door. The person on the other side pounded one last time. "What do you want?" I said opening the door to Analise.
"What I want is an explanation as to why my fiancé was found near the edge of town, unconscious." She said pushing her way past me and into the room.
"Yes, feel free to come into my room. What are you talking about?" I said, closing the door behind her.
"Louis, my fiancé. Was found unconscious near the edge of town, he was last seen looking for you after I told him what happened this morning." She said looking at me in my eyes.
"Well, he never found me." I said not looking away.
"He told me what happened between you. You used magic to shock him." She said, poking my bare chest.
"What else did he tell you?" I said, feeling my eyes darken and magic rush to my fingertips.
"He said, you're not who you say you are."
"Did he now? Did he tell you who he thinks I am?" I grinned
"No, he didn't but I honestly don't care who you actually are. But you shouldn't do what you did. You were given a gift and you should use it to help people not hurt them."
"Spare me the lecture, the old man used to do the same thing,"
"Well, he was ri-" I cut her off and grabbed her neck.
"Never utter those words in my presence." She grasped at my hands. I let her go and she took a step back coughing.
"You're a monster." She gasped, rubbing the red mark I had left.
"Don't act surprised, I could have easily killed that peasant fiancé of yours and you. So you should act grateful." I said sparking magic between my fingertips.
"You're him aren't you? The man who Mathios killed." Her voice lowered to barely a whispered, "I healed you, showed you compassion and kindness. This is how you treat those people? By almost killing them."
"How many times do I need to remind you, staying my hand and not wiping this stain off the map is my kindness." I glared at the woman.
"How can a man who was trained by such a kind man be so cruel?" She whimpered.
"Because I am too much like the old man in his youth." I sneered, this conversation was straining the little bit of patience I had left for this village. What a bother this place had been. Judging by her words it was still the same day. "Now, wench if there is nothing else. Leave me be and don't come back or my gratitude will run out."
I saw tears in her eyes as she headed towards the door, "I hope Mathios finds you and finally puts you in the ground because that's where you belong." She slammed the door behind her and I sighed as I was alone. This town was trying my patience and it was quickly running out. I looked around and rubbed my face. I needed an actual good night's sleep and not being interrupted. I love Amelia and desperately wanted to be by her side but right now I wanted to be left alone.
I walked back to the bed and fell into it. I was exhausted from everything. I closed my eyes and soon drifted off. After what had seemed to be only 5 minutes, I awoke to yelling and screaming.
"-re is h-" I could barely make it out, but that voice was one I could place anywhere. It was Mathios lacky, Fernando. That was quick, surprisingly quick. I figured I would have left town before they caught up to me here. I hate when I'm wrong. I sprang up and threw on my clothes. I grabbed the book and put it in the Library. As I put the strap on my shoulder the door burst open and two armed men walked in.
"Koga Yurill, you're under arrest for crimes against the good people of Gharnet" Fernando said walking in to the room.
"Ferny, how ya been pal? It's been too long. I thought that peasant Mathios ditched you, because I don't remember you being there when that idiot thought he actually murdered me." I smiled widely at the man, mocking him.
"Mathios isn't capable of murder, you lie."
"What do you mean? Ask him yourself, I had been defeated. Helpless, able to be restrained and taken in for trial for my crimes. No, Ferny. He's very capable of murder. He threw me out a window and fate intervened to save my life."
"No, that's not what happened. Mathios wouldn't lie to me. You couldn't be reasoned with, he said. You couldn't have been restrained, he said."
"I had been disarmed Ferny. I barely had enough energy to heal the most grievous of my wounds or else I would have died. There was a deep cut on my palms from my own sword."
"Shut up. I refuse to listen to your lies anymore. Now hands behind your head and knees on the ground."
"I don't think so, Ferny. You see I have places to be and kingdoms to conquer. So I can't turn myself in quite yet." I summoned the fire ball in my hand and ran towards the window. I dove through the glass and as I fell I threw the spell into my room. It exploded with a thundering roar and left a cloud of smoke trailing from the open window. I hit the ground with a thud and looked up as there was soldiers everywhere.
"Dammit," I groaned, getting up, wiping off the pieces of glass from my clothes.
"Get him, he's right there," Fernando leaned out the window and yelled at the men. I saw a group of soldiers running towards me. I summoned another fireball and threw it in the middle of the men. The resulting explosion sent the men flying and as the flames licked the walls a few of them caught fire. I silently swore, I wanted to burn this town down but not like this. A couple of the men had caught fire and were screaming in pain and running. One of them fell into an open window and soon smoke was billowing out. This wasn't good, I had to leave now. I started running and as I rounded a corner another group of guards were standing there. How many guards did they send after me? I was honored by the amount but it was a real pain in my ass. I turned around and kept running.
"Hey, stop in the name of the Queen." One of them yelled as I ran. I had no intention of being captured today or any day for that matter. I could hear the sounds of their feet hitting the ground in pursuit of me. The town was starting to really burn now, people were screaming for buckets of water and about how this couldn't be happening. Some of the flames must have jumped from house to house and as I turned to cast another fireball I ran into something. I fell backwards and when I looked up I saw Louis standing there.
"Where do you think you're going, scum?" He grabbed my robe and lifted me up. "You're a wanted man, you're burning down my town, and you made my fiancé cry. I should kill you myself"
His fist connected with my face and I reeled in pain. He didn't hit as hard as Mathios but it still hurt. Then he pulled back for another swing and connected with my stomach this time knocking the air out of my lungs. I groaned in pain. He threw me to the ground and pulled out what looked like a skinning knife. Mathios had sunk low enough to kill me, and this peasant was certainly not Mathios. I started waving my hands and Louis brought down his boot on one of them forcing me to stop casting the spell.
"Your fancy tricks won't help you get out of this mess." He said, crushing my hand under his boot. I yelled in pain. I looked around and didn't see anyone or anything except the burning town. I felt the cold metal against my throat now. My quest was at its end by a lowly peasant. I couldn't believe it, was there nothing I could do to get myself out of this. Killed by a peasant, what would grandfather think? I started laughing at that thought.
"I guess it is true that when a man is confronted with his own death, they go mad." Louis said, smiling at my plight.
"I'm not laughing at my death, peasant. Like I would laugh at you killing me." I said, slowly gathering energy into my free hand.
"What are you laughing at then?" He said forcing the knife harder into my throat.
"You wouldn't get it, I'm the only one who would anyway." I smiled at him. I lifted my head and gave him open access to my throat, "Do it if you're going to do it then."
I felt the blade start moving across my neck and then a bright light filled my vision. The feeling of the knife vanished and I heard Louis scream. I blinked a few times and when my vision cleared Amelia was standing there.
"What are you doing here love? I had this completely under control." I said, as I stood up.
"No, you didn't. I've been watching you this entire time from when you jumped out that window to right now." She said putting her hands on her hips. "You were handling yourself well until that peasant showed up. Quite the show if you ask me."
"Amelia, I didn't need your help. He wasn't going to kill me. I had one last trick up my sleeve."
"Sure you did, my dear. With your hands being crushed and you not being able to say any spells." She gave me a look.
"Seriously, I did though."I said, summoning a blade of shadows from my hand without using any words or hand motions. I looked at him, "Did you kill him?"
"He'll live, but he'll wish he was dead when he wakes up." She smiled at me with a sadistic smile.
"Death is still the final mercy, eh?"
"Of course, he should suffer for almost killing you." She said, putting her arms around my neck and kissing me. I got lost in her lips for a moment and snapped out of it when I heard yelling in the distance.
"I have to go, my love. I'll meet up with you later." I kissed her one final time and started running again. I turned back and saw her give me a smile, snapped her fingers and disappeared in a bright light. I shook my head and smiled, ever the drama queen.
I turned the corner and saw Analise in the distance, she was helping people get to safety. I kept running towards her and narrowly avoided hitting her and the old woman she was helping. I felt something grab my collar and stop me in my tracks.
"This is your doing, Koga." She said, turning me around and looking into my eyes. There was such hatred in them.
"You're half right, if the guards didn't show then this wouldn't have happened." I tried to explain.
"They only appeared because you're here. No you, no guards." She screamed. I have never seen a woman this angry before "This is my home, you bastard. This is the place I've loved the most ever since I could remember and you've taken it away from me."
"This wasn't supposed to happen like this. I'm sorry, Lise"
"You're sorry? Sorry doesn't bring back the buildings that are burning, sorry doesn't bring back my friends that have died tonight, and sorry sure as hell isn't doing to make any of this better." She slapped me hard. My first instinct was to grab her but I fought it. I heard the guards yelling getting closer.
I looked in their direction and Analise looked as well. "I've got him right here. Come get this scum out of my town," she screamed at the top of her lungs. Not even a second had passed and a group of soldiers appeared. I knew what I had to do in order to flee. I grabbed Analise by her hand and twisted it behind her back
"I'll kill you if you try to break free." I whispered in her ear. I put the shadow blade against her throat and knew she could hear the blade begging to taste her blood. She looked at me with a mixture of fear and hatred.
"Come any closer and I kill the girl." I yelled at the guards approaching. They stopped dead in their tracks and I started to back away. I didn't plan on killing her but they didn't know that and neither did she. I looked behind me and saw the tree line was about 50 feet away. I swore silently as I kept heading there.
"Please let me go. I swear they won't come after you if you do," Analise whimpered.
"I'm sorry Lise. I can't do that, you're my guarantee out of here right now." I said in a low tone. The guards inched towards us, "I said not another step."
They stopped and swore at me calling me a coward. I sneered at them. I don't mind being called a villain but a coward. I'm certainly not one of those. I have stared down death several times and walked away. This time will be no different. I glanced behind me and saw 25 feet to the tree line.
"We're almost out of here, Lise."
"What does that matter? My home is burning to the ground. I don't know where my fiancé is."
"Louis is alive against my better judgement."
"Explain right now"
"I will after we get out of here" I said as the first tree passed us. I turned around and shoved her forward, "Follow me and I will kill her." I yelled towards the town. I looked at her and motioned for her to run. She nodded and started running, I followed close behind her.