Chương 47: LOVE

DRAC In the darkness of an underground passageway, I grabbed onto the slippery mage.

"Torquent". Veil screamed in anguish as his right arm spun on itself. He cast "REVOCATUM!" to stop his limb from becoming nothing but a wrunged rope of flesh and bone splinters. Ventus blew me back again; I was saved by my uniform once more. I pulled myself out of the stone wall.

"HOW!" Veil's grey hair shimmered as he readied himself for another barrage.

"Circles do not make the mage. Intelligence does. You're wasting your mana away like a child."

"DON'T CALL ME A CHILD!" And then he squandered mana like one.

"IGNIS!!" A gloved hand out. The seeing glass deconstructed the spell, deciphering its resonance. I matched it just in time.

"Deorsum!" The large fireball dropped down and exploded on the floor before me.

"How much mana do you have left after making those cursed humans?" Veil shifted on his feet. Realisation emerged on his pale face. He saw the Seeing Glass. And with it, I saw him enveloped in the blackest mana I had ever seen. He wanted to blurt out like a child, but he knew I had him.

"A Seeker. Damn it…" With his sculptured nose to the sky, Veil breathed in and out in concession to the reality in front of him. He can't return to being a normal civilian and enjoy the love and praise if I am still alive. But he chose the worst day to face me.

"I applaud you. I don't know how you did it without being a summoner, but it's impressive work overall."

"Of course –" Holding his injured arm, he stood proud.

"My handiwork is always sublime! At least someone understands the technical proficiency needed. The enormous amount of mana…" Veil sighed and snuffed out his flame spell.

"Tell her… Tell Vanesa… I am coming back for her." I spat on that request.

"I will tell her nothing." Ignoring my words, he blinked away. Leaving me in the darkness lit by a few fallen candles, adrenaline ran out, and I fell to weak knees, gathering my breath. I reclaimed my wits and looked over the devastation that was our battlefield. The tunnel was widened to twice its previous size. This is the power of an exhausted seventh-circle mage… I barely managed with four. I felt the presence of Huǒlóng on my back. Holding its hilt calmed me, letting me think of better days.

"Master… How much training is enough…?" My seeing glass kept an eye on the little mage, hopping through space until he was further than two leagues away from the city and too far for me to track. Sounds of swords and men echoed down the tunnel, and I ignored the pain all about my body. The job's not finished yet. VANESSA Above us, the battle was coming to an end, and Fjord men fled the only way they knew how, through the tunnels.

Initially running for their lives, but the moment they saw a woman whose beauty could charm kings, they hungered for her, trumping their will to survive. A tiny lady stepped in front.

"Get the girls. I will keep them at bay." A palm strike brought a storm underground, crashing into dozens of men. More than a hundred waited to fit through the tunnel.

"It's okay, I've got this." A girl screamed from the other side of a locked wooden door. A mana-enhanced kick broke the lock. A door swung open, and I was visited by that stench again. The scream came from a short, dark-haired girl with rosy cheeks. She was the girl that warned me. Below her, another girl lay dead, exhumed of her whole being until only bone, skin and long brown hair were left. Little by little, the body degraded into ash. A smiling priest grabbed the short-haired girl by the neck.

Blue light left her body and went into the satisfied priest. Mindless, my legs ran toward the man.

"GET OFF HER!!" I threw myself at the priest, tackling him down as Tarion taught me. I brought him down quick. Rickety arms scratched me like a feral kitten; I hit his arms and gave him a Tarion one-two punch.

"What were you doing to her?! What happened to her?" I pointed to the dead. He blinked hard; dizziness made him angry.

"DUCHESS!!?! AAAARGGHH!!!" Below me, the priest spewed gold energy and grasped my neck. I felt the effect of the chain again, but coming from this man instead.

"You and that damned DUKE! YOU LOT ARE THE PROBLEM!" Little by little, the strength to lift my arm was leaving me. My shoulders started to slacken; my back began to curl down.

"YOU ASK WHAT I DID! EXPERIENCE IT YOURSELF!" Heavier my eyes became. With each tired blink, I remember Hamber. The apple trees. The kind shopkeepers. The rough-talking geezers at the pub. … My mother. I still hadn't seen her yet. I wanted her to see the work I had done for the city. To show her the sacrifices she made for me were worth it. Take it back. Take back what's ours. I open my eyes to the rush of strength. My body responded to my will and strangled the bastard back.

My hand gripped tighter, choking the priest; a rush of warm energy flooded into me.

"HOW…! HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE!!!" I pressed on his trachea; golden mana flowed into me, saturating my mana channels deep with holy power. It didn't feel wrong or strange. It was as though it belonged.

"PlEAsE…" The priest said from shrunken, dry lips.

"How long have you done this?" My hands were still on his throat, and he failed to answer. I let off my strength to let him talk.

"Did any of the girls plead as you did?"

"Their sinful life was a waste! Only by becoming one with me will the sins be forgiven! As a follower of the church, you must understand—!" Circles turned.

"I don't." Something deep within me was driving me. Something I was hiding in the deep depth of my being boiled in fury. I made a decision.

"PLEASE…AHHHRRGH!" The priest's eyes bulged as I strangled. That man's face flashed on the priest's, and I squeezed harder. I pushed his neck into the floor, breaking the stone. I waited for gasps to end. The gold energy entered me from the lifeless body, and I finally let go.

"Duchess!!" Bieye ran to me holding the Vioden warrior's sword.

"I tried to… But there was a mana shield around you. I couldn't get in!"

"Oh…" Bieye helped me up slowly. But a small girl came forward out of hiding.

"Holly! You were alive!" Bieye hugged the short girl, weeping as if she would lose her again.

"I thought I was too late…." The others who hid came out of the shadow, running to Heal. A voiceless thought appeared in my head again—Voiceless, yet numerous at once. I reached out to the skittish Holly. Gold light leaked from my hand.

"Holly. Do you mind?" She shook her head. I touched the girl's shoulder. A million minuscule explosions erupted in my body. Someone was watching. From above. A land above. Not just one but many. Lightning sparked in my spine and in my limbs. My finger tingled. Two circles around my heart resonated with a deep tone. I opened my eyes and let go of the girl. Her cheeks became rosier, her skin less sickly. Her bruise on her neck disappeared as if it had never been there.

She lowered herself to me, and I guided her back up. With a finger to my lips, I made them all promise.

"Can you keep this a secret, please?" Everyone nodded. I am the saint. The realisation finally dawned on me. I really am… On the floor, withered to a husk, was a girl who deserved to be alive. If only I had been a little earlier. Next to her, I looked at the priest's degrading body. This is Tarion's life. A life saved and a life taken. But I do not regret it. Saint… I try my hardest to smile.

"Alright…" As though it were natural, I summoned gold light to my hands.

"All injured, come to me." TARION"This is nostalgic." A tether brought my greatsword to my hand. Not one to waste time, I aimed the point of my blade at Fjord's heart and raised my sword high. Sickly energy surprised me; I could barely create a mana shield fast enough. My mana shield broke to pieces, and my sword encountered the black slash. The black energy withstood my qi for a second before dispersing.

"GRACE!!" Beatrice's voice shouted. A bandit's left sword cut at my head. Only a mark on my nose as I leant away. A sword covered in black came from the right side. From my palm, Qi pulsed at it, but it was I who was pushed away.

"Get back to the guardhouse quickly!" The order was instantly followed. The Horn brought his tattoo back to his head and used the little mana he had to scamper away. A cross of black mana came flying from Rokkr's sword.

"GRACE!" That voice again. Coming from the corner, the injured fighter, tattooed from head to fingers, blocked the blast. Blonde hair turned ebony; black ink grew into wolf ears. Knocking away the mana, my bodyguard looked behind. His red eyes looked at me with fear.

"LOOK—" Sense 40 I knelt, letting two cut the air above me.

"Red-eyed boy… My blades have been meaning to taste your blood."

"COWARDS SHOULD KEEP QUIET!" A swift pivot and my sword cut upward. I hit away Rokkr's left sword. Umbra's steps slid me forward with insane speed. Hilt near my face in the posta di fenestra guard, I thrust deep, shooting off a mana blast that Rokkr weaved through and stabbed at my bowels with two blades. My greatsword hummed strangely, tuned as I imagined it as an extension of my being. Mana pulsed off its edge, and it shot through a surprised bandit's shoulder.

Rokkr roared in anguish while using his swords to lift my weapon upward. More of the mist covered his body to heal it as he struggled.

"It can't end here...!" A pulse of black blew away my weapon. Rokkr succeeded. My blade was free. The black mist crept on the last part of his face, and he was now cursed whole." His will shall be done." My greatsword rattled. Plonk 40% DAMAGE INCREASE AGAINST THE CURSED. Huh. Above Rokkr, I pulsed my greatsword, smashing it into the twin cursed blades. His feet dragged on the floor before Rokkr attacked with fury. 20 points in Senses and 20 points in agility were enough to evade and slide past. I inhaled.

Circles overcharge. A step taken leapt me closer. My sword became a silver blur. I swung with abandon, not caring if it hit. Overwhelming was the goal.

I kept attacking, slicing and dicing. QI engaged my muscles, so I didn't lack the stamina. And my willpower kept my strength up. I paused for a moment, and the cursed rokkr struck with his given chance. Sword point to the dark sky, I steel grated, making sparks. More sparks followed as I dipped down, allowing Rokkr's right sword to glide over me. A quick swoop and my cut went deep under Rokkr's ribs."

" The cursed Rokkr looked at his wound unfazed.

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Blood flew across the devastated street, gushing with tremendous pressure. A normal human would die from this. But Rokkr blades kept on slashing. I swerved from one slash, but I suffered a deep laceration. I tested my right leg. It will do. Rokkr stomped toward me, blood leaking down his side. With less mist covering his body, his scornful eyes shone red like mine.

"Coward, no longer."" HAHA, I thought I heard a boy scream something in the storm. That's what it was? Hehe. Cheeky bastard." Black mana flared like a bonfire from Rokkr.

"I advised him to ignore you. You were nothing but a low-circle weakling that caught me by surprise. But he was right all along. She was of importance. But your death was THE priority. You will put everything into jeopardy if I don't end you. Second-guessing him was the start of my failure… I must gain back his grace and bring your body to his feet."

"Better try your best." I saluted hard enough to make a bruise on my chest. I shouted for the whole of Black Shade to hear me: "For my house. For OSBERG!" Right leg leading, I took a 'tail' stance as my final guard. My first rival will fall tonight." For him… I give my life." The cursed man bellowed as he struck. KURT The cursed and the swordsman became blurry afterimages, zipping about the black shade like ghosts. Impacts cracked the air, bringing thunder to the streets.

Stone and soil gave way, blowing away like waves in a lake. Feet stomped on the ground; craters formed everywhere they ran. The cursed vicious attacks unleashed gusts of wind that brought buildings down to rubble. With too little mana, the tattoo receded to my hair. Exhaustion weighed on me, but I kept standing, offering a hand to the head maid whose skin was damaged by eye-wincing cuts. She slapped my hand away.

"Need to…help His Grace…"

"Just look at him; he is doing just fine!" A human dropped beside me, and a large hand hugged me in a familiar yet annoying way.

"Good, Milord."

"AHAHA. You are still to call me teacher, you bastard! Say it, or I will become a telltale." He winked.

"Milord." I looked up at the grinning Frost Knight.

"He knows now." The grin fell, and I felt happy.

"Oh", Loran shrugged.

"Out of luck, aren't you? If my nephew found your kind abominable, I'd have taken you as a slave and brought you to my manor. How fun would that be?!" I felt a rock stuck in my throat.

"I AM JUST KIDDING HAHAH. Or am I? Mmmmm…" I turned to watch my master battle for his life. I felt guilty, hoping he would gain a blow to help forget what he saw. TARION Still in a tail stance, I avoided death in near misses, concentrating qi to my greatsword's blade. But I don't leave unscathed. A knee, a shoulder, a forearm and hand, a cheek, my stomach, and a calf muscle. Again and again and again. Cut after little cut, I wait. The curse still hadn't made him lose his sanity.

Rokkr became accustomed to my reactions. He anticipated where I moved, and I received a nasty laceration on my chest. I dipped too late, and my right shoulder was pierced. Thankfully, I rolled away and escaped from a worse injury. I wait. Rokkrs' blades began to spin in double eights, and little mana slashes flew like little swallows at a mana shield. I dashed inward, moulding my shield like a tunnel. And still I waited. I evaded a left blade as the cursed man's right was brought up to cleave me in two. NOW.

Like a spring unfurled, I swung with all my power. Ripping through stone, my sword ignited with pure qi and brightened the battlefield. I saw Rokkr throw all his power to block my upcoming slash. The collision of metal silenced all sound. Only the cries of two men with their lives on the line were heard. My blade hummed. Its tone called for me. With a roar from deep in my soul, qi pulsed from where our blades made dazzling embers. A great BOOM pushed away the air. Two blades spun in the air.

Blood streamed out of their owners' chests and trapezius. Before I could hear the cursed man shout in pain, my blade became unstoppable. A vulture on his body, I ripped through his cursed mist and flesh. I painted the battlefield with gallons, and my greatsword did not cease. Mind focused on the kill, my blade trashed and hammered down on the mush that was Rokkr. I lifted my blade high to pommel the fool.

"Your Grace! You have won! You have beaten your foe!" My bodyguard knelt beside me like a guilty puppy. I halted midswing.

"Mm… Ah, it's over…!" I stabbed my sword into the ground and rested on it.

"It's over…Land's above..." Plonk Plonk" CURSE EATER. Mm..." More to learn... But I will now have time to learn it all. Beatrice knelt right alongside him.

"Your Grace…! I am sorry I couldn't defeat him!" I saw her injuries. She occasionally gave piercing glares to my guard. I tried to hide my grin.

"It is well and good. My duel was interrupted, but I gained back something I thought wouldn't." Assurance. I turned to the wolf, his eye icy blue again.

"I have questions." Unsheathing his sabre, he offered it to me and bowed his head.

"It was a pleasure…"

"What the fuck are you doing? Keep the damn weapon! The battle still goes on!"

"But your grace…" I continued, "I have questions. As the only Shaved in my retinue, I want to know everything!" I had never seen such a wide-eyed expression on his stone face since I met him.

"But we can defer it to another time; join my uncle in dealing with remnants. Beatrice, assemble Jimmy and his men. We assault the guard house. And end this once and for all…" They both saluted.

"YES, YOUR GRACE." As they split to complete their order, a warrior in black leather armour stepped forward.

"Messy work, right here." Uncle walked up with his knights following; my brother rode a horse. His eyes stared and sparkled like he saw a rare gem.

"Had no time to think of a cleaner kill." Broken ribs stick out of the skin, and organs sprawl across the floor. Brain bits leak from a shattered skull. One would think a creature came through and ate the man.

"I get it. Such sweet anger. It's enticing to give in to it. But there will be one day that no one can bring you calm." I nod. A light pat from my uncle stopped me from staring at the bloody corpse.

"Well done, Son." I looked away, controlling my stupid emotions the best I could. His voice resembled my father's too much for me to bear. My eyes found a scampering pimp. None of his so-called men gave him a hand as they rushed into the guardhouse in retreat. My target reached the door, and my qi simmered around my feet. You are not getting away again. I sprinted forward, ripping my sword from the stone street. I punctured the air, leaving a sonic blast behind me.

His giant back facing me, I judged he didn't deserve a fair death. With a bent elbow, I twisted, charging a lethal thrust. But before my sword could pierce, I heard the squishing of blood and flesh. I skidded to a stop and calmed my qi down. My fury was extinguished. I couldn't contain my emotions; my smile was not enough to express them. VANESSA Zhi broke the neck of the last of the maddened bandits, and we went up the stairs to an office space that looked rundown. Cobwebs and dust caked the entire hall.

"This place was a former guardhouse for guards patrolling Black Shade." Drac helped the girls step out of the cellar door.

"Back then they gave a toss about the safety of the residents, whether they were citizens or not."

"It will be different from now on, Drac," I said. Masked, he looked to me, reassured.

"I can trust you on that. I better keep you safe so you can get to working. But Vanessa?" When he called my name, I didn't feel disrespected.

"Yes?"

"You were aware they were after you the entire time, right?" I nodded. Now I realised why. It felt like a heavy weight fell from my shoulders, and a much larger one was hovering over me. Drac helped the last girl out, who skipped down the hall, blushing. He folded his arms.

"Why send Jen away?" I found a dusty chair. A quick wipe, and I fell on the old chair, resting after a long day.

"I… did not want to lose her. Not again…" Again? A sharp headache came and went in an instant. A small tear fell down my cheek. Twisted emotions swelled in my heart, yet I didn't know what they were. Drac handed me a clean handkerchief.

"Here, breathe in slowly. Be present." It helped. But it didn't go away. This gnawing feeling in my mind. There was too much for my mind to take. Then I heard a liuen woman scream. I turned to the front door, and a hulking mass squeezed through the door. Beaten bloody, limbs bent the wrong way, he stumbled akin to a corpse resurrected.

"BIEYE…! SAVE ME!" The horn limped to her. I collected my wits and ran to the door. But before Zhi and Drac could strike, a sword entered the giant's guts. Fjord looked down. Grey eyes, murderous. On death's door, yet he kept his disgusted smile.

"What's this, Bieye!?"

"Retribution." Her voice was low, colder than winter snow.

"RETRIBUTION!??!" The smile faltered.

"I GAVE YOU… EVERYTHING!"

"YOU TOOK EVERYTHING!!" Bieye pulled the sword out and plunged it again. A weak mana armour failed to stop the blade.

"My freedom!" She stabbed again.

"My Body!" and again, "My Soul!" She poked the horn until his bowel was just a giant hole. Finally, the giant fell, crashing like a chopped tree. Wheezing for his last breath, the pimp's bartender stood above her former boss. Her black dress, stained in red. Her sword raised high to the dark sky.

"PLeAsE… I…I… LOvEd…yOu…"

"... That was love…?" Tears fell on a swollen cheek. Steel pierced deep into the shaved head of the detestable pimp.

"Then I don't need it, limp-dick BASTARD." Like an end to a chapter, silence lingered as Bieyer left the sword stuck in the pimp's head. She shuddered and dropped, with all her strength sapped from her. I ran to her, ready to heal her.

"Nice job, Bieye." My ears perked up at the sound of his charming, deep voice.

"You stole my kill. But it was a good show nonetheless, so I forgive you." I turned to where the voice was. The wind blew his long ebony hair gently. Covered in scratches and cuts, steadfast, he strolled forward on the crumbling battlefield as his retinue of guards and knights followed close behind.

"Dear…" He stabbed his blade in the ground like a knife in a muffin. A knee went to the floor, and he bowed his head. His entire retinue, including my new uncle-in-law, knelt in unison.

"Please forgive my tardiness." My heart rattled its cage. This day had sapped me of my energy, emotions, and soul. Yet the sight of this one reinvigorated it all. But a dirty thought entered my mind. He must know. That's why he saved me. That's why he was so gracious to me. Why he gave me the chance to improve this city. Tarion most certainly knew… But why not tell me? To keep me to himself? I don't know if I am still immature or if I am being manipulated. But if that had been the reason, I wouldn't mind it.

"You are forgiven, Husband. Please, stand." Tarion rose and, in an instant, ran to hug me.

"I couldn't wait." He said, bending to smell my hair.

"Are you alright? No injuries."

"None that I couldn't heal myself." I smiled at the joke. He backed away, holding my face in his warm glove hand. His thumb traced around the tear mark from before, then down to my lips. Like they have always belonged, how lips touched. Bliss ballooned in my head, making me lightheaded. Tarion held me, letting me rest in his arms as we melded. He was my first kiss. And such a kiss was as wonderful as the stories told.

But today, after lives were taken in my name and a town was half destroyed, I never knew such a deep kiss could exist. Unfortunately, like all good things, it ended with Tarion parting and leaving me wanting more.

"Remember. It was you who cast the first stone." Tarion took my hand and kissed it softly.

"I hope you will not regret it." Golden light leaked from the kissed hand, healing my husband. Absolutely spooked, Tarion's wide eyes flicked between my radiant hand and me.

"I'm sure I won't, Tarion. But I have a lot of questions."

"HAHAHA I am sure I do! HAHAHA! Instead of silence, as I expected, he laughed with relief. Holding my hand, he addressed the hundreds I forgot were there. But it was a little too late to feel embarrassed.

"MEN OF OSBERG!! IT IS DONE! A DUCHESS SAVED. CRIMINALS SLAIN. THE ENEMY TUCKED THEIR TAILS BETWEEN THEIR LEGS IN FEAR OF THE GUARD!!!" His men roar aloud in the night.

"AND YOU HAVE WITNESSED THE POWER OF YOUR DUKE!!" A louder roar shook the street.

"NOW… WHO IS IT THAT YOU FOLLOW!?"

"YOU, YOU GRACE!" Salutes sound off"WHAT DO YOU PROTECT!?"

"OSBERG!" Although winter months had passed, the atmosphere was chilling, triggering goosebumps across my body as I watched a thousand kneel before us. I looked to my husband, who took this in stride like a natural. He fed on the frenzy, the adulation. Yet I just wanted to rest in my library and read once more. I raised my fist to the sky.

"OPEN TAB FOR THE NIGHT! ON THE GREYSTONES!" The loudest cheer of the night made me stumble, but my husband was there to catch me. He whispered to me.

"Can we afford that?" I shook my head. I continued to heal Tarion.

"It's a problem to solve together." Tarion belted a hearty laugh, showing off his cute canines. His ruby eyes glistened over his cheeks.

"So this is what it feels like…"

"What?" I asked. He turned, staring at me like I was the most beautiful person in the world.

"Love, Vanessa. Love." He squeezed my hand harder before turning back to the crowd. I was made mute. My brain stopped processing anything else for the rest of the night. All I could think of until the time to sleep was this singular moment of absolute happiness. VEIL"DAMN BITCH CAN FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS." I found my way to my twisted library. His books and furniture didn't escape my anger. After an hour I eventually relaxed and sat down as a cracked chair moved under me. Wraps tightened around my wounded arm.

Worn out, I lay back, thinking of how I failed. Controlling that many cursed was more taxing than I realised. I would need more fuel, more sacrifices. Maybe some street rats will make up for it. But with that seeker about, I couldn't walk a mile around Osberg without getting found. The freedom I had taken for granted has disappeared. A fireplace's embers grew to a blaze.

"Shit…" HE called. It must be answered. A chair dragged itself away from under me, letting me stand and kneel. I bowed as the flame transformed into an image of a man.

"Where is she?" the man from the flame asked.

"Tarion… still has her…"

"..."

"Both Fjord and Rokkr were slain by Tarion in mortal combat," I said. I waited for an annoyingly long moment until a great eruption of fire blew me to my bottom.

"DISAPPOINTING." I held my neck, struggling to breathe. Somehow the man in the flame was able to command the very air in the hidden room.

"IT IS NOT OVER, MY LIEGE." Ventus gave me space to speak.

"Give me time… Time and fuel…"

"... I shall provide what I deem necessary. BRING. RESULTS." I knelt, hand on his left shoulder." YOUR WILL SHALL BE DONE, OH HEAVENLY DEMON!" The flame was gone. Nothing but a puff of smoke was left. Air returned to my lungs, and I collapsed to the floor amongst the fallen books.

"Bastards! All of them…" No matter how much I cursed, I knew if Vanessa wasn't brought to them, hell would be unleashed.

"Vanessa or my life...?" I sighed, knowing that I was truly done for. I wagged a finger, and the books lifted me. After walking for minutes, I wandered to my favourite room. Tightly locked, only a finger opened the door. Just a glance would bring a smile to my face. Thousands upon thousands of sculptures of his muse adorned the giant room. A childhood friend whose face I would never forget, even if she disappointed me. She would understand. Given time and proximity, love can sprout from nothing.

I took a recent favourite of mine from the shelf, admiring the sculpture's craftsmanship. Almost as beautiful as the original.

"Vanessa, see you soon, my love..."