Chapter 35: Give her love

The abrasion riddled field was empty. Ace tilted his head up and saw Tomas hurtling across the sky back toward the east. Ace held up his hand and a series of black spheres appeared once again. This time they came to a chase and descended upon Tomas. Within a moment, Tomas was pummeled by a cluster of dark spheres and once more spiralled toward the ground. Ace crouched down with a sigh then leapt at incredible speed into the air. He caught hold of Tomas under his arm and they both hit the ground with a crash.

Ace let out a dissatisfied grunt upon landing on the ground. He looked down at Tomas who was passed out under his arm and shook his head with agitation.

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When next Tomas awoke, he found himself strapped to a chair in a dark room. He choked back a puff of noxious smoke as he took in the sight of the room. It was draped in velvet, barely lit. There was a bed with the curtains drawn and clouds of smoke were filtering out from it. Tomas struggled against the ropes tying him down. He pushed back and the chair hit the floor with a slam. Tomas stifled a cry as his head also hit the floor.

" Gods!" The general appeared from behind the curtained bed with glass and book in hand. He looked down at Tomas and shook his head.

" Are you always this loud?" he interrogated, " You're giving me a headache!"

"Maybe you shouldn't drink so much then," Tomas glared up unrepentantly.

" That's awfully judgmental from the guy tied to an upside-down chair, " Ace remarked.

" A fact for which I have you to thank!" Tomas struggled once again.

"You just have no fear, do you?" Ace tilted the chair back up. "Are all you mages so bold?"

"Are all you demons so arrogant? " Tomas retorted.

" Just the pretty ones," Ace grinned.

"Urg!" Tomas grunted, " even if we were the last two people on earth..."

"Let me stop you there. You're not my type, kid." Ace smirked, " I don't indulge noisy little brats."

" Only grumpy 300-year-old wizards then?" Tomas glared.

"Please, Errik? He's definitely not my type. Way too aggressive for my taste. I'm pacifist, you see," Ace shrugged.

"The general of an army is a pacifist?" Tomas derided. " Did I meet your twin out there or didn't you just pummel me to the ground with your weird demonic magic?!"

" That's hurtful," Ace took a seat across from Tomas sipping his wine leisurely, " passivity means you choose the path of the least violence. It doesn't mean that violence isn't an option,"

"Are we just making up definitions for words now?" Tomas snorted.

"You're still alive, aren't you? If that's not passivity, I don't know what is," Ace answered flatly.

"That's not passivity, that's just basic civility," Tomas stared down at the ropes again, "something you clearly know nothing about,"

"Explain it to me, little Prince. I mean that's what you are right? A Prince of Ascar?" Ace tilted his head back with a cold stare, "Maybe you know more about manners than me. Why don't you school me on how I ought to behave? "

This time Tomas did not reply.

"What? Quiet now?"

"Shut up! You demon trash," Tomas' eyes came up abruptly, "you don't know anything about me!"

"Oh no? Let me guess. You're stubborn which means you probably had a rough time with your parents. You're good at magic, but not that good. Yet, you used it as an excuse to leave home. So either you were arrogant or desperate. You made friends, but you're a loudmouth so you probably couldn't keep them. That's why every friend you make is like a precious treasure that you never want to let go of. How am I doing so far?" Ace smiled.

" You had me looked into," Tomas sniffed.

" Oh please, you're not that important, " Ace laughed, " I just have an eye for reading people. You get pretty good at it when you're alive long enough. Nothing surprises you. No one is special and people become exceedingly boring and predictable,"

"Is that why you sound like a jaded old man?" Tomas countered.

Ace threw his head back laughing, "You don't know how funny those words are to me!"

"Why, because they're true?"

"Because I said them once to a person much older than me. Now I realise how ridiculous it sounds! Young people always think they know everything, that they can do anything and fix the world with a snap of their fingers. Life isn't so easy. It's a bitter disappointment that never gets better, you just get older,"

Tomas stared at the general coolly, "At least we try. What have you done to make this world better?"

"Better is relative. What is it you think you can make better by running off back to the tower?" Ace tilted his head to one side sceptically, "I saw where you were headed, but Errik and Veretta don't need you. That's why she dumped you here. You'd just get in their way. Unless..." he stared at Tomas intently, " that's exactly what you were planning to do?"

" I don't know what you're talking about, " Tomas averted his eyes.

"And you're lying to me about it which means...it's definitely about Silthus. What is it they're planning?"

" How would I know?" Tomas scoffed, "Veretta knocked me out, remember?"

" But she also handed you over to me... Because you couldn't be at the college when Silthus arrived," Ace surmised, " so, they're planning to go out with a bang, I suppose,"

" You don't look that surprised," Tomas observed.

"I had an inkling when your friend came to see me. She had a look in her eyes like she had nothing left to lose. When you lose everything you love, the darkness can overtake you quicker than you think," Ace replied, staring down into his cup.

"Is that what happened to you? Did the darkness overtake you?" Tomas asked quietly.

"It tried. Whether it succeeded or not, I can't say," Ace replied with a grin.

"Well since you're sitting there and I'm here tied up at your mercy, it looks like it did to me,"

Ace stood up and finished the last of his drink with one gulp. He strolled up to Tomas and stared down with an inscrutable smile." So you wanna be the good guy? The hero?"

He leaned in perilously close to Tomas. Tomas turned his face away as he clenched his fist in defeat. " All I want is to save my friend, "

" Perfect, " Ace pulled back. " That's all I want too,"

"Your friend...you mean Silthus?" Tomas looked up at him confused.

"Give me a break. Silthus is not my friend, "Ace scoffed. '' he just happens to have something I want, or at least he will,"

" Then who are you talking about? Errik?" Tomas's brow furrowed in disbelief.

" Oh, come on. Is it really so shocking?" Ace chuckled.

" You've been antagonising him since the day you met!" Tomas shook his head, "he hates you,"

"Most of my friends do," Ace grinned, "but that doesn't mean I want your friend to get him killed. I have some use for him after all,"

"You seem to contradict yourself in every other sentence. Is that a habit of yours? "

"It's not necessarily a contradiction, it's just complicated. Sometimes you can want opposing things at the same time. For instance, your friend owes me a debt which she will have to pay. But I also have some debts of my own. I have to make good on those deals - that make things...difficult for me,"

"So what is it you're trying to say?" Tomas sniffed.

"I'm saying right now, you and I, our goals align," Ace smiled. "so let's make things more complicated. Make a deal with me,"

"You want us to work together?" Tomas frowned.

"Are you in a position to refuse?"

Tomas looked down at the ropes once more, "no," he answered at length, "but what can I do that you can't achieve yourself?"

"Have some confidence," Ace grinned, "I'm sure I can find a use for you,"

"What did you have in mind?" Tomas watched him suspiciously.

"I'll tell you, but you have to promise that you're not going to go running away again,"

"I won't make any promises. If you say something weird, I want an out," Tomas answered.

"Hey, kid!" Ace flicked Tomas's forehead, "know to take a good deal when it's offered."

"Ow," Tomas moaned, "It's weird hearing you call me kid when you clearly look younger than I do and since I don't know what it is you want me to do, it doesn't sound like that great of a deal to me,"

"Let me put it this way: Agree or I'll break your legs. Sound good?" Ace jolted Tomas' leg impatiently.

Tomas' lips pursed indignantly, "Fine. Deal,"

"Thought so," Ace let out a satisfied laugh.

He leant across the space between them and began to undo the rope around Tomas' wrist. Tomas let out an annoyed grunt as he tugged the rope roughly against his skin.

"Oh, don't be a baby," Ace smirked.

At that moment, Yona burst into the room, breath unhinged. Her eyes went wildly from the general to Tomas. She threw down her head at once into a low bow.

"Please master, don't punish Tomas! I am at fault," she exhaled in one breath.

"Oh come in, Yona," Ace gestured with a smile, "Tomas was just promising that he's going to be a good boy now. Isn't that right, Tomas?"

"Patronising prick," Tomas murmured rubbing his wrist.

"Spoiled whiny brat," Ace shoved a hand in Tomas's hair ruffling it mercilessly, "See we're great friends now, Yona. No need to worry,"

Tomas glared up at him in annoyance. Yona blinked slowly in confusion. She came to a rigid upright stand once more. Tomas' eyes slowly went to her, but she didn't return his gaze.

"I understand," Yona replied briskly and turned to go.

Upon leaving the room, Ace turned to Tomas.

"Fix that," he pointed to the door.

"Fix what?" Tomas feigned indifference.

"She's upset. Go and talk to her," Ace lounged across the bed with a yawn.

"No," Tomas frowned, "it's better this way,"

"Is it?" Ace inspected him dubiously, "Maybe for you,"

"What can I give her that you can't?" Tomas folded his arms irritably.

Ace looked up at him with a smile, "Love. You can give her love,"