Chapter 52: A Grand Purpose

As Tomas disappeared up the slope, Michael gave a laugh and continued to throw down his sword. Up at the house, Veretta was watching from the open kitchen door. Tomas came marching up with such ferocity he didn't even see her.

"Tomas, how did it go?" Veretta asked concerned.

Tomas' eyes came up quickly, slightly wide and obviously startled. His lips parted but no words came out.

"Tomas, what's wrong?" Veretta enquired.

Tomas' jaw clenched, "Nothing. I...need to be alone for a bit,"

He quickly passed through the kitchen door and raced upstairs. Veretta stared down the slope angrily. She marched straight out of the kitchen and down to Michael.

"What do you say to him?" she asked upon finding him there.

Michael threw down his sword with annoyance, "Why won't you people leave me alone?"

"Tomas came to apologise to you and he came back really upset," Veretta went on, "I know you're angry at me or this situation, but he made a mistake. He apologised, didn't he? So why did you have to be so cruel to him?"

Michael tilted his head to the side with an irritated smile, "Let me ask you something - Are apologies made of gold? I mean, what exactly is the point of an apology? For whose benefit are they? If an apology could fix everything, they'd be no such thing as crime, nor law. I don't accept his apology. I have no obligation to forgive him, nor do I have to explain myself to you, woman. I suggest if my manner displeases you, you stay far away from me,"

"That won't be a problem," Veretta scoffed, "because your manner displeases everyone. A fact in which you no doubt delight in,"

"Don't do that," Michael held up a hand with agitation, "don't act like you know me. You don't! You are nothing to me. Don't presume on the fact I saved you as some kind of indication that I intend to continue a relationship with you,"

Veretta gave an enraged smile, "Then why did you save me, Michael?"

"Why did I save you?" Michael sniffed, "...I have my own reasons. You couldn't possibly understand,"

"Then why were you so angry they called you the black wizard?" Veretta said with a blank expression, "You want us to believe you are this remorseless killer? I don't believe it. You don't have to forgive me or trust me, but the others care about you. They want to help you,"

"I don't need their help!" Michael snapped.

"Fine," Veretta's said stiffly, "Then, I just have to say one last thing. I know I have no right to tell you what to do, but Tomas is a good person. Please don't hurt him. That's it,"

She was about to go, when Michael uttered under his breath, "there's no such thing,"

"What?" Veretta turned back.

"I'm saying he's not as good as you think he is," Michael smiled smugly, "there are no good people. Everyone is born wicked and selfish. Then they waste their time fighting against their nature. That's what I told him. He just didn't want to hear it,"

"That may be true," Veretta said with forlorn eyes, "but that doesn't mean we can stop trying to be good,"

"I don't want to hear that from you," Micahel said sharply, "witch,"

Veretta's eyes fluttered with pain, "You can hate me, but I know that you can be good. That you are good,"

"I'm not Errik," Michael said with dark, lifeless eyes, "your love is wasted on me,"

"You misunderstand me, Michael," Veretta met his gaze unflinchingly, "I don't love you. I am sorry for what I did to you, but the person that I loved was Errik. It will always be Errik,"

Veretta turned rigidly and left his side.

Michael swiped his sword from the ground resentfully and descended to the bottom of the garden. He made his way into the forest. He threw back his hand and thrust the sword down with such force it cut cleanly through the tree in front. Only, this didn't satisfy him. He let out a scream of rage and began chopping furiously through everything in his sight.

By early noon when he had not returned, it was Ace who went out to retrieve him this time. He surveyed the new found clearing. Michael was sitting surrounded by a wreck of trees and debris. Ace approached him with a sigh.

"Are you building a log cabin out here?" he asked with arms crossed disapprovingly.

"Shut up," Michael answered through gritted teeth.

"You know, this land is also technically my property. I could have you arrested," Ace replied smugly.

"You and what army?" Michael scoffed.

Ace gave an inspecting look around as he wandered through the devastation.

"Is there something you want to talk about, Michael?" Ace turned back with a smile to face him.

"I'm sorry," Michael looked up viciously, " Why are we talking right now? Since when was I friends with you?"

"Stop it, Michael," Ace warned, "what is going on with you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Michael said with a dismissive smile.

"Tell that to the silence back up at the house. Your work I presume? " Ace raised an eyebrow.

"What can I say?" Michael shrugged with a smug smile, "I guess I just have that effect on people,"

Ace threw his head back with a sigh, "You are so annoying, you know that? Didn't you learn your lesson from last time?"

"What lesson was that, oh wise irritating demon?" Michael stood up with a vicious glare, "Oh, please tell me all the things I do wrong. I love it when people do that. It puts me in such a good mood. It's like you've literally become him!"

"Become who?" Ace stared at him unmoved.

"Albaric - he was a general too. My general. My real best friend. Is that why you joined Silthus army? Now he's dead and I am stuck with you. His smug little double," Michael expelled the words with resentful satisfaction.

"I take that as a compliment Michael," Ace met his gaze undeterred, " Albaric was a good man. Unlike you. Maybe if you had listened to him more often, you wouldn't be so angry at everyone. You can spend a whole lifetime blaming everyone and everything, but it's not their fault. They didn't choose this any more than you did - to be born into this unfair world. But since we are here, we have to make the best of it. I thought that's what you were going to do this time. Don't you remember the last thing you said to me before you died?"

"I was in the middle of bleeding to death!" Michael snorted derisively, "who knows what I said?"

"You told me to find my own freedom," Ace said quietly, "this is your chance to find your freedom too, Michael. You helped us for a reason, but that reason isn't hiding out here with you,"

"I...I am not hiding," Michael looked down, "I am recovering from the constant barrage of useless intrusions, "

"They're just like that because they care about you,"

" No, they don't!" Michael scoffed, "The person they care about is this Errik, whoever he is,"

"You ARE the same person! " Ace shook his head, " you think you're so different without your memories. You aren't! You're still the same bad-tempered, condescending bastard that you always were. But for some reason, they seem to care about you, "

"Tell them to back off," Michael's eyes came back sharply, " I dislike it, Ace. All of them clinging to me like puppies, have you ever heard of anything more bizarre?"

"I agree that it's quite funny," Ace laughed, "puppy? You're more like a feral dog but things are different now. Maybe it's time to stop pushing everyone out and start letting some people in?"

"So that they can be killed in front of me again?" Michael's fist clenched, "I don't think so. I thought my anger was gone, but I was wrong. This world may be different, but I'm still the same. It's as you said. I'm just a bad-tempered bastard. So save your newfound demonic wisdom for those brats. I don't need it,"

"Michael..." Ace entreated.

"JUST....back off!" Michael spat, "all of you. Back off!"

He disappeared off deeper into the forest with an agitated grunt. He didn't know exactly where he was going, but he had determined it would be someplace far. What was the use of trying to be someone he wasn't? It was all pointless. Why had he said he would help Ace? It felt like just a spur of the moment, but for a second he actually believed it too.

'That's what happens when you become too good at lying,' Michael thought to himself with a scoff. What freedom? There's no such thing. No matter how far you go, something always catches up to you. Maybe he was better off dead. Then all this suffocating anger wouldn't be able to follow him.

He had come quite far by the time it was dark. As he stared down into a dark current of water on that moonless night, he felt empty. He lifted his hand and the water came rising up to meet him. He let fall back to the ground with a splash. He sat back on the riverbank and stared into the dark depths.

"Are you lost?" came a voice from behind.

"No," he answered without looking back, "but you are, so beat it,"

"Actually, I've been looking for you," it returned.

Michael turned back and looked at the figure emerging from the dark, "Do I know you?"

"No, but I know you," came a sickeningly sweet voice in turn.

Michael glanced up at Cora's brightly painted face and blonde ringlets, "I think you're mistaken," he said quietly, "I'm not who you think I am,"

"Aren't you the second grand wizard of the Empire of Rotan?" Cora smiled.

Her red boots gracefully swept through the sand as she reached his side. Michael turned his face back to the water.

"Not anymore," he answered, "I'm just another useless wizard with no ambition,"

"That's not what Silthus thinks," Cora grinned darkly, "he thinks you're very special,"

Michael's eyes narrowed, "Are you one of Silthus' people?"

"I'm just a humble soldier like you," Cora replied with a shrug, "Silthus gave me a purpose. Isn't that what you want?"

"A purpose?" Michael said thoughtfully, "perhaps. I used to have a purpose once. I used to have dreams and ambitions,"

"You can have it again," Cora whispered into his ear, "A grand purpose. At Silthus' side."