Chapter XI

I couldn't sleep that night; many questions ran through my mind. The plan to destroy Reden, Kieran, the general—there were too many unknowns for just two people. I decided to contact Angir again to see what more he had on Kieran. As I moved through bushes and logs, and thanks to the blood vision of the Melkar, I saw a large group of soldiers approaching from a great distance. I heard the door, one, ten desperate knocks. I thought it was my friend with some discovery and answered.

-- What do you want, boy?

It was Ed, as Meledya called him. She held him in high esteem.

-- Sir, they took her, Mr. Delan, he entered our rooms yelling and dragged her by the hair.

-- Where to?

-- To his chamber, sir. I saw him go up with a torch.

Ed looked worried, almost crying. He was a trusted friend of Meledya.

I set out immediately, not knowing what to do. I just decided I had to go, unprepared, completely forgetting that I lacked the physique to confront one of Minjard's officers. But I was angry, and at the kidnapper's door, right on the threshold, a flash of clarity came to me from the moon, the only light reaching the shadowed room. I connected to the consciousness of the crows, the creatures closest to me, in case things got complicated. At this point, something unprecedented happened: I had three consciousnesses operating in my brain, a cerebral vibration, and such pain, one I had never experienced. My mind tried to filter which senses it wanted to use. I saw the warriors approaching, I saw Delan's doorknob; damn it, the Melkar didn't respond. I decided to concentrate more, but then I heard a scream. It was her.

-- Good evening, sir. I have an urgent matter from Lord Minjard. It will only take two minutes.

I knew otherwise the bastard wouldn't open.

-- It better be...

As I saw his face and a bathrobe, I pushed the bastard with all the strength I ever had or would have. I entered the room, and there was my friend, mistreated, beaten, not sleeping, not moving, her eyes wide open but reflecting no light, no enthusiasm. She was a painting, a graceless painting. Seeing me enter, the blood began to circulate in her body again, and her eyes regained humanity. I stood before her, untied her from the bed's corners, and prepared to take her away, but the officer got up and, laughing, closed the door.

-- No one leaves here. Do you think I'll let you continue mocking me with this scrawny monk?

Meledya only had rage to spare and said nothing, but her eyes, bloodshot from the blows, were burning with fury at the man blocking the door.

Delan lunged at me, showering me with blows to which I couldn't respond. My lack of military training was catching up with me. My vision blurred with confusion, only able to see in the direction Delan's fists allowed. Meledya soon reacted, smashing a honey water jug over his head, which only enraged our enemy. Seeing me on my knees with a blood-painted face, he lunged at her. She fought fiercely, biting, hitting, and scratching while they struggled near the window. Using the little consciousness I had left, I sent a flock of crows that began pecking and eating him in pieces. Meledya saw this and dragged me out of the room since my brain couldn't establish communication with my legs. We moved through some corridors until I heard her voice again.

-- Why the hell did you come? What will happen to the plan now?

I told her because I didn't want anything bad to happen to her, but I said it from another world, hearing her words with interference, as if I were drowning. In my mind, I answered her question, but she couldn't hear me.

Delan came out marked by pecks and crow bites, unrecognizable, his face bruised, completely torn, with pieces of skin missing from every part of his body. He was enraged. The fight continued in the residential tower's corridor. Delan charged at me, and the crow storm devoured much of his skin, yet he managed to kick me and arm himself with a sharp bar from one of the corridor's torches. He charged at Meledya with a furious thrust, but then our savior appeared, tall Ed, a great friend of my friend, who struck the skinned man long enough for Meledya to take distance. The wretch recovered and managed to hit Ed, breaking a window with his face. Meledya dragged me again and returned to the fight. By then, all the soldiers heard the commotion and rushed out to find a strange scene. They didn't know whom to kill; the officer in charge was so unrecognizable they thought a creature had entered the complex. They grabbed the slave to secure him from the beast pinning him against the window.

-- Wait, damn idiots, I am your officer!! I order you to kill all these bastards!!

The soldiers murmured, who should they kill at such late hours?

-- Nobody moves a muscle.

The hallway amplified the general's serene voice, and the soldiers turned to kneel and show reverence.

-- What's going on here? Are the sacred hours of sleep no longer respected?

He was in nightwear, out of his dark gargoyle armor or his gala suit wrapped in that somber cloak.

-- Sir, great sir, those bastards, those three attacked me while I was sleeping. It's a plot; they're trying to destroy us. Kill them!!

-- Could some soldier please teach this wretch how to address me?

A soldier took the fireplace bar and silenced the officer's screams, humiliated, and on the brink of death from his wounds, trying to find favor and understanding from his general.

-- Sir, I've been attacked in the shelter of the night. These three tried to kill me.

-- And they weren't far off. Listen, what I see here is an officer of our order, practically defeated by three beings useless in combat. Take him to some dungeon; someday I'll speak with him to hear his version. You three, come to my chamber.

Delan just complied and didn't resist. The pain from his lost skin had faded, replaced by the pain of being, deep down, so irrelevant to the general.

We were being transported to appear, and then I could observe the wretches roaming the valley in the middle of a fight with Angsiss's warriors. I had left so hurriedly that I hadn't disconnected from the Melkar's consciousness. I had to free it and hope the gods guided the beast's claws onto the warriors' hides and not Angir and his pupil's skin. There were no other options. Throughout the journey to the main tower, I tried to think of something. The men threw us into the strategy room, where meetings took place. My face was so worn that my senses were barely sensitive to impulses. I saw lights, candle flames, as flashes of light.

-- Hahaha, what a beautiful face, though I think it didn't remove some imperfections in your eyebrow, but otherwise, it was a great job.

Minjard inspected each bump on my being with his finger, counting the empty spaces in my teeth. It was humiliating.

-- And all because of you, woman. It must feel good, two powerful men dueling for your heart. If I were you, I wouldn't know which one to choose. Now they both look equally attractive.

Meledya was scared. She didn't know where all this would lead, but the whole atmosphere told us someone would die.

-- Oh, I almost forgot our third participant, a slave, practically held up by air and water. I still don't understand how with that weight you managed to fight my man. You know, you'll be our new officer. Come tomorrow before breakfast; I'll give you a uniform.

Ed didn't understand the language we spoke. Meledya had told me he was from the south, but Minjard wasn't a polyglot.

-- Se-se-se sir, my friend speaks another language, but I'll make sure he gets your message.

-- Th-th-thank you, tell him to leave, please.

Minjard led him to the door and dismissed him with kindness and appreciation. Before addressing us, he went for a glass of wine, although one could expect it to be blood.

-- Meledya, your name is like one of those songs bards sing about warrior women. Maybe if you had had a better companion, you would be Meledya the Destroyer of Reden. Unfortunately, you will only be a slave, one of many who dies.

The shadows concentrated in the general's palm, giving life to the "deadly flamiguera," a blade shadowed at its edge, with waves on the edges and ornaments of human limbs on the hilt.

She was going to die, and my body didn't even respond to me; neither did hers. Then something strange happened: Minjard's eyes turned green as if he had been possessed. Frankly, I didn't care; I just screamed for us to leave. Meledya dragged me, and we left the general wrapped in convulsions.

What had happened to that wretch? Would he be chasing us? We headed for the forest. I covered the entire distance on a piece of wood with a rope that Meledya and Ed pulled; we reached the forest.

-- It's time for me to go. The plan is still on; it only takes two people to execute it.

She was a very strong person. She didn't take the time to think about what had happened; she had a plan, and by the gods, she was going to follow through with it.

-- Take care of him, Ed.

Damn it, I couldn't say goodbye. Nothing in this body served me, but what I could do was cry because this doesn't require the will of the body; it only needs a loved one to leave and leave us alone.

She cried too, everyone, including Ed.

We gave each other a prolonged hug. It was almost dawn. Ed managed to get some supplies and clothes for our friend, who we didn't know exactly where she was heading. She left while Ed dragged my stretcher to the summit, and I watched every step she took in the opposite direction from mine. She's leaving, why must you go?

Ed left me in the infirmary. After that night, I couldn't do anything more. I couldn't control the Melkar. I had significant brain damage; I couldn't even think about the consequences of tomorrow. Minjard, what happened to that miserable man?

I woke up at midday and saw through the window that the place was paralyzed. The men were not training; there was nothing. Was it a dream?

-- Excuse me. I said to the healer.--What's happening?

-- The general is missing. No one knows where he is; his chamber is empty. Didn't you hear?

-- No.

-- They say you made him disappear, though they don't know how.

-- I just decided to escape from there, but I thought he would recover by today.

-- No one knows. Maester Varissis was here in person. He visited you and then went into the catacombs under the tower. He hasn't come out yet.

-- Excuse me, can you bring me those colored rocks?

-- Sure, sir, but I recommend not using any magic, as your body wouldn't withstand it. You should rest for at least three days.

-- I understand.

On the second day of my recovery, I saw everyone gathering in the courtyard.

-- Men of Mitras, faithful swords of Reden, I must inform you that the general has decided to go ahead on one of the missions, so tomorrow we will all follow him. Prepare your weapons, reorganize the plan, the locations, the targets. I will take command of the operations. Tonight will be sleepless, and the descent will be three days after tomorrow, and we must secure the path and the missions.

The soldiers automatically headed to the stables and had the whips ready so the slaves wouldn't waste time loading the weapons. Ed had become a soldier and was the only one helping load the supplies. The rest of the soldiers prayed and polished their uniforms.

In the afternoon, I received a visit from Varissis.

-- Leave us alone, please.

The healer left.

-- How are you, Emsys? I know I don't need to be careful with you since you must know many things, more than you let on.

-- I just want to get out of this bed, and I don't understand what you mean.

-- You know you're not a good conspirator, but do you know why you're not dead yet? It's not because of our whim; we cut off the heads of threats. But over you and over us lies a capricious power. You would never be in this game against the circle because you are neither intelligent nor tenacious enough. We have let you investigate, know who we are, but that's over.

-- You just came to tell me that, and you're the second, and the first time I felt more fear.

-- I'm glad to know your fate, so take advantage of speaking those haughty words.

-- I'm glad. Now tell me what you really want.

-- That you lead the lambs to us. It's the only way to escape your fate.

-- I know what that fate is, and I'm at peace with it.

-- You think I mean the mortal sacrament Minjard placed on you? I'm talking about another fate, but if you want to know what it is, you must make a pact now. Will you hand over that pair?

-- I'll think about it.

-- You have until tomorrow.

Varissis left my sight. I never imagined meeting one of the circle's members, and I felt it was another wretched one. I recovered the strength to activate the Melkar, but it was completely defeated. However, its healing factor was doing its job. These living weapons are impressive. I saw the meadow and that macabre scene. There was no trace of them, which was good as the creature hadn't killed them. Should I hand them over? The game was over; I didn't know where the general was. Meledya was gone. Reden wouldn't be destroyed. I still didn't understand what power Varissis spoke of. The only promise I could honor was the one I made to Angir because I had nothing else left.