Bacorium Legacy (64 page)

“ACCEPT ME AS YOUR MASTER!”

He screamed directly to the sword in his mind - or perhaps it was aloud, he couldn't be sure - and pulled on it with all the strength his body could muster. For a fraction of a second, he thought he felt some kind of hesitation in the sword's unwavering resistance, as though it were truly considering him. But it would not budge from the stone, and the heat did not let up. Again, it got to the point that he could bear it no longer, and his hands released it.

This time he did not fall backward. He collapsed on his knee, and gasped for breath. His hands were burned anew, Emila's work in healing them completely undone. But he cared not for that. His mind was so filled with rage that the pain didn't even register.

He heard someone say his name - probably Emila - but he didn't acknowledge it. He grabbed the hit of
Siora
and drew it from its sheath, then swung it in a blind fury at the Rixeor Fragment. There was a flash as the steel of his sword struck the other, and the shock of the collision travelled up his arm and renewed his pain. He swore and found his useless hand dropping his sword on the ground.
 

He spun around, seeing the others staring at him. Softclaw stood beside him, his lizard-like eyes wide in shock. Emila was standing now, watching him carefully like he was some kind of dangerous beast.

He couldn't take it. In every stare there was judgement and disappointment. He could already hear the laughter Softclaw would have at his failure. He couldn't bear to be around them for another moment. He ran.

“Luca! Where are you going?!”

He ignored Emila. He ignored the concerned expressions of Brand and Wiosna, and the strange look Selphie had, and ran past them all.

He left behind two swords - one in a stone, and another in the dirt.

<> <> <>

He didn't know anything about Eccador, so there weren't many places he could go. He ran past Powell's home, for Softclaw's bodyguards were still there, and ran to the other side of town, to the inn at the entrance.

He pushed open the front door and stepped inside. The inn was almost empty. There was a woman at the counter, and two children - a boy sweeping the floor, and a girl doing dishes. There was also a man there, but Luca only caught a brief glimpse of him before he disappeared up the stairs.

“Can I help you?” the woman asked.

Remembering that Selphie had already paid for rooms for them, Luca went to the counter. “I want the keys to my room.”

“I'm sorry?”

“A girl came by earlier and paid for some rooms. I'm part of her group. I want the keys to my room.”

“O-oh! Just a moment!”

The woman turned and started rummaging through the box of keys behind the counter. It was clear she wasn't very experienced at running an inn. She looked like she wasn't sure which keys were right. After glancing at her ledger for a moment, she produced a key and handed it to him.

“E-enjoy your stay...”

He ignored her, taking the key quickly so she couldn't see his burnt hands. He went up the stairs to his room. On the way up, the man from before came down the steps and passed him. The man, a bearded and strange-looking guy, gave Luca an odd look as they passed. Ignoring that as well, Luca quickly found the room number that matched the key he'd been given, and went inside.

He tossed aside his bag and took off his cloak, and sat down on one of the beds, frustrated and ashamed with himself. He looked at his hands, burned from the hot sword, and slowly tried to make a fist. It hurt too much to do so. He felt guilty, because he knew every bit of pain he felt was shared with Emila. Not only had he tried to pull the sword twice, but he'd forced Emila to go through that as well.

And
Siora
was missing. He'd left his father's sword behind after drawing it in a blind rage and swinging it at the Rixeor Fragment. Just when he couldn't have embarrassed himself more, he'd gone and thrown a fit. He prayed his sword wasn't chipped from that, at the very least.
 

Luca noticed a pair of bags in the room that weren't his. He sighed, realising that the innkeeper had given him the key to Selphie and Jared's room. He could have gone downstairs and got the right key, but he was too angry and tired to do so. He just stayed on the bed and stared at the ceiling.

After a few minutes, he grew restless. The pain in his hands was too much for him to relax. He stood up and paced the room a few times, trying to put everything out of his mind.

And then, he noticed something. There was a small envelope on the floor right in front of the door. Somebody must have slipped it under the door.

The gears clicked in his head, and he realised something. Unable to resist his curiosity, he got up and picked up the envelope. It was closed by a simple, ordinary seal. It was not addressed, and unmarked, save for half a dirty footprint.

He broke the seal and opened the envelope. There was a single folded piece of paper within. He took it out and read it.

I'm disappointed in you for leaving like that. Had I known you were going to sneak out in the night like that, I would have put a dozen guards outside your room. But we'll discuss this later. We have other concerns for now.

As we did not get enough time to talk while you were here, let me make one point clear. The original plan has failed. I understand that. The attack on Allma Temple was, among other things, Zinoro's response to our original proposition. At the time when I wrote that first letter to him, I did not fully grasp the man he was, and the evils he was capable of. I could not ask you to marry such a man now.

The original plan failed, but it may be possible to still prevent the war. We talked about this, despite your stubborn refusal to accept the possibility. I understand the point you make, I certainly do, and I know why you refuse to do this. Your loyalty is commendable, really. It shows that you have the makings of a great ruler. If anything should happen to your brother after I die, then you will be queen. I pray that will not happen, but you must be prepared for it.

And part of that preparation is that you must be willing to make hard decisions and sacrifices. I've come across these kind of issues many times in the forty-five years I have been the king of Sono, and I've always chosen the kingdom over my own desires.

Zinoro gave us a promise, and while he may be a monster, I know he values his word. If we give him what he wants, he will hold off his attacks. This will not prevent the war (I doubt anything will at this point), but it will give us more time. And we need time to prepare for him.

I know Lodin's son is your friend, but a ruler must sometimes give up the things closest to them. What is one life compared to our entire nation? Sacrificing Luca can save thousands of lives.

Ultimately, however, it is not your decision. I could simply order you to do it, but I am taking the gentle approach in the hopes that you will see the necessity of this. Please understand where I'm coming from. We'll talk about this when you arrive at the Elder Hall. I'm on my way there now.

Remember, it is for the greater good.

Upon finishing the letter, Luca was filled with such rage that he would have crumpled the letter up in his hand if he could make a fist. Instead he clenched his jaw so tightly his teeth ground, and he tossed the letter aside, which landed on the floor.

A thousand possibilities raced through his mind. Part of him wanted to go back outside, find
Siora
, and kill Selphie right then and there. But even in his rage he knew what a foolish mistake that would be. How would the others react? If he attacked Selphie he would have to fight Jared as well, but would the others jump to her defence as well? They would likely just think he'd gone mad, especially after his display earlier. Even if he tried to explain to them what he found, there was no guarantee they would believe him. Emila was the only one he knew for sure would take his side.
 

And if he did kill Selphie, it would only earn him a death sentence either way. Zaow would send a hundred soldiers after him, and no matter where he went, he would be turned in by anyone who knew about the bounty on his head.

Emila would follow him, he was sure. She would follow him into hell itself at this point. And by helping him, she would be considered an accomplice. He couldn't do that to her.

Attacking Selphie would be the worst thing he could do. But he couldn't confront her about it, either. Just knowing this was dangerous. How would she react if she found out he knew? The letter implied that she wasn't quite happy to be doing this, which explained her melancholy attitude of late, but the fact that she hadn't told him was proof that she hadn't ruled out the possibility.

He could not trust her anymore. Jared likely knew, so he couldn't trust him, either. If they did end up deciding to do it, the attack would come from behind, when he wasn't expecting it. He would need to be careful around them.

The first thing he needed to do was cover up that he knew. The letter itself was unmarked, so he just needed to put it in a new envelope, seal it, and place it where it was originally found.

Thankfully, he still had the envelope that contained Gordon's note in his bag. He took it out, removed Gordon's note, folded up Selphie's letter, and placed it within. Searching through Selphie's bag, he found a simple seal that she used for her own letters. It matched the one from the envelope he had torn open. Luca used it to seal the new envelope, and then placed it on the floor right where he'd found the original. He picked up the original, opened envelope and put it in his bag, then took his belongings and left the room. Checking before he left, it looked as though he had never been there.

He looked around the corner. The children were busy with chores, and the innkeeper was cooking up supper. Slipping through, he tossed the key back into the box on his way past.

As he stepped back outside, he saw Emila leaning against the wall just outside. She looked up as he emerged, searching him for any of the rage of before.

He was still angry, but now for very different reasons. “I'm alright. I just needed some time to cool off.”

Emila giggled. “Sorry. I didn't mean to laugh. Just... You know, 'cool off'. It was a bit funny.”

“Hahaha,” he muttered in total sarcasm.

“I'm sorry. Here, let me get that.”

She came over and took his hands in hers. A few moments later, his hands were healed and the burns gone, but they still ached.

“Sorry you needed to do this again,” he apologised. “I wasn't really thinking clearly.”

“It's okay. I just wish you hadn't run off, so I could have healed you right after.”

Standing right before him, he took in her features. Somehow, the knowledge of Selphie's possible betrayal made him appreciate her unwavering loyalty and kindness even more. She was such an amazing person - sometimes he couldn't believe he'd met her. He leaned in, cupping her chin with his hand, and kissed her.

A moment later, he broke the kiss, and pulled away. Emila smiled at him, her cheeks flushed. It just made her even more beautiful.

Perhaps he should tell her. He considered it, but he couldn't. For the same reasons as earlier, he just couldn't get her involved. If things went south, which was a possibility now, he wanted her to be innocent by not knowing of it. If he had to flee, he would leave her behind like he should have in T'Saw.

But what was he to do in the meantime? He would have to pretend he didn't know for the time being, but ultimately he couldn't rely on the possibility of Selphie turning against her father. He would have to do something eventually.

Things would be safe until they got to the Elder Hall. Nothing could happen until then, at least. Once there, he could seek help from others. Marcus would be there. If it came down to it, he could side with Marcus against Zaow. Marcus hated him, but at least the man had honour. That was something he could count on.

Luca ran his thumb over Emila's cheek tenderly. “I'm sorry I'm always being such a fool.”

She smiled and said, “If that bothered me so much, I wouldn't still be here. You're no fool, Luca. You care. That's why you get angry.”

He frowned, considering those words. In a way, it was true. But it was also wrong. “We should rejoin the others.”

She nodded, and they started back. As they walked, Luca considered the now-changed situation. Now they had no Rixeor Fragment, and he knew that Zaow and Selphie were plotting his death. Things were worse than ever.

But he felt the warmth of Emila's hand in his, and for the time being, those things no longer worried him.

Chapter XXI

We Three Kings

The Elder Hall was a temple within a mountain, the first mountain of the massive range that separated Acaria from Sono. Before this mountain was a large valley, within which were currently hundreds - no, thousands - of campfires and tents. Divided by the colours of red, blue, and green, one could make out the three divisions which belonged to Sono, Saeticia, and Torachi. A large stairway led out of the valley, spiralling up the mountain and leading to a large pair of iron double doors - the entrance to the Elder Hall.

Seeing this all for the first time, Luca couldn't help but draw in a breath. It was truly a spectacle, this thing that had stood for so many years. It was one of the last remnants of the ancient empires of Markira and Rue. In those days, the emperors would meet at the very same temple that the three kings of the Alliance were to meet in now. It was a historic event, and Luca could almost feel the weight of it on his shoulders.

The others were similarly awed. None of the members of his group had ever been to this place, not even Selphie. Turning slightly to glance at the princess, Luca studied her expression. She was gazing upon the great mountain before her, with no trace in her features to suggest the betrayal Luca knew was coming. In the days between their short stay in Eccador and their arrival at the Elder Hall, Selphie had continued to keep her distance from him, not even challenging his usurpation of the leadership of the group. Her private conversations with Jared continued, but Luca did not worry that she had discovered his finding of her letter. Still, she had not admitted to him what her father expected her to do. In Luca's mind, this was a betrayal of its own. Had she told him, he might have even gone along with it. It would have gotten him to Zinoro easily, where he could finally have his chance at revenge. But that possibility was long gone.