CHAPTER 68: PLEASE... DON’T DIE

Aeron sat at the small desk in his chamber looking at the burned candle beside him. Before him lay a blank parchment, which he hovered over with his quill, yet he could not bring himself to write a single word.

He had received a letter from his mother earlier that morning saying that she was worried she hadn’t heard from him in a while. And asking if everything was good with him.

Aeron sighed, running a hand through his hair. What was he to tell her? He could not write that he had been arrested, and accused of crimes he did not even understand. He could not write that there were rumours of him in the palace that he was the son of a certain bloodline that was destroyed.

And yet... part of him wanted to. He wanted to ask her, was there truth in what they said? Did she know? What it was about his birth she had kept from him.

He stood and began pacing the room. He picked up the parchment again, sat, then stood once more. He was totally restless and confused.

That was when the door quickly opened.

"Aeron!" Varek’s voice was low but sounded urgent.

"What is it?" Aeron asked, startled.

"We must leave. Now." Varek replied to him as quickly as he went inside the room in two steps, picked up their swords, and gave Aeron his. Then he seized Aeron by the arm and pulled him toward the door.

"Wait, what’s happening?" Aeron hesitated as he was dragged. "Where are we going? Why are you rushing like this?"

But Varek said nothing. He only pulled Aeron faster down the corridor.

Then they turned into the hallway.

And froze.

Aeron’s heart stopped. Ahead of them, filling the passage, was a mass of men in red cloaks. Their faces were half hidden beneath hoods. The Ashantis. Dozens of them.

Aeron could only stare. For a moment he forgot even to breathe.

"These bastards in red cloaks..." he muttered to himself.

The Ashantis stopped when they saw them and spread themselves more.

Varek held Aeron’s arm more tightly as he spun them back the way they came. "This way!" He said.

But they had only taken a few steps when another group of Ashantis appeared from the opposite end of the corridor, thereby cutting off their escape route.

Aeron stopped and turned to Varek. "What is this? What’s happening?"

Varek’s jaw was hard. "They are here for you, Aeron. They will not rest until they take you. But I swear on my life, I will not let them."

He pushed Aeron back slightly, his eyes darting between both groups of enemies. "I will make a way for you. When I break through, you run. Take a horse and leave this place at once. Do not look back."

Aeron looked at him in disbelief. "What? Run away and leave you with them? Definitely not. If they want to take us, they’ll have to fight both of us. I won’t abandon you."

"We cannot give them what they want!" Varek snapped. "If they capture you, it’s over."

Aeron stepped closer and held his sword more firmly. "And have you forgotten how hard I’ve been training? You’ve seen it. I can beat them now. Together we stand a chance. At least until the palace guards arrive."

Varek’s eyes narrowed. "And what if the guards are part of this? Think, Aeron! Where are they now? Should they not already be here?"

Aeron hesitated. "Unless..." he whispered. "Unless the Ashantis already took them out."

Varek shook his head. "Impossible. If they had, the bells would have been sounded. Reinforcements would be here already." His grip tightened on his sword. "No. Something else is at play. But none of that matters right now. What matters is that you get out of this alive."

Aeron looked at him firmly. "Then we both live. We only need to hold them off. Help will come. Nyella told me to always trust her, and I will. She will not fail us."

The Ashantis began moving. Both groups advanced, slow and deliberate and they kept closing the gap with each step.

Varek stepped in front of Aeron and raised his sword. "Stay behind me. I’ll make a way through and when I do that, do not hesitate to leave."

And then the Ashantis charged and came at them.

Aeron and Varek, who were at the center of two groups, remained there and waited until the enemies got closer and they began fighting.

Clang... clang... clang...

Aeron had gotten much better at his sword skills. He could now hold off a group and could definitely beat a member of the Ashantis head-on.

Varek fought at the front, shielding Aeron from the worst by pushing him back from the open space, so he would only have the enemies he could handle one by one.

Varek had fought many battles before, but tonight he fought fiercely, more than he had in a very long time. His movements were faster and more brutal. Weeks of training in the palace, fighting alongside the royal guards, had only made him more deadly. His blade kept cutting, slashing, and stabbing.

But the Ashantis kept coming from both sides, and Varek, who was fighting hard, knew he couldn’t continue with a sword. He struck the person closest to him and collected his sword. Then he had two swords, and the fight became a bit easier for him as he could take two enemies head-on with the two swords.

Aeron saw it and wanted to do the same. He tried to push forward and strike one of the Ashantis, hoping to steal his sword too, but each step ahead dragged him deeper into their numbers. If he went too far, he would be surrounded. He hesitated. Instead, he held his ground and continued fighting them one by one.

The Ashantis were coming closer. There were just too many.

Varek was very fast and had killed many of the enemies, but even he was not without limit. And as he faced two in front of him, another came beside him and slashed him on the left shoulder.

"Ahhh!" he groaned in pain.

"You’re hurt!" Aeron said as he looked toward him.

"Don’t lose focus!" Varek snapped at him immediately. "You must keep fighting!"

Blood ran down his arm, but he did not allow his enemies to see weakness. He gritted his teeth and continued fighting because any delay would put them in even more danger.

The Ashantis surged forward again, but then from far down the hallway, four guards came running, from far ahead to join the fight against the Ashantis.

There was hope on Aeron’s face. "I told you! Help would come!"

Varek grunted as he cut another enemy. "They’re still too few and are no match for the Ashantis. Aeron, you still have to leave this place!"

Clang! Clang! Clang!

They kept fighting and just then, Varek received another hit, and this time it was at the leg. He staggered and dropped to one knee, the strength in that leg gone. But even kneeling, he kept fighting as his arms kept striking upward. His blood dripped to the floor.

And then...

Dooooong... Doooong...

The palace bells rang heavily. Aeron shouted as he looked at Varek. "Don’t give up! Just hold on! More help is on the way, just a little longer!" At that, he fought angrily himself.

Varek pushed himself up again. His face was pale, his shoulder and leg bleeding, but still he fought. He cut down one Ashanti, then another, but his movements were slower now.

And then the third blow struck him.

A sword drove deep into his belly.

Varek gasped, and blood kept pouring as the blade pulled from him. His swords fell to the floor. His body bent forward, too weak to fight anymore.

"NOOOO!" Aeron screamed.

He rushed forward, cutting down the man between them. He caught Varek before he fell, and cradled him against his chest.

"No... no, please, stay with me," Aeron cried. "Don’t leave me! Please!"

But the Ashantis did not stop. They came closer. One of them stepped forward and raised his sword high, ready to strike Aeron where he knelt.

Aeron lifted his face and looked at him with those teary eyes and he froze. His body became stiff and his hand trembled at what he saw. Aeron’s eyes had changed. His irises were no longer human. They burned fire itself.

The member of the Ashantis stumbled back as he was terrified.

Just then, Aeron picked up his sword with rage in his eyes, tightened his grip on it, and raised it up. Suddenly fire flicked across the blade. At first it was only a spark, then a glow, then a full blaze of fire consumed the sword but not destroying it.

[IGNIS FANG – Stage I]

« Triggered: Extreme Kill in Combat »

| Weapon Infused with Flame

| Physical Strikes Now Cause Burn Damage

| Can Summon Spectral Fire Blade