Chapter 205

Chapter 205

Despite my exhaustion, peaceful slumber escapes me as I drift into the void, appearing next to Baledaghs entranced astral form. Too tired to care, I sit next to him and lean in close, resisting the urge to wake him from his sleep. As much as Id like his help, I dont think hed be much use considering the current fragile state of his psyche. The Spectres buzz with subtle suggestions to end his misery, but their whispers fade into the background noise of my troubled thoughts.

Watching Baledaghs dreams almost feels wrong, voyeuristic even, his innermost desires on naked display. Only it all feels so real, so immersive, I cannot help but lose myself in the beauty of his perfect world, no matter how much I criticize how shallow and vapid it seems. Sitting in my favourite spot, a peak overlooking the village entrance, Baledagh snuggles with Ai Qing beneath a blanket, warding off the cold spring chill. Leaning against Zabus flank, they hold hands and share warmth beneath the morning sun. Zabus soft fur tickles my skin as the cool breeze passes over us, our eyes glued to a mob of children bustling about on the fields below. Today is a day of cheer and joy, and were here to share in it, though we both thought it best to step back on this first day of quin riding lessons.

Though titled as a lesson, its mostly an excuse to let the children frolic and bond with the playful creatures. Not every child is blessed with wealthy parents, so these lessons help the Sentinels find talents worth grooming and let the quins bond with the villagers. Even from this distance, the children's peals of laughter and shrieks of delight are readily audible, a massive grin stretched across my face as my eyes follow my young namesake. Standing atop a suspiciously fat quin, young Rainy howls with glee as we watch from afar, his mother wracked with fear and apprehension.

Dearest, she says, her nails leaving indents in my skin, Isnt that dangerous? What if he falls?

Chuckling beneath my breath, I pull her close to nuzzle and kiss, breathing in her soothing, herbal scent, my eyes never leaving my son. No need for alarm Qing-Qing, I say, though I share her fears. Your Teacher Taduk is standing by just in case, as is your senior sister Lin. Besides, nothing will happen, look how he stands. Knees bent and back straight, hes a born rider. Best to keep to myself how many times he fell when I taught him this trick, or how often Taduk had to cover up his bruises.

Pressing closer, Qing-Qing sighs, her death grip relaxing ever so slightly. Our little terror is growing so fast. Hes just like his father, so talented and brave. I only wish he paid more attention to his studies. He has a gift for memorization and a flexible mind, hed make a wonderful herbalist. Theres no need for him to join the Sentinels.

I laugh and kiss her on the cheek, my heart skipping a beat at her smile. Hes but a child learning to ride and already youve planned his future for him. Who says hell be a Sentinel? Have you picked a wife for him too or will you wait until he has all his teeth?

Hmph. My sweet Rainy is so handsome and charming, hell have his pick of the ladies. Sighing, she shifts and wraps her arms around my waist, pressing her cheek against my chest. We must decide soon, before he turns six. Isnt that the way of your people?

Our people, my love. You are one of the Bekhai now.

Hugging me tighter, she kisses me and smiles. Well? Stop dodging the question. Is he to be a warrior like you or an herbalist like me?

Unyielding, my stubborn, beautiful Qing-Qing. Stroking her hair, I shrug and smile, watching my boy laugh as the fat quin ambles about. Though Mafu moves at a slow pace, to a child like Rainy, it must seem so exhilarating. A steady gait and calm demeanour, Mafu is the perfect mount for Rainy to learn on. Perhaps I should buy the quin, since Zabu has yet to father any pups. Why not continue as is? The son of Falling Rain and Ai Qing is both talented and hardworking. Let him continue his studies for now and decide his own path in the future. A warrior healer isn't so far-fetched.

Giggling, Qing-Qing looks at me with love and mirth. Baledagh. The son of Baledagh and Ai Qing, you silly man. Falling Rain is our son.

Her words hit me like hammer to the gut, throwing me from the illusion. Bewildered, I watch from the void as Baledagh shakes his head, chuckling nervously. A slip of the tongue, he says, though still uneasy, kissing Ai Qing on the temple.

Their perfect life continues while I sit in the void, heart hammering and mouth dry. Dammit, even knowing it was a dream, I let myself be drawn in, almost losing myself to the illusion. Beside me, Baledaghs real body sits with furrowed brow, slowly relaxing as the aftereffects of my incursion fade away, peace and serenity stealing away all his worries and woes. Thats how it goes, he wont dwell on this disturbance any longer than necessary, his questions buried under a lack of concern. Why ruin a good thing? Things are good, no need to find reasons to be unhappy.

For one brief moment, I was Baledagh and he was me, and it felt so... right. No fear, no worries, no exhaustion or pain, nothing but love and happiness neatly bundled with security and serenity. Even knowing it wasnt real, my heart pangs over the loss of my no, Baledaghs perfect little life.

You mourn the loss of the Warrior, or perhaps envy his satisfaction?

Twitching in surprise, I glance around the empty void, searching for the intruder before it clicks. Fucking Spectres, seems theyre bored of whispers and suggestions and have moved on to booming-voice jump scares. Dont engage, ignore them and leave it be.

You desire peace of mind. We can grant you what he has and more. Surrender, and all you desire will be yours.

All for the low low price of eternal damnation. Limited time only, so act now! Fucking hell, why can I never stick to the plan?

Mock all you want, Foundling. We are patient. We are eternal.The source of this content nov(el)bi((n))

We wait, little Foundling. Surrender to us and your enemies will fall before you.

But wait, theres more! For only three easy payments of unhinged violence, well throw in all your dreams and desires. Our parasitic agents are standing by, so call now before this once in a life-time opportunity slips by!

Confused by my ranting, the Spectres quiet down, and not a moment too soon. A shrill, chittering cry echos from ahead, a quin sounding the charge, but Mafu holds in place. The forest comes to life as creatures skitter and flap away, and within seconds, I hear the heavy footsteps of several Garos headed directly towards me. Faint and stealthy, but not stealthy enough, their position given away by broken branches and clicking talons, they flee from their pursuers right into the quins waiting trap.

Lunging from his prone position, Mafus attack is rewarded with a dying shriek as the pungent scent of garos blood fills the air. Peace pierces through the air where Im guessing the rider would be, the Honed sword glancing off something solid with a twisted screech. With a shuddering croak, the garo collapses to the ground and its rider tumbles off its back. Leaping from Mafu, I follow the moving shadow in to the forest.

Movement through beams of moonlight give his position away, and I leap into action. Crashing into him shield first, I shove him off balance as Peace misses the mark. His weapon lashes out, a bare flash before my eyes before Peace intercepts, my arm quivering from the powerful strike. Pressing the attack, my opponent swings wildly towards me and I hunker behind Tranquility, staggering back as he lands blow after blow, somehow accurate despite the near complete darkness.

A hand grabs the edge of my shield and pulls forward, throwing me to the ground face first. Going with the impromptu dive, I tuck and roll as the Defiled weapon slams into the dirt behind me. Confused and disoriented, I spin and slash, hitting nothing. The cutting air gives away my position and a heavy boot collides with my knee. A probing sweep, the following chop comes dangerously close to cleaving me in two, only Tranquilitys sturdy frame keeping me alive. Hiding behind my shield once again, I stand in place and weather the storm of blows, slowly forced to one knee, then both.

Worthless Foundling, so much promise yet so little skill. A gift for you then, a taste of what we offer. Your opponent strikes with measured blows, but a simple Deflection will leave him open to riposte. Follow the weapons path in reverse and find your foe standing at its end.

Fuck my idiot brain. Channelling Chi through Tranquility, I create a storm of swirling energy at the shields centre and wait for the next blow. The Defiled weapon hammers into my shield with a resounding clang before sliding across its surface, sent flying away by the whirling Chi. My opponent gasps and struggles for balance, the noise cut short as Peace bites deep and opens a slash across his chest. A stream of hot blood splashes my face and neck, cooling to a sticky mess before my opponent thumps to the ground. Kneeling heavily atop him, I frantically stab with Peace again and again until Im certain hes dead, panting as the adrenaline drains away and leaves me a stiff, shaky mess.

We can offer much more than obvious advice, Foundling. Think on it.

The skirmish won, my retinue gathers the corpses as Mila brings a detachment to continue scouting. For the low price of a few scratches and one badly injured Sentinel, we killed ten Defiled, not much in the grand scheme of things, but at least itll make the Enemy think twice about using more guerrilla tactics. Dragging his prize, Mafu snacks away on the garo corpse as we ride into the firelight, and I cant help but notice the soldiers staring at my blood-soaked self. Cant blame them, I know what theyre thinking: This is the number one talent in the North? I probably look pathetic, battered and bloodied by a single Defiled.

In the chaos and fear, I forgot all my training and practice, standing in place like a wooden dummy. Without Baledagh, I need to concentrate on fighting and using Chi in tandem, something Ive never had to do aside from Honing. I didnt even use my Aura, how idiotic is that? Then theres Deflection, which takes serious concentration and effort to set up, but used properly, its a powerful tool capable of taking my opponent off-guard. A parry without using too much physical power, meaning I'll be able to strike back in an instant. Not just defensively, but what if I used Deflection offensively, lending power to my strikes?

God dammit. I need to be better than this or Ill end up begging the Spectres for help.

Carrying a basin of water, Lin crinkles her nose and shakes her head. Hubby, you need to fight more elegantly, without getting so dirty, ya? Im not doing your laundry either, so hmph. Sticking her tongue out, she smiles and hands me a wet cloth. Smiling at her adorable actions, I wipe away the blood and steady my resolve. Ill never ask the Spectres for help, itll only put those I love in danger.

Id be better off dead than Defiled.

...

Wait, isnt that the tagline to the Purge?

...

The longer I stay in this world, the less I like myself, and thats saying something.

Truth be told, I never liked myself all that much to begin with.

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