The End of the Fantasy (Book #6 of the Sage Saga) (3 page)

“Whew!” Bastion sighed, stooping over and putting his hands on his knees. “Well that was intense. No wonder the Quietus like hunting here.”

“Aw, it’s cute,” Lily said, examining it. “It has the tiniest little face. I almost want to keep it as a pet. But I know we can’t.”

“We could find something else.”

“No, it might take too long. Besides, this thing is so fast, I don’t think we would be able to catch it if it ran away again.”

“We caught it once.”

“You mean I caught it,” she winked at him. “You got out of breath.”

“Oh, don’t even start,” Bastion laughed, standing upright. “I’m not tired.”

“Mm-hmm. And that little break you just took was because you had too much energy.”

“It was because I was surprised over how fast that creature was.”

“Sure it was.”

“You were fast too. I was shocked by how much.”

“Two peas in a pod,” she said with a smile. Bastion gave her a puzzled look. “Nevermind,” Lily said. “It’s just an expression.”

“I’m curious,” Bastion said. “How strong are you? Really.”

“Why do you want to know?” she asked low, wondering what he was trying to figure out.

“It’s…well, I came here to Quietus to be separate from everyone else. I want to get stronger. I need to prepare for whatever’s coming, and I don’t know what side I’m on or who I’m fighting for, but I need to be ready.”

“So you’re wondering if I’m a suitable sparring partner.”

“That’s right,” Bastion said, taking a step toward her. “The thing is, I’ve never had one that I could consider an equal. I was always too afraid of hurting others, and the few times that I did go through with it, regardless of how I felt, someone would get injured. Even Lakrymos…we had quite a few sparring matches, but I surpassed him quickly. Orchid—I know I could have defeated her at any time, but back then, I wasn’t sure if I should have killed her or not. I had already killed so many…”

Lily waited for him to continue.

“But I don’t want to hurt you,” Bastion said. “Sometimes I lose myself…and I like you. I don’t want to ruin anything between us…whatever this is.”

“I see,” Lily chuckled, her hands still on the furry animal in her hands. “Well, let’s eat first, and then we can see what happens between us.”

“You’re not afraid?”

“Oh I am,” she said with a wink. “I’m afraid of what will happen to you.”

Bastion had never been more excited for a fight in his entire life.

They awoke to the sound of footsteps, which normally, was not unusual. But the boots that covered these particular feet were not student-issued. Not a single student wore such a boot, and from what their eidolons told them, there were dozens of these familiar yet foreign feet. Rising from their beds, the students quickly dressed and murmured among each other as they headed from their dorms, down the halls, and out the door into the courtyard. As soon as the first in line stepped out onto the gravel, they started stopping in their tracks. They only moved forward when the students behind them pushed. Though they were frozen in fear, their bodies instinctively summoned eidolons into the palms of their hands.

Three dozen Yama stood before them, side by side, and in rows, as if waiting for an order. Disgusting to behold, yet easily identifiable, the students couldn’t take their eyes off their supposed enemy. They had heard of their coming, but why had the day arrived so soon? And why hadn’t they been able to sense them coming from further away? Even now, it was not their energy signatures that gave them away but the sound of their steps. What if they had not slept with their eidolons out? What then? Would they have been slain in their sleep?

No one moved. No one dared to move, for neither side was ready to begin the war. But then, to their utter shock, the King of Allay stepped out in front of the Yama from the small militia’s right hand side.

He was out of his royal robes and now into a plain grey cloak, the kind Arimus used to wear. For what reason, the students couldn’t figure out.

“Excuse me, young ones,” Seeker said, “but who might be in charge here?”

The students looked to one another. Who indeed? The students had formed their own small groups in their teachers’ absence and as a result, they viewed a few of their peers as leaders, but no one was really in charge among them. They hadn’t seen Orchid in a couple days and she had never taken a prominent role. James, Talia, Zhou and the rest...they had been gone for so long that they barely remembered the Master Sages’ faces.

“I guess I am,” Likan said from the second row, taking a step between the crowd and moving to the front. He was a stocky, black-haired boy of nineteen, known not for his sage abilities but his impressive mind in the heat of battle. He wasn’t that great himself, but he could delegate to his teams in a way few had seen. He knew the strengths and weaknesses of half the school simply based on observation.

“Ah, and what is your name?”

“Likan,” he said, making it painfully obvious that he was nervous.

“And why are you the leader, Likan?”

“It’s because I understand how others operate. I can…um, I guess you could say that I see through people, sir.”

“And what do you see when you look at me?”

Likan looked back at his classmates but no one was ready to provide him an answer. Though he was their unofficial leader inside the Academy, right now, he was very much alone.

“I see…I see…”

“Don’t hold back,” Seeker said, bending down closer to the student’s face. “We must be honest with one another. After all, we are all part of Allay.”

“I see greed,” Likan said, his lips trembling. “Yeah…greed.”

“Anything else?”

“I don’t think it’s my place to say anything else. I just follow orders,” he said quickly, trying to put on the illusion that he was just an ordinary soldier, waiting for the will of his King to be thrust upon him.

“You are smart, Likan,” he said, raising his eyes from the boy to the group behind him. “Now, listen carefully. I am going to need all of you to back away from the wall and come to the middle of the courtyard. Those that are still inside must come out as well. The visitors behind me will make room for you.”

The students hesitated, but slowly they walked to the middle, watching as the Yama took one step back at a time in unison. Likan didn’t move from where he stood.

“What is going on here?” he finally found the words to say. Seeker diverted his attention back to the boy.

“What do you mean?”

“Aren’t those Yama?” Likan winced, feeling horrible for questioning the King. “Aren’t they the enemy?”

“We have reached an understanding!” Seeker shouted, waving his arms in the air and turning to address the student body, now in the middle of the courtyard, but still facing the Yama. None of them turned around to face Seeker as he spoke. “It would seem that Lakrymos and Orchid were too hasty in their assessment. Let me tell you all a quick story. Last night, when the castle was long closed, a Yama leader came to me, and not out of hostility. He pleaded for his people, saying that Lakrymos and his partner were mistaken. They told me that Lakrymos wanted the Yama’s resources, and that he wanted to use us, the people of Allay, as his own personal army to take it.

“And if you think about it, it makes sense. Think of how distant Lakyrmos was to you all. How he treated you all as tools and not Allayans. Needless to say, I heard the plight of the Yama, and we came to an agreement. We would not attack each other. Instead, we would form an alliance, for the good of both Kingdoms. They are not our enemies, but our allies.”

The student body noticeably relaxed but they still weren’t completely convinced.

“But now you must consider strongly what I have to say next. During our conversations, the Yama and I have determined that the real war is not between each other, but between Langour and Prattle. They are our real enemies, for they have done nothing but use our resources for their own purposes. And the moment they were able to sustain themselves, they began amassing their army and weapons, waiting for the day to strike us.”

“The Langorans and Prattlians are our friends,” Likan said. “We’ve been at peace for years.”

“And that,” Seeker said, turning to face Likan, “is why you must decide who you will side with. Your King and our new allies, or the Langorans. I am sure you understand what that will mean. If you join the Langorans or Prattlians, you will be banished, and when you seek refuge in their lands, they will shun you. At best, they will use you against your family and friends. As warriors, I am sure you will make the wise decision. So now, as your King, I must ask you to make your choice, for time is very short. If you are fine with banishment, and you cannot bring yourself to wage war against the Langorans and Prattlians, then please go to the left of the courtyard. If you are with Allay, go to the right. Do this now.”

The student body looked at one another, and primarily at their friends. But it only took a few seconds for most of them to make their decisions. Slowly, and in packs, they made their choices. A little less than a fourth went to the Allayan side. Nearly a fourth went to the banishment side, and the rest, the bulk of the group, stayed in the middle, wavering between choices. Seeker walked away from Likan and over to the Yama. Standing in front of them, he sighed and then pointed at the group that was ready for banishment.

“Purge,” he said, and the Yama made their move. Sprinting forward, they unsheathed daggers from their sides and weaved through the students at the left hand side, aiming to kill with each blow.

The courtyard exploded into chaos.

As Seeker slunk back toward the exit, the Yama engaged. At that moment, most of the students in the middle made up their minds, rushing to aid their friends and even clashing against some of their own classmates. Old grudges and rivalries were renewed as the students struck eidolon against eidolon, trying to keep each other at bay while the Yama performed their orders expertly. A few Sages were able to fight against the rushing Yama, but it always ended in death for the Allayan, and then the Yama would continue on.

The entire time, Seeker watched, taking mental notes.

For what felt like hours, only minutes passed, and soon, all of the young Sages that desired banishment were dead—decapitated so that they would have no chance of healing. Those that came to the assistance of the banished were wounded, and most of them were on one knee, holding a wound or trying to keep consciousness. Seeker stepped forward.

“Kill the ones that came to the aid of the banished,” he ordered.

Suddenly, more clashes of blades and cries of pain rang through the air.

It took less than a minute.

“Now,” Seeker said, his eyes filled with bloodlust. “Kill those that were neutral. Even those that came to
our
aid.”

Widened eyes were quickly closed as those Sages were executed. With no one to fight on their behalf, the Yama were able to finish their command in seconds. Only the Sages that chose Allay from the start were now still standing, and though they were afraid, they were doing their best not to show it. Only a steel resolve would save them.

Seeker glanced over at them.

“LINE UP!” he demanded, and the boys obeyed. He walked over to them, and one by one, he lifted their chins with his hand, staring straight into their eyes and searching them for fear. They all passed the test, and even he was surprised by the results of his assessment.

But then he remembered something.

He turned back to Likan.

“And him,” he said. A sole Yama ran toward the boy as he turned to face Iliad, having just appeared on the “battlefield.”

“It is done,” Seeker said. “I hope that you will keep your end of the bargain.”

“Certainly,” the Yama replied. “We are at your disposal.”

“Good,” he said, then he turned to the young Sages that were still left. “Spread the news throughout the Kingdom that we have been attacked by the Yama. That news will eventually fall upon the other Kingdoms’ borders. Tell the villagers to message every Langoran or Prattlian that they know, saying that we need assistance as soon as possible. We have managed to divert the Yama forces to the north, but they will return.”

“Why the north?” Iliad asked.

“Because,” Seeker said, “we don’t want them to arm themselves and only defend their borders. We want them to think that the Yama threat is formidable, but manageable. If we say that we were able to push you away, even temporary, it shows that your army is not as strong as we all thought. They will want to help us finish you off.”

“Excellent strategy. Let us hope that it works.”

*              *              *

“That was decent,” Arimus said as he tried to pick a piece of stem from between his teeth. “I’ve never tasted anything like it.”

“It’s a pain to grow,” Marie said as she stuck her stem into the fire before them. The plant, resembling a celery stalk in nature, was crisping under the flames. “Especially in these harsh conditions. But once they are fully mature, it’s like they stay fresh forever. Just a little heat and it’s like they were freshly picked.”

“Where do you have gardens around here?”

“Mostly underground. And it’s not really a garden. It’s hard to grow certain things because of the moisture so we tend to eat more fungi than we care to. This Alka root actually needs warm soil but cold oxygen. It’s strange.”

“But delicious,” Zhou said. “Better than what Allay offers.”

“Oh?” Marie asked. “What do you mean?”

“Allayans are horrible cooks,” Catherine laughed as she uncrossed her legs, so that she could get some of the heat on her feet. “You have no idea how bad.”

“It is actually better to burn the food,” Sway said, and they all started laughing.

“It seems a union of Sage and Prattlian would be mutually beneficial,” Marie said, and Catherine craned her neck in confusion.

“What do you mean? They are already in an alliance.”

“I was thinking more of an integration. A merge of the two Kingdoms. Prattlians could learn how to fight, which would be great for us. I mean, you saw Tyuin. If he was able to battle, and not just defend, he would be very powerful.”

“True,” Talia replied.

“And for the Sages, we can not only help you with the basics such as cooking, cleaning, and maybe add a little culture to the mix…but we can also increase your critical thinking and teach you to better improve your abilities. Prattlians can be thinkers that finally do, and Sages can be doers that finally think.”

“Thanks,” Zhou muttered, and Marie laughed and threw a piece of charred Alka at his forehead. Zhou picked it up and ate it eagerly.

“That’s not what I meant,” Marie said, “and if it’s taken as an insult, that means my people are insulted as well. You have no idea how horrible it is to have such fantastic ideas under the collaboration of your kin, but it is never brought to life because we’re too afraid to try. I see no point in even talking sometimes.”

“So do you feel the same way about us?” Sway asked. “How we do things but don’t think?”

“It is irritating,” Marie said with a chuckle, reaching down to cook another alka stem. “The things the Sages can do…I envy you. I can only imagine what a Sage with the mind of a Prattlian could accomplish. It gives me the chills.”

“That’s the weather,” Zhou said, “forgot its cold?” Marie lifted her head to make a remark, and she was met with a hard piece of Alka, hitting her square in the forehead.

“Hey!” she exclaimed and Zhou laughed heartily.

“Alright now give that back,” he said, making a ‘gimme’ motion, but Marie just licked it from top to bottom and then threw it at him. It landed in the dirt and snow by his feet and he picked it up and groaned. The stem was now covered in dirt, little pebbles, snow, and a number of other unidentifiable things.