A Different Path

The remainder of the journey to Cathena had proceeded relatively smoothly following their unexpected crash-landing in the forest. While Ganz had been correct in his estimation that they would encounter numerous Orcons during the course of their trek, each of these engagements had been bought to a swift and lethal close by Kharg’s keen-edged blade. As the former prince continued to eliminate their opponents with ever-increasing ferocity, his friends’ concern for his wellbeing steadily mounted.

Prior to his mother’s untimely death, Kharg had always striven to let his morality guide him, only killing an enemy when there was no other option left and waiting to establish whether the situation was hostile before reaching for his sword. While he had taken pride in the skill behind his swordsmanship, he could not claim to have felt any particular love of bloodshed. Now however, as he proceeded to despatch the deimos they happened upon with an alarming alacrity, he found that each deadly slice of his blade cast a beam of illumination on the darkness inside him. Each new victory served to spur him onwards, giving him the strength to keep going despite the crushing grief that threatened to engulf him.

Once they had reached Cathena, Ganz had left the group in order to find the equipment needed to repair their damaged ship. Having agreed to rendezvous outside the arena once Big Owl had been restored to full working order, Kharg and the remainder of his friends had proceeded to seek out the delegates of the World Alliance.

Striding into the assembly room, a look of calculated self-assuredness painted across his blood-smeared face, Kharg stood calmly in front of the startled delegates and mentally prepared himself to win them over to his cause.

‘This is an important political gathering, you can’t just walk in here off the streets!’ the Cathenian representative inveighed, his face tinged red with outrage, ‘who are you and what are you doing here?’

‘My name is Lord Kharg of Yewbell and I’m the official delegate of Nidellia. I’m here to voice the opinions of my nation and to escort this girl, Lilia, to your hearing. I believe you were expecting her,’ Kharg answered promptly.

‘That’s right, we have been expecting her,’ the Milmarnian representative stepped forward, silencing her outraged confederate, ‘but I was under the impression that Lady Nafia was the official delegate of Nidellia? Where is she?’

At the sound of his mother’s name, the former prince felt his hands involuntarily ball into fists as an ache as sharp as the point of his sword shot through his body. He firmly clenched his jaw in an attempt to contain the tempest of emotions he felt brewing inside him before answering the woman’s question.

‘My mother is dead,’ the blond intoned in a flat, empty voice, ‘she was killed by Drakyr.’

‘I’m so sorry to hear that,’ the Milmarnian representative replied with sincerity, ‘Lady Nafia was a great woman and an asset to your country. Now, I hope you’ll forgive my abruptness but now that Lilia has arrived I propose that we continue with the hearing.’

‘Of course,’ the former prince conceded, thankful for the change of subject.

Kharg performed at his political best, his upbringing having shaped him into the perfect dignitary whilst the desire for vengeance that now burned inside him meant he was driven to succeed; he would ensure that the threat from Dilzweld was completely eliminated, leaving the way clear for humanity to unite and eradicate the deimos once and for all.

Although they had initially been met with opposition from some of the delegates, Kharg’s steely determination and the dark fury that blazed behind his eyes meant that the vote soon tipped in their favour. Dilzweld were to be issued with a warning that any further acts of hostility would be met with force and if this warning was ignored, retaliation would be immediate.

‘One last thing before we leave,’ the former prince spoke hollowly once the action had been decided.

‘Go on,’ the Cathenian representative replied.

‘Once Dilzweld has been neutralised, as Nidellia’s official delegate I propose we hold a summit to discuss how we intend to deal with the increasing threat from the deimos. We’ve been sitting on our hands for far too long and too many lives have been lost. This needs to end and the safety of our people must be ensured.’

‘The problem has indeed been in the forefront of many of our minds of late. Once the dispute with Dilzweld has been rectified, we’ll meet again to discuss the issue,’ the delegate nodded his ascent.

‘Thank you. I suppose we ought to be on our way,’ Kharg responded with courtesy.
As he turned to exit the assembly hall, his comrades following a short distance behind him, Kharg noted that their victory failed to alleviate any of the gnawing emptiness that his mother’s death had left him with.

******


‘Ok, are we ready to leave?’ Kharg questioned once everyone was gathered outside the arena.

‘The repairs have been made, we’re good to go,’ Ganz nodded.

‘I...I’ve decided to stay here in Cathena for a while,’ Lilia spoke up quietly, her eyes turned nervously towards the floor, ‘I don’t think Dilzweld will give up on me just like that and the World Alliance has offered me their protection.’

‘You don’t have to stay here. You’re more than welcome to come back to Yewbell with us and I swear we’ll do our best to defend you,’ Kharg offered.

‘Thank you, you’ve all done so much for me and I really am grateful, but I’ve caused you enough hardship as it is. I think it would be best if I stay here for now,’ the girl replied.

‘None of this was your fault, but I respect your decision,’ Kharg responded courteously, ‘you’ll always be welcome in Nidellia if you change your mind, though.’

‘Thank you,’ Lilia nodded, ‘and Kharg I...I’m so sorry for...’

‘Well, we’d better get going,’ the former prince cut her off abruptly, throwing her a vacant smile that failed to reach his eyes, ‘take care of yourself, Lilia.’

With that remark left hanging between them, Kharg turned away from the startled girl and began to walk purposefully in the direction of the city gates, leaving his friends staring worriedly after him.

******

Kharg’s thoughts had only grown darker during their return journey through the forest. He knew that his people were relying on him to provide them with a safe and prosperous future and he did not intend to fail them now. As long as there were deimos on Ragnoth, the lives of his countrymen would always be at risk and this was not something he was willing to endure. Kharg knew he had an immense task in front of him, the Defence Corps would have to be expanded and their training made more rigorous to ensure his men were prepared for what lay ahead, but he did not doubt that he could achieve it. He intended to launch a concentrated assault on the deimos, systematically hunting them down until not even a single one remained. Once Dilzweld was taken care of and he was able to submit his proposal to the World Alliance, he was hopeful that his plan could be globally enforced, finally creating a safe world for humans to live in.

‘Kharg, look!’ the sound of Paulette calling out to him dragged the former prince out of his malefic reverie.

Moving quickly in order to catch up with his friend, Kharg’s attention was immediately captured by the hulking shape of their airship and the three distinctive figures that stood gathered around it.

‘Deimos!’ Kharg spat, a deluge of rage washing over him as he watched one of the creatures touching the side of the ship with its scaled hand, ‘get the hell away from there! I hope you’re ready to be slaughtered like the monstrous bastards you are!’

The former prince didn’t waste another second as two of the deimos began to charge towards them. Swiftly unsheathing his blood-smeared sword, Kharg launched himself into battle, his mind filled with nothing but the intense blackness of his hatred. He was barely aware of what he was doing or what was going on around him, his body moving with a speed and fluidity he had never known he was capable of. Fuelled entirely by his blinding rage, Kharg ruthlessly engaged the remaining male deimos, his entire being focused solely on its destruction.

However, as his opponent lay sprawled across the ground beneath him, its arms flung across its face in a final bid to defend itself, Kharg was suddenly struck by a moment of clarity. Raising his sword above his head in preparation to deliver the final blow, the blond found his vision inadvertently snagging on the familiar patterning of the deimos’ right arm; patterning that was identical to the former prince’s own birthmark.

The blond was momentarily shocked into stillness as he stared down at the male he had pinned to the floor and, as he stood watching, the deimos slowly lowered its arms to reveal a face that seemed strangely familiar. As it peered cautiously up at him through guarded red eyes, Kharg felt the thunderclouds of fury begin to roll across his vision once more. Before they consumed him completely and without knowing exactly what compelled him to do it, he allowed his sword to drop to the ground and instead of decapitating it as he had originally intended, he drove his fist ferociously into the side of the deimos’ head, it’s body going limp as it lost consciousness.

******
As the battle drew to a close, the small band of humans began to re-group in order to ascertain whether they had sustained any injuries. While the Lupine they had encountered lay immobile on the ground and the Orcon female slumped against a nearby tree, pinned in place by the arrow that pierced her shoulder, the humans had emerged from the fight relatively unscathed. Casting their eyes away from the comatose deimos they had so recently defeated, the group watched in silent apprehension as Kharg stood unmoving beside his own opponent, his gaze resting on its prone form.

Kharg had no idea how long he had been standing there, motionlessly staring down at the unconscious figure of the deimos he had just vanquished. He had not even been aware he was doing it until he felt a hand fall gently on his shoulder.

‘Are...are you ok?’ Paulette questioned, her voice thick with concern as she cautiously studied her friend.

‘I’m fine,’ the blond muttered, absently shrugging her hand away.

‘Are you sure? You don’t seem fine,’ the red-head persisted, attempting to hide the hurt in her voice as she withdrew from him.

‘Look at this,’ he pointedly ignored her, nudging the fallen deimos roughly with his foot, ‘its wearing human armour...and the sword it was using, it probably took these things from the body of one of its victims, don’t you think?’

‘I don’t know, Kharg. Come on, let’s just get back to Yewbell,’ Paulette spoke softly.

‘It can’t be allowed to get away with this. I’m taking these back,’ he muttered in response.

The former prince dropped to his knees and began to fumble with the straps which secured the deimos’ armour in place. Eyes wide with desperation, Paulette turned back towards their companions and motioned for someone to come over and help her.

‘What’re you doing?’ Maru questioned in confusion as he cautiously approached his friend.

Kharg failed to respond as he rolled the deimos onto its front and began to pull the armour away. The former prince’s eyes widened almost imperceptibly in surprise as he took in the jagged, raw-looking scars that were etched deep into the male’s back.

‘Wings,’ the blond’s voice came out in a whisper as he ran his finger roughly along one of the savage rents, ‘I think this is some kind of Drakyr.’

‘Hey, look at this!’ Maru’s voice rang out suddenly, ‘don’t you have one like this, Kharg?’

‘Hmm?’ the former prince glanced up distractedly, his forehead creasing slightly in irritation.

‘I said, don’t you have a stone like this?’ Maru repeated, holding out a translucent green object on the palm of his hand.

‘Where did you get that?’ Kharg’s voice suddenly became sharp and focused as he patted the pocket of his shorts, feeling for the Wind Stone and finding it present.

‘On the ground here, just beside the deimos. I guess he must’ve dropped it when you knocked him down,’ the boy shrugged.

The blond’s face noticeably darkened as he took the faintly luminous object out of Maru’s outstretched hand while pulling his own stone from his pocket. Cautiously bringing the two halves into alignment, Kharg’s eyes narrowed dangerously on finding they fit together as perfectly as though they had never been apart.

‘Right, that’s it. We’re taking this with us,’ Kharg stated darkly, causing both Maru and Paulette to jump as he took a firm hold of the unconscious deimos and abruptly swung it over his shoulder.

‘Just put that thing down!’ Paulette pleaded, ‘what exactly are you planning on doing with it? It’s not like it can tell you where it got the Wind Stone from. Either kill it or leave it here with the others, Kharg, please!’

‘Just leave him,’ Ganz spoke firmly, placing a reassuring hand on the girl’s arm as the former prince steadfastly ignored her, ‘he’ll get through this eventually.’

‘But...’ the red-head began to interject.

‘Trust me. There’s no point in interfering now. We just need to let him work through his grief,’ the ex-mercenary insisted.

‘I hope you’re right,’ Paulette sighed doubtfully.

The small band of humans watched in frustrated concern as their friend boarded the airship, the comatose deimos still slung limply across his shoulder.