Chapter 3 #3
Linnea’s eyes were wide with anxious worry. “Alex, please! I know you’re betting that you can break that formation, with your mad gifts and wild luck, but you know it will probably kill you!”
Alex flashed a bitter smile. “Trust me, Linnea. It was only a matter of time.”
“You don’t have to do this,” Linnea said desperately, not even caring that she was implying he should shirk the fate of a city before its ruler. Strangely, the prince didn’t seem to take offense.
Alex gazed fondly back at her, brushing a tear from her emerald-green eyes. “As a matter of fact, yeah. I do.”
“Alex…”
He gently held her when she sobbed and squeezed him tightly.
“You know how fast I can blink through the forest, and the trees hide my presence. If anyone’s going to succeed at this, Linnea…”
“Don’t kid yourself, Alex! There are over two-dozen shadow puma more fearsome-looking than anything we ever faced before. And two absolutely monstrous spirit beast paragons you would be antagonizing if you dared to shatter the warping prize they clearly wish to control for their own ends!”
Alex chuckled mirthlessly. “Then I’d better be as fast as I damn well can.”
Hanz gathered his now-sobbing cousin into his arms.
The prince’s smile was radiant with hope, pride, and admiration as he gently squeezed Alex’s shoulder. “If you can do this for us, Alex… you would be feted and honored as the hero you are by the entire city.”
Alex blinked at that, a momentary flash of alarm turning into an odd feeling of wonder.
Somehow sensing that his hero’s mantle was now thick enough, resilient enough, that yes…
yes, he truly could stand tall and proud and be loved and cherished by at least this one tiny city lost in endless desert and not immediately be targeted by spite-filled gods.
The mantle he now had, the sacrifices he had already made, really were enough to see him through.
Alex closed his eyes, absolutely hating that awareness.
Hating the knowledge that he now had something he could truly look forward to.
A life he could live free of fear and malice.
A family he could have without having to constantly worry about their very survival.
Honor, glory… even happiness.
They could all be his.
And he was about to risk it all on an act of insanity, not just walking but racing at full speed along the Path of Peril once more, when he finally had things worth fighting for. Worth living for.
When he wasn’t haunted with the bleak realization that oblivion WAS the mercy his life promised. The only mercy. So why not push himself to insane heights, yet again? And grow stronger… ever stronger…
It was as if his enemies had finally realized that there was a price to be paid if his only relief, his only solace, would be watching them all burn.
And now, by some unexpected miracle, it was different.
It could all be so different!
And he was about to throw that precious possibility away.
Because whether he liked it or not, whether it was fair or not, the fate of an entire city now rested squarely upon his shoulders.
Alex closed his eyes, centering himself, before he turned back to his boon companions and friends.
“If things start to change, if the land seems to stretch and shift, flee through that portal as fast as you can. If you hear sudden roars and shouts, like the entire jungle’s about to erupt in chaos, leave as fast as you can. ”
Alex flashed a painful smile. “Honestly, I just need Linnea to stick around as long as it’s safe to aid me with heat vision. But the minute I roll the dice and do what I can only hope will work, things might get a bit crazy, so… yeah. I’d rather it just be me who falls than all of you.”
Shweng Fa gazed at Alex for long moments before dipping her head, headmaster to lowly aspirant, an unthinkable honor. “We will stay for as long as we can, our wards protecting your perimeter for as long as we can maintain them, hero.”
Sulia flashed a nervous smile. “And once again you prove that there is far more to being a hero than manipulating paper cranes.”
Alex smirked. “Actually those were really good lessons, and goodness knows I need all the practice I can get.”
She swallowed. “Well, I promise you this, Alex. When this night is done, my students will be paying you the respect you deserve.” She solemnly bowed to him. As did everyone else, save for the prince himself.
“We all will, hero,” said the headmaster.
Alex didn’t know what to say to that, so he bowed in return to them all, before addressing the prince once more.
“It’s time, Your Grace.”
Prince Quiang dipped his head. “Hunt well, hero. We will hold for as long as we can. The moment we sense Gold-tier pressure, however…”
“It’s fine. If furious Golds are charging for the rift entrance, I’m guessing it will mean that my mission was a glorious success, whether or not I’m around to enjoy it.”
“Alex!” Linnea sobbed, before her eyes widened, caught utterly off guard when Alex held her tight and kissed her fiercely.
Before letting her go with a final sad smile. “Goodbye, Linnea.”
And before she could say another word, he was gone.