Chapter 6 Creed #2
“You know it’s kinda funny. One of my first thoughts when you picked us up in Oddian was me telling myself to watch my mouth because you could probably squash me like a bug. I know now I was wrong.”
“Yeah, real funny. My first thought was this girl is going to stir shit up. I was right.”
Yeah, he was.
Kyzen separates himself from them as they continue to enjoy their conversation. My nostrils curl as he smiles brightly and comes to stand beside me.
“Good first training, I’d say.”
“Really?”
“You don’t think so?”
“Not in the slightest.”
“Come on, Creed, you’ve got to remember this isn’t a Court of Defenders. They’re all incredibly diverse. Not to mention, Thayla’s friends.”
“Friends. This is exactly why you don’t train people who like each other together. All they do is cut up and talk. You’re also not helping.”
And yes, I realize they’re her friends.
That’s why I haven’t flipped the fuck out on any of them.
“I am helping. I’m the loving face that keeps their fear of you at bay. Plus, it’s not like we’re starting from scratch with Thayla. She’s already a formidable fighter. We just have to get them to the point they can defend themselves, then we’ll keep teaching them on our journey if need be.”
I grunt at his words.
I won’t take away from the fact she’s been trained and is a fearsome fighter who never gives up, but a disservice was done to her, and I assume the others in her training group.
They were only taught handfuls of positions and maneuvers. I’ve observed those fuckers, Mellcom, Jeremiah, as well as Garish, the other who came from Oddian. They all fight the same.
Her training serves her well and will continue to, but she has to learn, Oblirians and any other beings who want to kill us don’t follow a routine or regimen. They fight like their lives are on the line.
She has to learn that as well.
“I’m going to have to train her alone so she doesn’t fall behind and she learns everything she needs to know. This is going to be too distracting.”
“Alone? I don’t know how I feel about that.”
I can’t help the sneer that comes across my face. “Are you saying I can’t train my Binder alone because she’s your…what the fuck ever?”
He holds my glare for a moment before a massive smile splits through his devious lips. When he pats my shoulder, I know he did that shit on purpose.
“Nah, I don’t care. I just wanted to see if Amick was right.”
“Fuck you and him.”
“Okay, come on, Creed.”
My head whips toward Thayla’s teasing tone and my eyes narrow on her as she tosses and twirls a sword around.
“Come on what?”
“They’ve declared they want to see me spar, and you’ve been elected my opponent. Kyzen’s far too sweet for me to beat on.”
“Is that so?” I arch a brow at his pleased chuckle.
Little does she or they know, he’s far deadlier with a sword than me.
“Yep. Come take this ass whooping like a champ.”
It takes everything in me to hold back my snort.
“Get in position.”
Despite her irritatingly addictive smirk, she inhales deeply when I step into her space. That pleases me to no end, but I hide my grin by walking around her, only having to tap her thigh lightly once to correct her stance.
“Perfect.” I crowd in behind her. “I’m not going to go easy on you just because your little friends are watching. I know what you’re capable of.”
“I’d be offended if you did.”
With no other warning, she spins on her heel and strikes out. My sword comes up instinctively and blocks her, but that doesn’t deter her from keeping it coming.
I meet her strikes with clean blocks, watching her every move. Every turn of her feet, rotation of her shoulder. Her gracefulness is so contradictory to the fierce concentration on her face.
As she swings out, I spin behind her, raising my sword to tap her on her shoulder and declare my victory. She surprisingly whirls around just as fast and knocks me away.
When our weapons clash again, I crowd her. “Very good, Thayla. That transition was fast. Flawless.”
Her eyes widen as she shoves herself away, then launches a quick trio of strikes at my shoulder, thigh, and ribs. I block each, but it takes focus that both surprises and enthralls me.
“Good girl, keep them coming.”
Her one-handed swing hesitates just the slightest bit and I seize my opportunity.
My arm shoots out, and I grip her wrist, then twist it back. Not enough to do any damage but enough her sword falls from her limp hand and a pissed off grunt falls from her lips.
I drop down, sweeping my leg across the back of hers, and wait for her to hit the ground. My hand cradles the back of her head before it can make impact, and I hover above her smugly as she pants.
“You took that ass whooping like a champ. Maybe next time you’ll return the favor.”
She scowls with this adorable little twitch in her nostrils. “That wasn’t an ass whooping. Plus, you distracted me.”
I tilt my head to the side as I stare at her. “How’s that? I didn’t do anything but block you.”
Her lips part and she rips her eyes from mine like she just realized she didn’t mean to say that. I tighten my grip in her hair just enough to get her to look at me again.
“How did I—”
My words die on my tongue as my power sings in my veins and my soul screams out. The onslaught is so sudden and forceful, my eyes shifting steal the sight of her. A whispered prayer blares across my mind, silencing everything around and inside of me.
“Please. End this and save our souls.”
The call fades and my soul latches on to the beings begging for mercy. I shake my head repeatedly to get control over my power. It’s a battle as it wrestles with me to run toward the request of death.
“Creed.” Thayla’s soft plea penetrates the madness, and I jump away from her touch that lands on my arm.
She can’t touch me right now.
My sight returns, only for it to collide with the worry written across her face as she kneels in front of me. At least it’s worry and not fear. Either way, I can’t explain anything right now.
I hurry to my feet and turn to my brother. “Prepare Ellian. Just in case.”
He nods and I starshoot away, ignoring the sound of my name falling from Thayla’s lips repeatedly.
I reappear in my room only long enough to grab my chest plate of armor with the strappings to hold my swords. A minute and a half maybe is all the time I spare.
Starshooting again, this time when I appear, it’s on the outskirts of the Abandon about two miles from our stronghold. Although it’s the same time of day from our side of Godsden to this one, the air carries with it a thin layer of fog that obscures the true brightness.
I hide in the shadows of the crumbling structure to go undetected through the rays of light that pierce the darkness. I unsheathe my sword and call my power back forth, allowing my soul to tug me where I need to go.
My footsteps are calm, slow, and precise, unlike the beat of my heart. The faint sounds of a baby’s wail and a mother’s coo threaten to rip me apart, but I force myself to take measured steps.
This is the exact scenario my father would use to lure me to him.
I duck down a half standing hall and kneel to run my fingers across a bloodstain on the floor. It’s just beginning to cool and form a sticky texture.
The trail grows the closer I get to the sounds that are becoming louder.
My body falls still, while my stomach pools with dread as I come into a room and face the being who called out for me so desperately.
The relief and anguish that cross her paling face as she looks at me for help causes bile to race up my throat.
“Y-you came,” she slurs, her eyes blinking in and out of focus as her lifeforce continues to leave her.
Another piercing wail breaks the brief heavy silence, and my body moves without my command. I kneel in the puddle of blood forming beneath the woman and run my hands over her red-stained clothes.
Neither my eyes nor my hands can find the main source of the damage. There are multiple spots. Her body has been through hell and back.
I want nothing more than to close my eyes in sorrow as I sense the smallest shred of her soul hanging on for dear life. It’s like the sight of me has given her permission to give in to the call.
I want to tell her to hold strong, don’t give up.
Instinctively, with the powers cursed upon me, I already know she only has moments left.
“Is the child hurt?”
“They…they wanted to do to him as they did to you. I couldn’t allow it. I-I ran. I ran from my Valtrue, from your father. We’re the Richiko Valtrue. We betrayed the Godsdawn.”
Anger courses through me at the vaguely familiar name.
I didn’t know them personally. There are many completed Valtrues in Godsden and the Godsdawn that I don’t bother to get to know.
I remember that name for the simple fact that five years ago, during an attack, we declared them dead because they were captured. All five of them together.
I was there at that battle. I witnessed it happen.
Yet, what I witnessed was apparently a deception.
She doesn’t have the time to explain to me how that was possible.
Her time is up.
“What is your name?”
“Griery Richiko.”
“Do you have a dying prayer, Griery Richiko?”
She chokes back a sob that crushes my heart despite the animosity I feel in this moment. It’s easy to make excuses for her choice to betray our people at a time like this.
Joining the forces of the Abandon will never be something my Valtrue and I face, but other than that, we’d follow each other anywhere.
Her sliver of soul isn’t nearly as tainted as many I’ve come to visit on their brink of death. Therefore, and since she called me here, I’ll make her as comfortable as I can.
“My son. Please don’t allow them to get him. Please take him.”
Her voice cracks as tears slowly trail down her face. With a painful groan, she leans forward and lays her lips to her baby’s forehead.
My eyes grow wide as she pulls the blanket down for me to see the innocent child still covered in blood and the pure essence of birth.
“How long ago was he born?”