Right of the Victor

Allazo and we were welcomed with loud waves of questions when we finally returned to the Torris base. Covered in blood and various other things while carrying two swords and a mask, I was probably a strange sight. I ignored everyone, letting Allazo handle them while I went to clean myself off and recover. When I tried going back to the main room, I stumbled and nearly ended up on the ground. My wounds had taken a greater toll on me than I wanted to admit, and I seriously needed help. The Torris did have a few medically trained members, I just had to find them. It wasn’t hard.

By the time I was in the main area again, my wounds were flowing freely and dripping blood onto the wooden floor. I hadn’t noticed, but others did. Two of our medics were on me in seconds, looking at my wounds and pulling out the bandages and various other medicinal things they seemed always to have on their person. Staying mostly still, I let them do their job and tiredly stared back at everyone else. One face in the crowd stood out to me more than others.

Audent was there. I didn’t expect her to be out of her room, but she was. She was smiling, or trying to. Whether she was genuinely happy to see me back or just pretending to be for my sake didn’t matter. The moment I was bandaged enough to be considered safe, she approached to speak with me.

“Lengin. You really went and did it, didn’t you?”

I nodded before I replied, “Yes. The Larua don’t have a leader anymore, and we won’t have to worry about them.”

“That’s great, dear,” she sighed, “Almost didn’t think you’d have it in you.”

“And that’s where you were wrong. Moron.” I muttered, not in the mood to fully argue.

“Whatever. We’re all proud of you, little man.” Audent shook her head and backed off, giving me the space that I probably needed. I didn’t talk to anyone else on my way to the hammock that I slept in. Not that anyone tried to speak with me. They all recognized I was in no condition for conversation.

Sleeping helped, albeit not much. I woke up the next day still exhausted and still broken, but I could function. Rolling out of the hammock, I walked into the common area stifling a yawn. This time I was ready to speak, and when questions were asked, I answered them while passing by. Why did I leave? Who did I kill? What did I accomplish? The first two were easy enough to say, the third was less exact. I tended to say something about shutting down the Larua and move on, because I didn’t want to talk about my uncle. It took almost the whole day before almost everyone was satisfied enough with my words and would leave me alone. Feeling the need to be alone again, I found myself on the rooftop watching the sea again. It reflected how I felt pretty accurately, filled with rough waves that would pull someone to drown beneath. This rooftop was high enough that a fall would kill me, and as I sat on the edge I wondered if I should let it. I’d done my job and avenged my family. What was left?

“What is it this time?” I said, hearing footsteps approach and not bothering to look. It was clear who it’d be, only one or two people knew I’d be here.

“I wanted to talk to you, little man.” Audent’s familiar voice came. It was strange how often we met up here.

“What, you aren’t too busy moping and thinking about Vargos?” I snapped harshly, regretting the words the moment they left my mouth. I couldn’t rightfully blame Audent, but I was still annoyed at how she’d acted right after the death of Vargos. Something seemed to have changed over the time I’d been gone with Allazo. Maybe she’d had enough of her time to grieve? Whatever the case, I didn’t have a right to talk to her like that. An apology was quick on my tongue, but by the pained look on Audent’s face it was likely a bit too late.

“You’re no stranger to grieving, Lengin. You know it’s a bit difficult to get over it in just a day.” She said, not without a small amount of venom in her tone. I knew she was right, and for once I was willing to admit I was in the wrong.

“I’m sorry.”

“You better be,” she nodded, moving on quickly. “Now, you still want to go on a boat?”

“Absolutely,” I got to my feet, glad for the distraction from the thoughts I was having on the edge of the roof. We went back down the ladder together, now with a goal.

Allazo decided to come as well, and now the three of us stood at the dock with a small boat before us. We were only renting it, of course. The single sail stood high above the deck while the owner was already aboard to direct the boat. After paying him, we each crossed from the mostly stable wooden boardwalk and into the swaying vessel.

The boat took out to sea rapidly, gliding along with the gust of a strong wind backing it. I loved every minute of it, from the breeze blowing through my hair to the feeling of standing on the deep blue waves. I was on the back of the boat, and watched as land nearly faded from sight after an hour or two. That was when I felt a tap on my shoulder, and turned to see the familiar shape of Allazo holding a familiar object in his grasp.

“I didn’t need to see that again.” I firmly turned my eyes away from the white and black mask he held.

“Yes, you did. This will be the last time,” he insisted, pressing the thing into one of my hands. “Let go.”

Tears pricked at my eyes again suddenly, but I held them back as my grip on the cold mask tightened. This was the cause of all my misery for years, and it had defined who I was. Could I really just let go of it all here? It didn’t feel right; it was as if I’d be losing an essential piece of my being. My mind would have been stuck in a loop of the same thoughts forever if Allazo hadn’t grabbed my shoulder again, a gesture he did often that I would never admit I appreciated. Whatever I let go of here, there would still be him and Audent afterwards. So as my eyes fell shut and my lungs filled with a deep breath, my hand opened and I let the remnants of my anguish fall into the depths.

That was the end of this book. If you enjoyed what you read, please consider leaving an honest review and rating. I’d love to hear from you!