Rupture: Rise of the Demon King (25 page)

Hannet faced Seeko. “I heard about Irris. Keith and I grew up there. I was worried about Keith when I heard it had been burnt down, so I hopped on the next caravan out of Layis.” She smiled. “I was also wondering how you were coping with being the hero.”

The caravan owner was back on the wagon. “What’s your plan, seer? Are you going to travel with the hero?”

Hannet nodded. “I will travel with him for a time, until I part ways with him.”

The caravan owner nodded again, and then whipped his kitsean into motion.

Keith moved closer to Hannet. “You’re leaving again?”

“Not for a while. Come, Keith, tell me of your adventures!” She laughed and took him some distance away from the other three. They continued to walk away from the others, oblivious.

“What is happening? I don’t even …” Seeko stood mouth agape, staring at the pair, while Lorissa and Mori were smiling.

“Let’s go, Seeko. We don’t want to lose them,” Mori said, grabbing Seeko by the arm and pulling him along. Lorissa followed closely behind, and the group left Fort Zan, once more a team of five.

/ / / / /

They made camp that evening away from the road, on the other side of a small hill. It was the nearest Hannet and Keith had been to the trio all day, still ensnared in their own little world.

“Seeko? Do you have any more questions? About the prophecy or seers?” Hannet asked after camp had finally been set up.

“Hmm … Well, yeah … How do your visions work?” he asked after a moment.

Hannet smiled. “Imagine my visions like a tree. The trunk is the present, and the visions of the future are the branches. There are many paths, but in the end, only one will be taken. That branch then becomes the trunk of the present, with more branches leading off it. Very rarely will branches reform into each other, and only twice have I seen the branches all connect into one vision. Those two visions were when you appeared over Irris and when you became a demon.”

Seeko glared into her silver eyes. “You knew? You knew this was going to happen?” He moved close and grabbed the collar of her shirt, but stopped when he realized what he was doing. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Hannet shrugged. “It wouldn’t have changed anything. The paths all converged to it, so telling you would have served no purpose.” She looked away. “But I understand your frustration.”

“How could you possibly understand? I am half of a man now! I hear voices and my spark is literally split in half!”

Mori grabbed his arm. “Seeko, calm down.”

Hannet looked into his eyes, her silver into his red. “My spark has gone through horrible things as well. The gift is unlocked through horrible trauma. Like Lorissa’s. Your friend Kazuma had specks of yellow in his eyes—”

“Don’t you mention Kazuma!” Seeko roared. “It’s my fault he had those flecks of yellow! I don’t need you to remind me!”

A breeze picked up and Keith moved to shield Hannet from Seeko. “Back off, Seeko.” Keith watched Seeko with a hard, cold look. “Don’t let the demon win.”

Seeko was visibly shaking now. “I am not a demon! He is separate from me!”

Keith’s stare was ice. “Is he now? Doesn’t seem like it.”

“Annihilate him!”
Kerodesis yelled in Seeko’s mind.

Black hands reached up for Keith and lifted him up, then held him tightly in the air. Seeko tore away from Mori and summoned an orange flame into his hand.

Keith neither struggled nor looked away. “What are you going to do,
hero
? Kill another friend?”

Seeko screamed in frustration.
Why?
Rage and anger flooded his body, but he held the violence back. Instead, he shifted into an orange flame and dispelled himself in all directions.
I am a monster! I shouldn’t exist!
He thought of Mori.
I failed you.
He thought of Keith.
And I failed you.
He thought of Kazuma again.
And I failed you. I failed you worst of all.

He rematerialized back into orange flame. But he was not where he had left. He converted back into his body.

Seeko was once again in the Linea’s graveyard, in front of Kazuma’s grave. The dark clouds and light rain fit Seeko’s mood perfectly. “How did I get here?” he said to no one.

Lorissa spoke to him mentally:
“Where did you go? I didn’t know you could teleport.”

“Uh … I’ll come back. Don’t worry, but don’t move.” He sat in front of the grave. “Did I hurt anyone?”

“Keith is fine. The hands disappeared when you did.”

He looked to Kazuma’s grave.
“What am I?”
he asked Lorissa.

“You’ll have to figure that out yourself.”
She severed the link to him, leaving him alone with the voices.

What am I?
he asked again. He looked to the drenched ground that held Kazuma and sat down.

“You are a demon, like me!”
Kerodesis sneered from within.
“You act like one, so you must be one!”

“Surely you know by now that I am a human and not an Akeni.”

“You may look like a human on the outside,”
Kerodesis said,
“but so do many Akeni. We are all the same when it comes down to it. They still treat you like a demon—treat us like a demon.”

“What should I do about it?”

“If they think and treat you as such, you must be. You are a demon because that is what they have defined you as.”
Kerodesis rolled in his cage.
“We should show them, together! We’ll show them who the true demons are!”

Seeko pulled his knees close.
“I don’t want to be a demon.”

“They think you are one! We cannot change their minds, no matter how hard we try!”

“But they aren’t demons, either. They are just … human. Like me.”

Again Kerodesis moved in his cage.
“No! You are not a human! Look at you! You almost killed your friend today because he insulted you! Do humans do that?”

“So I’m not fully human, and I’m not fully a demon. I’m like … like a half-breed.”

“You’re a demon!”

Seeko ignored Kerodesis.
“Yoshino was the one who did this to me. He took my humanity away from me. He will pay for that. I’ll destroy him for changing me.”
He looked inward, to Kerodesis.
“And you will help me. Either you’ll help me or I will find a way to destroy you, too. All you have been is nothing but a nuisance.”

Kerodesis threw his usual threats around, but Seeko detected a hint of fear in them this time.
“You are a coward, Kerodesis,”
he thought through the barrage of insults.

Kerodesis quieted, strangely subdued.

“You fear for your life, for your existence. You know that you haven’t been around very long, and you fear the end.”
Seeko grinned.
“It will come for you, too. Even if it kills me, I will bring you down with me!”
He punched the ground.
“But not until I take down Yoshino!”
He closed his eyes.
“I will avenge you, Kazuma. Perhaps my life will be adequate compensation. I’m sorry.”

Seeko became an orange flame, then was gone, back to their camp.

23: Encore

7 Mos, 112 AV: Day 166

Seeko’s feet dragged across the ground, echoing his exhausted spark as he walked toward the others, who stood waiting for him. Keith held his sword out as a threat.

Seeko put up his hand and hung his head. “I’m better now.”

“That’s all you have to say?” Mori said from behind Keith.

Seeko lifted his head up, his wet hair smacking into his face. “Look, I’m sorry. I let the demon get the best of me. I just wish that
Hannet
had told me this before Kazuma died. But it’s over now; let’s just forget about it.”

“How?” Keith asked. “You lost control and almost attacked Hannet and me.”

Next to Mori behind Keith, Hannet was looking down, tears in her eyes.

Seeko opened his mouth, unable to speak straight. “I—I didn’t mean to lash out at you. Can you please forgive me?”

She tipped her head up and looked at him, scared. She nodded almost imperceptibly.

Seeko let out a sigh of relief and smiled a little. “Thank you. I’ll be nicer. I promise.”

They all looked at him with both sorrow and anger.

“You know,”
Lorissa thought to him,
“even if Hannet can see the future, its fuzzy. Don’t be hard on her. You don’t know the pain she has been through.”

“I know. I overreacted.”
Ashamed, Seeko lay down, asleep before long.

/ / / / /

No one spoke as the quintet continued their journey to Port Merina. Seeko led, watching his feet move one step at a time. Mori was off to one side, slouching her shoulders. Keith walked with Hannet, and they talked quietly to one another. Lorissa trailed behind, watching everyone with her ruby eyes.

At one point, Mori asked, “So, Seeko, where did you go yesterday?”

He glanced up to the distant mountains they walked toward, wiping sweat from his brow. “Linea graveyard.”

“Kazuma?” Mori whispered.

“Yeah.” He kicked dirt up off the road. “I don’t know how I did it … it just kind of happened.” He lit a green ball in his hand, illuminating the slowly dimming ground around them.

“Does that mean you can teleport anywhere?” Mori whispered.

“I don’t know. Teleporting there and back was exhausting. I might be able to go pretty far. But I’m not going to. I need you all. If I didn’t have you, I’d be dead.” He faced forward again and continued down the path.

/ / / / /

After a couple of days, the group reached the Himal Mountains. They followed the Zan River into a thick, foggy forest. The forest consisted of huge pine trees that towered above them, making them feel like they walked into an abandoned world for giants. Strange mushrooms covered roots as thick as a man, while bushes and ferns taller than Keith blocked the untraveled path. It rained often and drenched the group, but they dried themselves after each drenching. A variety of deer and elk often grazed near the streams off the mountain, and they would occasionally catch a glimpse of one.

The group refrained from talking to Seeko, so he often walked around outside camp. Once during his daily excursion, Seeko looked at his reflection in a pond. His long hair touched his shoulders but retained its shape. His clothes were dirty and worn, and he was bigger than he remembered. Seeko lit the green flame in his hand and watched its reflection, thinking of what all had changed between his arrival in Kismetia and this moment. Where exactly did it all go wrong?

Mori’s face rose from his reflection’s shoulders and he turned around. She stood above him and a smirk spread on her face. Seeko instantly knew what that meant but before he could move, she pushed him into the puddle. She laughed and offered him a hand. He grabbed it and stood up. The back of his clothes were covered in mud and he tried to wipe it off.

She moved to about a foot away from him and gave a light smile. He smiled back and smeared his muddy thumb across her forehead. She screamed and jumped away from him, glaring.

He smiled as he was barraged by water from above. His soaked clothes and his long wet hair stuck to him in the humid forest. Mori smiled and shrugged.

Two weeks passed before they finally made it out of the forest. Dirty and tired, they found the sunny, partially cloudy sky inviting. To their right were short grasslands, peppered with trees and wildflowers. The Himal Lake was to their left, eastward. Pebbly beaches rolled into the horizon and none could see the far side of the lake. The path moved past it, following the coast and heading south.

Then the sun disappeared from them once more. It seemed as if the gods themselves were against them getting to Merina. Black, anvil-shaped clouds would move off the vast lake, ramming toward the shores with tremendous force. Since there was no longer any forest to shield the company, they made slow, miserable progress during these early autumn afternoon storms. Flash floods would come from the grasslands, rushing into Himal Lake. The quintet had little warning of these events and only their magic saved them from horrible fates.

They turned east and continued to follow the lake, and before too long left it behind. As the days passed, Seeko could see a lighthouse faintly on the horizon. Clouds darkened the sky and emitted a cool breeze as they drew closer to the lighthouse, signaling another rainstorm about to hit.

Mori became restless, being so close to home. She threw her arms to her sides and clenched her fists, then bit her lip and gave a smile. “I can’t wait to be back,” she said, “but another part of me doesn’t want to go back.”

“We don’t have to see your dad,” Seeko said. “We just have to close the portal.”

“I know, but I
want
you to meet him.” She gave a little laugh and hugged her arms to her body.

Seeko glanced over to Keith, who said nothing, so Seeko smiled. “Okay, okay,” the hero said. “I’ll meet your father for you.”

She grabbed his hand and held it in both of hers. “Thank you,” she said and kissed him lightly.

Seeko couldn’t help but smile again as they approached Merina. The town came clearly into sight when a roar broke the silence. Suddenly a half dozen insectoid demons drew nearer to the group, black mandibles able to pierce any of them in two. Seeko pulled out his bow and prepared for them to get in range. Keith and Mori stood ahead of him, weapons drawn.

“Why are there always so many demons?” Keith yelled.

Lorissa and Hannet stood behind Seeko, ready to use their sparks. Seeko watched the four-legged demons, ready to fire. Their slender, carapaced bodies came into range and he let his arrow fly, igniting it before it hit.

“It’s the portal,” Lorissa said, barely audible. “We closed two so they only have three to traverse from.”

Seeko fired an arrow at another demon, but the arrow bounced off its natural armor. The insect-like monsters reached the group. Keith smashed his blade into one and quickly killed it. Seeko pulled out his sword and ran up to help Mori with the demon charging her.

He slashed it away and they both used their magic to finish it off. They dispatched the monsters in short order and stood before their grotesque, oozing bodies.

Mori sheathed her rapier and ran toward the town.

Seeko yelled out, “Hey! What are you doing?”

“If there are demons here, my dad is in trouble,” she shouted back.

Seeko ran toward her but saw a winged creature land in between them. The group came to a halt, looking at the demon who wore a human’s face. This demon faced Seeko, wearing nothing but a loincloth.

“Vishoni!” Seeko shouted. “What are you doing here?”

He laughed his cackling laugh. “I’m here to play another game.”

“Can it wait? I’m not really in the mood.”

“No,” he said. “You have to play.” He glanced down at the new, blackened claws on his hands and spoke again. “It’s like the last game, except this time, I’m trying to get you.”

He flashed his teeth and used his wings to boost himself over to Seeko.

“Wait! I’m—” Seeko said, but he was cut off by Vishoni lashing out at an incredible speed and cutting his left forearm.

Seeko fell over backward and held onto his arm.

“I’ll give you another try,” Vishoni said, eyes twinkling. “Ready?”

He lashed out again but was intercepted by Keith’s blade.

“This is a game between me and Seeko!” Vishoni said. He swung out at Keith, but Keith blocked the blow.

Lorissa blasted Vishoni with light, and Hannet joined in with a spire of earth. Seeko jumped up and slashed at Vishoni.

The demon stumbled forward and launched himself into the sky. “You will be punished for breaking the rules,” he said, twitching.

Suddenly, he dropped and shot toward the group. Keith held up his sword to block him but was knocked back onto the ground.

Vishoni looped back around, arms extended to claw at Seeko and Mori. Lorissa blasted him with more light and he steered away. He looked to Lorissa and went for her. Seeko and Keith both ran ahead to block him, but Vishoni flipped around and kicked them both to the ground.

Seeko coughed and looked as the demon raced away, laughing. Mori stood with her rapier in front of her and Hannet stood beside her. Vishoni now rushed toward Hannet, holding out his hands to cut through his prey. Mori cut him off, plunging her rapier through his hand. He screeched in pain, but still managed to cut Hannet across the stomach. Hannet cried in pain and fell to the ground.

“Hannet!” Keith yelled at the top of his lungs. He stumbled to his feet and jolted over to the seer.

Vishoni flew up, pulling the rapier out of his hand and casting it to the ground.

Seeko pushed himself up from the ground and faced Vishoni. The crazy demon dropped his hand, dripping with blood. He flew past Seeko and clawed at his chest. Seeko converted that part of his body into fire, leaving him unharmed.

Vishoni slowed to a stop and looked back for Seeko. He scanned the area, confused, unable to find him. A flame combusted behind Vishoni and formed quickly into Seeko. He stabbed Vishoni in the back, who then fell down to the earth, landing on his knees.

“You … You caught me,” he coughed out. “Thank you.”

The demon buckled and fell to the ground, dead. Seeko loomed over his body and smiled.

“Hahahaha,”
Kerodesis laughed from inside Seeko.
“You think you’re so different, but you’re the same as Yoshino. The same as the rest of us.”

“I did it to protect myself.”

Nearby, Hannet lay on the ground, soaking in her own blood. Mori and Lorissa were healing her as well as they could, but couldn’t stop the bleeding. Seeko ran up to them and saw Hannet trembling where she lay. Keith held her hand and had tears in his eyes.

“You did it because it feels good. I can feel the pleasure!”
Kerodesis said within.

“I don’t have enough water,” Mori said. “We need to get her to Merina!”

“And my light magic isn’t strong enough to heal this on its own,” Lorissa said while casting a glowing aura out of her palms into Hannet.

Keith picked up Hannet in his arms and walked toward Merina. “We have to hurry!” he said. “We can’t lose her!” Keith began to run, leaving the others behind.

“Kill him!”
Kerodesis snarled. “
He is defenseless, he dropped his guard for that girl. He would be an easy kill.”

“Shut up!” Seeko yelled.

“What’s wrong?”
Lorissa chimed in his head.

Seeko ran after Keith.
“It’s nothing.”

Lorissa and Mori followed, trying to catch up to Keith.

Kerodesis laughed.
“You could kill them all right now. End their meaningless lives.”

Seeko muted Kerodesis and clenched his hands. Blood dripped off his left fist as he ran, and his arm throbbed with every step—but he had no plans to ask Mori to heal him. Not now.

The sky darkened and soon it was night. Lightning brightened the world and intense winds impeded their progress to Merina. The group followed Keith as he cut a path through the wind, and soon they were on the outskirts of Merina. Keith laid Hannet on the ground, holding up her head. Seeko ran up and bent over to catch his breath.

Mori followed behind him and spoke in between gasps: “We have … to get to … the ocean! There’s … enough water there.”

Keith looked up at them, revealing Hannet’s face. It looked bloodless, and she barely seemed to be breathing. Blood soaked her green clothes and spread onto the ground. Without a word, Keith picked her back up and rushed into town.

Seeko and company sprinted past light-green stone houses. He ran downhill toward the sea on a cobblestone road. Plants grew between the cracks and he almost tripped on one. They passed under arcs that spanned over the roads, passed wooden signs that flapped in the wind. They followed Keith until the path converted into a dock, where a few boats slammed into the wood in rhythm. Keith jumped off the pier onto the beach and ran to the raging waters.

Mori calmed the water near Keith, allowing him to lay Hannet on the beach where the waves lapped around her. Mori and Lorissa ran to his side and shifted the water into her injuries.