The Beginning After The End

> 

“You keep referring to yourself and these fools as nobles but all I see are four weasels trying to capitalize on their own country’s loss and using soldiers as tools to step on and bring yourself higher.” I looked down at the noble beneath my feet to further my point.

 

Trodius’ eyes flared with indignation.
“Revoking the plan that you suggested is no sin, General Arthur.
The loss of the soldiers are regrettable but for the sake of preserving this fortress, their deaths are not in vain.”

 

“That would’ve only been true if your goal for keeping the Wall wasn’t to try and build yourself your own little society where you and your minions will have free reign.”

 

“N-Nonsense! My goal was to create a safe haven where the citizens of Dicathen have a place to sleep without fear.
For you to twist my wor—”

 

I grabbed ahold of Trodius’ tongue and pulled it out of his mouth.
“To my understanding, twisting words is what this thing seems to do best.”

 

A flicker of blue flames danced on the tip of the senior captain’s tongue as I pressed firmly down.
Trodius’ eyes widened in pain as he tried to imbue his own fire affinity mana in hopes to shield his body against my flames.

 

The smell of burning flesh filled the tent as I continued to brand his tongue with my ignited fingers.

 

Still he held strong, unable to let go of his pride enough to even let out a sound.

 

I pulled the senior captain close, my fingers still sizzling on top of his burning tongue.
I let the malice drip from my voice as I hissed into his ear.
“You see, Trodius, one of the soldiers that died out there because of your selfish plans was my father.”

 

I felt the hiccup drop down in his throat as my fingers continued to sear his tongue.

 

“So believe me when I say that I’m going to see the actions that you took to get to where we are right now as personal.” I released my grip on his blackened tongue.
The tip had become completely burnt off, without even a trace of blood.

 

Trodius immediately snapped his jaw shut, clamping his hands over his mouth as if he could protect himself from me.

 

“Don’t think that my relationship with your sister and estranged daughter have anything to do with why I’m keeping you alive,” I muttered, grabbing the fine parchments in front of him as I got up.
“Killing you here would be showing mercy.
Instead, I’ll let you stew in the consequences of your actions here today by taking what you value most.”

 

I turned to Albanth, who had been quietly and fearfully observing the situation.
“Seeing as you’ve witnessed everything here today, send a message to the Council stating that for betraying his kingdom and perjury towards the Council, he and the rest of the Flamesworth House will be stripped from their titles of nobility.”

 

“ Gno ! You hab no wight!” Trodius screamed, his voice raw with unrepressed emotion.

 

“I believe I have every right, and the Council will surely agree once they find out you were planning on lying to them in order to keep soldiers here for yourself,” I replied coldly, waving the papers in my hand.

 

Trodius scrambled towards me, tripping over his unconscious investor before desperately launching a ball of fire at the papers in my hand.

 

“Add attempted assault of a representative of the Council,” I said to Albanth, blocking the sphere of flames with a conjured pane of ice.

 

“Y-You ca’t do dis!” he yelled, rushing to me and clinging to my feet.
“The Fwameswoth house—”

 

“Will be nothing but a commoner’s surname,” I finished.
“The precious legacy that you prided yourself in and tried so hard to raise, going as far as abandoning your own daughter, will have been the cause of the Flamesworth family’s downfall.”

 

I turned my attention back to Albanth.
“I believe you have a message to send? Unless you’re still considering Trodius’ proposal?”

 

“Of c-course not!” Albanth straightened and took the parchments out of my hand.
“I’ll get this to the Council along with your message to my fastest and most trustworthy messenger.”

 

“Also, get Captain Jesmiya and a few of her men in here to round these gentlemen up,” I added, sending the captain off, leaving Trodius and I as the only ones left conscious in the tent.

 

Behind me, still on the ground, was Trodius.
The man who had been the pinnacle of nobility and pride had been reduced to a trembling sack of bones as he glared daggers at me.

 

“Like I said, killing you here would be a mercy.” I stepped out of the tent, taking one last glance back.
“I hope you live a long life where you’re reminded of me every time you utter a mispronounced word from your deformed tongue.”

 

 

 

***

 

Sylvie and I stood atop the familiar cliff of the mountain overlooking the Wall.
From this high up, the remnants of the battle could barely be seen under the blanket of night and the fortress seemed to be peaceful.

 

I knew all too well that the Wall was in a flurry of activity; mending the broken, feeding the weak, burying the dead, but I pushed down the emotions that threatened to build back up again.

 

It was so much easier the way it was right now, the comforting emptiness that numbed my emotions—both good and bad.

 

“Ellie is with your mother right now.
They’re going to cremate him,” my bond said, her voice almost lost amidst the howling winds.

 

At her words leaked thoughts and emotions I had desperately tried to avoid.
I saw my weeping sister and my mother on her knees, bloody fingers clawing at the ground in indignation.

 

I felt the pain my bond had felt as my mother’s eyes narrowed eyes burned with accusation and resentment.
Would she have looked at me like that as well, had I been there? That was the only thing I could ask myself.

 

“It’s best that I’m not there,” I replied, placing a gentle hand on Sylvie’s head.

 

Sylvie turned to me, her large yellow eyes wrinkled in concern.
“Arthur…”

 

“I’m fine, really,” I said, but my voice came out deadpan.
“It’s better this way.”

 

My bond’s expression dimmed and just from that I could tell she could feel the emotions from me, or rather, the lack of emotions.

 

This was what I did in the past as Grey.
I knew that suppressing my emotions and locking them away wasn’t healthy but I had no choice.

 

I had no confidence in being able to handle what I was trying so hard not to feel.
I know that doing this was burying a time bomb deep inside me, but I just needed it to last until I finished this war.

 

Maybe after this war was over, I’d confront all of this and be able to face my mother, but for now I couldn’t bear looking at her or my sister’s face.

 

 ‘Do not fall back to your old ways.
You know best that the deeper you go into that pit, the harder it will be to climb back out.’ Rinia’s words came to mind and I began to think of the other omens she left me before shaking my head.

 

Looking at my worried bond, I shielded my thoughts.
I didn’t want her to know—I didn’t want anyone to know—that I was beginning to sincerely deliberate Agrona’s deal.

 

“Let’s go see, Sylv.”