Carmine

The longer I was in here, the more my location became a fog to me. It was annoying walking down those hallowed halls. Janilla mapped out my path, but thank Ashuor for my good hearing. We almost ran into a horde of templar. Janilla admitted any other way was on the other side of the chapel and it was likely we ran into the judgments there.

Fantastic, that was my bad luck at its finest. I needed a good roll of luck.

We kept on running into many blockades. The alarm obviously been sent out. They were probably locking us in.

How big was this place?

I passed sacks of wheat and my belly growled at the sight of them. They were plenty perched in one corner of the room. The walls consisted of bland stone in the aspirant glow of the candles.

"Are you alright, my Lady?" Janilla asked.

I turned towards her and saw where her eyes were directed. My left hand became pale. The bandage was soaked red. My left arm was numb. A huge weight fell on my shoulder.

My fingers were not moving much anymore. The pain may have subsided somewhat, but it never vibrated good vibrations to only have one working arm. Gritting my teeth, I needed to focus on escaping and stop worrying.

I gestured for her to move forward with my spear. "I am fine. Come."

We moved toward the wheat. My ears perked to the gentle flow of the air and the breathing of a person.

I tensed and took to the shadows of this empty room. The next room made me lucky, but darkness held the doorway. I slithered up to the door's frame and got around the edge.

Someone was on the ground. His body heaved and tilted, yet his breathing was heavy. I focused my eyes on his attire.

It was that champion.

His breathing stopped. I stepped back. His body shot back up, the sword was drawn.

I retreated into the light and stopped in the center of this empty room. The spear was pointed upward as I stood my ground. Janilla grabbed hold of my amice.

He came into the doorway. His stance, was uneven, while his steps were labored. Blood drained along the length of his trousers. It stained dark with it in large patches.

He squinted his dark red eyes at me.

Had I, the ability to fight him? I wanted nothing to do with this.

He dropped and hit the floor. A groan escaped him before panting. Janilla and I traded curious looks.

I told her to stay as I went over.

I said, "Sir?”

No response came.

I said, “You know I could help you—but for that, I need your help to get me out of this place."

He fidgeted then he turned over, the sword in his left hand. Right hand on the wound of his stomach, "Stupid woman, I am supposed to kill you..."

True, but you could not achieve your goal in that state, fool.

I smiled. "Ohhhhh, I know my position very well. You were left for dead. You have no one. Your patron master does not want you. Her servant thinks lowly of you. But I do not, I need you right now. How about it." I laid my hand out. "Join me."

"Your arrogance—"

"Forget my arrogance! Choose a side!" I shouted a bit too loud. My position was probably given away.

His head shifted to the side. I rounded his frame and looked into his deadpan eyes. He looked young. Erot was a cruel mistress.

What a waste and I hated wasting things. I slapped his leg with the spear. His eyes widened. "Why die in her embrace and not mine?"

"You—"

"You saved my life from Corona back there. You are free now are you not? So—let’s help each other. They a-are your enemies now. We have a common enemy."

"Me?" He grabbed his head as he shook it. His eyes closed as his head sank. "This won't do. This—I have to go back to Erot."

"Erot will not, will not accept you. Corona said as much."

"I am already dead," he said in a hoarse whisper.

"Dead? Only if you want to be."

"Want." He fidgeted a lot. "It is over for me. Let me die freely in Erot's embrace."

Why were men sacrificial?

I asked, "I-is that what you want?"

"Yes."

I almost turned away from him. "Why?”

He said nothing.

“Why do you all want me dead? Why are you trying to kill me?”

He answered after shivering. "You are the greatest threat to Erot. Neither one of you can live with the other beyond the coming new age. At the crest of the farmer's year, one of you must die."

I shuddered to hear that. My limbs went cold. "One of us?"

"Yes, it is foretold that if you gain the throne of Ascus she will die. Erot will die," the man said.

I looked back at Janilla. Her mouth was agape, her hands clutched tight to her chest. He continued, "Your future and Erot's future are intertwined. One of you must die for the other to live. She must kill you to save herself."

Janilla spoke, "A God cannot be killed by a mere human."

The man replied, "The God you serve is a mirage. Erot the God does not exist. It is a lie to keep the foolish lower humans such as yourself in check. Erot is the coven that holds all the metrologists, sisters, and brothers of our family. With me being a mere toy in their games."

"Coven as in Witch Coven?" I asked.

"Yes, as you say," he said.

"Lies!" Janilla bellowed out. I looked and saw her backing away with disgust on her face.

The man spoke, "Janilla Arodlae Solim." She stiffened on hearing that. Her eyes widened into massive globes. "Run back to Corona and you will die. I hear them. They know you were the last one with that dead templar as they already found the body. They will ask. You will not lie and they will kill you for knowing too much. Escape and run far away if you treasure your life."

Janilla touched her lips. She looked away letting her arm fall. It dangled with no life as she shivered.

My bad luck was infectious. I guffawed, briefly. An immense pain surged through my upper left arm. I tensed up. "We can't e-escape huh? So, so s-she is killing me to s-save herself? Sounds like s-s-something an...one would do."

"Yes, if you win, Ascus will rise and Elam will fall. If you lose, Ascus will fall and Elam will continue to prosper." He groaned in pain and spat out. "That is all I can sa-say as a free man." He panted heavily.

This was unbelievable, but I got knowledge on the 'why' and 'who'. It never assured my heart. A God wanted me dead. I groaned inwardly.

"Take the second stairway leading to the second floor, the banquet hall is empty and the landing leading from that window is breakable," he said.

I looked at him then at Janilla. She nodded her head. "Yes, there is an old stairway around there, leads into the kitchen. But getting there is hard."

"Go through the judgment sparing armory, it is empty," the man said. "Use your common sense and you should make it." He breathed out a pained gasp. "If it is you, you should be able to do it."

That was great and all, but catching up with me in the city was a possibility. Right now, I had no bodyguard and I was not good at fighting.

I needed him, but how? My thoughts went back to some books I read on the lives of monarchs and warriors. People followed someone if there was a benefit for them. He had no use for life. What benefit could be offered to him?

"What is your name?" I asked.

"Champions do not have names," he said, without looking at me. He rocked his head to the side. "We have numbers, I am her five thousand and fiftieth best."

What?! Who named someone with a number?

I asked, "Can I call you Five?"

"You may call me that if you want," he replied.

"Five, okay." I nodded at Janilla then I went to Five's side. "Please let me help you. I think there is a reason for you to live. Let me give you that reason. Corona, she almost killed you. Are you going to let her get away with this?" I pointed at the gash in his stomach. "You already helped me enough today, we can get out of here together. You may be nothing to them, but you are not a mere toy to me, Five."

Five averted his gaze from my narrowing eyes. "My death is eventual—you never give up?"

"I guess that is why your master wanted me dead so badly. I am one stubborn woman."

Five looked away.

I said, “Listen, we can start here, ah right, let us make a promise, a pact, a, a, a…let us work together, you know?”

He shifted. “A pledge?”

“Yes, pledge, promise, you know what I mean. What do you want? I will make it possible as a Princess, and Queen when I become one. Tell me what do you want.”

Five looked around before lifting himself, so I drifted back.

He stared at me. “I want to serve.”

Serve? “As in servant?” I asked.

“Yes, I want to die serving something, someone. I failed before, a mistake worse than death. It hurts, it hurts to die for nothing. I was told to be free, it hurts being free, let me serve you.”

I hesitated, for confusion raged in my mind. It made no sense and yet maybe it did to him. Men were weird.

I said, “Sure, you can die for me, great. But not now, I need you now. I forbid you to die.”

He nodded and replied, “Aye Mother Carmine.”

Did he call me mother? I motioned to Janilla. She stared. I gave her a serious glare. "Would you get over here!"

She wagged her arms in frustration and came up behind him. I said, "Let us stop the bleeding. Janilla cut those bags we will use those to wrap it.”