Chapter 17: Cursed Hands and Burns

 Sorry for delay. I had midterms. Studying and such.

Cerien woke. He was lying on the floor on his side, his cheek pressed against the cold, hard floor. He got up and looked around. He was sitting in a room with stone walls and a stone floor. In front of him were vertical iron bars. He was in a cell.

Outside of the cell, a guard was watching over the cells. He noticed Cerien had woken. Wordlessly, the guard left, leaving Cerien alone in the cold cell.

Left alone, Cerien began to remember what had happened. He had finally met the fake Kuren. But it turns out, the imposter was simply stronger than Cerien. He had completely overpowered Cerien. And not only that, the fake had framed him for the murder of that girl.

The girl must have been Rai, one of the heroes that were being celebrated. And now he was being framed for her murder.

Damn, he thought. Cerien assumed that he was thrown into this prison for the supposed murder of that girl. Even if he tried to protest, he doubted anyone would believe him. As Cerien thought about his lamentable situation, he heard footsteps from outside his cell. The guard must be coming back.

A familiar man appeared in front of Cerien’s cell.

“It’s disappointing to see you here. I thought better of you.” Slei shook his head sadly.

“Cerien. For the murder of Rai, you are hereby sentenced to an execution tomorrow morning. Repent in this cell until your life ends.” Slei’s voice was cold and unforgiving.

There was an opening at the bottom of the jail bars. Slei slid a plate of food through the opening.

“Your last meal.” It could hardly be called a meal. On the plate was a small loaf of bread and a few chunks of cheese.

“And before I forget, here you go.” Slei tossed a bag into Cerien’s cell. “That’s yours. I don’t want that lingering in my room back at the inn.”

The bag landed with a dull clang. And with that, Slei left.

Cerien watched Slei leave, showing no emotion on his face.

As soon as he was gone, Cerien sat in silence.

Wait. A clang? Why had his bag made such a heavy sound? The only thing in there were the papers from the book he had found in there. Confused, he got up and moved towards the bag. Opening it up, he found a familiar pair of gauntlets.

As he moved to put them on, he realized that his hands were burned. Badly. Bloody burns and charred flesh. His hands ached, but it was nothing compared to the pain that he had felt when his gauntlets were burning him.

He put the gauntlets on. Good. He had them back now. But he was still stuck in this cell. He walked closer to the bars and looked at them. They were thick and looked strong. He doubted he could easily break through them. And if he did, he would make enough noise to alert the guards.

He sighed. He would have to find another way other than simply breaking down the bars. He looked down at the plate of food that Slei left him. He was feeling rather hungry. Perhaps he would take a look at what was left for him.

He looked at the cheese and saw that it was moldy. He definitely wasn’t eating that. Instead, he picked up the bread. It was hard and looked unappetizing. He broke the loaf into two pieces and saw that there was mold inside the bread too.

He lowered his hands, putting the bread back onto the plate. However, he noticed something strange on the plate. There was a small, metal object. It had been hiding underneath the loaf of bread. He tossed the bread aside and picked up the metal object.

It was a key. Cerien turned towards the jail door. He walked over and inserted the key into the lock. The key turned easily and the door opened with a creak.

He was free. As simple as that. It seemed that Slei had not given up all hope on him. Cerien walked quietly through the prison. There were other prisoners sleeping in the cells. He made sure not to wake any of them up. Up ahead he saw a small door. He opened it up and found a staircase waiting for him.

He climbed towards the steps towards escape.

What would he do after escaping? Would he go back and try to kill the fake Kuren once more? No, he shook his head. Cerien right now was a wanted criminal. Staying in Lombania would only ensure his capture again. He had to escape and leave this city for good. For now, Cerien had to forget about killing Kuren and just focus on his own survival.

As he reached the top, he found another door. He opened it up. He entered a large hallway. Large pillars supported the ceiling. Small doors were along the walls. To his right, at the end of the hallway, there was another staircase that led to the second level. To his left, at the other end, he saw large windows and a door that appeared to be an exit. He ran towards that end of the hallway, leaving behind the prison.

* * *

Slei watched Cerien run away from behind one of the pillars in the hallway. He smiled, knowing that Cerien had escaped.

He put on his hood and drew his cloak in closer. It was time to leave Lombania. He began to follow Cerien. As he took his first step, a voice called out.

“Leaving so soon? But we haven’t even gotten to talk.”

Slei slowly turned and looked at the man facing him.

“Father.” There was a complicated expression on Slei’s face.

“It’s already been a year, my son…is there still a need for you to wander? I need you back. Your people need you back.” The man pleaded.

Slei laughed humorlessly, as if he was laughing at himself. “There is no need for a failure. What good am I?”

“Slei…that was the past. This is the present. You are different now.”

Slei shook his head. “Back then…I couldn’t even save a single person. Yet I dared to call myself a Hero. That sort of arrogance…cannot be forgiven.”

Slei’s voice shook with regret. “I’m sorry, Father. But the people do not need me. What they need…is a real Hero. Not a screw-up like me.” Slei turned away from the man and began walking towards the exit.

“Slei…you cannot keep running away. Your fate…has been decided from the moment you were born.” The man’s words were spoken too softly for Slei to hear. And with that, Slei left.

The man stood there alone, a deep sadness showing on his face.

Another man appeared from behind him. He was quite old, his hair turning white. He wore attire similar to that of a servant’s or a butler’s.

“Your Majesty, is it all right to let him leave like that?”

“It’s fine, Loku. Slei…needs to find his way right now. He’ll come back. Right when he is needed the most.”

The King turned and walked towards the exit. Loku followed. They walked in silence. No words were said.

But Loku could feel the heavy depression that surrounded the King. Loku could only stare helplessly at the King’s back. Loku had served the King ever since he was just a boy. He was proud to have watched the King grow up to be a fine ruler. But now he was faltering. His own son could not stay near him. He was forced to declare war.

Loku shook his head sadly. The responsibility of the King was a heavy one. One that he could not share. For now, Loku could only stand by his side and watch.

* * *

It was night in Lombania. Cerien ran through the empty streets. The cold air felt refreshing after being in that damp prison. He knew he couldn’t stay here. The guards would probably find out about his escape quite soon.

He started running towards one of the exits of Lombania. As he ran, he saw that there were guards up ahead stationed at the gate. There were bright torches burning near them. He stopped and hid in one of the nearby alleys. He wasn’t going to get past the guards with those torches illuminating the gate.

He heard the sound of hooves clopping on stones from behind him. He turned and saw a wagon being pulled by a horse. Cerien quickly duck into one of the nearby alleys. Hidden in the shadows, he waited until the wagon passed right next to the alley. He quickly ran behind and jumped inside the back. The tarp covering the wagon would hide him from the guards. Hopefully, the guards would not check.

Inside the wagon, there were bags and boxes laying around. Cerien sat between two boxes and waited.

“Halt.” A voice came from outside. A guard. Cerien frowned. Something about that voice was familiar.

“Where are you headed for in the middle of the night?” The guard questioned.

“Headed towards Mercek. Got some goods to drop off.” A gruff voice answered. Cerien frowned even more. That voice was also familiar.

“In the night? Couldn’t you wait until morning?”

“Urgent delivery. If I put it off any longer, my client is going to talk my ass off.”

“Hmm. Normally I wouldn’t just let you off life this. Lombania’s in a state of war after all. Here, how ‘bout this? You said you were heading to Mercek? I’ve got some business at Centulus. Let me hitch a ride for part of the way. And I’m sure you could use a little protection.”

“Centulus? The capital? Hmph. Fine. Hop on.”

“Alright thanks. Let me go grab my things.”

“Hurry up. I need to leave soon.”

Cerien heard the footsteps fading as the guard left. A little after, he heard the guard returning.

“Alright, let’s be on our way.” The wagon shifted a little as the guard hopped onto the wagon. He must have taken a seat in the front because he didn’t enter the back of the wagon, where Cerien was.

The horse pulling the wagon snorted and they began moving.

Cerien remained quiet, leaving Lombania and the imposter behind.

* * *

Cerien wasn’t sure how long he had spent in the wagon. The guard and the wagon driver both were silent the entire time. Eventually, Cerien fell asleep.

Cerien awoke when the wagon suddenly came to a stop. He heard the footsteps of the other two as they got off the wagon. They started walking towards the back of the wagon. Cerien tensed up. Did they know he was in here?

“Oi. You can come out now.” A gruff voice called out. They knew. Cerien debated how he was going to fight the two off, when he suddenly realized why the two voices were so familiar. That gruff voice belonged to Kjorn. Then the other voice must be…

Cerien got up and exited the wagon. Slei and Kjorn stood there, looking at him.

“Can’t believe how far I’ve fallen. Transporting a criminal.” Kjorn grumbled.

“All right, calm it down, Kjorn. Before we head any further. I would like to get something cleared up. Cerien. Did you kill Rai? And if so, why?” Slei asked.

“No. I’ve no reason to do such. I don’t even know the girl. It was the boy who I was after.” Cerien frowned.

“The boy? You mean Kuren Sain? Why would you kill him? He’s just a student who managed to make it out alive from Grimwoods.”

“Because he is a fake.” Cerien replied.

“A fake? What do you mean?” Slei asked, confused.

“That boy is not the real Kuren. He is an imposter. I was going to kill him. But…he was stronger. Much stronger.”

“But why? Do you have some connection to the imposter?”

Cerien shook his head. “I have my reasons.” Cerien looked Slei in the eyes. “That fake is the one who killed the girl. I only came after she was murdered. When I fought him, he told me that his real name was Behemet. Some demon lieutenant or something. I don’t really remember the details.”

“Hmm. Damn. Behemet. I know of him. A nasty fellow with a nasty temper. To think that he snuck into Lombania.” Slei sighed. “It looks like I’ll have to go back and take care of him.”

Slei turned and smiled at Cerien. “Anyways, it’s nice to see that my trust in you was not misguided. I knew that you wouldn’t just murder Rai. A shame. She was so young.”

Cerien nodded.

“We’re passing by Centulus right now. I’ll get off here and get another ride back to Lombania. For now, stick with Kjorn. You’re a wanted man. The kingdom will be looking for you.”

“Huh? You sure ‘bout that? I’m headed towards Mercek. The trading city is full of scavengers looking for money. They wouldn’t hesitate to bring the boy in.”

“Well, Mercek is towards the west, isn’t it? It’s better than staying here. Find a place for him to hide, all right?”

“Hmph. Whatever.” Kjorn muttered under his breath.

“All right. Cerien, I’m getting off here. Good luck. And I hope that we will meet again. If you wish to find me, ask for the name, Slei Apocynaceae.”

“Apocynaceae? A fancy name.” Cerien remarked.

“Yeah, one fitting of royalty.” Kjorn added. Slei punched Kjorn in the shoulder.

“All right you two. May the gods bless your journey.”

“Likewise.”

Slei walked off, leaving Kjorn and Cerien behind.

“Hop on. We’re heading west.” Kjorn ordered. Cerien nodded and the two moved towards the wagon. They sat in the front. With a quick whip of the reins, the horse began moving.

The two sat in silence as the wagon rolled ahead.

Cerien broke the silence.

“Thanks for the gauntlets. Even though I didn’t manage to kill the fake, I did come close.”

“Oh? So they were useful?”

“Well. In a way. Though it felt like my hands were on fire. Is the whole burning sensation necessary?”

“Burning? What the hell have you been doing? It’s not supposed to hurt that much. A little discomfort and that’s all.” Kjorn said with a surprised expression.

Cerien took off his gauntlets and showed his hands to Kjorn. The skin on Cerien’s hands was peeling off. His flesh looked raw and angry. Blood was seeping from some cuts and tears. Serious burns and charred flesh were all over his hands.

“WHAT IN WAYLAND’S DAMNATION!” Kjorn cursed as he saw Cerien’s burned hands.

“Hey. Don’t tell me that you kept on blocking. Without ever attacking back?” Kjorn accused, glaring at Cerien.

“Well. Yeah. I didn’t really get much chance to attack.” Cerien replied.

“Damn. You’re an idiot.” Kjorn sighed.

“Hey, what type of weapon injures its own user? It seriously hurt.”

“Damn right it did. I told you they were special gauntlets. They’re a one of a kind. And if you’re an idiot who just lets his enemy keep on attacking him, you’re gonna be in a world of burning pain.”

“What do you mean? How are they special?”

“See those runes on the back? They’re a curse. The gauntlets simply store energy. Impact energy to be specific. With every collision, energy is stored inside those gauntlets. That’s why you felt that burning sensation. Of course, store too much and they’ll burn your skin off.”

“Ah, I see. All the energy built up.”

“Yeah. They’ll release all the energy at once in a single attack. I’m sure you noticed just how powerful it was when you actually attacked. A dangerous piece of work, to the user and the enemy. Be careful with those. Don’t store too much energy at once, or you might lose your hands for good.”

Cerien nodded. He then looked at his hands. He activated [Rapid Regeneration] and the burns on his hands disappeared. His hands quickly healed and he put his gauntlets back on.

“HEY! WAIT! WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?” Kjorn shouted in horror.

“Can you stop shouting? I just regenerated myself.”

“What? Are you being serious? That’s…amazing.” Kjorn was in uncharacteristic awe.

“Is it really that surprising?”

Kjorn’s awe quickly disappeared and his glare returned. “Huh? Of course it is, ya dumbass. Artificial healing magic doesn’t exist. Only raw healing magic does, and even that is rare.”

“Well, I can’t use it on other people. And it makes me real tired.”

“Stop complaining.” Kjorn grunted.

The silence returned as the two sat comfortably.

Then it was broken by Cerien again.

“Hey, you said we were headed towards Mercek? I remember you said it was a trading capital.”

“Yeah. Not just that. Mercek is full of people looking for business and opportunities. Plenty of mercenaries and sellswords. It’s a cruddy place.”

“Then why are we headed there?”

“Guess you didn’t hear. The King was in Lombania and he just declared war on the demons and elves. And Lombania just happens to be a short walk from the Adovian Forest.”

“Adovian Forest?”

“Yeah, bunch of elves live there in the forest. And they live way too close for my liking. Since they lie to the east, I’m heading west. To get away as far as I can. I don’t want any part of this war.”

“Anyways, I’m headed to Mercek. And you are going to go past that. It’s too dangerous for you in a big city like Mercek. You’re going to head up northwest towards Beron.”

“What is Beron?”

“A small town. They won’t have heard of you yet, so you’ll be safe there. And also, I’ve got someone in that town who wants something from me. You’re going to give him the goods. Then, you’ll return and give me the payment.”

“Why don’t you just go to Beron yourself?”

“To the north west of Beron, are the mountains. And Beron is too close to the mountains. Way too close. In case you didn’t know, the dwarves live up there. And, I’m not on the best of terms with my fellow people.” Kjorn answered dryly.

“Is that so? Why?”

“For reasons.” Kjorn curtly replied.

And with that, their conversation ended. The two rode silently. Cerien eventually fell asleep.

* * *

“Wake up.”

Cerien opened his eyes. He was sitting on a wagon. The sun had set and it was nighttime. In front of him, he could see a brightly lit city up ahead.

“Here you go.” Kjorn passed him a bag.

“Inside is bunch of food and drink. A few coins for you to spend. And here’s the stuff you need to drop off.” Kjorn handed him a larger, heavier bag.

“Who am I giving this to in Beron?”

“Ask for a man named Jian Shasi. I believe he’s the head of the Transcendent Sword Style.”

“A swordsman?”

“Yeah. Oh hey. I have an idea. I bet you’re a little heated ‘bout losing that fight with Kuren. Why don’t you ask Jian Shasi to teach you? The man is undefeated, you know? Though, you may be a little disappointed when you find out what his sword style actually is.” Kjorn smiled.

“What do you mean?”

“Oh, you’ll understand. But the man is the real deal. I wouldn’t call him the best swordsman. But I will say that he will never lose in a swordfight.”

“How does that make any sense?”

“Heh. Enough teasing. You see that city up ahead? That’s Mercek. I’m heading there. You. Go around the city, and you’ll find another road on the other side. Follow the road and you’ll reach Beron. Once you’re down with business in Beron, come find me in Mercek. But don’t come immediately. Wait a few months for things to cool down. Then come back. Make sure to disguise yourself.”

“Yeah, I get it. You can stop fussing.”

“Hey! I am not fussing. It’s just that Slei will get on my back if something happens to you.”

“Yes, I’m sure.” A rare grin appeared on Cerien’s face. Kjorn growled menacingly.

“Thanks for the help, Kjorn. I appreciate it.” Cerien thanked Kjorn honestly.

“Tch. Just make sure you don’t get any scratches on my gauntlets.”

The two departed. Kjorn and his wagon entered Mercek. Cerien took his bags and began towards Beron.

Cerien thought about his fight with the fake Kuren. In the end, Behemet’s power was too much for him. Would learning how to use a sword be enough to kill him? Beginning to have doubts, Cerien walked towards the town of Beron, the moonlight shining down on him.