Page 30 of The Demon God's Desire
My eyebrows raise at this. “You really think I deserted them?” I demand. “I was injured! I had to recover! I fought every day to come back, trying to regain my strength!”
“Liar!” Vythor spits out, tone acrimonious. “You would look me in the eyes and lie to me that you didn’t desert your men? You would really have me think it took you nearly a month to recover? There’s nothing to fight out here but serpents and you’re just a coward who used his father to buy your way to the top off other’s abilities!”
I’ve had enough of Vythor’s inane rantings. He’s reached the end of his line. How dare he insult all the hard work I’ve done to get to where I am? I worked my ass off to get where I am and no one better belittle those efforts.
Lunging for Vythor, I use my abilities to harden my skin to stone so that when the men try to pierce me with their swords, they merely glance off me.
I face them, bringing up my own sword. Hiphilo and Dharulu face me as well, narrowing their eyes. My heart squeezes at the thought of killing my own men but at this point, it’s either kill them or be killed.
“We don’t have to do this,” I tell them, trying to make them back down. “We can settle this without bloodshed.”
“You left us,” Hiphilo says, starting to circle me. “You deserted us on our mission.”
“Just listen to me,” I plead. “You don’t understand.”
“I won’t hear from a deserter!” Dharulu yells, lunging at me with his sword. I harden my skin again and focus on taking on Dharulu’s own power of lightning speed. Before he can run around me with his speed, I dash to the left, sidestepping him cleanly.
“Don’t forget that I’m the one who trained you,” I tell him. “I know all your moves before you do them.”
“You don’t know all our moves!” Hiphilo yells as he wields his sword, striking down from above. I barely manage to harden my skin in time for the blow to glance off me harmlessly but I manage to keep him from killing me.
“True,” I tell them. “But you’re both much less accomplished than I, and I have stronger powers than you, blessed by the Hearthkeeper herself!” I tell them. “You won’t win against me.”
“Better to die at the hands of a traitor than serve under one!” Hiphilo says, rushing at me once again. Unfortunately this time I’m prepared for him and I stab my sword straight through his abdomen, killing him where he stands.
He stares at me, eyes wide as he realizes he’s all but dead before collapsing, still skewered by the sword. I push him off with my foot and he falls to the ground in a heap.
Tears prick my eyes as I mourn the man I lost. Hiphilo was a fine soldier, well trained. If only it didn’t come to this.
“See?” Vythor shrieks. “The man kills his brother-in-arms as though it were nothing!” He’s got his sword back up and he’s now facing me, the two men left circling me like I am dangerous prey.
They launch themselves at me and we fight, hard. Vythor and Dharulu push me back but I’m stronger and more powerful so I surge forward. It goes back and forth like this for a good few minutes before I finally slice my sword through Dharulu’s throat and he drops dead next to Hiphilo.
“Enough!” I tell Vythor. “I don’t want to kill you. Please!”
Vythor curls his lip at my words. “You don’t deserve the Hearthkeeper’s gifts. I should kill you now and see if I can inherit them by bathing in your blood!”
My eyes widen at this. I can’t let Vythor find out. When he attacks I drop my sword and don’t bother to harden my skin. I can defeat him in one on one combat without using any of my powers, or even a weapon. I don’t need any help to still be a better warrior than him.
“Fight me, you coward!” Vythor says, thrusting his sword at me again as I nimbly dodge the attack. “Fight me like you mean it!”
With that, I double my efforts and knock Vythor’s sword from his hands easily. Vythor looks back up at me, eyes narrowed. “You’ll never win, Guilri!” he shouts, before I tackle him to the ground and drive my fist into his face.
He screams and reaches out to claw at me but I’m faster and I get my hands around his neck, squeezing viciously. His hands shoot out, trying to pry me off but I’m much stronger than he.
Vythor can’t be allowed to live at this point. He’s a stain on the miou caste, a plague on the army. He will only destroy that which he touches. If I let him live, who knows who else he’s spread his lies to, who might have been under his poisonous influence. If he’s allowed to live, he’ll just try to kill me again anyway.
I watch the life leaving his eyes with a sick feeling in my stomach. Just as he’s about to go, I almost release him but he bites down on my arm, making me shriek in pain and I realize I have to finish the job.
His body goes limp under me and I sit back, breathing heavily. I wish I didn’t have to do that. I stand up and stare at the three bodies next to me, tears rolling down my cheeks. Why did it have to come to this?
I take one step forward, then another, then stagger on unsteady feet until I’m sinking down into the sand, sitting with my head in my hands. Why would the Hearthkeeper want to lead me back to this?
Have I failed her in some way? I’ve dedicated my entire life to the goddess, so why would she lead me into a deathtrap? I feel so confused, so heartbroken. I knew Vythor wasn’t really my friend but I thought my men at least were loyal to me.
I never thought they would turn on me like this. My entire life I tried to be a good leader, to earn my men’s respect. I thought I had their respect. I thought they looked up to me. I can’t get over watching it end like this.
A sob rips itself from my throat. Why would the goddess put me in the position to have to go up against my own men? This isn’t right. It isn’t fair. Their bodies lay there, silent now that they’re gone. A testament to their own folly, but even so it still hurts.