Chapitre 258: Memories Locked Up
Akiol leapt forward, his entire party was shaking from fear, however he felt no such thing.
His sword glided across the air and smacked into a magic shield, bouncing off harmlessly.
The Lich taunted, "Oh? Immune to my presence? A shame you lack the proper skills!"
A wave of deathly energy sent Akiol crashing into the wall. His head was spinning from the impact, the air knocked out of his lungs.
The Lich cackled, "That follower of a God, your abilities prove troublesome."
Suddenly the dead bandits arose, two snatching Yielya's arms to prevent her from moving. Ginan snapped out of his fear and charged to help Yielya. Three undead bandits moved forward and intercepted him. Eruo was quickly captured, unable to cast his spells fast enough to stop the oncoming undead bandits. Akiol shakily stood up and charged forward, his sword moving as he dealt deadly blows to the undead bandits. Yet they did not fall.
He slid next to Ava and shook her, "Snap out of it! We have to save the others!"
Ava focused and gripped her sword, charging into the fray. The two moved fluidly, teamwork they developed over their time together. Yet the undead were unyielding, standing each time they were knocked down. Ginan used a single-handed hammer and smashed the heads of the undead. Yet that wasn't enough either. Ginan was quickly overwhelmed as the undead continued to assault him. His shield and armor being damaged more and more.
The Lich snapped their bony fingers, "Stop! If you continue these two will die."
They hesitated, for the undead bandits held weapons at the necks of Eruo and Yielya. The other three reluctantly yielded, lowering their weapons.
Ava shouted, "What do you want?!"
The Lich cackled, "Is it not obvious? I want your lives!"
An arrow pierced through the gaps of Ginan's helmet. Stabbing straight into his eye. He collapsed, unmoving.
Ava was slow to react, a sword gash forming across her back. She yelled in pain and kneeled. Before she could react a sword pierced through her. Akiol quickly fought the undead, however his eyes soon caught the sight of something that made him freeze.
Eruo and Yielya were stabbed, falling to the ground.
Yet Ginan and Ava stood up. Akiol was relieved, "Quickly, we have to save them!"
A gash formed across Akiol's arm. He inspected it and looked at Ava, confused by the situation.
The Lich's maniacal laugh spread across the cave, "Your allies are dead! I control them now! Can you fight your own friends?!"
Akiol blocked a strike, it was pure strength. Zero of the skill she used to show. He tried to snap them out of it, "Look who you are fighting! I'm not the enemy!"
Eruo stood and began to stumble walk towards the battle. The Lich looked at Yielya cursed under its breath, "Figures, a follower of a God is unaffected by my magic. So be it."
Akiol blocked blows, some getting past his defense and wounds began to form across his body.
Why? Why was he fighting his allies? They were on the same side right?
The Lich was overjoyed by the sight, "Upset? The ones who were close to you now fighting to kill you! Such situations brings me so much joy!"
Akiol slashed subconsciously, the head of Ava falling to the ground. He froze at the sight of it. This opening was taken, Ava's body moved and carved a deep gash into Akiol.
Akiol stumbled to his knees, "Why?"
The Lich burst into laughter, "Because they're my puppets! They will forever be controlled by me!"
The undead bandits swarmed him, aiming to take his life too. Just as they were about to slice him to ribbons an explosion around him occurred. The Lich rose an eyebrow or would have if it had one, "What an unsightly way to use mana."
Akiol's heart began to accelerate, a feeling he had never felt before rising up to the surface.
Forever to be controlled?
A Lich…
His friends were dead..!
The sound of metal splitting and shattering was heard in his ears only. And an emotion he had never felt before rushed through his entire being.
Anger.
"You monster. . ."
"I've heard that one before!"
The Lich suddenly stopped speaking, for their last adversary suddenly charged towards them at a high speed.
"Hm."
A wave of death energy was sent towards Akiol. He slashed it in his blind fury, subconsciously forming mana around his blade. His slash split the wave of death energy into two.
He grabbed the Lich's skull and slammed it into the cave wall. Over and over, a dull thud sounding each time.
Cracks spread across the skull, spreading like a web.
The Lich screamed, "Kill him you fools!"
The undead charged towards Akiol. Their sloppy movements giving them an inhuman feeling.
Akiol swung towards them, mana creating a crescent shaped and splitting them all at the waist.
The Lich was stunned, "This power, Silver hair. . . The Hero from the legends?!"
Akiol smashed the Lich again and again, turning the bone into pieces. Soon the Lich lost its life too, but Akiol still smashed its body.
After a while longer his anger faded away and he looked at the chaos around him. He found the undead split into two, including his allies.
Except for Yielya, who was lying with only a stab wound.
Also Ava, who was split into three instead. . .
Akiol was shaking across his body. Touching the faces of his now dead allies.
His sad wails could be heard from even outside the cave.
-><-
Akiol sighed, "That was the first time I ever felt anger. and the second time I felt sadness."
The party was quiet, unsure what to say. So Akiol continued, "And that one, she reminded me so much of Ava."
Yielya nodded in agreement, "I didn't notice as fast due to the stern look, but the resemblance is uncanny."
Wrock asked, "Do you think she-"
"I would rather it not be. I hope it's a coincidence. I don't want to get my hopes up."
Akiol stood up, "I don't like revisiting this memory, excuse me for I want some fresh air."
Akiol left the room, seemingly to escape the memories.
Yielya then spoke, "I managed to live due to a blessing from one of the Gods. It healed my wound and brought me back, but by the time I regained my consciousness it was too late."
Yielya stood up and walked to the door, "Akiol, hasn't ever said anything about this. It's the first time I've ever heard him speak of it. I'm going to check up on him. But thank you."
Yielya left too, following Akiol.
Kan'na leaned back in the couch and stared at the ceiling, "So he went through something like that. Should we be grateful?"
Tilia frowned, "What do you mean?"
"That he told us of such a painful memory. That we learned something of his past that he kept locked up. Is that really something we deserve? Something we should continue to find?"
Jarvis spoke, "It's not up to us to decide that. If Akiol wishes to speak, then we should listen. Don't think of pointless things such as if you deserve it or not. Grateful or not. He told us these painful events because he trusts us. We shouldn't intentionally pry further, but we especially shouldn't reject when the time comes."
Kan'na threw a side glance at Jarvis before nodding, "That works."
Wrock stood up and slapped his cheeks, "Alright! No more of this atmosphere. Yielya will definitely cheer him up, so we shouldn't be like this when he comes back."
~ ~ ~
Yielya sat next to Akiol. The two silently watching the sky.
Eventually Akiol asked, "Should I have not told them?"
Yielya looked at him before answering, "It wasn't the wrong choice. You trust them do you not?"
"With my life."
"Then don't be afraid to open your past to them, keeping it to yourself will only harm you."
Akiol's eyes narrowed, "What about you then?"
"I'll follow your decision."
"Why mine? They are your memories too."
"Don't worry about that, it's my decision to follow your decision."
. . .
Yielya looked back to the sky, "I regret that time then too. If only I could've helped sooner. If only-"
Akiol poked her cheek, "No 'if only'. Ever since that day I vowed it wouldn't happen again. I made sure of that did I not? I made sure everyone was strong enough to survive, strong enough so I wouldn't worry about them."
"I suppose you did."
"So don't think that."
Yielya stared at Akiol before speaking again, "Keeping things to yourself isn't the best choice. If you have something that's troubling you, don't be afraid to consult us. We'll be sure to do the same."
Akiol's eye twitched, "I'll be sure to remember that."
They sat there in silence. The buzz of rushing people now almost completely gone.
They enjoyed the presence of another. Two who held the same memories, both painful and joyful.
Two, who have been with each other for the longest of time.
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone