Rupture: Rise of the Demon King (7 page)

7: Freedom

25 Maer, 112 AV: Day 64

Seeko felt himself wake without opening his eyes. He was sitting on a wagon, rocking as it lurched forward and back.
The bandits!
He shot up and looked around, breathing in the cool morning air. Mori sat next to him as the caravan moved back toward Asilis.

“You’re awake,” Mori said with a smile.

Seeko continued to look around the caravan. Then he looked to Mori and asked, “What happened to the bandits? Did they hurt you?”

She giggled. “No, they didn’t hurt me. We didn’t have the space to hold them, and since you spared them, we released them.”

“Oh … sorry.”

“Don’t be,” Mori responded. “You did your job. Those bandits will never show their faces around here again.” She scooted closer. “And good job for your first time.”

“Thanks,” Seeko said, feeling embarrassed. He reflected on the spark within himself. “I finally understand what Tenumi was telling me. It never made sense before.”

The wagon driver turned back, looking concerned. “What are you saying, hero?”

“Well, I couldn’t feel my spark until now. That was my first time using magic,” Seeko said.

“That was your
first
time?” the man asked.

Seeko nodded, then looked toward the capital with a smile. Finally, he could do something heroic. Maybe he would become their hero. He proudly straightened up in the wagon.

Soon the pair reentered Asilis, where they parted from the caravan. They quickly made their way to the castle, standing before Physis and the throne. Seeko stood proud for the first time since entering Kismetia. Physis looked down at the duo standing before him, and they fell to one knee before their emperor.

“Rise,” Physis ordered. “What is the news of the bandits?”

Mori rose and spoke. “Those bandits won’t be showing themselves around here anymore. They fell for the bait and we ran them off.”

Physis nodded, asking, “They are not dead?”

“No, but Seeko destroyed their equipment,” Mori said. “They are defenseless. It will take them time to rearm themselves.”

“Hmm, they will have to be dealt with later, then,” the emperor said, thinking to himself. “Continue.”

Mori nodded. “Seeko showed a display of magic that surpasses most people. He singlehandedly defeated them.”

“He learned magic?” Physis asked. “Is he ready?”

Mori nodded, smiling. “He is as good a hero as we will ever get,” she said, putting enthusiasm in her words.

Seeko looked over to Mori. She believed in him. He stood just a bit taller.

The emperor thought for a moment. “He still needs weapons training, even if he is proficient in magic. Sadly, the time has come for him to go. Seeko, prove your proficiency to Tenumi. She tells me you have yet to give any sign of reaching your spark.”

“Yes, sir.” Seeko wanted to produce a flame in his hand, but he knew he didn’t know how to use it well. Besides, it would be out of line.

Physis nodded. “Go find Tenumi, then. Dismissed.”

The duo obeyed, leaving the throne room.

“Go get Tenumi’s permission so you can begin your adventure,” Mori said, sounding unusually detached. “I’ll … see you around.”

She went down another hallway, presumably to her room. Was she upset about something? Was it because he was leaving? Seeko shrugged and headed to the guard barracks.

He entered into the room and found Tenumi sitting at her desk. She glanced at Seeko in between her scribbling. “Ah, ready to ruin my day once again, Seeko?”

He smiled at her. “Maybe … The emperor wants proof.”

“Of what?”

“That I have good enough magic for a hero,” he replied.

She waved him away. “That’s a good one. You already know the answer to that.”

Seeko held up his hand, pretending to hold a small ball. He cleared his mind and reached for his spark. The abyss surrounded a small green light and he touched it easily. A green flame emerged in his hand. Tenumi’s eyes widened at the spectacle.

She spoke, still stunned: “Wow, you did it! You can feel your spark. Fire. Surprising.”

“So, can you report it to the emperor?” Seeko said.

Tenumi looked up at him. “It’s great that you can feel your spark, but a small flame is not enough to do anything.”

Seeko’s smile faded. “Come outside. I’ll show you more.”

“If you think it will help.” She rolled her eyes as she rose.

The two walked outside into a small courtyard. Pointing his hands to the sky, Seeko reached once more for his spark. He closed his eyes and felt its power. He pulled on the spark, and an emerald beam of flame shot upward. The inferno pierced the sky, bright green contrasting soft blue. Seeko cut it short after a while, exhausted from the display. His spark was dim again and he felt weak.
I should only use magic if I have to.

“How?”

Seeko looked down to see Tenumi, and others, in awe. A large group of soldiers had gathered around them, their comments all the same. They feared him again.

“I can’t believe it!” Tenumi said. “You beat even me in magic!”

A smile crept across his face. “So you’ll report my progress to the emperor? And you’ll allow me to leave the city?” he said.

She straightened up. “Of course. You’ve earned it, hero.”

Those words reminded him of why he was training: he had to fight demons now. The thought removed the smile on his face. And he still had to find Yoshino, and the reason why he was there. Tenumi left to report to the emperor and the soldiers went back to their various tasks.

Seeko was left standing there alone, thinking. What exactly was a hero supposed to do? Where was he to go? He walked back inside, searching for the emperor. He entered the throne room but it was empty. Seeko asked a guard if he knew where the emperor was. The response was to try his study.

He knocked on the wall before entering through the opened door. “Hello?”

“Enter.” Emperor Physis was rummaging through some papers as he spoke. “Ah, Seeko. Tenumi just told me that she considers you ready.”

“Yes. So I was wondering if you could tell me what I am supposed to do now?” Seeko said.

He looked up at him. “That’s what I’m looking over right now.” He looked down and rummaged through the papers on the table. “It was prophesied that you will rid the world of demons, and the only way I can think of doing that would be to remove the necklaces from the portals to disable them.”

Seeko walked over to the table and looked down at the pages written about him—his prophecy. “What? Necklaces? And what portals?” Could they be portals like the one he came through? He looked through the papers, lost in thoughts and possibilities.

“I myself do not know of the locations of the portals, but we believe there are five of them. The necklaces are powering them; they are what let the demons through.” The emperor’s response sounded harsh. Seeko sensed that he truly hated the demons.

“So … I just take the necklaces and destroy them? How do I even find them? Why do they need me to do that?”

“Others have tried to close the portals, but none have ever returned. It’s a job for our hero. You’ll need surprise and stealth. We used to send large companies to try to wipe them out, but …” He looked away. “My scouts report that there is a portal high atop Mount Pharos. They don’t know for sure, however. I would check there first; it’s more of a lead than nothing. As for the necklaces, destroy them if you can; otherwise, take them. Just make sure you shut the portals.” Physis’s face looked stone cold.

Seeko nodded and started leaving, but stopped at the door. “I’ll help with your demon problem. It’s why I’m here, after all.” Seeko flashed a grim smile, then left the emperor and headed to his quarters.

/ / / / /

Seeko spent the next day preparing to leave. He had to be the hero now, whether he wanted to or not. The caravan owners he protected earlier agreed to take him north to Layis, where Physis assured him he would be told the entire plan.

Raltz didn’t want him to go. He knew Seeko still had much to learn, but they didn’t have the time. Seeko received a better bow, one made of yew, from Raltz, and he took Kazuma’s short-sword, which he had given to him as a gift. Finally, he packed essentials he knew he would need for a long journey. His quest would finally begin tomorrow, and maybe he would find the answers to his questions.

/ / / / /

Seeko hopped into the wagon that fell in the center of the other two. As he looked back at the castle, he thought,
I never found out if Physis is my father.
He shrugged and sat back. He had bigger things to worry about now. He watched as the caravan owners climbed into the leading carriage. Then he realized that he hadn’t said good-bye to Mori, either. The owners looked back at the other wagons, checking to make sure their drivers were present. After everything passed their inspections, they signaled to start moving.

“Wait!” a familiar voice yelled.

Seeko looked over to see Mori run up to the cart.

“I–I’m coming with you,” she said, panting.

“Uh … okay,” Seeko said. He thought he was done with her. Although, he was secretly happy that she was going. “Why?”

She jumped into the wagon, catching her breath. “You’ll need help on your quest.” She smiled. Her breathing soon returned to normal.

“What about your duties here? Can you just abandon them?” Seeko asked.

She looked back at the castle. “I don’t have any duties. There’s nothing holding me back.”

“Hmm.” Seeko was dissatisfied with her answer. “What about your family? Won’t they worry about you?”

She shook her head, looking surprised at his persistence. “You just want to get rid of me, don’t you?”

Seeko said nothing.

“My family knows I’m gone,” Mori continued. “I don’t live in Asilis. Besides, they chose Yoshino over me.” Mori looked down, frowning.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings,” he said.

Asilis shrunk in the distance as they talked. “It’s fine. Who needs them anyway?” She looked up and let a small smile cover her memories.

A silence fell upon the travelers. For a while, they watched the landscape scroll slowly past. “Where are you from, then?” Seeko finally asked, killing the awkward silence. The sound of the grinding wagon wheels filled the empty air.

“I live in Merina. It’s really far south of here. If you follow the bend of the east shore, you would eventually find it. It’s a fishing city, with large street markets all along the beach. My father is lord over the port. There is a lighthouse named after him, overlooking the city and the surrounding ocean. It was just out of town, so that’s where I would always spend my spare time. The cool mist felt great, the breathtaking view of the city and of the endless ocean …”

“It sounds like you miss it.”

“I do. The ocean is beautiful. I love the warm water, I love swimming in the summers, I love everything about it.” She sighed. “I also miss my dog, Parcel. I couldn’t take her with me. I would have no way to feed her, so I left her with my younger brother.”

“Younger brother?”

“Yeah, his name is Zach. Even though I was supposed to take over after my father, they treated him like the heir. But I don’t care—they still treated me fair and loved me for who I was.” She laughed, growing distant. “Until Yoshino.”

She didn’t really want to talk about her family, Seeko figured. So he changed the subject: “Well, you get to live how you want now. That’s a good thing, right?”

“I don’t really live anywhere anymore. I’ve been on the move ever since I ran—since I left home.” She cleared her throat. “When I heard that our hero had arrived and he was being taken to the capital, I headed there. I knew Physis would take me in anyway.” She glanced to Seeko, as if studying him. “I’m glad I came to Asilis.” She smiled nervously and looked away.

What am I going to do with you, Mori?
Seeko thought. On one hand, she was so annoying. On the other hand … He stared at her rich red hair, her blue eyes, her revealing red clothing—No! He turned away from her when she saw him staring.

Silence again, then Mori asked, “Seeko, is there someone special to you? You know, back on Earth?”

Seeko didn’t answer right away. “No. I wasn’t much of a ladies’ man. My best friend was a girl though, if that counts.”
And I hope you’re okay, Winona.

Mori scooted closer to him. “Oh.” She looked shyly into his eyes and smiled.

Seeko returned the gaze. “What?” he said after a minute.

She sighed. “Nothing.”

The sun was high overhead before they began talking again. They talked to each other about various details regarding their planets. Seeko would explain American civilization and technology while Mori would talk about the creatures that wandered her world. They built a healthy rapport, but underneath it was a strange tension that did not completely dissolve.

During the conversation, Seeko asked Mori about Emperor Physis: “Did the emperor ever have a son?”

Mori frowned. “He had a son, but he … he won’t talk about him much. I think something happened to him.”