Blood-Forged

“G-Gale...?” I felt cold. Blood rushed to my head, roaring in my ears. My hands shook, fingers like ice as I curled them into fists. I whirled to face the crowd, looking for that girl. I found her easily, still on the ground, face cut up and bleeding, her mouth drawn tight, and her eyes mirroring the indignant rage I felt.

I took a step towards her but Death-Bringer grabbed my wrist, holding me back. I ripped my gaze away from that girl to look at her. Her face wasn’t flushed anymore but her eyelids looked heavy and her lips pale and dry, “let her go. The demon is dead. We have bigger things to worry about.”

“But... Gale?”

“Will be alright.” Night Lover’s voice, a soft murmur, came from behind me. I looked back, watching as he wrapped up the sword known as Piercing Gale in his clothes, “this has happened to me before, he just needs time to recuperate.” Night Lover stood, cradling the wrapped up sword to his chest like a swaddled child.

“Are you sure?” I asked, my voice surprising me with its softness.

He nodded and I felt all my rage slip away with an exhausted sigh. Suddenly the wound in my leg ached terribly. Not looking at any of the ungrateful villagers, I climbed down off the stage and began to walk to the nearest exit of the town.

*

We walked for an hour, maybe two in silence before we came upon a fork in the road. I squinted at the sign, trying to think through all of my memories from Ves’hil’n to see if I recalled the name of the village Uling lived in after the war.

Death-Bringer sidled up next to me and pointed down one of the roads, “her hometown is that way.” She spoke with confidence, so I just shrugged and started down that road in step with her.

After a few steps, Night Lover cleared his throat behind us. I turned back to face him.

He pouted, still holding Gale’s sword form in his hands, “do I really need to keep going with you?” Before either of us could answer he stood up straighter and continued with more bite in his words, “you are off on some long hero’s journey I want no part of. I hope you can tell by now that I’m not a part of some demon plot to resurrect Valeron. I’m in as much danger from the demons as you are!” He strode forward and shoved the bundled up Piercing Gale into my arms. “I’m going to leave. Do you plan to stop me?” He tilted his chin up, trying to look confident in defiance. But his eyes darted away from mine instantly and his knees shook. He was frightened, whether of fighting us or of the demons we would face if he was forced to come with us, I wasn’t sure. My eyes trailed down at the bloody mark carved into his chest, he hadn’t tied his shirt closed tight enough to hide it completely. I closed my eyes and saw Piercing Gale’s blood soaking into the wood of the stage. I shrugged and turned away, making my way down the road to Uling’s hometown, without answering him.

A few seconds later I could hear his footsteps carrying away from us, down the other road.

After we couldn’t see or hear him anymore, Death-Bringer said to me, “I think you were right to let him leave. I think Gale would agree to.”

I didn’t answer her either.