198 Bonfire (1/2)

”You want to know what the funny thing was,” I sighed, ”After all that planning and struggle, I didn't even get to end the battle myself.”

”So, it really wasn't you that dealt Amon the finishing blow?” my companion asked.

”No, Luca did that… cut his head clean off his neck with a single swing of his new claymore,” I answered. ”It was such a quick death that the body had dropped to the ground before the blood spurt started…”

”I imagine that was a bit un-climactic for you?” my companion asked.

I shook my head. ”Nah, there was plenty of fun to be had for everyone leading up to the moment Luca did the deed.”

My companion chuckled. ”I'm sure… How exactly did Luca get from where he was to claim the enemy general's head?”

I picked up the piece of wooden stick on the ground and used it to stoke the bonfire my guest and I were sitting by.

Below us, the sound of merrymaking was getting louder and louder.

”Not going to tell them off for causing a ruckus?” my companion asked.

”Nah,” I chuckled. ”After the night we've had, well, they deserve to enjoy themselves… It's almost dawn anyway…”

I took a long sip of the drink in my hand and coughed it right out.

”Easy there… that's a single malt blend. You don't just chug it like that,” my companion scolded.

I spent another few seconds coughing, then after I was sure my throat hadn't been burned, I took another swig of the liquid brown stuff — but slower this time.

When I was done proving to my guest and myself that I was a man who could hold his liquor, I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand and said, ”It is good stuff…”

My companion chuckled. ”So how's about we get back to the story.”

”Where was I?” I asked.

”You were telling me how Luca managed to beat you,” my companion chuckled.

”Ah, yes, the little brother outdoes the big brother… it's a classic tale,” I chuckled too. I wasn't about to feel bad that Luca had done a good job. In fact, I counted on it as I did tell him he had to slay a general in this war too. ”Okay, so there we were knee-deep in enemies when Luca and Aurana had broken through the south and east lines…”

I went on to tell my companion how Luca's and Aura's arrival had thrown the enemy in disarray as it was clear the hunters were about to become the hunted once again. I told him how Amon couldn't rally his troops as Enna and I had kept him busy, attacking him relentlessly so that he couldn't issue a single order to his men for fear of losing his life to us.

”Aura arrived first, and that might have been the best,” I explained. ”She burnt a path along the enemy's back that sent everyone into a panic and gave us even more room to breathe.”

Well, if that wasn't a fishing expedition then I don't know what was. But I wasn't about to fall for his tactics. He may guess at who she really is but I have not and will never confirm it.

”Right after that, Luca's riders reached us, and like an arrow shot out of my own hand, he dashed right into the fray and cut down everyone between him and me and Amon,” I explained. ”Next thing you know, while I'm locking weapons with the dude, Luca jumps in from the back and he just cuts the guy's head off… and I don't think he noticed I was there until after the deed was done.”

”Your brother's got a gift for warfare, Dean,” my companion whistled. ”Saw it in him the first time I laid eyes on the kid… It's in the eyes—”

”Please don't tell me you think Luca has a killer's eyes,” I countered.

”Na-ah,” my companion wagged a finger at me. ”Didn't say he had killer eyes… more like determined… single-minded… a true berserker.”

Berserker — it was a word used to describe Luca's reckless fighting style many times before by guys who'd trained with him like Edo and guys who trained him like Azuma. Hell, even I'd said that at one point.

”It's not because he's crazy or a war freak or anything like that, man… it's his gift… his stupid fairy gift makes him like that,” I reasoned.

”Yeah, I've stood beside and fought against viseres with gifts like that before,” my companion admitted. ”These guys tend to burn out quickly… you should make sure your brother doesn't go the same route.”

It was an ominous thought, one that made me take a longer swig of the whiskey in my cup.

”How'd you even get this stuff into the Fayne?” I asked as I looked down at the remainder of the brown liquid in my cup.