Chapter 780 (2/2)

“Azriel, is something wrong?” Helen asked. The black flames were annoyed that someone else was making this about them, but Helen shushed them.

Azriel shrugged. “...I had a talk with my Master. About my role. About what I need to do. To me, my Master is… everything. Yet it asks much of me.”

Putting her hands on Helen’s shoulders, Azriel faced the other woman directly. “Its life’s work was to become accepted by spear-users. To prove that it also possessed this capability. I am able to do that, I think. But my Master… has doubts. It suggests that if things continue as they are… if you continue to improve… I will not be able to keep up in the finals. And that cannot be allowed to happen.”

“Is this tournament really so important to your Master?” Helen asked, wrinkling her nose. So to Azriel, this strange crystal scorpion was some sort of warped mother figure? If it was about expectations, Helen understood how exhausting that was.

“No, not quite. The tournament isn’t important. Winning is,” Helen said with a small smile. “Spears are a vehicle to ride toward glory. It is unimportant where the victories occur; all that matters is that they are victories. Only then can I accomplish my Master’s dream…”

After a few moments, Helen nodded solemnly. Then she held out her hand. “Good luck.”

Azriel considered the hand, then grinned. “Hmph, keep your luck. You will need it more than I. Skarch is… well. No doubt whichever of you reaches the finals, it will be a glorious battle.” The two women hugged. Both had tight, white-knuckled grips on the other’s shoulders as they faced their own looming inner demons.

*****

Shal stood with an iron rod of a spine as he faced the two people in front of him.

Rumera’s expression was brittle. “Silo. What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be preparing for your match? I’m very excited to watch-”

“You haven’t come to see me and you’ve been within the city?” Silo’s face was pale and wan, but somehow his dark eyes seemed to glitter in his gaunt face. Shal stayed very still, standing a meter behind Rumera. This was not his fight to have, but Shal refused to budge in case he was needed.

Not that he expected there to be any trouble but… anger and death seemed to be radiating off of Rumera’s brother.

As if on cue, Silo’s eyes slid to Shal and narrowed. But the brother didn’t say anything to him. Instead, his gaze returned to Rumera.

Rumera bit her lip but spoke with an even voice. “You know I don’t like you when you are like this. After the tournament-”

“The tournament doesn’t matter.” Silo growled. “We are not just… we are family. But we are so much more than family. Why do you hide from me? What is there to fear? Our world is violence, Rumi. Stop trying to deny it. What harm is there in embracing what we are? Of reveling in our own strength? And worst of all, of all people to run to, you chose him?”

Gesturing to Shal, Silo’s face turned derisive. “He wields the same spear I do. Violence is in his heart. His hands are drenched in blood. Yet you seem to think he is any different than me? A stranger over your own brother. The elders would punish you if they knew”

“Not strangers, we are connected,” Shal rumbled.

Silo’s glare was scathing. “And you are suggesting we are not?”

Before Shal could respond, Rumera cut across him. “Your spear and his are very different. If you cannot see that for yourself, then you have… changed more than I am comfortable with. Didn’t you talk about how noble and heroic our leaders can be? Why have you lost that? I’m sorry Silo. I love you, but-”

“Fine then. I’ll prove it to you. That the heroism we chased is naught but stories.” Silo said. He stretched his spindly limbs and produced a spear. It was a brutal thing, with a wide and jagged head affixed to a wrought iron shaft. It was a heavy and hulking thing, a spear that was made to break bones in addition to cutting flesh. “You judge me? Your pretty little boyfriend is just as violent as me. And, he’s weaker.”

Shal’s eyebrow quirked up. It was quite a day that a foolish boy called him a pretty little boyfriend… and told him he was weak.

Shal glanced at Rumera. With tight lips, she made an extremely unwilling gesture of assent. “If you must. Be… gentle. But sometimes… he needs to be reminded of who he is.”

“To defend my woman’s honor,” Shal said with a tight smile. “There are many things that I would do.”