Aegis

Chapter Nine--Hero Alone

Erianthe didn't look back.

She didn't.

Even if she wanted to, guilt forced her to face forward and ride on through the night. Every step Caligula took widened the gap between her and the boy she had left behind. While Kyros was back there fighting for his life, she was running towards Lyca. It took her every ounce of her willpower not to turn around and ride back to her friend.

When Erianthe looked up, she couldn't see the stars.

Clouds hid the moon from view, which made the path darker. Earlier, Erianthe had used her sword to light the path. With an uncomfortable grip, her right hand held onto her sheathed sword as she held onto Caligula's reins. A strange halo of white light surrounded her and Caligula.

Feeling the void behind her, Erianthe tried to ignore Kyros' absence. It didn't matter if a hole formed in her heart. Even if she couldn't sense his presence or his watchful eye, she had to ride on.

Erianthe urged Caligula to gallop faster. By this time, the horse had galloped far away from Kyros.

Despite the distance between them, Kyros' screams ripped through the air. Each cry of pain wrenched Erianthe's heart. Her partner was back there fighting all alone. Kyros had to be holding his ground against his superior foes. More than anything, Erianthe wanted to turn around and stop his cries.

Choking back tears, Erianthe urged Caligula forward.

Under his master's orders, horse neighed and ran faster. Caligula's hoofbeats provided the worst possible accompaniment to Kyros' screams. They reminded Erianthe that she was riding away from her friend.

I'm sorry.

By the time Kyros' screams stopped, tears ran down Erianthe's face. Against all logic, her heart had dropped when his shouts stopped piercing the air.

I'm sorry.

He was gone. Kyros was gone.

Unable to hold back her cries, she wept while she guided Caligula into the night. As much as she admired him, Erianthe knew Kyros could not have won against the Rogues, especially if there had been more than one. To give herself some semblance of strength, Erianthe recited her oath over and over and over again.

Over time, the mantra blocked out bits of her pain. Her oath gave her the determination to ride on. After all, Erianthe had promised her father to finish her quest. She made an oath to Kyros to see this through. To be a hero.

Grunting, Caligula neighed to let his rider know they were going too fast. Erianthe slowed him down a bit. Even then, under normal circumstances, they were riding faster than Erianthe would have liked to ride during the night.

Without stopping, Erianthe rode for Delos, for her father and mother, for Kyros. She would finish her quest, deliver the letter, and protect the Orichalcum in her sword at all costs.

Caligula, being her father's horse, never faltered along the winding road. The dim light didn't deter the horse.

In near silence, Erianthe moved forward. She forced back her tears and focused on the path in front of her. Faltering would mean failure. Once she reached Lyca, she had to find the man her father mentioned, Raios.

For hours, Erianthe rose Caligula down the winding, dirt path leading to Lyca. Not once did it cross her mind that the Rogues could come running up behind her. All her attention focused on the goal in front of her.

When the moon began its descent into the horizon, Erianthe slowed Caligula down and put away her sword. The sheathed blade went back into its place on her belt. Since Caligula had put in a lot of distance, she imagined it would be all right if she slowed their pace slightly. Besides, she didn't think she could sustain the Imperis any longer without fainting. Her sore eyes attested to that.