Holy War: Two Worlds and an In- Between

Chapter 39: Tears of a Fighter

I was harshly yanked from behind the shelf by my arm. I stood petrified before a fuming Sir Itachi. He looked like his ears could start to blow steam at any moment. I tried to think of an excuse but I couldn't focus.

"What are you doing here?" He asked still holding onto my arms with an iron-tight grip. I didn't respond, "Answer me!"

"I saw you come in here and I wanted to see what was down here," I responded half truthfully.

"What did you see?" He bellowed. I had never seen someone so angry. I wondered what else he was hiding.

"Nothing, I saw nothing. I swear," I responded shaking my head in fear.

He pulled me by my arm and dragged me up the stairs. I stole one more glance at Allioni as I was dragged out the door. It was late, so no one was waking about. I wished that someone had seen me and wanted to help me, but what could they do? I dug my own grade.

"You're such a liar. I don't know who sent you, but you will not destroy me," he seethed in a hushed tone.

"Sir Itachi, I would never destroy you. I love your daughters, so why would I hurt their father?" I asked as we went deeper and deeper into the castle.

"Oh, don't worry. You'll never see those girls again. You'll never see anyone again. You know too much, and I can't have you blabbing about what you saw," he said.

There was a tunnel beneath that floor. There was an armed guard standing there with a sword and a stern look. Sir Itachi told the guard to lock me up for treason and left without another word.

I was thrown into a cell without my satchel as the guard practically ripped it off of me. I had developed a bit of a vendetta against him after that. I sat on the bed pushed against the wall and hung by chains. I put my head in my hands and resisted the urge to weep.

I couldn't believe it. The first time I tried to be of some use, I get thrown in prison for treason. I did nothing to help Allioni. I couldn't find Jack. I couldn't be more scared.

"You failed at every step," I said to myself, "I can't believe that destiny chose you. It could have been literally anyone else!" I began to get riled up.

"Oh, would you just shut up?" Someone in the other cell asked. Their body was submerged in darkness, but I could still tell who it was.

"Jack?" I asked feeling years begin to well up as I clung to the bars on the other side of me, "Is that you?"

Jack emerged from the darkness. Though I knew it was him, he was almost unrecognizable. His deep happy brown eyes were dark and desolate. His long hair that I always found cool fell over his forehead and almost to his eyes in a strange way. His whole body language was incredibly intimidating.

"Do I look like Jack?" He asked lowering his gaze to look me up and down.

I swallowed a lump in my throat and looked up at him, "You look like what's left of him."

He chuckled lightly before walking closer to me, "Just ask," he chuckled.

"Ask what?" I queried.

He placed his hands on the bars and pushed his face halfway through, "Ask me whatever it is that's making you look at me like I killed your family," he instructed me.

"What happened?" I asked trying to sound strong, but it came out in a weak whisper.

"Are you asking how I came back to this?" He asked and I nodded, "Well, my weaker half really couldn't stand the thought of leaving you alone for one second, so he wanted to follow you. He knew you were going to the fighting festival so he hung around for a bit, but when he saw all of those people cheering on Urie, he had to steal the glory. So, he took the ring off and let me free just for the glory."

I shook my head in disbelief. Did Jack become Lord Arlow because of me? Was everything my fault?

"And you can harness lightning and thunder?" I asked. He nodded with a crazy smile on his face.

He knocked his thumbs against the bars to a very recognizable song for me. It was the song that played through my wardrobe every night. Ironically, that was the first time I had actually wished for a wardrobe to appear. I began to get creeped out by Jack's strange behavior.

"I can fix this," I said looking around, "I just need to find a way out of here."

"You save me?" He laughed loudly, "You're scared of your own shadow! Not even Jack thought you could handle yourself! I don't have any idea how he could love you, you're useless!"

"Jack loves me?" I asked in another small whisper.

"Did you know even hear me? I said you're useless!" He screamed in annoyance.

I felt tears begin to well up, but that time I let them fall. I realized who Arlow was at that moment. He wasn't just some evil egomaniac. He was more than that. He was a person's worst fears realized. He took the worst parts of you and legitimized every harsh thought that you'd ever believed about yourself. He could destroy an opponent without even fighting. He was that skilled.

"Jack," I said but was interrupted.

"I'm not Jack!" He yelled pulling his head out and hitting the bars, "What aren't you getting?" He asked pointing to his head.

I thought of Jack and Allioni. I thought of all the fun we had training and fishing. I tried to remember who they really were. I tried to remember what they did for me. I tried to remember destiny.

I tried to remember Allioni's, lost love. I tried to remember the way he mentored me in my magic and taught me that I had power. I remembered that he built us a hut when we were kicked out of the house. I tried to remember how I wanted to protect.

I tried to remember my Jack. The one who was not easily angered. The one who sat in that old diner with me and helped me with my homework. The one who smiled at me after I passed out from my first time alone in the in between. I tried to remember Jack's stories about this place. I tried to remember how we spent weeks together in England like it was just me and him against the world.

"Arlow," I said, "it was nice to meet you, but we won't be acquainted for long because I'm going to get us out of this."

"How could you get us out of this? Look at you! You're crying like a baby," he spat in disgust.

I smiled at the abuse he spat at me. I had been blind to so many things just so I wouldn't have to face them. I should have known that they were in trouble from the moment that they acted strangely in the field. I guess I should have relied on my own wit and intelligence instead of their powers because without their powers we were helpless.

The one thing that I did know though was that pretending wasn't an option. I pretended that it wasn't real in England. Then I pretended that they were okay in the field. I refused to pretend that I was okay. Crying didn't make me weak. Tears are the signs of a fighter.

"Arlow, there is a part of you that will always be my Jack, and I will fight to the death to protect it," I said reaching through the bars and cupping his cheek, "but if there's a part of Jack that can hear me, just know that I'll never let you go."

I backed away and walked to the center of my cell and began to meditate. I was getting out of there.