A Soft Chime

Chapter 3

 Chapter 3

"Elphie!" Akirio shook the mage awake.

"What do you want?"he muttered hatefully into his pillow.

The mercenary dangled a large ruby on a thin silver chain in front of Elphie. "Death's Chimes dropped this when he left."

Elphie took the amulet and examined it with a scrutinizing eye.

"This is a Bloodstone from the eastern Red Desert," His eyes widening as he ran his finger over the smooth carving of the gem. "These are forged by what the Easterners call a 'Sibling in Blood'. We might refer to them as someone who has done a great deed. A hero, or an icon. The metal and stone it is made of symbolizes why it was forged. A ruby symbolizes bravery, and silver is a life given to save another. Death's Chimes died, but he's not dead."

"So he's immortal?" Akirio inquired doubtfully.

"Would you stop jumping to conclusions!" He barked, shooting Akirio a glare, before continuing, "As far as we know, he could have stolen it off of someone's corpse or had it forged for him. He's not immortal by any stretch."

Elphie stared in bewilderment at the large jewel before hovering it over a map. "Where are you?" He muttered, swinging the necklace in a circle. As it rotated, the revolutions shrank until the amulet stood still over a location just east of Kroywen.

"They're east of Kroywen, heading north on foot most likely. If we leave now we should catch them in the hour."

Akirio stood, fastening the amulet around his neck and buckling his sword belt, Firebane in it. He swept his cloak about his shoulders, looking expectantly to Elphie who was slipping feet into his shoes. They paid the innkeeper and left, bell chiming merrily as the door moved.

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Xekai crept through the undergrowth, Syrena's bow in his hand, the accuracy of a raptor in his eyes. His eyes focused on a grouse fat from the corn and wheat of the last harvest, measuring what to aim for.Slowly standing, as not to startle his prey and nocking an arrow. He drew the bowstring taut, then exhaling slowly, the soft flutter of a hawk's wings, released. The arrow cut through the air silent as an owl, and felled the bird, piercing its heart. The bird let out a startled sqwawk before dropping, completely still. Xekai moved in to harvest his kill, but was stopped by the sound of two voices and the soft shuffle of feet.

"He should be around here somewhere," one of them muttered, seeming intent on finding him.

"Akirio Valderez," Xekai mumbled, dropping to the brush. The duo came into view, the mage viewing a map and Akirio with his Bloodstone around his neck. He moved cautiously, each step requiring precision as to not make a sound. He emerged from the shrubbery and stood, chiming the bells on his clothing.

"You!" The mercenary exclaimed, wheeling around.

"Greetings Akirio. Our paths have crossed again, this time you seeking me out." He bowed respectfully, hands clasped.

"This time, I will avenge Ikasangan." Akirio snarled, unsheathing Firebane. The blade curved in a fashion native to the empire of Pon, twin carved dragons entwining their gilt bodies along its flat. As Xekai stood, they glowed iridescent most likely responding to the threat he presented. The guard was a golden dragon's wings inlaid with flattened sheets of garnet the tail of the dragon wrapped around the bottom portion of the blade. The neck formed the hilt and the head was the pommel, eyes both tiny garnets and the mouth clutched a large topaz between its pearly teeth. Elphie conjured a bolt of lightning, shooting it with pinpoint accuracy towards the white robed man. It stopped midair hanging in front of Xekai's hand.

Xekai groaned internally at the strain of using magic, but he couldn't just let himself be killed. Not by one so unskilled. With a wave of his hand, the bolt dissipated and the muscles in his wrist screamed in agony, tendrils of fire grasping and whipping at every nerve. He wanted to cradle his hand to his chest, wanted to succumb to that primal urge to protect himself from more pain,but he didn't let that show. Pain is only an obstacle, he growled to himself.

"I do not wish to fight such an unskilled opponent. Leave and train, then we shall fight if you so insist." He kept his voice flat, not betraying anything with his words,despite the agony shooting through his wrist.

"No. I'll not stand idly by while you still live." Turquoise eyes blazed with a hatred and need for vengeance that, if one looked closely enough, they would see he was obsessed. Every waking moment had been spent trying to find the man who killed Ikasagan.

"Then die here." His hand flashed in a flurry of chiming bells and an excruciating pain exploded in Akirio's chest. As he slowly dropped his gaze down to the pain's source, his instincts as a soldier told him before he saw that he was mortally wounded. A throwing knife was embedded deep in his chest, the intricately carved silver hilt perversely beautiful.

Akirio gasped for breath, but every breath was sheer torment. Broken glass and sand coated his throat as he struggled uselessly to breathe. It closed. A sharp, almost pleading inhale begged it to reopen, but to no avail. Muscles locking, he felt wetness building in his chest. It was blood, his blood. He was drowning in his own blood. He coughed, splattering the ground with blood before collapsing onto his knees, struggling to stand.

"No! Not like this! Not here." He choked out. He dropped onto his elbows, the obscene liquid mimicry of ruby staining the leaf covered ground an unnatural red. There was a sharp metallic tang in his mouth, that wasn't a good sign. Blood was pumping fiercely from his chest now and flowing down from his mouth, sending spasms of agony through his dying body. He fell forward, face in the ground. The pain was fading now, and he felt warm, so very warm. Darkness flooded in on the edges of his vision then everything went black.

Elphie watched as Xekai approached Akirio's body and retrieved the amulet from around his neck. He rolled him over and withdrew a small needle from the mercenary's chest. To his shock, Akirio's chest rose and fell evenly in time with his breaths. The scarlet spatters of blood had faded, and there was only a tiny pinprick.

"It...it was only an illusion?" The mage inquired. The assassin nodded in response, wiping the needle on Akirio's shirt and tucking it into his sash.

"Take your friend. Do not come after me again or the next time, it will be a knife, not a needle lodged in your friend's chest.." He stepped over the fallen Akirio and took his grouse into the deep woods, the foliage rustling behind him.

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Xekai gasped, feeling the burning from throwing the "knife". He knelt by a stream, the grouse close by and gently washed the livid area with the cold running water. He sighed in relief as the pain slowly faded. A blacksmith had taken up residence in his head and began to use his skull as an anvil. At least, that's what it felt like.. He massaged his temples hoping to be rid of it.

There had to have been a simpler way to have stopped Akirio. He could have fought, but that magus would be a real problem. If he kept deflecting bolts, he would weaken and Akirio would kill him. He could have just used a needle, but that wouldn't have discouraged Akirio. He could have knocked out the mage, a quick poisoned needle would have him out in seconds, but would he see it coming?

Xekai growled, popping a sugar cube into his mouth and biting it in frustration. Why was he so off? He normally didn't feel this irritated or strange. His head began to swim. No, not now! Not while he was away from camp! If he collapsed out here, there would be no defense against bandits or creatures. Pressing his hands to his head and scrunching his eyes shut, he took a few deep breaths and cleared his head before taking the grouse back to camp.