The King's Remorse

The Mask of a Soldier

"Doesn't matter. Let us through."

"Yes, it does actually."

"Why?"

"They're going to want to know what's going on when you go try to get yourself killed and the King's castle suddenly explodes."

"I'm not going to get myself killed. The only 1 dying is the so-called King. And don't call him a King. He lost the title the moment he let the Amethyst Throne into his head." I flinch but mask it. Did I lose my name when I let the Amethyst Throne into my head, too? Seneca's eyes flicker over to me for a brief moment but return to the black cat.

"There are countless Guard and Soldiers who are going to try to kill you," I say. "Perhaps Wolf and Brook should come along."

"I can take them. Did you not hear what I said about fighting styles?" Phoenix's tail starts to flick faster.

"Brook's not gonna want to come; she'll stay back with Clap and defend the White Tent Sea if anything happens there. Phoenix, you do know that Wolf's the new Midnight Wolf and has, like, endless power?"

"She's not thinking straight. Dove just died." Phoenix snorts, rolling his eyes. Ky just died.

"Ky just died." Seneca echoes my thoughts.

"We agreed that if either of us died before we could kill the King that it would be the 1st thing we did after the other died. I'm carrying out a promise that revenge will come. Sweet, sweet revenge. I don't have anything left to lose. There's no weakness he can exploit, nothing that can stop me from hunting him down like the helpless little mouse he is. But him? Oh, yes. That little chunk of rock he calls his throne. The pewter pendant he wants so badly. Too bad it's around Wolf's neck. And there's always the good old-fashioned go for the jugular. Kill 1st, talk later. That's my favorite. Ky's death just made the fire inside me thirst for his death evermore. It's a bigger inferno, blazing tirelessly to taste his blood spilling across my tongue, feel his flesh breaking beneath my claws, hear his cries for mercy, smell the fear as he realizes what's about to happen, to see him strain to free himself." Flames crackle across Phoenix's fur, emphasizing his words.

"Phoenix, I know you're hellbent on killing the King and that's cool, but I feel like Brook and Wolf deserve to know what you're doing. Just so they're aware, that's all."

"No. I don't care what they think. I'm killing the King, and that's that. I'm not stopping or going out of my way. He's dying, and he's dying today. Luke, come on. I've got a King to kill."

"Alright."

I begin to follow Phoenix, but Seneca places a hand on my shoulder. "I'm telling Wolf and Brook. Icarus will most likely stay with Brook in the Sea. I'm guessing Wolf will come to join you. Just a head's up," she murmurs in my ear, quiet enough that Phoenix doesn't hear. "Hurry up and destroy the Amethyst Throne, but be careful. It'll put up 1 hell of a fight." She claps me twice on the shoulder before walking away, and I steel myself so I don't shy away from the touch. I don't miss the look of worry in her eye as she glances back over her shoulder before I jog to catch up to Phoenix.

xxxx

"So listen up, Luke," Phoenix says as Bryant's castle draws into view. "I'm only letting you come along because it's an easy way to get directly to your little King and his throne. I won't hesitate to let you die, and I wouldn't have any problems with killing you myself if it came down to it. That being said, you're gonna need to, like, half capture me."

"How?"

"That's for you to figure out! Do your dumb little Dust Devil thingy. Get those glow purple eyes and twisty horns going or somethin'."