"General!" As he returned Rael found him and a large number of escorts swarming about in the woods.
"Master!" Blackhair yelled from afar, "You caught the assassin?"
The four trotted up to him without a hint of surprise.
Redhead's eyes swiveled, "Death? That ring... Daray's order to kill? What did you do? Master???"
Gerrod ignored him and kept walking.
Weirdiris whispered to Redhead, "Big brother prince, enlighten us. "
"Yea yea!" Shakylegs jumped in making Weirdiris want to hit him for making his question look stupid with how enthusiastic he was.
Redhead rolled his eyes at their antics and started talking, his tone a tinge darker than his normal demeanor causing them to straighten up, "'Death's Wedding Ring', Daray's external affairs department, specifically, their assassin division marks their targets with those. They have trackers inside and under threat of harm to their families the wearers must keep it on."
"Why is it called 'Death's Wedding Ring'?" Weirdiris asked strangely.
Blackhair sighed, "You're very smart but not very wise. 'Death's Wedding Ring', I'm guessing it means that the wearer cannot part with it until 'Death do them part.'"
Redhead nodded grimly.
"Then we just need to destroy the external affairs of Daray!" Shakyleg raised his voice confidently, "We can do it!"
Gerrod paused at that and released his aura at maximum output injecting a horrifying pressure into everything around him. Even the tree's creaked as they bent to try and escape this wave.
Shakylegs fell back in a shivering mess, "I- I can't breath! Master... master...!"
Gerrod cut his aura and everyone could feel again. He looked at Shakylegs and then to the others slowly, deliberately, "The one who gave me this ring. Even putting out my full strength I couldn't so much as touch her. I was not strong enough."
Redhead's eyes bulged, "You weren't strong enough?"
Gerrod shook his head, "There is always a bigger fish. I cannot take off this ring now. I have only one choice left to me. I must stand up and live. Learn from me and do the same. Get stronger."
He continued walking but they didn't follow with their bodies. Only their gazes followed his back.
In that moment they each understood something unique. Something both beautiful and sad.
They understood what love really meant. And they understood the poison held in the nectar.
One feels great taking the nectar. One would do anything for it.
Even die.
Such is the nature of love. To be so attached to another that one cannot live without them.
At that moment, Gerrod's back never looked so lonely.
But it had also never looked so strong.
The four looked from one to the other. Their eyes reflected the same firm resolve. They walked forward.
Rael stood shocked in place along with the other soldiers. They couldn't move. And they couldn't understand what would inspire Gerrod to suddenly scare them all half to death.
It was a mystery only the four were privy of the answer to.
'I will not lose more people I care about.' Gerrod arrived in front of Avizasi and at the same time, it was like he had arrived in front of himself facing his own sins and convictions, "I will protect everything I care about. Even if it kills me."
His words leaked out unconsciously and Avizasi who hadn't seen anything and only now saw him with a corpse slung over his shoulder and those strong-willed words blushed.
'Is- is that a confession?? No... he isn't that sentimental-' She remembered what Servi said and suddenly blushed even harder, 'could it be? Should I ask? What is this feeling? Back then too I felt the same.'
Plop. Gerrod dropped the corpse in front of her with a frigid gaze, "He's an assassin from Maali's external affairs department. He was aiming for your life when you let your guard down. I suspect that-"
"-That they were involved in the rebellion or Tenli war. Or perhaps they weren't and saw an opportunity to kill me and enthrone my half-brother, effectively giving him Shokan and Tenli after the reformation. Make me do all the work and then give it all to him after my death." Despite her blush, she quickly gathered herself again in true royal fashion, "Maali is a vicious swamp dragon. Using another's dagger to kill. Daray causes problems in Tenli. Sadid causes problems through the independence faction. Maali uses it all to try and swipe all the rewards from under the rug."
'So, that's why she killed him then.' Gerrod thought back to Nol Twelve's vicious display of power in killing the assassin before he could escape, ''Repulsive assassin agency' I see. Daray's killers have a code. Maali's killers only seek to get the job done.'
Gerrod nodded internally and made a note in the back of his head.
'A swamp dragon indeed.' Gerrod nodded.
"I will certainly not be getting married to him." Avizasi said coldly her eyes looking sharply to the north where Shokan's Pass lay, "He needs to die in order to null Maali's ability to justifiably go to war with us."
Gerrod glanced northward as well. A bad feeling cropping up in his stomach, "Will you send an assassin?"
She shook her head.
Count Azifirat opened his mouth, "We already talked over that option. It is certainly the only choice we have to make Maali back off indefinitely but. If it is failed it will be the reason for war. If caught it will lead to war. If Maali doesn't find the one responsible then they will just say we did it and call for war anyway. So while it is the only option, it is also a direct route to end. The boy must live. But he must also die to secure Avizasi's throne."
Gerrod rubbed his chin, "I see."
Count Azifirat's eye's suddenly shifted and he gasped, "'Deaths Wedding Ring'?! Were you just given it?!"
Gerrod nodded solemnly, "It was a gift from someone named 'Elder Two' delivered by a woman named 'Nol Twelve'."
Avizasi's face contorted in a way that frightened Gerrod just slightly.
When he blinked the face was gone. Back to her normal apathetic look. Though she still looked extremely enraged. Her eyes gave her away.
"Gerrod. I think it's best if you come under our protection in the royal palace." Avizasi said coldly, "There will be assassin's coming for you every day for one year. If you can survive then the ring will become null. They may still come for your life but they won't go for your family anymore if you don't take off the ring. They won't break their Killer's Conduct."
Gerrod didn't look the least bit nervous and replied, "Why should I hide?"
Avizasi's countenance dropped, "Are you serious? There will be all manner of assassins coming after your life for the next year. Their strengths will be high. All of them will be Aura Masters and they will only get stronger day by day. Do you really think you can survive that living in some house alone?"
Gerrod shrugged and smiled, "If you start by sending the weakest, then they will find themselves in a dire situation a year later."
Crack! Avizasi punched Gerrod in the chest but he didn't move. His body did not break. Her fingers cracked.
A vein popped on her neck and she stomped the head of the assassin below her, "If you can defeat me right here, right now, I'll let you go alone."
Gerrod smirked, "Unarmed?"
"You think I can't beat you unarmed?" She smiled coldly, "I've been practicing since last time, you know!"
Her aura tore her dress to shreds. Gerrod backed away.
Redhead, Blackhair, Weirdiris and Shakylegs watched from the side. They'd taking a lot of distance and climbed up the tree's to watch.
Rael burst through the woods at precisely that moment. His eyes shot wide and his mouth fell agape, "What's happening?!"
"Shhh! They're starting." Redhead waved his hand as though to shoo him away.
"Master has a kill order on his head and his girlfriend wants him to go to her palace to hide. But he doesn't want to. He wants to face them head-on and so ended up with this. If she beats him, he goes to live at her house. If not, he can leave." Weirdiris said lightly.
"G-girlfriend?!" Rael shouted catching the attention of the two super-sensitive Aura Masters about to fight.
"Girlfriend? As if I would get together with a stubborn man like him! Not only stubborn but pig-headed!" Avizasi cursed as she charged forward.
Count Azifirat who stood off the side felt the wind. His hair flopped onto his face, 'Ahh... your image... there it goes... all that hard work to make your image change into a smart young lady... haa... well, at least win this then! If you can't make them respect you through intellect, do it through strength!'
Count Azifirat raised a cry, "Get him! Wooo, Queen Avizasi!!! Rip out his insides!!!"
"Huh?" Redhead glared at count Azifirat and started shouting, "You got this Master! Rip her a new one!"
"Show her whos boss!!" Shakylegs waved his arms excitedly.
Weirdiris sighed but even he couldn't keep his blood from boiling, "Get her Master!"
Blackhair sat on his branch stoically though on the inside, 'You got this in the bag, Master.'
Rael looked up and scowled, "Clobber him! Mistress!"
"Queen Avizasi! Queen Avizasi! Queen Avizasi!" Rael started chanting.
"Queen Avizasi! Queen Avizasi..." The soldiers started chanting along as well.
Tenli warriors who were mixed in with the bunch started raising a similar cry, "Immortal Minister! Immortal Minister! Immortal Minister!"
"Immortal Master! Immortal Master!" Shakylegs got into it too and started his own nickname.
The Tenli slowly switched and started chanting along with Shakylegs.
Meanwhile, the two at the center of all this battle zeal were feeling embarrassed and childish now that everyone was watching.
'Maybe... we shouldn't fight..' Avizasi thought as she closed in on Gerrod who'd been dodging for a while now.
"Tired already?" She looked up and heard Gerrod's prideful comment. Instantly all thoughts of making it a draw vanished.
Her aura spiked. She was out for blood now.
She took distance and her aura began funneling into the ground beneath her. Gerrod had a bad feeling and looked down.
His eyes bulged. 'It's a massive formation made from her movements.'
Precisely. The art she had been practicing was the Aura art of combat formations.
"To win a battle is simple. To control a battle is difficult. To fight with a clear mind is nearly impossible. One needs to do both to win. And so, winning a battle is simple for me. A genius." Avizasi raised a powerful hand and slapped it down.
The formation lit up with a blinding light. Gerrod engaged his own defensive formation.
Powerful winds climbed up out of the cracked ground but a powerful gravitational pull also dragged him down.
"Shokan Formation Art. Sky Stepping Illusion." She stepped onto one of the lines of the formation. Using her aura she could control the output of winds from the formation lines.
She no longer stepped on the earth but glided over the large formation. Her speed was unnatural. Her strength unparalleled inside the formation.
Gerrod who was being both held down by gravity and pulled up by wind couldn't get any semblance of balance.
"Fall." She closed the distance in the blink of an eye.
Gerrod's eyes flashed.
Her fist, backed by the impossibly strong winds and gravitational forces struck.
"Night Tale." Gerrod's aura exploded and a vicious intent like that of primeval beasts rushed the formation ravenously biting at it.
He flew out of the formation leaving a stream of blood in his wake. The formation cut out and Avizasi landed.
"The Queen has won!" Count Azifirat raised his hand.
Avizasi didn't respond.
"It's over." Gerrod's broken voice reached everyone, "She's unconscious."
Redhead had already rushed to his side but Gerrod spurned his help, "Master ...that was harsh to do to your-"
WHACK!
"Owww!!!" Weirdiris fell to his knee's immediately, "What was that for?!"
"Putting weird thoughts in people's minds." Gerrod scoffed, "Atone."
He slowly made his way over to Avizasi and tapped her forehead. Her body gave out and he caught her.
"She almost killed me with that strike. Had she intended on it I would be dead." Gerrod looked at her kindly, "She held back. It's my loss. But even so, I can't stay now."
Gerrod looked to Count Azifirat who looked solemn, "I understand. Rael, gather the men and begin traveling at once! Double the security detail."
"At once." Rael looked at Avizasi nervously before going about his orders.
"I guess we aren't going to get to see the palace, are we?" Blackhair sighed lightly, "So, where are we going?"
"We?" Gerrod glanced over his shoulder, "All of you are leaving as well."
"As if." Shakylegs scowled, "We aren't going anywhere without you, Master."
Gerrod froze and looked at each of them, "Do you all feel this way?"
They didn't speak. They didn't have to. Their eyes spoke volumes.
"Then. From today forward. We are going underground for a year's time." Gerrod looked at the four and said lightly, "You four go back and inform your brothers what happened. Tell them that they're free to go anywhere they want. Their service to me is over."
"Where are you going?" Redhead questioned suspiciously, "You aren't trying to sneakily vanish are you?"
Gerrod raised his hand.
Redhead covered his head with both hands.
When the strike didn't come he cautiously dropped his hands and opened his eyes.
Gerrod ruffled his hair with a smile, "I won't abandon any of you. Don't worry. I will be at the place where spring meets winter."
"Where spring meets winter?" Weirdiris muttered, "Ah!"
Gerrod nodded.
Just as he turned around Gerrod vanished.
WHACK!
"WHY?!" Redhead screamed as he rubbed his head.
"For trying to block your master." Gerrod's last words lingered in their ears for a while longer.
Redhead though he could almost hear faint laughter from the mountains all through that day.