Usurper of Fire

Darion stood in his wobbly, impractical tower. It stood in the center of the encampment, so he could keep an eye on everything. He had given orders out to everyone, and expected them to be carried out.

Decan approached his tower with his henchmen in tow. “Darion, share a moment?”

He jumped down, and his tower shook as if it was going to collapse.

“I believe I can. What is your business?”

Decan shooed his men away.

“While I appreciate the progress you’ve made lately. I am here to inform you that we still plan to have an election.”

“Of course. I wouldn’t expect less from you.”

“I just didn’t want any confusion. I’m aware you're prone to it.”

“The only thing I’m confused about is why the fuck you are wasting my time telling me this. I haven’t seen you lift a finger to help anyone. What’s wrong? Lost your can-do attitude in the last battle?”

Decan smirked.

“You know, it’s going to bring me great joy when you lose. This whole pseudo-confidence persona you have now…Well forgive me for saying but I don’t buy it.”

“It’s going to bring me great joy when you…” Darion mocked. “Blah, blah, blah. Oh, fuck off chest-hair.” He turned to walk away, but Decan grabbed his shoulder.

“You're to save your wench tomorrow, yes?” Decan said. “Do take care. It would be a shame for you to lose your head now after all the ‘work’ you’ve done recently.”

“Touch me again, and I’ll relieve you of your hand and use it to clean my backside.”

He obliged, releasing his shoulder and showing his palms.

“Forgive me.”

Darion took a step away but stopped himself. He turned around and stared at Decan with a scowl. Walking toward Decan, he forced Decan to back-pedal. He stared through his soul until Decan tripped and fell onto the ground, his men approached, but Darion drew his sword and held it out toward the goons while maintaining eye contact with Decan.

“I’m sick of all this snarky holier than thou bullshit,” he snapped. “This is the sands, Decan. People must choose their words carefully here.” He sheathed his sword and knelt. “Especially when they are on their back.” He lightly tapped his face and left.

As his henchmen tried to help him up, he threw a fit, berating them for not stepping in.

Darion walked the encampment, greeting the men, women and children who were working. Finally, he found the man he was searching for: Doban. Doban stood on top of a wall, building it up with a sand mix that was as hard as stone.

“Doban!” Darion called. “A word if you will.”

Doban motioned for another man to take his place and jumped down to greet Darion with a hearty handshake.

“You’re an impressive man, Doban,” Darion remarked.

Doban shook his head.

“Oh, cut the shit. Are you ready or not?” Doban said.

“I believe so, but we should talk away from prying ears.”

They left the work site until they came upon a secluded area inside of the camp.

“So what’s the plan?” Doban said.

“Doban, there’s no easy way to say this…but I won’t be returning with you and Toonda tomorrow.”

He stared at him, confused.

“What the hell do you mean? What have we been training for?”

“A week of training isn’t enough to defeat this man I’m afraid. It has been helpful, but still…I won’t beat him. I’ll have to do as he asks of me.”

“You can’t…you can’t leave us now. We’ll think of something. We’ll—”

“We won't,” Darion said. “This is the best I can offer these people.”

“Oh, forget all that. If you’re not here that means we won’t have a camp to defend. Who’s gonna…” He stared at Doban with an evil smirk on his face. “Oh, fuck that. Darion…I’m not a leader.”

“You're a better man than me. I bet your cock is twice as long as mine.”

“Twice as thick too, I’d imagine. That isn’t gonna help us through this though.”

“If I agree to be his student, he’ll leave everyone alone. You’ll come back and tell the people that I died in combat and you struck the final blow and saved your wife. You’ll take my place as a hero. They will support you; They already see you as a leader on the walls. Just…spread your influence.”

“It’ll be a lie…You can’t build a world on lies.”

“Of course you can. I’m proof enough of that. You’ll do it because you can.”

Doban sighed and Darion put his hand out to shake. He reluctantly shook his hand, squeezing hard.

“Thank you, Darion. I always thought you were a weirdo. Now I see, we just live in weird times.”

“Thanks…” Darion said. “Do what you need to do. I’ll meet you in the morning.”

With that, Doban walked off to continue his duties. Darion looked around and realized that with his home making up most of the walls, he hadn’t had the privacy to relieve himself in some time. Thinking of the possibility of dying tomorrow made him aware of his urges. He thought about buying a woman for the evening. But the thoughts of being with someone always reminded him of the one who got away. If she was still here, there wouldn’t be any need to agree to a forced apprenticeship. The feeling left him, and he continued his duties for the last time.

**********

The next morning, Darion waited outside the camp’s north gate. The walls were beginning to look formidable from the outside.

Doban approached, dressed in leather armor, carrying several weapons. “Just in case.”

They made their way to Tuska Point. The letter didn’t specify a time, so they figured to show up early and wait as necessary. It took them several hours to reach their destination. The day was hot, and the sands got even hotter as the sun rose. When they arrived, they found they were the first. They sat on a rock and waited for several hours.

“Man, people should really specify a time when they kidnap a wench,” Darion said.

“Right? It is presumptuous to say a day and place.”

“If I’m ever an evil man, when I kidnap people I will state a time as well.”

“I’m sure you can offer that advice as his new apprentice.”

“I shall.”

In the distance, the silhouettes of two people approached.

“Here they come.”

As the silhouettes got closer, they could make out Tuka and Toonda. Toonda wasn’t in bonds; not that he needed her to be. Darion and Doban stood from the rocks to greet them.

“Didn’t I say alone, Darion?” Tuka said.

“Oh, you’ve got his wife. Cut me some slack, will ya?”

Toonda and Doban ran for each other and embraced in a warm hug. They then made out with each other. Tuka cleared his throat loud enough to get them to stop and walk to the side.

“Don’t leave!” he commanded the reunited couple. “We’ll settle business first.” He removed his robe once more, and Darion found himself even more repulsed in the daytime. “So, have you decided to come under my tutelage then?”

“I’ll agree to your terms, but I have some of my own,” Darion replied.

Tuka furrowed his brow and folded his arms.

“Ugh. What are your terms then?”

“We leave my encampment alone. Never return and never cause strife among my people.”

Tuka closed his eyes and slowly nodded.

“Fine! Our travels are gonna take us far from here anyway, boy.”

Darion motioned for Toonda and Doban to leave.

“Wait! They weren’t given permission to leave.”

He stared at Tuka confused.

“I thought this was a trade. My village for me?”

Tuka laughed.

“They aren’t in your village, are they? If you want to prove to me that you are serious, you are going to have to get serious.”

Doban pushed his wife behind him and removed his sword.

“That wasn’t the deal!” Darion screamed.

“Either you kill them now,” Tuka said, “or I kill your entire village, boy!”

Darion looked back and forth between the two and clenched his fist, his teeth grinding.

“Darion…” Toonda said. “Do it, Darion. Save the village.”

Doban looked at her, shocked.

“My dear, our child?”

“How many children will die if this beast attacked our camp?” She placed her hand on his cheek and mouthed, “It’s okay.”

Doban closed his eyes tightly, shed a tear, and hugged her with all his strength. She felt it appropriate to die in her love’s arms and embraced him back.

“Be done with it then!” Doban called to Darion.

Staring at the two, Darion removed his sword. He held out his blade–and pointed it towards Tuka.

Tuka laughed.

“You wanna do this again, boy? Fine! I’ll kill them myself.”

He charged toward the couple, preparing to plunge his sword through their bellies. But before he could attack, his sword halted. Darion had grabbed the blade and held it in place inches from Donban’s back. Blood dripped from his hand and onto the sand.

“This power…it wasn’t meant for this.” Darion swung his sword toward Tuka’s heart. Tuka evaded the blow, taking a cut to his leg instead. “Go…” he told the couple.

“We won’t leave you here!” Doban said.

“You will because I order you to!”

Toonda stared at Darion and met his eyes. She couldn’t recognize him anymore.

“Darion…” she said. “Kick his ass.” The couple turned and ran away.

“Where do you think you’re going!” Tuka screamed and ran towards them again. Darion clotheslined him and swung his sword to the ground. He evaded the sword, and the blow sent a cloud of sand into the air. Darion kept his eye on the couple as they left and matched blades with him, who didn’t seem like an unbeatable god anymore. They clashed blades that rang over the sands and echoed through the canyons several times.

“My, how you’ve grown in such a short time, young one.” Tuka said.

“Witness me now. There is no tomorrow for you.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure of that.” He pointed toward Darion’s wounds. Cuts from where Tuka’s sword passed his own covered his body, adding up. “Without my help, you’ll never make it out of here alive, boy.”

Darion laughed.

“What’s so damn funny?”

“To think I value my life over killing you here and now…” Darion thought about all the times he sought to throw his life away. It was easier this time, having a purpose that was much larger than him.

Tuka screamed, coming in with a thrusting blow. Darion took the sword into his stomach and grabbed Tuka’s sword hand, holding him in place. He slashed his own sword upward, cutting off Tuka’s other arm, twisted the blade’s hilt in his hands and stabbed it through his neck. As Tuka choked on his own blood, he pressed his nose to his, staring into his eyes with trembling hate.

“Die with me, anguar!” His gaze unrelenting as he poured all his malice into Tuka’s soul until the gleam in his eyes left. He removed the sword and before Tuka fell to the ground, he removed Tuka’s head from his shoulders with a strong blow. He fell to his knees, a sword handle still in his own stomach.

The world slowed, and the sand stopped swirling.

Darion saw his father looking at him, with pride on his face. A look he had never seen while he was alive. His eyes filled with tears, and acceptance of his fate washed over him.

The world darkened, and the glowing wings appeared behind his father. The archangel grabbed onto his father's neck, staring at him. He knelt there, unable to act. Simply watched his father's body turn to dust before him.

An inconsolable violent will overtook him. He screamed, louder than his voice had ever reached before. The scream sapped his remaining strength, and he fell to his side and closed his eyes.