Through the mesmerizing tongues of the campfire, I watched Jakul standing by the flowing river. Something… something in his posture had changed completely ever since that vile woman of a sister appeared five days ago with her damnable summons. Seeing him distant like this… it unsettled me deeply. Jakul was usually the type to enjoy the small things, to joke and tease during our travels – especially when Zeke was around.
I bit the tip of my thumb. Could it be more than his sister's arrival?
It still bothered me that he didn't take the direct route to Ironclad. Instead, he insisted on this winding shortcut – true, it cut off a day of travel, but the monsters here were far more dangerous than your run of the mill wolf. Several packs of goblins, two scavenging rune bears, and a stray basilisk had crossed our path already, only to scurry away the moment they sensed Jakul's aura. Maybe… just maybe, he intended to use that to our advantage.
My attention drifted when Zeke ladled another portion of stew and made his way toward Jakul. Please, my love… don't let this little hiccup change who you are.
Scarlett sat beside me and offered a bowl. "I think I have an inkling of what's goin' through your head right now." She gestured toward Jakul. "You're thinkin' that his mind is tattered beyond repair now, ain't ya?"
"That's an understatement." I blew the steam away before taking a small bite. "The past four nights have been nothing, but him screaming in his sleep. Past phantoms calling his name."
I shook my head. "It feels like nothing I do helps anymore. The elixirs that are used to soothe him only make it worse now."
Scarlett let out a gentle chuckle.
Before I could scold her for it, she set a hand on my shoulder. "Nyx… just being there for him in times like these is often enough, take it from an old ox like me. You're one of the very few he trusts to show this side of himself to. Your marriage is proof enough."
Her words bore enough truth as fangs of a spider. Everyone in Siegfried knew Jakul, yet only a few truly knew him. I could count on one hand those he really allowed to bare witness to his inner weakness. And I am the only one who knows the fears he carries.
"I guess you're right."
"Of course I am." Scarlett grinned widely around a mouthful of stew.
Her gaze drifted toward the glowing moon peaking through the canopy. "I've heard his pained voice beggin' for forgiveness, ya know? His wishes for death."
I closed my eyes tight. I've heard those silent whispers too. He didn't remember them afterwards – but I always would. Alabasta tore him into a thousand pieces. Pieces that had finally begun to mend… until she came.
I sighed, forcing my worries to the side. "Anyway – how have you and Zeke been? Anything new?"
Scarlett gave a low chuckle. "Changing the subject, huh?"
"In truth, the two of us couldn't be any better." She downed half her ale. "Everyone else… well, jobs are gettin' scarce. The only excitement we get is wannabe bounty hunters tryin' to claim our heads."
"Jakul mentioned you were hired by a Brucian noble recently. Did it not go well?"
She shrugged, placing her empty bowl aside. "It went as well as it could've and paid nicely… but I guess all of us are gettin' tired of driftin'. Seein' everyone else with a place to belong wears you down mentally."
The moonlight fully washed over her. "The days of Dämmerung are close to an end."
"So what do you and Zeke plan to do after?"
Scarlett inhaled deeply. "We've been thinkin' about findin' a small cottage in the southern continents. Somewhere nobody knows us. Possibly start a family."
I stifled my laughter at the mere image of someone like Zeke changing diapers.
Scarlett noticed – and smirked – but let it pass.
"I honestly think you'd be a great mother," I said.
We shared a brief laugh as Zeke came toward us. Scarlett tossed a blade of grass into the fire. "We plan to find a ship to take us after this trip. Neither of us wanted to leave without sayin' farewell."
"That's why we came to Siegfried," she added.
I took another bite of soup. "What about Fang and the others? Any idea what they're planning?"
Zeke plopped beside her. "Fang and a few others want to come along with us. That scaly bastard wouldn't shut up about bein' an uncle for five hours once he heard."
He laughed. "The others – Zion, Aifric – they want normal lives in Siegfried. Hard to blame them. Jakul gave his approval and said he'd talk it over with Momma."
Our conversation ended when the princess approached us, much to Casteilla's hissing displeasure. "I was wondering if you could tell me everything about Jakul."
Zeke raised a brow. "What makes you think we have all the answers? Why not ask him yourself?"
The princess fidgeted nervously. "Casteilla warned me not to go near that… mongrel. And I don't think he likes me that much. The way he treated me in Siegfried just felt off."
Zeke glanced at me. I nodded the go ahead.
"What is it you wish to know?" He asked.
She hesitated before sitting beside me. "Why is he away from the fire? Isn't it dangerous near the riverbed?"
Zeke scratched his beard. "I may be some mercenary, but somethin' tells me that's not what you really want to ask. Now, is it?"
The princess flushed and nodded.
"Jakul has a strong disdain for nobles like yourself," he said. "Siegfried as a whole does, really to be honest. And knights. And family that betrays their own."
The princess blinked, dumbfounded by the statement. "If he's Lady Veronica's brother, and King von Knight's nephew… isn't he a noble himself? Royalty even?"
Zeke and Scarlett fidgeted.
I sighed. He was a noble. His title was stripped at an early age."
She swallowed. "If… if you can… will you tell me why?""
Anger threatened to poison my words. "Believe it or not, he was made a slave. Not for mundane labors – but for visceral blood festivals. He endured torture. Experiments. He killed to survive each day."
"He took his first life at the age of ten." My drifted toward Veronica, who stood halfway to Jakul. "That was only the beginning. He watched other slaves die – blade, poison, starvation, infection, worse."
I pressed a hand over my chest to calm the ache. "He endured that hell for three excruciating years before Zeke and Scarlett caused a riot that let him escape."
The duo chuckled reminiscing of that time.
I continued, voice steadying. "But the one who knows the truth behind why he was stripped of his title… is his sister."
Cold anger finally seeped into my tone. "After all – she played a hand in sending him to that hell."
Lieutenant Combs roared, but Veronica silenced him. "She has every right to speak her mind, Lieutenant."
I stared at her. What game are you playing?
Everyone watched as Veronica exhaled. "I suppose I should start from the beginning…"
Veronica drew in a steadying breath. "Being children of royalty, in line for the throne, we were taught everything expected of heirs. Father ensured we excelled physically – swordplay, survival, combat. Mother taught us academics, from spellcraft to mathematics."
She gave a small, fleeting smile. "Einor… had a habit of sneaking into the upstairs library instead of attending lessons. He'd run to me, rambling with such enthusiasm about whatever he read. He kept that joy until our tenth winter
Her smile died. "Black smoke climbed so high it was visible from the nearby town. Uncle had taken me there to get a new dress. And when we returned… the flames were so hot they felt ready to blister my skin from yards away. Einor was sprawled unconscious between the slain husks of our parents. Their eyes frozen in shock."
She fell silent for a long moment before whispering, "1413, Year of the Serpent. The Fall of House Knight. The beginning of the Grimshaw Riots."
I remembered the story Momma told me.
Todd Grimshaw, heir to a wealthy lumber baron – well-liked, community-driven. On a routine delivery, he never returned. His father led a search and found the convoy destroyed. But no Todd.
Then came the smoke.
Todd was found among the bodies of Lord and Lady von Knight. Witnesses claimed the couple's son murdered his parents along with Todd as he tried to save them. The set the estate ablaze. Todd was simply a casualty – right place, wrong time.
The culprits' family used influence to hide the truth, sparking riots across the kingdom.
And that family… was Jakul's.
My gaze drifted to him – kneeling by the river, palm pressed to the ground as shadows curled around him. He'd told me his parents were killed, and he was blamed… but not all of it. Never all of it
What else are you hiding, my love?
Veronica's eyes met the princess's. "He was stripped of his title for the murder of our parents, Lady Udreth."
The princess looked toward Jakul, who was forming shadow creatures that scattered through the trees. Her voice trembled. "He… he killed your parents?"
The air dropped below freezing in an instant. The fire flickered violently, fighting an unseen wind. The forest fell silent – too silent. Jakul's bright eyes burned with raw fury, his body cloaked in a dull crimson aura streaked with black lightning.
Then, as abruptly as it came, the pressure vanished. The fire steadied. Sounds returned. Jakul turned to watch Orian haul up a massive fish monster with an elongated body, completely ignoring the moment he'd nearly suffocated the world around us.
Even now, witnessing how mana bent to his very whim never ceased to terrify me.
Veronica swallowed hard and continued. "Uncle tried to calm the people. He had Einor imprisoned, promised he would be punished. But when no execution was announced… the riots grew worse."
Her fingers trembled. "I still remember the rocks hurled through my window at night. The stares when I walked through town. Friends refusing to play with me – for what my brother supposedly did."
She reached into her satchel and pulled out a cloth-wrapped book. "Years passed with countless failed leads on Einor's location. I spent every waking moment training – promising myself that once he was found, I'd be strong enough to protect him."
Luca spoke softly. "How long until you found a real lead, milady?"
"Six years…" Veronica whispered. "We found where Alabasta dwelled. Our hope shattered the moment we saw the arena – corpses everywhere. Some decomposed. Some eaten. The tunnels where the slaves were held…"
She stood and offered the book to me. I peeled back the cloth to reveal a charred journal, its cover blackened and stiff. My heart clenched when I recognized Jakul's handwriting.
My tears stained the yellowed pages as I read. Veronica's voice softened. "He kept a list of the dead. His way of memorializing them. Every page recounts torture, experiments, starvation – everything he endured."
Her fists clenched white. "They made him watch the ones he pitied die slowly. Their wails fill those pages. And the one that broke him was a pregnant woman he protected – even offered to fight in her stead."
I buried my face deeper in the pages. Jakul had captured every thought, every fear, every scar. And then I reached an entry about a mask – said to contain the spirit of a vengeful ent, capable of possessing anyone who wore it until nothing remained of them.
Jakul had been the test subject.
In all the stories of possession, no one ever survives… How did he?
The princess's voice jolted me, and I dropped the journal. "It seems that the traveling bard Father brought to the throne room wasn't kidding, then."
Bard? What bard?
Luca twirled the twig in his mouth. "Edger… something."
Casteilla licked stew from her spoon. "Milay refers to The Slave Borne of Flames."
"That's the one!!" the princess exclaimed.
"Wait." I glanced at Zeke, who leaned back against a log. "Didn't you write something with a similar title?"
"One of my best pieces," he bragged. "Though more of a poem than a song. Bards love turning such works into music. I knew I shouldn't have suggested the topic to him."
Everyone turned to him as he recited:
"Through fires and smoke he stalks,
A daemon set free.
Covered in blood, blade in hand,
He now wanders the land.
Stalking his prey,
The slaver's head gagged by the craft of his own trade,
Displayed for all to see –
A reminder of horrors that await.
Through the fires of the Ten Hells he walks–
Finally free."
We applauded softly.
Scarlett leaned forward, pushing a log closer to the flames. "It's ironic, ya know."
She pointed her wooden spoon at Veronica, "You all sent him away hopin' he'd be saved, yet he died either way. From what you described, he was a kind kid. Seein' him at Momma Joan's must've been quite the shock."
Crimson eyes blinked into existence among the trees – hundreds of them – before fading just as quickly.
Veronica's voice wavered. "It was a shock… watching Einor casually take a man's hand. He was always a hesitant kid."
Zeke snorted. "Your Highness… he is far more capable of much more things."
His grin faded. "I've seen him act as an interrogator for a contractor. His broken mind comes up with horrors you don't want to witness. That's why Dämmerung calls him the Baron of Fear."
Scar mimicked fangs with her fingers, growling playfully.
Casteilla hissed, "We Ijā call him by the Schattenkaiser – the Emperor of Shadows."
Before Luca could speak, the forest erupted into distorted laughter, freezing each of us in place.
Then Jakul's voice – venom-soft – whispered in my left ear. "Veronica. Keep the little fox and her entourage safe. Our 'guests' will be arriving soon."
Before she could answer, he'd vanished – consumed by the surrounding darkness, followed by bloodcurdling screams.
Jakul chose this campsite because it was perfect for defense. The clearing was wide, giving sightlines in every direction. Our backs were guarded by the river's breadth – no chance for an ambush there. He had also stationed shadow sentries throughout the forest, silent watchers alerting him to anything that moved for miles.
Everything unfolded exactly as he planned the day before – shared only with him, Zeke, Scarlett, and myself.
Twenty yards from camp stood two towering white oaks, rising above all others. Zeke and Scar had built makeshift stands near their tops, each equipped with quivers of arrows and a longbow. At Jakul's signal, they climbed into position without hesitation.
I pressed my sword's edge to my palm, cutting just deep enough for a thin stream of blood.
Zeke's booming voice echoed softly from above. "I sure hope Jakul leaves us a few this time. Would hate to build these stands and not use 'em."
While he bantered, I knelt and drew ancient sigils, weaving my magic into each drop. The crimson glowed faintly before sinking into the earth, forming a shimmering barrier around the others. Their hushed awe at watching blood magic never failed to amuse me.
Satisfied, I stood, rapier ready as the forest crackled with approaching footsteps. "Sylla," I whispered, "let your thirst be unquenchable. I offer the blood of my enemies for your protection."
The first figure bust through the shrubs – only to collapse with an arrow through his throat. A leather-clad brunette woman followed, struck cleanly in the chest. Two more stumbled behind her, each impaled by more arrows before they even realized what happened.
My body blurred forward as a chiseled elf in plate armor lunged, trying to slip past me. He took five staggering steps before collapsing in a heap, riddled with thin holes. Two more arrows whizzed past my head and dropped a pair of terrified mages. I slid beneath the legs of a panicked Lepus, feeling the wind of another arrow strike him from behind.
Crimson spikes erupted from the blood pooling on the forest floor, impaling a dozen more.
A fine display, I thought wryly. I wonder how Veronica will view my blood magic now.
A massive double-headed axe grazed the top of my head, burying itself into a nearby tree. A huge bovine Orc barreled forward, roaring, "Hurry to the fire!! We'll survive better in the light!!"
Not wanting to give him ground, I darted beneath his raised arms. His swings were slow but powerful – each one capable of splitting a man in half. I dodged another strike and slid past him, seeing my opening: his left Achilles.
My blade bit deep. He roared and crashed to the ground. I raised my rapier for the final blow – but an explosion sent me flying. My vision spun as thick fingers clamped around my neck. Air whipped past until a tree stopped my body with bone-rattling force.
Through tears, I watched the Orc heal his wounds and lumber toward me.
He stomped on my searching hand, pinning it painfully against the earth. Raising his axe, he snarled, "First I'll kill you, then reach the fire."
Blood dripped from my lips. I closed my eyes and whispered. "Vinea Vivus."
The axe never fell.
I opened my eyes to vines – thick and ancient – wrapped around the weapon's shaft. They slithered upward like serpents, binding the Orc's arms, lifting his massive form into the air as he thrashed. Bones popped. His screams curdled into gurgles as his limbs were torn apart one by one.
With his death and the echo of arrows meeting their marks, I healed what I could and rejoined the fray.
Sunrise bled through the trees, warm and welcome. Around me lay twenty or so corpses scattered like offerings. The forest, once wild with violence, had grown eerily calm again.
Zeke and Scarlett met between the trees, lowering their bows with satisfied grins.
A nearby rustle snapped me into a ready stance, Sylla raised. My heart clenched when glowing eyes approached silently.
Then Death's aspect walked into view.
Jakul emerged with a scythe casually slung across his shoulder – shadows clinging to him like a cloak. Behind him, a hellhound dragged a silver-haired Vulpes by the ankle.
Relief washed through me. I ran to him. He kissed me softly. "I'm glad the three of you are safe. Enjoy yourselves?"
Zeke ruined the moment. "How many in total?"
Jakul nodded toward the Vulpes. "Including this mongrel? Around forty, give or take. Fewer than I expected – seems most ran when Orian and I began our assault."
I wrapped my arms around him, unable to hide how grateful I was he was unharmed. Already acting like a wife… what else is going to change now?
Jakul ordered Orian to drag the unconscious Vulpes toward the carriage. The great beast shrank into his smaller obsidian cat form a moment later and began cleaning himself calmly by the fire. The contrast of the two forms made me smile.
The knights, however, drew their blades after witnessing my blood magic. Jakul scoffed at them without fear. On the other hand, their fear was to be expected – every kingdom had laws demanding the detainment or death of any blood mage.
We ignored them while Jakul knelt by the Vulpes.
He slammed the man's head against the carriage wheel. "This bastard offered a fine sum to kill you and the others, Little Fox."
The princess paled. "Wh-what did you say?"
Jakul chuckled, binding the Vulpes in shadow threads. "Took his gold and knocked him out. Gold is gold, right Zeke?"
Zeke, Scar, and I burst into a fit of laughter. "Never change, my friend."
The knights tightened formation. Jakul's aura of bloodlust responded instantly – heavy, suffocating, primal. They took involuntary steps back before Veronica raised her hand and Combs reluctantly ordered them to sheath their swords.
I was beginning to believe she truly was his twin.
The princess whispered, her complexion paling further. "D-do you intend to keep your word to him? Are you really going to kill me?"
Rage flared in my chest.
Jakul clicked his tongue. "If I meant to do that, you wouldn't be breathing."
Casteilla and Luca stepped forward, readying for combat.
"We wouldn't let you try!!!" Casteilla hissed.
Jakul rolled his eyes and lifted the Vulpes's head by the ear. "I'm guessing you know him, princess. Who is he?"
Luca answered before she could. "He's the king's younger brother. Count Jannik Iona Udreth."
He stepped forward and punched the unconscious Count so hard his head bounced. "You figured out our ploy to draw out any would-be assassins. And to think the Count was involved… Bastard."
Another punch left the Count with a purple, swelling eye.
Jakul turned to head toward the river, but Veronica stepped in his path.
"I need to know your true intentions, Einor. Do I have your unwavering word that you don't mean to harm Lady Udreth?"
His glare was so intense that I was for sure he would kill her on the spot.
"The princess has nothing to worry about. Though she's irritating… she is not my enemy. For now."
He pulled free and turned toward me.
"Care to join me, my love?"
I stepped toward him without hesitation, slipping my hand into his as if it were the most natural thing in the world. The others watched in a mixture of wariness, curiosity, and something close to awe. Even the fire seemed to dim when Jakul led me away from the group and toward the river.
The chill in the air softened under the warmth of his aura, though remnants of the earlier storm of power still clung to him – anger barely leashed, shadows coiled tight beneath his skin.
But his hand in mine was gentle.
Jakul always tried to hide these small mercies, these little pieces of himself he thought no one deserved to see. But I saw them. I always had.
The river's surface rippled softly, disturbed only by the faint glow of his mana weaving through the shadows at his feet. His eyes reflected the wanted, bright and haunted.
"Are you alright?" I asked, brushing a thumb over the back of his hand.
"Not particularly." His voice was low, tired. "But I will be."
The honesty in it tugged at something deep in my chest as we sat down.
The forest behind us murmured with voices – Veronica issuing orders, Casteilla arguing with Luca, Zeke swearing about the smell of the bodies, the knights scrambling to restrain themselves from doing something foolish – but all of it felt distant.
Jakul drew me closer. "Sorry you had to hear all of that."
"I've heard worse," I murmured.
"You shouldn't have to." His jaw tightened. "Not when it concerns me. I wanted to keep that part of my life hidden."
I cupped his cheek and gently turned his face toward mine. "I choose to be here, Jakul. Nothing I've heard or seen has ever changed that."
His eyes softened, the anger melting just a fraction. "Nyx…"
But I wasn't finished.
"And if you think your shadows, past, or nightmares will scare me off, then you clearly underestimate the woman you married."
A faint breath escaped him – half a laugh, half a sigh. He leaned forward until our foreheads touched. His aura calmed, the violent tendrils settling like resting serpents.
He whispered, "You keep grounding me even when I don't want it."
I smiled. "I will always do so. As long as you let me."
Something unspoken passed between us – trust hard-won, fragile, but real. He squeezed my hand, and together we watched the river's steady flow, letting the world settle around us.
Behind us, Veronica's voice carried through the trees, tense but resolute. "We break camp in half an hour. We need to move before more of them, or something worse, arrive."
Jakul didn't turn. "Let her play her role."
"Her role?" I echoed, smirking.
He shrugged lightly. "She always wanted to play Knight Commander. Let her command."
I suppressed a laugh and leaned into his side. The wariness in him hadn't vanished completely – I could feel the restless shift of shadows beneath his skin – but for this moment, he allowed himself to breathe. Allowed himself to exist without the weight of expectation, guilt, or ghosts clawing at the edges of his mind.
I kissed his jaw softly. "Come on, Mr. Baron of Fear. Before Veronica and the others think we wandered off to do something scandalous."
His lips curved into the faintest smirk. "What if that was my intention?"