Episode 50

Prince Erin

"You are outnumbered, it is in your best interest that you surrender!" The cloaked captain says to us again as he signals. His archers get into a shooting position.

"I am beginning to hate those arrows." Akka says as he gets into a defensive position.

He is a lean man and I have never seen him fight, but I have heard rumors about him, the lithe man who never leaves the General's side. He fits the description, some people fear him more than the general or so they say.

Aster walks further than all of us to take a look at the cloaked man.

"Do you cover yourselves up because you are ugly?" Aster puts his hand on his chin.

"I think it's a costume thing." Shem contributes to the conversation.

"I heard that they castrate the Cads so that they are extremely focused, no women, no drinks... Just role play all day. It's sad if you think about it." I join in the banter, they laugh.

"You learn quite fast your highness." Akka looks at me and nods.

"Those are just rumors." A cold voice replies from behind the cloaked captain.

"Oh....then pardon my mistake. Then why ?? Why are you all so covered up." I ask and even though I can't see his face, I feel him tense in frustration.

"Th..that is not the issue.... Surrender and stop playing these games." He thunders.

"Do you think they are trying to overcompensate for something?" Akka asks me as if he is whispering but loud enough for them to hear.

"Okay... That's it, I warned you." The cloaked captain signals his men in anger to shoot.

We take cover as Aster let's his men shoot their arrows first, completely taking them by surprise which was the point.

We engage in a hand to hand combat, as I fight, I understand why these men do this. There is a rush of adrenaline, and I can feel the excitement in the air as my sword clashes with others. It is easy to forget yourself, forget everything in a life or death situation.

It's as if in that moment, only you matter. I catch a glimpse of Akka fighting and I see how dangerous he is. He is precise and fierce, he sees an opening, he takes it. His cuts are clean and not messy. Roark is like a bulldog, he is frighteningly strong. Emer and Emek fight in complete sync like they are one body. Ladda... Ladda.... Where is Ladda, I wonder.

"Don't worry about him, he is always scarce when it comes to combat." Akka says when he sees me looking for him.

Shem is a skilled swordsman, with his long limbs, no one can get close to him. They fight in understanding of each other's strength and weaknesses.

Aster's men come out from the shadows, they see they are losing the fight. The cloaked captain signals for a withdrawal but Akka doesn't let that happen, they follow the men until the end.

After the fight, we are washing ourselves by the river. Aster looks at them suspiciously but doesn't say a word, he goes to talk with his men, I presume.

"Stop staring at my body, you are not my type." Akka says to me with a grin.

I chuckle; "Your scars...you have a lot of them."

"Well, that is what you get when you have lived a violence filled life." He goes to his bottle and takes another sip.

"Don't you get drunk?" I ask out of curiosity.

"That's the aim my dear Prince." He nods at me.

"He can't sleep if he doesn't drink himself to sleep, he doesn't accept Ladda's help.... He has killed more people than the rest of us, I'm guessing it's all catching up to him." Shem helps me understand.

"At first when you kill, it becomes difficult, then it gets easier.. overtime, it gets too much especially if you have a good heart. I think Akka is near his breaking point. He refuses our help, I think he thinks he deserves the nightmares, you know for the people he has killed. He takes that as some form of punishment." He says sadly.

"Why doesn't he just quit?" I ask.

"It's all he knows how to do. He enjoys it and he hates himself for enjoying it.... It's a complicated process. " He sighs.

"What about you? Are you okay?" I ask.

"Ask me again in three years." He smiles.

We start a small fire and gather around it. Salem fills my mind and I wonder what she would be doing at that same moment. Akka is suddenly at alert which makes the men alert also. They pick their weapons, I do the same.

Aster and his men surround us and point their weapons at us.

"It's only been what? Seven years.....Akka."