《Between the Unknown of Dreams and Memories》


 Chapter 1 - Dreams

    Ever since he was a boy, Will Ash had dreams.


    His memories and dreams begun to blend together from day to day. What he remembered and what he saw when his mind was far away at night seemed to be one, both equally vague, and yet so incredibly real and clear. He would live in his sleep and he would walk in his dreams, wandering in an endless haze. Nothing was ever clear. Nothing was ever right. Nothing pieced together. Nothing fit in. He had no idea about his own life, about his own story. Every moment was just another unfitting piece of the puzzle, dropped into the mix. But there was some of them ¨C Some storylines, almost, some worlds, some stories, that he took and put together.


    He had a close friend? - enemy? - partner? It was hard to tell with all of the jumbled memories, but he remembered some things. A convincing voice, a chilling laugh, and a cold, angry glare. The voice, any time it spoke, made him trust whoever it was. The laugh, whenever it echoed through his mind, made him tremble in terror. And the eyes, whenever he saw them, burned through him and made him wish he knew who they belonged to. But he never found out.


    He had a companion? - co-worker? - ruler? It was impossible to figure out with how everything flowed together, crumbling any time he tried to hold on. But he remembered very small elements. A glimmering crown, blood stained hands and a sharp sword. The crown, any time it showed itself, reminded him there was someone strong leading him on. The blood stains, any time they appeared, showed him he was dealing with something powerful, something twisted. And the sharp sword ¨C A sword that had taken more lives than any other, a sword that had toppled empires and ended eras... He wished he knew who wielded such a weapon. But he never found out.


    He had a brother? - cousin? - son? There was no way for him to know for sure with how much of a mess his mind was at all times, but he remembered fractions of him, he remembered elements of his face. That annoying laugher, that light blonde tuft of curly hair, and those three music discs. The laughter, although it came at the worst times, always made him feel like things were okay. The hair, whenever he saw it, made him remember the person he cared for was safe. The three discs, the discs that, as long as they remained in his possession, showed that things were normal. He wished to know who the owner of these three discs was. But he never found out.


    He had friends? Family? He had people with him, he had worlds he ruled. He had a land all for him, he lived in a land belonging to someone else. Sometimes he wielded a weapon and slayed hundreds ¨C Other times he was the one being slain. He would talk to people, he would tell them of his life? Dreams? Hallucinations? Nothing ever stayed, nothing ever remained, everything was a passing glance filled with fakes and red herrings, no truth was clear and no lie seemed to ever be told. Everything was fact but nothing made sense, everything was a constant haze, a constant fog covering up the true order of things and he would never know what was happening because this was his life and this was what was going on, this was...


    Will Ash remembered his son.


    That''s when it started. That was the first time his memories finally fell into one, clean line, and his dreams became something he no longer mistook for reality, but instead clear fiction. When he held him in his arms, when he watched him look back with those bright eyes. No chilling laugh, no blood-stained hands, and not a single music disc. All it was was his son, and he knew he was real. He knew he was there, and he knew he finally had something to fight for. He was still lost, wandering in the fog, but he was finally with someone, he finally had a definitive to hang onto. Where did he come from? Who was the mother? How would he know, from all these dreams and memories? But he knew he was there, and he knew his name.


    His name was Fonda, and he was real.


    From this single truth came more and more, from a small caravan by a lake to a nearby, ever-growing city. He started seeing people, people who he could hold onto. No longer were the mysterious eyes glaring at him, no longer was the sharp sword taking lives, and no longer was the blond tuft of curly hair wandering around his mind. He was finally grounded in a singular reality, a reality he could understand. He lived by a lake while a nation grew nearby ¨C Eventually, he was invited to become a part of this very nation himself. He didn''t know how he got there, who the founders of it were, or why they wanted him and his son on their side. But they didn''t ask questions, and that was all he needed. He got to finally live a free life. So he went through everything in his head, enjoying the freedom he got from finally being able to exist.


    No one here used their real name ¨C And the reason was supposed to be universal. He was supposed to know. But Will didn''t know which memory to turn to, which lie to believe, so he was simply himself. He was simply Will Ash, whether or not it was strange. But no one else had a name like he did ¨C Everyone else had something else. Everyone else donned a lie as their title.


    A man named Dissonance ruled it all ¨C A fair ruler at first, but slowly but surely growing more distant and political as the city grew stronger and its population got larger and larger with each day. Georgie and Sapana were by his side, always protecting him, always watching over him, always giving anyone who got too close to him dirty looks. There was Burgess and Sot ¨C Inseparable friends, always annoying each other as much as possible but instantly coming to each other''s sides if either was hurt. There was Quawin, a man who he rarely saw around but whenever he did, he always seemed to be up to something. Taza was there ¨C the young boy only four years junior to Will''s son, who spent many days wandering the city, often spending most of his time with the bees in the nearby flower field. And there were many, many more people... And Will knew they were all real.


    Everything was fine.


    That was, until the annoying laughter, the blonde tuft of hair and the three discs came back, they came back and they were real. For a long time, Will believed his dreams and the world in his head to all be fantasy, he believed he had lived out a normal life but locked himself away in another world, cut himself away from whatever he was going through. He thought he was past all that, he thought he was building a new life far away from his dreams? Memories? To this day, he did not know. But the annoying laugh, the blonde tuft of hair and the three discs were here, and they were real, and they were standing in front of him and they had a name and their name was...


    "Tom!"


    "E-excuse me?"


    Will looked down, snapped out of a trance. Although his memories and dreams separated, and his present was clear, hours and days still blended into each other. The locals and Fonda knew, of course ¨C They knew Will wasn''t always there, but he tried his best. The laugh, the hair and the discs did not know that.


    "You asked for my name.", the boy explained.


    He was short, young. He looked right about Taza''s age, from the little time Will had seen him around. He had a white shirt with a red patch at the top, light beige shorts and bright, blue eyes. And the hair. A curly, blonde tuft of hair. Just like the dreams. Just like the memories. Just like the- What even were they any more?


    "So yeah. Tom. Tom Indeo, if you''re one of those title people."


    No one else used names over titles here. Just Will Ash, because Will Ash didn''t remember why everyone else used titles.


    "...Oh. I did, didn''t I?"


    The memory slowly came back, just as it always did. Tom came over to visit, a new citizen of the city, and upon seeing him, Will blanked. He must have connected him to his dreams... memories... whatever, and it triggered some sort of defensive reaction in him ¨C Just like most things these days did.


    "¡­Nice to meet you. I''m Will. Will Ash."Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    The boy laughed slightly, with that annoying laugh, tilting his head and making that tuft of hair jump.


    "I know...? Uh... you told me already."


    Tom would have laughed on, most likely, but when he noticed Will''s both confused and somewhat worried expression, he held it back.


    "Sorry...", he muttered in response.


    "I... don''t have the best memory."


    Tom shrugged.


    "Well, I said it once and I''ll say it again, then. Nice to meet you Mr. Ash. I''m new around here!"


    The boy reached out with his right hand, and Will shook it with a bit less hesitation than he spoke to him with a few seconds ago. Slowly but surely, he was warming up to this boy. But it was difficult with the connections his mind was making as he tried to focus. He wanted to get away already, hide inside his home and let his mind settle this for him, pushing this whole conversation into a dream or a distant memory that never took place. Maybe this was just one of those that he was recalling, maybe it was just another laughter, hair, and disc memory. Maybe.


    But as the conversation carried on, Will realized things had changed.


    "...How old are you?", he asked him, surprised the conversation still carried on without cutting him off somewhere, suddenly.


    It were as if his mind, for once in his life, focused on a singular moment and didn''t want to let go, no matter what. It were as if finally he had found the space between the dreams and the memories, and it was Tom that was in the centre of it all.


    "...Uh... fourteen...", the boy replied, but the moment of hesitation in his voice could not be overlooked.


    Either way, just as Will had guessed, he was the same age as Taza, and only four years younger than his son, Fonda. He was a little taller than the other fourteen year old, though. Will had asked Taza why there was a kid like him all alone in this city in the middle of nowhere before ¨C And the look on his face was one memory he held onto dearly. This was mainly why he avoided asking this question with this blonde teenager. Same as him, the people here either ran from their pasts or simply didn''t remember them ¨C Will had no reason to press the boy on it further.


    "My son''s eighteen.", Will informed him, every second passing bringing more and more questions.


    He wanted to shut himself away and figure out why it was now, of all times, that he was allowed to be completely aware of his present. But he was also afraid, afraid that the moment he turned away he would just lose himself in that fog again.


    "Maybe you two could talk?"


    "...That''d be fun!"


    The boy was swaying back and forth on the balls of his feet, a leather backpack loosely hanging off of his shoulders. He clearly wanted to say something else, but found himself completely unable to put it into words. He stammered for a bit, and Will finally decided to cut in, knowing that he would not find his words any time soon.


    "Anything else you want to say... or can I...?"


    He didn''t want to. He didn''t want to turn around and get back to the mess and fog or whatever he called his life these days. He didn''t want to lose this single moment, but luckily, the unsure expression on Tom''s face remained unchanged;


    "Right! Sorry! I don''t wanna take up any of your time!"


    He hesitated for a moment, scrunched up his nose, and fixed up his backpack once more. He cleared his throat, and with how awkwardly and slowly everything was going, Will decided it would be best to just shut the door and cut this whole thing short. Maybe he would finally free himself from whatever limbo this boy seemed to trap him in, and return to his normal life. He would never find out why the laugh, hair and discs from his dreams were right there in front of him ¨C But maybe that wasn''t the worse thing? However, as he tried to close the door, Tom put his arm in front of it and exclaimed;


    "Wait, hold on!"


    "...Yes, Tom?", he asked, looking at the helpless expression now appearing on his face.


    He rubbed the back of his neck nervously and sighed, finally gathering up enough courage to say whatever it was that he wanted to initially ask.


    "...I... I don''t have anywhere to stay, Mr. Ash.", he muttered under his breath, Will barely being able to hear what it was he said.


    "...I just got here and no one really wants me... around...", he sighed, looking back at the city.


    "Especially Dissonance. I kind of... well... pissed him off a little."


    "You... ''pissed off'' the guy in charge of the city?"


    As Will said this, he couldn''t help but laugh. From his bruised knees, many band-aids and a single, missing tooth, he could tell this kid was a trouble maker. And Dissonance had always been a stickler for rules...


    "...Look, it''s not my fault I have an incredibly unique personality that Dissonance just... wasn''t... a fan of...''


    Tom tilted his head and grinned.


    "But hey, you seem cool, Mr. Ash! So can I stay for a bit, until I can find somewhere else to sleep?"


    Will had to give this a lot of thought. The answer was obvious, right? A fourteen year old kid needed a place to stay and had no one else to turn to, and he had more than enough space and materials to keep him warm and fed for a couple of days. This city had always had a sense of community, and helping and trusting each other was something expected of everyone as a basis. But there was another problem here, of course. Will Ash, known throughout the city for being distracted, distant, always somewhere else and only ever present when people spoke to him, and even that was rare, was having a full conversation with a stranger. He remembered the conversation, he remembered the person he had it with, and he was able to respond however he wished. And although Will had long found a way to differentiate his dreams from his memories, he still struggled to recall them quite right. And he thought that was it. He thought that was life.


    He thought it was normal that his past until the birth of his son was an endless haze, a mix of memories and dreams he could never tell apart, a constant struggle to ground himself in reality. His son told him he most likely experienced something traumatic, it was most likely his brain dealing with it. And he took that as a definite. He got used to only ever being ''present'' when people he recognized were around, only remembering fractions of conversations before his mind took him to yet another dream, to yet another world he would never be able to quite recall. He thought he was just a victim of something long, long gone, but could live freely now. But no. Tom, with the annoying laugh, the blonde tuft of curly hair and the three discs came into his life and once more made him question where the line between dreams and memories could truly be drawn ¨C So naturally, Will Ash did the only thing he thought he could. The only logical thing;


    "Sure. Come in. Make yourself at home."


    He turned back, and left the door wide open. He wandered inside and upon turning away from Tom, expected another cut in his memory. Another dream. Still, nothing. The world was still there, where he had left it.


    "Thank you so much Mr. Ash! You''re like... an actual hero!"


    The boy stepped inside, scraping some dirt off of his shoes on the door frame. Will turned back and smiled.


    "Just call me Will. No need for formalities."


    The boy''s face lit up. He grinned for a moment, revealing that missing tooth of his. He couldn''t help but wonder how it came to fall out...


    "Sure thing Will! Uh... so.. where can I sleep?"


    Tom started looking around, laying his bag down by a nearby closet. And as the top of the bag slowly slipped open, he noticed something strange inside. Something he was wondering if he would ever see. He crouched down to take a closer look as the fourteen year old became distracted with something else in the caravan. In the bag, as the boy''s only possessions at all, he found three things.


    Three music discs.


    Will would have asked something ¨C Maybe he would have asked what they were, where they came from, maybe gotten some answers as to why he kept seeing them in his dreams. But he didn''t. Why? He wasn''t sure. Maybe he was afraid? Maybe he didn''t want to know? Either way, he zipped up the bag and joined Tom as he wandered the small caravan, showing him a place where he could sleep. And the whole time, he couldn''t help but find himself completely shocked ¨C Shocked by the fact he was still there, shocked by the fact he was still aware, shocked by the fact that he knew what was going on and who he was with. Eventually, Will got a place ready for Tom and after thanking him a total of right around twenty times, he finally left to go and look for somewhere where he could stay permanently before night came. And here came the final surprise ¨C The final shock, the final revelation, the final unexplained occurrence;


    Tom was gone, and Will was still there. For the first time in as long as he remembered, Will stood alone, with no one else nearby and still managed to be there, be aware. And although he was lost, confused, so incredibly in need of some explanations, he was happy. He was overwhelmed with joy from whatever freedom meeting Tom had brought him, and he could not describe the feeling of finally being able to stay somewhere, in one place, between one dream and one memory, for all this time. He didn''t really know what to do, so he just... sat there. Just like he always did, sitting in one place, enjoying the silence and whatever thoughts his brain brought along. But this time, he thought about what was around him, what he could see, what he could feel. He noticed when the doors opened and Fonda got back ¨C He rummaged through their stuff, got something, and then walked up to Will. And he would never forget how happy the conversation he had made him;


    "Hey dad. I just got back-"


    He started with that usual patient tone of voice.


    "-five minutes ago. Yeah. I know."


    Will smiled.


    "I remember."


    The smile on Fonda''s face was something he would never forget, same as the brief hug that followed. It was such a simple thing, but to them, it was so important. That evening would be a normal evening to anyone else ¨C Talking, eating, going to sleep. But to them, it was different. To them it was so much more important. Will was happy, that much was true. But...


    Although he was happy, he could never predict the suffering his new awareness would bring.


    And it all started with Dissonance.

 Chapter 2 - Realizations

    Fonda was tall, red-haired, and had deep, brown eyes. He always wore a black cap with golden shapes on it, a black jacket, and a white shirt underneath. He was incredibly skilled at hunting, he was impressive with a bow, and as a pastime, he enjoyed fishing with his father in the lake that they lived by. Yes, indeed, to the average eye, Fonda was a typical eighteen year old. But if one looked closer, they noticed some other elements of him. Such as his unnaturally sharp teeth, a pair of fox ears, and a fox tail always fluttering about behind him wherever he went. Perhaps that''s what would catch your attention after giving the boy a closer look. Actually, that might even be something that you notice first and foremost, and kind of chuck everything else aside... Either way, Fonda, even with his unusual characteristics, really enjoyed fishing.


    And Fonda was fishing with his father the day he started noticing some things.


    "...So how did this even happen?", he asked at some point, casting the rod without giving it much thought.


    With how much they did it, it was almost second nature. There was something else taking up all of his attention ¨C His father. His sudden awareness, a fix to something he had been struggling with his entire life seemingly overnight, and that boy he let stay with them, despite having virtually no space for him to sleep and barely enough food to feed one another.


    "I don''t know."


    Even this was shocking. Will responding without having to have the question repeated to him, without taking a few seconds to once more ground himself in reality. This didn''t seem like something that could disappear overnight ¨C And yet somehow it did. Why? How? Even his own father didn''t seem to know.


    "But you''re my son, so I''ll be honest with you here. That kid... Tom..."


    Will paused for a moment.


    "I don''t know why... when I saw him... it was like everything just... clicked. I can''t explain it."


    "So... Tom shows up and suddenly you''re okay? Just like that? Don''t you think that''s a little weird?"


    Fonda focused his eyes on the rod, seeing a fish aimlessly circling the lure. Did it know it was merely a farce? And even if it did, would it still bite? After all, it sees food. Even if it''s out of place, it sees it, and that''s what matters to it the most of all. Even though something seems suspicious, it bites. Even though it knows it''s a trap, it bites. Because it''s food, and it''s there when it wasn''t before, it bites.


    Fonda looked at his father briefly.


    The fish bites because it knows nothing else.


    "...Do you really think Tom could be bad?", Will spoke up, his voice tired and gentle.


    There was more control and focus in it than usual ¨C But it was still weak and strained. All of this must have been so tiring for him ¨C He had spent almost an entire morning without blacking out. And that was rare. Incredibly rare.


    "I talked to Sot.", Fonda started, watching as the fish bit, just as he predicted.


    He pulled it out from the water carefully, placing it aside into a bucket. He wished they could only fish for sport, but with how little there was on the table day to day, it was best not to waste time doing that.


    "...He told me Tom got here yesterday, and instantly, tried to steal from Georgie. And when he caught him, the kid screamed at him, picked up a bow and tried to shoot him."


    Will''s eyes widened a little, but his son talked on regardless.


    "Dissonance was furious, but Burgess convinced them to give him another chance. The only reason the kid is still here is because Burgess is way too nice..."


    "The kid was scared, Fonda!", Will said instantly, letting go of his fishing rod and looking right at his son.


    "He probably just wanted some food, or some warm clothes! He got scared when Georgie came in and panicked, he probably wanted to... I don''t know... defend himself?"


    "You don''t know that kid, dad.", Fonda reminded him.


    He, himself, did not stop looking at the lake. Another fish saw the lie. Another fish fell right for it.


    "You don''t know what he''s like. You don''t know what he was looking for. You don''t know-"


    "He''s fourteen!", Will snapped suddenly, seeing his son flinch.


    He waited for a few seconds and shook his head, grabbing onto his forehead.


    "Sorry. I didn''t... I didn''t mean to shout."


    Fonda sighed and spoke;


    "No, you''re right. He''s a kid."


    He shut his eyes.


    "How bad could he be?"


    "But I still don''t get it... Why him, of all people?", Will continued.


    "I don''t know dad, but... at least you''re here now, right?"


    ''At least you''re here''. Such a simple phrase, but in this small family of two, it carried such weight. More than once in their life Will missed out on something, whether it be Fonda''s first accurate shot with the bow, the first time he caught a fish, or anything he ever managed as a kid, but something that only passed in a short moment ¨C A short moment Will Ash just had no way of really grasping onto. And now, with every second within his grasp, with every minute under his control, Fonda felt... disappointed. Disappointed that it wasn''t earlier that this realization came about, and that he wasn''t already practically an adult. He wished that, maybe, Tom had walked into their life with the magical cure back when it actually mattered most. For just a moment, Fonda glanced towards the fish in a bucket, long dead and having had given up on its struggle.


    You don''t always get what you want, I suppose.


    "Hello, gentlemen."


    A voice rung out from behind the two, both instantly abandoning their rods and turning around. There, they found the image that never brought along anything good. And that image was light blonde hair, a freckled face, and a black mask covering the person''s eyes. He took a few steps forward, adjusting his light-green hoodie and grinning with malice that could never bode well. He was dragging a small cart behind him, completely empty, as if asking to be filled with god knows what.


    "Dissonance...", Fonda said with hesitation, sighing.


    He rolled his eyes a little, careful enough as to not have Dissonance notice, but made sure his father saw. Clearly, between the dreams and the memories, Will had missed why the local ruler wasn''t so liked.


    "Hello there."


    "...Good morning.", the man replied with an impartial tone.


    "I''m sure you know why I''m here."


    He tapped the cart behind him lightly with his right hand as he spoke. Fonda glanced at him, his eyes widening and ears slowly moving down, resting on the top of his head aimlessly. His face dropped completely as he stammered;


    "A-already? Isn''t it too early-", Fonda tried to speak, but the sudden change in Dissonance''s expression was enough to silence him.


    No smile, grin or smirk. Just a stern grimace that could intimidate anyone. Fonda''s nose twitched slightly and stood up as he stepped back, hiding his hands in his pockets. After clearing his throat he finally spoke;Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    "...Why now, Dissonance?"


    "We''re expanding the pathway. The city needs more supplies. Don''t make me take them by force.", Dissonance carried on, completely ignoring the outrage of both Fonda and his father.


    Momentarily, he looked at Will himself with that glance of pity he usually received from people.


    "Mr. Ash. How has your-"


    He started, probably expecting to have to repeat himself. He was acting as if this harassment of his son was a completely casual morning - A casual morning Will failed to remember, it looked like. Were things always like this while he was away?


    "Spare me the formalities.", he cut in coldly, causing the other to hesitate, just for a moment.


    "What is this about? What do you want from us?"


    Dissonance paused for a few seconds, gathered his thoughts, and then returned to his empty, aimless smirk.


    "...Call it taxes."


    The man shrugged.


    "This city needs its people to contribute. We''re expanding the pathway and we need wood, food and water for whoever will work and also tools. You two live in the forest. You''ve got to have some wood to spare, right?"


    And while the phrase itself was a question, Dissonance very much stated it as if it were an order.


    "...Yes, sir. I''ll get whatever I can."


    To the dismay of his father, Fonda wandered over to a small pile of freshly chopped wood the two kept around for emergencies. He helped Dissonance load it onto the cart and then returned to where he stood, watching helplessly. And since Dissonance seemed dissatisfied with the result, he was forced to reluctantly hand over the bucket with a few long dead fish in it alongside everything else. This time, the man bowed his head slightly and turned back, pushing the cart with him;


    "Thank you for your generous contribution, gentlemen.", he said as he walked away, no hint of regret over what he had just done.


    "The City of Dissonance will grow strong thanks to you!"


    "Imagine being so self-centred you name a city after yourself...", Fonda muttered under his breath, but was clearly quiet as to not have Dissonance hear him.


    Will, completely lost as to what had just happened, begun to voice his opinions;


    "Fonda? What the hell was that just now?", he asked, turning his gaze from Dissonance to his son, over and over, back and forth... he just could not comprehend at all what had just gone down.


    Why would he give up so much with so little hesitation, so little consideration for what they themselves may need? His son, however, appeared to see no issue with the whole affair.


    "That''s just how Dissonance is.", he responded, blowing some of his hair out of his face.


    "He takes whatever he thinks he''s entitled to because he owns the whole city. And even if he''s wrong, we have to comply. In the end, he''s the one keeping us safe from..."


    Momentarily, his focus turned to the woods surrounding them.


    "...Whatever is out there."


    "Has he... always been this way?"


    Will was shocked. He knew Dissonance was cold at times, but this level of greed showing itself when he knew the two barely had anything was not something he expected. Had things been like this while he was away? How did his son cope when he didn''t even know such heavy tolls were placed on them?


    "Yes. Yes, he has.", Fonda nearly snapped, anger flooding his tone.


    He wasn''t sure where it came from. Now that his father was there and listening, it were as if he just wanted to dump all of his frustration on him right there and then. He knew it was unfair, but he couldn''t control it. It came out itself. And it went something like this...


    "You''d know, if you were here.", he started quiet, but his father noticed his rage instantly.


    "You''re not blaming me for-"


    But he couldn''t even finish his sentence. Fonda had too much to say.


    "No, but that doesn''t change that you weren''t here."


    His voice was cold, alien. It wasn''t him speaking, Will knew that much. It was the pent up anger, the frustration from all of this. But it didn''t change the fact that it hurt.


    "...It doesn''t change that I''ve had to work for two people when I was just- Just a kid! It''s... it''s not fair for me, and it''s not fair to blame you, and-"


    "Fonda!", Will exclaimed, but it barely did anything.


    "-I know that but what else am I supposed to do? My whole life I''ve done all I could trying to snap you out of that trance, trying to slowly ease you back into things and- And then this random kid comes along and suddenly you''re just fine? Why couldn''t you have been fine back when Dissonance took all of our food for himself, why couldn''t you have been fine when he threatened to burn down our caravan if I didn''t help with that damn build-"


    "Fonda, listen to me!", he tried again, but it was futile.


    "-And now you think it''s so easy to just say no to Dissonance, to just turn away but you know nothing because you''ve never...like I... and..."


    Will wasn''t sure what it was, but as Fonda spoke on, angrier and angrier, with more and more venom, he slowly felt things fading, in larger and larger chunks. He knew this feeling. He knew this defensive tactic, he knew what it was triggered by and he knew what would come next. He thought it was something that was gone, but the combined rage of his son aimed at him and the guilt he felt over not being-


    -able to do anything to stop it. But he won''t try, because he knows how this works. He''s been through all of this before, he''s been through it, and he lost so much, and he lost people, but this time he''s not as afraid. This time it seems like it''s okay, this time it seems like it''s natural. This time it seems like nothing will go wrong, as foolish as that is to believe. He slowly turns around, and he finds the faces of so many different people, so many different individuals. Enemies, friends, family. And they are all there, because at this point, there''s no reason to hold on.


    "I don''t want to forget you.", he hears.


    "I know. I don''t want to forget either.", he responds.


    "But what if there''s a way-", the other questions.


    "There isn''t. But don''t be scared, okay?", he states, knowing better.


    The group is uncomfortable. Someone is crying. Someone else clears their throat.


    "Take these."


    He shoves something in his hands.


    "But I won''t remember-", the other protests.


    "Doesn''t matter. It will help us find each other.", he promises.


    "Are you sure?"


    He''s not convinced.


    "I''m... hoping.", he says, unsure himself. They hug.


    "I''ll miss you, Will."


    "It won''t be long."


    He walks away, turns around and waves. And just like that, the annoying laughter, the light blonde tuft of curly hair and the three music discs disappear. And he never-


    -saw his son shaking him, his eyes filled with tears and his hands trembling. He was squeezing onto his clothes with his sharp fingernails, his breathing was panicked, he was completely hysteric. When he noticed that Will was looking back at him he quickly pressed his face into his chest, wrapping his hands around him in a tight hug. He didn''t say anything, but his father knew exactly what had happened. He didn''t speak, for a moment. He put his hand on his son''s head, moving it through his red hair, very slowly, reassuring him he was there, reassuring him he was present. He gave Fonda some time to calm down, and then spoke;


    "I''m here.", Will whispered, as slowly and as quietly as he could.


    "...I''m sorry! I''m sorry, I thought you were back to- Because of me and I- I didn''t want to, I promise-", Fonda tried to say, but his father cut him off.


    "It''s not your fault."


    He pushed him away, as gently as possible, and looked him in the eyes. He watched as his nose twitched as he sniffled, and how his ears fell completely. The two didn''t speak for a long while, letting the wind aimlessly blow around them.


    "I guess... I guess it''s not completely gone, then?", Fonda asked after a moment.


    "...It would seem so..."


    Will looked towards where Dissonance had once stood, spite in his voice.


    "...You have a right to be angry. And so do I. What Dissonance is doing here is unfair... especially with how we''ve been until now. He exploited you when you couldn''t stand up for yourself and kept me in the dark ¨C What kind of man does that?"


    He looked at his son once more, and found him trying to get rid of the tears dripping from his eyes. He narrowed his own eyes.


    "This isn''t right. His rule isn''t right. You can see that, can''t you?"


    To this, Fonda appeared shocked. Worried, even. He stepped forward.


    "Dad... what do you... what do you plan to do here?"


    Will thought for a moment. If he had been aware of what was going on behind his back all this time, what would he have done? Ran away, taken his son somewhere else? That would risk losing their only home, leaving them stranded in the wild. No, no. There had to be another way. Another way to stay where they were while staying safe from Dissonance''s endless influence ¨C A way to separate themselves completely from the City of Dissonance. Some sort of way to force Dissonance to give them the power and control they needed to keep themselves alive and comfortable ¨C But in a way where he had no way of hurting them or kicking them out. They had to play it safe ¨C But they had to also take some bold steps. And in this very centre, in the middle of this haze, Will Ash saw only one way to find the freedom he so wanted for him and his son. A smile spread across his face, a grin of confidence almost identical to that of the very tyrant who they were discussing.


    He only said one thing, but it was enough.


    "Fonda... What are your thoughts on revolutions?"

 Chapter 3 - Flowers

    "First, there are the daffodils. They symbolise rebirth, and new beginnings..."


    Tom always had those dreams. As long as he remembered, from the first day his memory reached back to, he had dreams every night that felt so real and so much like memories they hurt. He had always tried to place them somewhere, try to see where they came from. But eventually, he gave up. He assumed everyone was like this - Recalling a life they never lived in their minds. He assumed no one talked about it - So he didn''t talk either. And he assumed he''d be judged if he did - So he feared to tell even the closest of friends. But the memory he got that night... it was different. It was so different to all of the others, and that was what scared him so much. Because it was vivid, it was clear, and it showed him something he could never quite place. Something he couldn''t comprehend, no matter how hard he tried.


    "Next, there are tulips. A flower of love and royalty. A very, very special one."


    The dream went something like this... He was running, he remembered it well. He was afraid. So unimaginably afraid. He wasn''t sure where exactly he was, but he knew it was hot, scorching hot. The sun was shining above and burning into his skin as he tried to run, tripping over everything in his way. Eventually, he collapsed onto the sand below, blinded by the light from above but still able to see the figure standing over him. Long hair blowing in the wind, slowly rising and falling. A tilted crown on their head. And a long, sharp sword in their hand, pointed right at the boy''s throat. Their hands were covered in blood - Blood he feared to even wonder about the origins of. They raised their sword high, high above him, and as it came crashing down, Tom felt all of his fears fill him. He felt the fear of death, the terror this unknown enemy caused him, and the complete helplessness at the fact he could not defend himself. And just as the weapon was about to meet his chest, ending his life, he woke up in a cold sweat.


    "Oh! And Lavender! Lavender is purity, grace and peace. Its smell can calm anyone!"


    So that''s how Tom found himself here - In need of a distraction and a place to unwind, he sneaked out of Will and Fonda''s home early in the morning with nothing but his three music discs. He wandered the city for a while, but as the people started waking up, he had to hide somewhere. And in all of his confusion and stumbling about, he hadn''t even realised when he wandered into a grand, colourful flower field. He had never seen so many beautiful colours in one place - It was as if the whole rainbow had just spilled over this valley, leaving nothing but a gorgeous view. He thought he could sit here alone, for a while. But then he noticed someone - Someone sitting in this very field, observing the flowers, and listening to the soft buzz of the bees around him. He didn''t speak, but he noticed Tom in the corner of his eye. And instead of running away or telling him to go, he invited this complete stranger to sit down with him.


    "And then there''s poppies! These ones are my favourites..."


    And that was how Tom found Taza - The eccentric boy with chestnut hair and light blue eyes. He introduced himself very briefly, and in their short chat, ended up spending more time on the flowers than himself. It was difficult to describe him... passionate about his interests but incredibly inconsistent about how he described them or talked about them. His dark green shirt was loose and at some points unbuttoned, and his jeans were old and torn in places. He didn''t seem to mind ¨C as long as he had something to wear, it looked like he was satisfied. He was going through all of the flowers around him, touching and examining them but never ripping them out, never damaging them a single bit. A few bees were floating about, but he paid them no mind. He even seemed to enjoy their company, to an extent.


    "Taza, I think you''ve talked enough about flowers by now..."


    Tom finally cut him off, getting a disappointed look in response. The boy let go of the poppy he was looking at and placed both of his hands on his knees, glancing at Tom with the corner of his eye.


    "...This is the last one. I promise."


    He leaned down slightly, moving his face close to the poppy.


    "Poppies symbolize sleep and peace ¨C But they have another more prominent meaning."


    The boy shifted closer, watching as the poppy swayed aimlessly in the wind.


    "...Death."


    "...Poppies? Death? Seriously?"


    Tom tilted his head.


    "How does that make sense? They''re so small and bright."


    Taza chuckled a little, noticing his sudden interest. He turned around and wrapped his arms around his legs, looking the other boy in the eyes.


    "I thought you weren''t interested in the flowers?", he asked him, instantly having Tom wave him off with an absent tone of voice and and feigned disinterest in his eyes;


    "Well, obviously I don''t care. But you seem like you like these things, so tell me. Why poppies, of all things, for the symbol of death?"


    Tom inched closer to the flower himself, both of the teenagers now staring deeply into it. Taza moved his hand closer but did not touch the poppy ¨C He simply traced his fingers just at the edges of it.


    "You see, these flowers are very, very interesting and unique ones. They grow only in certain conditions, which is why natural fields are such a phenomenon. However, there''s one thing that can provide the conditions a poppy needs to grow..."


    Taza paused, narrowing his eyes slightly. His tone turned grave, for just a second.


    "War."


    Tom felt something tug at the back of his mind as he heard the word, but he ignored it.


    "War?", he repeated, the word stinging his tongue like some sort of poison.


    He wasn''t sure why that word of all things made him so uncomfortable, but he didn''t have time to think about it. He focused his attention on one of the band aids on his knee and started aimlessly playing with it. Taza carried on with his explanation, still observing the poppy with great interest.


    "...More specifically battlefields. Once battle ceases on those, poppies rise from the ground and grow over the ruined dirt, the old arrows, the abandoned bodies. Battlefields become poppy fields after some time ¨C It''s kind of nice, in a way, you know?"


    He turned around and faced Tom, a smile spreading across his face.


    "Knowing that even in destruction and suffering, you can rest assured it will all turn into something beautiful one day."


    Tom turned his attention away from his band aid and to the flower once more ¨C he looked into its blood red shade, and took notice of the small, pitch black seeds scattered on the inside. It was such a simple shape ¨C A small, little, gentle flower blowing in the wind and bowing under Taza''s delicate touch. But his mind seemed to take him elsewhere as he watched it ¨C The red colour stood out from the rest of the flower field and completely captivated his mind. In no time, all he could see before him were puddles upon puddles of crimson red blood, more dripping from the grass and onto the ground below. The wind blew harder than it had before ¨C It wanted him to look forward. And he did. And who else could he have seen at the centre of this unimaginable slaughter then the stranger from his dreams?


    He stood alone. He was turned away, looking into the distance. His hair was long, past his shoulders and reaching to around his waist, thrashing in the wind. There was a long, silky red cape over him, hanging loosely off of his shoulders. He didn''t look back ¨C And even so, Tom could feel his blood-thirsty gaze staring into him. In his right hand was a sword - A sword that glimmered in the sunlight above, with the deaths of thousands to its name, he could only imagine. And although the fourteen year old had no idea who this person was, the crown on his head was enough to remind him to stay away. And just as he was about to turn... just as Tom was to see his face for the first time... he felt someone shaking him.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "Tom?"


    And just like that, he was back.


    The wind was calm, the poppies were fewer in numbers, and the stranger was gone. All that was left was a stunning flower field and the eccentric boy right at the centre of it ¨C The boy shaking his newly found friend out of his trance with great force. When he noticed that Tom was finally looking back at him he smiled ¨C And it was a smile of great relief. He grabbed onto the other''s hand for just a moment and squeezed it, making sure he was there. And then he sat back, giving him space to breathe. Tom relaxed himself, his muscles losing tension and his breathing getting slower and slower. He shook his head and pulled himself away from Taza, trying to figure out what had just gone down in his head.


    "Sorry... I guess poppies weren''t the way to distract you.", he heard the other speak from behind him, and his head instantly snapped back, staring at the boy shielded by flowers.


    "¡­Distract me?", Tom repeated hesitantly, unsure what exactly he had meant.


    Taza couldn''t hide the small smirk that came to his expression as he watched a few bees fly by.


    "...When you came here this morning, you looked like you had something on your mind."


    The boy touched a small daffodil with his hand.


    "I thought the flowers might distract you. But I guess it just brought back more painful memories, huh?"


    "That''s the thing..."


    And this, Tom most likely would say, was the moment he first trusted Taza. Because when half of the city hated you and the other half didn''t know your name, it was the people in the middle that you had to turn to. And apart from Will, Taza was the only person available to him right now. So, without giving it much thought, he spoke;


    "I had a dream... A nightmare, even.", Tom started, staring down at the grass, rubbing the back of his neck.


    His friend inched closer, propping up his legs and wrapping his arms around them once again. He lay his chin down on one of his knees and listened in.


    "...There was this... this guy... chasing me. And I don''t know why but... I was really scared. Like... I knew that if he caught me... that''d be it."


    Tom looked up for a moment.


    "The end, you know?"


    "...Dreams are like that sometimes."


    Taza shrugged.


    "...You just know something. You feel it. And when you wake up it just makes no sense. You have no idea why you knew. Maybe it was that?"


    To this, Tom shook his head. He knew that it was different. He felt something different. And that something was true and unimaginable fear.


    "No... no, it was more. When I woke up... I still remembered that fear. I still felt it. Even though I don''t even know who that was, I know I should be scared... and I''m still scared. I''m so scared of him and... and I don''t even..."


    Before he could say more, the feeling of dread overtook him, and Tom was forced into silence. Taza looked at him for a moment, a mix of worry and pity in his eyes. He cleared his throat and spoke;


    "Gladiolus...", Taza started, turning his attention to yet another flower.


    This one seemed more rare than the others in the field, only one being in his direct reach. He put his palm around it and bent it slightly so it faced Tom ¨C But as per usual, he dared not damage it.


    "...Symbolises remembrance. Remembering a past, whether good or bad, to honour what was lost to ensure today happened."


    "...But I don''t even remember who this guy is..."


    Tom touched a bandaid on his knee, slightly lifting it up and down.


    "...I don''t even know if he''s real."


    "But you remember the fear. Because your mind wants you to. It''s like a warning, right?"


    Taza crossed his arms and grinned.


    "And if that stranger ever comes here, you''ll know. And you can warn us! As for the fear itself... it always goes away eventually. Just let yourself be distracted."


    "By... your flower lessons?", Tom asked, unimpressed.


    "...Well, they''ve helped a bit, right?"


    His friend asked with a laugh.


    Taza was an eccentric boy with a passion for flowers, and Tom was a troublemaker with a knack for breaking rules ¨C Yet somehow, these two ended up connecting a lot on that day. Tom could have sworn it was from the comfort that Taza provided him ¨C But perhaps it was because of being a good distraction? Taza could have sworn it was because he finally had someone to talk about his interests with ¨C But perhaps it was simply because Tom actually listened? In this city, Tom was always given shifty looks and Taza was always ignored... didn''t it make sense for two outcasts like these to find so much comfort in one another? Both Tom and Taza knew they had to do something, the former scrunching up his nose and shifting his position while the latter coughed and cleared his throat. In the end, both of them spoke in unison;


    "Hey, thanks for-"


    "Thank you for-"


    And instantly, both of the boys laughed.


    "Hey there, guys. I''m not interrupting anything, am I?"


    The two''s moment of peace was cut short by the voice of none other than Will Ash, appearing in the field seemingly out of nowhere. He was standing in-between the flowers, aimlessly keeping his hands in his pockets. There was this strange look in his eyes ¨C A look of motivation.


    "Oh! Hi, Mr. Ash!"


    Taza jumped up, dusting his trousers off. He turned around and reached out with his hand to Tom, helping him onto his toes, which the other greatly appreciated. He was still a bit light-headed from whatever that poppy brought him to... yet he was soon standing by Taza''s side, both of them giving a rather confused look to Will.


    "You usually walk around with Fonda... did something happen?"


    "Not at all."


    Will shook his head with a reassuring smile.


    "But I do have to talk to Tom about something. Would you mind if he comes with me for a little bit?"


    Will looked at Taza, who, although a flash of disappointment went through his eyes, smiled gently.


    "Sure... right..."


    He looked at Tom and grinned.


    "Come over again sometime, okay? This was really fun!"


    The other didn''t speak, but simply nodded. And in his eyes was a look of pure honesty ¨C Not only would he come here again because Taza asked, but it was no secret he enjoyed his time with him, too. Tom waved his new found friend goodbye and then followed Will, wondering what it was exactly that could have brought him out here.


    "...So... Is something wrong?", the teenager asked after the two got a bit further from Taza, making sure he couldn''t hear them as they spoke.


    Tom could tell from the expression on Will''s face that whatever he came here to discuss was urgent, unusual, and most likely, not very legal. Or, maybe, that was just the type of thing Tom wished to do himself.


    "¡­Yes. Something is very wrong."


    Will stopped suddenly, right at the edge of the flower field and on the wooden pathway Dissonance was so known for always expanding. Where was it heading? Why did it always grow? No one knew, but it was the only way to find your way around this mess of a city nowadays. The wood creaked uncomfortably under their shoes as they turned to face one another, an intense glare in the older man''s eyes.


    "...It''s Dissonance."


    The moment Will said this, Tom could feel his heart drop. He knew that the local ruler wasn''t a huge fan of him ¨C So hearing that something was ''wrong'' with him he could probably guess it somewhat involved him.


    "Is- is he mad that I''m staying with you?", the boy asked.


    "You know, I could leave if it''s a problem- I wouldn''t want to cause you trouble-"


    But Will would not let Tom speak ¨C he quickly cut him off and grabbed his shoulders, staring right into his eyes.


    "No, Tom. It''s not that... but it would take far too much explaining for you to understand exactly what''s going on right now."


    Will paused, sighing.


    "You made me realize some things. And the most important thing is that Dissonance is corrupt. Far worse than corrupt... he''s... greedy and unjust, and he exploits those who ask him for help. It''s not- It''s not right."


    The man paused, turning away from Tom and looking down the path, into the centre of the city.


    "So... what''s your plan?"


    Tom couldn''t hide his excitement as he inched closer to Will, already jumping up and down on the tips of his feet. The older one grinned as he looked ahead.


    "I say it''s about time we take things into our own hands. And I have the perfect idea on where to start. But I do have to ask you one thing Tom."


    Will turned around once more, his expression far more serious than it was before.


    "...I know you don''t know me, and you definitely don''t know the favour you did me by coming to my door yesterday. But despite all this, I know you can see this too. I know you want change. I mean, look at how they treated you!"


    "...What do you need from me, Will?", Tom asked him without any hesitation.


    What else was he to do? Stay and risk Dissonance catching him doing something again? Keep running and lose himself, this time without a place to go to? No. Tom knew for sure, all he could do to protect himself was stay and fight for his own safety. Will narrowed his eyes.


    "Are you ready to risk everything, even war, to give us the justice we deserve?"


    For a moment, Tom could swear it was the stranger with the crown speaking to him. Blood running down his hands and sword, long hair flowing in the wind. And a blood-thirsty look in his eyes that could never bode well. And despite all this, Tom still nodded;


    "...Ha! Obviously!"


    He grinned and winked.


    "Let''s kick some ass!"

 Chapter 4 - Potions

    In his dream, he sees potions.


    He''s slowly inspecting them, turning them in his hands and watching the liquid flow inside. The glass bottles in which they are contained glimmer in the light that comes in through the window, and the strange colours sparkle inside. Ripples are sent through them as he shakes them slightly, watching the shape of the liquids change. He''s completely entranced by it, so much so that he doesn''t even hear when someone enters the room he''s in. He continues observing, taking in the strange colours of the-


    "Are you ever gonna stop staring at those damn bottles?", he hears the convincing voice, soon followed by that chilling laugh.


    Or maybe, more of a chuckle. Either way, it is there.


    "...They''re potions.", he responds, turning back.


    His eyes meet with that cold, angry glare. But he''s not afraid. He knows this glare well, and he knows that if the person truly were mad, they''d be having a far different conversation right now.


    "...Born of alchemy... they''re really... magical."


    "It''s just fancy chemistry though, isn''t it?"


    The man steps closer, looking over his shoulder. He, himself, starts watching the glimmering colours.


    "Put things together and you make something cooler. Science is all experimenting and never profiting, if you ask me."


    The man picks up a potion and turns. It''s a green one, swirling with great strain, the stench of rotting corpses surrounding it. For a moment he plays with it, but soon, his companion snatches it out of his hand and carefully places it back on the table. He sets it aside and warns him not to touch it again. The other looks at it with great interest, but stays away in the end.


    "If you ask me..."


    The man carries on, sitting down on the table.


    "You need something bolder than some potions to make real cash. Might if I give you a little pitch, see how you like it?"


    "Do I have a choice in the matter?", he asks with a laugh.


    He knows that he doesn''t, but he doesn''t mind, either. Listening to this man talk, for some reason, is incredibly comforting.


    "Alright... So imagine this."


    He lifts his hand and traces a circle in the air with his finger.


    "...We have a coin, right? And we tell people it''s worth a lot. We sell it all, let''s say... twenty diamo!"


    "No one will buy that...", he mutters as he adds an ingredient to some boiling water, watching the colour of it change at a sluggish pace.


    "Far too expensive for some coin."


    "Ah, you see. That''s where the twist comes in."


    The man lifts his finger.


    "We tell them that the prices of the coin will rise as more people buy them. And then we announce that we will buy them back - For said raised prices."


    "...So people blindly invest in something they don''t know?"


    He plays along, even if the idea sounds ridiculous. Because he knows more than anyone that no matter how ridiculous an idea is, he will go through with it if he even sees a chance at gaining something.


    "People are dumb! You know they''ll follow the crowd! The hard part is forming the crowd!"


    The man leans back.


    "And here''s the big finale - We say the price dropped to ten diamo shillings and leg it with the money!"


    He sighs, pausing his work and looking at the other.


    "...A scam."


    "What?"


    "What you are describing there is a scam. You want to scam people."


    "I mean... if it gets us free diamo... sure!"


    "...You''re gonna make some dangerous enemies one day."


    He looks down, honesty flooding his voice.


    "I''m worried about you."


    "Well, I''ll have you by my side, right?"


    The man jumps down from the table and puts his arm around the shoulders of the other, grinning.


    "Partners in crime, till the end of time! Ain''t that right, my friend?"


    "...Ugh..."


    He rolls his eyes, unable to hide the smile now spreading across his lips.


    "Yeah, I guess so. Partners in crime."


    And for a moment, things are good. Things are calm. But this serenity is cut short as he remembers that this isn''t where he is meant to be-


    -but he was standing in front of his home, Tom and Fonda both looking back at him. They seemed shocked as well as worried, with fear for what could come of whatever was just revealed and concern for how such an idea could be born from this person''s mind. There was no doubt - Will had blacked out again, whether it was because of speaking to Tom or something else, but this time, he spoke while in his trance. And from the way these two looked at him, he could guess it wasn''t anything good. He waited for some time, and to his relief, his son spoke;


    "You want to do... what?", he muttered, unsure if he was hearing correctly.


    "Huh?"


    Tom tilted his head, taken aback by the man''s words.


    Now Will knew - In his trance, he had revealed his plan.


    "Yes... yes... of course.", Will spoke slowly and slurred his words ¨C Tom had no idea what it meant, but Fonda was instantly signalled that his father had just gotten back from another dream.


    He stepped forward, but Will waved him away, reassuring him he was fine.


    "...That''s my plan exactly. Do I have to repeat myself?"


    Tom rolled his eyes.


    "Sorry big man but ''steal their potions'' isn''t exactly the clearest of plans. Would you mind explaining a bit further?"


    Ah ¨C There. He had learned to use these strategies over time. Ask questions that actually meant something else and get answers you actually need, with the person you''re talking to never becoming aware you weren''t even there a minute ago.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    "...Dissonance uses potions to protect himself."


    Will may have been away a lot, but he knew this much about this place. Dissonance and his infamous potions ¨C He was never seen without at least one ready to be downed if danger arose.


    "That''s why he''s so powerful. That''s why he''s able to protect the city. He drinks those potions and becomes infallible. But he needs a constant supply of them flowing in to stay that way, he needs to keep getting more, and more, and more."


    Will suddenly stopped, pointing his finger at his son, making him jump.


    "Fonda! Trivia time! Where does Dissonance get most of his potions?"


    "Uh- It''s... Taza! Yeah, he gets the ingredients from that flower field and then sells it to Dissonance. That''s how he pays for... pretty much everything he has."


    Fonda answered, clearly relieved to see his father fully aware once more.


    "Precisely!"


    Will started pacing around the place.


    "And the rest, an emergency supply, gets brewed by Sapana if needed... so if we were to get rid of those two supplies... completely take over potion production... Dissonance would have no choice but to listen to us."


    Will glanced up, grinning.


    "And that''s how we get our justice. Our freedom. And finally, some peace from that tyrant. It''s as simple as that!"


    To this, the two people in front of him were conflicted.


    "...And how do you plan to do that dad?", Fonda instantly asked.


    "It''s not like Taza will just hand over his production. He may be a kid but he''s a smart kid. He won''t just give up everything if we ask him. Not to us, at least. He barely knows us!"


    "No."


    Will turned to the teenager standing with them and smiled.


    "But he knows him."


    Tom jumped, stepping back. He looked around, chuckling nervously, and then finally set his eyes on Will once again. He rubbed the back of his neck.


    "You want me to... convince Taza to give up his potion supply? Just like that?"


    Will thought for a moment, fixing up his glasses and rubbing his chin. After a while, he spoke;


    "No... but... we can surely offer him something better than Dissonance can."


    He put his hands on his hips.


    "If he treats Taza like he treats us, if we offer him an escape from that endless cycle of doing so much work for barely anything he is guaranteed to come along."


    The first to be convinced was definitely Tom ¨C Obviously. He was always looking for trouble, something to do, something to go against. So when Will proposed this idea in the first place, he was already on board before it was even fully explained. He wasn''t sure where he got this thirst for unruliness and rebellion, but somehow, he felt as though it all linked back to that stranger with the crown... Fonda, on the other hand, had a far more difficult time trusting his father''s plan here. He still believed he was a little confused with only recently having had been awoken from his endless trance, unsure if he was really capable of properly handling this sort of operation. But on the other hand, what sort of son would he be if he did not trust his own dad? After a few seconds of hesitation, he sighed and shook his head.


    "...This is a stupid idea.", Fonda stated, brushing a hand through his hair.


    "We''re gonna make some dangerous enemies if we go through with this, you know that, right?"


    Hearing this, Will remembered someone from his dreams ¨C Someone who went through with all of his plans, whether they''d make him enemies, cause him grief, or put him in danger. Because he always had a plan, he always had a goal, and he never, ever gave in. And although Will didn''t remember his name... he remembered his motivation. And that was enough.


    "Well...", Will started, lifting his hand and pointing upwards.


    "...Without risk there''s no profit. We have to make some bold moves if we want even a chance at getting a better life here. And taking full charge of the city''s potion supply is that step we need. A leverage against Dissonance. Take something he can''t have. Hold it above his head and ask for something in return. That''s the only way. And you two can see it too, right?"


    And as much as they did not want to admit it, they did. They knew that if they didn''t take a leap of faith like this there''d be no hope from here on.


    "...I''m with you, Will."


    Tom nodded.


    "It''s not like there''s anything else we can do."


    "Just so you two know, I thought this was a bad idea from the start.", Fonda muttered.


    But things were now set into motion, and there was no way to stop it.


    "Daffodils symbolize rebirth... rebirth equals health... daffodils are needed for healing potions..."


    So why exactly did Taza have such a fascination with flowers? Well, it was a bit more complicated than having lived in a flower field for almost five years now. An average onlooker would see this as unusual ¨C A boy getting his own house at nine, and living completely alone? Living out his life in a little wooden house in the middle of a flower field? Well, you had to look at his background. Then everything became clear.


    "Tulips symbolize love... love is a strong force... tulips are needed for strength potions."


    When almost five years ago a beaten, bruised and near-dead nine year old stumbled into the City of Dissonance and begged for help from Dissonance himself no one knew how vital he would become to the city after just a few hours of being there. Technically, back then the city was more of a town than anything, the locals barely able to get by. But Taza brought what they lacked ¨C Taza brought power. Left alone with a boiling pot of water and a few flowers, the boy managed to heal all of his wounds by putting together a brew like no other. Those who saw it with their own eyes described it as magic ¨C And one of those onlookers was Dissonance.


    "Lavender symbolises purity, grace and peace... its calming aroma makes for a great anaesthetic."


    Dissonance, originally with good intentions, begged for the boy''s help with protecting their town. His potions combined with his combat skill would be all they needed to keep their city strong and ever-growing. So a deal was struck ¨C The boy was given a home, all the brewing tools he''d ever need, and protection from whatever it was he ran from in the first place. And at first it was fine ¨C He didn''t mind it. He stayed by himself, learning about the various uses of the flowers around him and what else he could make with them. Dissonance and his two friends took care of his home and ensured he was always comfortable. They put food on his table, gave him clothes, and helped him gather the materials he needed. It was ideal - But such bliss couldn''t last forever.


    "Poppies... poppies symbolize death... their seeds make for the most severe of poisons."


    Dissonance got more and more greedy as time carried on. It started with asking Taza to keep quiet about his potions. Then it spiralled into him threatening him to be quiet about his research. Eventually, it became rare for Taza to even be allowed to leave his small flower field, where he spent hours upon hours trying to string together a new potion that would make Dissonance happy enough to keep him safe for another night. Because if Taza refused to work, he would be kicked out and doom the whole city. If he used his potions to fight that tyrant he would still leave many without protection. Whatever he did, there was no way out of this cycle. No way to break free from-


    "Gladiolus."


    Taza heard from behind him, instantly jumping away. He turned around, nearly knocking over the small bottles he had been working on until now. The last person he expected to be standing in his doorway was Tom, that blonde he had met just a few hours ago. He wasn''t sure how long he had been standing behind him, listening to him going through the small list in his head. It was hard to keep track of all these properties when Dissonance refused to let him write them down anywhere ¨C So he had to figure out something else that worked. It would seem his friend had picked up on his strategy, continuing to talk;


    "...symbolizes remembrance. So is that for good memory? Makes for memory loss medicine? Something like that?''


    "It''s a little rude to just sneak up behind people, don''t you think?", Taza said as he moved the bottles aside, trying to get them out of sight.


    It was quite difficult, seeing as his whole house consisted mainly of his bed, a box of all the things he had, and almost three tables covered in harvested flowers and bottles filled to the brim with clear water.


    "...I didn''t mean to. It''s just really interesting how the stuff you told me actually has two meanings."


    Tom got closer to the table, picked up a bottle and slightly shook it.


    "...Why didn''t you tell me you make potions? This seems really cool!"


    And while he was quite light-hearted as he spoke, the terror on Taza''s face made him change his tone instantly.


    "I''m not supposed to talk about it to new people."


    Taza sighed.


    "Dissonance thinks it''s better if people don''t know I make all of the potions... because..."


    "Because if people don''t know, he can keep exploiting you?"


    Tom raised an eyebrow and watched as his friend nervously played with the buttons on his shirt.


    "Because then they could easily cut the city''s supply-"


    The boy claimed, grabbing the bottle out of Tom''s hand forcefully.


    "-And that could get us all killed."


    "...You don''t have to keep lying, Taza. Everyone can see it."


    The blonde crossed his arms.


    "...Dissonance is using you because he has leverage over you. But you could help us."


    "Help... you?"


    The boy put down the bottle and slid it aside.


    "...How would I even do that? There''s no way to get away from Dissonance and you probably know that..."


    "Not alone."


    Tom reached out with his hand.


    "But with your potions and us backing you up? We will have Dissonance begging for our help. We''ll give you a place to stay, food, anything at all that you need ¨C As long as you stop providing the potions to Dissonance. Come along with me, and I promise you, me and Will will give you a deal you can''t refuse."


    And it was at this moment that Taza wasn''t really sure why he did what he did ¨C But almost instantly, he seemed to trust the teenager he had only met this morning. He wasn''t sure where this trust came from, but it was something so rare, something so new, and something so unnatural, he just couldn''t help but grab his hand and shake it. With uncertainty in his eyes, he only said one thing;


    "I hope you know what you''re doing, Tom."


    Will was sitting alone inside of the caravan when he heard Taza and Tom approaching ¨C Whatever that kid did, it seemed to have worked enough to convince the potion-maker to come over to talk. He rubbed his eyes and got up, trying to keep his focus on the space around him. Ever since that memory from earlier, he had been finding it hard to focus. No matter where he looked, he would see that stranger, that stranger with the convincing voice, that menacing laugh, and that cold, angry glare. He was always there, always coming up with some sort of scheme, always chuckling under his breath, always making enemies wherever he went. Yet somehow, every memory Will had with this stranger was a fond one. Every time he saw him, he felt a strange sense of familiarity. Every time he saw him, Will just felt like... someone had his back.


    And as someone knocked at his door, he only had time for one more memory;


    "Partners in crime, right Will?''"


    "Till the end of time, like we promised."


    And with a smile he did not quite know the origin of, he opened his door.

 Chapter 5 - Consequences (1)

    It was a sunny Friday morning.


    The sun itself had never been brighter, lighting up the city and its outskirts. Glowing, warming everything up, bringing life to the normally bleak and uneventful world. The flowers in the field were blooming more than ever, the various animals everywhere wandering the plains and the forests with glee. One thing was for sure ¨C Summer had come to the City of Dissonance, and the warmest days of the year were ahead of its citizens. Tom couldn''t get enough of the weather ¨C With how much work he, Taza, Will and Fonda had put recently into their potion scheme, he barely had enough time to just rest. The work they had managed to get done itself was impressive ¨C But tiring.


    In the span of a single month, potions went from being exported privately to Dissonance to being sold at fair prices to all citizens, behind his and his two companions'' backs. With Tom helping him, Taza managed to keep up with both Dissonance''s demands to keep him in the dark, and the orders coming in from the citizens. And when the four ensured that everyone in the City of Dissonance could protect themselves if the need arose, they finally gave Dissonance his ultimatum ¨C They asked him to pay Taza at prices equal to everyone else or lose his supply completely. If Tom didn''t know Dissonance any better, he would have said he took it rather well. But that small twitch in the edge of his smile as he reluctantly agreed and the whisper into Sapana''s ear on his way away from the caravan was enough to reveal that he was far from complying ¨C He had a plan, and it could not bode well.


    And so, it was a sunny Friday morning, and Tom was bleeding out.


    If you were to ask him how exactly he got here, he would most likely say something along the lines of, ''I guess that little bitch boy couldn''t handle a fourteen year old who can pack a punch.'', but then again, Tom also had an incredibly dangerous habit of lying to unimaginable degrees. How exactly the whole thing spiralled into where he was now, in overwhelming agony and trembling on the cold, hard floor of a cave, was a mystery to him. At one point, it became a blur of sounds and images, only becoming clear when his head met with the stone below. And as he lay there, he swore he could feel his own muscles being torn to shreds.


    How to describe his situation accurately... he was completely in the dark, the only source of light being that beautiful summer sun peeking in from above. Something was slithering behind him, something else moved across the wall. But Tom could not move ¨C And that was what scared him most. The moment his body hit the floor it were as if his ability to move at all ceased, his limbs refusing to listen to any of his orders. All he could truly feel was the trail of blood moving down from his nose, onto his lips, and eventually dripping onto the floor below. Every muscle in his body pulsated with endless pain, and his head was spinning so much he felt as though he was about to lose consciousness any minute. The aching in his body, however, would not allow him to drift away quite so easily. So he was forced to listen.


    Up above, over the sound of whatever creature was watching him in this cave, he could hear arguing. It was distant and unclear ¨C The pounding of Tom''s heart and how it made his ears pulsate kept him unable to hear anything at all. He knew one of the voices must have been Will ¨C And after some time, he recognized the other as Sapana. Everything that had led him to this moment was still swirling around his mind ¨C But he knew that pyromaniac with a crappy sense of style and cocky grin was responsible for it all. The shouting was vicious ¨C Even without understanding any of the words, Tom could tell that these two were definitely not having a pleasant debate about their newly-established potion business. He just hoped that someone would come to look for him soon enough ¨C He was not alone in this cave.


    The hissing and scratching was now growing ever closer, and Tom felt himself slowly spiralling into this awfully familiar feeling of helplessness. That same helplessness he felt with the stranger with the crown pointing the edge of his sword at his throat. And this helplessness told him one thing ¨C If he wasn''t saved by waking up from this as if it were just another nightmare, he would die. He wished this could have all been a dream, or memory, or whatever the hell it was that his mind constantly tried to shove down his throat. He just wanted to be back in that make-shift bed Will prepared for him. He just wanted to check his bag, like he did every morning, ensuring his three discs were still there. He just wanted to eat a peaceful breakfast with all of his three companions, and continue that work of theirs.


    But Dissonance wouldn''t let them, Dissonance wouldn''t allow them to, because Dissonance would never, ever, let anyone take his power away. Dissonance would never, ever let anyone be better than him and he wouldn''t let them and I''m gonna die here, I''m gonna die here and no one will ever find me. I''ll never find who those discs belong to, and I''ll never help Taza and I''m just an awful person because if I had just calmed down if I just never hit him if I just never started any of this I wouldn''t be here I wouldn''t be alone I wouldn''t be scared everything wouldn''t hurt so much and maybe I''d just run away again and find another town and ruin another life because I can never do anything right and maybe it''s better if I just die here and-


    For the first time in a long time, Tom cried.


    He wasn''t sure what it was. Maybe it was the pain, controlling every part of his body, muting out every other sensation and leaving him immobile. His whole body was trembling but no matter how hard he tried he could not control his movements. And that was another feeling ¨C This helplessness, this complete inability to stand up and defend himself, or to even call for help when he needed it. He wanted to stand up and run, get away from whatever was lurking in this darkness, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn''t. And of course, there was also the regret. The regret over starting all of this in the first place, the regret over escalating it so much, and the regret of never telling Will what he''d been wanting to tell him since the first time he saw him. Because there was another reason he stuck around, another reason he clung onto him so much, another reason he didn''t want to leave no matter what happened. Because this was not the first time-


    Crack. Slash. Splat.


    Silence.


    "...It''s okay.", he heard a voice, a deep and foreboding one, from behind him.


    He wished he could turn around, see who was speaking. But once more, his body failed to listen to him. In the corner of his eye he noticed something ¨C A pile of pitch black and hairy limbs, with ruby red eyes slowly losing their colour. Whatever it was in that darkness behind him was now dead, a far worse foe having defeated it. And although the monster was gone, its blood slowly seeping out of it, the strange feeling of helplessness did not fade.


    Somehow, it only seemed to grow stronger.


    "I''m here with you. You''re not alone."


    He felt someone''s hand touch his head, slowly running their hand through his hair. He shuddered at the touch, fearful of who it may be standing so close to him. He just wanted to see someone, anyone, a familiar face that could give him peace of mind. This encounter did far from that.


    "...I''ll keep you safe until they find you. Just calm your breathing and focus on my voice. Don''t sleep. No matter how tired you are, stay awake. That thing was only a spider.", the voice carried on.


    Tom looked briefly at the pile of unrecognizable remains and felt his heart skip a beat. If a spider that large lured in this cave, he truly feared what else could emerge from those shadows.


    "I killed it. One stab and it was dead. Even if it had gotten to you, it wouldn''t have done much. But it could have moved you, made your condition worse. You most likely broke something. Once they get here, they can''t move you. They need to lift you up on something. Are you listening to me? If you weren''t, then do. If you are, keep at it."


    The stranger''s tone of voice alone made Tom listen, afraid of what could happen if he did not. He could hear voices above getting closer ¨C Familiar voices calling out his name.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    "This is far too much to heal with bandages and rest. You''ll need potions. Daffodils make for good healing potions. Those, you can drink. Make another one from peonies. Those you can pour onto cuts and breaks and they''ll make recovery faster. They are hard to make, though. They can be harmful if not done right. Are you still with me?"


    The boy could now hear someone shouting down from the edge of the cave, and the stranger slowly backing away deeply into it.


    "Stay awake until they take you somewhere safe and take care of you. Just stay strong. You''ll get out of this, just stay focused. Oh, and here are your discs. They fell out of your bag and flew everywhere. I put them back in."


    Tom heard some shuffling and noticed his bag being plopped down next to him.


    "I have to go now. Good luck, and stay strong."


    And in that very moment, so many things happened at once that Tom could barely keep track. The stranger ran away, with their footsteps echoing further into the cave behind him. From the top, both Will and Fonda slid down along the side of the wall and started inspecting him and calling out to him almost instantly. He wanted to ask questions ¨C Where''s Taza? What happened? Where''s Sapana? Where are our potions? But of course, nothing came. Just as he couldn''t move his body, his mouth did not let a single word through. He wanted to say something ¨C About the stranger, about the advice he gave, about what he''d been wanting to tell Will for a long time and now felt like he would never get the chance to. But once more, his voice failed him as he tried to speak. All he could do was lie there, hoping that the father and son standing over him knew what to do.


    "...Tom? Tom, can you hear me? Just stay with me, alright?"


    Will was soon kneeling by his side, touching his shoulder gently but not moving it at all.


    "Fonda, we''re gonna have to carry him out of here... and grab the..."


    The man''s voice started to fade as Tom failed to grasp onto reality, everything slipping from under his control at a worrying rate. He wanted to stay, remain awake as the stranger had told him, try to stay strong. But it was impossible. In the haze that everything was, Tom only heard one thing from above before losing consciousness completely;


    "Hey, you three down there! Do you need help?"


    And so, the world was dark. But a dream prevailed above it all;


    "Why are these discs so important to you, anyway?"


    "I don''t know, to be honest. I''ve had them for as long as I can remember."


    "And you just keep them? Why? If you don''t know why you have them..."


    "I''m... not sure. It just feels like someone really important gave them to me."


    "Do they even play any more? They look super old!"


    "I haven''t really checked... wanna give them a try?"


    "You''d trust me with your discs, Will? Aren''t they like... super important to you?"


    "Someone else trusted me with them before, Tom. About time I do the same."


    Now he remembers. He remembers what he has to tell him.


    And he wakes up with a task.


    It was hard to describe what his body was feeling ¨C It were as if the pain was still there, but instead hidden behind some sort of fog, overwhelming his whole body. The smell of herbs and some sort of food floated around him, the strongest aromas making his nose scrunch up as they got too intense. His body was stiff and uncomfortable, but he could move it ¨C And that was enough for him. With that complete helplessness he experienced in the cave, even being able to turn on his side and look at his own hand as he moved it in front of his eyes was good enough. He wasn''t sure where he was, but he could tell he was in a rather comfortable bed in a small bedroom, chatting to be heard right outside his door. With not much else to do, he listened in;


    "So how did this even happen?"


    The voice that spoke was deep, but it was not the stranger from the cave. Tom would never forget that voice ¨C And if he ever heard it again, he couldn''t even imagine how he would react. This person, however, sounded just as calm and collected, speaking slowly and with focus. Tom listened in.


    "...It was Sapana."


    The voice replying was that of Will, and instantly, Tom flinched. He had something incredibly important to tell him, after all.


    "...I don''t know if Dissonance sent him or if he was working alone, but he showed up at our door and demanded Taza go back to the flower field and that we hand over any potions that we had left over. And of course, all the money we made."


    "What an asshole.", the other voice muttered.


    "...But that still doesn''t explain how the kid ended up at the bottom of a cave. I''m guessing he escalated things a little?"


    Tom gulped. A little was definitely an understatement to how he reacted back there. But there was no taking it back now, and at least he was still alive. But where was Taza and the potions?


    "...Sapana got violent when we stopped cooperating. First he grabbed Taza and pulled him away, throwing him on the ground. Then he lit a torch and threatened to burn down our caravan if we didn''t listen. So... I did. I started handing all of our supply over, and Tom, he-"


    Will paused, sighing.


    "Just... came up and punched him in the face."


    To this, the unknown voice laughed.


    "Kid''s got some spunk!", he exclaimed after a pause.


    "And Sapana, fully armed, still decided that the more mature thing to do would be to grab the kid and throw him into a cave?"


    "...I didn''t even know how to react. I told Fonda to go get him while I tried to talk it out with Sapana, but there was no way. He said the only way he would let us stay in the city without burning down our home is if Taza went back to the flower field and continued making the potions the way he did before."


    Will paused, his voice beginning to tremble.


    "And I... I just had no choice. So I let him take Taza away, and we went to get Tom. And then you got there. You saved his life, Errett. We''re forever in your debt."


    "It''s no big deal. I''ve started getting tired of Dissonance myself..."


    Finally, Tom decided it was time to get up and ask questions. Questions about Taza, questions about their plan, and questions about that stranger ¨C If they had even seen them. And of course, Tom had a task. A task to tell Will something very, very important. As he shot up, he could feel his head spinning, his hand moving to his forehead. There was a bandage there now, laced with various herbs that formed a sickening smell. Most of his body was bandaged, and he couldn''t even imagine walking with how agonizing the pain in his legs was. Still, this sudden movement was enough to get the attention of both Will and this ''Errett'', who were standing right outside the doorway. They both rushed in, the man he knew sitting by his side while the other kept his distance.


    "Tom, Tom, take it easy-", Will tried to say, but the blonde instantly cut him off;


    "Where''s Taza?! Where did they take him?!"


    The strain in his voice couldn''t be ignored, but no matter how much it hurt to scream, he could not stop. He just wanted to be assured his friend was safe ¨C But both Will''s and Errett''s expressions showed him he was most likely far from that.


    "...He''s in the flower field. In his house."


    Will put his hand on the boy''s shoulder.


    "They''re keeping him there but he''s safe. And he''s okay. So relax and focus on yourself for now, okay? You need to rest. We''ll figure everything else out later."


    Tom hesitated for a moment, stammered, and then sat back. He couldn''t hide how calm Will''s voice made him feel.


    "...Okay.", he whispered after a moment.


    "...We''ll figure it out later."


    "I better replace your bandages now that you''re awake. I need to get some from storage. You two stay here and lay low, alright? It''s best if you don''t get in Dissonance''s way right now."


    Here, Tom finally noted Errett to be a tall man with brown hair and dark sunglasses covering his eyes, obscuring whatever colour could be hiding behind them.


    "Thank you again, Errett."


    Will looked at the man but stayed close to Tom, his hand still on his shoulder.


    "If you ever need anything just-"


    The man with the sunglasses, however, would not let himself be thanked so much. He chuckled and then spoke;


    "Don''t worry about it."


    The man grinned.


    "You''ll get a chance to pay me back some day, I''m sure."


    And with this he left, leaving Will and Tom alone in an uncertain silence. Errett turned the corner where he could no longer hear them, and almost instantly, they both spoke;


    "Tom, there''s something-"


    "Will, I need to-"


    They paused for just a moment.


    "You say it-"


    "Go first if-"


    And once more, a pause.


    "Tom, I-"


    "Wilbur, I-"


    And in perfect unison, they blurted out;


    "I''ve seen you in my dreams before."


    And for that single moment, the whole world seemed to freeze.

 Chapter 6 - Consequences (2)

    "Try it more to the left."


    "Like this?"


    "Tighter grip. There, you have it."


    "Um- Okay- Okay-"


    "Now! Fire!"


    "Ah! ...Oops."


    Fonda was standing completely still, his hands slightly lifted in the air as an arrow shot in front of him and lodged itself in the ground right before his feet. For just a moment he didn''t move, giving an angered side-eye to the two responsible for the firing in the first place. In front of him were two men ¨C One, dark skinned with black hair and possessing cyan eyes, and the other with his face completely obstructed by a dark, black hood. It was the one with the hood that was holding a bow, his aim being guided by the other. There was a firing target on the tree near which Fonda found himself, but the shooter most definitely missed by a lot.


    "Ah! Sorry Fonda! I didn''t mean to do that!"


    The hooded person instantly started apologizing, while the other stepped away with a shrug. He prepared another arrow for his friend, taking it out of a large quiver that he had left lying on the grass.


    "Are you alright?"


    "...Yeah, you just barely missed."


    Fonda stepped over the arrow and chuckled.


    "I guess it''s good you two aren''t too far into your training then, right?"


    To this, the hooded figure looked down and raised his shoulders slightly, meanwhile the other man exclaimed;


    "Ha! As if! We''ve been at this for days!", he shouted out with a laugh, causing his friend to cover his face from embarrassment, "I guess Burgess is too sweet even for a bow. We''re gonna have to figure out some other weapon for you to use..."


    "I really tried my best... I just can''t get the hang of it."


    Burgess rushed over to the arrow he had just fired, Fonda passing him as he did so. He stopped right where the two had originally fired their shot, looking around. From the amount of arrows scattered everywhere and how exhausted the man with the cyan eyes seemed to be, he could tell this had been something that had carried on for days now.


    "Don''t be too tough on him, Sot. Bows are pretty tough to use."


    Fonda picked up one of the spare bows, readying an arrow and playing around with it for a while. He didn''t fire, however. He wasn''t sure that he was in the good mindset for a clear, daring shot to show off right now. He had also come here for a reason, after all.


    "You really need to get the movement right to be efficient."


    "I''m way better with a sword!", Burgess exclaimed, momentarily sitting down on a nearby tree stump.


    "But for some reason Zack thinks we should be trained in a lot more different styles. Gives us a... what did you call it again?"


    Burgess looked to his friend, who shrugged. Fonda noted his use of his real name ¨C Around these parts, using a name over a title showed trust and a deep bond. Very few even allowed others to use their real names, but to this, Sot and Burgess were small exceptions.


    "A colourful pallet, I think? I don''t know, I barely listen to myself to be honest.", he responded, playing with an arrow in his hand.


    He looked at Fonda.


    "Well, you never come here without a reason. And the reason is usually you want something from us. So what''s up?"


    Damn, read me like an open book... Fonda played around with the bow he had picked up a little more before speaking, eventually putting it down without firing a single shot. The nearby valley was already sprinkled with arrows - He didn''t need to add to that.


    "Did you hear about what happened this morning?", he started, sitting down on one of Sot''s boxes.


    The man himself opted for just standing nearby, leaning against a tree.


    There was this look in his eye ¨C As if he wanted to say something, but he couldn''t bring himself to.


    "...The fight by the caravan?", Burgess asked, tilting his head.


    "Everyone''s heard about that. It''s pretty big news... is Tom doing okay?"


    Of course, Burgess wouldn''t be Burgess without worrying about others.


    "He''s... recovering. We were lucky Errett was in the area."


    Fonda looked down for just a moment, remembering that fear and panic as that whole situation spiralled out of control. He shook his head, trying to force it away.


    "But things have... well, they''ve gotten worse. That''s why I''m here."


    "...I warned Will. Going against Dissonance is not a good idea. No matter what."


    Sot crossed his arms, his eyes focusing on the city nearby them.


    "Something was ¡®bout to go wrong eventually. That''s why me and Burgess never got involved. Besides, we don''t need potions to kick ass, do we?"


    "Language!", Burgess shouted almost instantly, a knee-jerk reaction for him any time anyone dared to swear near him.


    He shifted in his seat, sighed and raised his hands.


    "But... you''re right. We didn''t need the potions and we didn''t wanna cross Dissonance. So we stayed out of it."


    "I... I get that... but this is something far worse than just Dissonance and his policies. He''s keeping Taza locked up in his house and making him work for him ¨C That, no matter how much he may need those potions, is evil. That kid is fourteen!"


    For just a moment, the two men in front of him considered his words. And of course, Sot was the first to retaliate;


    "Let me guess, you want us to help you?", he asked with a tone that suggested he was completely unconvinced.


    "...Because whatever you might offer, I''m not interested."


    "And what if I offered you a test of morality?"


    Fonda turned his voice into a more grave one, noting how he finally got Sot''s attention in full ¨C That wasn''t something easy to do.


    "...Go on."


    The man narrowed his eyes, meanwhile his friend shifted closer to him. It was clear he was worried for whatever this ''test of morality'' may entail.


    "...Taza has been living locked up in that flower field for five years now. We finally offered him a way out and a way for everyone to have the potions that could save their life. The only reason Tom is alive right now is because Errett bought health potions from us in the first place!"


    Fonda paused, standing up and pointing vaguely towards where the flower field was.


    "...When those three bastards heard about us finally giving Taza some freedom they took him back and locked him in again. He''s in there right now, working without getting anything for it! The question is this, Sot. Are you willing to put your own needs aside to help someone else?"


    And here, both Sot and Burgess were forced into silence. Having been part of the group that founded the city with Dream, they knew him better than anyone. They knew what he was like when he didn''t get his way, they knew how far he was willing to go for victory, and in some cases, they found out the hard way about what he was capable of at his worst. But they also knew that if they wished, they could take him down. Probably... it would take a lot of work, preparation, and some calculated risks, but they could. But the problem was they didn''t want to ¨C As Dissonance''s close friends, they never experienced the worst parts of living in this city. They had no reason to go against the guy who gave them a place to stay and ensured they were safe. But it was unfair to leave Taza trapped, too. They had to find a balance between these two ¨C A way to help without crossing Dissonance, a way to go directly against his orders without him ever tracing it back to them. And while Burgess stayed silent with his own internal battle, Sot cut in with an idea;The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    "I can''t go against Dissonance, and you know that.", Sot started, playing aimlessly with his hoodie strings.


    "But... I can help you. As long as you keep it under wraps."


    Fonda nodded almost instantly. He knew that without the help of someone far more skilled and far better off than him and his father they had no chance at rescuing Taza.


    "...Yes. Of course. Thank you!", he started, but was cut off as Sot lifted his hand with a sharp movement.


    With a grave tone of voice he said;


    "Don''t thank me yet. I can''t do much for you without getting me or Burgess hurt.... but... I have a few spare weapons and some armour lying around."


    The man paused, looking away.


    "You''ll have to keep them. That''s the only way for Dissonance to not trace them back to us."


    "A-are you sure? I mean, you don''t have to-"


    And Fonda, once more, barely got time to speak. Another thing about Sot ¨C he wasn''t very patient.


    "Two bronze swords, a bow, enough arrows for a good battle, three steel chest plates, one leather tunic and a single fresh steel sword. It''s the best I can offer right now."


    Sot sighed.


    "Things haven''t been the best on our end, either. Dissonance may like us, but taxes are taxes, I guess."


    "I saw the house earlier today.", Burgess finally spoke up, having been mostly silent until now.


    He was aimlessly kicking a patch of grass under his foot.


    "...Georgie and Sapana are both guarding it. If you take Errett with you, you might just have a chance four on two... but that''s a big ''maybe''."


    "Those two have spare potions, fresh steel gear, and years of combat training from Dissonance himself. It''s not gonna be easy, and you have no chance if you just attack them outright."


    Sot paused, narrowing his eyes.


    "Move at night. Distract them. Don''t engage directly."


    "...Thank you, Sot. Truly.", Fonda said, and this time, was not interrupted.


    One thing was clear - This man was done talking and this was all of the advice he could give.


    After some further conversation, Sot agreed he would leave the supplies at the caravan that evening. Fonda headed back to Errett''s house with small sparks of hope in his heart - There was a chance at saving Taza, at showing everyone that Dissonance wasn''t as powerful as some would believe, at showing them standing up for themselves is truly worth it. But this hope didn''t last long - The things he began noticing left him unable to relax so easily. First it was the smell of smoke, the sickening miasma of gunpowder all around him. He walked faster. Then, there was the distant smoke rising from Errett''s house, the crackling of fire growing louder as he got closer. He started running. And finally, he arrived at where the home had once been, a large crater and nothing else left below. He stopped. Edges of the walls collapsed one by one as he watched, any of the remainders of the man''s home being engulfed by flames soon enough. He collapsed onto his knees.


    From the rubble of the house, the only person that emerged was Dissonance, dawning a twisted grin.


    "...When I was little... just a few months old... I was abandoned. My mum found me outside her house in a basket with these three discs tucked in with me."


    Tom, after some time to rest, was finally able to talk without as much strain as earlier. And with a few more potions from Errett, practically using up his entire stash, he was finally able to sit up on the bed and sway his legs back and forth from the edge. He had his leather backpack on his knees, taking out one of his discs and inspecting it with his bandaged hand. On its edge, his name was painted onto it, done with expert precision as to not disturb the actual disc and how it worked once out inside of a jukebox. The name itself, however, seemed to be written over another.


    "...But that doesn''t make sense... I remember giving the discs to you when you were the age you are right now, probably even older. It wouldn''t make sense for you to have them as a baby."


    Will grabbed the disc gently from the boy, noting how tightly he was gripping onto it. He traced its edge with the tip of his finger, feeling the rough texture.


    "...And I remember that, too. Well, remember that in a dream. So is it even real?"


    Clearly, this whole situation was starting to give Tom a headache. Will slipped the disc back into the bag and focused his attention on the blonde himself, seeing him shifting around in discomfort.


    "What happened after? Why did you come to this city?"


    Will decided to aim for definitive memories to give the boy some time to unwind. He noticed his eyes fill with sadness as he tried to keep tears at bay, and with a shaky voice, he spoke;


    "When I was six.... I think... the city we lived in, similar to this one, was attacked by monsters. It all burned around me and I just... ran. I left everything behind, and I kept running until I made it to another... and another... and another.... and all I had with me were the discs."


    "Why... why didn''t you stay somewhere? You just kept running?"


    To this, Tom paused and bit his lip. He once more focused on his bag, playing around with some of the straps on it. Finally, after some hesitation, he spoke up;


    "Because you weren''t there. And I was looking for you."


    "...Looking... For me?", Will repeated, surprised.


    It made him wonder - If his dreams had not been as invasive as they were, would he have looked for the three people, too? If he had that sort of control of his life up until now, would he have tried to find them, ran from city to city as Tom had? Would he have eventually found the owner of that cold, angry glare, with the chilling laugh and the convincing voice? Would he have eventually discovered who wielded the deadly sword, with the crown of a leader and the blood of thousands on his hands? And would he have eventually found Tom, with his three discs, the one point of connection between them, running from everything that was real and in search of his fake world, just as he was? Would it have changed anything, or would they end up here, with their dreams serving as a distraction to their unjust reality? There was no way to know, and that was what scared him most.


    "I kept looking... looking for the man with the sweet singing voice, the round glasses and the yellow sweater. That was all I remembered about you - Only those three bits. And I kept looking for them, and when I finally found you and you didn''t even know my name... I didn''t know what else to do. So I stayed, hoping you''d remember and tell me what those dreams were."


    "...Well, I''m sorry, Tom... but until now I didn''t think you were even real. But you coming here, it changed something. It made me realise that... those dreams were far more than that. They were like memories of things that never happened, but also something far more than that."


    Will paused.


    "Whatever memories we share, they have to come from somewhere."


    "What if we never find out?"


    Tom''s voice was shaky and uncertain, his eyes growing fearful.


    "What if we never figure out what these dreams are, where we got these memories, and we just keep looking and looking but we never find anything and we just die without knowing-"


    "Tom! It''s alright."


    Will cut the other off, noticing how stressed he started getting.


    "...Even if we don''t find anything, at least we''ll be looking together. And that''s better than what we''ve been doing so far, right? You, chasing a stranger from your dreams and me not even knowing where I am... even without clear answers, this is better."


    The boy''s face filled with hope for a split second.


    "Right... yeah... at least we''re-"


    "Will! Tom!"


    Errett''s voice, coming from somewhere downstairs, was enough to end their short moment of peace. The man turned the corner and faced the two, panic in his expression and one of his arms holding onto his stomach. Will shot up, meanwhile the teenager sitting next to him took his time rising up, grabbing onto his backpack as he did so.


    "Errett? Errett, what''s happening?"


    Will came closer to the man, grabbing his shoulders. He was gasping for air, blood seeping into his clothes from a wound around his stomach. He couldn''t even say a word as an explosion erupted from the left, stunning all of them and forcing them to their feet. Will first helped Tom stand and then got close to Errett, but the man pushed him away.


    "Go! Just get out of here! I''ll hold him off!"


    For a single moment, all three looked down the stairway of the house. There, with his black mask fully over his face this time, stood Dissonance, sticks of dynamite in one hand and a lit match in the other. His sword, now strapped to his back, was covered in blood - Errett''s blood. For a second all four just looked at each other, momentarily stuck in an oblivion, the seconds seemingly stretching into hours.


    Another explosion from the right snapped them all out of it.


    Tom felt his wrist being grabbed and was soon pulled along one of the corridors in Errett''s home, the smell of smoke filling the rooms one by one. There was no way to go down the stairs, with Dissonance slowly making his way up and throwing the explosives wherever he could. Errett himself tried to hold him off for a while, rushing forward with a bronze sword. He was soon thrust aside by a swift kick to the stomach, and after narrowly avoiding an explosion, clearly decided to give up and focus on himself once more. He made his way out a distant window, meanwhile Tom and Will tried to do the same.


    The house was getting more and more heated, and pieces of the floor began to slowly fall away as they were consumed by the flames. The two ended up getting stuck in one of Errett''s storage rooms, items falling out and crashing below. The boxes could barely be held by the wood any more - the floor was about to break any minute. And in this situation, looking around with seemingly no way out, building up inside of him, the feeling of helplessness returned once more. Tom grabbed onto Will''s arm and gripped his yellow sweater as hard as he could ¨C It were as if he was just holding onto one last bit of familiarity he knew around here.


    "Tom?", Will suddenly shouted, barely heard over the fire and the explosions around them.


    "Yeah?", he shouted back, coughing on the ever-rising smoke.


    "Do you trust me?", the man asked, readying himself for... something.


    "...You''re the only one who''s seen those dreams."


    Tom looked at the man.


    "Of course I do!"


    "Well then know that... whatever happens, everything will be fine. I promise."


    Before the boy could even ask questions, Will suddenly grabbed his shirt and threw him aside, sending him tumbling out a window and landing on a large patch of grass below. All of the bruises from the cave suddenly made themselves known again, but his adrenaline allowed him to ignore it as he looked up at the house. There, in the window, Will was cut off by another wall of flame and disappeared behind it. Tom wanted to scream, call out to him, help him, but before he could even react, the house experienced one final explosion, knocking him far away and reducing the whole house to rubble. Tom''s ears were ringing, his head was pulsating with pain, and his eyes began to grow blurry with tears. He looked into the flames in stunned silence. He watched and stared intensely, waiting for someone to emerge.


    But even as the dust settled, Will was nowhere to be seen.

 Chapter 7 - Consequences (3)

    The pain he''s feeling is unimaginable.


    He tries to put pressure on areas of most pain, but no matter what he tries, he can''t feel it easing. He can smell his own burning flesh, the horrible stench is filling his nostrils and making him sick. His head is spinning and he feels like he''s about to lose himself any second ¨C but he stays awake. Because he knows that as long as he is awake, he is alive. And as long as he is alive there''s still a chance someone will find him here. Because down here he has no chance at saving himself, buried in some pit as a fire rages above. He tries to remember how he got here but it escapes his mind ¨C All he can focus on is the overwhelming heat and the pain in his entire body.


    "Will! Will, you''ve got to stay with me, man! I can''t- Come on, not like this!"


    The panicked voice he hears is unlike it normally is. It''s not convincing, it''s not foreboding, it''s full of fear, uncertainty and every word it speaks is littered with cracks.


    "...Get out of here... you''ve got to... get out...", he speaks slowly, his voice raspy and similar to a whisper.


    He can barely even open his mouth, not to mention get his words out properly. The man leaning by him starts rummaging through his bag.


    "Shut the hell up and listen! I''m not gonna leave you here, are you crazy?"


    After some searching, the man removes two bottles from his bag. They both glisten with a strange, orange glow. He opens them both and passes one to Will, tilting it slightly and letting the liquid flow into his mouth. As it moves down his throat, he can feel the pain around him easing, and the heat becomes something unnoticeable. His saviour drinks his own potion, helps him stand, and begins leading him out of the burning pit. With great struggle the two crawl out, just in time before the whole building collapses completely. They wait for a few moments, gasping for air.


    "You... you idiot...", Will says between coughs.


    "You could have died! Don''t you get that?"


    "...We''re partners... partners in crime, right?"


    The man takes a deep breath, laying down on the ground below.


    "We can''t be that till the end of time... if one of us is dead... can we?"


    "...You stole my potions."


    He looks at the two empty bottles the two carried out, both of them with ''Fire Nullification'' lazily scribbled onto them.


    "You''re an idiot and a thief."


    "An idiot and a thief who just saved your ass!", the man shouts, but is unable to do anything else as he continues coughing at higher and higher rates.


    "You should be grate- You should be-"


    And as the coughing gets too intense to deal with, the man sits up and spends almost half a minute just trying to put an end to it. As he finishes, his friend gets closer, putting an arm on his shoulder.


    "Are you... are you okay?"


    Will comes closer, his hands trembling.


    "I''m fine!"


    The man pushes him away.


    "Just... thank me for being a valiant hero already, and..."


    "It''s not normal to cough like that-", he speaks, concerned for the man more than himself.


    "It''s not normal to not thank someone for-"


    He coughs once more.


    "For saving their life!"


    Maybe if Will didn''t back down so easily then, he-


    -felt the heat rising, stronger and stronger, dizzy from having just gotten back from his memory. Will rubbed his eyes and tried to focus back into the world, his lungs filling with the smoke-ridden air and his legs trembling from fear. He looked outside for a moment before a wall of flame blocked him off ¨C Tom was safe, and that was all that mattered to him. He hugged the wall with his back and closed his eyes, as if praying to some unknown entity to rescue him. And just when he thought all was lost, right in the corner of his eye, he spotted something. Something glimmering with an orange glow different to that of the fire, reminding him of a similar potion he saw in his dream. He knelt down and quickly grabbed it, reading the charred label on the side. Although barely readable, it was there, clear as day;


    ''Fire Nullification''


    Will didn''t waste time opening the bottle and downing all of its contents, the heat and the pain from some of the flames getting far too close for comfort fading in seconds. He covered his mouth with his sleeve to try and not choke on the smoke, and then finally, started making his way out of the slowly collapsing house. He rushed right through the wall of fire in front of the doorway, sprinting to the stairs as fast as he could. The ceiling cracked and fell around him, sparks hitting him as the charred wood dropped on every side of him. He was about half way down the stairs when he felt something push him forward, making him collapse into a large fire. He was lucky the potion effect lasted as long as it did. He turned back, and looked upon the stairs, where Dissonance stood in silence, the fire burning away his mask. He didn''t care ¨C Of course, he, himself, came prepared with more potions he could ever carry, all of them brewed by Taza, imprisoned in his own home.


    "Heading somewhere?", the blonde asked as he lit another stick of dynamite, his blood-thirsty grin showing from behind his burned mask.


    His eyes were filled with nothing but lust for power.


    "...Screw you, you maniac!", as Will shouted these last few words, Dissonance lit his final explosive and threw it up high, disappearing behind another wall of inferno.


    And all Will could do was huddle in a corner, hoping for a miracle.


    "...What do you mean... what do you mean he''s gone?"


    Errett was bleeding and covered in ash. Tom''s whole body ached and some of his bandages were still smoking. And Fonda stood there, staring at them, with his ears laying low and eyes pacing from one to the other, terror and confusion alike overwhelming them. The smoke from Errett''s home was still rising from afar ¨C More and more people from the city were walking over to see what was going on. But these three did not have time ¨C These three knew that what had just gone down meant one thing, and one thing alone; War. It was either the start or the end of the first battle this city had ever seen, and it was up to these three to decide whether it was the latter or the former.


    "He was in that house when it blew up, Fonda!"


    Tom was out of breath, in agony, tired and filled with more regret and guilt than he could admit. And yet still, he spoke. Because this teenager had a habit of speaking more and more the less he wished to.


    "It all went up in flames, and- And everything just- That son of a bitch, I''ll tear him to shreds!"


    "If you don''t calm down, we''re just gonna have another death on our hands! Do you want that!?", Errett yelled at Tommy, grabbing his hand and pulling him back before he could rush off to god knows where.


    The blonde paused for just a moment, stepped back, and then fell to the ground, unable to stand any more. He now sat aimlessly on his knees, looking into the grass field below.


    "...He''s... he''s... he can''t be... n-no..."


    Fonda started pacing around, whispering to himself and rubbing his shoulders. Tom had lived with him and his father long enough to recognize that he was truly past the point of giving up, and had fallen into something far deeper, far darker. Complete and utter despair and helplessness.


    For a moment, the three all sat in silence.


    What else was there to do? In a single day, virtually everyone here had lost everything they could ever care about. Tom had first lost his friend, captured and taken away, with no hope of ever being freed. And then, on top of that, he had lost the one other person who was like him, who understood what he was going through. Errett himself tried to help a stranger and in turn lost everything he had owned ¨C His home, his possessions, all because he showed an act of kindness to those who Dissonance deemed unworthy of it. And finally there was Fonda, who had lost most of all ¨C His father. Because Will was gone, and there was no way he could have made it out of that-Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    "You weren''t gonna give up on me that easily, right?"


    And to the familiar sound of someone who they had thought to be gone, they all reacted instantly. Errett looked up and with a sigh of relief, smiled, unable to believe what he was seeing. Tom''s head snapped to the side and he gasped. And Fonda, without hesitation, ran forward almost instantly. Because from the edge of the forest, limping, struggling to walk, gasping for air, but still, walking, breathing, living, was Will. His clothes were all covered in soot, most of his sweater having burned away at its edges. His trousers were ripped, and all he held in his hand was a single, empty, glass bottle. He nearly fell over, his son luckily catching him and supporting him before he properly had a chance to. Fonda, with no regard for any wounds he may have started, instantly began embracing him and sobbing into his sweater, meanwhile Errett and Tom slowly made their way to them. It wasn''t long before the younger one joined in, meanwhile the older man kept his distance.


    "You''re okay!", Fonda exclaimed through his sobs and sniffles.


    "But Tom said you were-"


    "I thought I was a goner."


    Will lifted the empty bottle.


    "But I guess someone is looking out for me."


    "You- I thought you were-"


    Tom suddenly shot up and stepped back, crossing his arms.


    "Why did you do that?"


    "I saved your life! You should be thanking me..."


    Will suddenly looked at Errett.


    "I guess it''s good you bought this from us, huh?"


    He lifted the small bottle in his hand and handed it to the man with the sunglasses, who took it from him hesitantly. He looked more closely at the label on it, and then with a confused grimace shrugged.


    "I never bought any Fire Nullification from you.", Errett bluntly stated, causing the other man to stammer.


    "...Check your records if you don''t believe me. I never once ordered Fire Nullification because I didn''t need it. All I ever bought was the Healing and Recovery I used on Tom."


    "...So then... how did this..."


    Will looked down at the edge of the glass, the reflection of that cold, angry glare seeming to shine right through. His ''partner in crime''... ''till the end of time''... a partner in crime he failed to even remember the name of.


    "I guess someone really is looking out for you.", Errett said, patting him on the back.


    "But maybe we should actually take care of those burns. Once the Fire Nullification wears off, all of that pain will hit you at once. Do we have any potions left?"


    The rest of that day was a bitter-sweet moment of peace between all of what had gone down and their planned rescue mission for that evening ¨C It was hard to describe the feeling exactly. On one hand, everyone was relieved to be back together, and to see Will on his feet. His wounds were taken care of rather quickly, and with the right herbs and potions, his pain was eased, too. Him, Tommy and Errett all changed and had time to tell Fonda what had happened, giving them all a rather grim outlook on their chances at rescuing Taza. Still, they waited, and at some point during the evening, when none of them were really paying attention, a box with a note attached to it appeared seemingly out of nowhere near the caravan. Will picked it up and read it aloud;


    To whoever made it out of that house, know that I have not lost hope. Whether there''s still four of you or just one, I still believe that you have a chance at making this work. Dissonance doesn''t have control over everything - And you can show everyone that. You can show them that there''s a chance at rising up, and maybe then I''ll stop being so cautious and do some revolting of my own.


    No promises though.


    Use whatever I left here as best as you can, and don''t throw this chance away. No matter how hopeless it may look, even trying will give the people here something to fight for. And that will set us on the path to making this place better. Or, at least, I hope so. I really, really do.


    Good luck, and remember, we''ve all got our eyes on you.


    - Zack


    "He signed it with his name...", Will whispered under his breath as he finished reading the note.


    Tom was already rummaging through the items as Errett helped him sort it out. Meanwhile, Fonda got closer to his father and placed his hand on his shoulder, smiling;


    "It means he trusts us."


    He looked into the chest, watching as Tom carefully removed a bronze sword from inside, swinging it around for a short while. Errett had to stop him before he slashed a hole in the wall of the caravan.


    "It means he truly believes we have a chance at this."


    "With stuff like this?"


    Errett lifted a steel chest plate, shaking it around for a bit and exposing its many cuts and bends.


    "I''m all for being an optimist, Will, but with these things we barely stand a chance. Unless you''ve got some sort secret weapon up your sleeve, we''re not gonna-"


    "Holy shit!", at Tom''s exclamation, the whole group was forced to look into the chest.


    With most things moved aside or laid out on the grass by the chest itself, only one item remained in their direct view. That item was a single weapon - A sword with a wooden handle lined with rope for an easier grip, and a blade made of pure fresh steel. The sword glimmered in the sun above, the sun rays reflecting on its crystalline surface. Unlike the other weapons Sot had gifted them with, this one had no scratches, no stains, no marks. All it was was a carefully polished blade, as if prepared specifically for this very occasion. Either that, or it''s former owner somehow managed to keep it in pristine condition. For a minute or two they simply watched, enticed by the slight glow on the edges and the pristine craftsmanship on the handle. Will was the first to move, picking the sword up and wrapping his fingers around the handle with great care. He moved it around a few times and finally swung it at full force, making a clean cut in the trunk of a nearby tree.


    "That''s so cool! Can I have a try?"


    Tom, seemingly forgetting the many bruises on his body and disregarding the burns he got from the earlier explosion, ran up and started watching Will carefully as he played around with the sword for a little longer. He was completely entranced by its sharpness and how easy it was to manoeuvre.


    "Careful, Tom, it''s not a-"


    Before the man could even finish speak, the boy snatched the weapon out of his hand and started hitting all of the nearby tree branches with it, making clean cuts each time. Even without any experience with a sword, the boy was dealing incredible damage. Fonda soon followed him, ensuring he didn''t hurt himself or anyone who would be unlucky enough to pass by. And so, Will and Errett were left alone to talk.


    "That''s not just some used sword.", Errett started, watching the teenager swing the blade around.


    Every time it moved, it made a sharp sound reverberate through the air.


    "He must have made that recently. Very recently. Even Dissonance, Sapana and Georgie don''t have weapons this fresh."


    "I guess we got our secret weapon, then."


    Will looked at Errett as he scoffed, seeing a small smile grow on his face.


    "Sot must really believe in us if he gave us a completely new sword, right?"


    "...It could give us a chance. A sword like that scares anyone who knows better away. It might not be the key to removing those two maniacs, but it''s what we might need to give us an equal chance. And that''s enough."


    The other man bit his lip in contemplation.


    "Now the question is how to secure that chance..."


    Will looked down, looking at all of the bandages on his arms. They were all burned at their edges.


    "Which one of us is the most dangerous with a sword like that?"


    He looked briefly at Tom, who now needed help from Fonda after getting the sword stuck in the bark of the tree, both pulling at it with all their might.


    "...I think you already know.", Errett murmured soothingly, his own eyes focusing on the young blonde as well.


    He managed to get the sword out of where he had trapped it, lifted it in his hand and grinned. The man carried on as they both watched in silence;


    "...There''s only one among us with the type of flame we need for this to work out."


    Will looked at Tom''s eyes. And Tom''s eyes burned with a fire of hope.


    "...Fonda, I trust you to cover us. You''ll take the bow and the tunic and stay at a distance."


    Will stood in front of his son, handing him his gear.


    "If they get close to you, run like hell. You know more than anyone you''re not the best at hand to hand combat and I don''t want you to-"


    "I get it."


    Fonda tilted his head slightly and smiled.


    "I''ll give you guys cover and retreat if they notice me. Don''t worry. I''ve been using a bow long enough to know how to do it safely."


    He crossed his arms and relaxed.


    "...Just trust me, dad."


    "...Alright... alright, I do."


    His gaze moved to Errett as he picked up a bronze sword and steel chest plate.


    "You''ll go with me, Errett. We''ll distract Georgie and Sapana and lead them away from the house so Tom can break Taza out. I''m gonna be relying on you."


    "You can put your trust in me, Will."


    Errett grabbed the weapon and chest plate, getting himself ready. Will put on one of the chest plates himself and then turned to Tom, passing him the last one of three.


    The boy waited as he picked up the two swords they had left ¨C One, a flimsy bronze one. The other, a pristine blade forged from steel. Instantly, Tom reached for the bronze sword, but the man pulled it away and moved the other forward.


    "W-Will... are you... are you sure?", he asked, gently grasping onto the handle.


    "You''re the one who''s gonna be going into the epicenter of it all."


    The man nodded.


    "You need all the defence you can get. Don''t let us down."


    The boy hesitated for a moment, and then grinned.


    "Obviously! I won''t let you down, Will!"


    Tom moved away with the weapon and slashed at the air with it, giggling to himself as he did so. And even though this moment of bliss was more than welcome after their day of struggles, it couldn''t last long. Because the sun was already setting, and night was getting closer and closer.


    And at night, they would make their move.

 Chapter 8 - Rescue

    The first arrow was fired at sundown.


    Georgie knew this, and he knew this well, because every day at sun down he would look towards where the sun was setting and try to at least take a single second to enjoy it. Enjoy it as well as he could, of course - While others saw a pleasant mix of colours, all he could really recognise was a smudge of washed out yellows and greens that all just sort of... blended together. Despite this, still, he would look at the sun as it went down, and wonder how he found himself here, relentlessly following Dissonance''s every order and doing things he''d never expect to be doing a few years back. And as another day came to an end and he watched, lost in thought, he couldn''t overlook the whizzing noise passing right by his ear, snapping him out of his momentary trance.


    Picking up his bow and aiming it with expert precision towards where he deduced the shot to have been fired from, he let his eyes wander around, scanning the edge of the flower field for the possible archer. Sapana was soon by his side, lighting a torch and putting it in one of his hands while he wielded an axe in the other. Georgie wasn''t sure where exactly Dissonance found him - The three of them meeting had been so long ago, it was hard to recall. But he knew one thing for sure - It must have involved fire. As the two men stood still and watched in silence, they finally saw two figures emerging from behind the trees at the edge of the field, dawning armour and wielding swords. Georgie kept his aim steady, speaking;


    "You''re trespassing on private property. If you don''t leave now I will be forced to-", Georgie started, giving the usual phrase Dissonance had drilled into their heads.


    It was important to try and keep everything clean and political, otherwise people might get outraged when the deaths of locals or strangers pop up where they shouldn''t.


    "Cut the formalities!"


    Sapana moved forward, pointing his axe towards the two figures.


    "These are those traitors that tried to take our potions! They''re here to break the kid out!"


    He turned around, pointing to the house. Georgie waited for a few seconds and then lowered his bow for just a short while, tilting his head with a grin.


    "Is that so?"


    He asked, moving his glasses down and over his face. Instantly, the colours around him went from bland, identical shades, to vibrant and clear ones, showing him exactly who was standing at the edge of the field. One had sunglasses. The other, a dirty yellow sweater.


    "...Well then, let''s show them how we deal with traitors around here!"


    Breathe in. Breathe out. Keep your grip steady. You''ve got this.


    Tom could feel the sweat building up on his palm, making the steel sword slip from under his control. He could feel his heart pounding, the sensation making his whole body tremble. His eyes stayed focused on the house in front of him as he lay low in the grass, feeling the various flowers touching his skin and bandages. Daffodils, tulips, lavender, poppies, gladiolus, peonies... his mouth was beginning to get awfully dry, and his burns seemed to be more bothersome than ever. Not to mention the cold wind, the wet grass, the-


    Breathe in. Breathe out. Don''t get distracted. Focus on the house.


    He had to remember. Remember who was in the house, and what was happening. Because someone he truly cared about, a boy he had started calling his best friend, Taza, was inside, and he had no way out himself. This was their only shot at getting him free and giving him an escape from it all, maybe finally making the choice to run away from this city and leave it all behind. Maybe he could build a future with this newfound ''family'' they had managed to form, and maybe things would finally be okay from there-


    Breathe in. Breathe out. Fonda fired. They''re distracted.


    But what was the point of running, anyway? He had been doing that all his life, hadn''t he? He promised himself that when he found the man with the voice, the sweater and the glasses he would stop and he would finally try and learn more about the memories. But this is a cycle that will never end, as long as they''re here and Dissonance rules above them they will always, always suffer. But is there another way? Is there a way to stay, but be free from that tyrant at the same time? Maybe-


    Breathe in. Breathe out. They''re after them. They''ve left the house.


    No time to think. Time to move. Now!


    And just as he ran motivated by fear when the stranger with the crown chased him, just as he ran after the man with the signing voice all his life, and just as he ran away from everything that came before, he ran towards the house, driven by the flame of hope for a better future burning in his heart. Because in front of him there was injustice, there was tyranny and there was a possibility of breaking it all down. He just had to take the first step, and that first step, whether he could handle the pressure or not, all depended on how he acted here. And even though just seconds ago he was doubting himself, now he knew - He knew that whatever happened, he would do anything he could as long as he had a chance at saving his friend.


    Because right now, that was all that mattered.


    "Oh Will! Don''t run! There''s nothing to be afraid of..."


    One thing Will noted about Georgie was how intense he seemed to get when fighting, compared to his rather calm personality when he saw him around the city. He knew that Dissonance had strange ways of training his two bodyguards, one of them including the so called ''hunts'' - It was often that the people in the city would find Georgie and Sapana chasing the local leader with bloodlust in their eyes. They''d shout, push people over, have long fights that resulted in damage to virtually everything around them, and would usually spiral into insulting one another for days after. This essentially meant that the one thing these two specified at was chasing people down ¨C That, and sounding incredibly intimidating as they did so.


    Georgie was nearby. Will could hear his voice echoing from virtually every direction, his sing-song tone cutting through his very psyche. Luring him into the woods where he could not see Tom in the flower field was certainly a good idea, until he realized that he himself was lost and struggling to find his way. Only a few seconds later, he felt something slamming into him, causing him to collapse to the floor and hit the back of his head on a nearby tree. His head was spinning as he got to his knees and got ready to stand, dodging an oncoming arrow just in the nick of time. He rolled to the side and finally got to his feet, already feeling his reality fading as he did so. He knew that if he were to black out here, he''d be a goner. He raised his sword and got ready to block as another arrow was fired, this one stabbing into a thick, leather strap on his chest plate by sheer luck.


    Will quickly pulled the arrow out and dropped to the floor as Georgie fired another, doing so at speeds so quick it was impossible to keep up with. He dodged two of them by hiding behind a large boulder, and as Georgie got close, Will grabbed onto his arms and tried to force him over to his side. He succeeded, leaving the man lying in front of him and giving himself a head start as Georgie got up to run once more. He could already feel himself getting out of breath, wheezing and coughing as he lacked air to breathe. It wasn''t hard for Georgie, who did stuff like this on the daily, to catch up with him and knock him to the ground. This time, he put his knee on his thigh, essentially pinning him down and leaving him immobile. Will lifted his sword and swung it but the other deflected it with his forearm, which was protected by a steel guard. The sword flew away at great force and lodged itself in a nearby tree, leaving Will with no weapon and no hope for survival.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    "It''s funny, Will.", Georgie started, attaching his bow to his back and removing a small, steel dagger from a sheath on his right leg.


    He moved it close to the man''s throat, and from the fear alone, he could already hear the passing whispers of a memory getting ready to embrace him and lock him away from the pain. The blade stung him with its chilling temperature, clearly a weapon not often used and reserved only for unusual situations ¨C Situations like these.


    "It''s almost like you thought you had a chance at getting away from me. But that would be stupid. Even from a man as... unusual, as you."


    And as always, Will was already fading out, barely able to comprehend what was being said to him. Because every time Will was about to face something where he''d actually be required to act, to be brave, to do something of use, he was snatched away. Because he was useless. He was a useless piece of garbage and never contributed to anything of use and oh god he was so afraid he couldn''t even think straight-


    "But as a distraction, now this... is interesting."


    ...useless, I''m useless, I''m a horrible person and an even worse father, I can''t do anything right and I always need help and why am I even here doing this I wanna go back I just wanna go back to the fog being alive hurts too much I just want to forget all of this again just take me back to the strangers take me back to the cold glare to the crown to the laugh to the sword to the discs to the I don''t care just take me back


    Why am I not going back?


    "...I''ll make sure to tell the kid you gave it a good try. Right before I drown him in that little lake by your caravan."


    And as Georgie moved the dagger back, getting ready for a deadly slash, a large, unidentifiable shape slammed into him, and he was forced aside, his weapon tumbling away. Will reacted instantly, pulling himself away from his thoughts and rushing to grab onto it. A bright, orange light filled the area just as he did, Sapana appearing with his torch and axe, the latter stained with blood. Will''s eyes were instantly drawn to Georgie, now in a vicious fist-fight with Errett, who had tackled him only moments ago. Will now focused his attacks on the man who had taken Taza away in the first place ¨C A personal spite building up inside of him.


    Will lunged forward, moving at a speed faster than he could fully comprehend. It was like something else than his raw strength was driving him, something far deeper, stronger, and darker. Way, way darker. Sapana clearly wasn''t expecting it, letting his guard down long enough for Will to stab his axe-wielding hand from the side, blood seeping out as he did so. The man backed away and dropped his weapon, unable to hold on, beginning to blindly wave his torch around. Will dodged one attack, then the next, and then the next. And as he looked at Sapana, all he could see was him grabbing Tom, pushing him into that cave, and dragging Taza away. Nothing more. Just the pure hatred and lust for revenge. But revenge tends to blind you, and Will had failed to account for how quickly someone like Sapana could flip a situation like this around.


    During one of his blind slashes, Sapana ducked to the floor and kicked forward, knocking Will on his back. He tried to stand up but felt a strong kick to his stomach, causing him to curl up in pain. He watched helplessly as the steel dagger was once more picked up by its rightful owner, Errett nowhere to be seen. For a moment the two spoke, as if behind some sort of wall, their conversation muted and unclear. And then, without any further attacks, they ran to the side, disappearing into the dark woods. Will now saw Errett ¨C He was slowly standing up from the floor, holding onto a large bruise on his head, blood pouring from his forehead and onto his face. Despite this, still, he rushed forward and checked the other man first and foremost.


    "Will... Will, you feeling okay? Did you break anything?"


    Will shot up almost instantly, grabbing Errett''s hands and stopping him from doing anything.


    "Errett, you''re bleeding! What did he do to you? Are you alright?"


    The man fixed up his sunglasses and gritted his teeth, trying to move his focus away from his overwhelming pain.


    "That doesn''t matter right now! Where are- Where are they?!"


    The two men looked around, noticing Georgie and Sapana had long disappeared. For a moment, it seemed a blessing, giving them a chance to get away and live. But they were soon reminded why exactly they were out here, fighting for their life ¨C And that reminder was a shout for help.


    A shout for help from an archer hidden deep in the forest.


    "Taza!"


    The boy, who had been sitting on his floor and sobbing into his knees until now, rapidly wiped his tears away with his sleeve and looked up. Although his eyes were still slightly blurred, it wasn''t hard to recognise the teenager forcing his way in through his window. Blonde hair, a red patch on top of his shirt and way too many band aids and bandages for him to be considered ''cautious''. Taza instantly shot up, rushing over and wrapping his arms around his shoulders, receiving a hug in return. He backed away, already bouncing on his feet from excitement.


    "You''re okay!", he shouted, putting his hands together.


    "When Sapana threw you down that cave, I thought- I thought you were dead- And- And he told me about the explosion, and-"


    "Some things happened, but we''re all fine."


    Tom grabbed his friend''s shoulders and narrowed his eyes.


    "Right now we have to get out of here. We have to go before-"


    "Time''s up."


    The two boys turned around, and in the doorway, found none other than Sapana, a torch in one of his hands, meanwhile the other hung limp by his side. Tom could not overlook the blood gushing right out of it ¨C But the man seemed to ignore it. His full focus was on the teenagers in front of him, their fear outlined in the warm glow of his torch. He didn''t speak, instead making his first move. Tom pushed Taza to the side and readied his sword, just barely managing to deflect a swing from the torch. The fire was close to his face and produced great heat, reminding him of everything that happened at Errett''s house in an instant. This small flashback was enough to stun him and leave him completely unguarded as Sapana swiftly kicked his leg, causing him to collapse to the floor. Taza took this moment to react, rising up from where he had fallen and tackling the man by pushing himself into his waist.


    The next few moments were the most messy and chaotic of the night ¨C Firstly, Taza got off Sapana before he could gather himself and helped Tom stand, the boy readying his blade for another attack. He pressed it against the man''s throat, but deep inside knew he would never have the motivation to take a life, right here, right now. And the one under the blade must have seen it, too, and instead of saving himself, picked up his torch and threw it onto one of the tables ¨C A table filled with dry flowers, which quickly lit on fire, a fire which began spreading to the walls. Tom grabbed onto his friend and the two stumbled outside, Sapana giving chase. Without his torch or axe he grabbed onto one of the arrows Fonda had fired and began swinging it around like some sort of dagger ¨C At this stage, it was clear to see he was getting desperate.


    Tom dodged one of the man''s blind attacks and spun around, his sword cutting right through his chest plate and leaving a rather large gash. Sapana looked down in disbelief, then back at Tom, and finally, his eyes settled on his newly found weapon. His eyes wandered back to the small house Taza had once lived in, now up in flames, the fire slowly spreading further and further out. That''s when the man knew ¨C He knew he had done too much to ever be able to look Dissonance in the eyes and give a report of this whole incident with pride. He cursed under his breath, turned back, and ran into the night, disappearing somewhere in the woods. And while Tom seemed satisfied with the result, his friend definitely was not.


    "Tom... Tom, the flowers..."


    Taza grabbed onto his friend''s shirt and tucked at it, his teary eyes locked on his house. The flames began spreading onto the grass and consuming the many flowers, the colours fading from them as they became dark and shrivelled.


    "They''re all gonna burn... every single one of them, the whole field, it''s gonna-"


    "We have to go, Taza!", Tom exclaimed, already feeling the smoke fill his lungs.


    He pulled his friend along but he remained unmoved, watching the fire spread in silence.


    "Taza, I''m sorry, but there''s nothing we can do. We have to go! Now!"


    Tom came closer, grabbing his friend by the shoulders and turning him around so he was forced to look him in the eye.


    "All battlefields turn into poppy fields eventually, right, Taza?"


    The boy sniffled.


    "...They do... they always do."


    He wiped a few more tears away, and let himself be led home. And as the two boys walked away from the field, the flames only grew stronger and stronger, consuming more and more of the daffodils, tulips, lavender, poppies, gladiolus, peonies and everything else the field had ¨C And there was nothing that could have been done. There was no way to stop this destruction, this pain, this suffering, because what had happened there that night was only a start ¨C A start to something far worse, far more twisted, far more painful.


    It was the start of a war.

 Chapter 9 - Aftermath

    ...What... happened?


    "Fonda, don''t worry. I''m here."


    ...Someone''s touching my head... my hair... Dad?


    "Will, pass me those bandages."


    ...Deep voice... calm and collected... Errett?


    "Is he gonna be okay?"


    ...Concern... soft and gentle tone of voice... Taza?


    "Holy shit! Is that his fucking bone?!"


    Tom. Definitely Tom.


    What happened?


    "Fonda, you were badly injured. But I''m here with you. You''ll be fine."


    Okay... thanks dad.


    "Another bandage, please. Taza, hold that more tightly."


    Errett... am I gonna make it?


    "It''s bleeding! Is there supposed to be this much blood?"


    Calm down, Taza... I''ll be fine...


    "Oh shit... Oh shit... Oh shit!"


    ...Tom... keep it together... everything will be fine... I think...


    What the hell happened to me?!


    "Just hold on a little longer. You''ll be fine after a bit."


    I hope you''re not just saying that because it-


    "There. Now we just need support for the cast."


    God it hurts so much I can''t even feel my hand...


    "Wait- Wait- Don''t move his- Oh god..."


    What is that stop stop stop it hurts please-


    "Oh my god, was it supposed to snap back like that?!"


    What was that why did it hurt so much why-


    "Son, you''re fine now. Just rest. Trust me. Everything will be okay."


    Okay dad. I trust you. I''ll rest.


    And so he did.


    Fonda had only awoken hours later, unsure of the time or even his location. His right hand hurt the most out of his whole otherwise agony-ridden body, and he soon noted he couldn''t even move it at all. There was something stiff keeping it in place, but even without it, he doubted he would have been able to move it. He turned to his side and looked around, noting that he was inside the caravan, laying in the bed he had given up for Tom to sleep on when he first arrived here almost a month back. Near the front he could see someone moving around - But he didn''t really have time to recognise who it was. His mind was more focused on how he got here in the first place - And what exactly happened in that forest.


    He remembered flashes - He was standing still and watching the house, seeing as Tom struggled to force the window open for almost five minutes. Whatever locks Dissonance and his friends put on that house were stronger than anything he had ever seen before - But eventually, the boy got in. Only minutes later Sapana started moving towards the entrance, and Fonda began firing at him. And it was here that things got messy - Right before his final, deadly shot, someone slammed into him, knocking him onto his right side. There was shouting, cursing, someone else got there and a long fight took place as he slowly bled out on the floor below. And now he was here, bandaged and cleaned up, but from how much pain he was feeling, able to tell that their potion supply had finally run dry. He finally decided to sit up and get moving - He had to know what happened.


    Straight away, he knew their mission must have been successful to an extent. On the front chairs of the caravan sat Tom and Taza, completely silent. Tom wasn''t speaking, for once... something very rare for him. As for Taza, his eyes told it all - Faded, colourless and focused solely on the small, burned daffodil he was grasping in his hand. Tom gave Fonda a passing glance, forced a sad smile and then focused on his friend once more. Taza himself didn''t even seem to recognise him standing there, clearly something else on his mind. The eighteen year old finally turned to the doorway and stepped outside, the bright light of the sun blinding him as he did so.


    "Fonda! Fonda, how are you feeling?"


    Fonda''s father was the first to greet him, grabbing onto him and helping him out of the caravan. The man rubbed his eyes and looked around, seeing Will, as well as Errett, fishing by the lake together.


    "...Better, I think... what even happened?"


    He scratched the back of his head, noticing that a bandage was wrapped all the way around it. Errett soon abandoned his fishing rod and came closer, putting his hands in his pockets.


    "...Georgie got to you before we could stop him. He broke your arm."


    The man moved his sunglasses slightly. Fonda could see they had some cracks and a splatter of blood on them - but he still didn''t take them off. What could possibly be hiding behind them if he insisted on covering it so much?


    "How''s Taza? Did he make it out okay? Is he feeling okay?"


    Fonda instantly switched topics, knowing that since everyone was here and alive, something else must have broken that boy down to the point he was at now. Errett looked aside in silence, meanwhile Will explained instead;


    "Sapana burned down the flower field. There''s not gonna be any more potions from either side, not for a long time."


    The man looked down, rubbing his eyes.


    "Taza hasn''t been able to focus on anything else since. I... I don''t really know what we''re gonna do now. Dissonance, Sapana and Georgie have all been missing since yesterday."


    "...We have to run, right?"


    At his words, both of the men perked up.


    "Once Dissonance gets more potions we''re done for, and we can''t make any ourselves. We have to get out of the city before he comes after us! Before he comes here and blows our home to pieces-"


    "And where do we go then?", Errett cut in.


    "There''s a reason we never go into the wilderness. No one knows what''s out there! Those things that wander the woods at night, we''d never stand a chance with them! Not with the gear we have right now!"


    "We either stay and risk our lives or run and get a chance at surviving. Whether we like it or not, we''ll have to make that choice - There''s no other way to stay away from Dissonance!", and as Will announced this, the doors of the caravan opened.


    "...There''s one way."


    Now, standing with them, was Taza, being supported by Tom right by his side. He shook the blonde off and moved forward, his feet dragging behind him as he did so. He stopped for a moment, lifting the burned flower in his right hand. It crumbled and the small dust it produced settled on his hand, but he didn''t seem to mind. He remained still and as he looked at it, and after about a minute, finally spoke.


    "...Take me to the field.", he whispered, lowering his head.


    "I can explain it better there. But I need to go to the flower field."Stolen novel; please report.


    Tom looked at his friend momentarily, grabbing his hand.


    "Taza, are you sure?"


    The boy did not answer. Instead, he turned to the side and began walking away by himself. The look in his eyes as he passed them was unnatural ¨C It hid deeply rooted sorrow and regret. The four followed ¨C What other choice did they have?


    The walk to the field wasn''t long ¨C But it was filled with impossible, unexplainable silence. Silence that hid words not yet said, explanations not yet given, and thoughts on everything that had gone down that they did not dare to share with one another. And as the five had finally arrived at the charred remains of the once vibrant flower field, it was clear from Taza''s reaction he was not yet ready to face it. His eyes widened as he watched the pitch black stems sway in the gentle breeze, not even a smudge of their long lost colours left behind. He knelt down for a moment, the soot and ash staining his trousers as he did so. His hands wandered over the burned stems for just a moment, his fingers tracing the edges of each one. Ash was still floating around, landing on him as he remained unmoved. Tom crouched down by his friend, putting a hand on his shoulder.


    "Are you alright, Taza?", he whispered to him, getting an instant reaction.


    The boy shook his head, got to his feet and wiped his eyes. There was something new in them ¨C Something Will had only seen in one person before. It was the flame of hope and a desperate want for revenge, whatever steps may have to be taken to finally get it.


    "...Dissonance is going to pay for this."


    He looked at Will first of all.


    "He will pay for taking advantage of you."


    His eyes settled on Fonda.


    "He will pay for exploiting both you and me."


    He turned to Errett.


    "He''ll pay for destroying our houses."


    And finally, he looked at Tom.


    "And he will pay for hurting my friends. Because what Dissonance doesn''t realize now..."


    Taza grinned, looking at the field.


    "He just gave us the upper hand in this war."


    "...Wait... wait, wait, wait, what do you mean?"


    Fonda got closer, shifting his cast slightly. He was definitely not going to get used to having his arm broken... "If the field is gone, how does that benefit us? We can''t have potions and neither can Dissonance ¨C The whole city is screwed by this point for protection!"


    Taza waited for a moment, played around with the buttons on his shirt in idle thought, and then explained;


    "...Without potions on either side and with five of us and three of them, we are on somewhat equal ground until potion supply is restored."


    Taza paused, his smile growing stronger.


    "...Dissonance always made sure I gave him spare seeds for every flower I took care of in the flower field. At first it was a safety net, but eventually it was about control. Reminding me that even if I decided to go rogue, he would be able to recover the loss without me. Now, since the whole of Dissonance''s group is missing and they''re not here replanting, I''m guessing they''re preparing a new field somewhere in private... my best guess is a ravine, somewhere hidden but still with access to light. It also has to be close to the city. So somewhere over there."


    Taza paused and pointed to the nearby mountains.


    "There''s no point trying to fight them or destroy their supply. But they''re going to be occupied for quite some time. With the amount of flowers they''d have to grow to fully restore the flower field to full efficiency... they''d need about... four months of work. Five if they set up a new brewing system. They''re going to be distracted, gone most of the time... unable to stop anything we may want to do."


    Taza glared at Will.


    "But we need someone to lead us. Show us what we should do. We have time and we have people but we need direction. What do we do, Will?"


    Will hesitated, thinking deeply about everything. About everything that had gone down, about everything that they had endured, and about everything they had fought for. All they ever wanted was freedom, all they ever wanted was the right to choose for themselves, they never wanted anything more or anything less. But to Dissonance that was too much, giving them the right to live freely under his rule. And in between the questions and everything that had happened, he could only see one clear answer. One way to be free while staying where they are, one way to avoid running but giving them the freedom of choice, one way to stand for themselves with strength and power. One way to keep their heads up. One way to stay alive. One way to fight for what''s right and give them a chance. Only one word could describe his idea accurately;


    Independence.


    "...I may have an idea.", Will spoke slowly, unsure if he truly meant his own words.


    "But we can''t talk about it here. We need to go back to the caravan... we''ll be safe then."


    He paused once more, clearly choosing his words very carefully.


    "If someone here were to listen... we could get in some serious trouble."


    He finally turned to leave, everyone else following closely behind.


    What was Will''s idea? He wasn''t sure himself. He knew the answer was right there, and somewhere, deep in his memories and dreams, he felt as though he had done things far more impossible before. He knew that the man with the cold glare would have urged him on, his convincing voice whispering into his ear to give him guidance. He knew the man with the crown and the sword would slay all in his way, and take what he thought he deserved. And looking at the hair, the discs and the laugh, he knew for sure that he had to do whatever it took to protect those he cared about. So as the group arrived at the caravan, he turned around, and without a second of warning, began spouting a plan hatched from his sheer helplessness in the situation;


    "...The City of Dissonance is and forever will be Dissonance''s playing field. And our home is always in the City of Dissonance. But if our home were not to be a part of it..."


    Will turned back, fixing up his glasses. They were cracked, stained, and falling apart. Yet still, they held on. Almost like this group of unlikely allies did, holding onto a possibility of freedom.


    "...If we were to stand alone, he would have no right to control us. We have to form our own city. Our own nation."


    "Will, that''s insane!", Errett cut in.


    "What, you want to have a war of independence with that maniac? Make sure he can slaughter us for good this time?"


    "We''re safe for the next few months.", Taza interjected.


    "Enough to form defences and prepare for a battle. We could do this. We could win this."


    "And we''ll make our own city? Right here?"


    Tom asked, his eyes already filling with mischievous glee.


    "What would we call it? Can I design the flag?".


    "We''re not starting our own city here, that''s just crazy!"


    Fonda turned around, waving his hand at the two young boys.


    "He''ll just crush it. Blow it all up like he did Errett''s house!"


    "...Not if we prepare. Not if we fight. And once we are our own nation, Dissonance will have no right to attack us. We will create a peace treaty, some sort of agreement-", Will began thinking aloud.


    "And you think he''ll just follow it?", Errett questioned their ideas.


    "What sort of reason would he have to just agree with our rules on his turf? You know how Dissonance is..."


    "He''s smart!", Taza reminded everyone.


    "He knows that if he were to go against some sort of political agreement, the whole city would revolt. And that would be an issue for him!"


    "...We could do this... we could actually do this!"


    Tom began getting overly excited.


    "Corner Dissonance into signing an agreement with us and then we can be independent!"


    "Let''s not get ahead of ourselves! Independence is a fun buzz word, sure, but what does it even mean? What exactly are we gonna do out here?", Errett started asking himself questions.


    "This was all a bad idea from the start... but I guess we''re too far in now..."


    Fonda looked up at his father, a small smile on his face.


    "So where do we start?"


    Will thought, for just a second. A memory seemed to tug at the back of his mind.


    "Whatever stands in my borders is my land. It''s as simple as that."


    "You can''t just- You can''t claim the whole world as being within your border!"


    "Well... I just did that... so tough luck I guess. The whole world is mine."


    "New rule ¨C You need a wall to mark your border. Official as of right now."


    "Hey! Not fair! I got the whole world, fair and square!"


    And with a chuckle he didn''t quite understand, he spoke;


    "...We need to mark our border. With a wall."


    "A... wall?", Fonda repeated, narrowing his eyes.


    "Can we have some more details? I mean how big are we talking? What kind of materials? Since I can''t help build it, I could plan it..."


    It was clear the eighteen year old was already getting engaged with the idea.


    "For a flag, are we thinking stripes, triangles or X-es? How about all of them?!", Tom started exclaiming to himself, getting on the ground and starting to form shapes from nearby flowers and sticks.


    Taza started looking around.


    "If we were to build more homes here, what buildings should we prioritize? We can''t all live in that caravan, now, can we?"


    Taza rubbed his chin, looking around.


    "Maybe a small armoury here... a home for Errett here... Tom, do you wanna share a house?"


    "I think we''re forgetting the most important thing."


    Errett paused, a grin spreading across his face.


    "This place needs a name. Every strong nation has a strong name, right? So what''s our name, Mr. President?", with his joking tone, it was clear Errett was the least enthusiastic about the idea.


    But Will didn''t mind ¨C He looked towards the horizon with a fond smile.


    "...How about..."


    Will paused, looking aside.


    "...Lasenberg."


    "Lasenberg? Seriously?"


    Errett looked aside and scoffed.


    "Sure. Why not? Mind if I design some uniforms? I have a few things in mind..."


    The man walked aside without receiving an answer, entering the caravan. He started looking through all of the group''s clothes, looking through old pieces and putting them together in various combinations. And while he did so, Will continued looking out into the distance, watching as the sun shone over the City of Dissonance. It made the windows glimmer, made the colours of the buildings brighter, and brought some peace to his heart. He turned back to look at his companions as they all scurried to make this nation their home ¨C And he felt his heart fill with an unfamiliar feeling of... content.


    Will looked upon the beginnings of Lasenberg with hope.

 Chapter 10 - Four and a Half Months

    It didn''t take Dissonance''s group four months to replant the field. It didn''t take them five months, either. Instead, it took them four and a half months.


    Some would say Taza''s prediction was accurate enough ¨C Accurate enough for those four and a half months to be productive for the entirety of the newly founded Lasenberg. And indeed, it was. Thanks to his prediction, work could be spread out over the course of four months and possible improvements in the fifth month if it were to come around, ordered by importance. And although they had been hesitant with their movements and unsure of how seriously they were to take the whole idea of having their own city, with time they became more and more confident with their plan. People of the City of Dissonance asked questions and they always presented the same responses ¨C They proudly told all of their independent city. The four month plan, as Will had dubbed it, went something like this;


    For the first month, foundations were laid out for the walls, encircling a large area around the caravan and some of the forest nearby. Trees were cut down, materials were gathered, and everything was carefully planned out by Fonda. The five worked day and night, barely sleeping and spending all their days beginning their ambitious plan. Errett, together with Taza, had put work into preparing the uniforms for their country, eventually designing the final version and putting orders in place to have them tailored for everyone in the country. And although pessimistic at first, it was clear Errett had started to grow on the idea of having their own nation. And the day the five had finally began building up the wall, Errett excitedly returned to Lasenberg with a large box of something unknown to them. He opened it before the group with a grin.


    "A little deal with Quawin and here we have them ¨C Official Lasenbergian uniforms!"


    Errett opened the box and started removing five carefully folded outfits, each one with a small label on top of it. While everyone else struggled to get theirs, Will stepped forward with concern.


    "...A deal with Quawin? What deal exactly?"


    He moved his hair aside. He knew more than anyone Quawin had some shady business practices, and wasn''t exactly the go-to guy for deals around the city. Errett put aside his own uniform and then passed Will his.


    "Don''t worry about it. Just a few personal funds."


    He came closer with the man''s uniform.


    "I had this one made special for you. Since you''re technically our president and all."


    Will picked up his uniform and inspected it for a while.


    "Everyone! Try them on! Let''s see how they look!"


    In seconds the whole group scattered, finding places to change in peace. Tom rushed to the caravan, Taza hid somewhere behind it, Fonda ran behind some trees, and Errett, with a bit more control over himself, went to stand behind some of the foundations the group had made up for the wall. Will soon did the same, arriving at a spot alone and distant from everyone else. He changed quickly, at first struggling with some of the more complicated bits of the uniform but getting them eventually. A few minutes later he had made his way back to the front of the caravan, where he found everyone else still missing. With nothing else to do and great curiosity, Will wandered to the lake and glanced into his reflection.


    The uniform, as quickly as Errett had strung it together, was stunning. Black, tight trousers with brown boots, and a clean, white shirt to go along with it. Over it, a dark orange coat with golden buttons and shoulder pads. Between the shirt and the trousers, around his stomach, he had wrapped a green piece of cloth, tightening all of the parts of the uniform and making it easier to manoeuvre. There was a belt going around from his right shoulder to the left side of his waist, with straps for a bow or a sword to be placed on the back. The uniform even had a green tie to go along with it ¨C Will had never been a fan of ties, but it seemed to fit him quite well in this look. The man could even see the custom changes Errett had ensured he got ¨C His name, alongside the title of "President", was carefully sewn into his jacket with a golden thread.


    "...Looking good, Mr. President."


    Errett emerged from around the wall foundations, his uniform already in place. His uniform simply had ''Errett'' sewn into it with silver thread.


    "How do you like it? I''d say you look ready for a war!"


    The man got closer, both now looking down into the lake.


    "You know what?"


    Will turned and watched his reflection, inspecting his coat from every angle.


    "I rather like it. It definitely makes us look like far more than some random rule-breakers."


    He put a hand on Errett''s shoulder.


    "Thanks, Errett. You''re really making this whole thing work."


    "Happy to help."


    Errett tilted his head, smiling.


    "Once this war is over and done with, we''re gonna make this country a force to be reckoned with!"


    He lifted his hand in a fist for a moment, chuckling to himself as he realized how over-dramatic he had sounded.


    "...I''ll be happy to have you by my side, then.", Will told him, relaxing his shoulders. The two''s peaceful talk, however, was cut short soon enough. Tom had run out of the caravan, grinning widely as he spun around and showed off his uniform.


    "Look at this! I look proper badass!"


    He paused, pointing to himself.


    "Who''s ready for a revolution? This guy, bitches!"


    Errett and Will both couldn''t help but laugh as they watched Tom run around with his uniform like a kid on Halloween with the best costume in town - His eyes were practically glimmering with excitement.


    "...Your tie is all weird. Come here."


    Will grabbed the boy by the shoulder and pulled him closer, forcing him to a stop. There was a child-like grimace on his face, but despite this, he stayed still and allowed the man to rearrange his outfit. A few silent mutters and one fixed tie later, he finally spoke;


    "I could have fixed that myself, you know?", Tom mumbled with an impatient tone of voice, awkwardly shifting around as Will moved on to rearranging the collar of his shirt.


    "You put it on wrong in the first place. You wouldn''t have even noticed it was wrong."


    Will arranged his jacket a bit more and finally stepped back.


    "And I can''t have my right hand man looking unruly now, can I?"


    Tom''s eyes went wide for a moment, and he gasped.


    "Your-"


    Before could speak, Will silenced him with a quick gesture. He pointed to Errett, now talking with Taza, who had just gotten there with his own uniform.


    "Your right hand man, Will?", he whispered in disbelief.


    "For real?"


    "Tom, you''re the only person who''s seen the dreams. You''re the only one here who will ever be able to understand me."


    Will paused, smiling as he saw the young boy''s eyes filling with glee.


    "Just... don''t tell the others yet. I''m still thinking about how to announce it properly..."


    "You can trust me, Will!"


    Tom saluted him as Fonda, the last to have fully changed, arrived at the group. His tail was awkwardly poking out of the top of his trousers, which Errett attempted to swiftly fix with a pair of scissors. The young blonde joined them soon enough, poking fun at Fonda with how ridiculous he looked trying to fit the fluffy tail into a small hole Errett had cut. Will looked at the whole group as they talked, himself standing at a distance.


    This could work out... this could really work out.


    The second month was spent with more focus on the wall than before. The group started doing odd-jobs around the town to get funding and materials, in some places even getting supplies gifted to them. Errett, with the uniforms completed, began making some changes to the wall''s overall design, allowing them to build something far stronger far more quickly. The five spent all thirty days of the month laying foundations, layering large, black bricks and didn''t waste any of their time. And for the whole month, Dissonance''s group had refused to show themselves. Some of the people in the town took it upon themselves to protect it from the creatures in the woods - But there didn''t seem to be a need for it. As the citizens scouting the outer edge of the city had reported, most of the monsters were slain by someone with expert precision. At the news, the city seemed to relax. They had dubbed the mystery hero ''The Blade'', after the clean cuts he had made on the monster''s bodies. The man had proven to be the peace of mind the city needed with Dissonance, Sapana and Georgie nowhere to be found... and yet, Will couldn''t help but notice Tom getting uncomfortable whenever The Blade had been mentioned.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    The third month was when doubt began creeping in. Errett continued questioning the stability of the wall - Although doing it under his breath, his small comments and remarks were enough to send everyone else into internal panic. Fonda''s arm refused to heal, leaving him unable to contribute to helping build the wall. This left him disheartened, walking around with his head kept low and constantly whispering under his breath about being ''useless'' and a ''burden''. Taza, although he wouldn''t let it show directly, still struggled with the loss of the flower field and his home. The longing looks towards where it had once been and the late night walks to its remains were enough to show everyone he was struggling. And finally, there was Tom, the worst of them all. Ever since the first mention of The Blade and his heroic fights in the woods around the city, he had been giving the forest nervous glances. He''d tug at his jacket as they wandered through to gather wood or hunt animals, and at night he''d lose sleep patrolling the edge of great forestry. Will knew he had to interfere in some way - So while the others were busy working on the wall, he pulled Tom aside and confronted him about his strange behaviour.


    "So what''s the deal with you and The Blade?", Will asked without much context required.


    Tom shifted his coat, played around with his sleeve and looked up, trying his best to sound confused. Tom, however, was not a very good liar.


    "...What do you mean?", he asked, but his stammer gave him away almost instantly.


    Will leaned forward, noticing Tom''s tie to be off once more. Almost two months of wearing the uniform and he still struggled with it...


    "It''s not hard to see. You get nervous every time you hear about him."


    Will began rearranging Tom''s tie while he spoke.


    "You don''t have to say anything if you don''t want to. Just know you don''t have to be scared around me."


    "It''s..."


    Tom sighed and moved the man''s hand away, starting to fix up the tie himself.


    "It''s a long story, and it''d be too much to explain, anyway. Just don''t worry about it."


    Will grabbed Tom''s arm before he could walk away. This was enough to force him to sigh and speak, unable to just turn away from his friend;


    "...I''ve met him before.", the boy finally whispered, looking back.


    "I mean... I think I did. I''m not really sure. Remember when Sapana threw me into that cave?"


    Tom crossed his arms as Will nodded.


    "Well, someone saved me. There was a spider... a huge one. And it was about to attack me, but then someone... something... killed it. A perfect cut, one stab. Just as The Blade does it."


    "Why didn''t you tell anyone?", Will instantly asked, cocking an eyebrow.


    "Tom, there could be someone in those woods who could help us stay safe from Dissonance, why didn''t you-"


    Tom''s hands suddenly clenched into fists, an angry glare coming to his expression.


    "Because I was scared, Will! I don''t know why that man he... he made me feel so afraid and... and I felt like if I told anyone he''d hurt me. But I decided to tell you because... well, you trust me, so I trust you too. But you have to promise to not tell anyone!"


    Will thought about it for just a moment, but seeing the helpless expression on Tom''s face, he made his choice.


    "...Fine. I won''t. I promise. But I need to know more."


    Hesitantly, the boy let his fists relax once more and stepped back.


    "Why are you so afraid of him?"


    "...I... I don''t know..."


    Tom''s voice became shaky and uncertain.


    "...It''s just... his voice, or... I don''t know... I''m scared and I don''t know why... It''s like I know I should be, and- I- I don''t-"


    "Hey, it''s alright.",


    Will noticed the boy getting progressively more uncomfortable, so he pulled him closer into a gentle hug.


    "He won''t hurt you, Tom. I''ll keep you safe. I promise."


    "...I know you will..."


    He wrapped his arms around the other''s waist, burying his face deep in his shirt.


    "But I still don''t get it.... why am I so afraid?"


    "Not everything makes sense.", Will muttered, slowly running his hand through the boy''s blonde tuft of curly hair.


    "Like our dreams. Those memories. And whatever lies in between. We don''t understand it, but that''s okay. We have each other, so even if we don''t figure it out, at least some of it makes sense. So you might not understand the fear, but at least you know he''s keeping us safe for now. Right?"


    The boy sniffled and forced a sad smile.


    "Right.", he responded, clearing his throat.


    "Right.", he said again, moving away from Will.


    "Thanks, Willz."


    The man flinched - He had never been called that before. In a strange way, it felt incredibly familiar. He instantly assumed it to be from the dreams - most of this strange familiarity with the most random things came from it. He watched as Tom walked away, pleased he could at least give him peace of mind.


    This peace, however, would not last for long.


    The fourth month was when everything finally came together. The wall was completed, Tom finished designing the flag, and summer was coming to an end at a quickening pace. The air grew colder and leaves started turning orange and brown shades, falling from the trees at sluggish rates. With this season came a lot of worry and unrest, Taza claiming the field would be right about fully grown by now. Still, Dissonance did not show himself. A mix of past worries and impatience while waiting for the three leaders to return had left everyone uneasy and unsure of the future of their nation - A nation not yet officially independent.


    Will knew he had to do something to motivate his men (even if there were only four of them), so he gathered them all together above a small piece of paper with a quill dipped in ink in his hand. He laid it out on a small table Fonda had made when his arm finally started working properly again. He insisted on helping somehow, and with the wall already built, he ended up pretty much single-handedly wiping out most of the trees within Lasenberg''s walls. He started laying down bases for a home that Tom, Taza and Errett could stay in, as well as creating some crafting spots outside. One of these was a table Tom often used for designing the flag, by which Will was now writing something down and reading it aloud. The rest of the city gathered around him, carefully listening in to what he was writing. Accompanied by the scratching of the quill, his voice dictated the nation''s declaration of independence;


    DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE


    Forever the nation of the City of Dissonance has cast great troubles upon our great earth. Imprisoned us. Threatened us. Exploited us. This time of tyranny ends with us. This document declares that the nation which shall be henceforth known as Lasenberg is separate, emancipated and independent from the nation of the City of Dissonance.


    The union of the friends-in-arms. Together we are one. When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one to destroy the bonds which tie us. Disregarding this truth is nothing short of tyranny. We hold these truths to be clear that all men are created equal. The right of the people exists above the right of leaders. The right of the government and the right of the economy.


    From Lasenberg we shall prevail.


    Life. Liberty. And the pursuit of freedom.


    "First, I will sign it. As the president of Lasenberg, I officially declare this nation our own."


    Will moved the quill down and under the text signed with his full name, Will Ash.


    "Fonda, you next. sign here, please.."


    Will passed his son the quill and pointed to a spot a large distance below his name, noticeably skipping a line.


    "I am honoured to sign this document...", Fonda started, grabbing the quill.


    He hesitantly moved his hand to the paper and wrote down, Flurry ''Fonda'' Ash.


    "...Declaring our nation independent, and our own."


    Will smiled, passing the quill to Errett.


    "I sign this document...", Errett started, and hesitated.


    Will couldn''t overlook how he held back, biting his lip. Then, finally, he wrote his name. Unlike the other two, he only used his title, simply spelling out ERRETT in all capitals.


    "...Declaring us independent from the City of Dissonance."


    The man paused for a moment and then passed the quill to Taza.


    "With great pride, I sign this document...", the boy started, quickly scribbling in Toby ''Taza'' Smith.


    He looked up with a proud grin, putting his hands on his hips.


    "And officially declare this nation independent from Dissonance''s tyrannical regime!"


    Now, all eyes settled on Tom, who was last to sign. He grabbed the quill and moved it down past Taza''s signature, but Will stopped him and pointed to the small spot he left below his own name.


    "...Tom. I am happy to finally be able to officially declare you... "


    He looked at Tom with a grin.


    "...My right hand man and my Vice-President."


    To this, the whole group gasped. He moved closer, an excited giggle escaping him as he wrote his name down in a rush; Thomas ''Tom Indeo'' Sabuta.


    "Thank you, Willz!", Tom exclaimed, saluting the president.


    "I won''t disappoint! I promise!"


    Will smiled gently and lifted the declaration up, seeing everyone''s faces grow bright from excitement as it was displayed. No one else but Will seemed to notice this, however... for the first time since he first put on the uniform, Tom finally had his tie on right.


    And a half a month later, Dissonance, Georgie, and Sapana finally returned, a stash of potions with them.


    He remembered that day well. Dissonance arrived, looked at the walls, took a single look at the declaration of independence, and hid his whole face with his mask. He walked back to his city, and only minutes later he returned, dropping a small document before them. They didn''t even need to pick it up from the floor to read it ¨C The title was clear as day to everyone gathered around it.


    DECLARATION OF WAR

 Chapter 11 - The Lasenberg War (1)

    On the morning of the 2nd of August, Will awoke to the deafening sound of a megaphone.


    "Tom... and Will... and the rest of Lasenberg."


    Snapped out of his rather peaceful sleep, Will shot up, hearing the loud, projected voice booming from the outside of the caravan. Fonda had woken up soon enough, rubbing his eyes and yawning as his ears perked up to the strange sound. Tom, who had sneaked closer to Will during the night after suffering a nightmare, instantly reached for his steel blade, which he had been keeping close to himself ever since he first got it. The last to get up were Errett and Taza, who had found a spot near the front of the caravan. Since their homes were yet to be built, everyone was forced to share this very small space. Errett put on his sunglasses before he even opened his eyes, a strange habit Will had noticed in him. Taza, on the other hand, grabbed onto a spare bronze sword and huddled in the corner, listening into the familiar voice.


    The familiar voice of Dissonance.


    "We... are at war."


    All five Lasenbergians threw on their coats and put them over whatever clothes they had slept in the night before, stumbling out of the caravan. In the distance, beyond the walls and atop a large hill, Dissonance, Georgie and Sapana stood together, coated in steel armour and wielding their usual weapons. Dissonance, a sword in one hand and a megaphone in another. Georgie, a bow, ready to fire a deadly shot at any second. And of course, Sapana, one hand wielding a burning torch, and the other, a large, bloodied axe. They stood still, for a moment, allowing their enemies to take in their situation, allowing them to bask in the power they themselves had gathered over the past four and a half months. Even from this distance Will could feel Dissonance''s twisted grin, as per usual painted across his face and barely visible under his mask.


    "There is no mercy! We have burned down Taza''s house..."


    The mentioned boy flinched and stepped back, holding onto his arm with a strong grip. Tom was soon by his side, his hand on his shoulder, as per usual. They seemed to have developed this secret language by this point, where squeezing each other''s hands or shoulders in certain manners would translate to different things. And Will was yet to learn this very language.


    "We have planted cannons outside your land..."


    The group watched in horror as Dissonance pointed to a large cannon, which seemed to be loaded with some sort of explosive. While they got distracted, they heard an arrow whizz pass, noticing that Georgie had fired. It lodged itself in the side of the caravan, trembling as it did. Fonda, who it had only narrowly avoided, became still with fear, his tail and ears perking up and standing tall. Will looked up at Dissonance, who giggled menacingly quiet before his voice called out once more;


    "And we have now shot one warning shot inside your walls."


    The five weren''t sure what to do ¨C Were Dissonance and his two companions going to attack now? Were they going to slay the five revolutionaries as they stood, then and there? Or did they have another plan, their speech being only a distraction? While Dissonance spoke, Will kept his eyes focused on the other two, Sapana and Georgie, but they seemed about as still as their leader. Tom and Taza ran off to the side and brought everyone their weapons and armours ¨C The same ragged ones from Sot they had used four months prior, alongside a few more pieces they had purchased in-between buying all of the materials for the wall and the tools they needed. They had definitely upgraded since their last encounter with Dissonance''s group ¨C but Tom''s steel sword was still the best piece of equipment they had on their side.


    "We have no mercy! No mercy for you!"


    As Dissonance''s voice grew louder and more intense with each word, Georgie and Sapana finally began making their moves. The archer loaded another arrow and changed his position, the whole group instantly getting closer to the wall to protect themselves. Sapana, on the other hand, descended into the forest and began making his way to the gates of Lasenberg. The group began getting into formations they had planned weeks prior, trying to prepare themselves for this battle. But with it finally here and about to go down, they weren''t sure if they could really handle it. Will and Tom grabbed their swords and stood up front - The President and the Vice-President, ready to defend their nation. Fonda ran back and put himself behind cover, drawing his bow. Errett and Taza provided cover for the main two defenders. And yet, no attack to defend themselves came in the first place. Dissonance simply talked on;


    "We will burn down your houses! We will kill everything inside your walls and we will take back the land that is rightfully ours!"


    Dissonance''s tone of voice was strange - Intense, yes, but above all, it also carried a hint of something rarely seen in him. A complete loss of control of himself, where for once, the psychotic look in his eyes and the twisted smile was not an act for the sake of intimidation. It was a true display of desperation and wanting to take back what was once his, whatever the cost may be. Will''s grip on his sword grew stronger, just as Tom''s did. He noticed the boy was a lot more comfortable with his weapon now than he was a while ago - He had been training with it a lot. It was still clean and sharp, Fonda taking it upon himself to help the blonde take care of it properly, but it had definitely lost the glow it once had when displayed under the sun. Any moment, the two expected Sapana to come out the corner, or for Georgie to fire at them. But nothing happened. They stayed still and silent, and the only sound around them was Dissonance''s voice booming through their land;


    "If you do not surrender- I WANT TO SEE WHITE FLAGS!"


    Dissonance cut himself off, his shouts turning into an aggressive yell. The sound was deafening, high pitched noises escaping the megaphone as the man''s threats got out of hand. His tone of voice only continued spiralling down more as he shouted out more and more violent things, his eyes invisible under his mask and unable to be read fully. Georgie and Sapana had by this point disappeared from sight completely, fading behind the great walls the nation had struggled to build for so long. Will backed up slightly, his fighting stance easing and his grip on his sword becoming loose once more. He could see what was happening - Waking them up so early, forcing them into their armour and leaving them dazed and confused. Dissonance''s group wasn''t making their first attack, no. They were simply intimidating them into showing them their best. And from the grin on Dissonance''s face when he spoke his final lines, he could tell that they had not impressed him.


    "WHITE FLAGS, INSIDE THE WALLS, BY TOMORROW, AT DAWN, OR YOU ARE DEAD!"


    And with these final words, Dissonance dropped the megaphone and allowed it to tumble down the hill on which he stood. The group watched as Georgie and Sapana emerged, pleased smirks on their faces as all three made their way away from Lasenberg. The group was left in shambles. Will stood tall, trying to keep his cool and not lose himself because of the panic. Tom was standing by him, his grip still strong and his knuckles turning white from the pressure he was putting on the handle. He was trembling slightly, but his angry eyes did not move away from the hill for a single moment. Errett let go of his weapon and sat down on the floor, his gaze absently focusing on the grass below. Still, he kept his eyes covered. Taza tried to keep his tears at bay, turning away and focusing on something else. Fonda seemed to be the only one neither shocked nor scared - He simply lowered his weapon, stood still for a moment, and then walked closer to his father in silence.


    "...He wants to see flags?", Tom whispered after a moment, stabbing his weapon into the ground and beginning to walk to the caravan.


    Will tried to stop him but was pushed away, the boy''s arm unusually strong.


    "He wants us to wave flags, does he? Well let''s give the little bitch boy a flag!"


    "Tom, what are you....", Taza started, but realization answered his question for him as the boy marched out once more, holding a large, folded cloth in his arms.


    He walked to a flag pole Fonda had prepared alongside all of his wooden creations, crouching down next to it.


    "We''re not gonna sit here... listening to that tyrant!"


    The boy swiftly unfolded the cloth, revealing it to be the flag he had worked on all this time. He attached it to the flag pole and begun moving it up, continuing to shout in-between grunts of effort;


    "He wants a flag... he gets a flag!"Stolen novel; please report.


    The higher the flag moved, the more wind blew on it, revealing it more and more. It moved gently and swayed just enough to be seen, but not enough to be ruined completely. Will had watched Tom prepare the flag but was yet to see it fully like this - Finally, he got a look at all of the elements together in one piece. There were three stripes on the flag in total - Orange at the top, white in the middle, and green at the bottom. To the left was a white half-circle with a yellow outer rim. Finally, three Xes, two green on the white stripe and one yellow one within the half circle. It was a mess, sure. A mess of colours, shapes, and none of it really made sense, but... that was what made it special. Tom made it as a representation for their nation, so who was he to judge it? It was unique, and it was special to them. It showed their union, their trust. Between Will, Tom, Taza, Fonda, and Errett, the five founders of Lasenberg.


    And Dissonance could never take that away from them.


    "We''ll fight.", Will said eventually, with his eyes focused on the flag.


    He then glanced at the group of the four revolutionaries, giving them all a good look. A fourteen year old with far too much energy, his best friend with a passion for flowers, an unlikely hero with beloved sunglasses and the President¡¯s one and only son, unmatched with a bow.


    "We''ll fight for our freedom. We''ll fight for independence. We''ll fight together!"


    "Yeah!", Tom cut in, once more lifting his sword and wiping some of the dirt from it on the edge of his sleeve.


    "When they come here tomorrow at dawn, we''re gonna be ready! We''re gonna be armed, and we''re gonna stand at our gates and we''re gonna defend what''s rightfully ours! No matter what they do, we''re gonna fight till our last breath! That''s... if... uh... the president wishes it to be that way...", Tom muttered and grabbed his shoulder awkwardly, realizing how carried away he had gotten.


    Will giggled slightly.


    "You seem like you have a plan of action. I guess I should start taking advice from my right hand man, huh?"


    Will came closer to Tom, squeezing his shoulder tightly.


    "...Hah! I guess so!"


    Tom swung his sword and slashed at the air, a grin growing on his face.


    "Keep up, old man! Us who actually have some years left to live are taking charge!"


    "Hey! Old man? I''m not that old, you know!"


    Will chased after the boy, the whole thing turning into one giant disaster of its own after a short while.


    Tom ran into a tree, Taza knocked something over, Errett ended up tripping and ripping a part of his jacket. But it definitely helped ¨C The tensions of the day seemed to ease in a single moment, with everyone chasing each other around and laughing about nothing at all. Everyone but Fonda, that is. Because Fonda looked up at the flag above, watching it sway in the wind. The flag Tom had made. He looked at the walls. The walls Tom helped to build. He watched as his father chased the vice-president around, messing around with him and playfully pushing him into the lake. The Vice-President being Tom. Fonda wasn''t sure exactly why he had gotten so internally riled up over something so minor, a feeling as simple and as insignificant as plain jealousy. He didn''t even realize when Taza had approached him, tapping him on the shoulder.


    "Hey Fonda.", he said with a smile.


    The man looked at him for a moment, his ears lowering for just a second. Taza was the one person here he felt somewhat calm around ¨C And that was a strange thing to say, when your own father was in the area.


    "You okay?"


    "...Me? Oh. I''m just tired."


    The man shrugged, blowing some of his hair out of his face. This wasn''t entirely a lie ¨C The sudden wake-up Dissonance had given them and the rush of adrenaline after left him with virtually no energy.


    "I think I might go in and nap."


    "''I''m just tired'' is the number one excuse for when you''re not okay, you know."


    Taza came closer, clutching his arm.


    "You can tell me if something is wrong. We''re all in this together, right? Lasenberg can''t stand tall if we''re all divided."


    "It''s nothing."


    Fonda pushed the boy''s hand away and began walking towards the caravan. Taza didn''t bother going after him ¨C He knew right now the man was not comfortable enough to talk. And as Fonda passed his father, the President could not help but think he had done something wrong. He would have spoken up, of course, talked. But he soon became distracted.


    Tom ran up to him and started talking, completely taking his mind off of Fonda.


    "...Hey, Will?"


    As with any memory, dream, or whatever was in between the two, Will doesn''t know why he remembers it. But he does, and what he remembers is him and another man sitting in silence, watching the world below from a tall mountain.


    "...Yeah?", he replies, his legs hanging over the cliff and swaying back and forth.


    He doesn''t want to admit it, but he knows that if he looks below, he''ll see something awful. So he doesn''t. He keeps his focus on the stars, listening to the man next to him.


    "...If we don''t... you know, survive this." he starts, sighing.


    "And I don''t wanna get clich¨¦ or some shit like that, but... you know I always cared about you, right? Despite all the characters and jokes..."


    "...I mean... obviously."


    Will laughs slightly.


    "We''re partners in crime till the end of time, right? We don''t just say that because it rhymes..."


    "Well, I guess we reached it."


    The man looks down, and Will, although afraid, looks too. The world below is drowning ¨C It''s being consumed by a flood. And the two are forced to watch, unable to do anything about it but observe.


    "End of time, Will. How does it feel?"


    "It would feel a hell of a lot better with some music.", Will admits, playing with a strand of grass.


    "I''m guessing you didn''t grab those discs of yours when this all started, right?"


    The man smirks. Will gasps.


    "No way! You did?"


    The man laughs as he moves his bag in front of him.


    "If there''s one thing I value more than money, it''s these stupid-ass discs."


    The man removes one.


    "They''ve got names, right?"


    Will leans forward. The man removes a second disc from the bag.


    "Titles. Of the pieces recorded on them."


    The man removes a third disc from the bag.


    "Too bad we can''t play them...", Will mutters.


    The man removes the fourth, final disc from the bag.


    "I remember the tune.", the man says with a proud grin.


    He starts humming a familiar song.


    "...Huh. You''re really obsessed.", Will remarks and laughs.


    "Why do you love these so much?"


    "I... don''t know."


    The man shrugs.


    "Someone very important gave them to me, long ago."


    "And... do you remember who it was?", Will asks, looking at the four discs.


    "No fuckin'' clue, Will.", the other admits with great honesty.


    And even at the end of time, the two laugh.


    Will woke up with a gasp, unsure why.


    Four discs. He had never seen that memory before. Never. It was always three discs, and they were always with Tom. So why now, of all times, were there four, and why now, of all times, were they with his partner in crime? He looked around for a moment, staring into the dark night, soon realizing that Tom was missing from the caravan. His sword and his bag were gone too, the two possessions he never seemed to leave behind. The man carefully stepped out, trying his best not to step on Fonda or Errett, both curled up on a pile of blankets on the floor. He finally pushed the doors open, stepping out into the cold night. The air was crisp and refreshing ¨C But he didn''t have much time to enjoy it. With the corner of his eye he spotted Tom, patrolling the woods.


    "...Again, Tom? Why?"


    The boy snapped his head back, his eyes wide with fear.


    "I... I... I had a nightmare..."


    He rubbed his eyes and yawned.


    "I just... I wanted to make sure."


    "The Blade won''t hurt you, Tom."


    Will came closer.


    "We don''t even know if he''s real."


    "...I know... I know..."


    The boy sat down on the floor, taking a deep breath.


    "...Wanna talk about your nightmare?", Will asked, sitting down by him.


    The boy shook his head.


    "Why are you awake?", he suddenly asked, causing the man to flinch.


    "Same thing. I guess. But it was more of a... confusing dream.", the president admitted.


    "Guess we''ve got something constantly in common, huh?"


    Tom laughed weakly under his breath.


    Will looked at the boy''s tired eyes and decided he''d leave the mystery of the fourth disc to another day ¨C For now, he decided he''d spend the night here with the boy, trying to comfort him enough to sleep. After all, they had an incredibly important day tomorrow.


    And as the president silently watched the stars, he felt as though the melody of the fourth disc was being hummed right into his ear by someone very familiar.

 Chapter 12 - The Lasenberg War (2)

    The 3rd of August. Dawn. The sun started rising, and Dissonance was yet to arrive.


    For a long while there was nothing. The five stood below their flag, their uniforms and armour on and their weapons ready to strike. Fonda brought along more arrows than he could ever possibly fire, Taza had managed to string together some potions from flowers he found in the forest, Errett cleaned and fixed up his sunglasses, Tom had his tie on right and Will was afraid. So incredibly afraid that all of their work would go nowhere, with them being shot dead right there and then. At least, they could say they stood proudly instead of running, right? That had to count for something in the afterlife. If there even was one that is. Will''s thoughts were cut short as an arrow flew by him and lodged itself into the caravan, a small note hanging from it. He barely had any time to grab it as Errett got closer, unfolded it, and begun reading aloud.


    No white flags. A war it is, then.


    If you have any honour left in you, meet us on common ground.


    We will fight by the two towers. Don''t back down now.


    Fight for your precious nation if it means so much to you.


    -Dissonance


    "...This sounds like a trap.", Taza muttered under his breath, nervously playing with some of the buttons on his jacket.


    They were already getting anxious because of this nervous habit he had.


    "If we don''t fight then we''ll never get what we want.", Tom insisted, moving forward.


    "It may be a trap but we have no choice. And don''t tell me Dissonance isn''t the sick and twisted type to give his enemies a good fighting chance."


    "Tom''s right. Dissonance has too much pride to set a trap."


    Will turned his attention to the front gates of the nation, recalling where the two towers were. From what he remembered, they were two tall watchtowers just past the hill next to Lasenberg, which Dissonance''s group used for scouting the woods.


    "Then let''s go!", Tom exclaimed, turning back.


    He raised his sword towards the two towers.


    "Let''s go and get our independence! Fifth battalion, move out!"


    The boy rushed ahead without giving it much thought. Everyone else followed behind, confused above all else.


    "Why the fifth?", Will muttered to himself more than anyone else, stifling a confused laugh. Even in a situation like this, Tom didn''t stop showing everyone that deep inside, he was still just a kid. Just a kid who was about to lead them into battle - A strange situation indeed.


    "I don''t know, it just sounds cool! Come on, let''s go!"


    Tom rushed up the hill, being followed by the other four. And although they were afraid, the group did not stop for a single moment. They had a war to fight - A war where they either died or got everything they wanted. Stakes were higher than they could ever be... but maybe that was what pushed them forward so much.


    Or maybe it was just a blind belief leading them into a slaughter.


    For Georgie, it was always difficult to tell what Dissonance was thinking.


    First there was the mask, covering his eyes most of the time and his whole face during battle, just as it did now. His hood was usually over his hair, but the blond locks always managed to peek out. When around his friends like this, he often dropped that fa?ade of a twisted grin and blood thirsty eyes and was simply a tired guy who wanted the best for his city, in his own weird ways. Maybe if he showed this true personality of his more often they wouldn''t be here right now. Maybe if he listened to criticism more and considered the things the revolutionaries were saying there would be no revolutionaries in the first place. Maybe if he stepped back, looked back on everything he had done, and tried to change, there wouldn''t be a war to fight at the two towers. But Dissonance was stubborn, and would always get his way, and Georgie, as his best friend, had to support his choice, whatever it may have been.


    Looking upon the grass field from up in one of the towers and waiting for the revolutionaries to arrive in silence definitely gave Georgie a lot to think about. It was just him and the leader of the city on this tower, meanwhile Sapana and a friend of theirs, Peija, stationed themselves on the other. Just Georgie and Dissonance... and still, they did not talk. The blonde had been his friend for longer than he could remember - The type of trust they had was unique and irreplaceable. But it was also confusing. Confusing in the sense of... were they friends, or co-workers? Dissonance treated everything so professionally, it was difficult to tell. Did he truly care about Georgie, or Sapana, or was it all business? There were flashes of trust showing, sometimes. Jokes after hunts, quiet evenings patrolling the forest and messing around. Those reminded him there was friendship underneath it all, as rarely as decided to show itself.


    But more than anything, Dissonance was a leader, and that was all that mattered to him. He needed to keep his nation in order, and between all the work recently, there was no time for jokes, banter, laughs, or anything else. All that they had time to do was plant that flower field, protect and grow it, and keep an eye on the rebels. Sapana was no longer the slightly crazy friend the other two had to put up with, he was now the one Dissonance gave dirty looks to and refused to speak to after burning their flower field. Georgie was no longer the friend Dissonance had grown especially close to, spending evenings with one another and talking about nothing at all, he had become the one to blame for the failed defence of the flower field almost five months prior and not keeping Sapana in check. The two weren''t his friends when this war was happening - They were his co-workers, and ones who had disappointed him greatly. And whether he wanted to admit it or not, even with this, he''d follow Dissonance blindly.


    Blindly follow him, hoping for the friendship to emerge again.


    The revolutionaries arrived half an hour after dawn.


    "...Will Ash... Tom Indeo... Errett... Taza... and Fonda.", Dissonance exclaimed from the tower he stood upon, Georgie preparing an arrow to fire at them any moment.


    They could see Sapana on another tower, alongside someone they didn''t really recognise from this distance.


    "So you came. You truly want to fight for your little trailer park so much?"


    "Independence won''t come without a struggle."


    The President stepped forward, pointing his sword at the masked man.


    "Unless you wish to still negotiate the fate of Lasenberg peacefully?"


    Dissonance let out a laugh, coming closer to the edge of the tower.


    "As if!", he roared.


    "That land is mine! I worked for that, I defended you from the forest, I kept all of you safe and you still turn on me!"If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    He moved his mask aside for a moment to project his voice more loudly;


    "You''re all ungrateful! And you''re gonna suffer for it!"


    "Bring it on, then.", Will was calm and collected - Clearly getting on Dissonance''s nerves.


    There wasn''t much to be said before the fight finally began - With Dissonance making the first move.


    He picked up a potion, took a long swig of it, put his mask back on and jumped forward, landing on the ground without any effort. Even though he landed on his feet from a great distance and should have broken something, he didn''t even flinch. The potions had clearly started taking their effect. He lifted his sword and spun it around slightly, getting in a fighting stance. As he did this, Sapana followed in his footsteps, meanwhile Peija and Georgie remained on the towers with their bows aimed. Instantly, Fonda and Taza scattered, both taking defensive positions at a distance and firing at the two men on the towers. It was enough of a distraction for Errett, Will and Tom to all be able to fully focus on Dissonance and Sapana, both proving to be formidable enemies with access to such advanced gear and potions. While Errett and Tom went to face the pyromaniac, Will was forced to fight Dissonance on his own. The two leaders meeting in battle ¨C Poetic, in a way.


    "You know, Will Ash.", the blonde started, rushing forward.


    Will was barely able to dodge to the side at the sheer speed Dissonance did it in, his frequent training shining through his form. The man stopped himself with the tips of his feet, whirled around, and spat out;


    "You were far more bearable when you weren''t even here half of the time!"


    "No one questioning your tyranny must have been wonderful!", Will shouted back, lifting his sword and swinging it forward while the other man tried to catch his balance.


    This was enough to stun him for a moment, lifting his hand to knock the other''s blade away but also having no ability to dodge the strike. Will spun around with another hit but missed.


    "There''s nothing to question!", Dissonance yelled, and as Will turned, he took the moment to kick his stomach, forcing him away.


    The President collapsed to the ground and started quickly shifting himself away, trying to get to his feet as soon as he was able to. Dissonance walked over him, his sword raised to his chin. If not for the mask, Will was sure he would see that usual grin of his.


    "I am the only one who has what it takes to run this-"


    Before Dissonance could finish his sentence he was suddenly struck from the side, a figure knocking him over and raising his sword above him. Will shot up and gathered himself, soon finding the tyrant knocking the Lasenbergian Vice-President off of him. Arrows were whizzing above them, some fired by Fonda and Taza, and others fired at them from the towers above. Will ran forward narrowly missing each one, just in time to strike Dissonance with his sword, leaving a large cut on the side of his stomach. The man jumped back, clearly surprised with the sudden hit and clutched onto the wound, giving Will the time he needed to help his right hand man up on his feet. The two were ready to strike, but Dissonance, of course, would not be defeated so easily.


    In a quick movement he removed another potion from a large belt he had wrapped around his waist, this one with a strange, maroon shade. The moment he used it his pain seemed to ease, but the wound still was bleeding just as much as it had before. Despite this, with a loud shout he raced forward, swinging his sword at Tom, forcing him to block. Will came closer and raised his own weapon above his head but was knocked away with a swift punch ¨C The strength in Dissonance''s fist was unnatural. Will tried to stand up and fight but the moment he hit his head it were as if his whole world shattered and only the image behind it could be seen ¨C And that image was a memory;


    "...Your eyes should never leave your enemy. Even when they are out of sight, you need to feel where they are. Imagine them, let your mind follow their steps. Never, ever, let them escape you.", the crown, the blood stains and the sharp sword speaks.


    He has not seen them in a long time.


    "I just- How is this relevant? Just teach me how to swing the sword right-", Will tries to speak, but is instantly hit in the back of the leg with something and falls down.


    The crowned man now stands above him, eyes burning with rage.


    "You want to live through this? You''ll listen."


    The man sighs.


    "Fighting is about balance. A balance between strength and wisdom. Yes you need to ''swing the sword right'', as you so crudely put it, but you also need to know when to back up. Try again."


    Will whispers under his breath;


    "...Is this even worth it?"


    Will pauses, his grip on his training sword loosening.


    "I mean... if... if they do come here, are we even gonna be able to-"


    "Stop being dramatic and stab the mannequin already. It''s way too cold out here to be standing still."


    The man points his sword forward, pointing to a wooden mannequin.


    "Well maybe you should have thought about that before you settled on the goddamn Arctic!"


    Will finally strikes, unsurprisingly, disappointing his tutor.


    "Will, just focus! It''s not that difficult-"


    "Maybe for you, you asshole!"


    "Excuse me?"


    "The fucking world is ending! Of course I can''t focus!"


    "Stop screaming-"


    "This is pointless! I''m going home-"


    "Will!"


    For a moment, he stops. The air is unnervingly cold.


    "We can''t just give up hope here. We''ve been through way too much. You want a future for yourself, right? You want a future for that kid, too, don''t you?"


    Will scoffs.


    "Yeah, you''re first to care about Tom, aren''t you?"


    The man looks aside, his long hair swaying in the wind for a moment. It''s so, so cold.


    "We''re past all that.", the man finally speaks.


    "Just think about it, Will. Think about the future you want, think about the things you sacrificed to get here. And try again."


    Will takes a deep breath. He moves forward and strikes, his-


    -sword slashed forward with perfect precision, cutting right through the mask of the man standing above him. For a moment, he seemed shocked. The two pieces of the coal-black smile moved aside and dropped to the ground, a large, bloodied cut revealing itself in-between Dissonance''s two, emerald green eyes. He stood still for a moment longer ¨C And so did Will.


    For the two, the world seemed to freeze for just a few seconds, before it all started moving far too quickly again. Blood moved down Dissonance''s face and dropped down from his chin, yet still, he prioritized his attacks. He raised his sword and swung it forward, so Will dodged as quickly as he could. He wasn''t sure how, but the memory somehow kept him light on his feet, giving him guidance as to how to move. He dodged every attack with great precision and hit back equally quickly, leaving Dissonance unable to keep up and stumbling away in confusion. He called out to Georgie and Peija, who soon joined Sapana and their leader on the battlefield.


    Will smirked to himself. Dissonance was visibly getting desperate.


    The President, while he could, looked for Tom. The boy was curled up where he last faced Dissonance, clutching onto his arm and grunting in pain. He was still alive ¨C And seemed like he could protect himself for a little longer. Taza and Fonda had switched to swords and now ran to help Errett, who had been holding off Sapana by himself for quite some time and was clearly getting overwhelmed. While his companions fought off Dissonance''s allies, the President gave chase for the man himself. If there was one chance he''d get at killing that psycho it was right here right now, with this strange, unknown motivation and skill he did not know he had. He had almost caught up with Dissonance when the man suddenly turned around, a grin on his bloodied face and a lit match stick in his hand. Will barely had enough time to react as he dropped the match into a small hole, followed by a hissing sound.


    "Everyone, run! He rigged the-"


    The deafening sound of an explosion was enough to silence the president.


    "...Will?"


    There''s blood everywhere. There''s fires burning. Someone''s screaming.


    "Will!"


    He fought. So why did it turn out this way? He thought about his future. Did the crown lie?


    "WILL!"


    He feels his grip on his shoulder.


    "We have to go-"


    "They''re all gonna-"


    "We lost, Will! We have to go!"


    "No... no, but we fought-"


    "Good guys don''t always win."


    "You''re not a good guy."


    "Well you''re on my side now, so neither are you."


    "Screw you! I should have listened to everyone else!"


    He turns away. He knows what he has to do. There''s no future left for him here.


    "...I won''t let you lose. Not again, Will."


    The President felt someone lifting him.


    "I''m gonna get you out of here."

 Chapter 13 - The Lasenberg War (3)

    "You are all useless! Useless pieces of-"


    "What the hell is your problem? It''s'' not like you-"


    "Don''t you dare talk over me, you goddamn-"


    "Oh? I''ll talk over you all I want, asshole-"


    Georgie always hated hearing them argue. They were his friends, after all. As little as Dissonance showed it, as much as Sapana would deny it, and as rarely as he himself remembered it, they were three friends who had been through more than anyone else. But in this whole war that friendship had to be shoved aside, it had to be put away in exchange for professionalism that could lead them to victory. And even with all this, even with all these sacrifices, they were losing.


    Dissonance''s mask was lost in the explosion and there was a huge cut in-between his eyes, which he refused to even do anything about. He just kept yelling, spitting out insults and refusing to have his wounds bandaged. Next there was Sapana, silently staring into a lit match and trying his best to mute out his leader. Every now and then he would snap back, but mostly, he remained silent and focused on the flame. Peija had long gone ¨C He agreed only to help in one battle, and seeing their defeat, decided he''d stop his support of them then and there. And finally there was Georgie ¨C Bandaging up cuts on his arm, trying to ignore the headache he got from god knows where, and doing all he could to keep his mind clear with everything happening.


    Georgie knew things wouldn''t change until the war was over. This conflict was starting to inch on almost half a year already, and he could barely remember what it was like seeing his friend smile with genuine joy. He wanted it all to come to a stop already ¨C If blowing Lasenberg to bits was the way to do it, hell, he''d go get the explosives right now. He just wanted to see the Dissonance he knew again, and not be forced to live with the Dissonance everyone else got instead. It made him think, in a way. These past five months or so with this tyrant as the only side he ever saw made him consider what it was like facing this man every single day, having to put up with his constant aggression and a tendency to snap even at the smallest bit of opposition. He didn''t want to think about it too much ¨C He had to remember that wasn''t the Dissonance he was standing by. The Dissonance he was standing by was underneath, and that Dissonance would only show himself when everything was finally done. And right now he was losing, and he was losing badly.


    At least he could sit here after that disaster of a battle knowing all hope was not yet lost.


    After all, the three had prepared a back-up plan.


    When Will woke up, he felt... completely fine.


    No ringing in his ears from the explosion. No pain in his body from possible burns. No cold blood moving down his skin. Nothing. There was nothing, just... an average feeling of complete neutrality. Now, normally, this would not be something to be concerned about. But seeing how Will had just been in the centre of a massive explosion, with his last memory being a stranger crouching over him and dragging him away, it was more than concerning. He shot up and looked around ¨C His surroundings only confused him further.


    Will was where he was before, right where the explosives had gone off. He was sitting at the bottom of a small crater, his uniform covered in ash and slightly burned at the edges, smoke rising from the burned corners. His glasses were completely covered with soot, so he decided it would be best to take them off for now. The world blurred just a little ¨C But he could still see. The thing that truly confused Will, most of all, was what was in his hand. He had only spotted it when he lifted his hand in order to take off his glasses ¨C He was tightly grasping onto something made of gold. A small golden statue, in fact, with shiny gems for eyes. They seemed to have some sort of colour once, but it must have faded away. Strangely enough, when the president held onto it... he felt a strange sense of peace. He felt as though he was protected by... someone.


    He finally decided to stand. He got up slowly, just in case the lack of pain was only a momentary state that would fade soon enough. Luckily, it did not. He carefully crawled his way out of the crater, seeing neither his own allies or Dissonance''s allies in the battlefield. All that was left was the crater, the two towers, and an unimaginable amount of arrows stabbed into the ground below. He walked slowly, still in a daze from how... completely average he felt. He expected panic, he expected pain, he expected something, at least, but he got nothing. He just got confused, and that was all he had to himself. He walked a bit longer before he finally overheard four voices ¨C The voices of his fellow revolutionaries. He rushed forward and slid down a nearby hill, finding himself standing next to Fonda, Tom, Errett and Taza, who all gave him shocked looks.


    "I told you he was alive!", the vice-president suddenly exclaimed, his head snapping back to Errett.


    His voice carried relief, and his eyes were red from tears.


    "God, Will. Good you showed up. I genuinely thought we were gonna have to put a fourteen year old in charge.", Errett informed him, chuckling nervously.


    "...You seriously have to stop having so many near-death experiences... this is the second time this year we thought you died!", Fonda exclaimed, wiping his eyes with his sleeve.


    "How did you even make it out of there, Mr. President?", Taza cut in, himself trying to get rid of tears.


    As calmly as this group acted, they had been clearly panicking without him here.


    "I... I have no idea, Taza. Honestly."


    Will shrugged, looking aside and crossing his arms.


    "I felt like I was gone. The pain, the smoke, the- Everything... and then... suddenly, I was just... fine. I faded out and had a weird dream for some time, and then, everything was just okay..."


    The president, quite clearly on purpose, was avoiding talking about seeing a stranger at the scene. He didn''t need to add onto the already growing stress of the day.


    "...What''s that in your hand?"


    Errett''s interest was suddenly piqued, all of his usual focus leaving him as he spotted the glimmering gold in Will''s hand. He practically snatched it out of the man''s palm, looking into it with a smile full of... greed? It was so unlike Errett, no one really spoke, so he got the time to carry on;


    "...This tiny statue... I''ve only ever seen them in pictures of stories before... but... it''s weird. They''re supposed to have red rubies as eyes. These gems just have... no colour."


    "Do you know what it is, exactly?"


    The president came closer and looked over the other''s shoulder, trying to figure out exactly what he saw in this little golden statue.


    "They call them the Statues of Revival."


    Errett fixed up his glasses.


    "They say these little guys could bring someone back from the brink of death with magic..."


    "...Where did you get something like this, dad?", Fonda asked, his eyes shocked.


    Will, having pieced everything that went down together in his head, took the statue back from Errett.


    "...I just... I don''t know... I found it... in the rubble."


    He shrugged.


    "Maybe Dissonance dropped it?"


    He could see everyone was suspicious of him, but there was nothing forcing him to tell the truth.


    "Wherever it came from, it may very well be the reason you''re alive right now."


    Errett moved his head towards Lasenberg vaguely.


    "We should go back and regroup. There''s actually something I''ve been meaning to show you guys... I think right now is the right time for it."The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    "Errett and surprises? Never thought I''d see the day...", Fonda muttered as he passed the other.


    The whole group began turning and heading for their nation, one by one, Will noticeably sticking to the back. Tom eventually approached him, speaking in a whisper;


    "So what''s the truth about the Statue, Will?"


    The man sighed. If there was one person he couldn''t lie to, it was Tom. That trust they had built between one another because of their dreams had been something he did not want to break ¨C So he spoke.


    "I think... someone may have pushed it into my hand, and... it worked. I don''t even know if this statue thing is real, but- I''m alive, so I guess there''s something there."


    Will looked at the statue, its cold and colourless eyes looking back.


    "...And I think I know who it was."


    "Do you?"


    Tom tilted his head, getting closer. His eyes were drawn to the statue, but definitely not as much as Errett''s had been. Whatever overtook him when he saw that little golden sculpture was... something else. Something unnatural, and something worrying.


    "...I think... it was The Blade."


    Tom flinched.


    "...Just as he saved you from the brink of death, he saved me. He defended the forest while Dissonance was gone. Whether we want to admit it or not, he is on our side. I think... he wants us to win this war."


    "Why? He doesn''t even know us! And we don''t know him!"


    Tom crossed his arms.


    "I don''t know... but isn''t it slightly comforting? Knowing he''s watching over us?"


    "I..."


    Tom sighed.


    "I guess. Doesn''t mean he still doesn''t make me feel weird."


    "...I guess that''s a mystery for another day. Come on, Errett''s waiting for us."


    "...Gentlemen, in Lasenberg, I have hidden a secret weapon."


    The group marched in through the front gates of their nation, looking around. The flag still moved lazily on the flag pole, the walls still stood tall. Once the whole group caught up, Errett lead them to the edge of the west wall, moving a few bushes aside and revealing a person-sized hole drilled through. Behind it was a long pathway, leading into the heart of the overgrown woods.


    "Is this the part where Errett pulls out a goddamn cannon?", Fonda said jokingly, meanwhile Errett let out a dry laugh.


    He looked back and reached out with his hand, beckoning for the group to follow him into the woods. Whatever he had prepared, he had hidden it incredibly well. It must have really been something special, if he kept it a secret even from his own allies.


    "When you all left for that hunting trip two weeks ago, I decided to take action. Create a final weapon that could win us the war when there was something that had to tip the scales. Of course, I kept it hidden. You know, in case there was some sort of traitor in our ranks."


    Errett paused for a moment, his lips curving into a smile.


    "But I doubt that would ever be the case."


    "What even is it? Can you tell us?"


    Taza rushed forward with excitement, nearly tripping on the path laid out below them. Errett chuckled to himself, but did not respond. Fonda grabbed him and pulled him back for a second, clearly noticing the man needed to focus on where they were and where to go right now. Eventually, the group reached a clearing.


    "Hiding things in the woods seemed like a good idea, with the monsters and The Blade roaming around. Dissonance rarely even goes past the edge these days. He''s far too comfortable at home."


    The group stood in a small clearing in the forest, watching the scene before them.


    In the middle of the large, open area with no trees there was a building, built from that same, black brick Errett had gotten for building the wall. It had a mostly flat roof and was clearly put together very quickly, with only one door and no windows. Errett waited for a moment before entering ¨C He seemed to check the area for any possible interference. Of course, the only things in these forests were animals and the monsters that emerged at night, but even they might have been able to interfere with whatever Errett''s secret weapon was. Of course, the four had no idea what said weapon could have even been. The man with the sunglasses finally stepped inside, meanwhile his companions stayed outside reading the sign above the front door;


    FINAL AUTHORITY ROOM


    Without any more hesitation, they entered.


    "Errett, what is all this? How did you get this?"


    Will was first to go in, the other three right behind him. He looked around quickly ¨C The room was a lot smaller than it seemed on the outside, with five boxes tightly fitted in with the names of all the revolutionaries inscribed into them. There was a large button on the back wall ¨C He didn''t give it much thought.


    "...Trades. Work. Just a whole lot of struggle, but it will win us all this war. Everyone, please stand in front of your box and get ready to open it. But don''t do it yet."


    The group did as the man instructed ¨C But the whole time, the president couldn''t help but feel nervous. When could have Errett gotten the time to prepare all of this? It seemed impossible...


    "Now before you do look at what''s in those boxes, I''d just like to apologize."


    At his words, Will perked up and glanced at him in confusion. Errett was turned away, his gaze set on his own box. And that button above it... what could that button possibly be there for?


    "Apologize?"


    Before he could even speak more, the president was cut off by a hissing sound. The doors to the building had shut themselves, and by this point, all four had looked away from their boxes and focused fully on Errett, who started giggling under his breath.


    "This revolution, this war, this country..."


    Errett suddenly turned back, and what he did shocked everyone there more than anything else could have. He removed his sunglasses. He took them off in a swift motion, his eyes shooting open.


    Behind them there was no colour ¨C All that there was was his whites, no pupils or even anything resembling them. Along with this, there seemed to be this strange light escaping them... this glow emitting from them, like lanterns searching for something only known to the man in the darkness of the room they found themselves encaged in. And while his hollow, empty eyes continued glowing with this greedy glow, he said only a single sentence. A single sentence they would never forget;


    "It was never supposed to exist."


    Errett turned around, pressed the button, and everything else was a blur.


    The walls, which Will knew were far too close for them to be normal, suddenly fell down, revealing three people behind them. Three people fully dressed in steel armour, holding their usual weapons and watching them with bloodlust. Dissonance, Georgie and Sapana had revealed themselves from behind the walls and were now attacking the group. Errett was passed some potions and a weapon by one of them and did not hesitate to switch sides, attacking Taza first of all, who had been standing the closest to him. Will didn''t have time to even think through what happened ¨C He had to focus on what was around him right now.


    The miniature golden statue he had been grasping onto since the explosion was knocked out of his hand as he tried to reach for his sword, being knocked down by Dissonance. He was kicked in the shins, forced to the ground, and felt the cold edge of a blade being pressed into his shoulder. He screamed in pain, trying to free himself in some way, eventually seeing as Fonda grabbed onto the tyrant and pushed him to the side. Will felt himself being pushed into the wall by someone, heard something cracking, could hear Tom screaming for help, but whatever happened around him he couldn''t focus. As far as he was concerned, he was going to die here. There was no way out. There was no way to save himself. Before he even knew how to react, someone''s hands were wrapped around his throat and he couldn''t breathe, coughing and wheezing.


    This continued for some time ¨C Getting close to what he would consider his last moment, being miraculously saved, saving someone else, getting kicked down and beaten again. With each attack he felt weaker, with each attempt at getting away he had less and less hope, and eventually, he just fell to the ground and lost himself completely. His armour was stripped away from him, his weapon was taken away, and he couldn''t even register what was happening around him any more. He was kicked in the stomach, over, and over, and over, leaving him dizzy and barely able to breathe. He wasn''t even sure who was attacking him any more ¨C But did it matter? He would die here, as far as he was concerned, and that was all that mattered to him.


    "Who- Who the hell is that?!"


    There was a shout from somewhere, but Will could barely hear.


    "Hey! You there! Who are you? Speak before I shoot your-"


    An arrow whizzed by, bringing silence.


    "What the- You want a fight, you idiot-"


    The person was cut off by someone shoving them.


    "Shut it! Don''t you realize who that is?!"


    Dissonance''s voice, the only one Will recognized, was the only one stricken with fear.


    "Let''s go! These guys won''t make it out of here anyway!"


    After this, Will heard the sound of footsteps getting away, leaving them all behind. Now, with the attackers gone, everything finally settled in for the president.


    Will''s ears were ringing, blood was running down his nose and face, his eyes were blurry, he couldn''t feel half of his body and the other half pulsated with so much agony he wished he couldn''t feel it. Why? Why would Errett do this? He was their friend, wasn''t he? He helped them build those walls, he signed the goddamn declaration! Why would he leave them here like this? Am I really that awful? Am I really such a horrible leader that even my own men don''t want to stand with me? Would it really have been better if I just stayed in those dreams? But I can''t go back now, they won''t let me in. I want to see my partner in crime again, I want to train with the man from the Arctic. Why am I here? Why am I being put through this? What are those memories and why have I left them behind, what sort of life did I lead before I was left here to die?


    I don''t wanna die. I don''t wanna die without knowing. I don''t I''m not gonna die here I''m not I can''t Tom we will find out we will find out about the dreams I will see him again I will see my partner in crime I will find the fourth disc I will learn about the war I lost but right now I need to stay awake because it''s getting cold and I''m so cold


    I''m so cold I''m so cold I''m so cold I''m so cold I''m so cold I''m so cold I''m so-


    Will Ash passed out.

 Chapter 14 - The Lasenberg War (4)

    He lit the fire first of all. It burned slowly, lazily, its crackling filling the surrounding area. He wasn''t sure how long he would spend here ¨C But if the sun were to set while he got everything ready, it would leave him in a tricky situation. He then begun moving them ¨C First the blonde, who looked the youngest. Next, the brunette of a somewhat similar age. Third, the young adult with fox-like features. And finally, the eldest man with the most severe wounds. He wasn''t really sure how to approach this situation ¨C It did not mean he wouldn''t try. He spent what seemed like hours wrapping bandages, pouring out potions and gathering more between each pause. As he had predicted, the sun began to move away, and soon, these woods would fill with hellish creatures.


    The man didn''t waste any time ¨C He put down whatever remained of his supplies and quickly scribbled a note on a spare piece of paper. For a moment he hesitated, looking over the faces of two of the strangers. He did not speak. He did not wait any longer. He knew, deep in his heart, that whatever he may feel when looking at them they would not return. To them he was a shade, a creature from the woods, an unknown entity, a bogeyman. It would be best if he left now, while they were still away in another world, a world where they did not have to worry about the cold of the night or the danger of the forest. It would be best if they never even saw his face.


    He left them at the fire all alone.


    The first to wake up was Fonda. An intense pain in his jaw, dry blood on his lips and a lack of feeling in one of his legs he still prioritized others above all ¨C And instantly crawled his way over to his father. He shook him for a moment, his own hands trembling. He didn''t even question the campfire that he woke up next to, he didn''t question how he was out of the final authority room. All he really cared about was making sure his father was still alright, with how many close calls he had suffered in this past year alone. He looked over to the side and spotted a small pile of supplies, most of them either used up or opened. He inched closer and read the text on the small note left by it;


    There is no instance of a nation benefiting from prolonged warfare.


    - ''The Blade''


    Fonda grabbed onto some bandages and started replacing the ones already on his father''s body, drenched in his blood. Someone saved them ¨C Or, tried to. There was no telling who here would make it out alive, because right now, the president''s son was the only one showing signs of life. About half way through his sloppy work, which was only made worse by the tears welling up in his eyes and how much he was trembling from panic, he felt the man before him shift slightly, seeing as he muttered something under his breath as his eyes slowly opened. Instantly, Fonda wrapped his arms around his shoulders, pressing his face into his shirt. The amount of relief he felt seeing his father awake once more could not be described, and Will seemed to understand. He put his hand on his head and pulled him closer, whispering something into his ear.


    "I thought- I thought we were done for-", Fonda muttered, his voice shaky and crawling with panic.


    "How did we- How did we get here? Where are we? Why-". Will cut him off, pulling him closer and putting his hand on his back reassuringly.


    "Calm down.", he whispered.


    "I''m alive, okay? We need to check on Tom and Taza. Nothing else matters right now. We need to make sure everyone is okay."


    Fonda nodded for a moment and shifted away, putting his focus on the brunette fourteen year old.


    Turning to Tom, Will began going through the many medical supplies The Blade had left them. Whoever that man was he seemed to grow quite fond of the revolutionaries ¨C This wasn''t the first time he had supported them this way, with him slipping that tiny Statue into Will''s hand after the explosion. Still, the president carried on without thinking about it too much. If there was one thing he was good at it was keeping his focus on the task at hand ¨C It was something he had to learn back when his dreams were more invasive than ever and he had a child to take care of. He figured he did quite well, raising Fonda in the state he was in ¨C But sometimes, looking at him he felt as though he may have made some mistakes. Maybe that was why he was so fond of Tom ¨C Maybe he just saw him as a second chance. He looked at the boy''s face for a moment.


    And looking down at his bloodied face, he could only imagine the dream he was lost in.


    He''s running.


    He''s always running through that desert, the stranger is always chasing him. It has been this way for weeks now, losing sleep over this repeated nightmare. Nothing ever changed, nothing ever got better, nothing ever seemed close to improving. All that there was was the pain in his lungs as he struggled to breathe, the helplessness as he fell and the horror as the blade moved towards his chest for the final, deadly strike. He wouldn''t tell this to anyone, of course ¨C But that nightmare had been the same each and every night, keeping him from getting a restful sleep for almost half a year now. But why would he say anything? It wouldn''t change the single true fact.


    And the fact was this ¨C At the hands of the stranger with the crown, Tom always died.


    He woke up with a gasp, breathing heavily and coated in cold sweat as always. This time things were different, though ¨C This time, he never expected to wake up in the first place. When he was thrown to the ground, when his head hit the dark bricks that covered it, he thought he was a goner. As his world spun in circles and his stomach twisted in a knot, he thought this was it for sure, this was the night he finally kicked the bucket and lost any chance at ever figuring those nightmares out. And maybe it was the night he finally freed himself from those confusing memories. But no, he just had to wake up, he just had to carry on. Because someone out there wanted him to live, someone out there wanted him and Will to piece this mystery together, and those other two strangers from his dreams he was yet to meet were waiting to be found. He sat up, rubbed his eyes and tried to keep all questions at bay as he watched the scene around him ¨C An incredibly depressing scene, at that. Fonda, Will and Taza all sat in silence, staring into the flames before them.


    "...Why did he do it?", Taza whispered at some point, cutting short the silence the four had been trapped in for hours now.


    No questions about The Blade and why he saved them, no questions about the Final Authority Room, no questions about anything. Just deafening silence that the teenager thought was too much to handle. Maybe it was good, though. They had all refused to discuss what had gone down, but they had to eventually. Getting it out of the way was better than sitting there and wallowing in their helplessness, right? At least, the president hoped so.


    "I don''t know, Taza."


    Will wrapped his hands around his knees, curling up as he tried to find a comfortable way to sit. With how every part of his body ached, it was near impossible. Tom''s head was resting on his shoulder, the boy having crawled up close to him after suffering a nightmare. Fonda was on his other side, leaning on him and aimlessly watching the stars in the sky. He was the only one not looking into the fire, as the others had been for a while now.


    "...I trained with him for hours.", Taza continued speaking, his voice cracking and his eyes filling with tears.


    "He taught me how to block with a sword. He was so nice to me... why would he..."This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    "It''s obvious, Taza. He was a greedy piece of shit.", Fonda cut in, his eyes still set on the stars.


    "The way he looked at that statue. The way he glanced at us like we were nothing but bounties"


    "Errett isn''t like that!", Tom screamed, suddenly rising from where he sat.


    "Dissonance probably threatened him with something... you know what he''s like! He''s got something on everyone!"


    "Fonda''s right, Tom", Will whispered under his breath.


    "The way Errett looked at us didn''t show any ounce of guilt or regret. He just wants power - I guess we took too long to notice."


    "...So what are we gonna do now?", Taza continued with his questions.


    He was always the one asking questions, always looking for guidance from others. Will would have snapped back at him if he weren''t too tired too - The frustration of that day was already weighing on him.


    "I.... I don''t know."


    For a moment, Will glanced at the note that The Blade had left them - It was hastily scribbled on a torn piece of paper. The man clearly wanted them to see whatever he said.


    "But The Blade seems to be suggesting something... and I think I understand."


    "Well stop keeping us in suspense, Willz!"


    Tom shot up.


    "Because honestly, I have no idea how that little quote from some random guy with a sword in the woods is supposed to win us a war!"


    "...That''s the point, Tom."


    Will sighed.


    "He doesn''t want us to fight any more. It''s as this quote says.... if we keep fighting we will only cause ourselves and others more pain."


    "We''re not gonna give up, are we?", Fonda asked.


    "Not after all we''ve been through! What was the point if we''re just gonna... let it all go to waste?"


    Fonda''s ears flopped down.


    "...We can''t fight any more. We''re too weak. We have no choice, Fonda."


    Will sighed.


    "They took our weapons, our armour... the best thing we can do is put up white flags."


    "...Willz, no-", Tom tried to speak, but was soon interrupted by the president.


    "Tom, we can''t keep rushing into battle-"


    Tom yelled at him;


    "At least try! Try to do... something!", he begged.


    "Please..."


    "I''ll..."


    Will bit his lip.


    "I''ll try to negotiate. Maybe we''ll get... something."


    "When?"


    Taza shifted closer, hope filling his eyes.


    "Tomorrow at dawn.", Will responded, looking down.


    "We will walk into Lasenberg at dawn."


    Errett was king of kings.


    He spun around Lasenberg imagining a long cloak flowing on his back, he could already feel the crown being placed on his head. It was all he ever wanted - Why revolt, why fight, why suffer for something he never truly believed in when he could have it all for a simple deal? Tomorrow at dawn he would be crowned king of the city - All would fall to their knees before him, he would have more riches and more treasures to ever need in a lifetime. Some would say he was crazy, giving up trust and friendships in exchange for power. But Errett had a trait to him ¨C Errett had an addiction. As long as Errett was above people, he was happy. As long as Errett ruled, he was comfortable. As long as Errett was in possession of everything great and glimmering, he could smile in peace.


    King Errett. It had a lovely ring to it, did it not? Dissonance promised him power over the city, he promised him a castle, he promised him a crown, jewels, paintings, gold- He couldn''t wait! All he had to do was lead the revolutionaries into that small room ¨C Not a big deal, right? Whatever Dissonance''s group did after that wasn''t his fault. He wasn''t the one who killed them, he wasn''t the one who left them out in the cold with fatal wounds... admittedly, he did feel a bit bad about it. But he didn''t force those four people to trust him. He didn''t force them to follow him. He simply did what he had to do to get what he wanted, he was sure they would understand. If they were alive, that is. No one had really gone out to check since The Blade decided to show himself in the area.


    But King Errett did not care. Because in his head King Errett felt the velvet cloak fall on his shoulders, when he grasped a stick and imagined it to be his sceptre, and when he touched his head he could almost feel the crown being placed upon it. Why have friends, why have trust, why have anything like that when you could have so much power? His eyes gleamed as he thought of all ahead of him ¨C His castle, his throne room, his golden statues and gorgeous gardens. He giggled to himself as he fell asleep that night. Indeed, King Errett felt no regret.


    Because King Errett was king of kings, and kings have no regrets.


    Dissonance had gone too far. Georgie knew. But he kept telling himself it was not his friend that did it.


    On the list of most evil things a person could do, turning friends against each other and exploiting a man with clear personal problems was pretty high up there. And by using Errett as an inside weapon, of course, Dissonance had done both. Not many actually knew the state Errett arrived in the city all that time ago, since he was one of the first arrivals. Georgie remembered all too well. He stumbled in, started searching through their home and picked out anything that looked expensive. Some arguing, fighting, and a calming potion later, it wasn''t hard to see what Errett''s problem was ¨C Wherever he came from, whoever or... whatever, considering his eyes, he had an uncontrollable need for power and material possessions. To Georgie, the truth was clear.


    Errett was a megalomaniac.


    But did that mean they would turn him away? No. That wasn''t how things worked back then. They helped him, they tried to support him as he worked through it all. They didn''t ask about where he came from, what could have happened to him to make him crave absolute power to this degree. They didn''t ask why his eyes were so blank and had that strange glow. They simply helped Errett deal with his... condition... and eventually, he became an average citizen like any other. Only Georgie, Sapana, and of course, Dissonance, knew of the man''s past and how he used to be, knowing that, if ever offered such absolute power, he could fall right back into his old habits. So why, why did Dissonance make this happen, when he knew how much Errett hated himself when he was lost like that?


    He offered him the title of King. He offered him a crown. He offered him a castle, jewels, gold bars, statues, he offered him everything, knowing damn well how he would react, knowing exactly how he would lose himself the moment those things were even said to him. Dissonance knew Errett would regret it all, Dissonance knew he would eventually find himself, but Dissonance would win this war in ways that were far worse than just fighting fair. And it made him wonder ¨C If he was so quick to destroy the friendships of strangers, would he not be just as eager to destroy their own bond? Georgie didn''t want to think about it too much ¨C After all, Dissonance was his friend, right? He kept trying to convince himself of that...


    But with each day, it became harder to believe.


    The desert is filled with blood and screams.


    Fires burn, people run, and above it all, a single man stands. A single man that calls the shots, a single man that brought along this slaughter. This would not be the last time he did something like this, this would not be the last time he raised his sword up high and took another life. This was the average ¨C This was the norm. But is he satisfied with it? This is a difficult question to answer. People often tend to lose themselves when they have power.


    He sees a young boy. He gives chase. Why wouldn''t he? The boy trips on some sand and falls back. He raises his sword. He sees his fear, his helplessness. He can see his tears. His long hair sways in the wind. His blade slams down, and before it meets the boy''s chest and ends his life, he wakes. He always wakes before the boy dies.


    The Blade awoke in cold sweat.


    For a moment he looked around, seeing shadows cast by the fire he lit dance on the dark walls of the cave he rested in. He rubbed his eyes for a moment, knowing the feelings from these nightmares would take a while to fade. To others it would be fear, but to him, it simply seemed to be guilt. He grabbed onto a water bottle he kept nearby and chugged some of it, trying to calm his breathing. He''d been through worse. He''d survived worse. Waking up in the middle of the night was the norm at this point, barely ever getting any sleep.


    The Blade lay down, turned to the side, and tried to get more sleep, pushing his dream away.


    And somewhere else in the forest, a young boy tried to do the same.

 Chapter 15 - The Lasenberg War (5)

    "Why do you never run?"


    "Huh? What do you mean?"


    "...You never run. You always walk everywhere."


    Will looks down at his desk, where he just finished writing the first draft of the lyrics for a song. He isn''t sure what he''s gonna title this one yet, but ''Saline Solution'' is starting to sound like a good idea. His partner in crime is sitting nearby, resting on the edge of the table and thinking deeply about something. He was snapped out of his thoughts, however, by his companion''s comment.


    "Ah. So you''ve noticed. Well, there''s a simple reason, Will."


    The man turns back, a grin growing on his face. He always grins like this. Always smiles, always laughs. It''s unnatural to see him in another state. With that convincing voice of his and that constant charisma, he could convince anyone to pretty much anything. It''s one of the reasons they''re living so comfortably, after all.


    "...It''s because if I''m in a situation where I''m forced to run, I know I''ve already made too many mistakes in life to bother running at all."


    The man pauses, thinks, and carries on;


    "I always put myself in situations where I''m in control and can''t be harmed at all - That''s how I stay sane."


    "...That''s stupid."


    Will stifles a laugh.


    "What about like, a marathon? What if someone organised a race for some money or something? Would you just walk then, too?"


    The man waits for a moment and himself laughs, shrugging.


    "Guess I''ll just not take part then."


    He glances aside.


    "But that''s mainly the reason, I suppose. I''m not gonna have people bossing me around, and forcing me to run counts. It all boils down to that."


    Will grins to himself, turns away from his page and puts his focus on his friend.


    "And what if I were to give you a challenge right now?"


    "Huh? What the hell does that mean?"


    "You hate losing, don''t you? I challenge you to a game of tag."


    "You wouldn''t... you evil, evil bastard."


    "Oh, I would... you better start running!"


    "Ah! No, get away you-! Will!"


    And with a laugh, Will-


    -walked forward, his head held high and trying his best to not cave under the pain his whole body was feeling. He shook his head to keep his focus away from the dream - It was in states like these they became the strongest. Waking up after all that had happened was worse than he imagined, with his wounds from the day previous coming back with more power than before. His bandages were getting loose, he could feel his headache intensifying and leaving him dizzy. Still, he walked forward. Because if he ran now, he would officially declare this war over and leave himself as the one losing it all. He couldn''t allow that - As the president of this nation, he would stand as long as his legs allowed him to, and stay on the battlefield until he had no blood left to shed. When the group finally entered Lasenberg, the scene they found before them was stranger than anything they could have expected to witness.


    In the centre of Lasenberg, Errett was presently crowned king.


    The walls were still there, as was the caravan and the foundations for all the other new buildings. Everything seemed somewhat normal - Clearly, Dissonance''s group didn''t have the time to fully take the land back yet. They had, however, taken down the flag, and it was now laying on the ground, covered in dirt and stained by rainwater. Will could hear Tom gasp when he saw the state of the thing, but still, they carried on. Errett was kneeling on the ground as Dissonance stood above him, slowly lowering a golden crown onto his head. The crown was littered in expensive gems Will had never seen the likes of before, and the soon-to-be-King was still tightly gripping onto the statue he had taken from him in the attack. His eyes were still exposed, glowing with that all too familiar glow. The groups both faced each other for a few seconds, Dissonance being the first to speak.


    "And so you made it out! I''m not surprised... seems The Blade really likes the four of you."


    The man stepped closer, a new mask covering his eyes but leaving his mouth exposed, his usual grin and confidence returned to him overnight. Will ignored him completely - His eyes set on Errett, who''s expression was hard to place. Somehow, it had some regret in it, but it was hidden deeply behind madness and greed, swirling in his eyes and keeping his smirk large and proud.


    "...We trusted you, Errett.", Will said, seeing the light in the man''s eyes falter for just a moment. He inched closer.


    "How could you?"


    "...What do you mean? Everything is great!"


    The man spread his arms out and grinned.


    "I''m a King and you guys are alive! Win win!"


    "Are you crazy?!", Tom screamed, making Errett flinch.


    "We''ve lost everything! We have no chance and it''s all your fault! And you did it for what, a crown?"


    "A crown... a castle... oh, so many things!"


    Errett laughed under his breath, his voice trailing off. Clearly, he wasn''t sound of mind at that very moment. This didn''t ease the group''s anger at all.


    "...He''s lost it... he''s lost it completely...", Taza was muttering under his breath. His voice was breaking on every other word.


    "Errett, we were friends. Why would you give that up for some gold?"


    "...I... well... isn''t it obvious?"


    Clearly, the man was beginning to struggle to explain himself.


    "Because... having power... is great! You''re always... uh... above!"


    "You may want to start referring to Errett as King Errett right about now."


    Dissonance came closer, leaning on the other''s shoulder.


    "We''re gonna have to move your coronation up a bit... sorry about that."


    "Oh, it''s quite alright."


    Errett''s strange, greedy behaviour returned to him as the other man came closer.


    "They wouldn''t understand. It was a sacrifice worth making..."


    "You did a wonderful job, Alastair. Don''t listen to what they''re saying."


    "Why thank you, Clay. I''m glad some people around here appreciate hard work."


    Those two sentences were like the final bullets right through the hearts of all four of the revolutionaries ¨C The final phrases that finally made it clear to them that Errett never cared, and never would. Errett had never trusted them with his name ¨C Even on their declaration of independence, a document so vital to their nation, he had refused to use it. But to Dissonance? Not only did he tell him his name, he allowed him to use it freely. The highest possible trust one could grant another in this city. Dissonance had returned this very trust ¨C Even Georgie and Sapana rarely used his name. How long had these two been working together? How much had they plotted? While three of the Lasenbergians talked on, Tom stepped forward, his hands in fists and trembling from his rage alone. He didn''t say much, but he said enough to be understood;You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    "Errett, listen to me, and I mean this in the most pleasant way possible..."


    His eyes burned right through the ''King''.


    "...You fucked up badly."


    Errett''s reaction was strange. There was a flash of regret at first ¨C Some of the light left his eyes and his smile dropped, leaving him looking at the blonde with pity. It was clear Tom was holding far more intense emotions than just anger ¨C But that wasn''t something very clear to someone as blinded by other things as Errett. The King turned back for a moment, looked at Dissonance, and upon the other mouthing something to him, he put his sunglasses back on and grinned. He turned away, getting ready to leave the country once and for all, only saying one last thing before his departure;


    "Farewell, gentlemen."


    And so, the King of the City of Dissonance was gone.


    "...Now... I suppose we should sort this whole situation out, shouldn''t we?"


    Dissonance''s attention turned to the four, his grin only growing wider as he spoke.


    "You are in no position to bargain, I''m sure you can see. So let''s settle this quickly and painlessly. You might just escape with your life!"


    "We''re willing to negotiate.", Will started, a tired look of defeat in his eyes.


    He had been through far too much trying to win this war.


    "...Terms of surrender?", Dissonance asked with a small smile, but was instantly shut down by Will''s swift yet understandable answer;


    "We''re willing to negotiate.", he repeated, watching as Dissonance''s smile faltered and a far more worrying grimace replaced it.


    "...Very well. No weapons, no armour. Come alone and meet me at the two towers as soon as you''re ready. I''ll be waiting."


    Dissonance''s lips curved into a smile and he turned away, his two friends following behind. They, however, looked very different to what he would normally expect from them. Sapana looked tired and disheartened, his gaze set on Dissonance with a hint of spite. Georgie, on the other hand, looked to the revolutionaries with pity. Even he seemed to feel sorry for them, understanding the pain that the betrayal of someone so close to them could have brought them. As the four were all left alone, there was silence hanging over them so heavy they felt they would crack any moment. Tom shifted where he stood and grabbed onto his shoulder, Taza started kicking a small tuft of grass with the tip of his shoe, and Fonda aimlessly placed his hands in his pockets. It was unbearable seeing everyone like this - Will knew he had to speak.


    "I''m gonna go. Do not follow me, are we clear?"


    Will''s words made everyone standing with him instantly apprehensive.


    "No! This is a trap, Willz, you can''t-"


    Will couldn''t fight him. He couldn''t argue. He had to do this, and speaking to Tom would only make him rethink it.


    "Speak with respect to your President, Mr. Vice-President.", Will snapped, putting an emphasis on ''vice''.


    Tom hesitated, stammering.


    "Mr... Mr President...", he muttered.


    "As your... Vice-President... I don''t believe this is a safe thing for you to do... or a smart one, in fact."


    "Well, Vice-President.", Will carried on with spite he was not sure the origins of.


    "We have no other choice. We''ve lost everything... walking right into a trap is our only option at something."


    "...Just... be careful."


    Tom came closer, and from his tone of voice, it was clear he was starting to accept the facts of the situation.


    "Please Wi- ...Mr. President."


    Before he left, Will hugged his son, whispering something about keeping it together into his ear. Then, he hugged Tom, telling him something about leadership and staying strong. Finally, he put his arms around Taza and reassured him things were eventually going to get better - In turn, the boy told him something about poppies and their fondness of battlefields. Finally, Will rearranged his bloodied and ripped coat, and made sure his title of ''President'' was clear and visible. He marched forward, his breathing irregular and panicked. He knew his chances here were slim, and whatever Dissonance would offer, he''d have to accept. He just hoped he could grasp onto the charisma of that stranger from his dreams - The stranger that could scam anyone out of everything, never ran, and lastly, carried the fourth disc. Whoever he was, imagining him by his side gave Will enough confidence to march on. And thinking of how he would handle this situation, he almost felt sure of himself enough to negotiate himself out of this.


    And he walked, not ran, just as the stranger from his dreams did.


    "And so the President shows his face. I must say, I admire the bravery. Or idiocy."


    Dissonance was lying through his teeth. He didn''t admire his bravery. He didn''t think it was idiocy. But if Dissonance were to show, right here, right now, that he was losing hope in this war ever bringing anything good to either side that would be a victory for Will - And he had sacrificed far too much to lose this struggle now. Almost six months of tireless work, treating his friends like pawns and watching them grow more and more frustrated with him each passing day and still those four traitors stood tall and insisted on creating their own nation. He was furious, obviously. Irritated by all the losses taken by the City of Dissonance and all of its citizens because of a few people who thought, somehow, they deserved more than those who actually contributed to their city. I mean, what did Will ever do? Until Tom arrived, he was constantly inside of his own head and never once did anything of use. Fonda wasn''t any better - Between taking care of himself and his father you''d never catch him working for the city. Taza had turned on them and forced them to abandon the city without defences for months - The Blade''s arrival and his tendency for monster-killing was a simple stroke of luck. And Tom! God, what wasn''t there to say about Tom? From day one in the city, a nuisance to everyone.


    Yes, Dissonance was sure. He wanted to win this war. But...


    Georgie and Sapana. When did he meet them? It was hard to recall. Alone in the woods, three men met and with nothing else to their name decided to defend one another when they had nothing else. Eventually, they built a city, allowing more and more citizens in. They protected them from the forests, they stuck together through thick and thin. No matter what was thrown at them, Dissonance''s group remained untouchable. And of course... they cared for one another. Dissonance wanted his friends to be safe. Georgie wanted them to be happy. Sapana wanted them to live in peace. But with this past year or so, and especially with its climax in this war, things started spiralling so much out of Dissonance''s control he wasn''t sure how much longer he could grasp onto everything without losing his friends. Eventually, he''d have to choose. Eventually, it would come down to his friends or the city. And before he reached that point, he had to wipe out any further threat of rebellion. If Errett was a taste of his worse, his plan for the next thirty minutes was going to be his magnum opus. His final stand, his final attempt. Because sure, he doubted a lot of his ideas. He doubted a lot of his decisions. But this was one thing he knew for sure;


    Will Ash and his little uprising would not get in between him and his friends.


    "Dissonance... I trust you didn''t lure me out here just to kill me.", the man spoke slowly.


    He couldn''t help but feel slightly bad seeing him limp, noticing all of the cuts and bruises on his body. It was a necessity, though. The city couldn''t stand strong with a revolution right in the middle of it.


    "Of course not."


    Dissonance outstretched his arms. No potions, no armour, no weapons. Just his green hoodie, his black mask, and black, fingerless gloves on his hands. He had truly put all of his defences away, and told Georgie and Sapana to go take care of another issue. It was just the two generals, facing each other in a final stand for peace.


    "...Then... let''s talk. And let''s try to figure this out."


    "Let''s do that indeed. I can''t wait for peace already."


    "...It''s clear to me that both of our sides are suffering in this war.", Will spoke, looking aside.


    "We have definitely lost more but it''s still clear that you, Georgie and Sapana don''t want this to carry on either. And you know we won''t go down without a fight. Even if we have nothing..."


    "You are ambitious. I can appreciate that."


    Dissonance paused for a moment.


    "But that won''t get you far, Will. Ambition is not enough. You need determination, focus, strength... trust..."


    The man chuckled.


    "I bet Errett has made that part pretty difficult between the four of you."


    "Dissonance..."


    Will ignored the man''s hurtful comments.


    "We don''t wish for bloodshed. We don''t wish for war. We don''t wish to show our power in any way. We just want freedom."


    Will paused for a moment, seeing Dissonance consider. Then, he tilted his head and grinned.


    "...Would you like to hear what I want?"


    Before the President could even answer, Dissonance carried on.


    "I want white flags. Up inside ''your land''. I want white flags of surrender, declaring Lasenberg is not an independent nation, and that it is a part of the City of Dissonance."


    "Then I suppose we''re at an impasse."


    Will narrowed his eyes, staring right into Dissonance. The man laughed dryly, turned his head to the side and allowed a large smile to grow on his face. Before he spoke, he made sure to lean forward and lower his voice into a more menacing tone;


    "If that does not happen in the next thirty minutes..."


    He paused, his gaze setting on the distant walls of the nation, its flag noticeably missing from its pole.


    "...I will blow up all of Lasenberg."


    "You don''t have the power or the capacity to blow up the whole nation!", Will instantly retaliated, noting the obvious lie.


    The twitch at the edge of Dissonance''s lips, however, made him shudder.


    "Okay. Let''s go see then. Let''s go right now."


    Dissonance began walking away, leaving Will in stunned silence. The President stammered, moving forward.


    "Dissonance? Dissonance, what have you done?"


    Will came closer, trying to grab the other''s shoulder. With all his wounds, his grip was too weak to stop him.


    "What have you done?!"


    A scream coming from the direction of Lasenberg was enough to turn his attention away.


    And very unlike the stranger from his dreams, Will ran.

 Chapter 16 - The Lasenberg War (6)

    "Fonda! Tom! Taza! Are you guys okay!?"


    Will raced into Lasenberg with his heart pounding and his breathing heavy and panicked, his legs already beginning to scream at him to stop. His wounds were all reminding him exactly why moving fast like this was not a good idea ¨C But he didn''t care. He had to know what was happening, he had to know what Dissonance had planned. The moment he walked through the front gates of the nation he felt an arrow whizz by him and he froze, finding a horrible scene before him. Tom, Taza and Fonda were all standing together, with Sapana and Georgie both aiming their bows at them, keeping them from moving completely. Dissonance eventually caught up, shoving Will forward and forcing him to stand still with everyone else. They all raised their hands and did not speak ¨C They were in no position for bargaining, clearly.


    "...Now, Will."


    Dissonance came closer meanwhile Georgie and Sapana passed him some weapons and armour. As he got them ready, he spoke on;


    "Why don''t you tell your friends and son the deal I proposed while I get everything ready? Oh, and don''t try to stop me."


    Dissonance pointed to his two companions.


    "These two are great shots, mind you. They know where all the vital organs are."


    "Dissonance, we don''t have to do this-"


    Will stepped forward, but was cut off by the other instantly.


    "Tell them about the deal or drop dead, ''Mr. President''!", Dissonance hissed, his tone grave.


    "Will?", Tom asked, his voice going quiet.


    "What''s going on?", Taza cut in, playing with the buttons on his jacket.


    "Dad?", Fonda was the last to speak, seeming the most worried.


    "Listen... Dissonance has given us an ultimatum. And I want you guys to respond with my answer."


    Will moved some of his hair out of his eyes and took a deep breath.


    "He said that if we do not rescind our ownership of this land then he will blow it all up."


    Will looked around the other three, seeing their eyes grow worried and angry.


    "...We... we can''t back down now..."


    Tom watched, helpless, as Dissonance slowly began setting up explosives everywhere he could. By the walls, by the caravan, by the foundations for the home that was to be shared by the citizens.


    "Not after everything we''ve done. Not after everything we''ve lost. Not after everything we''ve given to be here!"


    "He won''t do it."


    Taza shook his head and lowered his voice to a whisper.


    "He can''t do something like this... he wouldn''t destroy so much of this land if he considers it his own, right? He didn''t want to destroy the flower field, either, that was an accident! This is just intimidation... right, Will?", the boy spoke on, but it seemed like he was trying to convince himself before anyone else.


    "We have to stand.", Fonda was the last to speak, just as Dissonance finished his work.


    He stopped and stood quietly over one of the pieces of dynamite, a lit match in his hand. The flame moved lazily in the wind, but he did not light fire to anything.


    "...Whatever he throws at us, we stand. We have nothing else we can do but stand for what we believe in. We can still win."


    Thirty minutes passed in what seemed to be hours. Finally, Dissonance spoke.


    "Well, Mr. President?"


    He moved the match forward, a grin growing on his face. Sapana and Georgie suddenly chugged two Fire Nullification potions, clearly not expecting this to end well. Still, they stood. It''s all intimidation. It''s all intimidation. It''s all intimidation... Will raised his head, narrowed his eyes, and spoke from his heart;


    "Independence... or death."


    Will paused, his gaze setting on Dissonance.


    "If we get no compromise, then we want nothing. We would rather die than give into you and re-join your city, Dissonance. You can scare us all you want with your dynamite. You can beat us down and turn our men against us. But we will not back down until we have what we want. That is all."


    Dissonance quickly drank a potion of Fire Nullification, lowered his mask fully and laughed.


    "Your choice.", the man said, turning his head to the side.


    "Goodbye, Lasenberg."


    In a swift motion, Dissonance dropped the match and allowed the flame to spread onto one of the pieces of dynamite. In the moment, Will knew he had to act quickly. He grabbed onto Tom and Fonda, meanwhile the blonde grabbed onto his best friend, and all four quickly ducked into the lake, diving to its bottom. For a few seconds they floated underneath the water, hearing muted explosions above and the mad laughter of those who had caused it. Only a few seconds later, the man was forced to go back up, taking a deep breath before he did anything else. He felt someone emerge next to him and opened his eyes, quickly rubbing them to try and get rid of the blurriness over them. To his right was Fonda, soon joined by Taza. The last to emerge was Tom, gasping for air as he did. Will didn''t even have time to look around properly before he saw Taza''s face go pale as a yell of anguish escaped him, Fonda and Tom following with gasps of their own. The President turned and looked upon Lasenberg ¨C Or, whatever was left of it.


    About half of the wall had been completely destroyed, leaving massive holes in the great construct that had once defended all of them. The bricks that they were made of were scattered all around, crumbled into pieces and completely covered the grass. The caravan was as good as gone ¨C All that was left were a few pieces of it scattered in five different piles all around the nation. Smoke was rising from every direction and the sickening smell of gunpowder was beginning to fill the area. Flames were rising on the flagpole, the wooden house bases and whatever trees were left inside the nation''s walls, and some of them had started spreading to their piles of building supplies they had kept over from their four and a half month preparation. Everything was gone. With the snap of Dissonance''s fingers, it had all been taken from them, it all turned to ashes in seconds. Dissonance''s group was nowhere to be seen ¨C But their hollering laughter could be overheard from a distance. All four revolutionaries silently swam to the shore and scrambled their way out of the lake, unable to comment in any way on the destruction. What was there to say?


    Will''s hands were trembling as he looked down. He promised them freedom. He promised them a safe home. He promised them independence. And here they stood, watching it all fall apart before them. The President, however, did not have time to even think through everything, or to let himself be taken away by another dream already pulling him closer and closer into its embrace. Dissonance, Georgie and Sapana had returned to the nation''s remains, and were already getting ready to hunt them down and finish this once and for all. Will felt himself being pulled somewhere, jumping into a crater that the explosion created, unsure where he was going but following nonetheless. A minute or two later of running and he was sitting in a small room paved by dark bricks, Tom shutting large, metallic doors behind them. He pressed his back against them and sat down, everyone staring at him in complete shock.


    "When... when did you make this?!", Will shouted out, looking around.


    There wasn''t a lot there, but the room seemed sturdy enough to keep them safe from the three maniacs above for a while. Tom looked up, breathing heavily. He wiped sweat and soot away from his face.


    "I figured... we might end up getting in a sticky situation. Me and Taza made this."Stolen story; please report.


    Tom looked at his friend, who, as always, continued nervously playing with the buttons on his coat.


    "I guess Errett wasn''t the only one with secrets..."


    "...Well this won''t hold for long with what those three have up there!"


    Fonda sighed, sitting down on the floor and starting to stroke his tail nervously with his hand.


    "So what do we do? D-dad? You have a plan, right? Some final idea?"


    Will looked down at the floor below him, feeling his legs completely fail him. He collapsed to the ground, sat down, and put his back against the wall. His men needed him to act ¨C They needed him to pull out his final trick, do something that could save them here. But his mind was blank. What could he do? There were psychopaths with explosives roaming above, they had no weapons or armour, and even if they did have any, they were all too hurt to fight because of what Errett had done. No matter how hard he thought, he could not see a way out of here. Every plan he thought of meant death, every way out he imagined didn''t seem to work. There was one way, one chance he could possibly make it out of here. One way he could make it out alive. One way for Fonda, Tom and Taza to survive, and for all four of them to walk out of this bunker breathing ¨C But he wasn''t sure if he was ready to commit. He stood up, lowered his head and took a deep breath;


    "We have lost everything.", he started, his voice low and tired.


    "...We sit here awaiting death. I see no way for us Lasenbergians to walk out of here.... but I see one last chance."


    Will paused as the rest of the group gasped, realizing what he meant.


    "...We can walk out of here as citizens of the City of Dissonance. We shall shed our uniforms. I will cut a piece of my white shirt off and wave it."


    The man crossed his arms and looked aside.


    "We will surrender."


    "Willz, we can''t! We can''t do that!", Tom was first to object, obviously.


    He had that flame, he had that passion, but it would only get him hurt, and deep inside Will knew that well.


    "Tom, we have no choice. We''re gonna die here if we keep fighting!", Fonda, luckily, a voice of reason, cut in and tried to talk the blonde down.


    "Mr. President?", Taza spoke up, stepping forward.


    He removed a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket and passed it over.


    "Before you step out...."


    Will looked down at the page.


    DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE


    "I grabbed it before we went to the Two Towers... in case anything happened.", Taza carried on as the President read over his own words, his hands trembling and eyes filling with tears.


    His gaze settled on the very bottom of the document, a sinking feeling in his stomach.


    Signed By:


    President Will Ash


    Vice-President Thomas ''Tom Indeo'' Sabuta


    Flurry ''Fonda'' Ash.


    ERRETT


    Toby ''Taza'' Smith


    "...We are a nation. Even if Dissonance takes everything from us, we are one. Even if we surrender here..."


    Taza smiled.


    "The ink on this document is dry. We will grow stronger. We will rise again. All hope is not lost. But right now... Mr. President, we trust your judgement."


    Will folded the declaration and placed it in his pocket.


    Without another word, the president took off his jacket and put it down for a moment. He unbuttoned a part of his white shirt and removed his hand from one of the sleeves, pulling at it with all his might with another. With a rip about half of the sleeve was torn away, and he placed it aside as he buttoned his shirt back up. Everyone else removed their jackets. The piece of the shirt Will prepared was dirty and bloodied, but he did not care. He knew Dissonance would get the message. He turned to his men one last time, and even Tom was silent. There was a glare in his eyes ¨C A glare that told a million things. He did not know what the boy was thinking - But he knew one thing for sure. Whatever happened, he had those three with him. Two young boys and his own son, who tried to start a nation and lost more than they even had. He raised the piece of ripped cloth and slowly walked out of the bunker, being followed by Tom, Taza, and Fonda. He eventually emerged in the crater they had jumped into, and before Dissonance could fire an arrow at him, he quickly lifted the shirt and waved it. The man looked down, his grin growing wide and his laughter getting maniacal.


    "...And so I get my white flag! I must say... with what you were against you fought well. I''m impressed."


    The four were helped out of the crater by Dissonance''s group themselves, a further point of embarrassment to all of them. Still, they tried to stand tall. As long as their nation was still free, however many more minutes it would take, they would be proud of it.


    "Of course, we did far better. You never stood a chance in the first place. But still, good try..."


    "Dissonance... Don''t even say that."


    Tom stepped forward, and Will could feel his worry grow. If there was anyone who could make this situation spiral way out of his control, it was this kid.


    "You fought... incredibly well. We just fought... a little bit better."


    Dissonance came right up to the boy, clearly seeing how much he was agitating him. The blonde''s left eye twitched.


    "You think dirty tricks are ''fighting better''?! You really think that?!", Tom continued shouting, only making Dissonance laugh more and escalating the situation further.


    "Will brainwashed you good, kid.", Dissonance concluded, turning back and looking Tom right in the eyes.


    He lowered his voice and smirked.


    "You''re just a little na?ve child though, aren''t you?"


    This was it. This was what made Tom snap.


    "You- Oh yeah, you know what, you fucking asshole?! Why don''t we fight right now?! Huh? A little duel, how does that sound?!"


    The boy threw himself forward, being held back by Will and Fonda. He was swinging his hands, his eyes filled with rage.


    "Tom- Tom, calm- Calm down!", the President tried to speak, but it was impossible.


    Taza was standing aside for a reason ¨C He, as Tom''s best friend, knew more than anyone that there was no calming him when he got like this.


    "Why don''t we have a bow duel?! You and me big man, come on! A one man show-down, you greedy son of a bitch! You self-obsessed bastard-"


    The boy looked down, growling in frustration. For a moment he stopped speaking, giving Will a chance to calm him down.


    "Tom, you need to breathe. You''ll get yourself killed! We have to surrender, there''s no other way-"


    Tom pulled himself away from the President. He was calmer now, Will knew. He allowed him to step forward, stopping right in front of Dissonance.


    "You''ve blown up all of our shit. You have nothing left to lose, right?"


    Tom looked around, watching the remains of Lasenberg fall to the flames.


    "A bow duel. One on one. Whoever wins gets what they want. What do you say, you little bitch boy?"


    "Tom! Tom, please- Dissonance, I''m sorry, he does not speak for me, I swear-"


    Will started defending himself, but upon seeing the small twitch in the corner of Dissonance''s smile, he stopped.


    "Okay.", Dissonance said with a shrug.


    "Let''s do it. Duel to the death. One on one. You and me."


    To this answer, almost everyone seemed shocked. Will, Fonda and Taza most of all. Sapana and Georgie secondly, unsure why their leader would respond to something like this when victory was already in his grasp. And finally, there was Tom ¨C Quickly, all of the things he had said in his angered state dawned on him, and now, the gravity of the situation was settling in with him. Dissonance shrugged once more, sheathed his sword and began walking out of the remains of Lasenberg, his grin wide and proud. His two friends followed behind, giving Tom horrified looks of pity. Dissonance looked back about half way through his walk, speaking with a tone of voice that showed his twisted enjoyment of all of this;


    "...Meet me at the Primary Path an hour before sunset. Bring a bow and one arrow. Don''t bother bringing extras, Tom."


    The man laughed to himself.


    "I won''t miss. You won''t even have a chance to reload. See you then, Lasenberg! Enjoy your last day of independence."


    Silence. The worst silence they had faced yet. Nothing could match how they felt ¨C Not after the Two Towers, not after Errett''s betrayal, not after the earlier explosion. This was a new feeling of stress and helplessness. The stakes had been raised higher than they had ever been before ¨C There was another chance at independence, sure. But on the other end... Tom could die. This young kid, only fourteen, would have to face death and try to stand tall. There had to be another way out of this, right? They could run, they could have someone else fight. Will would go up there and fire that shot if that was what it took to make sure Tom made it out alive. But would Dissonance even give them that choice? There were so many risks that could be taken, so many choices to be made, so many possible outcomes and none of them seemed good.


    And while everyone else was lost in thought, Tom put his uniform''s jacket back on.


    "I''ll talk to Sot. I''m sure he can spare another bow."


    The boy rearranged his collar and moved his hands around, trying to ease the pain in them from all of his bruises still left over from the Final Authority Room.


    "...Taza, can you come with me? I... I don''t wanna go alone."


    "Tom, wait! You''re not... you''re not actually doing this, are you?"


    Will came closer, putting his hands on the boy''s shoulders. Tom''s eyes were filling with tears slowly, and his breathing was growing heavy. Fonda and Taza remained silent.


    "What else can I do?!", Tom screamed, his voice cracking.


    "This is our final chance! This is it! This is all we can do, and... as Vice-President, it''s my duty to do it!"


    Tom wiped his tears with his sleeve and turned away, tugging at Taza''s shirt.


    "I need to get a bow and an arrow. Just one."


    Tom paused and sighed.


    "I don''t plan on missing."


    And so he left.

 Chapter 17 - The Lasenberg War (7)

    She watched from the woods in silence. She had been, for a long time.


    It wasn''t long before the news about the duel spread throughout the whole city. Everyone knew what was happening - Some were even planning to come watch history unfold before their very own eyes. There were some siding with Dissonance, others pitying Tom and begging their leader to call the whole thing off. Strangely enough, not a single person believed the Lasenbergians could win this fight. Ayala, Palmer, Peija and Ponce all found spots nearby the path and watched intently. Calogero, Steele, Burgess and Sot chose to watch from a distance. Kason, Quawin and Jackson were said to have been avoiding the whole thing in fear of it spiralling into another massive fight, but would want to know the results soon after. King Errett would stand alongside Sapana and Georgie - Having been one of the many to start this struggle, he wanted to be there once it ended. Even The Blade himself was spotted near the outer rims of the woods - None dared chase him away. Whether or not they wanted it, the whole city had its eyes on Dissonance and Tom, and whatever they did here today would go down in history. Now the question was, what would happen?


    She did not know, so she watched. She looked into Lasenberg.


    "Tom, your life is worth more than the revolution."


    The President had been trying to convince his right hand man to back down for the entire day now. The boy, although trembling from fear and already getting sick from the stress, didn''t listen to a single word the man was saying.


    "Will, look around us!", Tom snapped at him, putting down the bow he had gotten from Sot.


    He had been playing around with it for hours now, always too shaky to lay a single proper shot.


    "We have nothing left, okay? This is all we can do, so- Just let me do this!"


    "Tom, you can still back out-"


    "No! No, I can''t, I have to-"


    "There''s still a chance for-"


    "There isn''t just- Just let me-"


    "..Willz, just- I-"


    The boy took a few deep breaths, trying to calm his breathing.


    "I don''t know if I can do this I''m- I''m so fucking scared, and- But there''s so much on the line, I- I can''t back down, okay? I don''t want to back down, I want to stand but... I''m so scared..."


    "You''re truly set on doing this?"


    Will came closer, receiving a rather hesitant nod. He put his hands on the boy''s shoulders and forced a smile.


    "Then... all I can say is make sure to focus on the future you want. The future you can build with this arrow."


    He can almost hear the crowned stranger speak;


    "Think about the future you want, think about the things you sacrificed to get here..."


    "...I''ll stand there. I''ll shoot my shot. And I won''t miss. Not with everything that''s on the line, but..."


    The boy turned away for a moment, played around with the arrow in his hand and glanced at Will again;


    "Do I shoot Dissonance, Willz, or do I aim for the bright sky?"


    The man lowered his head.


    "I want you to do whatever your heart says you should do, deep down.", the President responded, his gaze filled with worry and uncertainty.


    Whatever happened an hour before sunset would decide the fate of their small nation ¨C But most importantly, it would decide the fate of this innocent kid.


    She prayed under her breath as she looked away. Her gaze set on the City of Dissonance.


    Georgie had enough of thinking. He had enough of waiting, wondering, and hiding behind a fake fa?ade as his friend tore everything they ever made apart because of his constant lust for power and showing it. He was going to put his foot down ¨C If this truly was to be the last conflict in this ongoing war, he was going to make sure of it. No more final duels, deals, conditions or any more fighting. He was going to make sure Dissonance walked away from that fight and that once he did, they were finally done once and for all. When Sapana left for some time to get King Errett from wherever he was basking in his riches, Georgie finally decided he would speak. And for the first time in this war, he would not speak as Georgie Flores to Dissonance.


    He would speak like George used to speak to Clay.


    "...Dissonance?", he muttered at some point, but of course, his quiet and tired voice barely got the attention of the man scrambling about and going through every bow he had in his armoury, chucking aside any single one that seemed to have even the smallest defect.


    Georgie stood up, raised his voice and narrowed his eyes.


    "Dissonance!".


    "What?", he snapped, the look in his eyes showing he regretted it.


    This was one of the rare times where he would put his mask aside, put down his hood and sometimes even change out of that hoodie of his. Georgie always wished others could see him like this ¨C Maybe then, things would be different.


    "I meant.... I... what''s up, Georgie? What do you need?"


    "...Are you sure you want to go through with this? They surrendered. We could just take the win and let them live. We don''t have to fight any longer."


    Georgie shivered as he watched Dissonance''s eyes turn cold, his gaze burning right through him. He seemed unable to force that iconic fake grin, though.


    "I''m going to the duel and I''m going to win it, Georgie. You know this."


    The man tried out another bow, and this time, actually seemed satisfied with it. He attached it to his back and began looking for an appropriate arrow. His friend came closer with a frown.


    "Whatever happens here we lose, Dissonance. I know you''ll get the kid because you never miss... and once he dies, the whole city will be in uproar. I mean, are you really willing to just kill an actual child for your cause, Dissonance? Is that how far this delusion has gone?"


    "...It''s not a delusion."


    Dissonance was still calm, but the twitch in his eye could not be overlooked.


    "...The kid''s death will show everyone what happens to traitors. Now, If you''re done talking, I have a duel to go to."


    Dissonance turned, but was stopped by a hand suddenly grabbing his shoulder.


    "And if you miss...", Georgie started, his voice quivering.


    "I won''t. I never do.", Dissonance reassured him.


    "If you miss, Clay...", his voice made the other flinch.


    "Me and Sap- Me and Nick will lose our best friend. The city will fall into ruin and everyone here will struggle to get by. Do you truly want to put all this on the line for the sake of proving a goddamn point?!"


    Dissonance seemed to think about it ¨C His eyes shifted around, he narrowed them for a moment. Then, he pushed the other''s hand away.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    "This is the last fight, Georgie. I promise."


    He turned around and opened the door to his home, grabbing the black mask he kept right next to the door. He slipped it on, over his eyes and finally lowered it over his mouth. He put his hood over his head, hiding all of his individual features, and leaving only that empty husk everyone else witnessed.


    "...Come on, let''s get going."


    She decided to get his opinion on everything. She knew he''d have something to say.


    "...Why would Dissonance take Tom up on his offer? He has nothing to gain here.", she whispered under her breath, biting her nail and watching everything go down from afar.


    There was a crowd already gathering at the Primary Path, but Dissonance and Tom were yet to arrive.


    "You shouldn''t bite your nails. It''s not healthy.", he reminded her, as he often did.


    "As for him, I''ve seen that look before.", he replied, his voice hoarse and tired.


    "...He''s lustful for power. He got a taste of victory and he wants more. However stupid and risky it may be."


    The man looked away for a moment, allowing his friend to gather her thoughts.


    "If anything happens, can you-"


    "No. I''m sorry. Not today."


    "Right, well... that''s fine."


    "I have to go now. Goodbye."


    "W-where are you going? Aren''t you gonna watch the duel?"


    She turned back, puzzled.


    "I''m sorry. I have something else to do. Tell me about it once it''s done, though."


    He waved at her.


    "Alright... be safe. You know what the woods are like."


    She gave him a smile and waved, too.


    "...Don''t worry. I can take care of myself."


    And with his final words, he left.


    She watched as The Blade disappeared into the woods, and then once more looked at the Path.


    Finally, everyone was there. It was all about to begin.


    When the Lasenbergians arrived, everyone else seemed to already be there. Ayala, Palmer, Peija and Ponce were standing at a large distance from the path, but were close enough to be seen. They all had their eyes focused on the boy ¨C And they all seemed to feel nothing else but pity. Will was behind him, holding onto his shoulder. Fonda and Taza were there too, he could hear their footsteps, but over the pounding of his own heart, they were barely audible. Across from him stood Dissonance, Sapana and Georgie to each of his sides. King Errett showed his face as well - At a distance, standing on a small mound and his empty eyes covered by his sunglasses. Even here, it seemed, he wanted to be above everyone else. Tom could feel his blood boiling just looking at him, but couldn''t let himself be distracted. He stood face to face with Dissonance, trying to focus.


    "Let me just clarify. If you win and I die, Georgie will grant Lasenberg the independence you yearn for so badly.", Dissonance spoke with such ease it was clear he did not plan on losing.


    Tom shifted his feet slightly, squeezed his bow with all his might and narrowed his eyes.


    "...And as agreed.", the boy said, his voice far less confident and a stammer at every word.


    "If I lose... and I... die¡­¡±, the boy swallowed, already feeling faint.


    "All Lasenbergians will leave the City of Dissonance and never return. Your land shall be yours once more."


    "Sounds fair to me. Get off the path, everyone! It''s about to get bloody!", the man shouted out to everyone, forcing Will to step aside.


    As he walked away he gave Tom one last nod ¨C The other returned it very hesitantly. The President joined King Errett on his mound, as did most of the fighters.


    She watched enemies stand shoulder to shoulder, putting aside their differences and letting history happen before them. She herself felt nervous and bit her fingernails. The Blade had told her it wasn''t very healthy, but at a time like this, she cared little for things like that. There was no way she could just stand there and observe in silence.


    "Shake hands, please.", Will started, and the two did as they were told.


    "Turn your backs to each other."


    Once more, they followed.


    "Now... I will count ten paces. Once I say the word fire, you may turn around and fire upon each other. Is that clear?"


    The two nodded without further comments.


    "...One."


    So this is it, I guess, Tom thought to himself, taking one step forward. Just ten steps away from what could be my death. Am I ready? He tightened his grip on his bow, his knuckles growing white from the pressure. He could feel his legs trembling, nearly tripping as he tried to take steady steps. It was as if the whole world was watching him ¨C The stress he felt was unbearable. His stomach was turning and he felt like he would throw up any second. There was sweat building up on his forehead, moving down his face and dropping to the ground. Maybe he should have trained more, this was all happening far too quickly... how many steps had it been already?


    "...Two."


    Right, Tom said to himself as he stepped forward, we have only just begun. Maybe Will was right? Maybe the smarter thing to do here would have been to run as far away as they could while they still had the chance to? He wasn''t sure how good of a shot he was, if he were to be honest. He barely had time to train with how quickly the sun went down around this time of the year. Maybe he could have asked Fonda for some help, and he could feel more confident. Maybe he should have tried out some of these arrows before he picked one out blindly. Maybe I should have thought about all that before I actually challenged Dissonance to this duel.


    "...Three."


    If I die here, will it at least make things better for everyone else?, Tom asked himself, or will it change nothing? Another step, another dark thought. With each one it started to feel like he had less and less time for those ¨C And more and more time to break down. His breathing was only getting more irregular and his hand was trembling, he was sure he would die right then and there. I should have just kept my mouth shut and let us surrender. I''m going to die here, and for what?


    "...Four."


    I need to stop crying, he convinced himself, I probably look like an idiot right now. But it was true, there were tears already in his eyes that he could not stop. Every emotion he was feeling in that moment was clashing with one another, leaving him broken and torn. Will, Taza and Fonda are all watching me and looking for hope right now, and I''m doing this... I need to get my shit together and figure this out before it''s too late.


    "...Five."


    We''re only half-way there and I''m already barely holding on, he noted, this bow is slipping right out of my hands... his steps were irregular and he was close to falling over more than once now, the pounding of his heart muting out any other noise around him. Will showed me how to calm my breathing after that nightmare once, right? I''ll just do that. I''ll just do as Will taught me and everything will be fine, I''m sure of it.


    "...Six."


    If I die here I''ll leave Will alone in that haze again, he realized, what kind of person does that make me? I''m a horrible person for not being able to stick around and help him find out about the dreams- No, scratch that! I''m not gonna fucking die here, I''m gonna shoot that bastard right in his heart and leave him bleeding out on this path of his!


    "...Seven."


    I''m not gonna leave Will, Taza or Fonda because I''m their Vice-President and I promised to serve them and our nation. In three steps I''m going to turn around and shoot, and I will not miss. I can''t miss, not now, I''m going to hit him.


    "...Eight."


    but god my hands are shaking so much will I even be able to take a good shot? will I even have a chance at turning around, or will he just shoot before it''s even time to?


    "...Nine."


    wait slow down i can''t do this i''m not ready


    "Ten paces, fire!"


    it hurts


    She watched. Just as she had been for what seemed to be months now, she watched. She had been watching for a long, long time. Everyone was watching. And everyone, just as she did, watched Tom be pierced by a single arrow, leaving him falling to the ground. Everyone, just as she did, watched the puddle of blood that formed around him as he struggled to breathe, his three companions running to him instantly. Everyone, just as she did, watched Dissonance lower his weapon, and without a word, walk away. No grin, no laugh, no words. Just silence. But she was not like everyone. She would not let this end here. She would not let him win. She would not stand aside and watch like everyone else did.


    Heroes are meant to win, aren''t they? This wasn''t right. She would fix it.


    Everyone watched as she raced from the cover of the woods and onto the Path, pushing past the crowd forming around him. Everyone watched as she forced the President aside, his men stepping away under his command eventually. Everyone watched as she pulled out various supplies and tools from her bag and everyone watched as she did everything she could to save the boy. Everyone asked questions between one another, questions she didn''t bother answering right now. Who are you? Where are you from? What are you doing? Why are you here? She did not care because it was not the President that asked ¨C And the President understood she was trying to help, so he kept them all away from her. For a long time, she had watched. And it was about time she got involved. That day, everyone who watched said a mysterious woman emerged seemingly out of nowhere in the woods and began doing everything she could to save the dying boy lying below her.


    But if you were to ask Tom, he would simply say he watched a beautiful girl with a gentle smile lean over him as his world turned dark.


    "Hey, Willz?"


    "Yeah, Toms?"


    "Where do you think we go when we die?"


    "Hopefully as far away from here as fuckin'' possible."


    "Yeah... hopefully."

 Chapter 18 - The Uprising King

    A beautiful girl with a gentle smile. It was all Tom remembered before-


    -he''s walking on the sand, and for once, he''s not running. He''s taking slow and careful steps, but he is not afraid. There''s someone he knows well by his side - The man with the sweet singing voice, the round glasses and the yellow sweater. He''s looking ahead, and whenever Tom seems to hesitate, he pulls him forward. He can see something showing itself in the distance - Large walls of a great kingdom. They pass people who silently work on their farms, knowing from their clothes and the small badges on them that they are not to be interrupted. They eventually enter the walls and are not stopped by the guards. They are simply looked at, admired. Will squeezes Tom''s arm and urges him on - They don''t have the time to stand around.


    "They''re just towners, Tom. They won''t do anything to us and you know it.", the man reminds him, leading him through the large city.


    It''s hard to enjoy it with all the people staring at him.


    "They still give me the creeps. Doesn''t matter how long I''ve been a Leader.", Tom responds, trying not to meet eyes with all of the humanoids glaring into his very soul.


    The city is full of life. People rush about through the marketplace, peeking out from the windows of their small, sandstone homes. The sun shines above, as it often does around this area, and the warm air is blowing through the streets. A large cow passes them, a bell lazily swaying on its neck. Someone shouts out a reprimand, a young child pushes past them and runs forward. Gradually, the people stop paying attention to them and let them through. They walk through the streets, watching as homes grow more and more lavish and people seem to be wearing more and more expensive clothes as they draw close to the castle. Finally, they reach the great construct with a large, heavy gate, which is lifted as they approach. Tom can already feel himself getting nervous.


    "Are you sure this guy will help?", he asks, his hand running through his blonde curls.


    He watches as the palace shows itself, a large staircase leading right to the King''s throne room. The castle is vastly different to the style that the rest of the city is built in - It''s primarily made up of stone brick.


    "...The Uprising Kingdom is all that stands between us and the Arctic Empire. If he can''t help... I''m not sure who can.", Will admits, honestly, and sighs.


    The two are escorted inside the throne room by two large, strongly built guards with heavy iron armour.


    Tom takes a deep breath. He''s never-


    -been in as much pain as he was in that very moment. The whole world was nothing but a spinning mess of colours, sounds and smells, and no matter how hard he tried to grasp onto anything, it all fell into one giant swirling mess anyway. He could hear two things above all - Voices, and sobs. Some of them seemed to be mixed with one another, but however hard he tried, he could not figure out who was speaking. He did, however, pick up on some conversations, however muted and however overpowered by his pain they were.


    "There. I did all I could for now. Now it''s time for the hard part."


    "The hard part? So what you just did there wasn''t hard?"


    "The hard part for Tom. This is what''s gonna decide whether or not he lives."


    "W-well what does he have to do? Please, please, don''t let my friend die..."


    "He just has to fight on. Stay strong and have hope for him."


    "He can do it... this kid''s got more strength in him than most adults I know."


    "I-I''ll sit by him! Every day! I''ll keep talking to him until he wakes up!"


    "That''s actually a good idea. There''s a chance he can hear you. Hearing you will comfort him."


    "How... how can we ever thank you? I mean, what''s even your name?"


    "My title is Natalie, Mr. President. And there''s no need to thank me for doing what''s right."


    Tom felt something tug at his shirt, but could barely even tell-


    -when the King enters the room, expecting some sort of grander appearance. The man simply steps in from behind a rather small doorway, rearranges his cape and crown, and offers a small smile. He is a tan man with messy black hair and dark, blue eyes. He has a black jacket, white shirt, dark trousers and sunglasses with a red rim. Not a look you''d expect from so-called royalty, but he himself knows better than anyone that Leaders often prioritize comfort over theatrics. He waits for a moment, rearranges his golden crown riddled with expensive gems, and reaches out with his hand.


    "Will Ash and Tom Indeo. It''s a pleasure to finally meet the two of you."


    Will moves forward and shakes his hand firstly, and Tom follows soon after. The boy scratches the back of his head and forces a smile through all of his stress.


    "You can just call me Tom, Your Majesty."


    Upon hearing the title, the man laughs out loud and removes his cloak, passing it to a servant. He doesn''t take off his crown, however, even making sure it is still there as if it were some sort of nervous habit.


    "No need to be so proper, Tom! Around here I already get enough of that stuff... it''d be nicer to have some friends. After all, we''re all Leaders. We''re on the same level, right?"


    The man turns to Will and nods at him, the other crossing his arms.


    "Tom, this is King Captain Schmidt of the Uprising Kingdom. But I''m sure you knew that already."


    He moves some of his hair out of his eyes and fixes up his glasses. As well as he''s hiding it, Tom can clearly see that the man is incredibly nervous, too.


    "Oh! So you are the...The Uprising King!"


    The boy''s eyes light up.


    "You are, like, legendary! You were one of the first to settle in this land, right? And you used to..."


    Tom stops himself, realizing he''s probably bringing back painful memories. The Captain laughs, although with less joy this time.


    "...It''s true. I used to rule the world...", the man says and smiles as a fond memory returns to him.


    It soon fades, however, and he frowns.


    "But those days are long behind me. It''s the Arctic Empire that''s trying to do the same thing now, I guess. And that''s why you''re here, is it not?"


    "Exactly.", Will cuts in, clearly wanting to carry this conversation forward.


    He''s impatient, playing with the sleeves of his yellow sweater and tapping his foot.


    "With how quickly the Empire is advancing, they will have all of Afri under their control by-


    -today, you won''t believe what happened!"


    Taza?


    "Ms. Natalie is starting to tell us all about the forest now, remember? I... I don''t know if you hear me every time I talk to you. Or... or if you hear me at all. B-but it''s fine! She took me and Fonda into the woods and we did some hunting. Will... didn''t wanna go... well, anyway! When we were in the forest, we heard something... and then we saw a horse! It was, like... chestnut brown with white patches? It had a really nice, blonde mane. Ms. Natalie told us a lot of them live out beyond the forest, but sometimes find their way in. We were a little scared, since we don''t see those often, you know... but she said it was fine! She got close to it, started petting it, and said we could take it home! It''s outside our camp right now, we tied it to a tree with some rope we found. Ms. Natalie says he''s a boy! She named him Fungi. She says he''s very friendly, and if we get a saddle, she could teach me how to ride him! I''ve never seen a horse so close before... but Ms. Natalie is a natural! She says she''s been in the fields beyond the forest... do you think it''s true? Oh shoot! Fonda''s calling me for dinner... uh... see you, Tom! Get well-Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    -soon. Very soon.", Will responds to a question the Captain asked, but Tom is too spaced out to know what exactly is being discussed.


    They are sitting in a small room, with a round table in the middle and three cups of water set out in front of them.


    "...Right... that might be a problem.", the Uprising King speaks slowly, leaning back in his chair.


    "...Are we absolutely sure the Arctic Empire will try to push through my kingdom? Their advances through Afri have been aggressive, sure, but that land is unclaimed."


    "...There were villages there.", Tom whispers, barely heard.


    The heavy silence weighing on the room, however, allows him to be understood by the other two.


    "Innocent people who died because they were in their way! Even if it was unclaimed land that asshole had no right to-"


    "Tom!", Will snaps, trying to silence him.


    "Sorry...", the boy mutters, shifting in his seat.


    "That land was not granted to them through talks. They traded nothing for it. And they hurt innocent people. They''ve broken every law we have ever laid out in this world and this is not the first time. It''s an act of war, Captain. There''s no time for hesitation."


    Tom had always admired the ease at which Will spoke ¨C Where did he learn such convincing strategies?


    "...I cannot fight the Empire, and neither can you two. Their leader, he''s..."


    The Captain hesitates.


    "He''s too strong for us to face. Not to mention his two protectors... he trains them in all of his fighting techniques. We''re going to have to somehow settle this politically ¨C And I''m guessing that''s why you''re here, right? You''ve already come to the same conclusion as me."


    The two look at the Uprising King with guilt.


    "The Arctic Emperor is a difficult man to negotiate with, but... we can figure something out if we put our heads together. And... your kingdom is all that stands between Afri, Evros and Assuwa. If he goes through you... he''s free to go anywhere he pleases and hit from our most defenceless angles. For the sake of everyone, we need your support here."


    The Captain thinks, for a moment, looks aside and rearranges his crown once more. It seems very important to him.


    "...I need time to think about this. You said we have about a month before things get critical? Very well then. Spend one night here, at my castle, and I promise I will make my decision tomorrow."


    The King stands, walks to the doorway and turns back.


    "I could simply allow his armies through here if I wished. His protection is priceless, you know."


    The two look nervously between one another ¨C They take this as their warning-


    -us, we still didn''t really listen... but maybe we should have, considering what happened. Oh, right! I should probably explain... Ms. Natalie- Well, she prefers Nat now that she knows us better- Ms. Nat took me and Fonda out to the fields past the forest today! It''s so nice there! There''s flowers, bees, animals running everywhere. And far, far away there''s these huge mountains! Will, again, didn''t go. He wanted to stay with you. And he also told us leaving the camp might be dangerous, considering... but we still went! Fonda ended up tripping and falling into a lake and now he has a cold... poor Ms. Nat is getting blamed for all of it. Oh, as for Will, in case you''re wondering, he''s doing fine! He''s still worried about you, but... yeah. He''s doing fine. He found an old guitar and is learning to play now. He''s actually really good at it! He can also sing so, so nicely! He wrote this song, I think he called it... Saline Solution? Well, written is a strong word. He kind of just played it as if he knew it already! And then he serenaded Ms. Nat... you know, as suspicious as he is of her, I think he might have a little crush on her... W-what, Mr. President? N-no, I wasn''t- Uh- Whelp, Tom, I gotta go! I think I might be in-


    -the end, the only thing that matters is stopping them! Can''t you for once step down and try to think of others?"


    They''re fighting now. How did they get here? Tom has no idea. It all spiralled and now he''s forced to listen as Will and the Captain argue viciously.


    "...You come to my kingdom and you expect me to give up the thing that matters the most to me?! Do you really think giving him something nice and shiny will keep him away!?"


    Tom can''t take it any more. He has to step in. He has to say something.


    "The Emperor of the Arctic will be satisfied as long as he is in control."


    The boy stands, and strangely enough, the other two men listen.


    "...Your crown, Captain... I know it matters to you. I know it''s all you have left of your old kingdom... but to ensure this one doesn''t meet the same fate, isn''t it better to sacrifice something so small?"


    Silence. So the boy carries on.


    "He will be satisfied with it, I know he will. With it on his head he''ll think he triumphed over you ¨C But you can show him he hasn''t won yet! Give him the crown in exchange for peace, Captain, let the Uprising Kingdom become a thing of the past and let me and the other Leaders secure a future! Isn''t that enough for you?"


    The Captain bit his lip. The boy looked down.


    "Let me have a future, Captain.", his voice lowers into a whisper.


    "Let me live on and be a Leader. Give me a chance to have the kingdom you once had. Give up your crown and secure freedom for all of us! I''m begging you!"


    Finally, the Uprising King sits down. He rubs his eyes, sighs, and moves his fingers to his crown and removes it. He places it on the table in front of him.


    "Let''s give others the chance to have what I once had."


    "You''re making the right choice, Captain. Me and Will will-


    -never wake up. But that can''t be true, right? Tom, please tell me Nat is lying! You''ll wake up, I know- I know she said there''s a small chance you will, but- I know you will! You always get out of these situations, like- Remember when- Remember when The Blade saved you from that cave? That was... haha... please wake up already... I''m so lonely... um... today... Nat found a saddle for Fungi! She started training him... she says it might take a while, but she''s very good at it... he''s already really nice to her- And um- God, I can''t lie to you even when you''re asleep... look, things are getting messy. And... and I wish you''d wake up and help me take care of everything. But... Nat says you might not. Nat and Will got into a big fight this morning... he asked her if she''s ever met The Blade while living in the woods, and when she went silent, he started asking lots of questions. She eventually snapped at him and told him to mind his own business... Will isn''t singing her songs any more. Nat keeps saying you''re getting worse... Tom, you have to wake up... please... I don''t want to be alone here. I''m so-


    -scared. For the first time in a long while, Tom is scared. He watches in silence. He watches as the Emperor of the Arctic approaches the borders of the capital of the Uprising Kingdom, his hands stained in blood and a sharp sword in his hand. To his right is an older gentleman with silver hair and a neat suit, and to his left is the man with the bucket hat, angel wings and a kind smile. Strangely enough, Tom feels like he knows this man ¨C And like he can trust him. Alongside the Emperor, though, he looks a lot more menacing than he does in the other memories.


    "...Emperor. It is an honour to stand before you.", the Captain speaks slowly.


    It is clear he doesn''t want to do this. But everyone has already agreed ¨C There''s no holding back. Now all that is left is to make the deal, and the grin on his face shows he knows it.


    "Let''s cut the formalities. We''re a very busy bunch, you know?"


    The Emperor walks forward, and without any hesitation at all, snatches the crown out of the Uprising King''s hands. He places it on his head as his companions laugh and cheer him on.


    "...The Crown of the Uprising King...", the Emperor whispers, stifling a chuckle.


    "Finally... the most precious thing in this whole world is mine."


    He rearranges it, the Captain helplessly watching in silence. Tom steps closer and puts his hand on his shoulder ¨C He can only imagine how hard this must be for him. But it''s all they can do, right? It''s all they can do to save the rest of the world. The Emperor finally has his glimmering crown ¨C A crown stolen from someone who deserved it far more.


    "Thank you, Captain. Thank you for granting me this gift."


    "So you''ll leave now, right?", Will asks.


    "You will leave and you will stop your-"


    "Yeah, sure sure, whatever. But... what if I were to say... I really need to get into Evros."


    "N-no! We agreed to something! We made a deal, did we not? You can''t-


    -hear me, I know. Nat said it''s unlikely you can, but this is all I can do these days to gather my thoughts. So... Will and Nat made up. Sort of. They apologized to each other and agreed we have to stick together. Nat promised she will tell us more about The Blade once... if... you wake up. And...Will sang another song. It was... a really nice evening. I wish you were there with-


    -no army to speak of, what will you do, stop us?", the man with the bucket hat speaks.


    "These walls would look a lot better with a couple explosives...", the older man remarks.


    "Yeah... and you''d look nicer with a bloody face."


    The Emperor points to the Captain.


    "No! No, no, you can''t do this! We had a deal! You cannot just break your vows here and-


    -I know you''re trying your best, but... try harder! Please! Please, I know you can snap out of this, you can wake up and then- Then I''ll show you everything myself, okay? I''ll introduce you to Nat, Will will sing you a song, I''ll show you Fungi... just wake up already so I can-


    -tear your guts out and leave everyone in this city begging for my mercy!"


    The Emperor moves his blade back. The Captain turns, he wants to run, he tries to get away but-


    -no matter what we try it just doesn''t work, so only you can snap out of this Tom and-


    -he moves forward, his blade tearing through the other''s throat, blood pouring out-


    -side, but I''ll be back in a bit. I promise I won''t leave your side until you are-


    -so overwhelmed with fear and anger, all he can do is scream-


    "No!", Tom yelled as he shot awake, gasping for air.


    He looked around.


    He was alone.

 Chapter 19 - Runaways

    "Tom?"


    He kept breathing heavily, his hands shaking.


    "Tom!"


    There were tears in his eyes that he didn''t know the origins of.


    "Tom, you''re awake!"


    Two arms tightly wrapped around him, and suddenly, he was alright.


    He could hear his friend sobbing into his shoulder as he tightly squeezed him, a pain growing in his chest. Taza ran into the tent as soon as he heard the boy scream, not wasting any time checking if he was okay. He moved away after a while, looking down at his stomach. Tom, seeing this, looked too. His shirt was gone, and the entire top of his body was covered in bandages. They seemed to be pretty fresh, most trying to hold up a large heap of herbs around where he guessed his heart to be. Even shifting around made it all fall and crumble, showing it was an incredibly make-shift creation that was not prepared for his awakening.


    "D-don''t move too much! Nat says you''re still in a really fragile state..."


    Taza quickly stopped him, grabbing his shoulders and keeping him static. The boy took a few more deep breaths, still shaken from his nightmare. He wanted to ask questions about everything ¨C Where he was, how long it had been, what did Dissonance do, what was of Lasenberg... everything was mixing in his head, and in the end, his throat only allowed him a few words;


    "Where... how long..."


    He grabbed onto his throat as he spoke with great strain, unable to get a full sentence out. He must have been asleep for quite some time to feel like this ¨C But Taza was soon at his side with support. He grabbed his hand and squeezed it gently, somehow causing him more comfort than anything possibly could have. He moved aside a blanket that was put over him and tried to move his legs, shifting onto his knees.


    "Don''t worry. We will explain everything, but for now, you need to relax. You know, I think Fonda is making breakfast now... are you hungry?"


    He didn''t respond, but instead nodded vigorously, receiving a giggle from his friend.


    "Right! You''ve been asleep for a while! You must be starving! I... I still can''t believe you''re okay."


    The boy paused for a moment, lowering his head.


    "I missed you, Tom. I sat by you everyday and talked to you. And-"


    "I know. I heard.", his voice was a whisper, but it was enough.


    Taza''s face lit up.


    "Y-you did? So Nat was wrong! You could hear me! I knew it!"


    He laughed with great relief.


    "...Only small bits... and..."


    Again, he stopped himself as the pain in his throat grew stronger.


    "We''ll talk about it later! Just... it''s good you''re here. Really."


    The boy turned away.


    And finally, the two crawled out of the tent.


    The ''camp'' Tom had been hearing about during his dreams wasn''t anything impressive. In a small clearing in-between some trees, three tents were set up around a single campfire. Fonda was sitting by it, preparing something on a small, wooden plate, but he was yet to notice the two. There was a piece of rope tied to a tree, but it was hanging loosely, from which Tom could only guess Nat''s horse must have been away. Although he didn''t know exactly what Nat looked like, he didn''t see any long-haired woman wandering around, so he could safely guess she was gone, too. Will wasn''t in sight, but when he listened carefully, the boy could hear singing and the strumming of a guitar somewhere in the distance, barely heard over the wind moving through the leaves, making them rustle. Taza called out to Fonda, making him turn back instantly.


    "Tom! Tom, you''re awake!", the man exclaimed, his ears perking up.


    He put aside the plate he was working on and came closer, looking at the boy with a mix of joy and shock.


    "God, you really never give up, huh? Nat was about ready to stop replacing your bandages all together..."


    "...Who''s... Nat?", Tom muttered, still struggling to speak.


    His head was spinning slightly from standing up as suddenly as he did, struggling to retain information for the time being, but luckily Taza was by his side, helping him stand. Fonda laughed nervously and slowly returned to the fire, speaking;


    "Right! Nat! You''ll meet her soon. She''s out training Fungi in the fields right now. She''s the person who saved you... it was like a miracle."


    The man continued his work, whatever meal he was making emitting amazing smells. But maybe it was just his hunger that made it smell so wonderfully...


    "...Maybe you should sit down? Here, you should eat... I''m sure Nat and Will will be back soon."


    Tom joined Fonda around the fire, sitting down on the grass. Taza quickly joined him, excitedly grabbing a plate of food from the President''s son. Tom took his portion more hesitantly.


    "...Where... are we? Why are we-"


    Tom was cut off by a cough.


    "Why are we here?"


    Taza and Fonda looked between each other as they ate, as if trying to pick out who would have to speak up. Eventually, the younger boy cleared his throat and spoke.


    "...Dissonance thinks you''re dead. So... he also thinks he won the duel. Well, he did, I guess. You would have died if not for Nat."


    Taza put his food aside, clearly unable to eat.


    "One of the terms of us losing was we had to leave the City of Dissonance. So... we hid in the forest."


    "These are the woods everyone is so afraid of?"


    Tom looked around, his voice finally returning him somewhat well. All he could see was trees, and he could only hear the rustling of leaves and Will''s distant singing.


    "...They don''t seem too bad."


    "During the day...", Fonda spoke with his mouth full.


    "...You should see the shit Nat has to do to keep us safe at night. Apparently, The Blade taught her to do all that."


    He swallowed, paused and shrugged.


    "But honestly, yeah, it''s not as bad as Dissonance made it out to be."


    "I guess it''s just another thing he uses for control. Little lies we don''t even notice to make him seem like he''s vital to us."


    Taza completely gave up on his food and crossed his arms.


    "We''re fine out here, though... for now, at least. Nat knows what she''s doing."


    "...And Lasenberg?", as Tom asked this, the silence that overtook the two was overwhelming.


    They gave each other one of those uncomfortable glances, and this time, it was Fonda that took the fall and decided he would speak up and explain everything.


    "...Dissonance started taking down the walls. He left the craters there and put up a bunch of posters about traitors and how much of a problem we were. It took them a while to get over your death, but the city is pretty much back on its feet now."


    Tom sighed.


    "How long... how long have I been asleep?", the boy muttered, this time getting no response at all.


    He realized these two barely had any information he needed ¨C And even if they did, the other two people in charge were keeping them from speaking. So, he concluded;Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    "I need to talk to Will."


    He looked around and listened into the distant singing.


    "I''m guessing that''s him out there?"


    He didn''t even wait for a response before he stood up.


    "Tom, wait! Nat should check you before you walk around-"


    Taza tried to stop his friend, but it wasn''t really working. Tom simply turned back to him with an empty look.


    "Where''s my shirt?", he asked, disregarding his friend''s pleas.


    Fonda continued sitting alone, clearly knowing better than to try to stop Tom of all people from doing something, learning from Tom''s own heated exchange with Dissonance for the duel.


    "Uh... here, in our tent- I cleaned it and stitched it up for you. I''ve been doing that for everyone''s uniforms, actually-"


    Before Taza could even pass it to him, Tom snatched it out of his hands.


    Ignoring any other pleas from his friend, the blonde slipped the shirt on and quickly buttoned it, marching into the woods and following the sound of singing somewhere in the distance. He wished he could turn around and tell Taza he wasn''t actually mad at him, or go back and thank Fonda for the food he made for him. But Tom''s mind was swirling with thoughts that clouded his judgment completely, muting out any other noise. He was angry- No, no, he was furious. He was furious at how everything turned out, and where he was now. He survived ¨C So what? He still lost. Dissonance still got everything and he and his friends somehow lost more, just when they thought they had nothing. And now Taza was acting as if this were normal ¨C Hiding out in the woods, eating god knows what, sleeping in tents, none of it was right. He challenged Dissonance to that duel for a reason. He wanted change. And all he got was loss, loss of anything they could ever say they had left. Tom had to know. Tom had to know how bad the situation truly was, and if there was still a chance at recovery. And the only man who could give him those answers was the President.


    He found Will singing alone by a large tree.


    "Well I''ve heard there was an exceptional place..."


    Tom knew his singing voice. He was sure the others didn''t before the duel and its aftermath, but he had heard it before in some of his memories. Will always loved singing ¨C It was one of the things the boy remembered that he lacked in the ''real world'', if it could even be referred to as that.


    "Where people could go and liberate..."


    The guitar, too, was something he had seen before. He was sure that in one of the dreams Will had even taught him how to play it, but it was something he had long forgotten. Whenever he had those dreams, though, he always felt... happy. Calm. It was far better than the nightmares of the Arctic Emperor he had been having lately.


    "The savagery and the despotism of their leaders..."


    Will was different in the dreams. He wasn''t as tired as he was when he watched him play and sing, he wasn''t as hopeless. He was always smiling, always giving him tips and teaching him things he said he learned from a ''good friend'' a long time ago. Where did that Will go, with this war?


    "Well this place is factual..."


    The man paused, playing the same chord again.


    "Well this place is true...", he tried once more, clearly not satisfied with the line.


    "Well this place is... this place is... fuck!"


    Will hit the strings of the guitar with all his strength and put it aside, an angry sigh following. Yes, indeed, the calm and kind Will from his dreams was definitely a Will very different to the one sitting in front of him. He continued sitting there, silent, until Tom shifted slightly, causing some leaves to rustle. Instantly, the President jumped to the side, grabbed onto his bow and readied an arrow, making the boy gasp.


    As his eyes widened it was almost as if he was on the Path all over again, Dissonance aiming his weapon right at his heart. He fell back, fell to the ground and screamed, his eyes completely blinded by the image. He tried to cover himself from the oncoming arrow, feeling that pain surge through his body just as it did in that moment. But this time, he wasn''t lying on the floor, the world spinning and fading out. This time he simply sat there, trembling from fear and unsure of how his mind found itself travelling back to that moment so vividly, and taking him right back so swiftly.


    "Tom! Tom- Shit, I''m sorry!"


    Will got closer, trying to offer support. The boy, still fidgety from what just happened pushed him away and backed up, rubbing his shoulders. His heart was racing and his whole body was shaking as he tried to get himself back into reality, taking deep and careful breaths. Eventually, everything moved back into place and he stared up at the President with more confusion than anything else.


    "...I- Uh... it''s fine- I- I just- Panicked..."


    The boy rubbed his eyes and forced himself to stand, the world spinning as he did so. He quickly supported himself on a nearby tree, completely disregarding the concern coming from Will. The boy looked down. No arrow, no blood. The President hadn''t even fired a single shot. So why did it feel so real? He shook his head, trying to get rid of the thought. He didn''t want to think about it right now.


    "Are you... are you sure?"


    The boy nodded, not wanting to worry the man. Although clearly spotting his hesitation, he decided to change the topic.


    "Well... you''re... you''re awake. You''re actually awake. Just- Just come here, you stupid gremlin."


    The man pulled him closer and wrapped his hands around him in a tight hug. This one was different to Taza''s ¨C It was a lot weaker, more reserved. It carried more exhaustion than anything... it was clear Will had been the most tired out by everything. He didn''t speak as he hugged him. He just enjoyed the moment, and Tom did the same thing. But not because he was happy he survived ¨C It was more as if he found comfort in it, pulling him away from that overwhelming panic that vivid flashback had caused him. He eventually stepped back, grabbing onto his shoulder as he took a deep breath.


    "That was so dumb of you, you realize that? That whole duel, mouthing off Dissonance, it''s a miracle you''re still alive!", Will''s voice turned angry out of nowhere, his tone of voice jumping around so much it was hard to keep up with how he was truly feeling.


    "Well I am alive! So what''s the big deal?"


    He crossed his arms and looked down. There were more bandages than he could count wrapped around his chest and he was thrown into panic the moment he saw a bow aimed at him. That definitely was a big deal, but he would never admit it.


    "...You''re gonna thank Nat personally. And you''re gonna drop the little gremlin child thing around her and you''re going to treat her with the respect she deserves for saving you after your little act, do I make myself clear?"


    Tom stifled a laugh. He had never seen Will so serious about something not so dangerous.


    "You seem to really like that Nat girl."


    As soon as he said this, the President turned away as his face turned a bright red. The blonde started laughing uncontrollably to himself as the man picked up his guitar and put it on his back using a large leather strap attached to it.


    "You''re a dickhead, you know that?", Will said as he passed the other. He stopped for a moment, sighed, and put his arm on his head, ruffling his hair.


    "It''s good to have you back, though."


    "You''re sending me some real mixed signals right now, Willz."


    And even though Tom spoke with a light-hearted tone of voice, his mind was screaming a million different things at him.


    He wanted to tell Will about what he saw the moment that bow was aimed at him. He wanted to tell Will about the Captain and his dream. He wanted to stay with him here, alone, talking until they figured everything out. He wanted to yell at him about how much of an asshole he was, and also hug him and cry into his shirt about how much he missed him and how much he just wanted everything to be okay again. But instead, there was nothing. Because never before had Tom felt so helpless, so alone and so scared. Never before had he had so much on his mind, so many questions and so many things he wanted to say, and not a single way to say it. So instead of asking for help, stopping Will, telling him everything... he simply forced a smile and followed him back to the camp, trying to not let the swirling mess in his mind show.


    "...How have your dreams been?", Tom asked at some point, his mind subconsciously trying to throw his nightmare in as a topic.


    Will shrugged, himself unaware of the internal turmoil the person right next to him was trying to deal with.


    "Same as usual. The first few days after the duel... I barely managed to hold on. The only times I was around was when Nat was, too. I think something in my brain was trying to hold onto her, since she was a stranger. After a while it went back to normal."


    How long have I been asleep?


    "...Did anything new show up?"


    The Captain please tell me you also saw the Captain I can''t deal with this alone I don''t know what I saw I don''t know who he was but it all happened so fast please tell me you saw him die too please tell me you saw the Emperor I don''t want to


    "No. Just the usual people."


    Fuck.


    "What about you?"


    Tom hesitated, opened his mouth to speak, closed it again and sighed. His eyes raced around the place, he squeezed his arm and shrugged, trying his best to sound god why am I pretending why can''t I just say it


    "Nope."


    Please ask me again. I promise I''ll tell you eventually.


    "Just the usual people. Same as you."


    The two entered the camp after a rather short walk, Tom still nervously fidgeting with his shirt. Fonda and Will, of course, easily overlooked it. Taza, however, had noticed the boy''s strange behaviour a while ago. He did not have any time to ask the blonde as to why exactly he was acting this way, though, as a loud noise echoed from the forest. The repetitive sound of galloping hooves, eventually accompanied by the rustling of bushes and tree leaves. Tom didn''t even have time to react as he was knocked aside, stumbling onto the ground below. He heard someone exclaim something and looked up, seeing the strangest sight.


    A large, chestnut brown stallion with white patches of fur with a stunning, blonde mane was standing at the edge of the camp, finally stopped by someone pulling on its reins. The horse made a rather annoyed sound, stopped moving, and finally settled in place, allowing the person riding it to get down. The figure jumped off, landed on the ground below with grace and quickly tied the horse up, rushing over to Tom right after. As she leaned down, he instantly recognized her as the woman that he saw leaning over him back when the duel ended. Long brown hair, with only two strands of it dyed white at the front, and an incredibly gentle smile. She was covered in bandages and had loose, dirty clothes with stitches and patches, showing she had been living out here far longer than they had how long have I been asleep how long have we been out here


    She moved some of her hair out her face, smiled and reached out with her hand.


    "Sorry about that! Fungi is still a little fidgety!"


    Tom grabbed onto the woman''s hand.


    "Uh-"


    Tom glanced at Will, who gave him a terrifying glare.


    "Uh- T-that''s fine! I''m okay!"


    "I''m glad!"


    The woman giggled.


    "It''s nice to finally talk to you, Tom. I''m Nat."


    "...Nat... right... uh..."


    Once more, Will glared.


    "Thank you for saving me! Thank you!"


    "No problem!"


    The woman laughed, clearly noticing what was going on. She turned away.


    "Now... since Tom is awake, I''m guessing all of you want to hear about The Blade?"


    And at Nat''s words, the whole group went silent.

 Chapter 20 - Unlikely Friendship

    "How long have I been asleep?"


    Nat agreed she would talk about The Blade in the evening ¨C Before then, she had a lot of things to do. Fonda and Will didn''t seem to mind. The two had to go hunting anyway, with how low they had been running on food. So, in the end, once the father and son left and the woman entered her tent to work on something, asking not to be disturbed, the two boys were left all alone. Nat asked Taza to help Tom replace his bandages ¨C Which he did gladly. It would give the two time to talk, which they definitely appreciated. They were sitting near the fire Fonda used to make breakfast, now put out and only a small pile of charred wood left behind. The wind was blowing more strongly now, and the sun was slowly but surely making its way down. Taza hesitated before answering, but he knew better than to lie to Tom.


    "...A month and a half.", the boy muttered, grabbing onto some of the buttons on his shirt and starting to twirl them with his fingers.


    "We''re about half way through September now..."


    "A month... and a half...?", Tom whispered, his voice filled with terror.


    The dreams themselves felt like they only took place over a short period of time, a week at most.


    "Not much has happened, though. We''ve just been out here... trying to survive."


    Taza shrugged.


    "...We only check in on Dissonance sometimes. It''s risky to show ourselves at the edge of the woods."


    "Do people even care? That I... died?", Tom''s voice turned quieter, the boy slowly losing himself in this strange situation.


    Taza clearly noticed, coming closer with a smile.


    "Hey, there''s something I''ve got to show you!"


    He jumped up, bouncing on the tips of his feet. He rushed into Nat''s tent, apologized for disturbing her and then jumped back out, a dirty, leather backpack in his hand. As Tom recognized it, he gasped and grabbed it from him.


    "No way! You got them out?"


    He quickly unzipped the bag and removed three discs, all in strangely good condition. His name, however, painted on the side of each one, was beginning to rub off, showing the label underneath.


    "And they all seem completely fine! How did you... when...?"


    "After the duel, Dissonance went back to Lasenberg and got these. He put them up in his house like some sort of trophy... I told Nat about it one time when she was taking care of you. She didn''t say anything... but that night, she left after we all fell asleep."


    "Did she go get them?", Tom asked, touching the edge of one of the discs. The paint peeled away slightly, revealing writing underneath it... it seemed to be a name. For some strange reason, as Tom looked at the discs, an image of The Crown of The Uprising King appeared in his mind.


    "Either Nat got them herself... or she got The Blade to get them for her."


    Taza gave Nat''s tent a worried glance, and upon noticing no movement, he carried on;


    "She might not say it, but she gets The Blade to do a lot of things for her... he even leaves her supplies sometimes..."


    "Why are you whispering?", Tom asked with a quiet chuckle.


    Taza lowered his head for a moment, playing with his thumbs and instantly changing the mood.


    "Nat doesn''t like when we mention him... she gets super defensive about it. But maybe she''ll finally explain it this evening?"


    The boy hopefully looked at his friend.


    "Well, whatever the deal is, she''s a strange one, isn''t she?", Tom muttered with a grin.


    Taza punched his arm, causing him to laugh.


    "Don''t let Will hear you say that!"


    The two laughed on, the blonde feeling that helplessness he felt from his nightmare fading with each second.


    "I''m really happy you''re back, Tom."


    "God, Taza, you''re so clingy..."


    "Hey! You''re ruining the moment!"


    "Sorry, sorry! Don''t look at me like- Ow!"


    For just a moment, as Tom and Taza chased each other around the camp and knocked over more things than Will and Nat would ever possibly be okay with, things seemed to be alright. For just a moment, as they laughed and talked about things that didn''t feel as important as they made them out to be, Tom forgot about his strange nightmare. For just a moment, as Taza showed Tom how to feed Fungi and the two got a few good laughs out of it, the boy didn''t even think about the overwhelming fear that shot through him when Will aimed his bow at him. For just a moment, while the group gathered in the evening again and everyone got ready for Nat''s evening tale, he didn''t feel like everything about hiding out in these woods was wrong. For just a moment, Tom looked at his discs and he felt comfort, rather than feeling himself travelling back to the front gates of the capital of the Uprising Kingdom, with the death of the Uprising King.


    And as the evening grew ever closer, Nat finally emerged from her tent.


    The wind had calmed down. The fire was crackling loudly. Crickets, owls, and other night-loving creatures began singing their usual songs, and Nat listened in carefully. She already knew how to take care of these things ¨C She owed most of her knowledge to The Blade, and his unlikely kindness towards her. The whole time they prepared for night, Tom couldn''t help but ask questions about pretty much everything she did. So, just as she explained a month and a half ago, she explained everything now.


    She ordered Taza and Fonda to light some of the torches she attached to certain trees, giving them a ring of light separating them from the forest. She told Tom the campfire was normally not enough to keep monsters at bay ¨C it was better to create a large circle of light additionally as the creatures of the night despised light. Along with this, she and Will scattered some strange flower around that Tom had never seen before. Nat explained that their smell often kept most creatures away, and with a group as large as theirs, it was always better to be safe than sorry. Finally, she showed him a couple of the traps she set up outside of their camp ¨C Partially, against the monsters at night. Partially, against Dissonance.


    "...Now, before I tell you anything, I need to make a couple things clear.", Nat started as she sat down, finally taking a break from all of the work she had been doing.


    Will was sitting next to her, with Fonda joining his other side. Tom and Taza sat across from them, slightly further away.


    "I can only tell you a bit. No questions before, during or after."


    "Is it really such a big deal?", Tom asked, instantly regretting it after seeing the glare he got from Will.


    The woman moved some of her hair out of her face, revealing she was equally unimpressed with him. She looked into the fire and reached out with her hands, warming them.


    "The Blade is a very, very particular man. But I spent enough time with him to understand him."


    Nat crossed her arms, a hint of sadness in her eyes.


    "...And he doesn''t want you telling people about him?", Will asked.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Clearly, Tom was not the only one left out of this piece of information about the woman.


    "Exactly."


    Nat nodded.


    "And I cannot tell you his title, either. But I can tell you how we met and how I''ve been living out here for the past few months. Will that be enough?"


    "Y-yeah! Come on, tell us about The Blade!", Taza cut in, clearly getting far more excited over the matter than anyone else there.


    "Uh... If you want to, of course-"


    "Right, right. Let me stop stalling."


    Nat flipped back her hair and smiled.


    "So it all starts like this..."


    I think an important place to start would be where exactly I come from and how I got here.


    It''s a really long story, but I can summarize it pretty well. I used to live in this pretty big city, far from here. There''s actually a lot of them around, if you travel far enough. But right around half a year ago monsters stormed the place and destroyed everything. We were too overwhelmed to fight ¨C So everyone just ran. We all ran our own ways, hoping to get away with our lives. All I had with me was a bag of medical supplies I took from my work place... I was a nurse back there, and I was working on a patient when it all started. That patient being... my best friend. She was one of the guards at our city and got badly hurt that day. Hah, I remember she always told me I shouldn''t worry about her and that she wasn''t as fragile and gentle as me, and... I''m... I''m getting off-topic, aren''t I? Right... well, we ran. Together. And then... we were separated... I don''t even remember how, she just... went out of my sight, and then... I never saw her again...


    ...Right, so... anyway... I was alone in the woods, and I was.... I was so scared. The whole ''the woods are the most dangerous place on this planet'' thing isn''t just something Dissonance does to keep control. It''s pretty common in other cities. And to an extent, it''s not even propaganda. Those woods are riddled with monsters at night, and with no light source or repellent you are as good as dead. And that was me ¨C A weak girl with no weapon running through the forest, stricken with fear from everything she had just been through. I was still looking for my friend, screaming her name, bringing more attention to myself than was probably necessary. I think I kept going like that for... hours? I don''t even remember... it was all such a blur, I must have gotten miles away from the city by the time something actually spotted me. From what I remember, it was a skeleton. I felt an arrow whizz by my head and I instantly turned to the side, seeing it standing there with its weapon raised. All I remember is screaming for help before the skeleton was knocked aside by someone.


    Someone hit the skeleton with their sword, knocking it aside and making it drop its bow. I just watched in stunned silence ¨C I had gone through too much that day to just keep running. More monsters started closing in, so in a panic I picked up the dropped bow and some of the arrows the monster had dropped, trying to remember the techniques my friend had taught me. I don''t even remember how many of them swarmed in on us... but I know I fought as well as I could. The stranger, of course, did most of the work. There were noises, blood, smells I didn''t recognize and smells that made me sick... but I stood tall, because I was too afraid of what could happen to me if I just gave up then and there. When it all calmed down I wanted to thank the stranger for saving me ¨C But as I turned back to where he stood, I found him lying on the floor, passed out.


    Turns out, during the fight, he got bit by one of those huge spiders and got poisoned. And I... I felt like it was my fault, for some reason... this guy clearly knew what he was doing, and I got in the way which threw him off. So I lit a small fire, laid him down on a large patch of soft grass, and tried my best to take care of him... I know around here you guys rely on potions a lot, but we didn''t really know how to make them back in my old city. So we relied on other ways of treating wounds ¨C Including poison. I managed to figure out how to get the guy back in a somewhat safe state, but I didn''t wanna leave him, either. The sun was rising and I was conflicted ¨C I could have left to look for my friend... but something drew me to stay by this man''s side.


    Now, I can''t describe how The Blade looks, but I can tell you a few small things. First of all, when I put bandages on him, I noticed a ton of battle scars. That guy, wherever he was from, had been through hell. That was what I concluded at the time, at least. He also rarely slept ¨C The bags under his eyes were more prominent than anything. I was scared, I didn''t know what to do, and now I had a passed-out stranger to take care of... as you can guess, I was having a great time. He eventually woke up... he was disorientated, still slightly sick from the poison. It took a lot of talking him down to even get him to actually sit down and rest. We had a pretty awkward morning of just eating in silence and giving each other nervous glances ¨C I was lucky he actually shared his food with me, since I had nothing with me but some stitches, bandages and old medicine.


    "What''s your title?", he eventually asked me, and I was a little confused on how to respond.


    Usually, people ask for your name, right? I hesitated, stammered, and then looked aside.


    "...N-Natalie.", I responded hesitantly, biting my nails.


    This was probably the only time I did it and he didn''t remind me of how unhealthy it was ¨C He simply told me his title, which I cannot repeat.


    "Why are you out here?", The Blade continued asking me, noticeably looking down at his wounds.


    He seemed impressed with how I took care of them. Or... I like to believe.


    "My city was attacked.", I whispered, the lack of sleep that night and everything that had led up to it showing in my expression.


    "...I had to run... and here I am..."


    There was some silence.


    "Thank you for saving me.", I whispered, unsure on how to approach this man.


    His expression seemed like he was about ready to cut me open with his sword any moment...


    "...Thank you... for saving me.", The Blade said with some hesitation.


    "There''s a city not too far from here. I could take you there. There''s a group there who could use a nurse as skilled as you."


    "I... I''m sorry... I don''t think..."


    I moved some of my hair back, hugging my knees.


    "I don''t think I can go to another city right now. My friend... I lost her, and I..."


    "You want to... find her?", he repeated, leaning closer to me.


    It felt like he was staring right through me, with eyes that carried years of knowledge... I gulped.


    "Yes."


    I nodded.


    "I... I need to find her. She''s all I have. She''s... basically my family."


    The Blade watched me carefully, and eventually, nodded his head.


    "I could help you.", he told me.


    "I know these woods better than anyone. I could show you how to stay safe while you search. Looking for lost family... it''s an admirable task."


    Somehow, I felt like he knew exactly how I felt. I didn''t ask any questions, though.


    From here things get more boring than you might imagine ¨C The Blade showed me the way to the city, in case I changed my mind, and then showed me how he survives in the woods. He taught me about the importance of light, what flowers and herbs work as repellent, and where to strike each beast to make it die quickly and efficiently. For some time... I watched you guys, as well. I watched you build your nation, I watched the war happen... I didn''t want to intervene, though. You see, me and The Blade made a deal. A deal very important to him.


    He told me that if I ever interacted with the city we would have to cut contact. He doesn''t want to ever be known by name here. I don''t know why, but... he told me that people make him... nervous. They make him... remember things. Now, he never explained what that meant exactly, but it means that being around me for about half of his day was already a bit much. He would rather stay hidden and distant, without anyone ever intervening with his business. And I agreed. So I guess... the last time I saw him before the duel... was truly the last time. It''s funny... in the span of this half year I ended up losing two of my best friends to these woods... but it was worth it, I''d say. Tom is alive. And that''s all that really mattered to me when I made that decision.


    And in case you''re wondering, no. I never found her... my friend, I mean. I gave up about two months in and focused on helping The Blade. I mean, do you truly think it was him alone that saved you from the Final Authority Room? I may not have been there, but it was my supplies he was using. I''m grateful I met him, though... these past six months have been special to me. He taught me a lot of things I never knew could be useful, and it''s thanks to him I''m alive and able to pass that knowledge on to you guys. I just wish...


    I wish I got one more chance to say goodbye, I suppose.


    "And that''s it... That''s the story."


    Nat paused, wiping something from her eye with her sleeve.


    "Wow... I... you didn''t have to give that up for us, Nat.", Will muttered, getting closer to her.


    "I''m sure The Blade himself would have wanted me to do it, too."


    She shrugged.


    "And... you won''t even tell us what he looks like?"


    Taza sounded incredibly disappointed.


    "Taza, come on!", Will exclaimed, but Nat cut him off with a sigh and a roll of her eyes.


    "Fine, fine. I''ll tell you only three things."


    She cleared her throat and looked up with a smile.


    "The Blade wears a glimmering crown, his hands are always stained with the blood of various monsters and he wields the single sharpest sword I have ever witnessed."


    Now, to Taza and Fonda the description was satisfying enough. A bit over dramatic, sure, and even Nat laughed at how serious she sounded when she said the phrase. To Tom and Will, however, the sentence had a very, very different meaning. They looked at each other with eyes that were filled with terror ¨C But also understanding. Understanding about what this single, innocent sentence had revealed to them. Will quickly made up a lie about having to speak to his right hand man in private ¨C And then pulled him to the edge of their circle of light, pacing around nervously. Tom simply stood against a nearby tree, leaning on it for support.


    "Glimmering crown... blood-stained hands... sharp sword... Tom, are you-"


    "A perfect fighter who seems more fond of us than he should be as a stranger. Yeah."


    "You''ve seen him too, right? We see the same people, don''t we?"


    "It''s him... it''s actually him.... The Blade, he''s..."


    "...The Emperor of the Arctic. It''s him, Tom."


    And as the President and his right hand man talked on, on the other side of the woods an Emperor awoke from yet another nightmare.


    And this time, the nightmare involved a crown and the Uprising King.