The Third Red 1: The Enemy Within

Chosan was not pleased when Eric showed up alongside a pair of Volk soldiers who escorted him back to the Upper Market Sector. The soldiers handed Chosan a scroll from Taro telling him that Eric had attempted to help a girl who assaulted Tarair and he was now to be put in the Volk recruits. Eric’s uncle went purple after he read it aloud.

“I told you not to give Taro an excuse to draft you!” he yelled at Eric. This was the first time he’d been that angry.

“I didn’t have a choice! He was going to make Karia a slave for a crime she didn’t commit!” Eric protested.

The Volk soldiers paid no regard to that. “Lord Volk will have his dragon come and retrieve you from Soyagone tomorrow morning. Know that if you refuse we will gladly storm your castle.”

Sure enough, after Eric had breakfast the next morning, there was a loud roar outside. Eric had just finished his last piece of bacon and ran out along with Chosan and Dargin. He saw a dark gray dragon just outside their walls on bridge to the east.

“That’s the Volk dragon,” Chosan said before shouting, “Open the gate!”

The portcullis opened. The same pair of soldiers that had escorted Eric back to Chosan last night came forward.

“Are you ready, Eric Yagaro?” the leader asked before looking at him. “Seems so.”

Eric was wearing his leather armor which would suffice for training. Before Eric could say anything, there was another roar and Rubara came. She landed in front of Eric, causing him to nearly fall from the tremor.

“You are not taking my little one!” the red dragon said.

“He is bound by law to go! You cannot stop him dragon!” one of the Volk soldiers said.

“He does not wish to go! Do you little one?” Rubara asked.

“No,” Eric admitted. “But I lost a Truth by Battle, there’s… there’s nothing I can do. I have to go with the Volks. It’s the law.”

The bloody stinking law. He thought silently.

Rubara growled, looking at the Volk soldiers. “Any law that needs humans to enforce it is no law at all. Shall I eat these two?”

The soldiers drew their swords. Their faces showed no fear even when faced with an enormous dragon who raised her wings high and lowered her neck down to face them.

“Rubara no!” Chosan waved his arms. “We don’t want a fight with the Volks!”

Eric begged to differ. He’d love to fight the Volks, Karia was right, they were no better than the Demorians. Using violence first and killing without conscience. But the Queen supported them. If the Yagaros attacked first they would be branded as full traitors and all of Sortar would take up arms against them. It would be a lost battle.

“Don’t do it, Granny Ruby,” Eric said, coming out from behind her to face the Volks. “I’m coming!”

Rubara’s neck ascended, her wings folded down. The soldiers sheathed their weapons as Eric approached.

“I’m going with you then,” Rubara said as Eric passed her legs.

Eric sighed. “Granny, I’m going to be surrounded by soldiers, sorcerers, and Soron Knights!”

“Exactly, soldiers, sorcerers, and Soron Knights that are not your friends. I’m coming with you.”

The Volk soldiers weren’t happy, but Rubara snapped at them when they protested, and they went silent. Eric and Dargin got onto Rubara’s back while their escorts got on the gray dragon. Chosan remained behind, watching as both giant lizards spread their wings and headed for Volkaron, the castle built atop the south end of Sortar’s wall.

Rubara and the Volk dragon landed in front of the small castle. Eric and Dargin climbed down the ladder and jumped onto the walkway. Taro waited for them in front of his castle, Tarair at his side. Before them were dozens of Volk trainees in the dark gray gambesons, Morum among them in the front.

“You’re here at last, Eric Yagaro.” Taro smirked. “Welcome to your destiny.”

Eric said nothing, merely giving the Volk Lord his best I hate you look. Margery’s face appeared in his mind’s eye as well. He felt the urge to cry at her loss and labeling as a traitor but shook it off as anger toward Taro took its place.

“You will train here with me and become among the strongest of fighters,” Taro continued.

They began. Everyone began to run around Volkaron. Eric started out fast but soon the fatigue slowed him down. He managed to do seven laps but afterwards was left gasping for breath.

“Do not stop!” Taro shouted as he came up behind Eric. The Sorcerer Lord was strong and fast, the heavy armor laden with gray dragon scales didn’t seem to slow him down at all.

“I… can’t… run anymore!” Eric gasped.

“You had better. Or…Litar!” Taro put two fingers together, the ends sparked with lightning but didn’t release.

Eric gritted his teeth and forced himself to move forward. He didn’t have the strength to keep going at full speed. Since this was physical practice, he couldn’t use his Greater Body power. He ran at a slower rate and kept breathing, but many of the others passed him. Finally he stopped and groaned.

“You must be punished for your weakness,” Taro told him.

And he zapped Eric with lightning. “Litar!”

The Yagaro heir screamed and writhed, collapsing to the stone floor of the castle grounds.

“Little one!” Rubara’s voice sounded from above. Moments later she landed on the ground, he looked up and saw her legs in front of him, as well as Taro through the gap between them. A roar nearby told Eric that the Volk dragon was nearby as well.

“How dare you hurt him!” Rubara snapped at Taro. “You humans have always been cruel to each other as well as my kind! You’re like rabid animals attacking for no reason at all!”

“The only rabid animals are the Demorians, and I will see them exterminated someday,” Taro said. “That is my duty. All our duties. Mine, his, yours.”

“I care not for your purpose,” Rubara retorted. “I’m here to protect Eric. If you harm him again, I shall take your legs.”

“You harm me, my Scalestone will have something to say about it.”

The Volk dragon growled in agreement. Eric ran as much as he could. But his muscles grew sore, at least the pain in his stomach was gone now. Taro didn’t zap him again but did push him to do better. Finally, the time came for the Volk soldiers to have their lunch. Many of them went to the barracks for food. Eric and Dargin were ordered to accompany Taro into the castle hall. Given the choice Eric would have gone with the soldiers instead. It was certainly not going to be a pleasure to dine with Taro and Tarair. There was also a woman seated at the table who must have been Lady Volk. Looking at her, Eric didn’t think she looked particular happy.

The Volks wanted to keep an eye on him no doubt. Rubara watched as he followed them into the not-so-Great Hall. Like the outside, it was plain. No paintings or tapestries, just a banner with the Volk symbol of a pair of swords forming a letter V above the Conqueror’s boot. They did have the same table arrangement, but this hall was dimly lit by only the sunlight showing through the windows, making it look much grimmer than Soyagone. The only beautiful thing Eric saw in the entire hall was a fiery haired girl.

Karia walked from table to table in a scullery maid’s outfit. She served the soldiers who dined in the presence of their lord. She grunted as she lifted a heavy pot onto the table and began to serve soup with a spoon. Her lovely golden eyes seemed to have lost their shine, they were narrow and sadder. Her usual smile turned upside down.

“What’s the matter darling? Not having fun?” the soldier she was serving said, waving a glass of wine and laughing. “Where’s your smile? Isn’t that what your god wants you to do? Be happy?”

Karia didn’t answer. She merely filled his bowl and hoisted up the large pot with definite struggle. Eric had seen her lifting a pot that size at home with her magic. She hadn’t used her arms often enough to allow them to become strong, and her sorcery was suppressed while she was being forced to serve the Volks.

“You could probably use a man to hold you,” the same soldier said as he reached out and took hold of her waist, pulling her in. She yelped and dropped the pot which fell to the floor and shattered, spilling its contents.

Taro looked over at the noise and roared. “Clumsy girl! Clean it up and tell them to get another pot started!”

Dargin had already taken a seat at one of the tables. His back was turned while Eric stopped at the sight of Karia and saw the whole thing.

“That man grabbed Karia!” Eric said, pointing to the soldier. “He made her drop the pot!”

“I saw it too!” Lady Volk said in what sounded like genuine concern.

“I saw nothing,” Taro said. “Now you eat!”

Eric held off on doing so, instead going to help Karia clean the mess she’d made thanks to that fiend.

“I’m sorry Karia,” he told her as he got down on his knees and wiped the soup from the stone floor with a towel while she picked up the solid contents.

“It’s not your fault,” she said.

Eric shook his head and looked at her sadly. “No. You’re here because I didn’t win the Truth by Battle. I wasn’t strong enough to help you.”

He thought of his mother and Myra as well. He’d been too afraid to move even when Corgo’s ability to freeze his opponents had been nullified by Rubara’s fire. Margery’s life and honor had been lost because of his cowardice. Then he’d hurt Myra because of his inner beast and his lack of control over it. This was all his fault.

“Stop blaming yourself!” Karia said. “It’s because they prefer battle to words that I’m here, not you.”

Eric looked at her and felt a slight lessen in guilt.

“Boy!” Taro shouted before Eric say anything else. “Eat!”

Eric sopped up as much broth as he could with the towel before getting back up, looking at Karia.

“I’ll be fine,” she said. “They’re grabby but they haven’t hurt me.”

Eric sighed, wishing he could help her. He washed his hands and took a seat beside Dargin and Morum. Soon lunch was over and the sorcery training began.

“Time for you to learn to use more useful spells for the inherited powers,” Taro said directly to him. “I’ll be teaching you myself. Everyone else group up!”

Dargin left to join Morum nearby, leaving Eric with Taro. He looked above, Rubara was circling like a vulture.

“Your grandmother can’t help you,” Taro told him. “You’re not going to escape. From me or your destiny.”

Eric looked him in the eyes. “I’m not going to escape. I have my honor. I’ll stay here and train with you, but that doesn’t mean I don’t like you.”

Taro shrugged. “I don’t need you or anyone else to like me. Merely learn from me, follow my orders, and became as sharp a sword as you can be.”

He looked at the badges on Eric’s robe. “You proved you have decent skill in nature sorcery. But your mother neglected to train you in the others, and your uncle is doing much the same.”

“He’s started my training!” Eric protested.

“But clearly not having you devote yourself to it,” Taro said, his eyes trailing down Eric’s entire body, looking at the Heirs Heirooms. “Why do you have those things on? That headband, gauntlet, and rings?”

Eric frowned at him. “These are enchanted to let me use the other powers!”

“You do not need enchanted objects to use the other powers,” Taro said.

“What are you talking about?”

“You already have them.”

Eric’s frown turned into a look of astonishment, “Sorcerers can only be born with two inherited powers!”

“Aye, most of us are. But you have that rare sorcery.”

Eric paused for a moment. “You mean the red sorcery? But I thought it was just a rare color that only appeared once every thousand years? It’s the only magic that can kill Corgo.”

“There’s more to it than that,” Taro went on. “Red sorcery is given to the first sorcerer born under the Scarlet Moon once every thousand years. When that sorcery enters their body, it also gives them the other five powers they do not have.”

Eric’s eyes widened. “What?”

“Yes. When you were first born, you only had nature and sight sorcery.”

“Beast!” Eric corrected him.

“No. Neither of your parents had beast sorcery naturally,” Taro told him.

“What?” Eric exclaimed again.

“Your mother and uncle lied to you, they wanted you to believe you were like other sorcerers with only two powers! I saw you with my sight sorcery when you were still in your mother’s womb, I could see you had sight and nature for your powers before you received the red magic. Your mother knew she wouldn’t be able to hide your animal senses or mind from you, so she let you believe your only powers were beast and nature. Take off those heirlooms and see for yourself!”

Shock filled Eric at this story. He hesitated, then slowly reached up and removed the sight sorcery headband. Then he uttered an incantation for sight sorcery.

“Viset soron!” See sorcery!

He channeled sorcery into his eyes. For the first he drew it not from the headband but from the magic inside his own head. Sure enough, when Eric looked at Taro, he saw the yellow sorcery flowing within the Warlords veins. Taro was telling the truth! He did have the powers!

Eric’s mouth fell open, a feeling of betrayal filling his heart. Chosan had lied to him! He removed all the other heirlooms and found he could indeed perform the inherited powers without them. Not only that, he found it easier to control them. When he’d used the heirlooms for the powers, he’d found them difficult to control or having some sort of backlash. His Greater Body had moved too fast and he ended up crashing into things, his transformations too large or too small. His eyes stung when he used sight sorcery, and his illusions were overpowered, causing great pain when they should have only hurt a little. Now he ran at a controllable speed, his eyes didn’t sting, his transformations were easier to control and didn’t happen too quickly, and when Taro gave him permission to cast a small pain illusion on a Volk soldier, the soldier didn’t scream out in agony too hard.

The only exception was Spirit sorcery which he still couldn’t perform until he found inner peace with his own spirit. But given how bad things had gotten for him, Eric was starting to doubt that he ever would. He’d lost his mother, failed to become a War Caster, let his friend down and now he was training under a man he despised.

Hours rolled by, until the sun was lower on the horizon and Eric was finally allowed to go home on Rubara.

“Tomorrow, you will come without her,” Taro ordered, point at the dragon. “I will not have her causing trouble.”

Eric scowled at him. Taro may have helped him acquire control over many of his powers today, but he still didn’t like the Warlord. Now, however, he had someone else to be mad at besides Taro, and that was Chosan.

Anger seemed to flow from the very air itself into Eric’s heart. He thought back to everything that had happened since he came to Sortar. Margery being named a traitor, Myra getting hurt by Eric’s hand, Karia being sentenced for a crime she didn’t commit. Eric’s uncle had caused many of these things. He’d persuaded Margery to live and neglected to teach Eric properly and encouraging him to play instead. Before Eric had overlooked the former, but now his uncle’s sins had piled up with disastrous consequences.

Eric clenched a fist in the saddle as Rubara flapped her wings. It was a quick ride from Volkaron to Soyagone, but Eric found himself glaring at the castle all the way. Chosan was waiting for him on Rubara’s island as she landed.

“Good evening Eric!” Chosan called as Eric climbed off Rubara. “You must be tired after that Panarus of a training session with the Volks! I remember when-

“Taro told me everything!” Eric cut his uncle off. “I know I have all the Inherited Powers! I don’t need these heirlooms!”

He threw the headband at Chosan’s feet.

“I-I did what I thought was best for you,” his uncle stammered. “I didn’t want to burden you after you lost Margery, you needed to make some friends. Find happiness…”

“I needed to become strong!” Eric roared, in a mixture of anger and sadness. “You were keeping me from training properly! You knew these heirlooms were making my powers unstable! If it weren’t for you, I could be a War Caster right now, and Karia wouldn’t be working for the Volks!”

“I’m sorry Eric!” Chosan said. “I only tried to help!”

“Well, it must have been help from Panarus!” Eric snapped. “Because now I’m training with Taro Volk, Karia is being mistreated and forced to work without pay, and everyone sees my mother as a traitor! All because of you!”

Chosan looked down. “I just wanted to make you happy. I was gonna tell you after you recovered a bit.”

“Doesn’t look like that’ll happen until after we win the war,” Eric said. “Or I suppose… I win it, since I’m the weapon that can defeat Corgo.”

“Don’t call yourself a weapon, little one!” it wasn’t Chosan who spoke this time but Rubara.

“Why not? I was training as though I were a sword being pressed to the grindstone!” Eric rounded on his grandmother.

“You mustn’t lose value for yourself!” Chosan said. “You are starting to sound like your father! He didn’t care about his own life at all!”

“My father was a noble warrior who dedicated his life to others!” Eric reminded him.

“Yes, but he went too far! Saw himself only as a shield for others. Never allowed himself any happiness until he met Margery! I’ve tried to keep you from ending up like him!” Chosan said. “Now please try to relax. I’ll try to do something for Karia. I’ll go to the Queen in the morrow, she’ll get her released.”

“I doubt it,” Eric grumbled. “Why should the Queen bother to help a school girl that was found guilty in a Truth by Battle?”

He stomped off to his room.