Shadow Knight (Chapters 1-7)

Prologue: Perils of Risna

He narrowed his eyes as he gazed out from the wall he currently stood on. He was on duty tonight, just like every other night. When I first saw him, he was silhouetted against the setting sun, leaning against his post, a gun ready in his hands. When I saw him, I thought he was rude, I thought he only cared about killing, that he only cared about himself. But that wasn't true; he cared. He cared about preserving life, and that was why he always did such a good job guarding the village within. When I had first come here, he had stopped me, his gun aimed at my chest, and he had asked me my name. I had responded, giving him the information he wanted. "I...I'm Jacob," I had stammered, my eyes wide and full of fear. I hadn't known what to expect; I had thought that I was going to die, that he was crazy and was all-too-willing to kill. But he had only nodded and gazed at me intently for a moment, to see if I ment any harm. I hadn't, and he had allowed me entrance to the village of Risna. Risna, at the time, had been under relentless attack, and everyone was a tad bit too suspicious. Luckily, he had seen that I had meant no harm, that I was only here to be somewhere. I had had nowhere else to go, and I had been close to this place. He hadn't said much after that, and had shown me in. Two more guys had come to take me somewhere safe, and then that had been it. After that, I hadn't seen him for a while. For almost two months, we were attacked with such a force that I thought all hope had been lost, that we were all going to die. But somehow, we had kept going. The attacks had let up, but there was still a threat out there. During that time, I hadn't known if he was alive or dead, and at the time, I hadn't really paid attention. He hadn't meant anything to me; he had just been a guard, someone who had allowed me to enter.

But that had changed one night about a year ago, when Risna was attacked. The outer gates had been demolished, and everyone had retreated into the village, closing the gates and firing guns to keep the enemy away. I had been running, but hadn't made it back to the village before the gates had closed. I had been delivering food to the guards when the attack had come, seemingly out of nowhere. I hadn't known what to do, hadn't known where to go. I had thought I was done for. I had tripped over my feet as I had been struggling to get to the gate, and had been lying on my back when the enemies had caught sight of me. Crying out in fear, I had tried to crawl, quickly, toward the gate, but I had been able to hear them right behind me. I had known I wouldn't make it. Just as I had been about to die, I had been picked up in a rush, by the guard. He had carried me, grunting, out of harm's way. The guard, Jack Kage, had been the one who had let me in. He had tossed me to the side just as thunder exploded into the air, and I had hit the ground, rolling. I had stopped and looked back at the guard, just in time to see the blood spray as the bullet hit him square in the back. He had stumbled, tried to catch himself, failed, and had hit the ground hard, not moving afterward.

I had only been able to stare in disbelief, not able to believe my eyes. The guard was down, but he couldn't be dead. I hadnt' been able to fathom the concept of him dying after he had just saved me from certain death. Struggling to gather my wits, I had ducked to the ground just in time, as a stream of bullets had rushed by my head. I had looked at the guard, somehow praying that he was still alive, that he hadn't died because of me. If I hadn't tripped, I would have been able to get to the gate on time. Then he wouldn't have had to save me. I had felt guilty, and somehow saddened, though I was confused as to why. "Hey..." I had heard myself whisper faintly, and then my hopes had soared as I had heard him groan. He hadn't been dead. "...Are...you okay?"

He had somehow managed to lift his head, where his auburn eyes had found mine. He had smiled faintly, giving a weak nod. "Yeah..." he had whispered softly, so softly that it was almost inaudible. "I'm fine, kid..." he had then, somehow, managed to sit up, and then he had pushed himself to his feet, where he had paused, and I had known that his head was spinning. He had shaken his head and had looked at where the shots were coming from, his auburn eyes calculating. "Kid...can you do something for me?"

I had nodded, though I had known he couldn't see me, as his back had been toward me. "What do you want me to do?" I had asked in a quiet whisper, not daring to raise my voice for fear of being heard by the enemies, though it hadn't really mattered; they had known where we were.

For a moment, he hadn't answered, and I had been slightly worried that he was about to collapse. Then he had whispered to me, "Run East. There's a side gate...tell them I sent you...Tell them..." he had paused for a moment. "Tell them Jack sent you."

"...What about you?" I had asked as I had been about to take off running in the direction he had told me to go. "What are you going to do? Aren't you coming too?"

He had shaken his head, his mahogany hair swishing slightly with the movement. "No. No time, kid. I'll hold them off; you run for it. Get to safety." he had taken a step forward, but my voice had stopped him.

"Are you crazy? You'll get yourself killed!" I had said, my sage green eyes wide.

"...Probably, yes. But this is my job; I'm a guard. It's my duty to protect the people of the village, and you live in the village. It is my job to protect you, not matter what," he had responded in a soft whisper.

I had shaken my head quickly, sternly. "No," I had said in a voice that didn't leave much room for argument. "You'll get killed. I won't let you do it. I'm not going to let you die just to let me in."

For a moment, he had turned to look at me, his eyes calculating and narrowed, as if he had been searching for something. Then had asked as he looked away with a sigh, "Why do you care?"

"Because...Because..." I had paused, a frown on my face. Why had I cared? Had there really been a reason? I had shaken his head. I hadn't wanted Jack to die; the guard had saved me, risking his own life in the process. "I just do, okay? Don't die for me."

More shots had been fired, and Jack had flinched, listening for where they were heading. He had sighed and had turned to face me, his auburn eyes narrowed again. "Get to safety. I'll be there in a minute."

I had paused, chewing on my lower lip. Had he been lying to get me to go in and leave him to die? Had that been his plan? I had sighed and had said, "Promise?"

He had shaken his head, a ghost of a smile on his face. "Yeah, I promise. Now, go."

"...Okay...I'll see you in a minute, then..." I had murmured as I had taken off in a run, heading east. Jack had been right, I had noticed as I had rounded a corner. There, on the side, was a small door.

From up above, on the wall, a man had yelled, "Halt! Who goes there?"

I had taken in a deep, calming breath, and had said, "It's Jacob. Jack sent me."

For a moment, there had been silence, and I had wondered if he was going to let me in or not. Then the door had opened, and I had raced in, only to come face to face with a man I could vaguely remember. It had been one of the guards I had given food to right before the attack had come. He had looked at me long and hard as he shut and locked the door behind me, and then had asked softly, "Is Jack with you?"

Slowly, I had shaken my head, and I had watched as his face had fallen expressionless. "He said, he promised, that he would be here in a minute," I said, hating the look on his face.

He had only nodded and had led me inside, where I had waited for Jack for what seemed like forever. For a long time, I had thought that he would be there any moment, but as the time had dragged on, I had begun to wonder if he had lied. What if he had gone back to fight? How bad had his injuries been? I had shaken my head, and had reminded myself that he had promised. Surely, I had thought, he would keep it.

Sure enough, ten minutes later, he had appeared in the doorway, bloodied and battle-worn, but alive. He had only just entered the room when I had let out a breath of relief. He had glanced my way, and had let out a small smile before he had been enveloped in a head lock by the man who had let me in. Jack had laughed and had weakly tried to get free, while the man had said, "About time you got here, Jacko. I was beginning to wonder if maybe your word wasn't as good as it once was. Jacob here says you promised him."

Jack had laughed and had sighed. "I know," he had said. "It took me a while to make it back. I was under attack, you see. I sought refuge in a tree." he paused. "You know what it's like to be attacked from below by eight men at once? While you're hiding in a tree? It sucks, man, don't ever try it." he had shaken his head, smirking, and the man had laughed.

That was how I had met Jack Kage, the guard. Since then, the attacks had died down, and Jack got more breaks than he once had. We were friends now, ever since that night. I was staying with him, as the small house I had been staying in had burnt down that night. Now he was kind of like an older brother to me, and he looked out for me. He stood up for me if someone said anything, and in return, if any of the other kids and teens in the village said anything, I stood up for him.

Word had arrived two days ago that the battle to the west was worsening, and that it was heading toward Risna. That news had worried me, as I knew that Jack would be put on guard duty more and more often, and then put at the lead of the battle, should there be one. If the battle were to get too rough, I knew that he was likely not to make it out alive, and that worried me, though I tried to calm myself.

I suddenly heard a noise, and froze in my walking. I had been walking toward the gate to give Jack his dinner, as that was my job now. I saw Jack stiffen and glare out into the distance, instantly readying his gun. Guards rushed past me and hurried up to the wall to stand next to Jack, getting ready for what looked like a battle.

A knot formed in the pit of my stomach as I realized what was going on. We were under attack; the battle was here. Again. I shook my head and tried to move toward the wall, but my feet didn't seem to be listening to my body, as I wasn't going anywhere. I seemed to be frozen in place, people hurrying around me, some mothers screaming out cries of fear off in the distance. I saw people heading to their safe houses, bolting the doors and shutting all of the windows, shutting their lights off. Small children began to cry, unsure of what was happening, frightened by all the panic. I glanced back up to the top of the wall, and saw Jack readying his weapons, his face void of any emotion. It always frightened me when his face was so void, so blank. It meant he didn't like what might happen, what was going on, or that he was annoyed. I let out a small breath and tried to walk once more. A guy up on the wall, Tom, saw me and started shouting at me to leave.

"Get to safety, Jake!" Tom shouted, waving me away. I frowned and shot a looked at Jack. He wasn't looking at me. He was only paying attention to something in the far off distance, and he began to point at something. Tom shook his head, his eyes wide as Jack said something. I wasn't sure what it was, but I knew it wasn't good, and that just made the fear within me grow. Shuddering, I took a step forward. Tom looked at me again and shouted, "Go, now, Jake! Get out of here!" he looked over at another guard, Reggie. "Reggie, get him out of here, would you?"

Reggie nodded and began climbing down the wall. Once he was at the bottom, he came toward me, his expression pensive. "You need to get out of here, Jake," he said calmly, and grabbed my arm, leading me to the nearest house. I struggled, but he was stronger. Of course he was stronger; he was a guard! They had to be strong. They were the village's defenders. As he pulled me along, I continued to struggle. I couldn't go; not while Jack was out there, getting ready to fight. He said quietly as he yanked me toward the door. "Come on, quickly."

I shook my head and tried to pull my arm free, but my effort was in vain; he was too strong. "No," I said softly, shaking my head, my brown bangs falling into my eyes, shielding them. "No," I repeated.

"Yes, Jake. You need to; it's dangerous." he knocked on the door to the small house and said, "Open up; it's me."

The door slowly opened, and a woman appeared in the doorway, her brown eyes frightened. "Y-Yes?" she stammered, and I knew she was scared.

He pulled me toward her and gently shoved me into the house. "Keep him safe until this is over," he said kindly.

She nodded slowly. "Yes. Yes. Okay, yes, I'll do that," she said, and grabbed my other arm as he released me. I struggled, but stopped when Reggie glared at me. She pulled me in quickly and shut the door. The house was dark, the shutters on the windows closed, refusing to allow any light to enter at all. I sighed and glared at the ground, thoughts racing in my head. Surely Jack would be okay; surely everyone would be okay. Maybe there was nothing to worry about; maybe it was a false alarm. I tried to convince myself of that.

But as an explosion sounded and shook the ground beneath my feet, I knew it wasn't so.

This was no false alarm.

_____

Chapter One: Battle Cry

Sounds of battle continued outside, but inside the house, it was quiet. A woman, the one who had opened the door, was huddled in a corner with her two small children, holding them tightly, her eyes clenched closed. I couldn't move, couldn't think. What was I doing in here? I should be out there, helping Jack. Why had Tom seemed so worried? The battle wasn't that bad...was it? Suddenly, I felt a cold dread grip my heart tightly, refusing to release it. I swallowed thickly and took in a small breath, trying to calm myself, but I could not. I heard guns being fired, and I flinched involuntarily. What if Jack was shot? What if he were to be killed? I shook my head and tried to shove those thoughts away, to shove the fear away, but it was always there, in the back of my mind. I heard the two children whimper in fear, and for a moment, I gazed at them. They seemed familiar, and I knew I must have seen them around outside somewhere, though I couldn't get a clear view of them what with the table they were huddling behind, and the shadows that seemed to cover them like a blanket. Sighing, I faced the door, contemplating what I was going to do next. Should I stay here? Stay safe? I shook my head; I couldn't stay here. Not while he was out there, in the midst of the battle. A sudden realization dawned on me in that moment, and I froze. I hadn't realized, before, how much Jack Kage actually meant to me. I had lost my elder brother years ago, and Jack seemed to be a replacement. In many ways, he was my brother. I only then realized how much I didn't want him to die. Shaking my head and closing my eyes, I listened for any sign of him. The guns had stopped firing, and all was silent. That only made my heart race even more. Did it mean that the guards, all of the village's defenders, were dead? I prayed that they were all okay, that they were alive and well.

A sudden explosion caught me off guard. The shaking of the ground beneath my feet made me lose my balance and fall backward, though I tried to catch myself. Dazed, I lay on my back for a moment, trying to take everything in, my mind wandering. Then I jumped to my feet and raced to the door before the woman in the corner even knew what had happened. By the time she looked over at me, I had already disappeared from the house, the door closed behind me. That explosion had come from...I stopped in my tracks, my heart leaping up into my throat. Swallowing, I could only stare in disbelief. The wall...it was gone. Completely gone, where the guards had currently been. There was a large hole in the wall, and a lot of fire. Gulping with fear and dread, I took a slow, cautious step forward, stifling a cough as the smoke from the incandescent flames surrounded me. I looked around frantically, looking for someone, anyone. Had anyone even survived that explosion? Had it wiped them all out on that part of the wall? That was Jack's part. I shook my head and felt my head spin. Everything was happening so fast. I had been on my way to deliver food, and then the sirens had gone off and I had been dragged into the house. Now, just moments later, the wall was gone. Jack was gone. I shook my head, mentally cursing myself for thinking such things. Jack wasn't dead, as I kept telling myself. None of them were. They were all alive, they were okay. They had to be.

Continuing forward, I felt my knees grow weak. My legs felt wobbly, and for a moment I thought I was going to fall to the ground. Taking in a shaky, frightened breath full of dread, I heard myself whisper in a voice that sounded nothing like myself, "...J...Jack? Hello? ...Anyone?" There wasn't a response, and I found myself fighting tears. All those men...Jack...gone. They were all gone, or so it seemed. I prayed that they weren't, that they were alive, but I couldn't see how they could be. The wall was proof of how bad the explosion had been.

Voices sounded from behind me. More guards were coming, but I didn't turn to look at them when they shouted my name, nor did I move from the current place I was standing. I couldn't. I couldn't fathom what had happened. A hand gripped my shoulder in worry, but I hardly noticed. I was numb to everything around me, lost in the deep crevices of my mind, my thoughts racing around in my head, seemingly without direction or control. The hand shook me slightly, but still, I didn't take my eyes away from the giant, gaping hole in the wall. Tears stung my eyes, but I refused to let them fall.

"Jake?" the person was asking. It was another one of the guards; the voice was familiar, but I couldn't place the name right at that moment. "Are you okay? Jake? Hey, answer me." I was shaken again, harder this time, until I finally brought my eyes to look at the guard. It was Bill, one of the guards on the west side. This was the south side wall, and it had totally been demolished. Now the enemies could get in a lot easier... "Jake, are you okay? I need you to answer me."

For a moment, I searched for my voice. When I found it, I murmured, "I...I'm fine..."

"...Why are you crying?" he asked, his voice full of worry. "You're not hurt, are you?"

I blinked. I was crying? I raised my hand to my cheek, and sure enough, it came back wet. I was crying. I hadn't cried in a long time, yet here I was, letting the tears fall. I wasn't hurt. Not physically. "I...No, I wasn't hurt..." I whispered, glaring at the ground.

"Shit," said another guard. "The whole wall has been destroyed!" for a moment he went quiet, and then continued. "Think anyone survived?" I flinched under Bill's hand, and for a moment he frowned at me, then turned to looked at the guard who had spoken.

"I don't know, Leric," he responded in a somber tone, his eyes closed as he shook his head, his tan hair moving slightly with the motion. "Doesn't look to me like anyone did...how could they? Look at this wall..." his voice trailed off. Or maybe it didn't; I didn't know. All I knew was that I suddenly couldn't hear him speaking. I was in a world of my own.

Jack was dead; that was what he was saying. With a shaky breath, I found myself shaking my head. No, he wasn't dead; he couldn't be. He was...well, he was Jack. Jack didn't, couldn't, die. He couldn't be dead. I was so sure he had survived, though the facts were stacking up against me. I pulled away from Bill and found myself racing toward the flames, wiping at my tears. Bill snapped to and called out to me, but I wasn't going to stop. I had to find Jack. One way...or another. I prayed he was alive. He had to be. Dear Araya, he had to be. He was all I had left...he was a brother to me...I didn't want him to die.

"Jack?" I heard myself cry out in a seemingly changed voice. I sounded as if I were six again, crying out for my family. "Jack, where are you?" the only answer I got was the crackling of the fire as it popped and continued consuming the wall. The wind howled around me, but I didn't care. I didn't care in the slightest. I only cared about one thing, and one thing only. And that was Jack. I wanted to find him, dead or alive. I prayed for it not to be the former. "Jack, come on..." I whispered, tears blurring my vision once more. "Please...answer me...Where are you?" my voice had taken on a lost tone. "Answer me...where are you? Please...you have...to...be okay..." I whispered, choking back my emotions.

When I didn't get an answer, I died a little inside. My wobbly legs gave way, and I went down to my knees. I didn't care. I didn't bother trying to get up; what was the point? Jack was dead. He was gone...just like the rest of my family. He was gone, and he wasn't coming back. He had left me, just like the rest of my family. He had left me. He was gone...

"No..." I whispered in a broken voice. "No, no, no, no, no...please, no..." I clenched my eyes tightly closed as my body shook. I stifled the sobs that tried to break free, but I knew it was only a matter of time before I broke. My heart felt heavy, weighed down by grief. Before I knew what I was doing, I threw my head back and let out a bloodcurling scream, my anguish seeping into it. I let loose another, louder and more pain filled than the first, my hands clenching into fists at my sides as I sat on my knees, my eyes tightly closed. "No!" I heard myself cry out. I repeated the word of denial over and over, as if that could make it less true.

My screams came to an end, and I hung my head low, sobs wracking my body, tears beginning to race down my cheeks. I had tried to keep the emotion in, but now it flowed out of me, growing louder and louder, and more violent. 'No,' I thought to myself. 'No...please...don't be dead...'

I didn't want Jack to be dead. Dear Araya, I didn't want it to be true. I didn't want him to die; I didn't want to live while he died. He was a part of me now. We had bonded; we had become a family. And now he was gone. I was suddenly overcome with grief, and I let the tears spill freely, the sobs shaking my body as they hurled themselves out of my throat. I sucked in shaky, sorrow filled breaths and tried to calm myself, but I couldn't be calmed. I couldn't be helped.

I heard voices, and the guards surrounded me again. I heard them speaking to one another, but I couldn't tell what they were saying. I heard every word, but it didn't make any sense to me, not in this state of mind. Someone knelt down next to me and picked me up. I didn't struggle, didn't resist. Why bother? I didn't have the strength nor the will to do so. Worried voices seemed to go in one ear and other the other before being able to stop in my brain so I could make some sense of what they were saying. Their words meant nothing.

A hand was gripping me again, hard, and shaking me, quickly, quietly, whispering something in my ear. I ignored it, didn't bother trying to respond. I wasn't so sure I could form a coherent word at that moment. Not after all that had happened.

"Hey, kid?" the guard asked. The voice was familiar, but I couldn't place it. I didn't even try to. "Kid, are you okay? Jake? C'mon, answer me. Say something, kid, please."

I shook my head as he carried me back into the village. "No..." I choked out. I heard myself say it over and over again, as if my voice were on repeat. "No, no, no..." I struggled to regain my wits, to stop crying and sobbing, to do something. I had to do something other than cry. I had to. But at the moment all I could do was let the tears fall as I cried like some little kid. Suddenly I was five-years-old again, back when my father had died. I just couldn't stop, couldn't take my mind off of what had happened. "No..."

I was placed on the ground once we were inside the village. I knew guards were still surrounding me, but I wanted them to go away. I wanted them to leave. I wanted to be alone...I just wanted to be alone. To mourn and let everything out. It seemed I was doing that whether I was alone or not.

Somehow, for some reason, my mind decided to travel back to the beginning of that very same day...

_____

Chapter Two: Beginning of Disaster

I yawned as I sat up in bed, feeling the cold as it hurried to cover me with its chill. I shivered slightly and got to my feet, moving toward my closet. I lazily pulled out a gray shirt and pulled it on over my head. Yawning, I grabbed a pair of shapless blue jeans and yanked them on, still half asleep. Last night Jack and I had stayed up late, talking and having fun as usual. Though Jack was older than me, he still liked to do things with me. I liked doing things with him in return, so it worked out. Yawning, barely able to keep my eyes open, I stalked down the stairs, smiling as I heard the fifth stair from the top creak and groan out its protests to my weight. Which was an insult, really. I weighed no more than a hundred pounds or so, and I was quite small for my age of fourteen years. As I made it down the stairs, I entered the kitchen whilst rubbing my eyes, yawning a 'hello' to Jack, who was currently sitting at the kitchen table eating bacon and eggs. I scowled at him for not fixing me a plate, which was sort of like an inside joke between the two of us. He smiled at me and nodded toward the old stove, where my plate was waiting. I nodded my thanks to him and grabbed my plate, sitting across from him at the table. An easy silence fell over us, but that was okay. Words didn't really need to be spoken between the two of us. Taking a bite of my bacon, I smiled as the juiciness of it filled my mouth. I closed my eyes and enjoyed my meal, lost in my thoughts for a while. When I was done, I opened my eyes to see that Jack was done and was leaning back in his chair, his eyes closed. I got up and put my empty place in the sink, where I then rinsed it off. Returning to my seat I said, "So, what's up?"

He opened one eye and sought me out with it, and then closed it again as he began to speak. "Nothing much, really. Just the usual. I have guard duty again tonight. I have to pull a double shift, so I'll be gone all night." he sighed and yawned. "I guess I'll see you later when you bring me some food," he said, smiling.

I nodded. "Yeah, I guess...why are they making you pull a double shift? Didn't you just pull one the other night?" I asked, frowning, my expression puzzled. Why were they making him take so many double shifts? Why couldn't they just leave him alone and give him time off? He'd worked nonstop for the past two months, and he was tired. It showed. He no longer had as much energy as he had once before, and it was beginning to worry me. If he got too tired while on guard duty, he could get hurt if someone attacked. He needed to be on his guard as a guard. It was what he got paid for.

Jack sighed and nodded his head. "Yeah, I did. But Kam is sick, and it's his turn to guard the late shift tonight. He asked me if I'd fill in for him, and I said I would." he yawned.

"Why?" I question, puzzled and concerned. "You're worn out...shouldn't you rest? Why don't you go back to bed? I'll wake you up later," I offered. I hoped he'd get some rest; it wasn't good to wear yourself out like he was doing. It wasn't going to help anyone if he was too tired to guard and wound up getting himself killed. A chill ran through me then. I didn't want to think about him getting killed; it was too horrible to imagine. He wasn't going to die; he wasn't stupid. He knew what his limits were. He'd be okay.

Jack shook his head, his eyes still closed as he leaned back even further in his chair, getting comfortable. "No, no that's okay, Jake," he said tiredly. "You don't have to. I'm okay, just tired. I'll sleep when I get back. Even so, I can't sleep long. Not when Kras thinks there will be an attack any day."

His words made me uneasy. We could be attacked any day...he could be injured, or killed, any day. I shook my head, pushing the thoughts to the back of my mind. "Well, tell Kras you're tired and need some rest to do you best as a guard." Kras was the boss of the guards, and he sometimes got carried away about how much he worked them. "Tell him you can't take the shift; tell him you're tired."

Again, he shook his head. "No, Jake, I can't do that. Kras would get pissed if I told him I couldn't guard because I was tired. Guards are trained from a young age to deal with stuff like this, along with other things." he yawned. "I've had worse. I'll be fine."

I frowned at his words, wondering what he meant by them. Just how much crap did you have to suffer through to become a guard? To be a Defender? I sighed and shook my head, deciding not to dwell on it. He would tell me when he was ready; I shouldn't push him into speaking if he didn't want to. "Okay," I said with a sigh. "If you say so..." I chewed on my lower lip for a moment. "Just...be careful, okay?"

He smiled as he got to his feet. Walking past me, he ruffled my hair. It was an affectionate gesture of his, and though I acted annoyed at it, I actually enjoyed it. It meant he cared. It was just one of the silent ways he showed that he cared about what happened to me, that we were somehow a family now. He didn't do that with anyone else, and it made me feel special. "See ya later, kid. I have to go through some drills before I go on my shift. I'll be back in the morning, and maybe after I get some sleep we can do something. Sound good?"

I smiled and nodded my head. "Yeah," I said. "It does." I got to my feet and followed him out of the kitchen as he made his way to the living room. He lazily put his shoes on and grabbed his pocket knife, placing it in a pocket of his guard's shoe. He yawned and moved toward the door, running his fingers through his mahogany hair. "Goodbye," I said as he was about to go out.

He stopped and looked back at me, where he smiled and nodded his head. "Goodbye, Jake. See ya later," he said, and then he was gone, out the door. I stood in the doorway and watched him go, a strange feeling forming in the pit of my stomach, as if something terrible were about to happen, but I wasn't sure what. I shrugged and closed the door as he disappeared from sight.

~Present Time~

I shook my head, tears still trailing down my cheeks. I couldn't believe it, didn't want to. I didn't want it to be true, but it was. It was all so very true...I had to face the facts. I had to face them, even though it killed me a little more inside. I felt numb, cold. My body shook with sobs, and they showed no intent of calming down. I couldn't help that I was crying; I couldn't help that I couldn't stop. Jack was dead. My brother. Dead. Gone from my life.

It was like one of those damn sayings, I realized with a bitter laugh full of sorrow and pain. The tears came faster, the wound still raw and fresh. It was like someone just kept throwing salt into the wound, no matter what I did. Worried voices asked me what was wrong, but I didn't bother answering; I didn't see the point.

It was like the saying: You don't know what you have until it's gone. Jack was gone. He wasn't coming back...and I missed him now more than ever...I wanted this all the be a bad dream, something I could wake up from. I pinched myself, but it was real. I felt it, but I didn't really acknowledge the pinch. It was all so very real, even though every fiber in my body longed for it to be nothing but a dream, a nightmare. It was real.

He was gone...and I just kept dying a little more inside each time my mind came back to it.

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Chapter Three: Battle Rage

The battle raged on around me, but I didn't seem to notice. In fact, at that moment, I didn't really care what happened one way or another. It didn't matter to me anymore; nothing did, really, not at that moment. I was still sitting on the ground, my emotions running wild, guards surrounding me and looking me over worriedly. I couldn't believe it; I didn't want to. I didn't want it to be true, but it was. It had to be impossible for him to survive, for anyone to survive, really. Knowing this, I felt the sobs wrack my body once more. I didn't want to keep crying like this; I wanted to stop. I wanted to stop crying and do something, though I wasn't sure what. What could I do? I was practically still a kid, and I had never felt so young as I did now, crying for the loss of my brother. struggling to stifle my sobs of grief, I took in unsteady, shaky breaths. The tears continued to fall, though I tried to keep them back. I tried to shove thoughts of Jack away, but they somehow remained there, ignoring my efforts. I furiously wiped my tears away, rubbing my eyes raw. A hand was currently resting on my shoulder, though for the moment I ignored it. I didn't see the point in speaking, as I knew my voice would crack with emotion and I'd start crying all over again as the memories, the pain, returned to torture me. I couldn't take that risk, as I didn't think I could take it any longer. I couldn't go through that stage again, not without breaking down completely. Sighing shakily, I raised my head, looking at the worried gazes that were currently looking at me. I frowned then. Shouldn't they be looking for survivors, if there were any? Shouldn't they be looking, just in case? They must have thought that there weren't any survivors; that meant that there were just more and more facts that Jack Kage was dead. I wiped away the new tears that were trying to take over, and said shakily, "Shouldn't...you be looking for survivors?"

They looked at each other for a moment, and then one guard, Rand, said, "Jake...I'm sorry, but..." he chewed on his lower lip as he broke off. "We don't think there's any survivors...it looks like the explosion was right on them...there's...no way they could have survived..." he whispered quietly, glaring at the ground. "I'm sorry."

"...He...no..." I found myself whispering before I knew what I was doing. I closed my eyes to keep the tears to myself. Curse my emotions for suddenly spilling out.

"I...I'm sorry, Jake," Rand said softly as he knelt down in front of me, his face expressionless. "He...Jack was right there. On the wall. He couldn't...there's no way...Even he's not lucky enough...to survive something like that...it looks like it was right on them..." he trailed off, shaking his head. "I'm so sorry."

"No..." I murmured, and struggled to my feet. My legs felt week, and they wobbled slightly but still managed to hold me up. Slowly, I made my way back to the demolished wall, my heart pounding loudly inside my chest. Though there were so many facts leading to Jack's demise, I still couldn't bring myself to completely believe it. I couldn't; how could I? He was a brother to me...I couldn't just give up on him. He had never given up on me, so why should I give up on him? My eyes misty, I continued forward, never once slowing. I was going to find him, I decided. Dead or alive, I was going to find him. I prayed, silently, that he was alive, but it was looking more and more like I was going to find him the way that I dreaded most: dead. Taking a shaky breath, I let my eyes wander, looking for any sign of life. About twenty-nine yards away stood the Outer Wall, of which I could hear fire coming from. Gunshots, small explosions...How had the explosion gotten to the Inner Wall if the Outer Wall still stood? Had someone on the inside decided to switch sides? Confused, I continued forward. I narrowed my green eyes. If someone I knew was responsible for this, for Jack's almost certain death, I was going to personally visit them person and kill them myself. I swore to Araya that I would kill them, I would get my revenge. Stalking forward into the thickening smoke, I let out a small cough. I squinted my eyes to see through the haze of black and gray, to search for any sign that there was life, that anyone had survived. I heard a noise to my left, and spun quickly, spinning on my heel, to search for the source of the noise. Was it a survivor? Or an enemy? Was it the one that had demolished the wall? With a sudden rage filling me, I moved toward that direction, and found myself seething inside. If it was the one responsible for this, I was going to kill them. I was going to kill them and laugh as their blood fell to the ground. I wasn't normally bloodthirsty, but this was an exception. "Who's there?" I asked, my voice sounding slightly angry, even to my own ears.

At first, there wasn't an answer, and then I heard a chuckle. It sounded off and faint, sounding as if it were coming from a mile away, but I heard it all the same. I froze almost instantly, and almost collapsed to my knees, my legs were so wobbly. A figure appeared through the smoke, and my eyes watered greatly, my heart racing. 'Please,' I silently pleaded. 'Please...' The figure came within view, and I nearly cried out with relief. The figure was slightly bent over, as if they were in pain. "Calm down, kid. It's just me," said the figure calmly, weakly, as if they were greatly injured, which they probably were. The figure moved, slowly, toward me, and I found that I couldn't move, not even if I had wanted to.

I couldn't speak, my throat was so constricted. Instead, I fell to my kness, the tears spilling out of my eyes. I couldn't believe it. It was too good to be true. The figure arrived through the smoke and mist, and I cried out in relief, clenching my eyes tightly closed.

It was Jack. Alive. He was alive.

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Chapter Four: Relief and Crisis

I couldn't believe it. Jack Kage was alive. He was actually alive; he wasn't dead! He was alive! I could have jumped for joy, had I not been so shocked and relieved that my legs refused to obey me. Jack emerged from the smoke, his skin burned and his shirt bloodied. He was covered in soot and dirt, and I frowned at the blood, my eyes concerned. I didn't want him to be hurt; that wasn't what I wanted at all. If he was injured too badly, he could still die. Somehow knowing that I couldn't go to him, he came to me, dropping down next to me with a small, quiet breath. For a moment all I could do was stare, and then I lunged toward him, hugging him tightly, burying my head in his left shoulder. He wrapped his arms around me tightly, surprising me with his strength. "You're alive," I whispered, choking back tears. "You're alive..." I couldn't believe. After thinking he was dead, I just couldn't believe it. Taking in a shaky breath, I gripped his torn and bloodied shirt tightly, trying to calm my racing heart, to calm my nerves. But they couldn't be calmed at a time like this; my emotions were running wild, and there was nothing I could do to tame them. "Dear Araya, you're alive...you're not dead..." I choked out, and I felt his arms tighten around me. The tears forced their way out of my eyes, and began to trail down my cheeks, wetting his shirt as they did so. He did't seem to mind though; I didn't think he cared. "I...I thought..." I broke off, unable to finish. I had been so sure that I had lost him, that I would never see him again, that my last memory of him would be when he was pointing out the enemies. My body trembling, I took in another shaky breath, clenching my eyes tightly closed. "I thought you were dead...I...I thought you were gone, Jack..." I felt the tears come faster as his arms tightened around, providing me with a warmth that I hadn't thought that I would ever feel again. "I thought you were dead..."

"I know," he whispered, rocking me back and forth in a soothing motion. "I know. Shh, it's okay...I'm here, it's okay..." his words calmed me a little, and I found the tears start to die down, I felt them stop being so forceful. Sighing, I buried my head even further into his shoulder, searching for more comfort. I was still in shock; he was alive. Dear Araya, he was alive. He wasn't dead. 'Thank you, Araya,' I thought to myself, my eyes still tightly closed. "Are you okay, Jake?" his words were soft, kind, and warm. They were music to my ears, as I had thought that he would never speak to me again. Raising my head ever-so-slightly, I looked at him. His eyes were concerned as they searched mine, looking for any sign that I was hurt in any way. "Are you okay? You weren't hurt, were you?"

I shook my head slowly. "No..." I whispered. "I...I wasn't hurt..." 'Not physically, anyway,' I silently added, though I didn't say it. I didn't want him to worry any more than he had to. Frowning, I gazed at his bloody clothes, at the bloody burns on his arms. "Are you okay?" my voiced was worried, and I tried to keep it calm, tried to keep my emotions back, though I knew it was only a matter of time before they pushed their way through once more. I couldn't keep them back forever, no matter how hard I tried.

He smiled at me and gave a small nod. "I'm fine, Jake," he responded. He closed his eyes for a moment, and then opened them again, pushing me away, holding me at arm's length. "Get back to safety, okay? What were you thinking, coming out here?" His voice sounded more worried than annoyed, and I knew his anger was for fear for me, not because I had done something wrong.

"I...I...I thought you were dead...That was what I was thinking..." I heard myself mumble, my head hanging low. "I thought you were dead, Jack..." I felt my body start to tremble once more as those horrible moments played through my head. "I didn't know what to do," I continued, glaring at the ground with a pitiful gaze. "The wall...was practically gone...I knew you were right on it...they kept saying there was no way you could have survived..." I clenched my eyes tightly closed, trying to keep myself calm and collected. "They kept saying you were dead...but I didn't, couldn't, believe that. Not...not after everything that's happened in the past year...I just couldn't accept it, Jack...I had to come looking for myself. I was...so sure...you were dead," I choked out, mentally cursing my emotions for breaking through once more. He pulled me, gently, back into his arms, and I buried my head in his left shoulder once more, savoring the moment. What if he died? What if he really died? It could actually happen...he could die before the day was over...this could be the last time I saw him, and as much as I hated that fact, I knew it was true. I didn't know how bad his injuries were; for all I knew, they were terrible, and could kill him shortly. I had to get him somewhere where someone could look him over. Jumping to my feet, I yanked away from him, looking down at him with a concerned frown. "You should see a healer," I said softly.

He sighed heavily and nodded. "I know..." he mumbled. "But not right now. Later, maybe, if..." he trailed off, and I clenched my eyes tightly closed, for I somehow knew what he had been about to say. 'If you're still alive,' I silently finished for him, my heart pounding wildly inside my chest. He slowly staggered to his feet, where he stood for a moment and then shook his head, focusing his eyes on me. "Get to safety Jake, okay?" his voice, though soft, was firm, and I knew there as no changing his mind about what he was going to do next.

But still, I tried. "Please...don't go...you're hurt, you should see a healer. Please? See a healer first and then go?" my sage green eyes were pleading with him, though he was looking at the ground as if it were the most interesting thing in Risna. "Please, Jack?" I questioned quietly, my voice hopeful. Maybe he was actually thinking over what I had said.

He shook his head. "There's no time. Tom survived the explosion too, though he's gravely injured. I need you to go to him and get him some help, okay? He's over there," he pointed west, where he had come from, "and he needs your help badly. Please, go to him." he began walking away, but I stopped him with my voice.

"Jack...please, don't go...you're hurt, there's no telling what could happen..." my voice had taken on a desperate edge, and I cursed my emotions once more, angry with them for coming through so often in just a short time. But I guess there were good reasons for it; like Jack's almost certain death and his amazing appearance, alive. "Please, let a healer look at you first...just to see how badly you're hurt..."

"I know how badly I'm hurt," he answered. "About five broken ribs, bleeding, burns...and maybe a collapsed lung," he said quietly, looking away the whole time he spoke. I looked at him in shock as he counted off his injuries. "Maybe a concussion, I dunno. I have a killer headache, but the enemies don't care. I'm a guard; I'm still a Defender. I have a job to do, Jake. I'm sorry." he turned and began walking away.

"...Just...please come back..." I heard myself say after him, before I averted my gaze to the ground, feeling the tears fill them once more.

"I'll be back," he said determinedly. "I promise." I knew how he always tried to keep his promises, no matter what, and it somehow made me feel better. He wouldn't do anything stupid, knowing that he had a promise to fulfill. Giving one last, worried glance at him, I turned west and began running. I looked around, but all I saw was smoke, smoke, and did I mention smoke? That was all there really was to see, and I soon found myself coughing violently. How long had Jack been over here, exactly? Frowning, I dug through the debris.

"Tom?" I called, trying to keep my voice straight and keep the coughs back. "Are you there, hello? Tom? Are you okay? Where are you?" Frowning when I didn't get an answer, I began searching more frantically. "Tom?" I called again, my voice louder. "Where are you?" I heard a low moan from somewhere to my right, and spun quickly, seeing a figure lying on the ground a few feet away. Racing toward it, I saw it was Tom. "Tom!" I cried, and knelt down next to him, placing my hand on his shoulder. "Dear Araya, man, are you okay?" I felt it was a stupid question to ask. I mean, did he look okay? Answer: no, he didn't.

Tom coughed violently for a moment, and then groaned, his breath leaving him in a rush. "D...Did you...see Jack?" he question weakly, his eyes tightly closed. Nodding, I felt stupid once more. His eyes were closed; he couldn't see me nodding! I felt like an idiot.

Tightening my grip on his shoulder, I said, "Yeah. I just saw him. He told me where to find you." I frowned then, seeing the blood dimly through the smoke. I coughed for a moment, and then gazed back down at the blood. "Man, Tom, are you okay? How bad are you hurt?"

Tom groaned and cried out as he tried to shift to relieve some of the pain. "I...I...don't know..." he mumbled, his voice almost inaudible. Frowning, I rose to my feet. He didn't even seem to notice.

"I'll be right back, okay? I'll get someone to help you. Hold on," I said, and then turned, bolting back in the direction I had come. Racing through the smoke, I began coughing once more, and my chest hurt once I was finished. Groaning quietly, I entered Risna and two guards immediately ran up to me. I knew them both by name, of course. One, on the left, was Timson, and the one one the right was Ray. "I need help," I breathed, and then started coughing again, bending over, placing my hands on my knees. "Ugh..." I closed my eyes for a moment as I let the feeling pass.

"Are you okay?" Timson asked, his voice concerned as he placed a steady hand on my left shoulder. I could only nod, my chest aching from the coughing. "What is it that you need help with? Getting somewhere safe?"

I could have rolled my eyes, but I didn't. "No," I said. "Tom...he..." I couldn't finish, as I began coughing violently, and found that I couldn't stop. Bending over once more, I heaved, losing the contents of my stomach. Breathing heavily, I felt myselt fall to my knees, where I then proceeded to fall sideways. I could hardly breathe; I just kept coughing. I heard Timson and Ray cry out in alarm and catch me as I fell, but I was out of it. "Tom...alive...west..." was all I could manage, but I hoped it was enough, because I heard gunfire next, and then everything went blank. I was out of it.

And the battle raged on.

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Chapter Five: Awakening to Disaster

"Do you think he'll be okay? He's out of it," I heard a voice say. It was gruff and sounded concerned, and it frustrated me that it sounded so familiar but I couldn't place it. The pain came on suddenly, in my chest, and I groaned for a moment and then gave a violent cough, to which I groaned again, in more pain than before. My chest felt tight, my throat constricted, and I found that I didn't have the strength at the moment to open my eyes and gaze around, to see what was going on. I could only lie there, in pain, coughing occasionally. Questions raced through my mind, but I found that I didn't have any answers for them. What was I doing here? Why did my chest feel as if it were on fire? Why did I keep coughing? I struggled to remember, but my mind was fogged and denied me access to my memories. Groaning, I could only lie there. "Hey, I think he's waking up," the voice said again. I felt something, probably a hand, on my shoulder and give me a small, gentle shake. "Hey, kid? Are you okay? Jake?" I tried to speak, but found that I couldn't speak; my voice refused to come, my throat too badly constricted to allow me speech. 'What happened?' I thought to myself. 'What's going on? Where am I?' So many questions, so few answers. I struggled to remember, but still, the fog in my head denied me entrance to my memories. The hand shook me again, but this time I ignored the voice as it began to speak in a hushed whisper. This person and their speaking...it was all giving me a massive headache, and making me feel worse than I already did. "Kid, are you okay? I need you to open your eyes. Can you do that for me?" What? Didn't he think I was trying to? With a heavy sigh, I slowly blinked my eyes open, wincing slightly as I did so, taking in a deep breath, trying to get rid of the tightness of my chest. "There you go," the voice said again as a familiar face swam into view. I couldn't place who it was, though, and it only confused me more. "How are you feeling? Are you okay?"

I tried to answer, but for a moment all that made it out of my mouth was a groan. Then, I quietly responded, my voice nothing but an almost inaudible whisper, "Y...Yeah, I'm fine..." I coughed again, and found my chest ablaze once more. Mentally cursing the coughs, I studied the figure before me, trying to figure out who it was and what was going on. 'M'kay, what happened?' I thought to myself. 'What do I remember...fire... smoke, fire, debris...' My eyes widened suddenly and I shot into an upright position, almost instantly wishing that I hadn't, as my body cried out its protests with a series of pain. Flinching slightly, I asked, "Where's Jack?" My eyes widened even further as I remembered, fully, what had happened. I had collapsed while I had been coughing. I remembered hearing gunfire, and seeing Jack's bloody clothes, and Tom... "Where's Tom?"

The figure, a male, frowned and looked away for a moment, and my heart raced around wildly inside of my chest. Surely they weren't dead; surely they were okay, and were being looked over by a healer. 'Please,' I silently begged. 'Be okay...' Sighing, he finally looked at me and shook his head. "I'm not really sure. Tom Hardic was taken away by a healer, and I haven't seen him since."

I breathed a sigh of relief. Tom was okay, at least, in good hands. I frowned suddenly, and said, "What about Jack? Where's he?" my voice came out as a squeak as my throat constricted even more. "Where is he...?" My head gave a sharp pound in my ears, but for the moment I ignored it.

He sighed again and shook his head. I closed my eyes, trying to keep myself calm. "I haven't seen him," he finally replied. "He was on the wall, remember? I think Tom was the only survivor." While he was saying this, I was shaking my head in denial.

"No," I said. "That's not true. Jack survived too. I saw him. He told...me where Tom was...and then he went off to fight..." I opened my eyes and looked at him, fear shining in my sage eyes. "So where is he? What happened to him?" my voice was filled with a quiet fear, and I tried to keep it calm. My mind was racing. If Jack hadn't been seen...did that mean he was dead? Did that mean that he had died? That he had broken his promise to me? Suddenly feeling very alone, I hugged myself tightly, hanging my head low, allowing my brown bangs to hang down in my face. "Where is he?" I whispered quietly. 'Please,' I thought to myself. 'Please, don't be dead. You promised...'

For a moment, he was silent, and then he gripped my shoulder. I turned my head away, knowing that he wasn't going to give me good news. "Are you sure you saw him? You weren't just seeing things? Because we haven't seen him." I could almost hear the frown in his voice. "Maybe it was the smoke," he said. "Maybe it gave you the impression that he was there." his voice was soft, and I knew he was trying to let me down easy. "He probably wasn't really there, Jake..."

I shook my head. "No," I said firmly. "He was there. I know he was...he talked to me. There was blood. He was there...he...he was there...I wasn't just seeing things." I was trying to convince myself of that as well. Had I really wanted him to be alive so much that I had simply imagined him? No, I hadn't. I had hugged him. He was alive...he had been there. "He was there...I know he was..."

He sighed and shook his head. "I'm sorry, Jake, but we haven't seen him." he chewed his lip. "I'm not so sure we will..." he sighed again. "The explosion was bad, Jake...we're not sure Tom will survive...and we found him. We haven't even seen Jack to look at his injuries...I'm sorry."

I shook my head and jumped out of the small bed I had been resting on. My eyes darting around, I ran toward the door, but not before he grabbed me and pulled me back. "Let go!" I cried. "Let go of me! I have to find him!" I struggled, but in my weakened state- and probably in my strong state- he was stronger than me. "Let go! He's out there, please, I have to find him!" I somehow managed to break free, but once again, he grabbed me before I reached the door. "Let go!"

"No," he said as he held me back, his voice quiet. "I'm sorry, Jake. I can't let you go out there. There's...hardly anything left."

His words made me stop in my tracks, my heart racing. "What do you mean?" I whispered. "How long have I been out?" How long had I been out of it? What had happened to Risna? "What happened?"

I heard him sigh. "The enemies. They killed nearly all of the defenders and came through Risna. Only a rare few houses survived the flames. This was one of them," he said, gesturing aruond. I couldn't breathe I was so shocked. Risna? Destroyed? Hardly any defenders left? I couldn't believe it.

"No..." I whispered, and broke away from him before he could react. I swung the door open and gazed outside, my sage eyes wide. Houses still smoked from some of the flames, though most were put out. Debris was everywhere, and bodies seemed to cover the ground. Tears in my eyes, I shook my head. "No..." I uttered again. "No..." My voice caught in my throat and died away as I looked at the destruction. Racing out of the house and through the debris, I began calling out, "Jack? Jack, are you there? Where are you?" I prayed, silently, that he would answer. 'Please,' I silently begged. 'Please be okay...' I knew I wouldn't be able to stand it if he was dead; not after my breakdown last time, whenever that had been. "Jack, where are you?"

There was no answer. Somehow, I had known that I wouldn't get one, but the lack of response my throat clench all the more. 'No...please...you have to be okay...you promised...' I thought to myself. Glancing around, I searched for any sign of him, running toward where the Inner Wall stood. Or...at least what was left of it. My heart skipping a beat, I moved out of the Inner Wall, searching for my friend; my brother. Where was he? Surely he was okay...surely he was alive. He had promised. I prayed that he hadn't broken it.

"Jack?" I called out again. "Where are you? Please..." I felt a sudden chill blow around me, and shivered slightly, frowning in fear. "Where are you? Please answer me!" my voice seemed to grow more desperate with each shout. "Answer me, Jack, where are you?"

"...Jake?" came a faint voice, drifting through the wind. I froze for a moment, and the turned, looking for the source of the voice. I didn't see anything, but I knew I had heard it. I hadn't been hearing things; the voice had been there. "Is...that you?" the voice came again, weak and distant.

I froze and raced in the direction of the voice, my heart hammering around wildly inside my chest. "Jack?" I called out, barely recognizing the voice. "Where are you?" I prayed that he would keep talking so I could find him. But there was no more from him, and the fear in my heart grew, nearly consuming me. "Jack, please! Where are you?" my voice, screamed, sounded strange even to my own ears. "Answer me!"

It was then that I saw him, a bloodied figure lying sprawled out on the ground amongst a pile of debris. He looked so much worse than the last time I saw him. His face, which had always been so tan, was pale, the color gone. His eyes were closed, his body still. It was silent. All I could do was stare.

"Jack!" I cried, and ran toward him. Dropping to my knees next to him, I could barely see, my eyes were so flooded with tears. "Jack..." I whispered when he didn't even seem to notice I was there. He didn't move, he didn't make a sound, he didn't open his eyes... "Jack, please..." I found myself uttering in a choked voice. But he didn't seem to hear me. He didn't respond in any way to let me know that he was okay, or even alive, for that matter. Chills ran through my spine. "Please..."

I could only pray that he wasn't dead.

Chapter Six: Rogue Attacker

I couldn't believe this was happening. Again. Clenching my eyes tightly closed, I will the feeling of illness to pass. 'Oh Araya, please don't let him be dead...please don't let him die...' I silently pleaded, my chest tight as dread and fear gripped my heart tightly, refusing to release it. Taking in shaky breaths, I tried once more awaken him. "Jack, please..." I murmured, and opened my eyes as I lightly gripped his shoulder. "Please, Jack..." My hand shook as it rested upon his shoulder. I was in a daze of some sort. This couldn't be happening. Not again. He couldn't be dead. Not now, when the battle was over. He couldn't be dead; he couldn't die. Damn it, he couldn't be dead! My body trembling with fear, I gave him a small shake. "Wake up," I pleaded in a choked voice. "Please, wake up...please, Jack, wake up..." I clenched my eyes closed once more, struggling to conceal my tears, to conceal my sobs that wanted oh-so-badly to break free. "P-Please..." my voice shook, my throat constricted with emotion. "Wake up...please, Jack..." I shook him harder, desperate for some kind of response. "Wake up," I cried. "Please!" a tear trailed down my cheek, quickly followed by another. I took in a shuddering breath and tightened my hold on his shoulder. "Wake up, Jack, please! Please, you have to! P-Please..." I lowered my head, my body trembling. I was barely able to hold the sobs back. "Please, Jack...w-wake up...p-please, you have to wake up...please..." When I didn't receive a response, I took my hand off of his shoulder and hugged myself tightly, suddenly feeling oh-so-very alone. "P-Please, Jack...please...w-wake up, you have to..." More tears trailed down my cheeks, even through I struggled to keep them back. I didn't want to cry anymore; I'd done too much of that already. But I couldn't help it; he wouldn't wake up. Why wouldn't he wake up? Surely he was alive. Surely...he wasn't dead. "Wake up, please! You have to wake up, Jack! I'm begging you! P-Please..." My body trembling, I hugged myself tighter, wishing for comfort. But I wasn't so sure I could be comforted...if he was dead. If he was dead, I didn't know what I'd do. I'd probably fall apart, as he was my family. The last member I had left of my family. We may not have been related in blood, but he was my family, and as crazy as it seemed, I loved him. I didn't want him to die; I didn't think I could handle it. In fact, I was sure I couldn't handle it. "J-Jack, please..." I whimpered through a constricted throat. "Don't...don't do this..." I squeezed my eyes closed even tighter, a shaky sob forcing its way out. I struggled to keep the rest back. "Don't be...don't die...don't be dead..." I was too afraid to see if he had a pulse, afraid that I would find none. I was too afraid to see if he was breathing, afraid that there would be no breath reaching his lips. Frightened, I could only beg him to awaken. I could only beg him not to be dead, to not die. "Please, you have to be okay..." I found myself whispering in a broken, shaky voice. "P-Please..." I couldn't believe this was happening. It couldn't be; not so shortly after his earlier near-death experience. 'Please,' I thought to myself, my mind racing. 'Please don't be dead. Please Araya, don't let him die...' He was all I had left. If I lost him...I was alone. "Please, Jack...p-please wake up..."

Again, there was no response, and the tears overwhelmed me. The sobs forced their way out and took over, wracking my body as they did so. 'No,' I thought to myself. 'No, please...don't be dead...please wake up...' I didn't want him to be dead; I didn't want him to die. I didn't! Damn it, I loved him. He was my brother. He couldn't just die like that...he couldn't.

"Jack, please!" I cried shakily. "Please, wake up! You have to! Please, I'm begging you...wake up...p-please..." My body shook with uncontrolable sobs, and I could not control them, no matter how hard I tried. "No, no, no, no, no..." I found myself mumbling in a broken whisper. "No, please no...Please, wake up..." 'Don't die, damn it!' I thought to myself. 'Don't be dead! Please, Araya, don't let him be dead...' I wasn't sure if Araya, the god of the kingdom of Barma, would hear my pleas, but I hoped that he did. 'Please, I need him. Don't let this be happening...please...' I struggled to stop crying, to somehow take control of my emotions, but I couldn't. My effort was wasted. It was futile to try to stop crying. There was no way I could, though I tried. "No, Jack, please...w-wake up...p-please...you have to..." When I received no response to my pleas, I shook my head, turning away. "No..." I whispered, my voice lost. 'No, no, no, no, no...oh, please no... Araya, don't let this happen...please, I beg of you...' I sucked in a shaky gasp and tried to stop crying. "Jack, p-please...d-don't do this..." my heart was heavy, and I could not lessen the load of grief. "Jack! Please, you can't...! Please, you have to be okay...oh please be okay...p-please..." my voice broke off, my throat constricted with sorrow. 'Please, no...' I thought.

"P-Please don't...be...so worried," came a faint voice. It was almost unrecognizable, and for a moment I couldn't place it. But when I did, I froze, and the tears came down faster as I opened my eyes. "Please...don't...b-be sad..." the voice came again.

"Jack?" I whispered, my head still turned. I was too afraid to look, too afraid that I would look and he wouldn't have been the one speaking. I couldn't stand getting my hopes crushed again. It was too much. 'Oh, please...' I silently pleaded, my heart racing, hammering away at the inside of my chest.

"...Yeah..." came the faint voice, and then there was a weak cough. Turning my head, the tears falling freely, I saw that his eyes were open, if only just. His breaths rattled in his chest before they came out, and I winced involuntarily. He tried to shift, but hissed in pain and his head fell back, his eye slipping closed, his face contorted in pain. Tears blurring my vision, I frowned.

"Are you okay?" I placed my hand on his shoulder, giving it a small, reassuring squeeze. For a moment, he was quiet, and my fear began to rise once more. "Jack?" I whispered, my voice soft and quiet. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah..." he murmured through clenched teeth, and I knew he was lying. Sweat raced down his face, and his muscles contracted and then went back to normal. The fear, the dread, within me grew.

"Jack..." I murmured. I closed my eyes for a moment, taking in deep, calming breaths, and then opened them again, looking at him in worry. "How hurt are you?"

He gave a small sigh and turned his head, trying to relieve some of the pain. "I...I dunno..." he slurred. "Can't...feel anything...'cept pain..." his voice died out, and my heart raced.

"I...I'll get you some help," I said, and jumped to my feet. "I'll be right back...you'll be okay," said, as if trying to reassure myself of that as well. He swallowed, his eyes tightly closed, sweat beading his forehead. Taking in a shaky breatht o calm myself, I turned and bolted back in the direction of the Inner Wall. Intering Risna, I quickly looked around for someone to help him. No one was there, though, and I found myself grow desperate. I ran up to one of the few remaining houses and began pounding on the door, shouting, "Open up! Please, open up! I need your help!"

Soon, the door opened, revealing someone I didn't recognize. "What is it?" they asked kindly, gray eyes confused.

"I...Just come with me," I said, and grabbed his sleeve. Pulling him along, I raced back in the direction of where I had come. 'Please be okay,' I thought to myself, praying for Jack's safety. "Over here," I said, and knelt down next to Jack's body. I heard the man following me curse and bend down next to Jack, immediately grabbing his wrist. For a moment, he just held it, and then he released it with a shake of his head. Taking a shaky breath, I asked, "What is it?"

He sighed and rose to his feet. "It's too late," he mumbled, and my head spun. I felt dizzy and sick to my stomach.

"W...What?" I stammered, not believing it. "What do you mean too late?!"

He sighed. "He's not dead," he said, "but it's too late. I've got so many wounded back at the house. I can't take him; he's not going to make it either way." he turned to head back to Risna, but my pained voice stopped him in his tracks.

"What?!" I screamed. "He's going to be okay! You have to help him! Please!" my voice was desperate once more, but I didn't care. I let the tears flow, my body trembling. "Please..." I choked out. "You have to help him...don't just leave him there...please..."

The man sighed heavily and gave a small nod. "I'll do what I can," he responded. "But I can't make any promises. I highly doubt this one will live through the next few minutes, let alone..." he shook his head. Sighing with a frown, he gingerly lifted Jack into his arms and began racing back toward Risna. Tears flooding my eyes, I followed after him, praying that Jack would be okay. Dear Araya, he had to be okay; he had to live through this night. Frowning, I realized that I had never been so scared in my life.

"Stop right there," a malignant voice said from behind as. We both froze, and I had chills running throughout my body. "Put the body down."

Flinching, I turned to see who was speaking. A cloaked figure came into view. His cloack and hood was black, and he stalked toward us. I knew, somehow, that he was smirking behind the hood. "What?" I asked softly, my heart racing. The man carrying Jack stopped too, and turned to see what was going on.

"I said," repeated the man, "to put the body down. I went through a lot of trouble blowing up that wall. The least you could do is let them all die."

I froze, and felt a blistering rage rise from within me. "You," I snarled, my sage eyes ablaze. "You did this." I closed my eyes for a moment, reflecting on everything that had happened. Jack lay in the man's arms, dying. The wall had been blown to bits. Tom may be dying. Who knew how many had died when the wall had exploded? I growled and said, my voice completely serious. "You did this! I'll kill you."

The figure laughed. "You have a choice," he said. "Either one of you stays to keep me busy to get him," he gestured at Jack, "to help. Or, you could leave him and go peacefully. But he will not live. I will make sure of that."

I growled. "Why?" I whispered. "Why do you want him to die?"

The figure shrugged through the haze of smoke. "He shot at me," he replied. "He killed four of my men. He was on the wall; he needs to die."

"No," I said. "He doesn't." My heart was racing. I wasn't sure how much longer Jack would be able to last without help.

And he was my main priority. Keeping him alive was all that mattered to me. If that meant fighting this figure...

Then so be it.

Chapter Seven: Rogue Attacker Part II

I glared at the figure as they took another step closer. I couldn't believe it; he was the reason Jack had been so gravely injured, and now lay quite near death. He was the reason the wall had exploded, killing so many brave men. He was the reason Tom had been hurt so badly. He was the reason. It was all his fault. I felt the anger within me grow as I clenched my hands into fists at my sides. "I won't let him die," I found myself saying stubbornly. "I won't." I took in a breath and continued, "And if you want him, you'll have to go through me first." I heard him chuckle, and my glared deepened into an icy gaze. Did he think I was joking? Did he think that I would seriously let him kill Jack? Kill my brother? If he did, then he was badly mistaken. I took a determined step forward. "You'll have to go through me, because I won't let you hurt him anymore than you already have." I chanced a glance at where Jack lay, unmoving and vulnerable, in the man's arms. I shuddered then, thinking about what could possibly happen in the next few minutes. 'Hang in there, Jack,' I thought to myself. 'I won't let anything happen to you. I won't let you die.' I couldn't let him die. If I did...I wasn't sure what I'd do. It was just too horrible to think about, too terrifying to imagine. Shaking my head, I shoved the thoughts away. The figure just stood there, seemingly taking me in, seeing my as a challenge. "I won't let him die," I found myself saying again.

The figure chuckled lowly, and chills raced throughout my body. "You think you can keep him alive? His time is fading fast. His breaths are numbered, and the numbers are counting down. While you stand here threatening me, he's dying. You're doing my job for me."

I growled at him and snapped at the man, "Get him out of here. Get him to safety. Go!"

The man blinked. "I cannot leave you, young one," he said, and I shook my head.

"You have to!" I said. "Or he'll...he'll die!" I closed my eyes for a moment, and then opened them again. "Just get him out of here...please..." I prayed that the man would listen to me, that he would get Jack out of here. Jack needed to be saved; he needed to have a chance at living. If only the man knew that he needed to have a chance...if only he knew that I didn't care if I died, so long as he was okay. If only the man knew. "Go! Please...just get out of here...get him to safety..."

The man shook his head and placed Jack gently on the ground. "I won't leave you," he said. "And...I don't think it matters one way or the other what we do. He won't live. I know he won't; his pulse is eratic, his breaths are short and rapid...he's going to die, no matter what we do."

If only he knew how much that killed me inside to hear. I clenched my eyes tightly closed, feeling sick to my stomach. My head spinning, I whispered, "No...That's not true..." I sucked in a shaky breath. "He's going to live...you just have to get him out of here! Please...don't just let him d-die..." I breathed in and then out. I had to calm down; now wasn't the time nor the place to cry. I'd done too much of that already, anyway. "Don't let him die...please..."

He sighed, and I knew he wasn't going to do what I asked. "No," he said. "I can't leave you, kid. He's going to die either way; it doesn't matter. Why save a dying life? There's no point in trying."

I choked back a sob as I said, "No, that's not true...just get him help, please, I beg you..." I looked over at him and sighed. "Please..."

"No."

I growled suddenly and shot a glare at the figure. I blinked, then, and frowned. There was no one there. Had there ever really been anyone there? A voice drifted toward me from somewhere, "He's dying. My job is done." It was the figure...he had been real...I shook my head and found my feet carrying me toward Jack. I knelt down next to him and placed a shaky hand on his shoulder. "...Jack?" I whispered, squeezing his shoulder tightly. "Jack, can you hear me?" his eyes slowly blinked open, and I found myself choking back tears. His once vibrant auburn eyes were turning dull, and seemed glazed. I shook my head. No, he wasn't going to die. I wouldn't let that happen. I couldn't. I wouldn't be able to stand it. "Jack..." I murmured, and his eyes swiveled toward me, slowly focusing.

"...Jake..." he whispered, his voice so faint. I closed my eyes and took in a calming breath, though it was futile. For a moment he went quiet, and I began to panic.

"Jack-" he broke me off.

"Y...You know...it's...f...funny..." he closed his eyes for a moment, and then opened them again. "I never...t...thought it would...e...end...like this..." he swallowed, and sweat beaded his forehead as his muscles contracted and then went slack as he struggled to deal with the pain.

My eyes widened and I shook my head insistantly. "No," I said. "No, you're not going to die. Don't say that." He looked at me silently as the man bent down on the other side of him. "You're not going to die, Jack...I won't let you..." my voice was soft, nothing but a mere whisper. "I won't let you die...I promise...I swear, I won't let you die." I began lifting him up by his arms, and looked at the man. "Help me," I ordered. "Help me get him into Risna."

The man silently began helping, but Jack shook his head weakly as his eyes slipped closed. "No..." he whispered faintly. "L...Leave me...He'll be...b...back, Jake...that b...bastard will...be back..." his voice trailed off, his face contorted in pain.

"...Who, Jack?" I asked, and immediately regretted it as he began to speak.

"T...That guy...you...w...were just...talking...t...to..." he sucked in a rattling breath, and I flinched involuntarily. "He'll...b...be back...p...please, Jake...l...leave me..."

I shook my head. "I can't do that, Jack," I said. "I never would." I looked at the man. "Help me!" I barked, and he began lifting Jack up off of the ground once more. Jack groaned and hissed in pain as the man shifted him, trying to get a better grip. I glared at the man and said, "Dont hurt him."

He looked at me apologetically. "I'm sorry," he said, and began walking toward where the Inner Wall had once stood. I watched Jack as we walked, making sure that he was still breathing. He always was, though his eyes gazed unseeingly as if he were in a daze. Shuddering, I frowned. He had to live. Damn it, he had to. He couldn't die. Glancing around, I tried to see any sign of the figure, but there was none. Did that mean he was gone? Or did it mean that there really was no way to save my brother? I shook my head, shoving those negative thoughts aside. Jack would be okay, as I kept telling myself. He would be okay.

"Stop," the voice came again, and I spun around, coming face to face with the figure. He threw a punch and it connected to the left side of my face before I could react. Flying back, I hit the ground hard, where I lay there for a moment in a daze. I heard the man call out for me, and I struggled to sit up.

"No!" I said as I saw the man start to put Jack down again. "No, please, just get him out of here! Please, I'm begging you, save him!" I jumped to my feet, ignoring my aching cheek and jaw. Moving my mouth, I tried to ease some of the pain. "You," I snarled, glaring at the figure. "Why can't you just leave us alone?"

"Because you're trying to save him," was his simple reply. "And save him you cannot. I must make sure of that. I must watch him die; that is my job."

"Your job?" I nearly shouted, incredulous. "What job? What, is someone paying you to kill him?" I was about to say more, but he punched me again, this time in the gut, and I went down on my knees, clutching my stomach tightly, my eyes clenched closed. "Damn you," I hissed through clenched teeth. "Go to hell..."

The figure chuckled and grabbed the front of my shit, lifting me up off of the ground, my feet dangling in the air. Wow, this figure was strong. "I'd watch your mouth if I were you, boy," he said. "I'd hate to have to kill a child, but I will if I must." He tossed me to the side, where I hit the ground and rolled once before coming to a stop. Before I knew it, the man was at my side, helping me to my feet. Dazed, I couldn't resist.

"...Thanks..." I mumbled, and then my eyes widened. I shot a look at the man, but he was no longer carrying Jack. My heart racing, I looked over at the figure to see him kneeling at Jack's side. "No!" I cried as I ran forward. "Get away from him!" The figure chuckled, but didn't move. Instead, he pulled a gun out, aiming it at Jack's head, ready to fire. My eyes widened even more, and I begged my feet to move faster. As the figure got ready to pull the trigger, I knew I was going to be too late. "NO!" I cried. "NO! Please, don't!" I leapt over a small pile of debris and kept running. The man had tried to get Jack into Risna, I noticed as I ran. He had only come back for me. "NO, NO, NO, NO, NO! Please, leave him alone! Please! NO!" I finally made it to him, and tackled him as the gun fired. "NOOOO!" We rolled away from Jack, but it was too late.

The gun had fired.