The Legendary Warrior (Book 5) Read Online Free Page A

acting as if they were going to just walk away.
    Bastion knew what he had to do. So James could sleep at night, so James wouldn’t be murdered by Lakrymos for failure, and so he could gain some dignity back—he knew what he needed to do. Whether it was sooner or later, Bastion had been told often that he was destined for greatness. He wasn’t sure if it was as a leader or a soldier, but regardless, even he knew that his power was too great to be forgotten in the pages of history. It wasn’t arrogance or conjecture. It was fact. It was the only reason Lakrymos forced him to stay in Allay, and why James returned to win over his soul.
    They were all fighting for him, and he was still unsure what side he wanted to be on.
    It was time to make a move, and see what happened next.
    The kill had to be made anyways.
    As James turned to leave, he saw a glint of light blue out of the corner of his eye. But before he could react, Bastion’s blue Gladius had already emerged, and with a single upward swipe, Hakin’s next laugh was cut short. A sickening gurgling sound was heard next, and then the Quietus leader fell onto the log in which they had been sitting. James grabbed Bastion’s wrist and pulled him away, but the young Sage wretched himself free and sheathed his eidolon.
    Bastion faced the shocked faces of the Quietus, examining him, evaluating him—wondering if they had the power to take him down collectively, but they knew the truth all too well. It was right in front of their faces, radiating like an aura off of Bastion’s black robe. He was too strong .
    “I’m sorry I did that,” Bastion said, surprised by how little he felt after the blow had been made. He thought there would be an earth-shattering change within him, but he felt no different. It was as if Hakin had not been killed at all. He was just in his tent at the moment, snoring away.
    “We were on orders,” Bastion stated within the silence. “We were sent here to kill Hakin, because he was deemed as a threat to our upcoming war with the Yama. I’m sorry that I can’t say anything more on that, but I will say that none of you will be harmed from here on out. Actually, we’re hoping that you’ll join us in the war against the Yama when that day arrives.”
    “Whose orders?” a middle-aged man replied, his fest clenched tight. “Who ordered you to kill Hakin?”
    “I can’t say,” Bastion said flatly. “But I only did it because it was necessary. I didn’t want to.”
    “Oh, then that makes it all better,” the man said. He spat on the ground and glared back at Bastion. “We can find out you know. We’ll just have to do some digging.”
    “That’s only going to cause more conflict, and besides, no one will believe you.”
    “I’ll say that I saw it with mine own eyes,” he shouted, and then he screamed in agony, clutching his face and falling to his knees. All James saw was the hilt of Bastion’s Gladius, sliding back into the young Sage’s chest. The Quietus who had been talking was still growling, and small streams of blood were pouring along the sides of his hands.
    “You can’t say you saw it with your own eyes if you have none,” Bastion replied, and then he turned to the rest of the Quietus. “He is not allowed to heal this. If he does, I’ll have to take more drastic measures. Again, I’m sorry. I didn’t want to do that.”
    The Quietus group glared at him, standing side by side to each other with clenched jaws, closed fists, and rigid bodies. They were doing everything in their power to remain neutral. All together, they waited. Until Bastion was satisfied that the man he had cut was past the point of healing. He would live the rest of his life blind.
    Bastion felt a pang in his heart and a queasiness in his stomach all of a sudden. With a heavy sigh, he took a step back, and then another. Eventually he turned around and began walking into the black of the forest, heading toward Allay. James walked beside him.
    “You