Free The Legendary Warrior (Book 5) by Julius St. Clair

strike. A few more complained of hunger. A few jokes were told. A groan here and there about sunburn. A couple snoring from their bench. The laughter of children. The banter and sparring of teenagers that weren’t yet ready for the Academy. James was most concerned about those that spoke of the Yama. Where had they received such information about them? Why were the Yama savages when the Allayans had never even met one?
    “Master James,” a woman’s voice cracked, and he recognized it immediately. He cast his concerns aside and walked over to the fruit cart. The woman was in her fifties, but she looked twenty years older. She had lost much in only a few short years, including her husband in Thorn’s attack, and her daughter not too long after.
    “How are you, Cheryl?” James asked, taking her fragile and bony hands into his. “Eating well?”
    “That’s what we do best here in the village,” she smiled, her eyes listless. “But more importantly, how are you?”
    “I’m doing okay.”
    “Decided to take a meager stroll through the village?”
    “Not exactly. I’m headed to the Order headquarters.”
    “There are shorter ways.”
    “I know. But I wanted to think about a few things while I was headed there.”
    “I’m sorry that I had to burden you further,” she said, bowing her head. “It was my fault.”
    “No, no,” James soothed her, giving her a soft hug. “Not at all. She was your daughter, and she was quite strong. How were you to know what would happen?”
    “Those Langorans. I tell you. It was no accident. They leave those traps on purpose.”
    “They have the right to leave traps out on their property. They should have been more careful.”
    “Still, if I had not sent her…I just wanted to know what the fruit from Languor tasted like. I…I’m a silly woman.”
    “Not at all,” James said. “You know, at the least she didn’t suffer. It was quick from what I heard. That’s all we can ask for when we pass.”
    “I just wanted to say that I was sorry again. I’m so sorry, Master James.”
    “No worries,” James smiled weakly. “Now it’s my turn to apologize. I really have to be going.”
    “I’m sorry,” she said, muttering more to herself than James. “I’m sorry.” James nodded toward her and backed away, putting his hood over his head as he continued on. He didn’t want to be disturbed again, and especially not by someone asking if he was okay. He didn’t want to think about death. Not if he could help it. Still, he was unsure if he should have done more for Leidy’s mother when her daughter passed. He wasn’t even sure how to take the news himself, hearing that she and Jennings had been traveling to Languor, and they had stumbled across a few old traps. He wasn’t sure why they didn’t take the normal trade route, and he was so shocked by the strangeness of it all that he was sure that lies were being told. But Zain and the other Langorans were adamant that it was all one big accident, and they had actually removed all of their traps afterwards. They were deeply sorry, and they had lavished the village with gifts and food to try to make amends.
    James did a little digging into the matter, but there was no evidence to prove that Leidy and Jennings had fallen victim to foul play. Still…after they were gone, he sure laughed a lot less in his life. And now he didn’t even have Catherine. It had only been a couple months, but it felt like they had never met, as if their marriage had been a dream that he couldn’t shake. He knew what he was fighting for, but he felt like he was failing Bastion every day. It was obvious that Bastion was becoming more like Lakrymos and less of a child with every passing mission, even when James was the one to—
    James shook his head and cleared his throat. No. He couldn’t dwell on their faces. He had to keep moving forward, and he had made a promise to Catherine that he would save Allay. He couldn’t do his job if he started