THE LAST KEEPER

Chapter 360: 360: REUNION

An hour passed with neither side making a move. The warriors remained on the walls with weapons drawn while Zaira stood before the garrison like a mountain of darkness. Then a lone hawk appeared in the distance and flew directly toward the beast.

Hundreds of eyes followed it until it landed upon one of Zaira’s head and on sagiri’s hand. Sagiri calmly untied the small message tube and unfolded the letter. His crimson eyes moved across the contents before a cold laugh escaped him.

The message was from Tsaka.

An honor to receive the Supreme Chief of the South. You once said you would keep your visit silent should you ever come to Tagayia. It seems we have both broken our words. I will return your parents to you as promised, but save an old man a little face and come to me in the Inner City first so we may share a cup of tea.

No wonder the white-haired beast, Art Mandra, kept him close. The man is as cunning as he is smart.

Sagiri lowered the letter and stared toward the distant city beyond the walls. Then he scoffed.

"Cunning fox." The paper crumpled inside his hand. Of course, Tsaka would answer this way. The old man was buying time, testing intentions, trying to maintain control of the board without moving a single piece. Exactly what Sagiri expected from him. A humorless smile crossed his face.

"If you are planning something," he said quietly, "I will kill you." The words were so calm that several soldiers on the walls felt a chill crawl down their spines.

Beneath him, Zaira released a low growl and began turning without needing another command. Its massive body shifted, casting an even larger shadow over the garrison as it faced deeper into Tagayia. The soldiers watched in disbelief.

Sagiri tucked the letter away and settled himself atop the beast’s head. "Alika City." The command was barely a whisper. Zaira immediately began moving. The earth trembled beneath every step as the colossal beast left the garrison behind and headed toward Alika.

Sagiri arrived at the Inner City in a manner that ensured nobody would ever forget it. The gates, massive enough to allow entire military formations through, stood open as though welcoming a king.

Waiting before them was Tsaka himself. The Shadow General stood atop the gatehouse wall, his cloak dancing in the morning wind while soldiers lined the battlements behind him in complete silence. The moment Zaira approached, the old man brought a fist to his chest and offered a formal salute.

"So your ride is real," Tsaka said loudly enough for those nearby to hear. His eyes traveled over the colossal beast. "I must admit, I was not expecting such a large horse."

Sagiri stared down at him without amusement. He could hear the old man’s heartbeat from where he sat. Fast. Controlled. But fast nonetheless. Tsaka was afraid. Everyone with sense was afraid.

"He is hungry," Sagiri replied coldly. "After you kept me waiting." Several soldiers visibly stiffened. Tsaka merely smiled.

"Then I apologize for offending you." The man’s tongue dripped with honey as he said that, and Sagiri narrowed his eyes.

"Do you have a trap prepared?" Sagiri folded his hands to his chest and cocked his head. A ripple passed through the gathered warriors. Tsaka laughed softly.

"I am not that stupid." The old fox spread his hands. "I only wish to welcome the new Chief of the South." Such a flattering old fox. Before Sagiri could respond, Tsaka stepped off the gatehouse. The drop was high enough to kill an ordinary man several times over. Yet the old general fell with complete confidence, twisting once before landing lightly upon the ground as though gravity itself had agreed to spare him.

So the fox is not only strong, but his secret art is deadly, and to master it to such a level.

For the first time, Sagiri found himself mildly surprised.

The old man was far stronger than he appeared.

Then Tsaka stuck two fingers under his tongue and whistled sharply. A black warhorse came galloping from within the city. He mounted it in one smooth motion before turning back toward the gates.

"Welcome to Tagayia, Mfalu of the South." Then he wheeled his horse around and began riding toward the heart of the Inner City. Behind him, Zaira simply stepped over the gatehouse wall. Stone cracked beneath its claws as the colossal beast entered the city like a moving mountain.

The moment Zaira entered Alika’s Outer City, chaos erupted. The same chaos that ensured Thazir when they saw Zaira’s massive form. People screamed and fled from the streets as the colossal beast passed through the wide streets overhead, its shadow swallowing entire buildings.

Yet through all the terror, Tsaka continued riding calmly toward the Inner City as though escorting a guest rather than a force capable of destroying the city. Eventually, they reached the second gate. Unlike the first, an escort was already waiting there.

Sagiri barely noticed them. His eyes had locked onto two familiar figures standing beside the gate. For a moment, everything else disappeared. The city, the soldiers, the pain, and even the revenge. The next instant, he vanished from Zaira’s head. Even Tsaka’s eyes widened slightly. One moment, Sagiri was atop the beast, and the next, he was standing before them.

He landed in front of his parents, startling them a little.

Rusha stared at him. Her son had become taller than his father. His face had hardened. Scars marked his skin. His crimson hair hung around a face worn far beyond his years. For several seconds, she simply looked at him as though trying to reconcile the little boy she remembered with the man standing before her. Then her eyes filled with tears.

"Sagiri..." she whispered. Her voice broke. "My baby... you’ve grown so big." She reached toward his face with trembling fingers.

"I missed you." That was all it took. The distance vanished. Rusha threw herself into him and wrapped her arms around him so tightly that it almost hurt. Sagiri froze. For months, he had carried pain, rage, grief, betrayal, and responsibility. Even endured agony that should have broken him.

Yet none of it prepared him for his mother’s embrace. Her warmth surrounded him. He had almost forgotten it. His eyes widened slightly as something inside him cracked. The endless tension gripping his body loosened. His breathing slowed. The murderous storm raging within him quieted.

Behind them, Zaira lowered its head and released a low rumble. The beast’s bloodshot eyes gradually returned to their normal golden color as if feeling the same peace flowing through its master. Sagiri slowly raised his arms and held his mother back. For the first time in days, the madness left his eyes; he simply stood there as a son in his mother’s arms while she cried into his shoulder.

"Father, you did not miss your son," Sagiri said, and that was Bakuru’s last straw, and he joined in the hug. The embrace lasted an eternity before the two parents pulled back, but remained close.

"Have you been eating? You look unwell." Rusha’s voice cracked. "That wicked man on the horse kept me from coming to see you, and now he says you become the supreme chief. I missed your coronation," She wept. Sagiri turned to look at Tsaka, and he flinched dramatically. It could seem that his parents had not suffered, and in fact, they looked well, even better than he had left them.

"You can continue talking in my fortress. Please follow me." Tsaka cut in his hand, outstretched to the city.

Just seeing his parents, Sagiri’s heart tightened. He had been acting strong even with a truth only he knew, but seeing Rusha cry made him feel guilty about what he was about to do. Perhaps having tea with them was not a bad idea.

You are a cunning man, Tsaka.

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