Treatise Of A Failed Knight-Chapter 248: Last Conversation

A dark canopy hangs solemnly in the sky yet again, and I am alone with my friend.

My dear friend... Kalakuta.

The two of us stand outside, watching the black dunes in quiet admiration. The grains of black sand sweep all over our feet and we huddle our bodies as though we are little kids.

There are moments like this scattered across my experiences with the Freedom Fighters.

Nights of wonder and beauty.

But I do not forget.

’This is only a journey... a process. I am a stranger in this land.’

The body I inhabit is not my own.

This world bears no resemblance to the one I truly occupy.

I need to return.

My true friends and family await.

"Brother... I have been thinking..."

Kalakuta’s words draw me out of my moment of self reflection, causing me to look towards him. His rough ebony face and long black hair appear stern and unmoving in the darkness.

His crimson eyes offer a bright contrast, and they stare into the distance.

It’s like he is looking at something far away.

A sight I cannot witness.

"Would you like to lead the Freedom Fighters?"

"W-what?!"

I respond quickly, stunned. "Don’t joke about such matters."

"I’m serious, though..." He sighs deeply. "I think you’d make a great leader. Your strength and intelligence is unlike anything I have ever seen. You are by far the strongest member of our group."

"Strength does not equal leadership."

"You possess keen leadership qualities as well. I can see it, and I’m sure others can as well. You have contributed so much to the cause as well, so I am certain no one would openly contest the decision."

I still shake my head.

"You are the one and only leader of the Freedom Fighters, Kalakuta. You are more than a strong individual, and your qualities exceed the leadership you display. You are the embodiment of our ideal as a group. The freedom you seek for all... It is something only you can make us believe. You see something we don’t. That is why we require you to lead us to that future. That world you envision for us."

"Brother..."

"I know you must have overheard some of the rumors spreading among the Freedom Fighters. I am deeply sorry that you had to listen to them spew all those words, but this is also human nature—one which we must accept."

"...."

"I do not seek your position, Kalakuta. I wish to help you to achieve this goal of yours. But the others... among them are bound to arise traitors. This will surely affect the cause."

"I know..." His expression is grim. "But what can I do? What should we do? We can’t disband the group now. It has grown beyond even me. It is a movement of freedom. It contains the will of so many people, only one of which is me."

"Kalakuta..."

"All the brothers I started this movement with are all dead. I am the only one left. I truly appreciate these new members, but I can feel my heart shifting. The love and heartfelt emotions that were once abundant within me are no longer enough."

I remain quiet while listening to Kalakuta.

This is one of those rare moments when he can display weakness.

He does not do this with anyone else.

Just me.

"I feel tired... I am exhausted. The longer we fight... the more I kill... the more people around me die, the closer the despair kicks in."

"Despair...?"

"What if this is all meaningless? What if it is all for naught? Then did everyone die for nothing? Enemies... allies... my friends... did they give up their lives for a lie I sold to them? An illusion that was never real? Should I keep leading these people even when I have these cracks in my conviction?"

I smile at him.

"These are important questions, but it is already too late to have them."

"Brother..."

"Look at me!" I tell him sternly, my smile disappearing.

He does so, his countenance displaying deep vulnerability and a hint of fear. At this moment he is like a child.

A lost child.

I need to guide him back to the path.

"You always knew freedom for all was a tall dream. Even your fallen comrades, unless they were stupid—which they were most certainly not—knew it was a far-fetched dream. Is freedom something so easy to grasp? Is equality something that can be easily achieved? The answer is no. Even if an exceptional man rises up and gathers the people to do so, it is still likely to fail. But..."

"Should I not have started—?"

"BUT... There is a reason you continued marching forward, and there is a reason they all believed in you. It is that despite all the odds against you, you still have hope in your heart that it is possible. And nothing is impossible for a man who bears hope in his heart."

"A-ahh..."

"So you must nurture that hope. Fight against the despair. Hope that you will succeed regardless of the obstacles in your path. Hope that you won’t let down your comrades and their sacrifices. Hope... Kalakuta... Hope."

"I... must... hope..."

"Exactly!" I nod fiercely. "You must remain strong. The mission is not yet over. There is still one more continent to liberate. Once that is over... you can finally rest."

"One... more."

I smile and pat his shoulder. "So, are you ready to embrace your destiny and conclude this journey?"

Kalakuta’s crimson gaze reflects my face.

He appears dazed for a moment.

Then, he smiles.

"Thank you, brother. I have listened to your words, and I understand what it is I am meant to do now."

"That is good."

"I also... have a feeling that this might be our last ever honest conversation."

"Why...?"

"I don’t know. Just a feeling, you know?"

I jab him by the side and chuckle. "Well don’t have feelings like that. I can’t have you thinking along those lines."

"Haha! It was just a joke..."

"It had better be."

After laughing for a few seconds, my expression grows somber as I look at him with deep sincerity.

"Please, don’t joke like that again."

For a moment, Kalakuta also freezes in place.

The two of us simply stare at each other and feel the cool winds brush against our skin.

Then, he nods.

"I won’t."

My smile returns after hearing those words.

Not too long after, we resume our laughter, enjoying a carefree night together.

After all, we know what awaits us beyond the horizon. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

—War!