Chapter 16 – Thank you
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* Step aside or you will pay the price!
He just appeared out of nowhere, where did he come from? Could it be that he is the one that saved me? I can´t think of any other reason than that.
* Are you the one that saved me?
Why isn´t he answering?
His purple eyes even glowed in this darkness; his calm dead eyes only continued to stare at me. He wore ragged clothes that were stained with blood, fresh blood.
* I need to get in there.
If I delay any further, it may leave behind permanent marks on her.
He stepped to the side and made a gesture with his hand, implying to get going.
* Thank you!
He rushed towards the House that stood in the middle of the forest with his hand hiding something inside, but the moment he went past that mysterious man, he stated:
“I´m coming too, I still need to ask you many questions!”
Ughh, that´s bad if he comes with me, he may find out about her. But I need to hurry, or she may… but this appearance could this person be…?
He stood before the door and glanced back at him for a last time, before entering as he asked sincerely:
“Don´t think about anything inappropriate!”
The masked guy looked at him with a confused face.
As he opened the door a warm atmosphere welcomed them, a fire in the corner of the room, warming up the room from the cold weather. There weren´t much furniture in the small room. As Kage walked into the small house, with the old guy upfront. Kage meets the gaze of a young girl lying in the corner. She was covered in blankets and had a pale expression. Her yellow-golden hair covered almost the entire bed. She mustered her strength to push herself up and looked towards the opened door with closed eyes, as she overcame with happiness and smiled ever so happily and shouted out loud with a smile on her face, “Welcome back uncle!” Her eyes opened themselves painfully and her lifeless yellow eyes, which have lost the ability to see looked back at him.
“Yes, I am back.
I brought you what I promised!”
“REALLY”, she shouted happily, “but you didn´t came alone, right?”
She looked at the directions of the door and was able to perceive the presence of someone she didn´t know.
…
* I am someone that needs to talk with that man.
Her expression gets serious and ice-cold unlike the normal happy face she wore so far.
Just as she was about to say something, Kage continues:
“I want to ask him about this place and about why he was followed by eight guards of the inner part of the Town.”
Right after those words left his mouth, her ice-cold look perished and she started looking at the old man with a concerned expression as she asked:
“Why? I said you don´t need to do it anymore”
The old man´s guilty expression was even visible to her. As he answered,” This is my only way.”
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Silence conquered the House for a short period of time, before Kage asked in a sincere voice.
-May I know what happened?
The old man asked the girl if it would be alright to tell him.
She asked, “before that could you step closer?”
Kage tilted his head and stepped closer.
The girl looked in his direction as he got closer, and she thought.
* Due to my loss of sight, I developed the ability to perceive everything better, may it be something simple like perceiving heat or something complex as perceiving one´s inner true self. He looks dangerous, his ragged clothes stained with blood of the inner guards, that are rumored to be very powerful. His dead purple eyes. And that mask of his, which makes him look like a Monster. Everything points out that this person is extremely dangerous, but why is my heart telling me otherwise? With each step he takes, his heart feels warmer and warmer. But that warmth in his heart is locked up deep within him. His experiences, pain and sorrow locked it up. Could he be that person?
He stood next to the bed looking into her face. The old man was kneeling next to him.
Out of respect he kneeled to be on the same height level as them. Showing his vulnerability, with this the old man realized that he must not have any bad intentions.
I´m the last alive heir of this Ruler, and my name is Lyra.
His eyes behind the mask widened.
The day my father died, five years ago. I lost everything.
My father was murdered, and my mom fell in despair. The Ruler of this place was liked by most people, but some still hungered for power.
Many people had sent us letters of condolence and gifts of high value. On the of his funeral many people had gathered in the Town, we were mourning the death of our great ruler for hours. The Hours of our mourning flew by unnoticed. The Time we got back it was already late. And as we entered our mansion, we found the bodies of all our guards in the hall. Thieves were plundering the gifts we had gotten from the people. But that wasn´t the worst thing they did, they smashed and destroyed all our memorials of my father. My Mother couldn´t handle the shock and had a panic attack. I tried to calm her, but the Thieves closed on us. They laughed at my mother grasping for air as she lay on the ground. I tried to attack them, but I was unable to do so. Because before my punch even landed my right arm already flew in the air. It was cut off with a single strike of his blade. Kicking and punched. They did all horrible things to my mom as I lay there on the ground unable to do a thing. And after they had fun, they pierced the heart off my mother with a blade. I wasn´t able to do anything. The smell of blood filled the entire hall. Right after that they took away my eyesight, they had cut both of my eyes and said laughingly that they would leave me alive, because it would be more fun that way.
After that the two thieves started a war in Nacht for the Rulers position. Their names are Dawn and Noon, those are the people that are responsible for this. After that I fled to the outer Town that had been created, after the war broke out. I stood there in the rain, on the cliff, about to throw myself into certain death. But then it happened, a voice sounded in my head and the sun shined through the mist for the first time in the history of Nacht. The sun shined brightly down on me, making my wet yellow - golden hair shine with hope again. The female voice filled with wisdom and hope declared to me, “Don´t give up yet on hope, someone will appear to help you soon, and everything will be alright. He is the darkest light out there. He may seem dangerous, but deep down he has a warm heart. Trust him and let him lead Nacht to a brighter future.” Those were the words she told me, I met Arthur, the old man, and he helped me to keep myself alive till now. And so, I waited five years.
* I still don´t know what or who that voice is, but I´m clear about one thing. You are the person she spoke about!
He listened to her painful past quietly, but there was one thing he couldn´t understand.
Who is that women, that talked to this girl and why? Does she know me? And all this happened five years ago. Where was I back then? I can´t remember any of that. But if she knew me from before I woke up in that eerie destroyed place Lumenvall, then she may be able to help me regain my memory. Still…. how am I supposed to help this hurt girl in front of me? Was she really talking about me?
She felt his uneasiness with her senses and acted accordingly.
She stepped out of her bed, threw the blanket to the side and went down on her knees begging.
-What are you doing? The old man Arthur asked.
“I ask of you to help this now lowly being on her journey of revenge!”
…
He silently stared at her and asked shortly afterwards. – What am I to gain from this?
She became frustrated with her uselessness and cried out loud.
“The only thing I can give to you is my lowly Body and Soul!”
Tears began rushing down her cheeks, streaming out her eyes.
Arthur didn´t know what to do and followed her example.
“I too will give you my Soul, I will fulfill any order given to me.”
…
He kept on silently staring at them both begging.
Lyra thought to herself.
-Is this not enough? Yeah, nobody would want someone like me. I got scratches and scars all over my body, my right arm is missing too. Am I stupid? Why did I think something like this would work?
“I could-“
“Stop right there!”
Kage yelled into the room and stood up.
Both shocked by his sudden outburst he continued.
“What do you think I am?”
The old man shouted out loud as he kneeled on the ground-“Are we unworthy to serve someone like you?”
Both thought that he simply didn´t find them useful in any way.
After that sentence left his lips, he seemed to get angrier.
“Do you really think I would something as despicable as to demand you to serve me like that, becoming less then even slaves?” He shouted angrily at them. “Do you really think I am such a lowly human being?”
…
Silence conquered the room.
-Then…
As those words left her lips, he gazed up to him. And there he was kneeling, kneeling before me, his right hand on my shoulder as he states.
* A simple, please, would have been enough.
Until now he had looked menacing and dangerous, but right at this moment she was able to feel something warm again. She felt the warmth that had been locked inside him. Even if only for a short moment, she felt it - The Heart of him. Her heart skipped a beat, and her face blushed as she cried quietly. -Please help me…
-That would be my pleasure, he said in a soft and warm voice, unlike the cold and mean tone he had until now.
…
Tears flowing like a river, streaming out of one´s eyes. For the first time in 5 years, she felt a sense of hope again.
-“Thank you.”
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End of Chapter 16 -------------------------------------------------------------------To be continued