Chapter 8 - The General Befriends a Phoenix

POV Katherine Evenhart

I woke up with a start, startled by something unknown. There was a strange feeling inside me, as if a part of me had died. Instinctively, the first thing I said was…

“Nathan!” I called out, trying to understand where I was.

I slept too long!

Forcing my mind, I started to remember some things. I had stayed awake for days waiting for Hugo's return, and we planned to leave the next day. I asked Nate to keep watch for a while so I could try to regain some energy.

My son didn’t call me.

Sunlight was streaming through the carriage window, and I quickly got up. There was a bow next to me, and I grabbed it. Opening the door, I ran outside looking for my son.

“Nathan!” I called for him, but I didn’t see him nor did he respond.

I climbed onto the carriage to check if he had fallen asleep on top of it, but he wasn’t there.

This can’t be happening. Where is Nate?

I jumped down from the carriage and scanned my surroundings. It was morning. The sky still had white clouds, but it was no longer raining. I ran to the horses to see if he was there, but I couldn’t find him.

I hoped he had just gone to the bathroom. If that’s the case… he’s going to get it. Doesn’t he know how dangerous it is to walk around alone?

Part of me wanted to scold him, and part of me was worried and just wanted to hug him. My son was somewhere outside, but the problem was that there were people who wanted to kill him to try to usurp the authority of House Evenhart.

My heart ached just thinking about what they might do to him if they found him. I regretted not fleeing to another country instead of staying in the kingdom, but I couldn’t. Things outside the kingdom were more dangerous, especially since his father died in those lands.

“Nathan!” I shouted, running around the area where we were.

What if they caught him? What if someone took him from me?

I was starting to feel my legs giving way at the thought that my son might be dead.

It’s my fault!

Running around the place, I started looking for any sign of a trail, but if there had been one, the rain would have washed away any trace of human footsteps.

“Nathan! Where are you!?” I kept shouting, feeling my heart ache more with the reality that was forming.

If he had just gone to the bathroom, he would have heard me shouting by now… what if he was kidnapped?

Taking a deep breath to calm myself, I ran to the horses.

I swore to myself that my time with the sword was over, but if anyone dared touch a hair on my son’s head…

A rustling sound came from the leaves, and I aimed my bow.

“Nathan?” I drew the arrow, ready to shoot. If it were my son, he would have identified himself already.

“It’s me!” Hugo emerged from the woods, covered in blood.

“Hugo?”

He sighed in relief.

“I’m back, Lady Katherine. I apologize for the delay. I’m glad you waited.”

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

I observed his condition. Hugo was in terrible shape, covered in wounds, his shirt drenched in blood, and he wasn’t wearing his armor anymore.

“What happened to you?” I asked, already guessing what might have occurred.

“After leaving a village where I sent the letter, I was ambushed. I was captured and tortured for about two days, but in the end, I managed to escape and killed my captors.”

I sighed.

"Don’t tell me you took longer because you were having fun torturing them and getting your revenge?” Hugo looked embarrassed when he heard that.

"You know how it is… nobody told them to mess with an Evenhart Legacy. I had to take advantage of the situation and also got some important information. It seems they haven’t figured it out yet; they just wanted to get me to try to remove important pieces from the board in this dispute,” he said.

“Where’s Nathan? Did you see him?” I asked, my voice tinged with desperation.

Hugo turned pale, understanding what I meant.

“The young master! Did something happen to him!?”

My heart ached, and I felt my soul leaving my body.

Nathan isn’t with him! I… I… I failed as a mother.

“Mom?” a familiar voice called.

When I turned, I saw the small person I loved, and my world made sense and had color again.

Why is he covered in blood!?

POV Nathan Evenhart

“Mom?” I called her.

She was the first person I wanted to see after everything that happened. As soon as she turned, I checked her with my eyes to make sure she was okay.

Katherine ran to me, grabbing me by the shoulders and lifting me up.

She is strong! My god, she is really strong; she’s crushing me.

“Mom, you’re a bit tense…” I said as she looked at me, placing me back on the ground and hugging me.

“Nathan Evenhart!”

She used my full name; I’m in trouble.

“What happened to you, my son?” she started checking my whole body, running her hands all over me.

Ah! I’m covered in blood…

“Y-Young master!” A bloodied Hugo appeared, running towards me, trying to see how I was.

“What happened, Nathan!?” my mom asked while lifting my shirt, looking for injuries.

“I ended up fighting with some people…”

“Are you hurt? Did you get injured? My little boy, are you in pain?” she started asking a bunch of questions while lifting me up in the air again.

“Ah! Holy mother of waters!” Hugo shouted, falling back.

A small red hawk had descended from the sky and landed on my shoulder.

“You really followed me…” I said, looking at the bird that hopped onto my head.

“How did you get so covered in blood?”

At least she’s not scared of the bird.

“I’m fine, Mom, but the ones I fought aren’t.”

Hugo stood up, frightened and trembling.

“Y-Young master! La-Lady Katherine, stay away from that thing!” he shouted, drawing his sword.

My mom seemed to have noticed the hawk chick on my head.

“What is that, Nate?”

“I think… I think it’s my new friend,” I said, trying to look at the small hawk perched on my head.

Hugo tried to approach.

“That’s a dangerous magical animal, young master. Move away from it slowly. This seems to be at least a Rank S. I’ve heard stories about these from old Sifu. This thing is a devourer of villages and ships!”

“What is it, Hugo?” my mother asked.

“A Phoenix, my lady. This is a magical animal that was said to be extinct! It’s dangerous to stay close to this thing. Move away from it slowly!” he said, trying to hold his sword, but he was trembling a bit.

This guy is all banged up. He probably had a tough time, but he's scared of the little hawk? So this thing really is powerful. No wonder it saved me from death.

When I was about to die, I felt my body heat up and a gentle warmth press against the wound on my head. That was one of the last things I remember before losing consciousness completely.

When I woke up, the little bird was sleeping on my stomach and there was no wound on my head. I got up frantically to find my mother, but the bird kept following me. Along the way, I stopped a few times, and it would fly down and perch on my head. I tried to send it away, but it said it would stay.

I know it said it would stay because I asked if that’s what it was going to do, and it nodded ‘yes’. I still don’t understand why, but I confirmed that it lives far from where we were and was too tired to make a long journey. I asked when it would leave and had to guess some words to see if it would respond ‘yes’ or ‘no’, and all I understood was that it was very tired and would rest near me.

I assumed it was very defenseless because of the time spent chained, so I made a deal with it, saying it could rest as long as it wanted, and I would never chain it like the other humans did. When it had rested enough, it would be free to return home.

A fair deal, I owe it that.

This little red hawk is a Phoenix, some kind of fire animal with healing powers.

Either way, I’m grateful it saved me from death’s door, and as a reward, I’ll let it stay as long as it wants until it’s recovered enough to return home. It’s the least I can do after it allowed me to stay with the one I love.

I made my way here and found my mother and Hugo.

The only side effect of it saving me and healing my head wound is that now I have someone who apparently doesn’t want to leave and somehow knows I’m talking about her.

“What’s wrong? Want to peek under my dress?” the Goddess Athena asked, laughing at me.

Beside me was a beautiful blonde woman whose beauty was truly worthy of being called a Goddess, though all I felt was disgust for this person. She was here with me, accompanying me in her revealing white dress and provocative cleavage.

“I knew you liked them,” she said seductively, placing her hands on her breasts.

I’m fucked…