Garthan and Melsei Part 3 (Final)
“You look awfully happy,” commented a student who was swinging his sword.
“Am I?” replied Garthan, trying to suppress a smile that was forming on his face.
A month and a half had passed since Garthan joined the Academy as a part-time trainer. He was pretty well known among the students, so he was received with much enthusiasm. To the students’ dread, Garthan was every much as bad as their instructors who beat them with sticks. He had seemed kind, but after the Headmistress pestered him with various insults, he had become much stricter. The students were now in the middle of completing five thousand swings with a wooden sword.
“Why don’t you share that joy with us,” called out a student, “and let us rest for a moment!”
“Whoever stops has to do a hundred more for every second they rest,” threatened Garthan. “I’m watching all of you!”
The students groaned and continued to swing their swords in unison. Garthan watched over them with his arms crossed. After making sure no one was watching, he peeked a glance at the corner of the room. Melsei had come over to watch the class, and Garthan was having a hard time suppressing the grin that endangered his stern face.
“I saw that!” screamed a student while swinging his sword. “You just looked at Melsei and winked!”
“I did not wink!” snapped Garthan. These underclassmen were getting on his nerves. Why couldn’t they just focus on their training instead of nitpicking him?
“Aha! So you did look at her!” roared the student. “Everyone, Garthan is—”
The boy ducked as Garthan threw a piece of crumpled paper at his face. The paper harmlessly landed on the shoulder of another student and plopped to the floor.
“Hey, what was that for!” complained the student. He suddenly realized his mistake and started swinging again.
“Malfer Dran, rested for four seconds,” announced Garthan. “An extra four hundred swings.”
The other students snickered as the student grumbled to himself.
Garthan smiled and walked towards the back of the room. Melsei was still observing the class. He quietly went to stand beside her.
“Ignore the students,” he told her. “They don’t know what they’re talking about.”
“I think they’re sweet,” she replied.
The air was full of the constant swish-swash of the students’ swinging. It would still be quite a while before they finished. Garthan glanced at Melsei and her stomach. It had grown even larger.
“You should sit down,” he said. He ran to a nearby room swiftly and fetched a chair. He brought it back to Melsei and motioned to her to sit down.
Melsei quietly thanked Garthan and rested her body on the chair. She then resumed watching the students swing their swords.
“My child…” she began. “Will he be able to fight like that too? If he stays here?”
“Yes,” said Garthan. “I was schooled here too.”
“I knew. The Headmistress told me.”
“Really?”
They shared a moment of silence.
“…will you be able to teach him?” said Melsei quietly.
“I’ll be returning to my work soon, so it’s not likely.”
“I see…”
Garthan noticed the slightly sad expression that formed on Melsei’s face.
“It will be alright. The teachers here are skilled. Much more than I am.”
“I see…”
Her mood didn’t seem to lighten. Garthan was slightly worried he had said something wrong, so Melsei’s next words took him off guard.
“Why are you so kind to me?”
“……………………?”
Garthan’s mind started to rush for an explanation. Why…? Because his mother had told him to be kind? Or because it was the right thing to do? He had started to treat Melsei kindly and had just stuck with it. He had gotten used to it. There was no real reason…right?
“Never mind. Excuse me.”
Garthan stood there absentmindedly as Melsei stood up and exited the room.
He realized what had happened and panicked. What? Did he do something wrong? What had he—what was he supposed to say? Because he felt like it?
He heard a snicker and immediately turned his head towards the students. Everyone was swinging their weapons like instructed.
These brats, he thought. They’re messing with me.
He sighed and walked back to the front of the room. He watched the students sweat and pant as they swung their heavy sticks. He clapped his hands and announced the good news.
“Class is dismissed for today. Remember to practice at home, or at your dorms. Yes, you too, Malfer. I’m being nice today. Now hurry.”
The class cheered as they stationed their swords on the racks to the sides of the classroom. Garthan watched as the classroom emptied itself in an instant. He retrieved his class notes from a desk and wrote down the results for that day. What Melsei had said nagged at him at the back of his head. What had she meant?
〄 〄 〄
Melsei Greenstone. She was someone who took care of her family since the age of eight. Or rather, took care of her two younger sisters. She tried to earn whatever she could to feed her sisters’ mouths, whether it be by stealing, begging, or singing a song in the streets. Her mother had left when she was seven, and her father had drunk away the family’s non-existent fortune into debt. They lost their house, which was the moment Melsei realized she would have to fend for herself.
She had taken her sisters away from her father when she reached ten. Her father was always drinking or beating his daughters when he wasn’t drunk. Melsei couldn’t endure it anymore. She didn’t care about the bastard; he could die for all she knew.
Her father had always threatened her by saying that, ‘if she ran away, the soldiers would bring her back to him and he’d beat her even harder.’ Remembering his words, she evaded the soldiers that patrolled the city and took her small family deeper into the slums of the city.
A kind old lady had taken pity on them when she had seen them lying weakly in the streets. They stayed there for years, helping out with the housework. Melsei learned how to cook and bake thanks to her learning senses. The happy moment seemed to last forever. However, after four years since their arrival, the old lady died due to age. It was the first death Melsei experienced. Her body was so cold, so hard. So lifeless and blue.
The soldiers soon came to the house, but Melsei took her sisters before they arrived. After a restless month of no work and no food, she decided to return home to see what her father was doing. As expected, he was gone, like soot in front of a strong wind. She continued to search for work. Then she found it.
A barmaid at a tavern. It was a small tavern hidden deeply in the back of the city, but it promised just enough food for her family. She didn’t want to get her sisters involved, so she was the only one who became employed. For two years she faithfully served drinks and food at the small bar. Her sisters were fourteen and eleven when she turned sixteen.
But one day, Melsei caught the eye of a corrupted noble who was dealing with illegal assets down at the slums. Before she realized, the bar had been paid the great sum of hush money and she was being transported in a dark carriage with her hands chained behind her back. What awaited her afterwards was tragedy. Beatings and sexual assault. She resisted them and drained her energy into making herself look wretched. Covering herself with dirt. Scratching her face. Other disgusting things.
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But during her second year as a slave, she was raped. A drunken, mindless, brutal rape. She had screamed over and over but the act hadn’t stopped. Her virginity was taken away in a dark, grotesque basement full of rats.
She tried her best to hide her changing body. But her stomach didn’t stop swelling. She was too afraid to hurt herself or the life inside of her. Finally, her master noticed. He became disgusted in her and sold her off to an underground slave market where she and her baby would be used as art. Her life had been on the verge of destruction when a soldier had arrived and saved her from her fate.
The same soldier that she was always running away from had been the one to save her. He had been the one to heal her and support her at her new life in the Academy. For the first time in her life, she had started to rely on someone else besides herself.
He had visited every week. He always had a kind smile on his face and showered her with great manners and soothing words. He brought her food constantly, worrying if she was eating enough. He responded to her needs. She had given nothing to him in return, but he acted as if it was natural for him. He always noticed if she approached him and greeted her. It had already been a month, and he had only become kinder.
Did she have the right to feel this way? Garthan would leave soon to reclaim his spot as a soldier. Afterwards, they would probably rarely meet again.
But she didn’t want that. She didn’t want him to leave. She wanted him to stay by her side, to watch her child as he grew, to watch over them as a family.
But she knew. She knew reality wasn’t kind. She knew she was hoping too much.
She knew this would end soon.
〄 〄 〄
The months were finally over. Garthan had received a letter from the Commander that morning telling him to return for his next mission. He was going back to his job. He tucked the letter into his pocket and dressed appropriately as a re-established member of the Goblin Squad. His days at the Academy had been fun, and so were his daily conversations with Melsei. He was slightly disappointed that the days had gone by so fast, but now, everything was fine. Melsei had become beautiful. She had a special place at the Academy now. Her child would be supported by the Academy and the Headmistress.
Still, he felt something tugging inside. He couldn’t really place what it was. It felt like his chest was tensing.
It must be the excitement for the new mission, Garthan thought. He buckled his weapons around his waist and looked in the mirror. Perfect. He was ready to go back.
He headed out the door and almost collided head-first into an assistant. He reflexively dodged out of the way and calmly grabbed the assistant before she fell down on the floor.
“What’s the hurry?” he asked.
“Sir Limen! Great timing! Come urgently! Melsei is giving birth!” babbled the excited woman.
Melsei was giving birth. That was nice. That was great!
“I really have to go. Send her my regards,” Garthan said.
He left an open-mouthed-wide-eyed assistant behind him and headed towards headquarters. He couldn’t be late on his first day of work. The tense feeling became worse. Was he really that excited for work?
〄 〄 〄
“That will be all. We set out in thirty minutes,” barked the commander.
The group leaders, including Mask, saluted and waited for the Commander to leave the room. However, the Commander motioned at Mask before he left.
“Mask, meet me at the office. Now.”
“Yes, sir!”
Garthan swiftly trailed behind the Commander and entered the doors to his room. The Commander took off his hat and motioned for Garthan to sit down. He poured a drink out of a jar and prepared one cup for himself and one for Garthan. Then he sat down.
“Do you know why I called you here?” asked the Commander.
“No, sir,” said Garthan.
The Commander took a sip out of the cup and touched his eyepatch for a moment. It helped him think.
“Garthan,” he said softly.
“Yes?”
“Why are you here?”
The Commander stared into Garthan’s earnest eyes and awaited his response.
“To fight, sir. To serve the country.”
“No, no. Don’t tell me that bullshit. Say why you’re really here, the first thing you told me when you came here.”
Garthan swallowed.
“To get revenge for my mother, sir. To eradicate the roots of what caused her to die.”
“She died during pregnancy, am I correct?”
“…yes.”
“And the woman you saved was also pregnant.”
“…yes.”
The Commander set his cup down on the table.
“I’ve heard that you have been acquainting yourself with the lady.”
“You would be correct. But it’s nothing notable, sir.”
“I heard she is giving birth today.”
“…………………”
“Garthan.”
Garthan looked up into the Commander’s stern, heavy eye.
“The Goblin Squad forbids love. You were aware of that.”
“It is not—”
The Commander stopped Garthan’s words with his hand.
“And you also know why.”
Of course, Garthan did. It was because the Goblin Squad could not have any weaknesses that could hinder their missions. They were an elite force for killing. They were never the ones to be killed. Not having loved ones meant not having hostages.
“Most of it is bullshit.”
“Um, sir?”
“What kind of idiot would lay their hands on the elite force? It would mean having the country against them. No, criminals in this age always hide in the gutters. One rash move and they’re finished.”
He looked down heavily.
“It’s the killing. It changes you. One day you’re playing with your family and the next day you’re stabbing the hell out of people. Soon, you see blood on your hands, afraid that it might touch your children.
We are all full of age. We have experienced life and family. We have seen many things. We have lost many things. We have killed many. You have also killed.
But you are far too young. You have seen too little, felt too little. Yet you rush into battle, not caring about what you lose.”
The Commander paused for a moment. His eyes rested on Garthan’s face.
“I permitted you to join because you were nothing but an empty shell. Who cares about a damn sheet of paper. But look at yourself now. Look at your eyes.”
“My eyes…?”
“This is your last chance, soldier. Turn back or stay until you die. The next time you make a rash mistake like this, your head will be next.”
Garthan looked at the Commander in disbelief. What the hell would he know? Even if he did love Melsei, did she even love him back? She always felt so distant. And the child? What about him? Would he have to be his father? So many questions flooded into his head. The Commander had turned away from him, standing while his back faced Garthan. What was the correct answer?
He was unsure. His determination faltered. He was confused.
“We have no need for wavering hearts,” stated the Commander, as if reading Garthan’s mind.
Garthan stood up. He couldn’t think. He didn’t know the answer.
So, without thinking, he ran towards the Academy. Maybe he would find his answer there.
The Commander waited for the footsteps to die down. He then emptied his cup and walked outside of the office. The Goblin Squad was already stationed in lines before the barracks. The leader of the first group approached him.
“You didn’t have to go that far, you know,” said the man. He stroked his short grey beard and inspected his old friend. “Now we’ve lost a valuable soldier. And I think you were a tad bit dramatic with, ‘the killing, it changes you’ speech.”
The Commander slapped his friend on the head which he blocked with his hand.
“I know. Most of it was to confuse him, anyway.”
The two friends shared a small smile. The man returned to his row.
The Commander cleared his throat and looked over the Goblin Squad. All of them were veterans. All of them were old. Garthan really had been a special case.
“Salute! To the northwest!” he barked.
The Squad stomped their feet in unison as they saluted towards the direction of the Academy.
“To love!” the Commander shouted.
“May it last a lifetime!” the Goblin Squad roared back.
〄 〄 〄
Garthan hastened his feet towards the Academy. His head was still so confused. Why was he running? He didn’t know. The answer would be at the Academy. He felt it. He wanted to see Melsei.
Marriage? He didn’t know. His father would definitely be against it. But who cared. He had already abandoned his family when he joined the Goblin Squad. What lay before him was the unknown. He quickened his steps and felt his heart thump against his chest. How would he feel when he saw Melsei?
The Academy appeared in the distance. His head became even number. He couldn’t feel his legs anymore. All he saw was his body gliding across the floor to the Academy. He reached the doors of the building and flung it open.
“Where, huff, is, Melsei?” he asked the person on the reception desk.
“She and the Headmistress is at the East Ward—”
“Thank you!” shouted Garthan as he rushed to the east hall.
He was so close now. He was afraid that his emotions might not be what he wanted them to be. But he had no choice now but to move forward. Whatever happened, happened.
He arrived at the white door. It looked daunting, but the answer he sought would be in here. The reason why he had quit. The solution to his problems. He took a deep breath and pushed the doors open.
Melsei, the Headmistress, and the other ladies all turned their eyes towards Garthan as he barged into the door. Garthan fixed her eyes on Melsei and the figure on her chest. The baby. It was there.
“Limen!” exclaimed the Headmistress. “What took you—”
“Melsei. Will you marry me?”
The air froze as Garthan uttered the words. Time froze as the Headmistress, Melsei, and the other assistants stared at Garthan in a mixture of shock and awe sprinkled with disbelief and dipped in wonder.
Melsei opened her mouth and closed them. Then suddenly, all the tears she withheld started flowing down her cheeks. She continued to look at Garthan while holding the baby as streams of water dripped from her chin. Garthan was very confused now. But he had to man up. He approached Melsei and placed his hand on her hand.
“What’s wrong?” he asked gently. He used his other hand to wipe off the tears from Melsei’s face. The room was silent except for the silent breathing of the baby and flow of tears of his mother. No one dared to make a noise as the scene unfolded before their eyes. Even the Headmistress stood still.
“No-nothing! It’s just—you—I thought! And my baby! That-you—!” cried Melsei.
“It’s okay, it’s okay.” Garthan embraced Melsei and the baby in a tight hug. “Everything will be alright. You have me, don’t you? Just like you had me the past two months.”
“Garth—you! You! *Hic* *Hic*”
Melsei buried her face into Garthan’s sturdy chest as she bawled her eyes out. Garthan patted her head and reassured her over and over. He finally understood. He had found his answer.
He closed his eyes and enjoyed the warmth of a family.
〄 〄 〄
Garthan stopped and stared at the Academy’s doors. He really should go say hello to the Headmistress, he thought to himself. He had learned so much since that day. Now that he looked back on it, the Commander of the Goblin Squad was a great person. He smiled from his old memories.
They had finally returned to where it all started, along with their children.
He took a deep breath and started running.
He had to go.
To where his family was.