Chapter 66 - Gabriel’s Promise

With each step, the mana he unleashed from his body caused both guards to kneel instantly. His blue eyes now lost all light inside. They became utterly black, as if both men were looking at the void. The second time he asked, though he was polite, neither guard believed they would leave that place alive.

Lowering his head, one answered with a trembling voice, "I'll tell you, please stop!"

"Speak."

When the guard explained Young Lord Rowan's last birthday present, Gabriel's eyes regained his previous expression. Both guards' tales were much more horrible than what Bryn had described. The facts were the same, but bryns version was cold and distant. The two entailed the story of a brave young enslaved faun who did everything he could to save his family. A crazed noble family that, instead of improving the life of the population, was so focused on rising to power that they ignored the value of other's lives. As they finished, Gabriel gave each of them a magical core the size of a fist.

"Thank you."

Looking at their hands, neither could understand what was happening. "Sir Officer, these cores are too valuable. We only told you a story! We can't accept."

"These are not because you told me the story. You two were the ones who stopped the young lord from killing the little faun, am I right?"

"Yes..."

"That is the reason behind the magical cores. With them, I'll give you some advice. Leave this farm and never come back." the officer said, disappearing before their eyes.

Gabriel reappeared in front of the mansion, entering and searching for Cael. Passing Vivienne and Isolde, he walked toward the office where the man spoke.

Isolde tried to stop the officer, saying that he should interrupt the conversation between the earl and his commander, but Vivienne held her hand, trying not to scale the situation. Isolde looked at Vivienne as the earl's wife simply nodded from side to side, orienting her not to interrupt the blonde officer who had just entered the house.

The office door opened before he could reach it. Cael left the room, looking his General Commander in the eyes. He recognized that look; it was similar to two years ago. There was no life or care for anything in the world; it was simply the emotions manifesting into the will inside Gabriel.

"Gabriel, I have the information and person we need," Cael said, pointing to the guard's chief inside the room.

Gabriel looked at Cael with the side of his eyes as he walked inside the room. Grabbing the guard's chief by the neck with a single hand, the man tried to fight but to no avail.

When Gabriel's hand held the chief's neck, Aric instantly screamed at the blond man wearing the officer uniform. "Who do you think you are? Let him loose right now!"

Gabriel turned his head to face Aric, sending a mana pulse in his direction. The moment the invisible wall hit Aric, he flew back, breaking the furniture inside the office and forcing him against the mansion's wall.

Isolde started screaming from outside the room while Cedric and Vivienne remained speechless at the scene.

"Cael, we are taking this man and Eamon with us." Gabriel said, walking outside holding the now unconscious body of the chief in his right hand. The body being dragged outside hit some dropped ornaments the mana pulse had sent flying away.

"Cedric, we are taking our leave," Gabriel said as he left the mansion's door.

"Commander Cael, was it something we did? If you wish to take our carriage, I'll arrange another method of transportation.

"Do not worry, Earl Thornbrook. At the moment, Sir Gabriel is not in the right place of mind to wait that long. Thank you for your hospitality; I'll leave this situation for you to deal with." Cael said before calling for Eamon and leaving the mansion after Gabriel.

Cael could feel the instability in the air as he approached Gabriel. Worried about his friend, he asked, "Gabriel, may I ask why these fauns are so important to you?"

The response was different from what he expected. Gabriel looked him in the eyes, switching from his officer uniform to his battle armor. "You may not, Commander. It is time I stop looping around the issue and resolve it."

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Cael lost any will to push the subject as he looked at the armor around Gabriel. GCs were strict about using them only for self-defense or the most critical missions from the king. What forced a General Commander to arm up was not something a Commander like Cael had the authority to inquire about.

Eamon and the rest of the house arrived at the perfect time to watch as both griffins landed. Cael asked him to mount his creature as Gabriel held the still-unconscious chief on his lap.

Cedric's heart pounded as he looked at the figure above the Lion Gryphon. It was him. The armor, the mount, and the face all confirmed that the General Commander had saved his life so many years ago.

“GC Gabriel, I’ll be forever in your debt,” Earl Cedric said, tears running from his severe, sharp eyes.

“These people are not allowed to leave your region until you hear from me. Cael, let’s go.” Gabriel said as the griphon opened its wings, leaping into the air and taking flight. The creature generated so much force that a cloud of dust rose from the ground, and all bystanders fell backward except Cedric.

In the skies, Cael didn’t know what was happening, which forced the situation to take such a turn.

“Cael, I’ll be taking this man to Valorheaven; we’ll meet there,” Gabriel said as he spoke to his gryphon.

The creature increased its speed to the maximum, leaving Cael behind as if he were riding a carriage on a twisty road.

Gabriel arrived at the top of the city in less than five minutes. While planning above the town, he woke up the chief guard.

“What… where are we?!” Looking around, the captive man realized no land or ground was near him. The wings, each bigger than himself, flapping in the air also indicated he was not dreaming about the man who attacked him. Looking to his right, the man was right there, waiting for him to regain his senses.

“You are awake. Good, tell me. Who did you sell the fauns to?”

The menacing eyes looking at him showed no remorse or emotions. Gabriel held the man by his collar with his left hand and extended his arm outward.

“If you keep stalling, it will be much worse.”

“What fauns?! Please don’t! You will kill me!!”

“I’ll talk!!! Don’t drop me,” the chief cried as he felt warmth dripping through his pants and running down his thighs.

“Who?…”

“The mines! I sold them for one of the mines!!”

With his answer, Gabriel dashed toward the ground. He knew a lot of activity in Valorheaven questioned the royal decrees or stretched them to the limit.

On the way down, Gabriel cast two spells and one magical skill. The first was a black flame above the sky; the fire formed and hovered, representing his emblem. He got the idea from the day before at the Royal Academy. The second was a wind spell to increase his voice so the entire city could listen.

“City of Valorheaven, by the authority of General Commander Gabriel, entering and leaving is forbidden until further notice.” Echoed in every ear inside the city walls.

Last but not least, a black fire circled the city 1 km from its walls.

The chief guard looked down as Gabriel took a single second to cast all three techniques. “Are you really a general commander?” the chief asked without an answer from the blond man. The chief’s mind traveled back to when he dreamed of joining the army; GCs were unstoppable forces.

Gabriel landed in front of the market, causing the ground to crash under his gryphon's feet. The entire city felt his arrival as if the atmosphere had more than doubled. Few were the ones who didn’t mind the presence of the General Commanders Aura. Many fainted from the pressure; those awake screamed, looking at the gryphon, and started to run away from the creature. Some from the city guard drew their weapons, but when Gabriel dismounted, everyone bowed their heads to their general.

“General Commander Gabriel, Commander Cael informed us about your arrival.” the captain said.

“At ease, officers, take me to the traders from the mines. Demi human pavilion.”

As the guards guided Gabriel toward the traders, he saw the despicable scenes around the market. Thousands of people were now unconscious, but they were either enslaved, buying or selling them previous to his arrival.

Was this what we were fighting for? Thought Gabriel, his mind taking him back to the story both demi-humans told him on the farm.

When they crossed to the demi-human side, he found children from many races in the booths until the guard called for his attention.

“Sir, these are the mine traders… do you know who you are searching for?”

Gabriel forced the chief of the Wycliffe family to identify the buyer, and as he did, an interrogation. Happily, there was no reason to force information out of these people for someone of Gabriel's status. His presence was intimidating enough that the man gave him dates and the books from the entire business. The man knew a Grand Duke controlled all relevant mines; even if this person found illegal activity, the Grand Duke could stall any investigation.

“Were you the one who delivered them to the emerald mine?” Gabriel questioned.

“No, a caravan comes from time to time…”

Gabriel left the market as quickly as he arrived, meeting Cael and Eamon outside, waiting for him. Eamon's expression was confused, especially when he recognized his family guard's chief.

“GC Gabriel, what is happening?” The cadet asked.

“Your family sold your faun friends, Eamon. I’m going to find them,” Gabriel answered before letting go of the man’s neck and mounting his magical beast.

Looking down at them, he ordered, “Cael, they were sold to the emerald mine. You take Eamon to Jophin…”

“Sir, that mine is under Grand Duke Borgia. Please take care.” Cael begged; his friend’s eyes still hadn’t returned to his kind and natural feel.

Gabriel took off in an instant, releasing both spells around the city.

As they started the flight back to the academy, Eamon couldn’t believe what Gabriel said, but Cael confirmed it to be true. His feelings were a mix of rage and disappointment; his guts turned whenever he thought about his parents. His worries for Bryn increased by leaps and bounds when he realized his parents had sold his best friend. Sure, there were dangers on the farm, but Eamon never thought that his family would cross those lines; what would the mines do if they did?

Cael didn’t know that Bryn was safe in Gabriel’s village; otherwise, he might have told Eamon and stopped his guilt trip, but without the information, he could only console the young cadet on their way back.

Gabriel knew it would be impossible to reach the mines in a single day, so he and his gryphon landed on a mountain range to rest. Coming down from the animal, he petted its mane and head. The creature lay sideways, raising its front legs, waiting for more, but Gabriel ignored it and sat looking toward the capital.

The war and this thirst for power took a lot from us, but our kingdom remained in such a poor state. His mind recreated Bryn’s experience, the battles Gabriel had faced, and the number of people in the Valorheaven markets. In the middle of the turmoil in his mind, a shy, brunette woman started to clear his mind. She sat beside him, with one arm on his right leg, her back touching his chest, trying to emerge on his embrace. Her right hand extended to the sunset in front of him.

Those present are building the world; you can’t complain from far away, silly… She said.

He looked down, trying to face her, but her image was not there anymore. From a hole in his heart, excruciating pain boiled as his core once again started to unleash vast amounts of mana, forcing the temperature to increase. His gryphon, noticing the state his master was in, cowered behind a rock until the worse passed.

“I’ll build a world worthy of you, Maria," Gabriel said, his entire body engulfed in a dark flame.