-Three weeks later-

Location: Gorias Castle

Φ Looking into a mirror, I look at the bruise on my face and say, “It really is bad isn’t it, I swear his fist nearly reconstructed my skull.”

The maid Innéacs says, “In all honesty, I don’t really see a change in the first place.”

“Really!?” I ask turning my head to face her.

“Of course, not even a fist could break down that rather bizarre face you have.”

“LÚIDÍN SHE INSULTED ME AGAIN!”

“You have grown so much in just over half a year, you can even pick up on my insults.”

“SHE ADMITTED TO IT!”

Lúidín walking up to Innéacs flicks her on the forehead, then says, “That was her trying to cheer you up in her own special way.”

Looking down, I say, “So it is apparent enough for even that cold bitch to try and cheer me up.”

Lúidín kneels to my eye level and makes me face her, then she says, “Don’t be ashamed for a single moment. You and your brother have gone on to some of the fiercest battlefields and have succeeded.

Few men would even have the courage to take those steps, and you two did. Unlike the liars who sit comfortably in their castle, you have spilt your blood for us all, take pride in those wounds.”

Feeling a surge of happiness, I say, “Right.”

Inneacs says, “Now we should head over to bring an end to the conflict going on outside.”

“Conflict?” I say confused.

Lúidín says, “We haven't told you, since we wanted you to rest after returning back from the battlefield, but Setanta has been at it again.”

“What did he do?” I say tired.

-Break-

Location: Setanta’s room

As I enter his room, I see that a ridiculous amount of chains are everywhere, and in the centre of them I notice Setanta tied up and bound. Ferdiad and Ibar as also in the room looking incredibly tired.

“LET ME OUT!” Setanta shouts before he notices me.

“What did you do this time?”

“Laeg, you're up and running,” He says with a big goofy smile on his face.

Ibar and Ferdiad turn to me, and Ferdiad says, “Are you capable of walking,” while rushing to my side.

“I am in much better shape than the last time you saw me, getting to receive care back at the castle made me heal up quite a bit faster than before.”

Ibar runs to me and gives me a hug, then says, “I am so happy you are ok.”

Hugging him back, I say, “Thank you, I am happy you're doing ok.”

Setanta says, “Look at all of us back together again, so why don’t you guys let me out.”

“NO!” Both Ibar and Ferdiad shout.

“Come on.”

Looking at Ferdiad, I ask, “Why is he like this?”

“The moment we returned, Setanta started building up an army, to go attack the Laoch family.”

“WHAT! Setanta you do realize among the Red branch families they are the strongest in terms of military strength. It is estimated that they could probably wage war against half the empire by themselves.

“What of it, I will kill them all personally with my own two hands. Anyone who dares to hurt my family will no longer be allowed to breathe the same air as me.”

Ibar says, “IF YOU DO THIS MORE OF YOUR FAMILY WILL BE KILLED!”

“NO, THEY WON’T I WILL MAKE SURE OF IT! ISN’T THAT RIGHT BOYS!”

Suddenly from the chains, a bunch of voice says, “YES!”

Which causes me to ask, “Who was that.”

Ferdiad says, “The rights of the Solasmionna were going to follow Setanta to war, so we tied them up as well.”

“You guys would all really go that far for me?”

“OF COURSE!” They all shout.

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“Aww,” I say with some tears forming.

Ibar says, “Please don’t say that, it will only push them further into thinking their stupidity is ok.”

Walking up to Setanta, I rub his head and say, “Thank you for what you have done for me, but please leave this alone from now on I don’t want you guys getting hurt over this, and I heard from Lúidín you make Niall spit up blood, so I feel good.”

Setanta calming down says, “Ok, but if he ever comes again, I will burn their castle down and eat all of that man's children.”

“You're kidding right?”

Setanta pauses for a long moment, then says, “Of course I am.”

That didn’t sound like a joke.

Ferdiad says, “Finally he has calmed down.” Then he falls face-first onto the floor.

Turning around, I say, “What is going on?”

“Oh, he has been staying up all day and night punching me in the face so I couldn’t escape.”

“What?”

Setanta then instantly breaks out of all the chains, and says, “Thanks to the spirit energy I have I could easily break out of these, so Ferdiad had to keep almost killing me by constantly punching me in my face so I couldn’t focus my spirit energy anywhere else.”

“Really? I feel sorry for him.”

“Why do you feel sorry for him, I was the one getting hit. And now that I think about it, he looked pretty happy as he did it.”

Φ Everyone in the room looks at me, and then Laeg says, “Now that I think about Ferdiad got lucky.”

Everyone else says, “I agree.”

“HEY!”

Suddenly one of the maids called, Nóra walks in and says, “Setanta, Minagrain's gift is here and waiting outside for you.”

“She should be coming soon so I need to go and get everything ready, I will go and grab it.”

As I run out of the room, I say, “Don’t miss me too much.” Then I blow a kiss to them all and rush out of the room.

-Break-

Location: Eastern side of the Gorias castle

Looking at the bouquets of flowers, I say, “Nuala must have really enjoyed my compliments at the banquet, she has sent me some rather amazing collections of flowers. Minagrain ought to love these, I just need to prepare them.”

The eastern edge of the castle has an area expressively sealed off from most people's entrances. It is where my father and I keep things of importance so we make sure only certain people can come and go.

Even Ferdiad is only allowed to enter here if he is with me, or knows I am in here. That is how tightly it is guarded, it is an open garden area solely for the viewing pleasure of my father, his wife, and his children.

Setting up all of the bouquets, I say, “Minagrain ought to love all of this, I have missed her very deeply, and seeing the smile on her face ought to reinvigorate me for the battles to come.”

Behind me, I hear, “Awww young love, how wonderful for two little children to find each other and fall into one another's grasp.”

This voice sends me into high alert, and I say, “I don’t recognize that voice.”

I quickly move around the entire garden, and soon I find the source of the voice. Within a group of cages lies a bunch of humans, many of whom carry similar characteristics.

At the southwestern corner of these cages is one with a man waving at me. He has bright blonde hair, and hypnotising blue eyes, so I walk up to him and say, “Where you the one who was talking to me,” in the Saviours song.

In our language, the human says, “Of course it was me, I was just so entranced by your love of your lady that I had to say something.”

I reach my hand through the cage bars and grab his face, then I say, “You know it is one of the highest crimes to speak our tongue, it is considered a violation of our existence.”

“I didn’t learn it intentionally or anything. The beastkin I used to live under forced me to learn it nothing I could do in the matter.”

Pulling my hand away from his mouth, I say, “So you’re a former slave. Then shouldn’t you be in a plantation?”

Rubbing the back of his head nonchalantly the man says, “Oh no I happened to be an escaped slave. Five times actually, each time I get away I just so happen to get caught by a series of beastkin unrelated to the ones who held me.

In fact this time I just so happened to get caught by the Faoláin army after running away from my plantation.”

“Where?”

“Somewhere between your third and fourth battle.”

“We had one of eight paths to take from our third to fourth battle, you really must be unlucky for us to have specifically picked the one you were on.”

“You don’t know the half of it, I had escaped for around five months but while gathering some food, I was landed on by a beastkin who fell off a cliff.”

Impressed, I say, “Still that’s pretty freaking awesome. To think you would keep trying after the first, especially with how hard they torture humans who try and escape.”

Proudly he says, “Finally someone understands, all of the humans kept calling me an idiot, but I always say it as courage.”

“Only a true man has the balls to keep bashing his head against a wall when it seems all but impossible for him to succeed.”

“EXACTLY! My motto is that the only barrier stopping one from moving ahead would be themselves.”

“But if you get caught by random beastkin each time, doesn’t that mean that it is luck standing in your way not yourself.”

“The devil tries to destroy those with the greatest powers, is something one of my mates in the plantation said to me. So each time luck makes me fail, it must mean that I must continue to try again.”

Laughing, I say, “You’re a pretty funny man.”

Laughing with me, he says, “I learned a lot on the plantations, now how about you let me go?”

Ceasing my laughter, I say, “No way in hell boy.”

“What? Why?”

“Do you really think I would just let you go?”

“I am a very hopeful person.”

“You’re a very stupid person.”

Standing up, I say, “I just so happened to be the son of the head of the Faolain house.”

Many of the other slaves become fearful as I say this. They all back away in their cages and shake as if they fear retribution from me.

I guess many of them are used to being abused by the other beastkin, especially the high-ranking ones. Humans need to know their places so putting them in line is an important aspect of leading a plantation, but there is a difference between instilling obedience and fear and the plantation commonly crosses it.

Sighing, I say, “Don’t piss me off you bastard, under no circumstance in this castle will harm ever befall you, that’s my word. But if you continue to judge me what others have done to you, I will make sure you are treated the same.”

Many of them are trying their best to out worldly high their fear, but it is still apparent to me solely from the movement of their bodily functions.

I peer my head to the man, who didn’t show a bit of fear, and I ask, “What’s with you? Aren’t you scared?”

“Nope, if you want to start a friendship with someone it is best to try and understand who they are before you may make judgement.”

Walking away, I say, “I don’t want to be friends with a thirty-something-year-old man.”

Pushing his face against the bar, the man says, “I know you do want to be friends with a twenty-eight-year-old man. Let’s become best friends, and then you will help me escape.”

“Not in a thousand years.”

“I see, the reason you are angry is because I haven’t told you my name yet. It is Aurelius Anima, you can just call me Lius.”

I prepare to turn my head around, and say something. But then Ferdiad strikes me in the head and says, “YOU BROKE ALL YOUR CHAINS!”

“Of course, I did how was I supposed to get out.”

“ALL OF THOSE WERE A LOAN FROM THE OLD MANS STORE! YOU NEED TO GO UP TO HIM AND FIND A WAY TO APOLOGISE!”