"What's going on?"
"I don't know, didn't Lucas and his men leave the village less than an hour ago with Todd's grandson?"
"They did. But why are these two in restraints?"
"And I don't see any of Lucas's men either."
While the guards on duty talked among themselves, Aaron walked straight towards Sera who's still sitting on the same table enjoying her drink under the shade of a huge umbrella.
Pio led Rodd and Lucas towards the gate guards and whispered a few words to the guards before handing his captives to the guards who nodded repeatedly while throwing looks of disgust at the two men in captivity, afterwards Pio ran towards old man Sid's shop to buy the healing ointment for both himself and his young master Ron who's in a much worse condition than himself.
Sera squinted her eyes slightly when she noticed the frosty gaze Aaron was giving her and frowned when she sensed the air of bloodlust around his body.
"What happened to you?" She asked.
"Were you aware of the plans these rabble had installed for me?" He questioned her instead of giving an answer while looking towards the two kneeling men under the serious watch of the gate guards.
Sera was at a loss for words for a few seconds before sighing, "I knew that Rodd wouldn't let go of the opportunity to teach you a lesson after suffering such an embarrassment on your hands yesterday." She admitted it.
Aaron snorted, "I really don't know if you're silly by nature or all that wine is making it hard for you to understand the situation," Afterwards he glared at her while continuing to say : "First they threw me in the abandoned ancient-well and left me there to die in helplessness, they did it because this lustful moron over there has a brain the size of a pea and saw me as a hurdle in his plans to get Snow in his bed.
"So he pays that man Lucas and his Shadow-Dagger gang to provoke me and lure me outside the village before they complete the mission.
"Just when they thought that everything was over and done with, I miraculously climb out and Snow gets recruited by your Sisterhood and shipped away from the village where this moron could do anything to get his hands on her.
"Now is where it gets complicated for the moron, before these terrible news could reach him... he meets me yesterday morning!
"Since bad news are never alone when it knocks on your door, he receives more news about Snow's departure from the gang later.
"Of course anyone with a brain that functions like normal people would take a moment to consider the change in all these variables, but... like I said before his brain is the size of a pea!
"He doesn't think anything, he doesn't consider any consequences. He just keeps thinking about getting his revenge on the one who embarrassed in front of the beauty yesterday morning.
"The more he thinks about what happened then, the more it burns him inside until he feels like he's being eaten from the inside-out by these emotions.
"Instead of waiting until he explodes, he jumps on the first opportunity he gets to vent and bask in the sweet release of revenge."
Aaron suddenly stopped and glared at Sera before continuing to say : "Now you tell me what kind of lesson was seven armed men going to give me this time? How to greet death? Perhaps the joy of second death? Is it a cold and silent session of emotionless torture? What? I'm at a loss for words here! You're supposed to be my guardian... right? Did you think having a bodyguard of Pio's caliber would solve all my problems? Now you get to sit here and enjoy your beverage at peace in the cold and calm shade? Well... I'm here to tell you this.
"YOU'RE DOING A TERRIBLE JOB!" After climbing the seat next to Sera, Aaron stood on it and cupped his mouth before shouting these words in her ear.
Afterwards he left her sitting there staring in silence with her mouth wide open from shock.
Pio who just returned with the ointment specifically made with ingredients that speed up the healing process of burn wounds was feeling excited since his hands already feel much better after he applied it to himself, but he froze in place when he saw his young master Ron publicly scold this Honorable Sister without a shred of fear on his expression.
"What's with the delay? You're not a tree, move your ass already! My hands are killing me man." Aaron rolled his eyes when he saw Pio standing there like a fool and staring at him from the end of the street.
His shout was like magic that broke the silence, as if this part of the village was an image that began to move.
People who witnessed the scene began to whisper and some of them ran towards Todd's restaurant to deliver the news of his beloved grandson taken captive and in restraints, some ran towards the Village Chief's house to deliver the news, some ran towards different areas just to spread the news and gossip.
While Pio carefully applied the healing ointment on the hands of his young master Ron under the silent watch of Sera, people began to gather at south-gate to watch this unexpected event.
"Make way! Out of my way. Where's my grandson?" An old man shouted at the mass of people blocking his path while struggling to squeeze himself through.
Aaron and Sera immediately recognized the voice and looked towards its source, he seemed amused while she had a cruel shadow fleeting through her eyes.
The people of the crowd had varying expressions on their faces towards this elder, quite a few women had looks of disgust and lacked feelings of compassion towards this pair of grandfather-grandson after seeing their misfortune.
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
One of these women is Betty who enjoyed a better view from the window of her house, Betty still frowned once she saw fresh-looking blood on Pio's face and leather Armor.
Betty didn't want that gentle idiot anywhere near this mess.
Todd sighed inwardly once he saw his grandson alive under the keen watch of the gate guards with Lucas, "What's the meaning of this?" He questioned the guards, "I demand my grandson's release, immediately!" Todd shouted at them again with conviction of steel.
"Your piece of shit grandson is not their captive," Aaron's lazy voice cut the tension in the air and scattered the eerie silence that followed Todd's commanding tone of voice, "He's mine... both of them are." Afterwards he yawned and continued to say : "So pipe down if you have something to say or just scram to wherever the hell you came from before I have you tied with these two, I can also order for them to gag your mouth if you insist on being noisy."
Everyone was left gobsmacked when they heard what he said.
"Y-you! How dare you talk to your elders this way?" Todd's wrinkled face reddened from a mixture of anger and shame.
"You're not my elder." Aaron retorted while rolling his eyes at how sly this old man really is, despite his anger Todd kept the volume of his voice low which made Aaron helpless in this situation and unable to do anything but argue.
He really wished for Todd to blow a gasket and keep shouting or try to attack him which would give Aaron enough reason to tie the old fuck too!
Todd looked towards Sera, "Lady Sera. Anyone here is a witness to this little brat's undisciplined, and impolite attitude towards me. I can't stand these provocations, I demand justice for both myself and the release of my innocent grandson! I'm certain that all of this is some sort of misunderstanding and it's all Lucas's fault, he's been feeding my foolish grandson wicked ideas."
"Lies! Your grandson is a devil spawn, always drooling after girls and scheming all day to get his hands on the ones to get his attention." Lucas sensed danger when this old man began to thread an imaginative scenario and tighten the noose around the gang-leader's neck, "I'm nothing but a person with a few brothers hired by Rodd to do his biddings in exchange for money, I've never stole, raped, or killed for him." Seeing the crowd looking at him with a much better expression Lucas continued to say : "But I have something to confess to all of you to be my witness, me and my men... we've kidnapped two girls under young master Rodd's orders before."
Lucas smiled inwardly when he heard the crowd gasping from shock and understood that he got their attention and received the reaction he wants in this situation, "Don't overthink things please, young master Rodd didn't kill these two girls and ordered for me and my men to return them home safely on the next morning only... they were both physically abused quite severely we had to carry them back because they couldn't walk at all." He gave Todd a fleeting glance while thinking : 'Humph. Want to bury me? Your beloved grandson is coming with.'
*Sniffle...*
The stifled cries rang clear in the ears of the crowd and a girl in rags and messy hair barely visible from the hood covering her head stood out like a sore thumb in this situation.
"H-he did it." The girl slowly extended a finger to point towards Rodd before saying these words in a shaking tone of voice.
"Poor girl."
"Isn't that Stan's daughter?"
"Yeah. She used to be a lovely girl always cheerful and smiling, suddenly she's all too depressed and kept wandering the streets until late at night talking to herself."
"Stan kept doing his best to keep the tannery business going but he ended up overworking himself to death a few week back, he left this little flower alone in the world."
"Her name is Camila. Did she gain weight?"
While the crowd of men lamented Camila's fate, one woman noticed the protruding belly.
The girl in rags panicked when she heard that question and tried to leave but another question made her freeze in place and slowly turn to look towards Aaron who had such a calming smile before repeating his question once again : "Are you afraid harm would come to the one in your belly?" Then he looked at Todd and smiled widely while continuing to say : "I guarantee you that nothing would happen to old man Todd's great-grandson, unless he's a heartless monster that commits infanticide of his own lineage." Afterwards Aaron looked towards Sera and said to assure Camila : "Sera here is a Whispering Sister from the Sisterhood, I can assure you that she can protect you so... please speak freely."
Camila timidly nodded her head but remained rooted in her place, she was slightly wary against the old man who kept staring at her an studying her ever since Aaron revealed that she's carrying Todd's descendant in her belly.
Seeing the awkwardness between the two, Aaron decided to add another layer of protection to calm Camila and put her heart at ease by saying : "Pio. Go and stay close to Camila, no one is to come anywhere near her and slowly accompany her to her seat next to Sera." Afterwards he looked towards Todd and continued to say : "Since this isn't the main reason for our disagreement, let's put it to the side for now until I explain to you what happened here.
"Your shit for brains grandson paid me and Pio a visit earlier. Not the usual type of visit where people are welcomed with hugs and smiles, this one began with an ambush in the forest with far too many men outnumbering a single man and a helpless child." Once Aaron said that he could hear Lucas snorting and he continued to speak while aiming an open palm towards the gang-leader who understood the true lethal meaning behind that gesture far too well.
"All I can see is both you and Pio perfectly safe while my grandson and Lucas are the ones in fetters." Todd argued once he spotted a loophole.
Aaron opened another palm in Todd's face while saying : "Don't you see that my hands are wounded?"
Rodd panicked when he saw his grandfather ignorantly stare up close at that open palm, "Be careful. His hands are dangerous!" He warned.
"Only when they're used to slap faces, unfortunately they're wounded right now and I can't grant you any of these rewards... a shame really! Tsk." Aaron retorted while giving a fake sigh and he looked adorable when he clicked his tongue and twisted his lips while feeling shame at the wasted opportunity.
The crowd laughed in amusement and Rodd received a kick from his fellow captive Lucas when he was about to give a reply to the previous insult.
"Anyway," Aaron said, "Back to the main topic, your poor example of a grandson is a shame to all of us humans and we all agree on that but... he made grave mistakes.
"The first time was the day before yesterday when he hired Lucas and his men to toss me in the abandoned ancient-well, my witness is Lucas who can testify to what happened that time.
"The second time was yesterday at the door of your restaurant when I beat your sorry excuse of a grandson after he attempted to lay a hand on me without justifiable explanation for his action, my witness is Sera who can testify to what happened that time.
"The third time was earlier today when he led Lucas and five more of his Shadow-Dagger gang to ambush and surround me and Pio in the forest, my witnesses are Pio and Lucas who could testify to what happened then.
After giving Todd a few seconds to translate these severe crimes Aaron opened his mouth to say : "I demand justice for myself and Camila from your wicked grandson or his life is mine by right! All those who disagree stand forward for me to tear you apart." Aaron then snorted before adding : "I'm not that easy to bully. Five men died earlier and I don't mind it if there's more, just say the word for me to send you on your way to join the rest." His cold gaze was always evaded whenever his eyes met a pair on this crowd.
A heavy and stifling air descended on this part of the village and the crowd felt a chill crawling on their spines when they saw Pio stand tall behind Aaron with a battle-ready stance!