Chapter 91 – For what’s it worth

Silo sat in the carriage. His eyes turned to the gates of Edawick. The carriage approached slowly. The rider pulled the reins and bowed his head. There was shouting. Silo saw men and women from the Town gather in front of the gates. There was a smile on their faces. But that smile vanished as they saw that there were only four people in the carriage.

A woman with a red handkerchief for a hair band approached with her hands held together. She looked at Silo with teary eyes. “Where’s my husband?”

Silo dismounted the Komodo dragon village. His missing leg replaced by a worn out blue branch was seen by the townspeople. “I am sorry, we are only ones that have returned,” His voice was low, “but let it be known that the abomination that we’ve hunted is now dead. They did not die in vain or their sacrifice meaningless.”

The woman sprawled on the ground, her tears streaming down her cheeks. His words made the people lower their heads. They would glance at Silo’s leg. They had this wanting to speak their woes. Yet, they could not speak it at the sight of Silo’s battered and worn appearance.

The carriage slowly passed by the gate. The townspeople looked inside the carriage and saw Joshua’s horrible corpse-like appearance. If it wasn’t for his chest going up and down they would have thought that he was dead. The others had seen Joshua’s appearance and if they didn’t know better. They would have mistaken him for someone else.

Then, their eyes went to the unknown person who had her features covered by a hood. Her arms were folded. Her line of sight was on the carriage’s floor. She didn’t utter anything. She didn’t make a sound and she acted like a ghost far from this place.

Silo gestured the rider to go where the hospital was. The rider raised a brow. He looked at Silo, before saying. “How about you, you are injured? Let’s go.”

Silo shook his head. He looked at the distant figure walking hurriedly towards the gate. “I have to talk someone. She’ll send me to the hospital.”

The rider of the Komodo dragon looked at where he was looking. There, he saw the girl that was waiting for Silo in these past few days without any sleep. He could understand what was going to happen. “Good luck, Silo. See you later.”

“Thanks, Brother. Make sure to bring Joshua to the hospital. He needs to be helped.”

The rider nodded. He whipped the reins and spurred the Komodo dragon forward. Silo watched the mount go inside the village. Briskly, he strode near the girl waiting for him. In his eyes there was hesitation. He looked at her eyes and he saw her glassy eyes looking at him. She wore a frown, her hands clutched together as if it was in a prayer. Silo opened his mouth. He wanted to say something but he didn’t find the right words.

“Are you okay?” said Cyra.

The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

“I am. Well, I am far better than Joshua. He did his best for me. I am here because of him.”

“I see...” said Cyra, her hands clutched even more tightly. “What happened?”

“We were stupid. We thought we could handle that abomination but we were wrong. We suffered for our own stupidity and short-sightedness. We let our vengeance cloud us. Joshua was right. And through struggle, I understood that dearly.”

Cyra didn’t say anything. She just stood there while the townspeople walked back to the town. Silo strode slowly down the road. His leg that was replaced by a branch sounded out. Silo smiled wearily. He said. “You know. I almost gave up there. No, I gave up. Do you know why I am here? Because he probably thought that I should. I shouldn’t make you sad. Saying that there was someone waiting for me back here, well, are you dissatisfied?”

Cyra looked up. “What do you mean?”

“Look at me. I am a bastard missing a leg. Who wouldn’t want someone like me?”

“That’s not true...it doesn’t mean anything,” said Cyra.

“I know. But still, it may have been too late of me to say this. But...”

Silo kneeled on his knee. He looked at Cyra and spoke four words. These four words made Cyra widen her eyes. Holding her hands near her mouth, she broke into tears first before her face beamed into a big smile. There were some ladies who saw this scene of theirs. They smiled at the scene. To them, it was like a scene of a worn out warrior returning to his lady.

The sun was shining brightly. Silo stood up, holding Cyra’s hand. The bitter yet worn out face that he wore was now gone. There was only relief and joy. There was a jubilant feeling of joy inside Silo. He had thought of giving up. Yet right now it felt like it was worth it. Maybe it was an abrupt choice. Maybe the feeling of death’s embrace made him want to sire a family.

Indeed, maybe this is him fooling himself. He expected that she would reject him by his state alone. Yet here he was holding her hand as they walk to the hospital. They exchanged sweet words. It was odd really. Despite the aching wounds he had. Silo felt relaxed now. He could remember the dead and the hunters that were with him. But even so, the presence of Cyra made Silo calm. Indeed, he had gone through pain and suffering because of his own choices. It was too late when he realized that it was a mistake. He had to be dragged by a friend whose injuries was worse than anyone could imagine. He was walking here with his wounds slightly aching. But comparing his injuries to Joshua would be an insult. He doesn’t know how he could face or repay him. But he was back in this place. He was away from the nightmare that felt like it was too long and despairing.

The sun was up. Everything was fine for now. Indeed, there were people who got lost and died in that stupidity. But still, Silo only wanted to feel this calming bliss...he was alive. He wanted to cherish this moment of being home again.