Chapter 19: Starting lesson

For what my apathy cost, I have valued my chess piece too little to get the current board of today. It will serve in the future how to evaluate one’s worth before letting them trade lives of such an idiot incident for silly reasons such as love. Darwen’s death is my regrettable mistake here.

Once I felt the connection of him lost, a piece of me died on that day along with his sacrifice. Knowing how mortal shortage they live in trade of boundless opportunities…it still pained me to shorten his further. If only I had him gulped on my blood, it would be served as my lengthen his service.

For the short summaries of the invasion, the human troops suffered quite a loss but it was blatantly cut short by Gabriel’s intervention. Seven out of thirteen battalions perish with few survivors if I am not counting Violet’s battalion…they survived by Darwen’s sacrifices…and perished some because of his implusiveness as well.

Enough of the tragedies, now for the main part of the mission which I held Violet against her will: capturing Zadori. In a tattering shape, his soul was still intact; the only strange reason was the strange morphing that he was using. A human form of that of white beard shape, eerily also having the same aching as Darwen was.

There are a few solutions for Zadori’s handling, one would be kidnapping sense as the prisoner of war for the dragon tribe to pay tribute…no, it would be too shallow given how they can easily be promoted the younger one to be.

While their society is meritocracy, having a trade-off wouldn’t be out of the question when the burden is too heavy. The other option would be ever-lasting, but it would be cruel for someone not to be revived…but it must be done.

[Eleventh moon, last quarter]

The putrid smell running through the cell air doesn’t bother me much. Given how much dragons pride themselves on stamina, I won’t bother checking something as trivial as the physical state of Zadori. The lessons must be endured with a calm mind rather than a troubled one, otherwise, the value would be rancid.

“Wouldn't thou take thy life already? How long hath it been?” He speaks with a pleading tone still, dismemberment would be a good case. But I plan against such things, to pull out his eyes was enough of a restraint…rather I think that vengance was the purpose of such because of how blinding he was.

The tools shall be as follows, some healing ointment, something to be pulled such as tweezers…then the indoctrinating passage. It would be senseless torturing to leave a fault to be learned from, I have always been taught to be imperfect. Thus no matter how groundless the sins would be…

“Pain is the preferred tool for teaching, since words of humans fallen to your deaf ears it was. I shall cleanse it today.” Picking up a drill, today's lesson is the pattern of listening. To hear the sins of hurting others by the symphony through one’s pain.

I am not so heartless, so cry and struggle “You can be wary of my teaching, but you know worse consequences if you fall to someone else rather than me.” I proclaim against the eyeless humanoid dragons, with eyes hollow reeks still the blood from gouging.

Once again, I reach for the tool drilling toward the screaming dragon. As blood begins to pour out, I reach beside for the indoctrinating text.

“For committing such sins, you shall repent with glee. Knowing pain, you should feel the remorse you caused upon others.” The screaming continued through the reading, I was feeling such pain even when having such painful deaths. Another day, I learned newer things about other organic.

“Mercy, I beseech thee! I shall do aught thou dost demand. Even to the point of death, I am willing to endure. I can bear this agony no longer..” Zadori cried out to the deafened ears of his. Sigh being so stubborn again, I have promised him not to kill him yet he wished for death.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

Being so second-minded, I don't know whether to fulfill his wish now or the previous. I begin applying the healing ointment on the wound, the concoction won't leave any scar behind.

In his eyes, I see uncertainty. Is it time to heal such a damaging wound when I haven't made him repent enough? Zadori is luckily in my hands; if others were to teach him the lesson, I doubt they would have something to heal over.

For once, I can't help but envy Zadori for how mercifully I treated him in lessons, compared to my experiences with others who taught me. If it were Kushiel, he would let Zadori bleed all over, proving his belief that dragons can't die with their physical forms being damaged so much.

“You shall be liberated, I take no joy in such torturous effort,” I reassure him before making my way back to the castle. Again the wailing is all that remained, but it sound more of a calm tone. A little more, just a little more.

[Twelfth moon, new moon]

Once again, the routine is kept today. His study has improved quite steadily, I think his obedience would be a graduation from a beginning lesson. What should be considered is letting one fulfill his repentance. Today would be neigh of teaching, only a graduation shall take place.

The stairway leading downward was void of substance and teaching methods, only the crackling of chains once Zadori heard such sound from outside. At my entrance, he doesn’t make an attempt to refuse my lesson anymore, instead making an accepting expression.

“What method of repentance should be employed today? Thou hast grown accustomed to thy methods, hence thou art in no mood for prayer this day.” Zadori answers hopelessly, it finally comes to fruition. But this is not yet time for celebration.

I open Zadori’s chain, and without an inch of resistance, he follows still as I recover his eyes. From the sockets, the flesh and blood begin to take shape; eyeballs with dark blue pupils, he takes quite a time to readjust after losing them so long.

“I have promised to liberate you when the time comes, it is neigh of such,” I announce as I recover the wounds that were inflicted by the lessons. His disbelief face said all of the doubt as the tears began to flow through newly recovered eyes.

“Verily?Canst thou be free again?” Zadori said with joy like a child has gotten his candy, but of course, I won’t be naïve like this again. If I were to believe one’s words over the sound of their sincerity…how many pieces would I have to sacrifice again?

“Sign this contract, once you break it your soul will forfeit with your sins against.” I bring the contract before the singular key of leaving this place intact. I have taken hold well of the essence of his soul thus having the restraint again wouldn’t be out of the question.

“Thou art truly cruel, to make my life align against the very allies I fought alongside.” Zadori takes the pen in reluctantly without looking at the content, thus making this sound as if I am truly the villain of the story. I wanted things to be fair as such and letting him return alive was always the solution. So I did the unthinkable.

“You are making this only not having transgression against the human, I won’t call for the rally of your support or betrayal of your allies,” I explain the contract carefully, it sounds idiotic because of the pleading mannerism I express. But I hope for the best if he has some kind of will to live besides dying for honor.

“I see this neither as benevolence nor malevolence, but thankful still for thy redemption grace.” Zadori sighs and writes his soul on that piece of contract, until either the soul of our expired contract shall take place.

My heart brimming with unexplained tranquility, I know naught that my action is virtuous nor malice but the result of securing what I find possessive is quite delightful. I let Zadori leave the daunting tower that was the prison of his first lesson, the deed was done so I returned to the surface of the castle.

“Master… perhaps you are forgetting,” Pierre says in a low voice…Darwen’s successor, a knight piece. This one is straightforward with the potential of bloodlust, I can see through his calm demeanor, especially after our last conversation about his master’s death.

He shows a raw talent that would surpass even his predecessor’s unfathomable simplistic mind of controlling aura. Well, it would be time for other things to attend to, I have made a promise to see the passing rite of my former piece so I must fulfill the contract.

“The funeral, isn’t it? Grabbing onto me, Pierre.” I command him to hold tight to my pettit body…wouldn’t think he holds me like a toy.

[‘Collocatione’]

A quick and easy way to proceed to the rite instantly. The young knight seems to be overwhelmed by the mana transition thus the puking is inevitable…Looking around Violet has taken the stage for herself, she would be angry if I disrupted this meaningless preparation.

Marvos is here as well, he looks to be observant of the smooth procedure. The priest stationed for the parting one with few fire before lighting it with flame into the dying sunlight. A melancholic view for a short and fragile life, it should be my first lesson to cherish such as well

The end