Sion calms down and speaks after a while. "It seems that I told you my life's story instead of the most important part about that village. The former village that was 'Alaise' victimizes visitors who have no knowledge about its legends. I can say without a doubt that they sacrifice those visitors to doctor Weiss, appeasing him as they see him as some sort of God just because the man knows a bit of alchemy and dark arts. 

"I've trained myself as Sofia became weaker, I was intent on avenging my wife and son, and I am somewhat hoping that if I ever do defeat that vile monster, then Sofia's curse will be lifted. I have not stopped training until now." He stands filled with determination, breathing heavily, trying to dismiss the apparent sadness that still loom over him.

"It has gotten dark, I suggest that you stay the night. I shall prepare dinner for all of us." He exits the room and leaves us a deafening silence. 

Samael stands up and proceeds to the room that Sion fist entered into and he stops as it seems that he has seen what he needed to. I follow Samael, but my body still aches as I struggle to get up, It feels like I've been slammed against a wall.

I stop in the same spot as Samael and we see someone sleeping inside the room, covered in blankets with a dimly lit lantern beside her. The room is so silent that you could hear the crickets outside and they are the only ones making nature lively at night.

Sion approaches us from behind. "That is her, My daughter Sofia. She has not woken up since this morning, but I'm sure that she will come to at night, as she always had these past few years."

From our position outside the door you could see her slowly open her eyes, but she doesn't get up. Her eyes open, but she stays lying down on the bed where you could hear a soft voice strong enough to pierce your soul. "Father... Are you there? Are there visitors?" 

Sion walks to her side, kneeling beside the bed and clasps her hand with the gentleness that only a parent could have. "Good morning Sofia, I've prepared bread and soup for you. Come and let us eat." He smiles at her and Sofia struggles to turn her head to the side facing her father, doing her best to return the smile that Sion had given her.

Sion faces us with an apologetic look. "I know that we are complete strangers to each other, but could you please help me for a while?  Samael, please fetch the soup and bread from the kitchen, Fafnir please help me raise Sofia from her bed so that she could eat properly."

We do as he says without hesitation, Samael goes into the kitchen while I assist Sion with Sofia. She was dark long haired, pale but with a gentle face, brown eyes and a fleeting smile. She faces me and speaks. "Thank you for helping my father... And sorry for having you do this." I adjust her position on the bed and sit beside her on the left side of the bed.

Samael enters the room and with him is a wooden tray with bread and a steaming hot bowl of soup, a perfect combination considering the cold rainy weather outside accompanied by thunder and lightning.

Sion takes the tray and feeds Sofia. It seems like the most natural thing in the world, but why do I feel so sad? Is it because it reminds me of my father? No, I can't. This is a time for this family of two to enjoy their lives to the fullest, even if by just a little bit.

Samael pulls out his lyre hidden in his cloak and begins to play his music. "I hope you wouldn't mind if I made the atmosphere at bit more lively won't you Sion?" 

"We wouldn't mind at all won't we Sofia?" She closes her eyes and nods in agreement. 

Samael positions his small lyre by his left arm and he begins to play while Sofia eats her fill.

He begins to play softly, a sound that echoes through the night, silencing the noise of thunder and lightning completely, and as Sofia eats, a tear could be seen from her eyes. She's stronger than most people could have ever been but you could just look at her to know that she was suffering.

Sion falls asleep beside Sofia's bed and Samaels music ends. "Well young Fafnir, I shall rest early while the night is still young." Samaels leaves the room and it just remains me and Sofia who are awake.

She looks at me and taps lightly on the the left side of the bed, gesturing for me to sit beside her. 

"Thank you for being nice to my father. He does not realize it but I've heard him say the entirety of the story while he was talking with you two."

"I never realized what my father had gone through. I know that you can't see the emotions on my face, but that's because I am too weak to even cry now. I don't know how long I might last, for these past 10 years have been a struggle to me and my father I could imagine, but it became bearable because my father was there for me."

"Please come closer and close your eyes" I do as she says. And at that moment I could feel a soft sensation on my forehead. 

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

I open my eyes and I see her smiling with all of the strength she has. It feels forced, her smile, I know that she can't normally do it anymore, but why?

I clasp her left hand and place it on my chest near to my heart. "I'll do something about this

She hugs me, and you thought that it would feel cold... No, it felt warm and cozy. I wanted to stay in that warm I brace for as long as I could. But that's asking for too much.

The day ends on a sad note, Sion let us stay and sleep in a wide, spacious room where the door exits is visible.

Morning comes and I am awoken by a someone shouting outside. I get up with a groggy expression, wipe my eyes and get up. The sound is coming from outside, a bit curious, I saw Sion in the front of the field.

He uses what looks like a self made axe with a long wooden shaft. He swings it down with a force so strong that It looks like he's cutting the wind in half. He brings it up once again and swings it down with a shout.

He notices me and stops his training. "I'm sorry, I seem to have disturbed your sleep."

"Don't worry. I feel wide awake now. But more importantly, what are you training for?" I sit in the front of the cabin while I ask Sion.

(Sion) "Im preparing myself. I'm going to avenge my wife and son by silencing the village once and for all. There won't be any more victims after that."

"I don't know about that. From what I heard from your story and considering the years that have passed, it seems that 'dr Weiss' might not be as weak and frail as he first was." 

(Sion) "ha-ha, have you ever noticed how much of a mature person you are even though you're still a child. Take no offense, although take it as a question and a compliment."

"it came naturally that you had to be more mature in order to get by, I was trained by someone to get stronger. He taught me all that is important to know about living and surviving, learning all of this entailed that I needed to become mature, but that's all that I've experienced so far, as losing your memory doesn't really help you at all." 

Sion leans on his axe. "You know how to fight? Would you like to spar with me? I'll take it easy on you though, but we'll have to use wooden sticks of course." 

I get up and he tosses me wooden stick that I barely catch. I do a few practice swings as it seems that I've been a bit rusty.

We face each other on opposite sides, both holding wooden sticks as weapons. It's  silent outside as if the rain never poured last night. But the smell of drenched soil is apparent in the morning.

"Please don't hold back even if I look like this, I'll never get stronger if you hold back." Sion nods at me and we begin.

Sion rushes me with his weapon drawn upwards, I could read his movements better than I could in the past, I don't depend on machosias on this one as I know that he'll still be silent. I slightly dodge to the left letting Sion's weapon hit the ground, but he's not finished, swerving his weapon towards me sweeping it upwards to his right with brute force. 

It knocks my weapon from my hands inches behind me. I lean forward, then jump backwards with all my strength, doing backflip into my weapons location. I pick it up and raise my guard. "Time to get truly serious."

Sion rushes me once again but a bit more strategically. He runs in an arc charging me from my right side, building up power in his swing which was obvious from his movements alone. I face him and step forward, holding my weapon up. Sion comes into my vicinity and he swings his sword upward with the momentum he's built but misses as I quickly step back into my original position anticipating the length of his weapon, then I spin clockwise but not before stopping inches away from hitting his rib cage cleanly. 

"Well this is a great surprise! You're better than I thought, and your speed is astonishing! it caught me completely by surprise." Sion brings down his weapon conceding in defeat.

"I still am weak as I was in the past." Sion's grips his weapon tightly. "But I have to go before it's too late. I can just feel it welling up in my mind that if I don't hurry, it might be too late... She's too young to suffer like this. So I've made up my mind. I'll strike at the dead of night when they're least aware."

I hear a voice from behind me, but it wasn't Sion. "You don't need to bear this all on your own anymore. We'll help you out with this."

Sion looks for the one that spoke. "Samael... Why? You don't have any reason to be involved with this."

"We have our own reasons, and besides, we can't have anyone else being victimized by that village. I know that you wouldn't like that at all I assume."

Sion looks at us with a calm expression. "Thank you, both of you."

Samael looks up into the early morning sky. "Come, we shall train together for the night shall be bountiful."