This part contains disturbing content involving violence and peril. Reader discretion is advised.

The group returned with bad news when the sun was long gone behind the huge trees surrounding the village. The folk who were waiting for them were desperate and regretful after learning the story that occurred. Bandits... They are always suspected of witches and wolves, but bandits? That wasn't even an idea that they could dream about. After all, Slyvanbrook was on nowhere. Why would bandits be lurking near their unimportant village?

Furthermore, after they heard that they lost twelve of their children, the parents of those who fell in the forest started a silent but heavy cry. The weight of such a terrible event was entirely new to those people. Mr. Hanks, on the other hand, felt a pain like no other. He shouldn't have allowed the boys. What were they thinking anyway? Sending children to the depths of the forest? With just a single dull sword in their hand? What were they thinking in the first place? Those thoughts weren't only on his mind, though. Everybody in the village thought that way; even parents who lost their children couldn't blame Thomas. However, they all felt something was coming. They were all standing in front of the church with candles in their hands. They were praying for those they had lost. And they were praying. Unrest was the only feeling they had on that terrible night. Slyvanbrook, maybe for the first time since her existence, felt such a bad mood. The cobblestone path leading to the town was marking their location. They knew that.

Thomas, on the other hand, was blaming himself. He was still holding his sword. His grip was more vital than ever with his anger within himself. He wanted to protect everyone, but in the end, he failed. He failed so hard that it cost him the lives of his friends. He needed the guidance. He needed a mentor. So, he decided to take a step into the church. To see Mr. Hanks and Father Elias. He slowly climbed three small steps of the stairs. He slowly pushed the small church door and looked inside. Gloomy lights fed by small candles greeted him. Father Elias and Mr. Hanks were discussing what to do about the situation right next to a slightly thorn-out rostrum. They couldn't send a messenger to the town after what happened in the forest. They also had no protection and no way to evacuate the village. They turned their gaze toward Thomas upon hearing creaking sounds caused by the door. Thomas could feel the arrow in the air. In particular, Mr. Hanks seems devastated by everything that occurred. It was clear to Thomas that he was blaming himself. He wanted to say something to him; he wanted to say, "No, Uncle Hanks! It wasn't your mistake! It was me who couldn't do anything. Please stop blaming yourself for trusting the wrong person." But his throat was dry. He couldn't speak; he couldn't take the words out. So, he just moved towards him. Dropping the sword from his hand for the first time since his return to the village. The sound of metal hitting the ground was the only sound that could be heard. Thomas started to run at this point and hugged Mr. Hanks. losing his ability to hold back his tears, in his arms.

Thomas' tears were flowing from his cheeks into Hanks' clothes. Elias was looking at them with a mixture of sadness and love. Hanks spoke to him, "Stop blaming yourself, Tom. There is no point in that. If anything, you must be proud of yourself. You saved the lives of your friends with even a dull sword at such a young age. I'm so glad that I had you to entrust my half dreams. I believe that you will be much more important someday. I will always believe in you. I will always support you and be here for you." as they shared this story, the old priest glided at them with a little smile. It was a scene that would warm everyone's heart, to be honest. Mr. Hanks was a tall man, around 45 years old, with an air of aged nobility. His hair, peppered with gray here and there, was messy with everything he just went through. His rugged beard showed the wisdom he built within his lifetime. His wrinkles that had shades with the light of the candles told those tales from years he had. He had grown a bit larger in the middle, giving him a pleasant, warm-hearted presence. However, the poor man was feeling miserable inside. Despite that, he knew that he had to stay strong for his people.

On the other hand, Thomas was still that small kid who used to come to church to learn words in his eyes [https://img.wattpad.com/5aaaa6eeca8401010477a1318bcf75bfb766b42d/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f64632d6b5979615a30316f4f35773d3d2d313339323333343633342e313739353636313237353664373430303132353931363330333339322e6a7067?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]

On the other hand, Thomas was still that small kid who used to come to church to learn words in his eyes. He could feel a tear shaping on his eyeballs. He looked at the church ceiling to hide them while still holding onto the shoulders of Thomas and Hanks. He wanted to let them know that he would also be with them no matter what. As long as god gave them time to live, he would spend his with them. The ceiling... It was beautiful. It looked like a dome, but it wasn't. That was the trick of the painter. A hand drawing coming through the sun, representing their Lord who gave them life, held a key. That was representing the keys of the heavens. There were stars in the background. They described the universe, and there were five circles around the sides, all held by angles. Red, green, cyan, blue, and yellow. Those symbolized the greatest gift given to them: magic. All looked sad with the lights of the candles under the pressure they had.

He turned his gaze back to Thomas after he spoke for the first time since he was back in the village. "They are coming." That was the expression of their thoughts. Not just Hanks or Elias. Everyone in the village knew that they were trapped. The road they even sang about was marking their location, and they had nowhere to escape, no one to ask for help from. Thomas got up, cleaned his tears, and walked through the sword he dropped. He slowly got it from the ground as Father Elias and Mr. Hanks watched him. He then turned around and knelt to pray. "My Lord, please let us leave those dark days behind." He said. Elias and Hanks also joined him in his prayer.

The villagers were also aware that this night was going to be unpleasant. So they were building barricades behind their houses. Man who felt responsible for not going to that forest instead of their younglings were holding their hoes, pickaxes, and shovels. Their sight was on the forest, which looked like a painting under the full moon's light, while their hearts were praying. They were hearing howls from wolves. It was like they were alerting them about coming danger.

After a while, which felt like an eternity to those waiting, some torch lights started to become visible from different locations in the forest. As well as a loud and frightening laugh. After that, a figure became clearly visible from the cobblestone path. And it seemed like it wasn't alone. There were shadows from every direction in the forest. Probably more than ten people were approaching. They instantly knew who it was. There was only one possibility anyway. It was Grimmclaw, who seemed like a child who saw a freshly baked pie in the kitchen. His hand was covered in a dirty cloth now, and he didn't seem very happy about it. With his appearance, some villagers screamed in fear and agony, which made him look satisfied. His men were also starting to come out from every direction with laughs and joy for some reason. It seemed like they had been besieging the small village for a while now, and they were enjoying whatever they were planning to do to those poor peasants.

Little Thomas, who heard the screams, finished his prayer and opened his eyes. He got up from his knees and gripped his sword tightly. He wasn't daubed about himself anymore because he had no other choice at this point. On the other hand, Mr. Hanks seemed quite worried, as well as Father Elias. Deep within himself, he thought it was his last time seeing little Tom. So he gave a small pat on Thomas' shoulder, giving him a last thank-you hug. This kid... He was the only one who understood what was behind those trees, what was lying under the pages of the heavy bible. He started to talk with his wise voice: "Never forget what it means to be a knight, Tom," Thomas, taken aback by Elias's sudden response, questioned why he, as an always optimistic person, was speaking in such a tone. He pointed out that the village had more people, and there were only ten bandits to contend with. But Elias was undeterred. Instead, he asked: "What is a Knight?"

Find this and other great novels on the author's preferred platform. Support original creators!

Thomas stumbled over his words as he tried to find an answer, describing them as "a cool sword user who fights." Elias, however, remained unimpressed by his response. He continued, "You must leave your childish dreams behind. The reason for becoming a Knight shouldn't be about looking cool, becoming strong, or seeking importance. You are no longer a child after tonight. Hanks saw greatness within you, which is why he gave you that book. And believe me, I see that greatness too. I expect you to find your moral compass. I want you to become worthy of the trust we've placed in you. I know it might sound harsh, but I want you to grow. I want you to keep going, no matter the circumstances. As long as you are certain that you are on the path you believe is true."

Mr. Hanks, on the other hand, was holding back his tears. He was sure that this was the end for them all, and he was still blaming himself for it. He suddenly spoke, "Power behind anything you can imagine is lying ahead of you, son. I will always be on your side." Thomas knew for exactly then. It was a war that they wouldn't win. Neither Elias nor Hanks were expecting that. Suddenly, Father Elias reached out for something. It was a star necklace. It symbolized the five elemental natures, and it was also the symbol of their religion. "Keep this always with you. May the Lord give you strength." It was the goodbye, and at this very moment, all of them were aware of that. Thomas was crying silently. "I am not going to let this be a farewell. I will save everyone in this village."

Another scream, combined with a laugh, was coming from inside the village this time. Thomas opened the door. The intense night breeze of the coming winter extinguished the weak fires of the candles and wiped the last warmth inside the church. Thomas looked behind one last time and slowly started to look towards the village. It was terrifying. There were more than ten bandits there. There were so many of them. All of them had swords and torches in their hands. They were torturing, slicing, and cutting through the villagers with some joy that shouldn't belong to a human. Thomas froze for a second after releasing what was going on. Man of the village was trying to fight with their poor tools, but they were either shot by archers or were slain by sword-using bandits. Grimmclaw, on the other hand, was torturing some villagers to learn where their food was. This scenery was beyond any comprehension, and it was truly disturbing.

But Thomas, as he just heard important words and gained a will, knew that he had to endure responsibility. He knew that he had no chance against that many invaders, but he was going to fight. At this point, a reddish aura from his body, which resembled flames, became visible to everyone who looked at him. Grimmclaw also noticed his old fellow and smiled with his toothless mouth. He killed the poor old man whom he was torturing with indifference. And showed Thomas his hand, which was in dirty bandages, by lifting it into the air. "Oh boy! Thanks for that gift! We had a fun activity to do! Didn't we, boys!" his man started to cheer after hearing that. Thomas still didn't believe the events that were occurring, but those guys were enjoying the massacre they were creating for real. Thomas was feeling the anger he had in the forest once again. He started to run towards Grimmclaw, bypassing other bandits around him. But Grimmclaw was cautious this time. He countered his attack easily and, this time, managed to hit him back. Thomas couldn't block that attack and got a direct hit in his arm. It wasn't deep, but it was hurting. The cloak didn't protect him this time. However, since he wasn't aware that he endured such a power, even though everybody else was looking at it, he didn't react to that.

Grimmclaw seemed to be enjoying Thomas' Power, though. His sword was also shining with dark smoke around it. "Oh boy... Your shine will be fun to kill! But this time, let's make it even more enjoyable, shall we? BOYS! BURN DOWN THAT VILLAGE!" That meant an order of genocide against the people of Slyvanbrook, though, because the houses had barricades on their doors, which meant that villagers couldn't escape from fires. Thomas, upon hearing that, wanted to stop the other bandits, but there were too many of them, and he felt a strong hit at his back. When he turned around to see what it was, he realized that he was surrounded already. Grimmclaw attacked him so quickly that all he could do was try to parry those attacks, but it wasn't perfectly working. As he got another hit at his stomach this time, his flames started to die. Grimmclaw started to kick him violently as he chuckled and spoke, "Come on, boy! I thought you were special when I saw you had an aura! But it seems like you don't even know how to fight properly! If I were careful in the forest, I would have your life already." He started to laugh after that. He was enjoying every hit for real.

But he was disturbed by a hit he got to his shoulder. It was a pickaxe hit, and it seemed like it pierced a deep wound on his right arm. He glared at who was doing it and realized that it was a man, Mr Hanks. Upon realizing that he had a noble's ring on his hand, he decided to cut his head off because he hated nobles who were using the labor of ordinary people who weren't born with fancy clothes on them. But Thomas, realizing it was Mr. Hanks, screamed, "Nooo! Please wun away!" but that was a mistake. He made Grimmclaw know that this person was extra important to him. Grimmclaw smirked at Thom as he started to choke Mr Hanks with his unharmed arm. He was using such force that you could hear what was going on, and his lifeless body stopped fluttering quickly. He looked at Thomas to be sure that he had witnessed that moment and then smiled at him as he threw away the lifeless body of Mr. Hanks. Grimmclaw then approached Thomas and forcefully pressed his head down, ordering his man to begin.

The village was in flames within seconds. Thomas, with all the pain he was holding, was in total shock as his eyes were turning into a dead man's eyes. Bandits were grabbing villagers who were running away. Thomas was losing consciousness as he witnessed all of that. The Slyvanbrook... The only place he knew, Mr Hanks, his parents, his friends, and everyone he cared about or loved was mercilessly getting hurt. Grimmclaw then started to talk, "Stop crying that much, boy! Do you even know why I am doing this?" Thomas was exhausted, and he wasn't able to move even a single muscle on his body with all the wounds he had. However, Grimmclaw didn't seem to be waiting for an answer anyway. "That scumbag you cried for. A noble who was eating from the work of normal people or peasants such as you. Look at you wearing a sack of shit while that guy has clothes. Have you ever asked yourself why?" Thomas didn't believe his ears. This guy was thinking that he was a freedom fighter while he was creating such a massacre. Grimmclaw was looking at flames, and his man was taking a woman they caught somewhere with smiles. He kept speaking. "Oh, you wonder why I am doing this to your village? Well... You see nobles of this land think that they are stronger than us, the people! I am showing them that is not the case and I am much more strong than them. Oh and likes of you. But you also can say that, I am doing that because you pissed me off, and basically, I can." He was smiling even more at this point. "Oh, I was also looking for some food but looks like you guys are no good for that."

After hours of pillaging, the bandits were done with everything they wanted. They couldn't find food, but to them, it was an enjoyfull night. They checked everyone to be sure that no soul was left speared. Grimmclaw got up slowly and looked at Thomas. "I guess this is where I say goodbye boy." He said with a confident and drunk victory tone. Stabbed his sword into Thomas' heart. Then threw him into one of the burning houses. Screaming inside."Go to hell, boy." After that, he and his bandits left for the dark forest. They were chuckling as they told each other what they did with those poor villagers when anyone with a right mind would be throwing up hearing those stories.

Thomas, on the other hand, was feeling cold. It probably was time to go to heaven. Mr. Hanks and his mom would be there, perhaps. And he could climb on his father's shoulders like he always did as a child. Oh, what a life it was. It was short yes. But he thanked god for everyone he had in this short life. He would become part of heaven after that and no more pain would be there. Maybe he would be a knight there instead. He was passing out with these thoughts in his mind. So he didn't realize the reappearing aura covering his body.