The soldiers had every intention to kill Raoul, though what made his heart ache was the fact that the villagers also had that same intent.

The glade wasn’t small, but the night made it difficult to see any oncoming projectiles from outside. Alwig and Raoul were facing Valent at the moment, but the boy made sure to keep an eye on their backs.

“That devil. He’s a stain to our village.”

“I-I heard that devils like the flesh of women and children.”

“There’s no way I will let that thing near my family!”

“Protect our family!”

Raoul gritted his teeth. Even if he had heard their scorns before, he couldn’t completely ignore their words. They were people he knew before, in a life that seemed to belong to someone else now that he looked back on it. He still longed for that faraway life he knew would never come back.

Sir Valent unsheathed his sword and pointed forward. “Attack!”

Arrows darted through the air, and Alwig quickly got in front of Raoul, blocking most of the arrows with his body, but there was still a wave of unhindered projectiles from behind.

An arrow sank into Raoul’s thigh, and he had to give it his all not to scream.

“Raoul!” the wolf exclaimed despite countless arrows on his body. He came over to the boy and covered him with his body.

“What are you doing, Al!” Raoul shouted, trying to push his friend off.

Green light enveloped the boy, warmth rising from every part of his body, and the arrow dislodged itself, and his wound healed.

Raoul widened his eyes. “You don’t need to do this for me, Al! I will be—“

“Listen to me, Raoul!” his friend roared, though the sound of arrows hitting his body still hadn’t stopped. “I will break through their line, so you need to use that chance to run!”

“What? No! Are you—“

“Raoul, please!”

The boy gritted his teeth, his mind racing in that split second before it made a conclusion. Raoul tapped the wolf’s torso two times, the sign they had used since long ago whenever the wolf wrestled with the boy. ‘I give up.’

“At my signal, alright?” Alwig said, taking his signal as agreement. The wolf waited for a few seconds before he shouted, “Now!”

Sorry, Al.

The wolf pounced forward in Valent’s opposite direction, the soldiers and villagers scattering at the sight of him. Raoul hurried after his friend, though when he reached the encirclement, instead of running away, he tackled an archer who was still startled to the ground.

“Raoul? What are you doing!” Alwig paused for a second but was too occupied with the attackers to talk.

“Isn’t it obvious?” the boy shouted, grabbing the bow from the archer and smashing the soldier in the head with it, knocking him unconscious. He snatched the quiver and slung it over his shoulder. “There’s no way I can run away right now!”

A swordsman nearby lunged at Raoul, but the boy jumped back while nocking an arrow with the bow, releasing it even before he landed on the ground. The arrow found its way dead-center into the soldier’s forehead, and his lifeless body toppled over.

Suddenly, Raoul felt his hands trembling. This was the first time he had taken someone’s life, but he also knew that if he wanted to protect what was dear to him, then this was something inevitable. He clenched the bow tight, nocking another arrow with a newfound resolution. He would do whatever it took to protect his friend.

Sir Valent was shouting orders, and the soldiers shuffled about into a new formation. They had at least a dozen men in the center and half a dozen on each side, spreading into a half-circle. There were remnants of soldiers and villagers at the back, so it would still be difficult to flee.

“Soldiers!” Valent commanded. “Charge!”

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Alwig was clashing against a group of soldiers blocking his way as he tried to break through, and he was getting impatient, Raoul noticed. The wolf’s attacks were quick but sloppy, and instead of breaking out, he suffered wounds on his body instead.

“Al!” Raoul dashed toward his friend and shot the arrow into another soldier’s neck. “Don’t be reckless!”

“But if this keeps going,” he said, swiping his claws at a swordsman, “You will die sooner or later, Raoul!”

A spearman charged at Alwig, but another arrow from the boy managed to land on his chest before he could attack the wolf, the soldier screaming on the ground.

“Says the one with a bunch of steel in him!”

Raoul noticed a group of soldiers closing on him from two sides. At the forefront, Valent lunged forward with his sword in the air, the boy barely able to keep up with the highborn’s speed. Raoul knew he couldn’t dodge the soldier, but surprisingly, his heart was calm.

Alwig was only held back by him, regardless. If he wasn’t there, then his friend might already have broken through the encirclement and fled elsewhere.

The world seemed to slow down when the sword descended with ferocity, though Raoul noticed that Valent was still dashing. The soldier went past the boy while Alwig received the attack. Claws and blade clashed with one another to a standstill.

“This time,” Sir Valent said, pushing forward, “I will end you, beast.”

“This is quite ironic.” Alwig pushed back. “In my mother’s time, even your king had to bow under us.”

“What nonsense—“

A soldier rushed up to Raoul, and the boy prayed silently for his friend as he focused on the oncoming attacker. The boy noticed a large group of villagers mixed with soldiers at his back, all of them hesitating to attack. He hoped they would remain like that.

Raoul jumped backward while shooting an arrow at the soldier, but the man managed to deflect it with his sword, charging forward without stopping. The soldier reached the boy before he could nock another arrow and swung. Raoul ducked past him, only for another swordsman behind the first one to kick him in the stomach.

The boy sputtered, but instead of falling to the ground, he pushed himself off the dirt and continued to run. If he couldn’t make it out through the back, then he would do it through the front. Soldiers attacked him, but he didn’t stop moving, even when a sword struck his side or when a spear stabbed his limb. Raoul was used to the pain now and continued until he faced the last line of defense.

If he could just enter the forest, then he would be able to support Alwig from outside with his archery. Though, just before he was about to dodge an archer’s dagger, he suddenly fell to the ground with another wave of pain pulsing.

A sword had left a deep gash in his back, and every movement hurt. He couldn’t push himself up and stand. Raoul once more felt his mind falling unconscious, and he crawled forward with his nails digging into the ground.

However, once more, his heart was at ease. Perhaps Alwig would be able to run away with his death. Raoul stopped trying and closed his eyes.

He could hear the villagers cheering from the back, hear Alwig roaring, hear the soldiers shouting. Then, the sounds started to die down.

He could feel his body growing colder, the surroundings ceasing to exist. Right now, nothing else mattered.

“Raoul!” he suddenly heard his mother and father shout.

He was sure he was hallucinating, though he looked up regardless, and his eyes widened at the sight ahead. His parents emerged from the forest, hands tied behind their backs, bruises all over their bodies. They didn’t seem to care about their own wounds one bit, however.

“Raoul!” they shouted once more, rushing forward, only for the villagers behind to pull their ropes. They fell backward, tears streaming down their faces.

“Raoul, can you hear me!” His mother got to her knees and crawled forward using her chin to hold herself, wriggling on the ground while slamming her chin into the dirt. “Raoul, please!”

“You bastards!” his father yelled, glaring at the soldiers and the villagers. “He’s just a child!”

“Mom… Dad…” Raoul rasped, reaching his hand forward.

“Raoul! Raoul!” His mother continued to wriggle on the ground, yet the villagers held her back from reaching him. They were mere feet away from one another, but neither was able to close the distance.

“I’m sorry, Mom…” Raoul said, tears welling up in his eyes. “It seems I won’t be able to… help you with the chores… anymore…”

“Death to the devil!” one villager suddenly shouted as he stomped the boy’s mother in the back. “Death to its fosterers!”

His mother jolted from the pain for only a second before she tried to reach her son once more, her chin and knees now streaming blood.

“Bastard!” His father got up and tried to tackle the villager, only for the one holding his rope to pull him back. Another villager came over and beat him with a shovel, others joining in. Raoul’s father took all the hits while struggling to remain standing, blood trailing down his face and all over his body. His eyes were bloodshot, his tenacity preventing him from fainting.

“Damn the devil fosterer!”

“He must have gained that strength from evil arts!”

Raoul cried, unable to form words, only sobs leaving his mouth. Everything was his fault. The village was supposed to be his home, their home, but because of him, those who were supposed to be his allies now turned against his whole family. He hadn’t known he could hate himself so much.

Finally, his father collapsed, though he was still conscious. The villagers brought his parents forward, forcing them on their knees. And two villagers stepped forward, each with a knife.

“No…” Raoul managed to say as he reached forward. “No… no, no…”

A villager stomped his hand. “Pay for your sin,” he said, grinding his boot. “You shouldn’t have dabbled in the evil sorcery!”

Raoul ignored the pain while crawling forward. He bit the villager’s boot with his all, making the man kick the boy’s face with his other foot. Tears blurred his vision, and he could taste blood, could feel blood running down his lips.

“Not them…” he muttered, willing himself to stay conscious.

Then, the villagers slit his parents’ throats.

Lines of blood appeared, and his parents widened their eyes as blood gushed out. They toppled forward, crimson spreading under their lifeless bodies.