THE MEREDOCKS

At the Meredocks family house in Duskthorne, Carmen was maintaining the garden at the front of the house peacefully, the weather was warm and the birds were flying and singing around the place, the house was lovely and the garden was even more captivating, the passers as always were eying the beauty of the garden and how the variety of the flowers' colors were so symmetrical.

"I see you've been doing a great job here, Carmen.", Said Rickard who was walking behind Carmen, she was surprised as she didn't hear him opening the front door of the house.

"Lord Rickard? I didn't think that you'll wake up early so I decided to check the garden before preparing your breakfast, I'll go immediately to prepare your breakfast.", Said Carmen in panic before standing up and turning to find Rickard holding his hand to stop her.

"Relax, you don't have to be so formal with me, I'm not my father, nicknames aside, I want you to call me Rickard as you used to call me in the past, you're not working for me, actually I'm the one in debt.", Said Rickard calmly before crossing his arms while looking at the garden (he was still standing still).

"But lord Ric-.", Said Carmen before Rickard interrupted her.

"I insist, I don't want to feel great while I've not done anything useful yet.", Said Rickard calmly, Carmen was surprised by his reply, he changed very much, he was much more talkative than that and happier, the way he lost his parents truly affected him that he left all of the kingdom trying to forget.

"You seem, different, Rickard.", Said Carmen politely.

"A lot have changed, I'm not that spoiled child gifted with a strong bound spirit that wasn't able to protect his parents from a bunch of lesser demons anymore.", Said Rickard seriously while looking at the flowers, Carmen was surprised by his serious tone, she remembers well that he has a strong bound spirit but he was never able to develop himself.

"Lady Meredock was very strict with this matter, she didn't want Rickard to be stronger then join the army, she was afraid that he will expose himself to extreme dangers if he became a strong spiritual knight, although she knew this was a very rare gift, she insisted on keeping her only child safe, you're not responsible for what happened that day, Rickard.", Said Carmen politely, she doesn't want him to blame himself about what happened.

"I stood there silently, I even stepped back while the few guards tried to stop the demons but they weren't able, it was an ambush, they did it several times to some people on the road to Arlyn, those stinky demon bandits killed humans just for supplies, and then, I found myself alone between the bodies of the guards and my parents, I remember them telling me to run but I couldn't, my legs were frozen from the screams, I was a coward back then, afraid, I was afraid to help them because I was weak to use my power although I was 13 years old, I was afraid to even run away, I saw everything, I saw the guards falling one after another before my father pulled his sword and put one of them down before another stabbed him in the back, I remember my mother screaming while she was hugging me and looking at my father falling, she told me to escape, I was just crying and suddenly she started coughing blood, she fell dead over my feet, they looked at me with anger, their looks weren't just about stealing, they were happy killing us, no wonder why the gods killed and imprisoned them, they're just barbarians who feed on the people's suffering, they hate us for nothing, and then I was all alone, waiting for them to finish me, but then he arrived in his shiny silver form.", Said Rickard in a sad tone, Carmen was barely holding herself from crying.

"Captain Adam?", Said Carmen.

"The one who made me know what I was missing, he didn't just save me, he made me realize I was just a coward, my problem wasn't in my lack of strength and control over my bound spirit, I was a coward, Carmen, that man stood against everyone to develop himself and become stronger to serve his kingdom, he had a goal since he was a kid, to become a strong spiritual knight and protect his kingdom just like his father, while me, I was only hoping to have more fun.", Said Rickard while looking at Carmen, she didn't know what to tell him but there were tears in her eyes, Rickard noticed it.

"Looks like I brought a lot of emotions for you, I didn't know that you miss them like that.", Said Rickard while smiling faintly, his tone was sad but he is different now and can hold himself even though these memories were harsh.

"I'm not just sad about lord and lady Meredock, you saw a lot of violence at a young age, and you're blaming yourself for nothing, you were so young to do anything.", Said Carmen calmly, Rickard kept looking at her for a moment before looking back at the garden.

"The way you maintain the garden reminds me of my mother, she loved this garden.", Said Rickard, he was trying to make Carmen forget this conversation for now, Carmen understood and looked at the garden like him.

"Lady Meredock taught me how to take care of each different flower in order to make the shape beautiful like that, in a short time she made me take care of it all by myself and ordered that no maid should intervene with the garden except me.", Said Carmen while remembering the good old days.

"She prefered you, not just with the garden, you were her personal favourite maid, I would say that she looked at you higher than a maid, your loyalty and dedication for the Meredocks weren't unrecognizable, I even preferred staying with you than the other maids when I was a kid.", Said Rickard while smiling at Carmen.

"Lord and lady Meredock were everything to me, especially lady Meredock, when someone picks you up from the streets when you are just a homeless orphan child it means a lot, I remember asking the people for anything to eat, sleeping in the alleys and covering with torn clothes in the rainy cold days of the winter, I was barely seven years old, one day I found lady Meredock kneeling and looking at my face, she smiled and told me that she wants to help me had a better life, I was afraid but in this world, you only get a chance like this once, probably I was going to die anyway, I had no memories of my parents and usually I slept hungry, so what was the worst possibility?", Said Carmen while smiling and looking at the garden.

"And then you came here.", Said Rickard.

"No, this was even before lady Meredock became lady Meredock, she wasn't married yet to lord Meredock, she took me to her family house, she cleaned me and ordered tutors to teach me how to read and write, she raised me good until I reached a level that I thought I was her adopted daughter, she never hit me or insulted me, a few years passed and she was going to marry lord Meredock, I was about 11 years old, she told me that she will take care of my education and give me a place to stay in away, she thought that this will be better for me, but I refused, I couldn't imagine myself away from her at that age, so I told her that I want to be one of her maids, and that's how everything started, I moved with her to the Meredocks family house and served your family with complete dedication, your father was a respectful man, he listened to my lady and told all his guards and maids to respect me and the maids started teaching me everything about the house.", Said Carmen in strong emotions, tears fell on her cheeks while still looking at the garden, Rickard was surprised to know how close she was to his mother.

"That's why I was so happy yesterday when I saw you, once I saw you I remembered all these good days, I even felt that I was standing before lord Meredock himself and I found myself bowing immediately, yes you look different, stronger, it's about nine years since I've seen you, I only saw you once after the incident at the capital before you decided to leave the kingdom, I don't care if you want to renew your family business or not, seeing you well and happy is enough for me, achieving your goals will make you happy, I'm sure you will achieve them.", Said Carmen while looking in hope at Rickard while smiling, Rickard smiled back at her.

"I hope I'll be able to do it.", Said Rickard while looking at street, he noticed that the passer bys were looking strangely at him.

"And what do you want to achieve, Rickard?", Asked Carmen, Rickard paused for a moment before answering.

"Killing every demon and hybrid on this continent, without showing a single sign of mercy, I'll crush their skulls under my war hammer, one by one, family after family, group after group, until I become their worst nightmare, they won't sleep in their hideouts from the fear of suddenly waking up on the sound of my war hammer crushing their bones, destroying their homes and their dignity.", Said Rickard boldly while still preserving his calmness, but Carmen felt his anger.

"You're seeking revenge.", Said Carmen.

"I spent all those years to be stronger just to avenge them, and to protect the rest of the humanity, all the spiritual knights are either having an important rule in their army or kingdom, or simply use their powers for selfish acts and become the villains, I don't want any of those, mother didn't want me to become a soldier, I'll grant her that, but I'll keep looking everywhere for those demons, I won't allow any of them to laugh again.", Said Rickard while clinching his fist aggressively, Carmen felt tensioned from Rickard's anger.

"Rickard, a lot of men get blinded by anger and achieve nothing, I don't know much about anger and violence, but anger can mislead you easily to somethings you may regret, I trust that you've become stronger to defeat those demons, but no one can end this cycle, even the gods didn't kill all of them and imprisoned the remaining while others escaped, you may lose yourself and I won't tolerate losing the last Meredock, you may have grown up but you're still that young kid in my eyes.", Said Carmen emotionally, Rickard turned to here.

"I'm sorry, Carmen, I made up my mind since a long time ago, you weren't in my shoes that day.", Said Rickard seriously before turning to leave, Carmen was silent, she didn't know how to answer him, his pain hasn't subsided even after all these years, but what he's seeking is insane, he can't slay all the demons, and did he say a war hammer? Is that his spiritual weapon? It actually seems relatable according to his physical build now.

"Soooooo, how long should it take for us to reach Duskthorne now?", asked Irene, she was riding Senka as usual and Jaxith was walking by her side, they started moving again after waking up this morning.

"About a week.", Said Jaxith.

"A week? In the main road it would have taken only two days, through the forest it should only be four days maximum, what makes you think we'll take a week?", Said Irene quizzically.

"The pace we're moving in and the way we proceed.", Said Jaxith, Irene started focusing more then started noticing something different in the way they proceed.

"Wait a minute! You're not walking directly, you're always changing our directions!", Said Irene in surprise, Jaxith looked at her in a bit of surprise then smiled.

"You're actually right, well done, young girl.", Said Jaxith proudly.

"I'm learning from the best hunter ever.", Said Irene enthusiastically while raising both her arms happily, even Senka neighed happily, Jaxith looked forward while still smiling, she's getting better, she must learn or she won't be able to help herself, he even thinks about teaching her to defend herself but now isn't the right time.

"And you will even be better, focus and patience, they are your keys for development.", Said Jaxith calmly while walking.

"You'll see, now tell me, why are you following this method?", Asked Irene.

"I think that we're followed, if they know we're going for Duskthorne and if we didn't make it on time then they will think we weren't going there and then they will drop their caution so we can sneak in, also this strategy help in confusing your followers, they won't understand why you're not taking a straight road to your destiny, don't make your enemies expect your moves, that's another lesson.", Said Jaxith.

"And why they would think we're going to Duskthorne?", Asked Irene.

"Just an assumption.", Said Jaxith, Irene looked at him in a strange look.

"An assumption? You're not sincere with me, but I'll let it slide this time, Jax.", Said Irene while looking unconvinced, Jaxith just raised his eyes to Irene who noticed that he was looking by the side of his eyes so she averted her face while crossing her arms, she doesn't like it when Jaxith lies.

"But I can't tell her too, what worries me is why especially Duskthorne is the place that he thinks we're going to? We can go to several towns or villages through Akreman forest, that only means he knows that since we passed through Ebonmere from Orstone then we're taking the route to Duskthorne, the only place that Irene will go to after the tragedy in Orstone, the place where Lance stays, what makes me think that Lance is cooperative is the fact that the assassin know the exact place of the hideout, not just that they know that we're going to Duskthorne, an information like that could be obtained from anyone from the thieves guild before killing them, but how did he find them originally? I don't like this feeling.", Thought Jaxith before looking at Irene who was still avoiding to look at him, he just sighed.

"We're moving towards the east now, come on Senka.", Said Jaxith while pulling Senka's bridle gently to change their directions.