12 Chapter 11 - The Man of Today

The horses were exhausted from the hard riding, but the riders urged them on. The forest stretched forever through the dark sky. The shadows extended across the ground further than the strides of the horses, giving off an eerie feel. There was a slight chill in the air that showed the faint mist of everyone's breath as the peddled faster and faster to the city, ready to embrace their women.

The forest opened up to the village finally. The light was bright enough that the riders had to shield their eyes and allow them to adjust before removing their arms. The horses began to act out and whinny as well.

"Fire!" The blonde guy yelled.

The tavern that they had pulled their bounty from preciously was no more. There wasn't a spot on or within the entire building that wasn't being devoured by the ravenous flame. Screaming was heard all around from around them. As the guys recollected their thoughts, they observed the scene and noticed people fighting in the streets. The clothes of the assailants shone in the firelight and the symbol on the back looked like a dragon that was encircling itself, appearing to be biting itself as it looped around a mountain at its the center. This crest was from a group of mercenaries led by Rodrick Frentrel.

"TO YOUR WOMEN!" Shuien yelled. The men didn't hesitate and turned their horses and split in all different directions.

Shuien knew what this was about - the bounty he had collected a few months prior. Pulling his sword from its sheath, the sound on metal against metal clashed as Shuien slammed the pommel of his sword against the back of a mans helmet as he ran by, knocking him out cold. The man he was engaged with scurried away, grabbing his child that stood next to him as he did so.

Continuing onward, a slight wave of relief spread across his face as his house came into view. There appeared to be no fire, and the fire appeared to be out. "Surely she heard the commotion and managed to hide," he thought to himself. However, as he got closer to the house, the outline of three horses came into view that had been tied off to a tree just outside of his house. Pulling his white gelding to a halt, he quickly hopped off and grab a torch that was on the ground several feet away from him, next to the elderly neighbors body that laid lifeless. Once he made it to the door, he lowered his shoulder and slammed it into the door.

It didnt budge.

"ROSELLE!" Shuien screamed to the top of his lungs, both anguish and fury in his voice.

Lowering his shoulder one more time, he slammed it into the door once again. The door caved in the center, but only slightly.

SLAM!

"ROSELLE!"

SLAM!

SLAM! *CRUNCH*

Seeing stars in his vision, Shuien was sure his shoulder was dislocated from the impact. Grabbing his torch again with his good hand, he dashed inside. As the light from his torch merged with the single torch that was lit in the center of the room, he noticed three men standing in the room. Two of them seemed to be chuckling and the third had his belt undone and was on his knees. Two legs protuded from either side of his body - feminine legs. Shuiens blood ran cold and his heart stopped in his chest.

Upon hearing the intrusion, and seeing the light from the other torch, the two standing men turned to face Shuien, drawing their swords. The man that was on the ground grunted, then stood up, shoving his rod back into his pants and fastening his breeches with a smile across his face as he too turned to Shuien. The closest two men were a smaller stature but seemed to have seen their share of combat. Their armor was scarred and their knuckles were calloused. The man that was further away was significantly bigger and had a scar - or burn, it was hard to distinguish, that spread from his left check to the bottom of his chin.

"Not bad.. not bad if do say so myself." The guy at the back said as he reached down and pulled Roselle back to her knees. Her right eye was swollen almost completely closed and she appeared to be sobbing, but no tears came out, as though she was already out. Her clothes were in tatters as well, exposing her breast out of the rips within the shirt. She slowly crawled the a bundle of rags in the floor. As she lifted them, the light began to flicker off them and there seemed to be blood smothered over the rags. Renewed tears began to flow from the mothers eyes again. Her face twisted as sorrow smeared across it, at this sight, Shuien knew.

"no..no..no..no...!" Shuien dropped to his knees and his face immediately began to swell as tears began running down his face. His son.. his only son.. He eyed the bundle of rags and his wife as he tried to process what had transpired.

"Don't you worry. The baby I put in that tasty piece you have there should be sufficient to replace the sad excuse of a son that you had," the man said. Obviously from the way he spoke, he was their leader. He had a sense of authority that the other individuals seemed to be lacking. Ignoring the words, the grieving husband pulled himself back to his feet and staggered over to his wife. He knelt down next to her and lifted his good arm to embrace her.

*POW!*

Red and yellow flashed across Shuiens vision.

"STOP IT!"

The screams of his wife seemed so far away and the same colors flashed across his vision over and over. After a few seconds, his vision returned to black and the same flickering torchlight within the room. Sitting himself up, he looked around. His wife wasn't next to him anymore. Looking up further, Roselle had a knife in here hand and was standing over her husband, protecting him from anymore harm as he picked up the bloody bundle of rags. Shuien nestled his head into them as he began to sob.

"Answer me this. What is the cost of taking a loved one from someones life?" Rodrick stepped towards Roselle as he said this, keeping his eyes locked on Shuien. "You didn't think you could kill my son and everything seem fair, did you? He was meant to take my place when I decided to hang up the sword, but you had to go and fix that, didn't you? So lets see how you appreciate the gesture."

The leader didn't hesitate as he finished his sentence and motioned his men towards Roselle. She screamed and Shuien went to stand up with his wife. However; as he went to draw his sword, he dropped it due to his injured shoulder. Roselle stepped up and manage to make contact with her knife in the stomach of one of the grunts, although the wound didn't seem very deep. Finally having enough, Fentrel stepped forward again and grabbed Roselle. Without a moments hesitation, he placed his blade to her throat and slide it across her neck, from ear to ear. Her body began to shake as the blade ran across and blood coated the dagger. Once the knife cleared her throat, Rodrick dropped her to the floor. All you could hear in the room was gurgling as she was choking. She wasn't dead immediately, as Rodick meant for her to suffer.

"FUCK YOU!" Shuien yelled. Ignoring any pain he felt prior, he grabbed the nearby torch, he bolted up and slammed the flame into the face of the closest man, causing him to scream as the flame seared his face.

"AGGGGGHHHHH!"

Plowing his injured shoulder into the guy and pulling the sword from his hand before he fell, the master spun to the next smaller man and shoved the point of the sword straight through the eye hole of his helmet, hard enough for the sword the protrude from the back of his helmet. The impact from the first lackey had popped his shoulder back into place and as tears still coated his cheeks, he turned to face Rodrick. Shuien now only had his fists as he had lodged the sword to deep into the last man. Rodrick already had his sword drawn and lunged at the weaponless Shuien. Staring into Rodricks eyes, Shuien grabbed the blade with his bare hands, splattering blood across the floor and on his face. The blade didn't budge however.

Shuien stepped forward and connected his hardened fist to the nose of the leader, smashing it flat against his face. The leader yelled and grabbed his face, releasing his sword in the process. Shuien cast the sword aside and stepped towards Rodrick yet again, kicking him to the ground and climbing on top of him.

Left.

Right.

Left.

Right.

Again.

Again.

The master continued to bloody his knuckles against Rodricks face, screaming the whole while.

"ROSELLE!"

The anguish in his voice was enough to rattle and chill the bones of even the darkest souls. His anger led his fists as the continued. After leaving his face unrecognizable, Shuien grabbed the dagger that was used on his wife. He lifted the blade to Rodricks neck and very slowly slid it through the flesh yelling the whole time "BASTARD," and then leaving it embedded into his throat. He gained no satisfaction as he watched the man gargle on his own blood, for he had already lost what was most precious to him.

Crawling off of his oppenent, he made his way to his wife. Slowly lifting her, he cradled her to his chest like a baby. He smiled softly at her and looked into her barely coherent eyes, "I'm here.. I'm here.." he whispered as he pulled her hair from his face. He could feel the life leaving her as the gasping for breath began to grow fainter and fainter. He reached over and grabbed the bloody rags that was his child and placed the infant on his beloved's chest, embracing them both.

"I love you." He said over and over again, brushing her face and staring into her eyes deeply, not being able to stop the tears that flowed from his cheeks. He leaned down and kissed her forehead occasionally, and other times he shuddered as another wave of tears ripped at his heart, however; he never let her go and never stopped talking to her. He tried to recount a couple of heartwarming tales with her to ease her passing. Then he moved on to the birth of their child as he leaned in to kiss the bundle of bloody rags, still sobbing.

She knew she was loved. As Roselle accepted what was happening, she reached up and placed her fingers on Shuiens cheek, just very slightly. He gazed back into her eyes and she gazed back into his. Her blue eyes still seemed as hopeful as ever in his mind as he gazed into her oceans. Although no sound came out, Shuien was able to read her lips as she spoke..

"Ich liebe dich..." as the life left her body finally, leaving a loving husband and now a hollow shell behind.

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