46. Was it my fault?

My heart was racing, and the silence around me was suffocating yet my mouth was unable to utter a word to do something about it. I was frozen in a place.

"It's a bad omen"

I looked at the Chief who was now on the ground, eyes darting at the dead body. It wasn't my fault. I wanted to say that out loud but I didn't for fear that their attention would be on me.

The crowd also gathered around the chief, leaving those three beaten-up guys in their place. The loud whispers began circulating and some eyes turned to me.

"I am-" My throat went dry. No word came out.

"Why did this happen? Why?" Chief blurred, he was zoned.

"What have you done?" Miru spoke his forever hateful glare at me. "You outsiders, dare to mess with our rituals?"

Wait what? Outsider. And what does he mean by that? Is he placing me in their group?

"Calm down Young man" the old smith responded.

"Ha! Of course, you are going to side with him. You are also an outsider but why must you poke your noses in our matters!" He shouted at him.

The innkeeper moved forward to calm him down but that bastard kept yapping as he got dragged away.

"We offered life to the holy fire!" Chief mumbled, out loud. "We offered a life!"

Men sent their families on their way, and women and children began leaving the place quietly as if someone had died.

Astride went without bothering to look at me, her mother took her away. Reo followed them, his head down.

"I just wanted to protect-" my words were cut off by an elderly man.

"Who told you to? You are not from our village and you are our lord" he glared at me and then whispered to the youth by his side.

Few people obeyed him as they proceeded to take the shocked chief to his home.

"Did anyone ask for your help?" He continued in a weak voice. "Today you disrespected goddess Luna and that will bring bad luck to us. All because of you!"

The people by his side helped him while he yelled coughing in response.

"He didn't do that on purpose, he is a young child and he did not mean to disrespect any god" Smith tried to reason with him, using his words carefully.

"Don't take his side, you are better than that" He pressed his word down, turning to leave. "Dont take his side, you know better what will come after this"

I stood with Smith as others proceeded to clear the site, there were still many people conversing in the distance.

I remained quiet and startled. I did not expect this to happen, I did not mean to cause any trouble. All I wanted to do was to protect these people.

Was it my fault?

A few people came to us, their eyes had disappointed expressions or maybe scared who knows because I no longer feel the connection that we had a few minutes ago. Everything changed in just a few minutes. I overstepped my boundaries, that's what that old man said before leaving.

They told me to leave in the morning, the sooner the better, this was what Smith told me. I nodded my head and went to my room.

They have every right to say that, after all, who asked for my help? Neither did I have any right to poke my nose in their matters. I am not one of them, I am an outsider.

Fuck it! I packed my belongings and decided to head back at this instant. I don't wanna stay here.

I left the inn and headed in a certain direction before I go I better explain myself to Astride. I don't want her to treat me like the people around the village were treating me, like an outsider.

When I knocked on the door, her mother answered. She told me Astride was asleep, she was sleeping yet I saw a shadow constructed on the wall behind the next room that illuminated with a candle.

She was awake and listening to our conversation.

I nodded my head. "I am leaving but I will wait for a while in the previous place"

Her mother gave me a confused look as I took my leave. She did not understand my message because it wasn't meant for her. It was for her daughter, I thought maybe just maybe... she was afraid to come here and talk to me in front of her family. She was in a tight spot so I just left a message for her. To meet me where we were before the incident.

I desperately needed someone to talk with and I hoped she would be there, for me. On my way out of the village, Jamia greeted me with a weak smile. She looked in a hurry but waited for me as if she knew I would be leaving at this hour.

"Are you ok?" she asked.

I nodded my head for a longer duration... No words came.

"You do not have to explain yourself, I know" She whispered. "Just be careful with your journey back home and don't worry everything will be ok

Will really? I doubt her words. They looked pretty angry.

I gave her an ineffective smile, sending her her way...

I took the path back to my home, keeping my eyes focused on the route and ignoring the raging emotions inside me. Astride never came, I waited for nearly two hours but she never came. Just like all the people inside the village, she believed I brought the so-called Bad omen. I was the bad omen.

Those ungrateful fucks! What will happen huh? Would the goddess ask for more lives? Is she even alive? Let alone using her fucking magic in the world. To curse them.

Those assholes blamed it all on me. Like I did all that and I was the reason why it all happened. Do those fuckers even know what I had done for them? If I had not killed those bandits in the tomb they would have been wiped out.

Ignorant fucks!

Yet again, they will never know because I took care of them before the disaster took place. The great fucking Noah Stone helped the villagers. He chose to be a hero and this is what he got in return. Blame.

I never realized when I reached the hut, that it looked more tangible than before after all we mended it ourselves. Me and Gramps, a family. It was noon already while I walked without taking a break, lost in my thoughts.

There was a stinging pain in my toes and calf areas, The redness was all over my pale feet as if something painted it from the inside. I was tired but above all, I was pissed at everything.

The next two days went by just like an ever-flowing river, I never spoke to Gramps. Not about that incident or even about anything at all, I spent those heavy days as a mute person.

I was afraid that he would also blame me for it, after all, he was also the person born into this world. He believed in gods, the god of treasury and the moon.

He was worried but knew better when my mood goes down I hardly talk. He gave me some time and I greatly appreciated it.

The event was recited over and over again in my mind, like a thorn inside my feet.

I was copped up in a hut when the old man finally left for the Stormfront. He told me he was going for personal business, and although I knew what business he was talking about I kept quiet.

He will soon find out the reason and maybe at that time, we won't be the same. The single thought of the future made an extreme uneasiness in my heart.

The day eventually came, and he returned from the village looking beat, and tired. He was not happy but neither said anything for a while as if holding himself back.

He placed his luggage down where mine was settled, a bedroll that I had brought him from my journey.

I stayed silent, pretending to cook something in the pot full of soup. My palms were sweaty and my hands shook.

He will not say get out right? I had even brought him delicious food from the festival.

I heard his footsteps behind me approaching me and stopped. He was right behind me but I lacked the courage to look at him.

All this time he sheltered me and took care of me and I let him down. I ruined his image among the villagers.

"Don't show me your back, young man" He spoke weakly. With hesitant movements, I turn to him.

A tiny-looking old man hugged me with no words and no demand, just a hug.

At that moment all the emotions that compiled inside me burst out in the form of tears. I cried for the first time since I came here to this unknown world. I cried like a little child.

He rubbed my back, "I am proud of you my grandson"

I returned his hug, I was so glad that I had someone to call family. A gift of a family that I had not received even in my previous life. This time I got it as a grandfather. He was my grandfather.