7

Chapter 7

Marc Falone POV.

There weren't very many people wandering around the streets of the small village they called home, Marc realized. As they continued walking, the couple saw a few familiar faces from other towns passing by. There was a young man wearing a purple cloak who had a smile on his face as he waved his hand at the two women. There was also a short blond girl with an overly enthusiastic smile who was waving her fists in the air as she walked past with a redheaded boy who appeared to be dragging her along. The couple noticed the young blond boy's companions as well as they went by, but they didn't seem to pay any particular attention to them. Perhaps it was because Marc was wearing the same clothing as them or maybe because the group consisted mostly of boys. Either way, it didn't matter as long as he didn't attract any attention. Once he and Marc turned another corner in the path, Marc saw that a small wooden building could be seen ahead of them.

'It'll be perfect,' he thought.

'No need to worry about the noise when we sneak into the house. I can just set things on fire while we're there.'

He was almost sure that he would make it undetected since none of the guards stationed outside would see him coming. And he had the chance to make things right between him and those bastards once and for all. Maybe it was wrong of him, but Marc was willing to sacrifice himself for the sake of the village and he wanted to show everyone that he was capable. He was ready.

The trio approached the building that had to be a stable for the horses and mules. It had its entrance on the side of a building, which led to the storage space of the stable. A few of the animals were standing inside with their owner nowhere to be found. Marc took some matches out of his pocket and lit one, preparing to light the torch he carried inside the building while the other two ran to hide behind the corner. When it was time to light the match, Marc stopped breathing for a moment, waiting for someone to come around. Nothing happened. So, Marc slowly exhaled and held the flame steady, illuminating the dark interior of the stable. In front of him was a massive horse, looking as if it belonged in the circus.

"Hey buddy! You here to take a rest, huh? I'm sure you don't feel too well today. You need to sleep it off, so if you want some food, go inside that box over there! You might enjoy it. If you don't like it though, there will be lots of other tasty things that won't hurt your stomach! Come on buddy, go for it, open it wide!" he spoke loudly, trying his best to get the animal's attention.

As expected, the animal remained still as ever.

Marc sighed deeply.

"You know what? Forget it. There's no point in me keeping talking to you. No one wants to hear my stupid voice anyway." He turned around and started making his way back to the main street, muttering under his breath the whole way.

Just then, a loud neigh sounded next to him. The sudden noise made Marc jump. He hadn't heard anything in the quietness of the night and hadn't expected something unexpected in the middle of the village at all. Turning around, he looked at the horse curiously. It had moved closer to him without making any noise and was staring intently at him. Marc frowned. Was it trying to talk to him? But before he could move closer to it, a hand wrapped around his arm and pulled him away from the animal. Before he could understand what was happening, Marc felt a sharp pain piercing his body and fell to the ground, unconscious.

As he regained his consciousness, he saw someone leaning over him.