Chapter 10

Alone in a large room. A fire burns in the fireplace. Smoke makes the air hard to breathe. Footsteps are charging around the door. He can see archers at the door aiming at him.

The fire crackles. He moves.

In an instant, the arrows are loosed but they bounce off his aura. As he makes it out of the door two swords come down from either side aiming for his neck.

His aura flared. The swords bounce back.

Kerchek! Crack!

He jumps. Spinning beautifully he sending a lethal back kick crushing a mans head. With the remaining momentum he twists his hips and sends another kick breaking the other archers neck.

The two swordsman whose hands are still vibrating painfully strike once more. Gerrod drops so low to the ground one would think he's a carpet. The swords miss. He rises up like a coiling dragon.

Crack! BOOM!

He instantly kills one man with a vicious elbow to the lower part of his helmet ringing his head all kinds of way but gently.

The other man was not so lucky. Gerrod's fist slammed into his chestplate leaving a dent as he flew back slamming into the others packed into the hallways.

They're getting up hastily. Pushing one another to stand up. Using this moment Gerrod picked up a sword near him and began cutting down those with no armor left off balance from the flying man.

In a breath three lives are taken. In another two more go.

The hallway that was once packed with people is now a scene from hell save for a single bloodstained man. A long sword held tightly in hand he walks deeper into the mansion leaving a trail of bodies in his wake.

Outside.

Cellar doors. Redhead cracks the lock open using a dagger from his pack.

It's rusty and easily breaks under Redheads pressure.

The crew around him are wary and two boys stay outside while Redhead goes inside to investigate.

The further down he goes the more damp and dreary the scenery becomes. The smell of feces and rot is heavy. Redhead feels a bad premonition as he continued walking.

He arrives at the bottom and freezes. A nightmarish aura has him pinned. It feels familiar. He looks around and finds Gerrod standing sharp-eyed.

"You want the kids safe? Kill yourself. It's simple." A big man. The holder of the voice and aura before is holding a weak child.

Gerrod's veins popped all over his body. He gripped the longsword tighter. His aura spiking further to the point that the bigman was being overpowered.

He held the child tighter. Gerrod's aura weakened.

He smirked, "See. That's the problem with heroes. They're too easy. Now stop wasting my time or I'll kill this child!"

Gerrod felt something snap and his aura shot through the roof. Redhead blinked. Gerrod vanished.

He swung his longsword down swiftly at the bigman.

He smirked and moved the child into the path of the sword. Gerrod let go of the sword and the bigman grinned, "Letting go of your weapon? Fool!"

He threw the child hard at the wall. It fell limp.

The big man slapped down with both hands.

Redhead rushed past Gerrod and went to the child, "He's alive!"

"No for long!" The bigman shouted as his slap landed.

Crack!

His face paled. A nightmare enveloped him. He was back home. Daray welcomed him back as a hero.

He arrived at this home and met his wife and child. But then his hands turned red with blood. Everything flashed. His children were screaming as he tore them limb from limb. His wifes flesh smeared around his mouth.

He tasted blood. He screamed.

His eyes rolled back frothing from the mouth and he fell unconscious. Gerrod's face was emotionless as he looked at the man.

'So this is my ability. The defense technique is just that, a technique. But this. This is my ability. Night Tale.' Gerrod thought coldly.

In that moment as the slaps were about to land and he saw the child go limp his rage had reached a new low. A new undiscovered level of violence.

His aura burst from the formation and coiled around the man's shadow. Seeping into his soul he found out small fragments about the man, like his name. Hurial. And his wife and kids whom died in a revolt many years ago.

He saw those small bits of information. And he crushed him from the inside using it.

Instinctually, his aura coiled around the man's own, overpowering it and entering his shadow.

Gerrod stood looking at Hurial whilst contemplating this new ability with not an emotion to be seen.

Redhead was frozen stiff. Terror had leaked into every part of his body. 'He took out that man who was so much larger just by looking at him ...what kind of monster have I gotten myself involved with?'

"Treat him. I'm clearing out the rest of this mansion." Gerrod was eager to test his new ability, Night Tale. He left without waiting for a reply.

Redhead stared at his departing back feeling a new emotion. Something he'd never felt before.

'He is my master.'

As Gerrod arrived upstairs he found Blackhair, Shakylegs and Weirdiris had all gathered several young children as well as adults.

"Are you here to rescue us...?" A brave woman stepped forward tremblingly. Her eyes showed suspicion but her voice invoked hope.

Nod.

Some fell back. Some silently cried. Some simply froze. When the tension left their bodies nothing could be predicted.

"I am Gerrod Thom Dradir, Shokan's Right Hand. I made a deal with Count Locost that I would save his grandchild as well as all the other noble children. In exchange, he swore that all of those saved would-"

"I understand. I will swear loyalty to the Right Hand!" A young man who'd fallen first crawled forward and took a knee, "I am Rayl Locost, his grandchild. I swear to support you. Gerrod T. Dradir, from this day forward!"

Gerrod looked at him expressionlessly, "All those saved would be returned to their homes and convince their parents to support Shokan. Food and necessary supplies will be sent to the lords here in the north as well as aid."

Rayl's face went red with shame. But instead of backing off, he doubled down, "Even so! I swear my loyalty! The Locost Countdom will be your greatest backer!"

Gerrod smirked and looked to the other children, "Gather your things and lead my men around to find any and all supplies."

"Yes, General." Rayl stood up as fast as he could and looked around.

Blackhair raised his arm and his squad followed Rayl upstairs while Weirdiris and Shakylegs when around the rest of the mansion with the other prisoners and found as much as possible.

The first thing they found however was the way Gerrod had come through. They knew he had come this way because of the bodies left in his path. No one else could have done it.

Redhead came up from the cellar with the child in his arms. Using the medical supplies in his pack he had mostly bandaged the child up.

Sitting in the side room near the door Gerrod looked at the fireplace whilst taking a sip of wine.

His suit which was covered in blood had already expunged it all. No stain was left. Not even an inclining that battle had occurred at all.

"This..." A noble child from the side went wide-eyed along with several others, "...the prince..."

He fell to his knees crying, "The prince is alive! Tenli can still come back!"

Gerrod glanced over expressionlessly, "That bandaged child might not even survive so don't get too excited."

"Prince!" They kneeled all around and Gerrod felt even more exasperated.

"Listen, stop making so much noise will y-"

"I am not longer a prince." Redhead suddenly said coldly.

Gerrods head flicked around so fast he felt it might just twist off.

"But! What about Tenli?! What about our lineage, history? Will you really just let it all go to the dogs!" He pleaded.

Gerrod felt like his whole world had just flipped, 'This brat is a prince? And he hid that from me?'

Redhead caught his look and bowed, "Master, I'm sorry for not telling you. I didn't wish to assume the position of prince or heir so I tried to keep it hidden."

Gerrod froze but then sighed, "Come here."

Redhead shook.

"Please! Be lenient!" The nobles watching all felt terror imagining the worst.

Gerrod ignored them. Raising a stiff hand he struck Redhead.

Whack!

"Owwww!!!" Redhead fell to the ground but didn't drop the child in his arms. He couldn't even rub his head.

"Don't keep secrets from your Master." Gerrod suddenly felt very strange, 'Did I just call myself his master? I'm not his master. I'm just ...I was just- Haaa... I got taken along by the flow, christ.'

"Ye..s.." He placed the child on the ground and rubbed his head. Despite the pain, one could still hear the confused happiness in his voice.

Gerrod sighed at the headache that was Redhead.

The noble scions sighed in relief.

Blackhair and Rayl arrived with everyone precisely after this.

"What happened?" Blackhair walked in casually with Weirdiris and Shakylegs.

"He's a prince." Gerrod casually pointed at Redhead who was still rubbing his head.

Blackhair felt his stomach drop. Weirdiris nodded strangely. Shakylegs shook his legs.

"You're a prince...?" Weirdiris questioned seriously.

"Y-yea, sorry for hiding it." Redhead said apologetically.

Weirdiris smiled grandly and walked to him.

Redhead smiled back feeling the gentility coming off Weirdiris.

WHACK!

"OWWW!!!!" Weirdiris backhanded Redhead powerfully upside the back of his head causing the nobles to gasp.

"Don't hide that kind of stuff from your friends!" He bent down and helped apply some medicine to where he struck.

Redhead was still dazed and in pain when Blackhair came over and hit the top of his head.

Even Shakylegs walked over and kicked him albeit lightly.

Gerrod watched all of this stoically, 'The more friends you have, the more people you will have to answer too when you lie, let this be a lesson.'

He then looked at the rest of the crew but they felt uncomfortable. None of them were as close to Redhead as the trio was and so they didn't approach or say much.

Gerrod sighed internally.

"Rayl help set everyone up in the mansion, we are staying the night." He stood up slowly his butler outfit glistening against the firelight, "Redhead, Shakylegs, Blackhair and Weirdiris, come with me to the basement."