Chapter 10 A child's innocence, A nightmare.

*Shakti PoV*

"AUGUST!!!" I tried to stop him from engaging the monsters, but he didn't hear me, I rushed to follow him but somebody grabbed my arm, stopping me from doing so.

I looked back and saw Heracles, Looking at me, I pulled my hand off or at least tried to but found that he was much stronger than me.

Impossible, he shouldn't be able to use his Arcanum, how in the hell is a god overpowering me in strength? he is basically normal right now.

"Let him go." He said, his eyes not moving away from mine.

"He's just a child!" I reasoned with him.

He's an adventurer, a warrior... the moment I gave him his falna, he can no longer be called a child."

I let my mana run rampant as I put more strength in my hand. what kind of reasoning is that? no longer a child? he's fucking six.

but no matter how hard I pull he doesn't seem to be fazed by it. Is his natural strength that much stronger than mine? even using mana to aid me I can't make him budge.

His pressure and his size seems to grow larger as he stared at me, he gaze stoic.

"Just watch. That boy is becoming a man, he needs to do this more than you think." he let go of my hand as his eyes moved towards August. "You can't protect him forever, and he, from what I can see doesn't need your protection."

My eyes moved, looking at the battlefield, I saw August slaughtering the monsters with his spear, with brutal and methodical precision.

He's moving like a vet, a seasoned adventurer who has done it countless of times, like a twirling tempest of death, a violent and deadly dance and any monsters who are caught by it, become mince meat at his spear.

I saw Siegfried that day, that fighting style, a single purpose to kill the enemy before they can touch him, jumping at the fray with no thought of repercussions. The Vanguard.

How? how is he fighting like his father? did he teach him? this line of questioning ran in my mind as I watched August fight the horde.

His spear, absorbing the blood of everything he kills, I can feel it giving him strength. he grows stronger the longer he fights, I can literally see him improving as he goes.

"How?..." I asked the god besides me.

He smiled. "it's rude for an adventurer to ask about this type of stuff missy, but since I'm in a good mood I'll give you a hint." he then pointed at the spear. Beowulf, as it radiates a violent aura.

I shudder looking at him, he is smiling, laughing as he slaughters the horde, a dark aura enveloping him.

I was about to ask for more details, but my eyes caught August moving towards an Orc.

He dashed at a speed a newly born adventurer shouldn't have. How is he this fast, this early in his career as an adventurer.

A kabold jumped in front of him, and with terrifying precision, he moved his spear, a strike from below, hitting the monster in the groin and dissecting it in half, down the middle, a clean slash.

He arrived in front of the orc, as it raised his weapon to slam it down at him, yet fluidly he parried the slash straight towards the ground and countered with a fast stab at the orc's abdomen.

The orc cried in pain, but his attack was too shallow to do a sizable damage to the monster.

He jumped back, as the orc angrily swung his sword towards him. He is dodging everything at a hair width, not wasting any unnecessary movement.

He was grazed by the weapon, drawing blood at his cheeks, my body jolted as I tried to rush in to help him.

"Are you really gonna do that child? are you really gonna take away his moment of glory?" Heracles asks, not taking his eyes away at the boy.

"Moment of glory? he'll get killed if this goes on, he's not strong enough to penetrate the orc's skin." I argued back, and prepared to move.

But moments before I did I saw a kabold broke free from the front line, heading straight towards the god.

it's eyes red in frenzy as his mouth salivates. rushing straight towards him.

But in a blink of an eye, the upper body of the monster vanished, blood splattered all over me as a strong gale assaulted everything around me.

And I saw him, his mace, bloodied. Guts and innards hang on it. it was too fast for me to even see.

A show of strength, of physical dominance. with one strike he stopped me on my tracks as his eyes stared holes in my head.

"The boy will not die." he spoke as he swings his mace to get rid of the blood and flesh stuck on it, he then slammed it at the ground, cracking the earth with its sheer weight. "After all, I chose him."

He returned to watching the boy fight. how can a god have that much power, is he using his Arcanum? I thought every god who descended sealed away their power.

Gods give up most of their abilities when joining the lower world. Other than largely passive abilities and experience from observing for many years, they have the same strength and capability as the average human.

Is his natural strength that strong?

"Just watch the boy, he is much stronger than you think."

I gripped my dagger hard and bit my lips, as I returned to watching the boy dodge the savage slash of the orc.

He then rolled at the side, as the weapon came crashing down the ground. the orc looked at him, its body bending downward as it lifted its weapons up to resume its attack.

But the boy was resourceful, he threw sand at the orc's face, temporarily blinding the thing, he got up quickly, and moved behind it, and with all his strength, he stabbed his spear straight at the orc's nape.

Twisting it in I heard him scream. "HOW DO YOU LIKE THAT YOU FUCKING BITCH!!!" as the orc howled in pain, it tried to reach him from its back, as it moved, August moved along with it carrying him with its struggle, not letting go of his spear.

He was laughing, but I could see him in pain, I wanted to look away but I hardened myself and watched on.

Two monsters rushed towards them, he pulled the spear off, and the orc kneeled in pain, as August confronted the two.

He slid down, dodging the slash of the first one and countering smoothly by stabbing it at its belly, blood gushing towards him.

The other one attempted to stab him, but he was just too fast for them, as he pulled his spear out and spun hitting the goblin at its feet, it fell on its back as August got up quickly, stabbing it at the eye killing it instantly.

But he seems disappointed, I watch him as he continues to kill everything in his sight.

The other adventurers stared at him in awe and shock, as he was laughing maniacally as he was killing. But I can clearly see it in his eyes.

The pain and loneliness.

Heracles is wrong, even with falna, even with his strength unlocked, he is still just a child in pain.

as the monsters started to flee, he started chasing them, wanting to kill more.

he stops as he hears the painful cries of the orc he stabbed earlier.

It was crawling away desperately. he saw it and walked slowly towards it. He then stabbed it at the shoulder and turned it around on its back.

He said something towards it, he then proceeded to pummel it to the ground, its head becoming paste as he swings at it, over and over and over again.

The others looked at him, at the child who had lost his innocence, others looked away at the brutality he was dishing out.

He was laughing, as blood splattered all over him, laughing at his carnage, at the orc that is now twitching. it was long dead, but he was still swinging at it.

"Is this what you want?" I asked the god as he looked at the boy that is clearly in pain. "Are you still gonna stop me?"

"..." The god was silent, yet I can see it in his eyes that he expected this outcome.

I moved, calling his name. his laughter getting louder as I moved closer towards him.

"August." I called him but he didn't hear me

"August enough."

"AUGUST!!!" I grabbed him at his shoulder as I turned him around to see me.

He looked at me, smiling, yet his eyes were crying, tears fell as he hurriedly wiped it away. his face confused as he looked around to find that everyone was focused on him.

He looked back at me, his tears continued to fall and I pulled him in for a hug, whispering in his ears.

"It's over now... everything's fine now..."

it was all that I could think of doing, as I was hugging him I felt his body going limp, he's unconscious, but his hand didn't let go of his spear. He entered mind zero.

I carried him over as I made my way back.

Everyone was staring at the boy as they made way for me.

I saw Heracles in the way as I glared at him, what was he thinking? letting the boy go through all of that. for what? for strength?

And now August is part of his familia, and I can't do anything about it. I don't know what to do, I envision a future that August would face and shake my head at the thought of it.

What would the captain do? I really wish he was here right now.

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*August PoV*

An endless darkness, that was all that I could see, as my body floats around a seemingly endless void.

"Where am I?"

Then in an instant my view changed as I was transported to my home.

my mother is preparing breakfast, as I sit at the table with my family waiting for food to be served.

My big brother Ludwig is playing with my little sister Maya, my Papa looked at them lovingly.

"What is this?" I asked myself out loud.

"This is breakfast August." An answer came from behind as my mama carried over a tray of food. Fried eggs, sausages, and bread.

I stared at her, tears starting to well up.

"Do you not like it dear?" She asked solemnly as she placed the food at the table. "I can make you something if you like."

I shook my head, my heart pounding in my chest. 'how is this possible?' I thought to myself.

"Eat up August... we have a long day ahead." Papa who was serving up his plate spoke, his voice echoed in my ear.

"Is this real?"

"Of course it is dummy." Ludwig answered as he too served himself a plate. "Why wouldn't it be?"

"B-because you're dead."

"Huh? are you still asleep there?" he spoke as he knocked on my head.

This feels real, he touched my head, I felt that.

"Dear are you ok? you don't look too good?" Mama touch also feels real, she placed her hands on my forehead, as I felt the warmth of her touch.

"Of course mom he wouldn't feel well." I looked at Ludwig as he spoke, my eyes opened wide as I saw him, at least a part of him... his head was missing, I could even see bones visible in his body as chunks of his flesh were missing.

"after all." I followed the voice, I can feel my heart beating in my lungs. And I saw it, lifeless eyes, his head at the table where the food was. "He watched us die."

I stood up, as I hurriedly moved back, I looked around only to find that everyone was missing except for my brother's body and his head staring directly at me.

"No... no... NOOO!!!" I screamed as I turned around and ran. but I bumped something and I fell on my back.

"Oh but you did... You didn't do anything." I looked up only to see my mama, multiple stab wounds as blood driped at her eyes and mouth, in his hands a headless baby, missing an arm and both legs.

"You watch us get slaughtered, eaten like livestock... you watch us die." her voice became colder and colder at every word she spoke.

I curled up like a ball, hiding myself from them.

"August..." Then I heard him, my papa's voice.

I slowly looked up, and stared face to face with my papa, an axe deep inside his back, his ribs showing as claw and teeth marks riddled his body, his innards missing from him, his face bitten off.

"No.... NOOO!!! THIS IS A DREAM!!! THIS IS ALL A DREAM!!!"

"but it's real August. you watch us all die." (Ludwig)

"You watch as they rip our flesh off our body." (Mama)

"Pathetic." (Papa.)

"NOOO!!!" I sat up, cold sweat pouring out my body as I breath heavily. It was all a dream.

"You ok boy?" a voice asked as I turned my head to see Heracles, my God stood at the corner.

"I'm fine... it was just a nightmare." I answered as I lay back down. staring at the roof of a tent.

"Hmmm..." he moved closer towards me, picking up a chair as he set it up beside me. "This nightmare... do you get it often?"

"Since my family died."

"Use it. make it a fuel for your strength."

"...."

"But control it. rage can be a weapon, but It can also poison you."

"Why did you choose me?"

"You have a fire in your eyes, the same fire I used to have, a hunger for strength. Let's just say I saw myself in you."

He stood up from his seat, and walked towards the door.

"You rest now boy, you need it after the day that you've been through."

"..."

"Oh and August... you did good out there."

I watched his back as he exited the tent. My mind going back to the nightmare. I clenched my fist hard as I remember the look they gave me in my dreams.

Beowulf vibrated at my side, I reached out towards it as I snugly held the weapon near me.

It gave me warmth and comfort as my eyes slowly drift back into sleep, he was right. I need to rest now as my body feels tired from the fighting.

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Hey guys, that's chapter 10 done, tell me how you like it.

Please leave a comment, a review and feedback so I can improve on writing this fanfic. every little thing helps as it allows me to see your preference on things and would help me write a better fanfic for you all to enjoy.

thanks for picking up this fanfic. hope you guys like it.

good day, love y'all.