Zahad

Zahad's POV

Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think of reaching this level, gaining such talent, receiving high regards. Being looked at with awe and reverence. It wasn't always like this.

I was born into nobility. My Dad was a Baron in the Lane province. My mother, the baroness was also from a neighbouring barony. Our status was that of low nobility. Regardless, we were happy. Dad's business was doing well, I had good grades in school. Even though I wasn't attending the school at the imperial capital, I still felt okay.

My parents were both fire mages strong and adept at casting fire spells. I could say my mom was almost or even stronger than my Dad, she once told me that if she hadn't gotten married to my father, she would have been an officer in the army. My Dad was a businessman. He met my mother while conducting transactions with her family and fell in love with her. He courted her for a few years, then they eventually got married and had me.

Everything came crashing down on the day Dad brought a woman home, I was ten years old at that time. He introduced her to us as Diana, his second wife. She was a woman with black eyes and tanned skin. To me, she looked evil.

My mom flipped out immediately, attacking the woman with a spell, attempting to burn her to ash. My father didn't stop them, he stood aside as he watched Diana douse the attack with a spell of her own. She hit my mother with a mental attack, causing her to fall on her knees. That was the first time I saw a dark mage.

I went in front my mother, to shield her from the attacks. I was afraid, more than that, I was angry. My mom hugged me from behind and stopped the fight. Diana's attacks also ceased. From that moment on my family changed.

My mom was moved to a separate room in the house. Diana took over all the responsibilities and the position of baroness, Dad became as docile as a rabbit. We couldn't do anything. We tried though, but all our efforts fell through.

Mom said Diana charmed Dad using her dark magic. I believed her, but no one else did. There was no evidence, my Dad could still speak and function as a human being.

For the next few years we lived like strangers in our house. If not for mother's strength, the servants wouldn't have shown us any respect. Diana was in control of almost everything, this situation continued for the next two years.

A day before I turned twelve, the house was in a state of turmoil. Knolls were planning to invade, already starting to attack the border of the Lane province.

Worst of all, our barony is the closest to the border. Making us completely vulnerable if the soldiers at the border couldn't hold them off.

My Dad and his second wife, Diana decided it was best for them to escape. Taking all their precious belongings, leaving me and mom to face the attacks on our own.

Mom chose to head south, to the Iyun province, our relatives were based in another city, in this region, but we didn't know if the attacks could reach there too.

Mom took a pouch filled with coins. It was her savings. She took me with her and rode on horseback till nightfall. Fortunately for us, we didn't see any signs of the knolls on our path. Mom was a bit surprised, nonetheless happy.

"Zahad"

"Yes mom?"

"It will be fine, I'll make sure we get there in one piece." She said trying to assure me.

"The knolls didn't see us, so we'll be fine." I replied.

"Of course and I'm sorry Zahad."

"For what?"

"You have suffered a lot, yet you still hold a smile on your face. You are reason I'm still living. Now we're free from that man. The hard part is over. We just need to reach the borderlands and it will be safe travels from there." She said rubbing my cheek, then patting.

At night, creating a makeshift tent using some sticks with strong clothes, we slept in the bushes. I woke up at night to sounds of commotion. We were surrounded on all sides by about five bandits, and mom was engaged in combat against them. I knew she could take them all on single-handed but was holding back, because I was there.

The bandits fought recklessly, making sure to target me. However, I was protected, she countered the attacks, and anyone she couldn't counter she bore the brunt with her body. Amongst the bandits, there were two earth mages and fire mages, the one who looked like the leader was a dark mage. He commanded them on where to attack from.

They continued to bombard mom with attacks, I couldn't do anything, I knew that if I stood up or moved then she would set her attention on me and get hurt more. So, I could only sit there, tears dropping from my eyes. Feeling angry and pained.

As time went on, mom was getting weaker, her mana levels were going low. It's not easy going against five mages even if she was stronger than them. The leader seemed to notice as he ordered one of his underlings to attack more closely.

It turned out to be a big mistake, she feigned weakness to lower their guard. Mom ended up burning two mages to death with her attacks, launching a spell powerful enough to envelope three of the mages, killing two and fatally injuring one.

The leader was livid with anger, only he and an earth mage remained. This time mom was actually weak, the last attack sapped up most of her mana if not all.

The leader began to bombard her with attacks, she made a last ditch effort to wound the earth mage putting him out of commission. But the price she paid was no small one, having cuts and bruises, bleeding all over. She still withstood the attacks against the dark mage.

I felt like I needed to do something. Now that the number of bandits had dwindled, I could act before they hurt mom any further. I took a knife from the bag where I slept.

Mom kept taking the brunt of the attacks, whilst moving forward, pushing him away from my location and casting minor defense spells. I tip-toed, thinking of how I could sneak up on the mage until...

"Zahad no!"

"Hehe!" I heard an eerie sound almost like a laugh.

The mage fighting with mom was now in front of me, about to launch an attack. I thought I would die.

Boom!

Mom stood in front of me. I saw her back filled with wounds all for my sake. At that point everything turned slow. I couldn't breathe, I couldn't hear anything. The anger I bottled up, overwhelmed me.

"No!!"

I flung the knife in my hands, it went through his eye, piercing his skull in the process. I ran, climbing his body, he stumbled and ended up falling.

I removed the knife lodged in his eye, and with both hands, I stabbed him in the other eye. I stabbed his throat, his cheek, anywhere I could. I kept stabbing till I heard mom call out my name.

I turned around, the rest of the bandits, even the ones that had been injured were dead. It was only me and mom.

I dropped the knife, rushing straight to her.

"Mom?."

"Zahad, my boy...my dear boy."

"Mom, no...please." I held her in my arms as I pleaded for a miracle.

"I'm sorry, I won't accompany you.." She couldn't complete the sentence as she coughed out blood. Her eyes bloodshot. I didn't how hard she was clinging onto life.

She rubbed my cheek, smiling. I didn't utter a word. My heart was in pains, the only person I had left in this world, was going to leave me today.

"I may not cross the border with you but... I'll always be with you. Right here..." She said, pointing at my chest. Her face had a peaceful smile, as she drew her last breath.

I didn't move, I don't know how long I stayed that way. Tears dropped freely from my eyes.

***

I dug a grave using an item I got from the bandits. It was hard, but I just kept digging. The grave wasn't deep. I was still a small boy so I didn't know if it would be shallow or deep.

I raised my head up, realizing the night was gone, morning had come. I wrapped her up in a big piece of cloth and put her in the ground. I cleaned myself up with water and some rags. Not doing anything to the dead bandits. I left them there to rot.

I took one last glance at the grave, and looked up. Today was my birthday and also the day I buried my mother.