16. A Coward
Castus was silent for the rest of the night. Dinner passed quickly and he retired to his room without so much as a word. Veronica, with concern, asked a number of times if Castus was ok. He nodded silently and pushed past her. Once he made it in his room he sat in contemplation for a long time before he heard a light knock and the door creak open slightly.
Veronica walked into the room carefully and sat next to Castus. As much as Castus wanted to be alone he accepted her presence. It hurt Castus deep down to admit it, but after being thrown into this world he had come to accept Veronica as a mother. He had never truly accepted Tyrus, but Veronica and his two twin sisters really felt like family to Castus. Veronica laid a gentle hand on Castus' own hand. She leaned down and met Castus' downcast face. 'Her face has barely changed since the first time I met her.' Castus thought. Veronica took a step to break the silence.
"Ben told us what he had you do today. Tyrus approved it, but they never told me what was happening. Ben never should have used goblins. Tyrus is furious with him. They were supposed to be dire wolves from the forest, but Ben wanted to steel you. I promise that I would have never let you train with Ben if I knew he was going to hurt you like this." A soft half smile was on Veronica's face. It eased the pain Castus was carrying.
Castus looked into his mothers eyes and smiled. "It's ok mom, I'll be alright." Veronica nodded wordlessly and stood to leave. She stopped in the door frame. "If you need to talk to someone, I'll be up late tonight." She then left. While her visit was brief, it made Castus smile a bit. She was always so kind. Laying down in bed Castus tried to drift away to sleep. Every time he closed his eyes he would see the terrified expressions of the goblins. It was like they were painted on the inside of his eyelids. Opening and closing his eyes seemed to blur the picture, but over time it would refocus jolting Castus awake again.
On what felt like the eighth time Castus had been jolted awake he thought he saw movement outside his window. The same as what he saw months ago. Castus was too tired to consider what it meant and tried to fall asleep again when a flash of light broke through his tired mindset. His senses returned with the fading of the light from the flash. The first thing he noticed was the smell. Fire, thick and smokey. Castus jumped up from his bed and ran to the hallway where he heard shouting. The voice belonged to Yursa and for the first time, Castus realized why Yursa didn't talk much. She spoke like a drunken sailor raging at a sea creature.
"You whore! You murderer! I knew you were less than trash the second you entered this home. Your soul is so rotten you'd open your legs for a fucken copper!" Castus stared in awe at a furious Yursa as she reached behind herself and threw a fire iron like a spear towards someone else around the corner.
There was a loud crash and smoke billowed out of the room. Emerging from the smoke was a bleeding, but clearly different Anabelle. Her face was no longer that cheery happy face and she walked with measured paces towards Yursa. "Yursa, stand aside. You can still leave and I'll pretend we never saw you." Anabelle's calm and the context of the words chilled Castus. Yursa turned slightly spotting Castus. Her face went ashen. "Castus! Run! I'll hold her off. You need to get out of here." Yursa then positioned herself in a defensive posture in the hall, blocking Anabelle from Castus.
It words registered in Castus' brain and he scrambled to flee. Tripping over himself as he tried to move away from Yursa as fast as he could. He ran into the kitchen where to saw Ben with his back to him. Feeling relief Castus called out. "Ben! You've got to help..." His words trailed off as Ben turned around. Behind Ben, Castus saw Reid slumped against the wall. His guts disemboweled from his body. Horror gripped Castus. The reality of the situation was easy to see, but to Castus it was impossible. Anabelle and Ben had betrayed his family and killed Reid. Possibly his father and mother at this point. It was a difficult reality to accept. Castus had spent the entirety of his new life in peace and safety. Sure, he knew he had to get stronger to defend himself, but that danger was outside the walls of his home and years away from being real. It couldn't possibly in his home now. Right?
Ben was standing tall looked the same as always. That glowing smile and happy face, but to Castus it was a face of death itself. Castus' legs trembled at the sight. His very core shook with fear as he willed himself to move. At least a step towards the door, but he was frozen in place. Ben took a slow step towards Castus with his favorite weapon the saber drawn. Castus always believed he would be strong in the face of danger, but the lesson this morning and feelings running through him now told him the truth.
'I am a coward.' Castus came to the realization.
Castus had seen the status screen of Ben briefly, but he had never seen someone of Ben's caliber actually move with any sincerity. For a moment he believed that maybe if he could turn and run, he could escape and get some kind of authority, but his ideas were nothing but fantasies. As Castus let the fear take hold and he finally made a move, Ben took another step then disappeared. Then Castus' world went black.
Surprisingly he didn't think of death as he had his first time. His mind went to that flash of light in his bedroom. 'What was that flash of light?' Castus thought to himself as his consciousness slipped out from under him.