Chapter 12 Turning into a Man

Leave her ALONE!" Aerovind screamed, rushing towards them with a pitchfork raised high.

The soldiers laughed mockingly and swatted him aside, sending him flying into the dirt. One of them stepped forward and drew his sword, pointing it menacingly at Aerovind.

"Stay back, peasant," he sneered. "Or you'll meet your ancestors in the stars."

Aerovind gritted his teeth and yelled, "Return my sister to me!" He tightened his grip on the pitchfork and stood in the path of the advancing soldiers.

The soldiers exchanged glances, hesitant to harm a defenseless boy. But their hesitation was short-lived as their leader barked, "Destroy the brat!"

In an instant, Aerovind found himself surrounded by swords and daggers, his only weapon useless against such force.

They beat him mercilessly, laughing as he crumpled to the ground, their boots stamping on his ribs and back. Even when he could no longer move, they continued to rain blows upon him, leaving him battered and bloody.

The leader of the group reached out to mount the horse, but a small hand grabbed his foot with surprising strength.

The young boy, Aerovind, lay on the ground, covered in his own blood, still gasping for air. With shaky hands, he mustered the strength to speak through the pain and whispered, "T-tell me your name."

The leader of the group paused, taken aback by the boy's defiance even in his weakened state. He looked down at Aerovind, his heart filled with contempt.

"My name is Lord Blackthorn, boy," he snarled.

Aerovind tightened his grip around Blackthorn's ankle. "Then I must promise you one thing," he wheezed.

"What's that, brat?" Lord Blackthorn sneered.

With a determined glare, Aerovind mustered all of his strength and spoke through gritted teeth.

"I promise you this one thing - that you will suffer a fate far worse than death for what you've done on this day."

The intensity in his words sent chills down everyone's spine as they witnessed the burning fire within the young boy's soul.

Lord Blackthorn watched the boy with an inquisitive look on his face. Without warning, he raised his foot and forcefully stomped it down on Aerovind's face. "I will hold you to your promise," he declared.

The sound of crunching bones filled the air as Lord Blackthorn's boot connected with the already battered body of Aerovind, who let out a muffled scream before succumbing to the inky embrace of unconsciousness. 

The soldiers laughed cruelly and mounted their steeds, riding off into the distance with Aerovind's sister still bound and terrified. 

"Why didn't you end his life, Lord Blackthorn?" Eldrin, the red-haired second in command, broke the silence.

Lord Blackthorn, turned slowly to face him. His eyes were weary pools of sorrow. "Eldrin," he began in a voice that echoed with regret and pain, "my hands are already stained too deeply with the blood of others.

"It's a burden I despise...a life I've grown to Hate." He paused, his gaze dropping to the ground as if it was too heavy to hold up any longer.

"I wish I had the courage...the courage to put an end to this life," he continued his voice barely above a whisper now. "But I am not brave enough.

That boy we encountered today...he was innocent. All he wanted was to protect those dear to him."

He lifted his gaze once more and there was something new in his eyes self-loathing perhaps or maybe remorse as he added softly, "In our quest to serve the king, Eldrin, we have become the villains in this tale."

His gaze then drifted away into the distance and when he spoke again there was a hint of nostalgia mixed with sadness in his voice. "Those bright yellow eyes of his...they took me back to another time, reminded me of an old comrade who meant much to me."

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You're not supposed to be here. How did you get to this chapter? The story ends with the protagonist dying, so how did you make it this far? Maybe the new mirror has some kind of power, but I can't let you continue. There's something dangerous lurking ahead and if it catches you, our world could be in danger.

Please don't give me that look, I'm being serious. You're the first person to make it this far and I'm impressed.

Most people's minds are fried by now. Listen, as a token of appreciation, I'll give you something - whenever the story tells you something that's incorrect or deceiving, it will awaken you and steer you towards the right path.

Refusal is not an option," take this and let its light guide you. Before I go, I have a confession to make: when you were listening to the little girl reading from the notebook, I changed many things to deceive you. What you're seeing now are the true memories.

I took this course of action because I believed you would harbor anger toward the deities for allowing such tragedies to befall that mortal. I couldn't bear for someone as attractive as you to despise me. Do you understand what I'm trying to say? Oh, and one more thing - I am indeed a god, but I won't reveal my name just yet.

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Aerovind's mind was jolted back to reality as he gazed at the twinkling stars above. He released a heavy breath and closed his eyes, sinking deeper into the pile of straw beneath him.

"I have to be both strong and capable to provide for my mother. Tomorrow, I'll journey to the city in search of a better job."

As the first rays of dawn crept over the horizon, Aerovind rose stiffly to his feet.

The sun's early light illuminated the modest hut, casting a golden hue over the worn-out furnishings and the sleeping form of his mother.

Aerovind dressed quietly, not wanting to wake her. He donned his tattered traveling clothes and slung a meager pack over his shoulder. Inside, he had stashed a few pieces of hard bread, a waterskin, and a dagger.

"Where are you going Aerovind?"

Aerovind froze in place at the sound of his mother's voice. Slowly, he turned around to face her, not wanting to meet her gaze.

"Mother, I'm going to the city. I... I need to find work, something better than what this village has to offer. I promise to return soon.

I have also made arrangements for your care while I am away; the old lady has agreed to look after you and I have given her some gold pieces. Uncle Rowan reassured me that you will be in good hands."

His mother, a frail woman with weary eyes, sat up and smiled sadly. "I knew this day would come. I can't bear to see you leave, but I know you must. Take this," she said, fumbling for something under her pillow.

Aerovind's breath hitched in his chest as he caught sight of the gleaming silver medallion nestled in his mother's trembling palm.

The same medallion that had rested against his father's heart, worn with a sense of honor and pride that was as palpable as the weight of the history it carried.

Its surface was etched with the intricate forms of both wolf and snake, symbols of their lineage, while on its reverse side lay an inscription; "to the end of days one shall stand proud", words that his father was living his life with.

"I've bartered away every possession, every memento I owned, all to carve out a life for you, my son. Yet, there was one thing I could never bring myself to part with. This... this is your birthright, and now it's time you had it.

As I look at you now, my heart no longer sees the cherubic face of an infant - it sees the strong countenance of a man. In your eyes, Aerovind, I see the reflection of your father.