The Tables Have Turned

Hawks are meant to fly free in the wilderness… or so he thought.

A young man limped in the alleyways as he traded his younger brother for his own freedom. He stared at the grey skies as a downpour began to wet his dull face. There was no hawk in here. He wasn't in the wilderness, after all—he was in the slums, where there was no such thing as a magnificent bird, like the books had described.

Amid the falling rain, someone had spoken.

"You look devastated, what's the matter?"

The young man didn't answer. There was now somebody who appeared before him. He neither heard footsteps nor identified any sign of this mysterious person coming.

It was as if the man appeared out of thin air.

"I see that you're a new person altogether."

The cuff marks on the young man's legs were still there—a sign that he was a slave before. Though there were no chains to hold him back anymore, the young man's face still looked lifeless.

"Freedom must have cost a fortune," the nameless man remarked.

The young man simply nodded.

"What was the price?"

"My… brother,"

"It seems like it was more than that."

The downpour grew heavier as the young man finally shed his tears. The nameless man then bent down to the young man and gave him a handkerchief that was also being drenched by the pouring rain.

"How about I give you the power to choose who becomes free and those who must be constrained?" The cloaked man asked. "Then, I will also help you get your brother back."

The young man lifted his gaze with a glare, "don't say words you don't mean."

"How do you know that I don't mean what I've said?"

The young man gritted his teeth. "Adults... because all adults are liars."

The cloaked man then smiled. "Why don't you trust me just this once. We may be strangers, but I can prove to you that I have the power to change things. I know you like hawks, and the fact that you just sold your brother in exchange for your freedom."

"H-how did you..."

"I told you. I have the power to change things," the man said. "And with that, I'll grant you the power to choose between those who will be constrained and those who will be free. The chance to choose your prey."

"You'd do that for me…? B-but why? You don't even know me…"

"Because," a smile then curved on the lips of the cloaked man. "I want to help you."

**

The Hawk saw his life flashing before his eyes. The years he was enslaved, abused, and given redemption.

Golden light came from Lumi's hands that rendered even the mercenaries speechless.

Looking at the scene felt as if they were in the presence of the Empyrean Goddess herself.

"Where are the keys?" Lumi voiced the moment the light dissipated.

"H-huh…?" The men remained dumbfounded, too stunned to even speak.

"The keys," Lumi turned towards them. "To the shackles. All of them."

--

The men then gave the keys to the slavery chains to the priestess without any resistance after witnessing what happened to their boss and to everyone else that dared to oppose.

The Hawk's body began to eat itself. The 'hawk' in his body began to separate from his human self, then its beak began to devour his flesh. In return, he wailed and sobbed like a child, apologizing to his brother and to the goddess whilst howling in pain. The men felt uneasy. It felt like they were witnessing a scene of madness.

The rumors are true. What transpired to the other mercenaries who captured her now happened to their boss.

But it was not this gruesome as described.

Lumi turned her back away from the dying slave trader as she walked toward the mercenaries.

As they handed her the keys, Siegren who was behind the priestess ambled his way forward and slashed them one by one as they tried to run away.

He wiped the blood that spluttered into his face as he pulled his greatsword out of the corpse, which he threw into the polished floor. Suddenly, Siegren felt the wound around his neck throb.

The wound that was lacerated by the talons of the hawk.

Lumi then walked to Siegren whose back was turned away from her.

"Hey, since you've come to rescue mngh—"

Before Lumi could continue her sentence, Siegren's hand gripped her neck. His grasp tightened as he looked down at her.

"We had a deal," Siegren uttered as he intensified his grip.

"Nngh…" Lumi felt her consciousness daring to drift away as she felt her breath reduced to short gasps. Her right hand then glowed, which Siegren took notice of.

Immediately, Siegren drew his sword and let go of her. He blocked the light with his sword, which was then absorbed into the blade the moment divine power struck him.

Lumi stepped back as she panted while trying to remain on her footing.

She felt a shiver down her spine as she felt it.

Bloodlust.

Lumi lifted her gaze towards Siegren.

He's going to kill her!

Siegren stared at Lumi with an emotionless expression, his sword ready to pierce. But she was equally vigilant, with the divine power on her side.

In the blink of an eye, Siegren rushed towards her, swinging his blade downwards as he slashed through. Lumi used her divine power on Siegren as she took several steps back to evade the attack.

"Are you going to kill me?" Lumi asked as she conjured her power to create a barrier that shielded her from Siegren—the barrier was meant to nullify every form of malevolence and any physical harm that could be made. Lumi's eyes drifted around Siegren's sword.

She doesn't know the extent of his power.

Would this barrier even suffice?

Siegren simply walked towards her without a word.

Siegren once more swung his blade to Lumi, but it was stopped mid-air by a barrier that glowed as it came in contact with Siegren's blade.

And as Lumi expected, the blade simply absorbed divinity.

"Why would you come here if you'll only come to kill me!?" Lumi intoned; her face filled with sheer confusion.