Wrath of Ogre

Before the rings could even begin rotating Neel grabbed Leon's arm, picking him off the ground with a single hand.

"What are you doing in my house?" Neel's voice was low like an angered beast- promises of pain hung in between those words. And who could blame him? A fancily dressed boy had answered the door instead of his wife, and what's more, the boy had tried to use magic on him. In fact, a lesser man would've killed the boy where he stood without asking any questions.

"Father?" It was Streya. As happy as she was to finally see her father, seeing Leon hanging in the air mere inches away from what looked like death -based on the dark look in her father's eyes- startled her quite a bit.

"You're okay," sighed Neel, dropping Leon to the floor before hugging his daughter.

"Where are the others? Your mother and your brothers?" He asked, looking around the empty house. A plate of cold food stood on the table, untouched, he guessed it must've been left out for him.

"A-Arya." Was all she could say. Armin and Gray were sleeping in their rooms, unable to forget the state they found their brother in. Now that he was safe, the image of him lying on the road naked and bruised lit a fiery flame in their hearts. Promises of revenge constantly played in their minds, once they found out who did it there would be no mercy.

After calming Streya down Neel walked to Gray and Armin's room and slowly opened the door.

"Are you so tired that you don't greet your father once he's come back home?" joked Neel. Once the boys heard their father's voice, they were jolted from their quiet rumination and ran towards him.

"Welcome home father!" Their spirits were somewhat lifted after seeing their father back home. After asking about their well-being, Neel went silent for a moment before asking in a serious tone, "What happened to Arya."

A shadow covered the boys' faces as they explained how they found him, battered and bruised, with a broken leg. They told their father of how they suspected that it must've been a group of children and how they left him naked and bloody on the dusty streets.

"We'll get them, I promise, we'll get them," said Gray once he was done.

Neel sat on Arya's bed and stared at the floor in deep contemplation.

"You will not," he said. It came out as an order, like a king speaking to his subjects.

"But fathe-"

"Gray, what will you do? Use your sword flash on them? Or maybe in your rage, you will feel pity and merely use your trained body to beat on those children. And you Armin? Will you release your magic on them? Burn them perhaps? Or maybe in your rage, you will feel pity and merely use cantrips to break their bones."

"How do you think your mother feels? Now imagine how many mothers will have to feel the same if you go ahead with your revenge. Revenge solves nothing, take it from me, I have lived through revenge," he said, a faraway look in his eyes.

"Father, what they did to Arya. They can't be allowed to just walk away, a-and, I-I'm sorry father, but I will not forgive them." It took a great amount of courage for Gray to go against his father's wisdom. As much as he knew how right his father was, the fire in his heart wouldn't be quenched with mere words. 'Blood for Blood, bone for bone,' thought Gray, slightly angry that his father didn't feel the same.

"And they shouldn't be. Forgiveness shouldn't be given to those who don't deserve it. But, revenge is not something that children should seek." With those words, Neel walked out.

"Stay here, all of you," he said before heading out in the rain.

"Come out, everyone!" His voice boomed through the streets. For a few minutes no one came out, but then little by little, the men of the village began to walk out of their houses. Soon a crowd of people had collected in front of Neel, like a mass waiting for their priest to preach they stared at him in wait.

The women and children watched from their windows, wondering what was going on. It was very rare to hear Ogre speak, and many knew little about him or where he got his name.

"Where is Aleck?" He asked, his eyes sweeping through the crowd.

"You want those thugs here?" asked one of the village men, quickly dropping his head as soon as Neel looked at him.

"What I have to say is for everyone to hear. Tell him I've called for him." With that, a few men walked away, and after a few minutes they returned with a large man wearing a black coat. He was about 1.88 meters tall, a good head above every other man there, but still small compared to Ogre.

Once everyone had quietened down, Neel spoke. "My blood was attacked, left broken and naked on these very streets. I do not blame anyone here, though the fault of the son is the fault of the father."

"Children are not born with hate, hate is crafted, crafted by those that raised them. If any man here has a problem with my family speak now so that we may settle this," he boomed, his eyes passing over every man's face.

"You called us here just because your son lost a fight?" The voice came from someone hidden in the crowd, as much as Neel tried to see who it was he couldn't quite make it out.

{I said my blood, not my son,} he thought to himself.

"When a single person has to fight against many, it is no longer a fight but a massacre, regardless of whoever wins," replied Neel.

"You've grown quite arrogant, Ogre," shouted another voice from the crowd.

{So I was right, they have poisoned their children.}

"Then come to the front, and show me of this arrogance you speak of."