Chapter 6 : Everpeak

at first he thought the villagers would be digusted by him , but they bowed...?

and then he realised.

"I'm the doctor and crafter for Everpeak."

Did they respect him enough to bow to him?

"Aren't you popular?" Ajel remarked sarcastically, which caused Awek to giggle in a childlike manner, "I've been here for long, so even you could come become like this with enough time."

Ajel rolled his eyes at this.

That is if he didn't burn the village down first.

Awek's house was large, larger than most other villagers, second only to the village chief , who was situated at the peak of the mountain range.

"Does life ever get boring here?" Ajel asked Awek , who simply laughed and said , "not when you have a daughter."

"And why do you walk with a walking stick if you don't even need it?"

"to make me look wise, of course."

Slowly grunting, Ajel used his left ar-

"ARGGHH"

the screams caught the attention of Awek, who ran with speed to his house.

"Are you okay?" Awek observed the legof the boy, before shaking his head.

Ajel felt the pain in his leg again, one that didn't want to go away even 5 days after his leg got cut off.

"Your suffering from phantom pain," Awek muttered before he opened the door to his house that had the sign of a pharmacy.

"W-what... what is that?" Ajel muttered, which made the old man shake his head.

"You come from a pretty uneducated place." Awek put a remark out before saying, "your body is trying to send signals to your leg, but all that's there are some nerves."

Ajel breathed in the air, as he calmed down.

The Silverwing wouldn't stop crying as Ajel slowly sat down on a wooden chair.

The house of the doctor was big on the inside, separated into two floors, the first was obviously the working space, and the second floor was reserved for residential.

"You will be fine," Awek muttered , before the door opened and a young girl around 7 slowly started to walk out.

"Father , is he a patient?"

"No honey , he's going to be working here from now on."

Ajel looked just as confused as the young girl did.

"Father, can you come to play with me?"

"Hold on for a bit please." Awek gave a patient smile, before sending her away.

"What a lucky daughter," Ajel said in a neutral tone , but Awek could sense the bitterness deep into his tone.

"No, I'm a lucky man."

Ajel grabbed the crying Silverwing and slowly fed it some berries before cradling it.

"You need to feed it some meat as well."

"Mhm , unless it wants the flesh of its mother I think it can survive on berries for now." Ajel gave a remark, before saying what he heard before. "Working for you? what can I do without a leg?"

"Cook," Awek said while slowly tidying up the place from when he rushed in. "Sort herbs, and finally... cook them."

"You don't know me... how do you know i'm not going to hurt yo-"

He was cut off by Awek, who turned around and looked him in the eye. The same red glow was present from before.

"Your welcome to try , but i think you would understand who would win from that scenario."

Ajel sat in silence as he watched as Awek came over to him with some black cloth present,

It went over his right eye , the ones he lost , and then he heard a snip.

The cloth was cut, and it seemed to cover the eye he lost.

Looking at himself in the mirror while cradling the Silverwing, Ajel looked at himself, his sadness only growing deeper.

He felt bitter, incredibly bitter.

And jealous of that child.

He would of paid anything to be in her situation.

"I look like one of those stereotypical bandits."

"You do, and until the next time the leather merchants come, it's going stay like that."

"What about my leg?"

Awek disappeared for a moment, before coming back with a wheelchair, which was a revolutionary product made by Demacia.

Sitting on it, Ajel slowly sighed.

His eyes locked onto a picture of Awek and his wife.

"What is your daughter called?"

"Noami."

"Your wife is Shuriman, correct?"

Awek's smile became a bitter one. "That's true, how did you guess?"

"Noami means pleasant in the language of Shuriman, not to mention your wife has the features."

"You know Shuriman?" Awek's eyebrow was raised, but he seemed impressed.

"Just a couple of words i picked up."

"Demacia...." Awek's words stopped in his mouth, but Ajel just simply stared at the photo, nothing in his eyes.

"The rule of the village wasn't always like how it was now, was it?"

(Rule of the village : Aslong as your are not a threat to the village, we won't do anything to you)

"Your sharp... perhaps too sharp for your own good. Make sure not to cut yourself on that sharpness one day."

Ajel looked down before he looked down at his hands.

One moment, it was his, and another, it was drenched in blood.

He was already bathed in his own knife's blood.

Ajel reached at his back with his right arm, before pulling out his spear, which had dried blood at the top.

He wasn't like Sylas, he wasn't weak and was going to cry over killing someone.

He needed to, and he was justified.

"Are there any mages in the city?"

"That's information I'm not willing to share, at least i know when i can trust you."

"Completely justified." Ajel thought.

If he was to leak these names to Demacia, this village would be reduced to rubble.

"Are you a perception mage?"

"No," Awek muttered, before saying. "Maybe once upon a time i was."

That answer was vague but told Ajel all he needed to know.

"You have mage vision, don't you?"

"You could say that."

"Do you know how to unlock mine?"

"Potentially-"

Ajel was about to cut him off when Awek muttered.

"I don't trust you." Awek seemed uncomfortable. "Now, come on, and let me lead you to your room."