Was it fury?
Wrath?
Elric found himself unable to describe the sheer intensity of hatred coursing through his veins. It was as if a tempest of resentment had consumed him entirely. Ever since the moment he discovered his aunt’s lifeless body, he knew nothing but misery and despair. Each day was a struggle, each night a torment, as he grappled with the gaping void her absence had left behind. But now, as he locked eyes with the one responsible for her death, all that remained within him was a seething hatred.
“You look like you want to kill me,” Leonard said with a smirk.
Kill him!
I have to kill him!
The words of retribution were already echoing in Elric’s head long before Leonard had suggested it. They were primal and raw, fueled by the searing pain of loss and the burning desire for revenge. Every fiber of Elric’s being urged him to act, to unleash the pent-up fury that threatened to devour him whole. Yet he only stood there.
His body refused to move.
“Pfft. Bwahahahaha!” Leonard laughed loudly, relishing the fear in Elric’s eyes. "You know, it's almost disappointing," he said as he collected himself. "I expected more from this unique toy of mine, but is getting rid of one bitch really all it takes to break you like this?”
‘How dare he call Serena—damn it, body! MOVE!’
Elric's frustration grew as he remained unable to act, his body betraying him in this urgent moment of need.
"I’ll just invite myself in then," Leonard remarked casually. He pushed Elric aside and then strolled into the inn, leaving behind the soldiers that had accompanied him. Taking a seat at a nearby table, he let out a command that sent a chill racing down Elric's back.
"Kneel."
Elric's body yielded, succumbing to the red aura that Leonard released, an energy he had only come in contact with sparingly. It pressed him to his knees, crushing his chest and leaving him gasping for air in a state of utter panic.
"Do you want to know what the first thing I thought was when I woke up this morning?" continued Leonard, ignoring Elric's distress. "I thought that I felt real shitty and needed to play with my toy to put me in a better mood."
Elric glared at him.
“Haha, don’t worry. I won’t play with you today. Something else put me in a good mood.”
Elric furrowed his brows as he took shallow breaths to preserve his oxygen intake.
"As a neric, you wouldn’t know," Leonard explained, lifting a fancy envelope in the air. "But it’s customary for the king to send a notice letter to all noble houses in the kingdom every time a royal execution takes place."
‘Why is he telling me this?’ thought Elric.
“Four years ago, I inspected Vailee for the first time. Among the documents I read, I came across records indicating the existence of a Sinclair couple who had relocated to the capital for employment. They had one son.”
Elric's eyes widened with realization. No. He couldn't mean…
Leonard dropped the envelope onto the dusty inn floor. “I know that nerics can’t read, but still, it didn’t feel right to have such a letter rot in the Simmons manor when there was a more deserving recipient elsewhere.”
No. It can’t be. Elric had already forgotten the fact that he was having trouble breathing. Now, the only thing on his mind was his parents’ fate.
Leonard sauntered over to him. “Good. It seems you understand. You’re going to end up a bastard orphan, and there’s nothing you can do about it. Make sure to remember this feeling the next time we play, okay?” With a patronizing pat on Elric's cheek, Leonard withdrew his aura and departed the inn with his soldiers, leaving Elric to stew in the bitter realization of his circumstances.
The golden glint of the Selisian royal seal had reached the corner of Elric’s eyes. Now able to move, he strenuously crawled to open the envelope, his whole world crashing down once again as he read the content of the letter:
To all Noble Houses and Esteemed Lords,
By the decree of Anselm Geoffrey Selis II, King of Selis, this missive bears grave tidings that demand your attention and loyalty.
As of March 1st, year 1127, the royal court has reached a decisive verdict. Elia and Maurim Sinclair, members of the neric class, stand accused and convicted of committing acts of high treason against the crown.
In accordance with Article 36, Section 2, of the Selisian Royal Code, the punishment for committing such a transgression is execution. The executioner's justice is slated to be administered at midday on the 20th of March at the center of the capital city, Calith.
In these trying times, let it be known that the foundation of our united allegiance remains unshaken.
May the skies of fortune continue to favor our nation.
Yours resolutely,
King Anselm Geoffrey Selis II
* * *
1 gold coin. 2 bronze. 10 copper.
With the gleam of the moonlight dancing off the metallic surfaces, Elric counted the money he had saved over the span of a decade.
“I’m really doing this,” he mumbled.
After sorting the coin types into three separate pouches, he stepped out of his room. Traversing the familiar corridors of the inn, each step served as a reverie of childhood memories. Then he entered the kitchen, waves of nostalgia bombarding him, before venturing out into the night through the inn's rear door.
The only sounds accompanying him were the rhythmic chirping of crickets as he approached his aunt's grave. Kneeling beside it, he gently touched the dirt that separated the two of them.
"I don't know when, but I'll be back," he declared with a determined tone. His parents were going to be executed? He wouldn’t let that happen. With a solemn exhale, Elric reached over his aunt’s grave and grabbed his makeshift spear, swathed in brown cloth, along with a prepared sack of food. “I’ll definitely return.”
Standing tall, he strode away from the back of the inn, his mind resolute. The question of remaining in Vailee or departing held little significance in the grand scheme, as he could never beat Leonard. But rather than sitting idly by and surrendering to despair, he would make it so that he and his parents would meet once again.
After being forced to spend four years under Leonard’s authority, Elric grew to know his personality rather well—a prideful boy who believed strength alone defined morality.
‘With his personality, there’s no way he would attack the village once I leave,’ thought Elric. ‘There’s truly no better time than now.’
As he thought this to himself, he had arrived at Hanna’s doorstep. Retrieving his weathered pouch filled with copper coins, he gently placed it down. Inside the pouch were not only the copper coins but also a small note that contained one of the few phrases he had helped Hanna learn to read.
It said, “Thank you.”
Continuing his walk, Elric arrived at Tip's home, leaving behind the pouch containing his gold coin. Finally, Elric had made it to Vailee’s entrance. With a final glance back at the village that had been his home for sixteen years, he embarked on his journey toward Gorn.
“Mom, Dad. Don’t worry. Your son is on his way.”
Comments (0)
See all