Love, Death and Broken Village Ties

Gabriel POV:

Malo and I weren't exactly best friends, I was closest to him in the village besides Aunt May.

He was the son of the village head and probably the future village head. He is a diligent, hard worker, and always ready to help others. He was not exactly a good fighter, nor decent at wolf catching, if anything he hated it.

I helped him fill out his quota monthly. There was a quota every young man in the village must fill up, and it would be quite a disgrace if the Village head son was the only one who couldn't fill his.

I have helped him out of the jam numerous times, and he had always admitted, he owed me too much favor a man should owe a fellow man. He was over a decade older than me, but wasn't shy to admit I was better than he at everything.

He had been married for years without a child, and the whole village knew how he suffered before he finally had one. It was believed either him or his wife was sterile, but they both stuck to each other, believing in one another. When their child finally came, it was such joy the village had never witnessed before, the entire village celebrated with them like never seen.

This happened less than a month ago and that baby lies in danger.

“Run Luna” I said.

I was determined, if Malo nor his wife doesn't speak up soon, I will. I wanted to give Luna a chance to run and save herself.

“No, I will stay with you”

“I plan to give myself up”

“And so will I” She insisted

I wanted to shout to announce my presence, but someone did before me?

“Wait!” Malo shouted. “Please, don't kill my child. I recognize them”

Nicklaus hesitated “Speak” He thundered

“They passed last night in the village and left immediately in the morning. The villagers didn't see them, only I did and offered them a place to sleep.”

“That wasn't so hard, was it?” Nicklaus smirked.

He tossed the baby in the air recklessly, but Malo swiftly caught him before it hit the ground.

Nicklaus dismounted his horse with deliberate slowness, calmly and gently stepping on the ground like he owned the whole world. All eyes followed him, allies and adversaries alike, as they fixated on his every move, all wondering what he will do next.

His unhurried stride led him to Malo, who was still safely clutching his baby, desperate for it not to be taken off his hand.

The entire world and time seemed to stand still as Nicklaus raised his sword and before anyone could react, he plunged it into Malo.

“That is for wasting my time” Nicklaus whispered,

The entire town gasped in horror. I covered my mouth tightly to prevent myself from screaming my head off. The village head, realizing what just happened, ran towards his son, in a bid to save him, but was equally struck down in one fluid movement of the sword.

The entire town was sent into delirium. Murmuring, subtle screams, stiffened tears, the pulses of their pain nearly as audible.

“Shut up” He thundered, “Shut the hell up, before I slaughter the lots of you.”

Malo held on to his child tight despite being on the brink of death and his father lay beside him dying in his pool of blood.

“I planned to burn the village to the ground, but it will be quite a waste. So, I'd let you show your worth and convince me not to kill you all”

He threw the portraits on the ground and pointed at it “That is the faces of the people who caused you pain and finding them will spare you further pain”

“Three days from now, if the heads of those two, dead or alive is not presented to me, the whole village will burn for it and this time I won't be so merciful.”

He mounted his horse again and rode out, his men followed him closely as they all trooped out, leaving the entire village in absolute silence.

Agony gripped my heart, the pain melted my very soul and thoughts. It was all my fault, I knew it. The blood that stained the ground, the lives forever taken, their weight rested squarely on my shoulders. I had led them to our doorsteps.

The scene played out before me, the accusing voices in my head grew louder. I led them here, If only I hadn't been so careless, so blinded by my desires.

My heart ached as I watched the aftermath of my mistakes, unable to tear my gaze away from the carnage that consumed the place. The burden of guilt weighed heavily on my heart, I knew, deep down, that there was no undoing this.

I knew I couldn't return to the village ever again. We were a tight-knit community, bound by an unspoken unity that had always been the strength. I understood the danger of my presence now. If I were to go back, some would undoubtedly want to shield me, to protect me from the fallout. Yet, there would be those driven by anger and fear, those who'd be willing to hand me over to the general to safeguard their lives. The very essence of the village, the harmony that was ever present, hung on an edge.

The thought of causing a rift among them, of dismantling the unity that had been the foundation, was a pain beyond comprehension. I closed my eyes briefly, a futile attempt to shut out the horror, but the images were imprinted on my mind.

I saw Luna there, her once bright eyes now swollen from tears, her face drained of color, I could see the guilt etched in every line of her face. Her belief that this was somehow her fault mirrored my self-condemnation.

I approached her slowly, gently, I reached out and placed a hand on her trembling shoulder.

“I'm sorry, Gabriel. I'm so sorry” She said with tears streaming down her face.

Her vulnerability gnawed at my heart. I wished there was a way to erase the horrors that had unfolded.

Luna,” I murmured softly, “None of this is your fault. Don't carry that burden on your shoulders”

Her eyes, red and glistening, locked onto mine as if searching for answers. My fingers tightened slightly on her shoulder,

“We were both caught in a circumstance we had no power over, blaming ourselves won't change what happened, but we can choose how we move forward from here. I don't regret saving you, not for a moment. If I were faced with the same choice again, I'd make it without hesitation.”

I saw the glimmer of hope in her eyes, but it didn't stop her tears.

In that tender moment, I pulled her into a hug, an embrace that sought to convey what words could not. My arms wrapped around her gently, it was as if the world around us faded into insignificance, leaving only the two of us.

I felt the warmth of her trembling form against mine, as her head found its place against my shoulder, her damp cheek pressed lightly against the fabric of my shirt. My chin rested atop her head, an instinctual gesture of protection and comfort. The subtle fragrance of her hair filled my senses, a scent that would forever be associated with this moment of solace amidst chaos.

We stayed in that position for what seemed like forever until her sobbing stopped, her breathing steadied, and her tears began to ebb.

I silently hoped that in time, we could find a way to mend not only our wounds but also the wounds we had inadvertently inflicted upon the village that was now forever altered.

I finally released her from my arms, and we started walking toward the opposite direction.

“Gabriel”

“Yes, miss”

“Where will we go?”

“Where ever the journey leads us to, until we find who you are”

“My identity isn't relevant right now”

“It is, we must find out why the General feels so threatened by you, he was willing to burn a whole village to the ground. If your presence threatens him and perhaps a plausible way his tyranny could be ended, I need to find out”

“What if I'm not that important?” She asked solemnly, “You will be throwing away your life for nothing”

“You are, I can feel it in my gut”

“What's the first step?”

“We will find the person who forged the dagger or anyone who can point towards the direction, and I think I know someone. An old blacksmith in Hidden Rain Village, he would have a clue”

I tightened my grip on her hand “we are all in this together”

Jack gave a subtle bark.

“And you too Jack” I chuckled