Four Lords Forsaken (The Chronicles of Aelia Book 1) by Nícolas Netto

Author:Nícolas Netto [Netto, Nícolas]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-02-02T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

“THE WEIGHT OF uncertainty, whether the sun will shine again, is as heavy as a ton of stones. My daughter, if the winds of the storm blow, fly far away; to a place where they can never find you.“

Zef of Ariadan, the Outcast, Innkeeper of Esmeria, Master, Magister Magus

❖

Ariel stared at the orcs; there were only six of them, and they were huddled together, which was highly unusual under normal circumstances — the orcs had surrounded them. It made no sense for them to assume a defensive stance. Unless, of course, they were as terrified as they appeared. They were genuinely afraid.

“These are the same young orcs we fought the other day!” Matthew exclaimed, recalling the event. Their not fully developed, yet misshapen bodies gave away their immaturity. He stopped talking, unsure of how to proceed.

“They are our enemies,” Marcia stated, grasping the situation. She rose to her feet, looked Ariel in the eyes, and repeated, “They are our enemies.”

Ariel didn’t respond, nor did he let down his guard. His intimidating gaze had frozen the young monstrosities, who awaited their fate just a few yards away. He was unsure of the next step and didn’t want to act impulsively, despite his inherent nature.

“Is it right to kill them?” Matthew asked, his voice thick with emotion.

“They tried to kill us,” Marcia replied calmly.

“Is that reason enough?”

Matthew then lowered his defenses, burdened by the moral quandary. Were these creatures truly monstrous enough to deserve death? They were ugly, misshapen, but they also… exuded fear. Why did he have the right to pass judgment?

“Matthew, this is the real world,” Ariel said with a calmness. “You might not like what needs to be done, but you know what must be done. They invaded the town, killed innocent people, ambushed us, destroyed this village. Orcs and humans are natural enemies.“

“But… we don’t know their intentions.”

“They tried to kill us, boy!” he retorted, voice rising.

“That… is true… but aren’t we the invaders now? Isn’t this their home?” he pondered.

“Matthew, don’t you care about Sophia?” the man quietly asked, not taking his eyes off their adversaries.

“Sophia?” the boy thought. He then spotted his friend, fallen on the ground, her color a ghastly shade of purple. She hadn’t withstood the enchantment like the others had. He knelt down and felt her pulse. She was alive! But just barely, suffering… convulsing. Her eyes mirrored back the harrowing image of the girl, writhing from the venom’s effects.

They did this to her. They were to blame. A silent fire ignited within his chest, a strange, almost alien burn, stemming from the harsh reality presenting itself before him. His heavy breathing signaled his resolve.

“Do not let anger consume you,” the man cautioned, anticipating the boy’s impetuous reaction.

“THEN WHAT DO YOU WANT!?” he demanded, failing in suppressing the rage. What was Ariel’s aim in pressuring him in so many conflicting ways? He couldn’t come up with an answer, because it all seemed utterly illogical: one moment he was asked to see the creatures as foes, and the next it seemed he was being held back.

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