CHAPTER 14: WILLIAM AND REBECCA SURVIVAL

                                                                    WILLIAM KOERSOMBRE POV:

"Let's go already!! He is dead weight to us now!"

"No!! Kevin! KEVIN! NOOO!"

I start running while carrying Rebecca on my shoulder, holding her as hard as I can so that she won't fall. I won't look behind; I can't do it. I must not do it. I know that if I do, I won't be able to advance anymore. Rebecca's cries are piercing my ears; I can't even hear anything besides her loud and desperate voice.

Those Nivaneilm's bastards are not chasing us anymore. Was Kevin their objective all along? Did they capture him to ask for a ransom or to put pressure on my household? As I am running, questions keep popping inside my head. Finally, after thirty minutes, I reach RAGUS: the second biggest town of Syldavie. The fortress of the east. This is the first time I am glad to see those walls since I left the city to go to Tatradum.

"Put me down, YOU MURDERER!" Rebecca is moving around too much, trying to kick and punch me as best as she can.

As soon as I put her down, she starts running in the opposite direction. I jump on her and pin her down.

"Let me go !!!!" Her face is swollen with tears and snot running amok on her nose and mouth.

"Where are you going?!! Do you have a death wish?!!"

"Let me go I said!" She uses a  wind script, and I am sent flying away three or four meters high. It is not the first time I am hit by elemental Angas, and she didn't put enough strength into it. She must be incredibly tired. As soon as I reach the ground, I jump again, and this time, I knock her staff away, grab her hands with my left hand and pin her down.

"Do you want to die that much?!! What is wrong with you?!!!"

"What is wrong with me? WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!! Our son is still there!! And he was heavily wounded !!! How can you do this? HOW CAN YOU?!!"

Her tears are not stopping. Her eyes are red; her light brown skin is darker now. Calming her down is impossible. I have to knock her out.

"You, no, we are monsters. There is nothing that could-" I hit her stomach when she closes her eyes for a moment. There are already guards from the city coming.

"You two! Identify yourself!"

"I am William Koersombre, and she is my wife. Our village has been attacked by Nivaneilm's forces and annihilated. I need to speak with FRANKHER KOERSOMBRE." I tell them while showing my noble identity card. How did I even think of it, I can't remember.

"Yes sir, we will guide you. Please follow us, do you need a doctor?"

"No, it is okay. Just bring me to the KOERSOMBRE mansion."

"Yes, sir. This way, please."

We enter the city and go through the market, and the barracks inside a carriage they brought in a hurry. I forgot how big this city is.

"We have arrived." Looking at the window after the guard told me we arrived, I see my uncle and my brother running towards the carriage. Rebecca is still sleeping, so I carry her delicately like a princess so that she won't wake up.

"William! What happened? The guards told us you were outside."

"Brother, are you alright? Why is sister-in-law sleeping? Where is Kevin?"

"Please, uncle, brother. We cannot speak here. Let's enter first."

"Of course, of course, maids!!! Where are the maids of this house already?!!" Five maids come running. Apparently, they were already coming, but uncle and brother were faster.

Three of them take Rebecca away, and the two others guide me to a room where I can change, bathe, and get dressed appropriately. My armor was severely damaged, although it protected me quite well, there's a lot of holes here and there, and blood splashed on it. The chainmail and even my clothes were utterly ruined and soaked in blood.

I did kill at least seven or eight of them. Only my right arm has a serious wound. There is a hole in my forearm. That must be why I felt like my grip weakening. Blood is not coming out from it anymore. The pain, however, directly appears when I see it, making me fall on my knees.

"We need help here!!" The maids panic and scream for help. In just a few seconds, a doctor comes. I sit down, and he starts treating the wound. I then bathe and change.

"Where is my uncle?" I ask the maid, but they told me I should rest, and we would talk in the morning. That's when I realize it is still the middle of the night. I go to bed, but I can't find sleep. Images keep flying through my mind. Memories of what happened. I discarded my only son, my only child, for my own safety.

'WE ARE MONSTERS!' What my wife said comes back, hitting me like an arrow, right in the heart. I start crying like crazy. I cry so much my head feels like it is going to explode, but I can't stop. My voice doesn't come out to let me scream and release that pain.

***

The next morning, I go to check on my wife, but they tell me she is still sleeping. She had exhausted her Angas power, so she must have been exhausted after that. Uncle and brother are on the balcony of the second floor. They are sitting on the big chairs we received when Rebecca's family came from titanium to see us for the first time.

"Oh, William, you up. Come and sit." My uncle sees me coming.

"Well, I didn't really sleep, I must say." I sit down in front of both of them, facing the sun, which is rising now.

"Brother, can you explain what happened?"

"I will, CECEXS. Do not worry, but please, I must ask you to let me finish without interrupting me."

"Yes, of course, William." Uncle seems somewhat calm. Well, he is the patriarch of the family, so he has to be level-headed at all times. I tell them everything that happened the night before: right after the last round of the night.

***

When I went back to the mansion, I heard a faint scream from the village. It was faint, but when I injected Angas in my ears, I could properly people screaming and swords clashing near the church. I went to my room and took my sword, put my gear on in a hurry, and ran to the village's church.

Before I could reach it, I was ambushed by men wearing purple armors. Nivaneilm's soldiers? Here? Why? The peace treaty is still valid, so why? I fought and relatively easily defeated them until somebody appeared, wearing a maid outfit, holding two bloodied daggers. When I looked at the person's face, I felt like my heart would explode. Tatiana!! What was she doing there? was she a spy from Nivaneilm's? Was she not a retired mercenary from Floras? All those questions came, but I didn't even have time to answer them.

Tatiana was strong, very strong. She could use physical Angas to a degree I didn't expect, combining it with poison-coated daggers and hidden blades. But the worst is she also had lightning elemental Angas. Fighting her was difficult, launching vicious and precise lightning sripts from afar, using her subordinates as bait to try stabbing me, she fought like a crazy person only thirsty for blood. I couldn't believe it was the same Tatiana, and it made my blade weak. Being encircled, I managed to knock her down, distracting her men and allowing me to flee.

In front of the mansion, there were other soldiers. They had already killed most of the maids of the house, only one or two were trying their best to resist, and by the time I had killed all of them, the remaining maids were also dead. But at least they had prevented them from entering.

Inside the mansion, Rebecca was preparing the orb of teleportation. But we didn't have the time as it takes a lot of time to prepare it if there no destination set. She started dressing up, and then I heard footsteps, reading my sword to strike, I saw my son, in pajamas, bare feet. He forgot to put on his shoes again. We took him and tried to run to the forest. But Tatiana's men were on to us.

They ambushed us a first time, and we managed to kill five of them together with Rebecca. Though the one with the bow was still alive and striking, he almost hit Rebecca. We ran as far we could before our Angas power would be depleted. But that was still not enough. As soon as we stopped because of Angas depletion. They attacked us again.

Protecting them both while fighting those bastards with no Angas was too much, so I took a decision: if we stayed there, we would be sure to all die. Leaving Rebecca behind would surely be the same. They would violate and torture her for information. But Kevin is a child. He doesn't know anything important. They wouldn't kill him because they know he can be used for negotiations later on. Also, as soon as we would get to Ragus, mobilizing reinforcements would not be difficult, and I can go back to save him. So I took Rebecca and fled.

***

When I finish, the sun is already up high and shining.

"I see." Uncle is very calm. He seems to be thinking as he doesn't say anything else.

"Brother, this mortifying! I am so sorry. Those bastards will pay; this time, the king won't be able to stay neutral!!" Cecexs, however, is heated up and enraged.

Well, as my younger brother, I suppose that much is normal. It also makes me feel relieved that somebody supports me like this.