The Thought of Yielding

Because they were close friends with each other, Harald allowed Balvu to take his time to explain himself. So much happened last night, and he could only give the earl most of the things he remembered.

Then Balvu answered and said to him, "Killing the demon king... was a failure. We made it to the throne room, but something changed Julius's mind when he went inside. He told all the knights and me to stay out while he takes care of the creature. But I opened the door and noticed he won the duel. But he found the power to do things that humans cannot do. He made the demon's mind change and made the creature his servant. I also heard him say something having to do with ruling the world and building a mighty army."

Harald looked down at himself and had no idea what to say or do while hearing the news from Balvu. He has known Julius for pretty much his entire life and had plenty of reasons to help him defend the lands of the earth. No one ever told Harald about the fact that Julius can harness the power of immortal life forms. Then, he stands up and looks down at Balvu to make him have his attention and order him to do something. He had a grim fire in his eyes that he never had against the one he has known for far too long.

Then Harald spoke to Balvu, saying, "So, my brother shows his true colors. He has finally shown himself and betrayed Midland's kings. If he wishes to plot against me, I shall do what my father would've done in the face of such madness. Take twenty men with you and bring Julius here. If he desires his kingdom and his army, he will answer only to me. I am the oldest son of Lancelot. I will be the one to rule this world and bring a new era to all the people! Find Julius and bring him to me!"

Balvu bows his head before the earl and leaves him alone on the throne as he gathers the men who are not exhausted. Harald sits back down on his throne and places his hands on his head, and he covers his eyes. Then, he remembers how much he used to love Julius and all the things he has done for him. He questions his purpose for ruling the people of Loftain and wonders why his father chose him to do it. He did not want anybody to bother him at the moment and had no desire to speak of the one he trusted to the bitter end.

"Julius... is this what you want? Do you realize what you are doing? I'm sorry, but you're giving me no choice," Harald said. He continued to sit down on his throne and not move to another room for a long time.

The thought of making Julius yield and face justice made him shiver and had him think about what he must do to his brother. Meanwhile, Julius was walking on the long road back to his home and did not wish to go back to his earl. It seems as if word has already spread like wildfire and not cease to stop dividing. Mephiles wondered if his master wants to speak about certain things before staying silent.

"Julius, why are you not going back to Loftain? Why not go back to your brother? Are you simply going to abandon your men?" Mephiles asked.

"I did not abandon them... they abandoned me. I specifically told them what they were supposed to do, but they wouldn't listen. They just run away like the scared rats they are," Julius answered.

"Perhaps that person who is second-in-command opened that door and saw us dominate Stonethorn. Truly, that cannot be forgiven. But it would seem like they would go against you and no longer wish for you to lead them into future battles and onslaughts."

"Things have changed, Mephiles. And I wouldn't say for the better. Harald is still very close to me, and we both have reasons to do what is necessary. We have fought against our enemies for about as long as we can remember. I do not yearn to settle down. Not after I've noticed my genuine desire in this life."

"Ever wondered why it's almost impossible to fulfill your greatest dream? Life usually stands in the way, and it will continue holding you back until you push forward. The time of desolation will soon come, and people will wonder if Harald of Midland is truly fit to rule what's left of his country. There will be a truce ahead and a great debate to be had for you and that man. If you persist, his men will hunt you down for the rest of your days. Sacrifice thousands more to reach that goal!"

"What are you saying, Mephiles? What are you trying to say? Are you trying to make me go against my will on this journey?"

For once, Mephiles was trying to be his friend and help him understand what could go wrong. Julius was not interested in hearing the policies of Loftain because he already knew the rules he had to follow. There was much more to be known to him before he could go on ahead and proclaim his name to the world. There was to be done before he should announce his new title to all the people who would listen to him. But he could no longer find anyone who would want to listen to his reasoning for taking over Harald as ruler.

Then Mephiles answered and replied, "Pile up more corpses, Julius. If you so desire a great kingdom, pile up many, many more corpses. Otherwise, you will become a corpse, too. Even your wife and daughter cannot help you out on your blood-soaked quest. Everything you will do in the future is up for you to decide. The decision will always be yours in the game of becoming a great ruler."

"Then you must lend me your power, and you might since I am your master. Of course, I will need it if I have to continue dominating demons to my will and building my army. We ensure that the world is restored to light, not darkness," Julius said.

"That would be almost impossible to make... for a mere human. Without me, you wouldn't be doing what you are set out to do. Many men and women will do great things, but they always come at a cost. Even if you know what you are doing, you know that it will require a great sacrifice. You must give up something you hold dear to receive a much greater thing. It has always been the case within the hearts of men."

"Very well, you made your point. If I fail, then it will be my great pleasure to disappoint you. I'm not afraid to carry a massive burden that others cannot do. They already know me for who I am, so it will not be easy to keep me in chains forever. The thought of them thinking they can capture me and bring me to Harald makes me cringe. I shall go up to him myself, and if anyone tries to stop me, I won't kill them... but they will regret it."

And so, Julius and Mephiles agreed with each other and did not speak to each other until further notice. It already appeared as if the men were on the lookout for him and needed to hunt him down. But capturing a man like Julius is nearly impossible because of how quick he is and how sneaky he can be. They would not even notice him walking towards the palace to speak with the earl, and they would keep wondering where he had gone. Then Julius continued walking on the trail which led to his house and watched as the sun rose slowly above him.

Even if he was being hunted down, Julius was still satisfied about getting to meet his family once again. He would only go home just to rest for the day and get ready to go back to the palace in the evening. But now, things were different and were affecting the way he lives around his wife and daughter. Now he needed to make sure they were under his protection and needed to be satisfied if they can make it through the newer nights. He walked towards the front door and became extremely worried about everything that is happening.

He uses his house key to unlock the front door and go straight inside, and he saw his daughter already being wide awake.