The whole truth

The old captain was looking off into the distance as if he were transported back to the days of his youth.

"...This child's family is not ordinary. I'll begin by saying that I met his father at the orphanage years ago. We were both three years old when a ruthless fate deprived us of our parents. We reached out to each other, and soon we were like family. But that's not what's important, really, it's how my friend ended up on the doorstep of the orphanage..."

Celestina nodded silently.

"Once upon a time there was an extraordinary man with the gift of a protector. At eighteen he was already at the head of a large army and was very proud of his abilities. Within a few years, he had made a dizzying military career, earning honor and glory.

As the years passed, he became better and better known in military and peaceful circles. One day he witnessed an attack on a peaceful planet. Risking his life and not waiting for help, he single-handedly saved a beautiful girl from certain death. Her tender beauty touched the soldier's heart and he pursued her hand for several years.

They played a magnificent wedding, the man had to leave military service as his young wife soon became pregnant. The father-to-be made great plans for his child and boasted to everyone that his son or daughter would definitely be born with outstanding abilities.

He talked about this so often and so much that people began to avoid him and secretly ridicule him. But worst of all, his child was born a most ordinary man without a shred of spiritual ability. It was such a blow to him that he left home for a month while his young wife dealt with the burdens of motherhood alone.

The man was ashamed of his mediocre child, and in the heat of his anger, he even accused his wife of adultery. They fought day and night. The man would leave home and not return for weeks. From the grief that fell on her, his wife became ill. The child grew up not wanted, rejected, and simply clogged her father's eyes.

When he was barely two, his mother became ill and, refusing help, did not last long. She was stricken with heartbreak and pain. She died, leaving the small child to his father, who would have rather drown his child than continue to raise him or show him to others.

So after mourning for his wife, he picked up the child and went to earth with him. Finding the first shelter he could find, he left the child on the doorstep and disappeared from his life for many years.

As my friend and I grew older, the Elders came to our village and determined that I had a spiritual gift. I had to leave my friend for a while, but I visited him whenever I could and continued to help him.

When I graduated from the Academy my friend met a nice, kind girl and got married. I personally drank a barrel of wine at his wedding. They settled down in a nice prosperous place. They were about to have a baby. I visited a couple of times to make sure my friend was doing well. Heaven rewarded my friend with a beautiful son.

The boy was born extraordinarily beautiful and healthy. The wife quickly recovered from the delivery and life went on peacefully. I visited them when the boy was a few years old. When I took him in my arms, I felt a powerful force inside the child and had to tell my friend about it. He and his wife were alarmed and for good reason.

A few days later an uninvited guest showed up at their doorstep. The illustrious grandfather came to see his grandson. His eyes lit up as soon as he touched the child. He began to persuade his son to let him take care of the boy, but a big quarrel broke out between them, and the grandfather left with nothing, promising to return in a month.

I didn't dare to visit my friend again, as I was sure that's how he was tracked down, and in the meantime, my friend had moved to live elsewhere. However, things ended badly for him and his family. He died early. The widow and child had to wander around, and in the new place the village turned on the child and he had a very hard time, especially when his mother died too.

He left the village and temporarily took up residence with a demon with the face of an angel, who tried to kill him and absorb his power. Miraculously, the boy survived and escaped. He wandered for many years until he came to the city, where he found a home."

The old man finished his cold tea to wet his throat.

Celestina, listening to his story, opened her eyes more and more, and could hardly breathe.

"I knew all this because, feeling guilty for my friend, I spent my whole life watching over his little son, so that no harm would come to him. But I lost track of him a long time ago, and now, watching how cruel the general is to him, my heart breaks with anger... You decide what to do with this story, what you do is your business. But I have decided that I will repay my friend."

"In what way?" Celestina asked, asking herself if the captain wanted to adopt the cadet.

"In my long walks I have gained much experience and fighting skills, but perhaps my most prized possession is the scroll that contains the secret of the Transmission. If I want, I can pass on my accumulated knowledge, my strength, and my skills."

"And you want to..."

"Give it all to Cal."

"To Cal?" Celestina was beginning to think that the old man was out of his mind after all, because the name of the cadet Liam brought in was Leon.

"His real name was Cal and he was hiding his true face under a mask."

Celestina marveled.

"Is what you said true?"

"Yes."

"Then Cal's high-ranking relative is..."

"A scumbag named General Tishaw," the old man said.

Celestina covered her face with her hands and wept. She had wanted so passionately to help the young man confront the general, and now she knew the bitter and unbearable truth.

General Tishow had led his wife to her grave and disposed of his unwanted son, and then years later he returned to take his grandson.

"What a vile man!"

Celestina stood up and bowed and left. She was torn by contradiction. The old man lay in bed and was unprecedentedly relieved. For the first time he had shared the story and now his soul was surprisingly light and quiet.

He fell into a pleasant, carefree sleep.

Cal, on the other hand, could not sleep. His legs were stiff and his whole body ached from sitting in what might be overstated called an isolation cell. It was impossible to sit down or stand up in the cramped space.

It was as if someone had swallowed a pill and it got stuck halfway. Cal felt like such a pill and desperately wanted to free himself. At this difficult moment for him, Liam decided to reach out to him.

"Sorry it's so late, something's come up," he said in a worried voice.

"Yeah, I'm listening, go ahead," Cal answered.

"You remember we talked about the Overlord's library when we were at the Marshal's?"

"Yes, I remember."

"All that time we looked for it, and we weren't the only ones. It's come to our attention that the Ancient Spirit has been searching in secret, too. He's interested in one item, a legendary artifact."

"Is it something terrible?"

"I'm afraid so. It is an artifact of obedience that can make all dragons obedient to one person or creature. Once he has the artifact, he will take possession of the minds of all dragons..."

"That cannot be allowed," Cal said.

«There isn't much we can do at the moment; the trail we've been following has turned out to be false. The library is still undiscovered."

"I wish I could help you," Cal said grudgingly.

"You do help me, and it warms me to think of you growing and learning new things."

"So it does," Cal grinned bitterly.

"Yeah, I'm sorry, I have to go..." Liam stopped in mid-sentence, and Cal felt even more worthless.

The whole situation was infinitely absurd. He still didn't understand why Liam had shoved him in here if he needed him.

Could it be that the Head was secretly running some dangerous business and didn't want him involved? Is he capable of doing that to him?

Certainly yes, he would defend him with all his might, even against his will. At that, he was angry with Liam, very angry and worried about his reckless bravery.

Closing his eyes, Cal tried to recall his voice. Again and again. That soft, slightly demanding voice evoked memories of his youth and stirred his heart. He wanted so much to be scolded by Liam or to be told long, boring things, just to keep him talking.

Sitting in his cramped kennel, Cal tried to distract himself from reality as much as possible while he suppressed his growing anger. And there was plenty to be angry about.

The captain, the senior cadets, and the general-the list of people who wanted to poison his existence kept growing. Even that legless old man from the hospital bed!

Shame and resentment flooded Cal's heart.

He reversed his uncomfortable posture and rested his forehead against the damp wall. A rat scurried beneath his feet.

"Fine, looks like I'm ready to put up with the marshal's pestering if it'll get me out of this hole," Cal thought suddenly.

He didn't notice how dawn came, which brought no relief. Would he be able to walk? And how would he go to the bathroom? When will he be fed? Where is Celestina? What happened to Liam, why did he stop talking so abruptly? Is there any chance of escaping from this place?

"You're lucky," said an unfamiliar voice as the bolt on the door rattled. "The warden asked me to relieve you because his subordinates came down with a fever. Let's go, dirty asses won't wait!"

Cal was yanked out of the doghouse into the light and pushed to walk, but his unruly limbs buckled and he fell over first. After a good deal of dust, he slowly got to his trembling hands and struggled up from the ground: Celestina was waiting for him in the distance.

He gathered his strength into a fist and staggered toward the hospital. Celestina was the first to enter, and when she met him she took him straight to her room. After giving the prisoner water and a chance to clean himself up, she cooked him breakfast.

Cal greedily gorged himself on the food. Meanwhile, Celestina was pacing the room.

"To tell or not to tell, and if to tell, how much?" She asked herself. Then, leaving Cal alone, she ran swiftly toward the old man.

"Look, Captain," she whispered, bowing low over him, "you have a noble idea, but could we keep Cal's origins a secret? I'm afraid the truth would hurt him, especially if the General found out."

"As you wish, as I think this fox should know that he wiped out his grandson, ha-ha-ha-ha," he laughed like a madman.

"Maybe not now," the woman asked, "let's do it later."

"Yes, as you wish, I've already told you everything," the old man closed his eyes, and then opened them again and asked, "Is he back yet? I'd like to meet him..."