Chapter 11 The light of the Barrel Zone
Normal POV
"I told you, I didn't know anyone who dress like that" Zack put down the glass that he was cleaning.
The Aetheral knights look each other
"You're a bartender here, it's impossible that you don't know anyone who look like this" one of the knights put the wanted poster on the table.
"It's even impossible that you don't encounter with one..." Zack gets the attention of that particular knight, it was his former junior. Ezekiel.
Ezekiel was an excellent knight, after all came from the family of generals.
He was an upper, he never once experienced to have nothing in his table.
His parents raised him as a sword for his majesty, he have no choice. It was for his family's honor.
Zack was the one why Ezekiel trying to be the perfect sword for his majesty.
He met him on a mission where Ezekiel almost died, luckily Zack was there.
Zack's skills and handling of the swords make Ezekiel feel something spark.
He wants to be better too, after that mission, he always follow Zack's footsteps until that incident.
"Kiel...." Zack call out of his nickname.
"Don't call me that! You traitor..." Kiel steps closer as he slam his fist in the counter.
"I know you know this..." He shows the wanted poster.
Zack only let out a chuckle.
"Aggressive as ever Ezekiel, I'm sorry but I don't really know everyone like that" he still insisted while wiping the counter.
Ezekiel scoffs.
"I know you're trying to protect your people here....but, I also protecting MY PEOPLE!" he replied.
Zack is about to say something back at him when people suddenly gasp loudly.
Both of their heads turn and saw one of the knights kick the poor old man.
The old man's backpack were taken by the knights and pour all the things on the ground making a big mess.
"You are right..." Zack said as he jump over the counter.
"I'm trying to protect my people" he step closer in the scene and punch the knight who hurt the poor old man.
Other knights immediately pull out their swords and ready to fight.
People ran away in panic but the knights were blocking the exit.
"You shouldn't raise your fist like that, Zack Lumiere!" Ezekiel pull out his sword and point it to him.
"You still call me that.." Zack wipe the blood off his hand.
"Even now you are nothing but a lower, but you still have your honor.." Ezekiel replied.
...
"Ezekiel Meira, sir!" He salute to Zack.
"What do you want?" Zack is wiping his sweat, he just came from training.
"U-uhm... I'm here to present my gratitude to you, sir.." Ezekiel replied.
"Look, kid... You don't have to do that, now scram..." Zack stands up as he takes his wooden sword and continue to hit the dummies.
Ezekiel just stand there watching him with awe.
Zack hit every dummies' accurately, Ezekiel just watch and analyze.
Zack was indeed a great soldier, no wonder he was nominated to be a general.
Ezekiel wanted to present his gratitude to Zack.
Ezekiel was a weak soldier, unlike Zack, he have limited stamina.
He was only a soldier in training.
They were given an order from the higher ups.
They need to commence an excavation near the border in the south.
The king hire some professional Archaeologists just to find something.
The humor said that some kind of magician approached the king at night and he said that there's something under the border of the south that will save the Aetheral from the 'Great disaster'.
The king realized that it wouldn't hurt to try find the 'something', so he send archaeologists and some knights to protect them through the journey.
Ezekiel and Zack were one of the assigned knights.
Through out their journey, they're often attacked by bandits and thugs since they need to pass though the Barrel Zone.
They were doing great until they reach the border.
The area were supposed to be excavate were destroyed.
Some strange liquid were coming out from the ground.
"I heard about this..." one of the archaeologists said.
"This dark liquid, it's not oil...it's from the abyss" he continued.
One of the knights laugh.
"That's such nonsense, abyss doesn't exist.." he step closer as he touch the liquid.
"No!" the archaeologist tried to stop the knight but it's too late.
The dark liquid suddenly come to life as it swallows the knight.
Ezekiel only freeze in fear as he watch the scene unfold.
The dark liquid just grew fangs and champ down the knights.
Everyone were trembling in fear as they watch the dark monster eat the knight.
Each bite, they can hear bones cracking and he's blood splutter everywhere.
One of the knights can't watch anymore and scream.
They all in chaos, as one by one were dragged by the dark monster.
Ezekiel were terrified, he was putting his life to run away from the scene.
Hearing his comrade get dragged and eaten by the monster.
Pathetically, he stumble down a small rock making his face hit the ground.
The monster is about to take with Zack jump in and pull his sword to pierce the monster.
It wails in pain and immediately back down.
They use it as an opportunity to run.
Zack grab Ezekiel of his feet and tossed him in the carriage.
Others already run away as they hit the horse harder making the carriage shake even more.
...
Out of 50 knights and 5 archaeologists.
Only 10 knights and 1 archaeologist survived and safely return in the capitol.
The delivered the news to the king.
He was furious, thinking that the Knights of Aetheral is incompetent and not strong enough.
The remaining survivors were given a month to rest.
The one archaeologist disappeared, people said he take his own life after seeing the horror.
Some say, the king killed him because he failed.
...
Ezekiel treat Zack like a savior, a respectable senior.
Despite of his family always comparing him to Zack, he nver get jealous or feel envy to Zack.
The Duke of Meira hated Zack, Ezekiel's father.
Not only the house of Lumiere seems outstand them in knights' power but also in business.
Zack was indeed a gifted man, no wonder he got his nickname among the knights.
"The light of Aetheral" he was the symbol of strength and bravery which the King give it to him.
Until one unfortunate incident.
It started when Zack were given a vacation.
He was curious about the people of Barrel Zone so he visits them.
He met 'her', the witch who seduced him.
Zack fell in love with the witch, but it was forbidden since he was a noble and she was nothing but a lower.
Their relationship were hidden for a long time.
The cold aura around him disappears, knights' noticed it.
Especially, Ezekiel.
Curious, Ezekiel follows Zack every after training and he always see him with a lady in a cloak between the Barrel Zone and the Capitol.
Ezekiel thought that Zack finally found a wife.
He was relieved.
Not until the other knights also found out about this and spread rumors around the capitol.
The great light of the Aetheral were fallen in love with a lower from the Barrel Zone.
People look at him disgustingly, some even curse at him, but he didn't care.
He loves her, and nothing can change that.
The King found out about this and immediately call on Zack.
He was furious, thinking that Zack is tarnishing the noble's reputation by loving a lower woman.
After that he made Zack choose between his lover or his status.
In the capitol, people in the Barrel Zone were treated like a garbage. The lowest life, they said.
But Zack didn't believe in that concept and choose his lover.
Ezekiel were disappointed at his decision, he felt betrayed.
He tried to stop him from walking away, but Zack pointed a sword against him, in front of the King.
"Raising your sword against your comrade, is like raising a sword against me!" The King shouted.
Zack only tossed the sword bestowed upon him by the King a side and walk away from the capitol.
He found the Warden and from moment on, he was on his side.
He found out that the woman he loves, disappears.
But he found a boy, he raised it with care.
He teaches everything he knows.
Both him and the Warden rebuild the Barrel Zone.
And now he was one of the known person there.
"The light of the Barrel Zone"