Nightmare

Some days back(about 15 years)

Braize Archive, Tursia

A boy holding his father's hand was going inside the entrance of the residence over which it was named,"Braize Archive".

It was a highly secured place of Tursia, as there were many valuable assets kept.

"Father, let's go inside." The little boy pulled his father's hand with his little fingers.

"No, we can't. It's not something you know as a visiting place. Look at what is written there." The little boy's father pointed towards the board attached to the front wall beside the entrance.

'Trespassers will be prosecuted.' The boy read it.

Seeing his glum face, his father felt bad. He went to the patrols, told them something and they nodded and let them enter. It was because his father was the right hand of the King himself. So he was very influential, even the King discussed crucial reflections with him. There would be no doubt that he must be familiar with the guards.

His father, holding his son's hand, entered the archive.

His father was showing everything to the little boy. The little boy looked at everything with fascination. There were swords, shields, bows, arrows and many other war equipment. Those who died in wars and previous kings' valuable weapons were kept there.

"Aaron, look at this, you haven't seen it before and you won't see something like it. Come here." Aaron's father Jeremy Brown pointed to the sword of Henry the V.

Aaron turned back, hearing his father. Then seeing the amazing elegance of the sword, he became speechless. In his 7 years of small life, it was the best thing he had ever seen. The sword itself was a wonder, it was kept in a golden, jewel encrusted casket. The sword was old, but its glow seemed to never fade. 7 different most precious jewels were reveling in the charm and craftsmanship. The one who made the sword must have been given all his wealth by the king.

And why not? The great essence was evident after so many years. Aaron couldn't take his eyes off. That day, he decided it should be his, nobody's else. It was made for him. His inner soul was saying to him, the sword was waiting to be in his hands for all these years. His father was still showing other things, but he wasn't interested in them. There was only one thought in his mind, to grab the sword.

Jeremy realized that his words were not reaching his son's ears. He said, "What happened Aaron, you look different. Are you bored? Come on, we have to go back home." He raised his hands towards Aaron.

"Dad, I want that sword." Aaron clenched his jaw.

"What?! That sword?" His father asked surprisingly.

Being very rich, influential and because Aaron was his only child, his father spared nothing from the time he was born. As soon as he asked for a thing, the thing came to him. But suddenly, he was shocked to hear such a claim in his mouth.

"Yes, father. That one. I need that one. It is made to be mine." His voice sounded cold.

"Let's go home, Aaron. You must be hungry. Today for dinner will be your favorite food! Hurry up!" Jeremy pulled Aaron's hand.

"No Dad! I won't leave without that. Give me the sword, will you?" Aaron was stubborn.

"Don't go crazy, Aaron. We have to go home." Jeremy pulled his hands.

Aaron left the place, but he stared at the sword until it was out of sight. That day, he decided it would be his or nobody's. But to fulfill the wish, he had to wait for several years.

Tursia Barracks (12 years after the last incident)

"Next, Aaron Brown, come in." The Commander said loudly.

Aaron entered the room in soldier's clothes. The Commander ordered him to sit down.

"According to your previous works, you are being promoted to lead the Northern-east Infantry. You are in full charge of the army there. You control them and try to keep them from making chaos and do their job well." Commander looked at Aaron, who was hearing all these with a smile on his face.

"Obviously, Commander. Order me to leave now." Aaron bowed his head and touched his right hand, folding up to his chest.

"Okay, you may go now." Commander showed hand gestures to leave.

Finally! But wait, wait...no need to be excited so earlier...I have more plans to execute. But first I have to go to the north-eastern base on my horse.

Aaron rode his horse and reached his destination. Then entering there, he noticed there were many soldiers, some of them lit campfires in front of their tents.

He coughed lightly to get their attention. When everybody looked at him, he started saying,"You all know though, but I am saying for those who don't, from now I will control the North-east Infantry. You will obey me. So, what I am going to say now, you should listen carefully and attentively."

All murmuring among the soldiers ceased. They bowed their heads in respect to their new leader.

Aaron understood and started continuing,"Lord Commander told me that an upcoming war is likely to happen. So we need more soldiers on the borderline, not here. All those who are in charge of the archive and medical zone will go to the borderline, but before that you will prepare. You have only 3 days to prepare."

Murmuring started to gradually increase among the soldiers. One of them spoke,"But if a war is going to occur, why aren't we notified before? And whom are we going to fight against? And aren't you too going with us, your Grace?"

"Silence! You will get all the answers tonight. Till then, pack your dinners and go to the main barracks." Aaron spoke out loudly.

I have calculated all this from before...if they leave now, they are unlikely to reach the barracks before midnight, as they have no horses...I am very lucky that I get the charges for Infantry, not cavalry. They will ask the main barracks soldiers if any war is going to happen and they would say NO...so there would be a confusion...and I will get more time. Everything is going as per my plans.

(3 hours later)

All of the soldiers have left...I have to go to the archive as soon as possible.

Aaron rode his horse and stopped just before the main gate. Without wasting any more time, he took out the key from his pockets, and opened the heavy lock of the gate.

Entering the gate, he started to find the chest he had seen years before. But he heard footsteps other than him. Noticing it, his heartbeats became faster. He quickly broke into sweat, when he turned backwards. He saw a shadowy figure blocking the outside moonlight, casting a tall-huge shadow in front of him. And not only that, it was coming closer.

Aaron regained his courage and asked,"Who's there?"

The figure came closer instead of answering. Aaron saw that he had a sword in his hand also. When he came near him, Aaron's memory quickly refreshed. He thought he had seen him before.

Aaron was shocked to see the face. It was a very familiar face.

He said through his stunned expression, "Dad, you?"

Jeremy said,"Who is your Dad? I am not your Dad. My son died as soon as I entered the Archive."

Aaron didn't understand what was going on. He did not know what to say.

"Dad, I-I have c-come here...to...to protect the Archive." Aaron's voice stuttered.

"I have said before, I am neither your dad nor you my son." Saying this, he took out the sword from the scabbard.

Aaron sighed and closed his eyes, "I wouldn't even dream of going against you. But I got what I wanted from the day of my birth. And the reason I am here today is the ultimate goal of my life. For which I had to wait 12 years. So I will remove whoever comes in the middle of this, whoever it is, even you. If that's what you want, so be it."

Aaron reached out his left hand to open the chest. Then suddenly, Jeremy raised his sword in the air and struck Aaron's left hand with force. With full body armor and a helmet on his face, no one could see the tears in Jeremy's eyes as he did this.

Aaron's left arm was severed from the top of his arm down to the wrist. Aaron screamed in pain.

His father was momentarily stunned by his own son's cries and the flood of blood. He began to wonder if what he was doing was right.

Jeremy was not prepared. At this point Aaron took the sword out of the chest and plunged it into Jeremy's stomach, and a second one into the chest and thrust in again and again until Jeremy fell to the ground. Aaron cried loudly. It was all his adrenaline rush which was leading this to happen. Without wasting any more time, he tore some cloth from the curtain and tied it to his left hand and took some of it and wiped the sword and put it in its sheath and put it on his waist. Then he quickly left on his horse.

Riding on the horse, Aaron felt that tears were going down his face. He lost the only person he had in his life. The pain of it hit him harder than losing his hand. He had lost his mother on the day he was born. His dad was everything to him. An unknown pain was shooting from his chest, which was gnawing at him. He closed his eyes and saw his father smiling at him, then it disappeared.

(Present time)

Aaron shuddered every time he remembered that day. It was a nightmare for him. The incident that...that is only known to him....nobody else.

After that day, everybody came to know that the sword of Henry the V had been stolen and a stranger had been found dead at the Archive...near him a hand cut from the wrist was also found. Many of them suspected it was Aaron who stole it...but due to his past nobody dared to speak it out. That day, Aaron told everybody that two persons came to steal the sword, against whom he had greatly fought and took one of them down...but the other cut his hand and took the sword away...he had chased him..but failed.

The plan was so greatly arranged that instead of caughting him, everybody admired him for his bravery. That day, when Aaron fled away with the sword he hid that deep inside in a place, only he knew...it was nowhere but Rhodus Caves!