The Stonehearted Knight
Chapter 207: Two old friends

Chapter 207: Two old friends

Althea looked at her surroundings. Her team exited the dome cautiously. They seemed hesitant to walk up to her. They had known her for some time, but the devastation of the landscape left them in shock.

They looked at Cella, Althea’s long-time friend. She was the one who rushed them to hide inside the dome.

Cella, seeing their expression sighed.

"I don’t know how to explain. There are times when she displays such destructive power. She did once we were little."

Cella paused. Her expression dropped. Memories of her childhood resurfaced, paining her deeply. Visuals of one particular incident sent shivers through her spine.

"She trained so hard to prevent losing control over her powers. According to the Commander, if she let her power run wild, even he might fail to stop her."

Cella looked at her friend. Unlike the others, she saw her stunned face. She knew Althea felt fear and uncomfortable with her strength. Cella also knew that she unleashed that power in a moment of fear. Fear of losing members of the team.

Suddenly, Cella sensed someone put his arm around her. Looking up, she saw an obnoxious face close to her.

"Cell, don’t worry so much about her. She is even stronger up here," Bret said, pointing at his heart. "We know she cares deeply about the Hawks."

Seeing his genuine expression, Cella felt a bit warm inside. Also, looking up close, the face seemed less obnoxious.

...

"What is it?"

Old Gargoyle saw his old friend’s expression change suddenly. Seldom he saw the hawk-faced commander look worried.

The Commander remained silent for a while, not averting his gaze from the central region. His expression only relaxed after a few minutes.

"They have made their move."

Even without further explanation, Old Gargoyle understood the meaning behind his friend’s words. His gem eyes glistened dangerously as he turned toward the central area.

"Should we move?" His flat voice oozed with killing intent.

"Calm down. They are dead. The sky changed," The Commander said, putting his hand on his friend’s shoulder.

"That lass?"

"Yes," The Commander replied honestly. "She failed to control her powers. She wouldn’t erupt even if her life would be at risk."

"She is a fool," Old Gargoyle grumped but his expressions softened considerably. "She can erupt as much as she wants. Some people just deserve to die."

"Luckily, she listened to me more than to you," The Commander spoke with a smirk as he looked at his friend smugly. Seeing his old-time friend tease him, Old Gargoyle snorted but his mood improved somewhat.

"How long before we act?" He asked.

"Soon. I want to know what the two princes are planning first. Even as royals, I won’t allow them to harm the innocent." The Commander said sternly.

"Okay," Old Gargoyle nodded. "But old friend, can you remove your hand now?"

"Sure," The Commander said. "I rather not touch you but if I didn’t hold you back just now, you might have flown down and kicked our new governor."

"Oh? I thought you held onto me so YOU don’t storm out and kill our little prince."

They stood in silence as the wind wailed in their airs.

"Perhaps, you are right," The Commander said, looking to the front.

"Hmmm, you are right for certain," Old Gargoyle said, looking to the front.

The wind howled louder.

...

"Did you sense that?"

Elsa looked toward the central region, sitting in her living room. She spoke to the toddler lying on the couch opposite her.

The sky changed. The surge in powers reminds me of the Sky God. Whenever she was enraged, such a phenomenon occurred.

"Hmmm, I remember," Elsa said, her lips curling a bit. "It’s been a long time since I thought about those times. She was always angry, wasn’t she? Or her mood swings were unpredictable."

I’m surprised you remember. You should have been an infant at that time.

"So? Mother used to say I was smarter than others my age." Elsa puffed her curvaceous chest out proudly as she said that. But her expressions fell soon as if reminded of a painful memory.

Shame I didn’t meet you then. But I heard my father speak highly of you even then. And that says a lot coming from him. You should know how deep his hatred toward your race was.

Elsa didn’t reply. She knew their history. She remembered the time when all races existed in their kingdoms, each governed by the rules laid out by the gods. But ever since the gods disappeared, the world changed.

"That was a long time ago. Now, I only wish to reclaim what was mine and fly toward the north."

You should be careful. Your opponent isn’t easy to deal with. After all, He rules the north for eons now.

"I don’t care," Elsa’s calm expression turned sour. "There will come a day when I will make Him pay for what he did. One day," she paused, "He will pay for the death of my mother."

Good luck. Let’s see who will succeed first. Will you manage to kill a Taboo first or will I bring down Heaven before that?

"Deal!"

She felt motivated. After ages, two enemies would compete once again.

...

"Can you please eat?"

Edwards felt uncomfortable talking in such a stern voice to Ericka but seeing her in such a state pained him a lot.

Looking at the starved girl before him, his heart pained. Her hair was a mess, her clothes dirty and she reeked of sweat.

She lay curled up against the window, looking lost and empty. Edwards couldn’t match her with the memories of her.

When he joined the Viscount at the age of fifteen, she just learned to walk, wobbling up to him. She was trying to run away from her carer.

When he was twenty, she snuck away during her daily lessons. He found her lost inside the forest behind the castle. Despite the harsh environment, she wasn’t scared and even enjoyed the adventure. She stubbornly made him show her around and spend the night in a cave. The viscount punished him with twenty lashes. The marks were still on his back. But he never complained. Deep in his heart, he would endure double the amount of lashes if he could spend more time with her. But the dreams of an average man weren’t destined to be fulfilled.

When he was thirty, he heard the whispers of her closeness with her brother. He even saw them spend time with each other. She never looked at him ever since. But as an average man, he didn’t mind.

Even now, he didn’t complain. Seeing her finally open her mouth and chew the food, albeit listlessly, he felt satisfied.

As an average man, he fulfilled his duty towards her. As long as he could keep her safe and happy, he didn’t mind who he served, be it god or the devil. He couldn’t change anything. He couldn’t save anyone. But as long as he could bring her smile back, he would have achieved more than he could hope for.

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