The eagerness I felt to know what had happened gnawed at me for most of our journey. And at long last, here we were, sitting down, waiting for our dear old uncle to finally spill what he had been keeping bottled up for so long.
He sighed with exasperation, and with hesitation, he began to tell us what had really taken place.
"You have to understand, if we do get to your father, combat is inevitable. And the way you boys are now, I'll have to bury your dead corpses, assuming I survive."
This obviously shook us up. Such a revelation sparked a sense of reluctance but also one of defiance.
"I doubt that," said Darius, a look of resolution imprinted on his face.
Uncle shrugged and nonchalantly remarked, "That kind of attitude will get you killed. You don't have to appease others by putting on a fake sense of confidence."
Such a direct blow to Darius's ego, I knew Uncle wasn't playing around. Observing his body language and facial expressions, it was clear he was dead serious.
"It all began when your father and I were adolescents, what a time it was to be alive. The hope we had... I miss it to this day. We hailed from a poor noble family. Our father did everything he could to put food on our table; he was even a holy knight. However, this world is not as rewarding as you might think. He fell ill with a disease, and our mother was heartbroken after that."
I placed my hand on Uncle's shoulder. "That's awful. May God put our grandmother's soul to rest."
He gave me a slight, somber smile and continued, "I was a troublemaker, never wanting to do anything substantial with my life. But your father, my brother, was dead set on becoming one of the Knights of the Round Table, the most prestigious holy knights, tasked with protecting the King of Esturia and maintaining order in his place."
Darius's eyes lit up, and he pestered Uncle Constantine to continue.
"Uncle, tell us more..."
Uncle chuckled. "You look so eager to listen when it's about your father! But, unbeknownst to the sons of a poor noble, we hadn't yet known the despicable nature of those knights, aristocrats, royal subjects, and even the royal family themselves. They often engaged in acts of degeneracy, some so sickening that they're better left forgotten. But that wasn't the worst of it. Seeing my brother's cheerful attitude change day by day... I finally got my answer. And the worst thing was, he still held out hope that they'd come around and see things his way."
So, no surprise there, the elite taking advantage of what they deem inferior. No matter what world I'm in, it's always the same. The truth is, human nature doesn't change. Corruption is unavoidable. The feeling of being superior to others is intoxicating. And when one reaches a status so high that normal things aren't enough to satisfy, they turn to twisted amusements, like ruining lives and conducting heinous acts.
Uncle took a brief pause, contemplating whether telling us the truth was the right move.
"He soon learned that there was no way they were going to change, so he had to keep up appearances, pretending to be an obedient puppet for the nation. However, everything changed when he met your mother, Diana, the Duchess of the Castrell family. She changed his whole view on life, and he soon wanted out. So, he devised a scheme to whisk your mother away and start a new life elsewhere."
Father sure is something else. There's no way I'm going through all that trouble for love. I don't think I even believe in it. But it does bring a smile to my face, my old man going against the very rotten leaders of society for the woman who birthed us and raised us. I'm glad he chose that path, or else I wouldn't be here right now.
"But this isn't a fairy tale," Uncle continued. "You see, your father was stationed on the Continent of Novaria, where you two were born. He was sent to the fortress city of Ironhold, a key military stronghold for the Esturia Empire. This was devastating. There, his heart was crushed into tiny pieces. There was absolutely no way his plan would work now, or so he thought. I, who had feelings for Diana ever since we met her at the Holy Academy of Esturia, wanted nothing but the best for her and my brother. I told him to sneak her onto the ship bound for Esturia when he was set to return."
"I owe you a lot, Constantine," said your father, his eyes lighting up at my very concoction of a scheme.
"Your mother thanked me too, but I couldn't help but feel a kindling of jealousy inside of me. Since your father, she, and I were in a love triangle back in the academy days, seeing him get the girl I harbored feelings for so deeply was gut-wrenching, to say the least."
Darius chuckled and said, "I think you're getting off topic here, Uncle Constantine."
Uncle scratched his beard and responded, "Perhaps you're right. But you boys can understand what I'm saying, right? It means that your father not only kidnapped a high-standing noblewoman of Esturia but also deserted his post."
My heart sank. I knew what this meant for my father now. All hope of finding him seemed lost because what good would it do if we found his location only to be told by some stranger that he had been killed?
Growing impatient, Darius shouted, "What is to become of my father?"
Uncle stared at him with a look of despair and intimidation.
"It means your father, my brother, would face capital punishment if he were ever caught, and you can figure out the rest."
Tears rolled down Darius's face. They were tears of desperation and anger.
"You mean all this time spent training, and you pretending like this was a quest to find him and save him was all for nothing? How are we sure he hasn't been executed as we speak?"
"It's not too late," Uncle replied. "There's word that he's being held in a dungeon beneath the monarch's castle until the king sees fit for his execution. It's a way of mentally torturing the victim before their impending doom."
Uncle is concealing one big fact, there's also physical torture. Even if we do get Father back, he'll never be the same. The truth is, the mind and body are two sides of the same coin; if one breaks, the other will soon follow. Besides, who knows what those sadistic fiends have been doing to him to pass the time? Rage burns in my chest just thinking about it, but Uncle's right, if any of us go near a Knight of the Round Table, our chances of survival are slim to none.
It was time I finally spoke my piece, so I opened my mouth and requested to speak.
"I'd like to ask one question, Uncle?"
His attention turned towards me and he looked at me with curiosity.
"Go ahead, kid. Say your piece."
"These Knights of the Round Table, can you make a list of their blessings, special abilities, and weaknesses? Also, their standing in Esturia's society. If we train to counteract their abilities and find a way to infiltrate their ranks, then I think we can neutralize them and rescue our father."
Uncle looked at me with surprise.
"You know, kid, you sure are something, I can't quite put my finger on it just yet." He began to scratch his patchy beard, giving an agitated expression. "There's just one problem, I'm a wanted man back in Esturia."
Well, that's just great. How are we ever going to rescue Father? Although, deep down, I know it's a bunch of bull crap, and Uncle has no idea but doesn't want to crush our hopes and dreams. But then again, it could be just him trying to conceal something. Darius began grinding his teeth, vexation overtaking him.
"Uncle, I understand now why you had us go through all that training and why you kept things hidden from us. However, with all due respect, I'm not going to give up on my father, the man who raised me and turned me into what I am now. If dying by the hands of those who subjected him to this fate is what's in store for me, then I'd rather have that than sit around and do nothing."
He's right. We can't just sit around and live life as we used to. Everything's changed. We now know the truth, and there's no going back. My plan to go to Esturia might be vague, but it's the only thing I can think of right now. And to be truthful, I don't really know what to do. All these emotions are coming over me like a bad fever, clouding my judgment. But if I can't figure out a plausible scenario, then I'll just have to ask for help.