The forest was beginning to darken around them, and they could hardly see each other, thanks to the isolated fires in their midst, which were also nearly extinguished by the harsh autumn winds. Jeon had never liked this, having to sleep in a dark forest, next to a quiet fire and a few guards. He was used to sleeping among the prostitutes on a wide, warm bed, after filling his stomach with drink and food.
"Damn" — that filthy word had been uttered by Jeon Aristal dozens of times, striking the guards like a thunderbolt each time, which was nothing new, after all.
"How many men did we kill? How many damned people did we kill?"
"Eleven," Cyril quickly replied, "for one of our own."
Ignoring the guard's words, he took the wineglass and hurriedly drank it down, the wine dripping from his mouth and running down his thick beard. His stomach filled with that filth until he emptied the glass and threw it away.
"The second most important man in the kingdom, the Golden Hand, the king's brother, and a descendant of the Aristal family, sleeps in the woods among you scum."
"Damn."
In an instant Jeon least expected, Corvin sat up smoothly, pulling his steel sword from its sheath. At the same moment, Jeon stood up, startled, gasping for breath, as the rest of the guard rose with their master. As the king's brother cried, "What the hell is going on?"
"I heard footsteps, I'm sure."
Before Cyril could intervene and contradict him, an arrow pierced his neck, its sharp tip emerging from the other side, spraying blood onto Jeon's face. He fell to his knees before collapsing to the ground, his dark red blood staining the green grass, dying with his blade still in its sheath.
Immediately, Erik drew his sword, and Corvin turned to hear Jeon shout loudly, filled with fear: "Protect me, protect me, you bastards!"
Jeon's breathing quickened, sweat dripped from his wrinkled forehead, and he looked like he might defecate between his plump thighs. He simply held onto Erik for balance.
But that didn't help. Soon, another arrow pierced Erik's neck, while a blood-stained sword shot out of Corvin's chest like a thunderbolt. They fell to the ground like dead men, following Cyril, leaving their master without armor.
As Corvin's lifeless body fell, a hideous-looking man with a cleft jaw and one eye appeared behind him, wiping blood from his sword in his black leather robes. Another man stepped out, holding a drawn bow and a smile forming on his face. Behind him stood two more men, whom Gion could not see in the darkness.
Among them appeared another tall man, half his face burned, the other half disfigured by deep, ancient scars. Behind him were a group of men and young men fighting for justice in their own way.
His breathing quickened, as if he had just woken up from a terrifying nightmare.
"Who... Who are you?" the whore said as he tried to crawl backward, but ended up crashing into a tree behind him. He had no choice but to plead with the Crimson Justice League and their leader.
"I will give you what you want... I swear..."
"I will not order your killing again... I beg you."
"We do not want your gold, nor your mercy, nor your pleas," the man with the disfigured face said as he stepped forward and stood before Jeon, who could hear his own heartbeat as he heard the words of the ugly man standing before him.
"We want justice, and we will enforce it through blood."
They didn't give him a chance to justify or plead, so he tried to tempt them with the gold he had hidden under his buttocks in the capital. The Crimson Men ignored him, so he told them that his brother was the king and would not forgive them. They beat him severely until he was convinced that they would never forgive him no matter what.
And now Jeon Aristal knelt on his knees, the second son of Lothar Aristal, the king's brother and golden hand, the second most important man in the kingdom, seconds away from being beheaded by the Crimson Justice Squad.
"Do you know why we're going to execute you?" their leader said calmly, his solid hands resting on the hilt of his shining sword, where Jeon could see his terrified face.
"Because I ordered you killed, you bandits."
"We're not bandits... It doesn't matter. Let me tell you why your head will be cut off."
He took a deep breath and said, "Nearly fifteen years ago, during the revolt to be exact, I burned four villages and the fortress of Tolos in Retorn, killing hundreds of innocent prisoners." Gion interrupted him in a loud, stern voice. "That was an order from my father, you bastard. If I could go back in time, I'd kill them again."
"And fortunately, you won't have to go back in time." Gion spat on the ground and said, "We killed the Valthorians, and it was wonderful. We killed their children and raped their women, and we gave birth to cursed bastards. And my father became king."
"And now your father is dead, and you will soon follow him." The man with the disfigured face knelt and whispered in Gion's ear, "Before I cut off your head, let me introduce you to my name, Honorable Hand. I bet you'll need it when you meet your brother and the rest of the traitors in Hell." Then he stood up and continued, "Because I will be the very man who will send you there."
"Who the hell are you?"
"My name is Barion Romanion, the Mutilated."
He exhaled and was silent for a few moments, until he said calmly, passing judgment on the guilty man, "And now I sentence you to death, in the name of justice."
Barion swung his gleaming broadsword forward with both hands, raising it into the sky, slicing through the air as the gazes of all his followers were upon him. As Jeon closed his eyes, awaiting his fate, with a swift, confident, and unwavering movement, the Mutilated Man slashed Jeon Aristal's throat with his sharp blade. His head fell, and the falcon's blood spattered the ground, making it clear that crimson justice would show no mercy to the guilty, no matter who he was.
The sun rose again in the lands of the West, its light covering the blackness of the night. Its golden rays struck the green grasslands, the blue rivers glittered, and the small streams sparkled.
Perhaps this day brings with it a message with an attractive title and content different from what we've become accustomed to over the past fifteen springs.
Fifteen years have already passed since the revolution, which will bear a name worthy of its place in the annals of history. And why not? Dreyfus may have disappeared, and Lothar Aristal may have died seven years ago, but the descendants of the Aristal family have not been absent from the Golden Throne. Immediately after the death of his father, Lothar, Theodore Aristal ascended to it, becoming the second king of the blood of the hawks to rule the great kingdom of Valthoria, founded by the Valthorians, who ruled it for nearly seven hundred years, leaving their mark on history.
He walked the corridors of the palace of his maternal family, and he couldn't stop thinking. No one would blame him. He would go to the capital, where the Aristal family resided, having betrayed their king and killed many members of the Valthorians, including Valerio's father. Fortunately, Valerio survived.
Valerio opened the office door to see his grandfather, Lord Krythors Mithrion, sitting deep in thought.
"Lord Filius is back, Grandfather. He wants you to come and have dinner with him."
Lord Mithrion replied, "A little delay is fine. My brother is no stranger. Sit there, Valerio." The boy sat on the couch. Krythors asked, "Today you will be going to the capital and joining the Adventurers of the Darkswords, right?"
"Yes, Grandfather."
"Are you ready?" Krythors asked. Worry was evident on Valerio's face. Valerio hesitated and said in a low voice, "Excited, but anxious and scared, to be honest." Krythors was no stranger to this, clearly seeing the fear in his grandson's face. He said, "You've confessed, and I think that's a good step."
This didn't change anything for Valerio, who said to his grandfather, "How come? I really hate being afraid." Crethors asked him a question off-topic, "Do you read history, Valerio?"
- "Yes, Grandfather."
- "Do you know Sansus the Tormund?"
- "Yes, the one called the Melting Iron."
- "Yes, and that's because he didn't think like you."
Valerio was surprised and didn't understand what his grandfather meant, so he asked, "What? What do you mean?" Crethors adjusted his posture and stared into Valerio's violet eyes. He said, "Sansus was a great leader. They called him the Fearless One. I like that, and I think he's not afraid. Even if he was, he wouldn't show it." He took a deep breath and continued in a clearer voice: "In his last battle against Lorithia, he was afraid and hesitant. However, he could have asked for a truce or withdrawn, and perhaps won with the help of one of his allies. However, he wanted to show that he was not afraid and would not need anyone's help. To show that he was not afraid, he entered the battle defeated, his reputation tarnished, and he was given the title we know now."
Valerio was impressed by this short story, reassured, and tried to understand and confirm the words he often repeated in his mind, but which he could never accept: "Fear is normal."
He turned, pleasure evident on his attractive features, and said softly, "So, Grandfather, is it normal for me to be afraid?"
- "Of course, but not always, and not everything."
- "And how? I mean, how do I conquer my fear?"
And that was the boy's problem: he didn't know how to get rid of his fear.
Crethors stood up straight and whispered firmly to his grandson, "Fight your fear."
On that table full of delicious food and hot drink sat Lord Crethorus Mytharion and also Scarlet Mytharion. Although Valerio's grandmother had grown old, she was still beautiful. On Crethorus's right sat his brother Filius, who had been in the city of Crets for months, and his daughter Enith, who had a humorous sense and constantly quarreled with Valerio, as well as Mythos, who had turned ten weeks ago.
Filius said: "Geon Arystal has died, or to be more precise, he was killed in Ransford." Crethorus took a sip of hot coffee, then placed the cup on the table and said: "Killed? Isn't that common these days?"
-"They said the same thing, my brother. How can the king's brother and deputy be killed in the height of stability and peace? But they saw him murdered in Ransford in a horrible way, unworthy of a golden hand." He also took a sip of the bitter coffee and continued: "Tensions are slowly appearing, they said Theodore targeted Arithion."
-"Theodore is a foolish king. I wonder what would have happened if Arthur Arystal didn't exist," Filius replied: "Exactly, but Arthur will not live for centuries. He's old like you."
Valerio was deeply absorbed in listening to them, so Enith whispered mockingly:
"Old men's talk is boring, how can you listen to that?" Valerio replied: "Boring to you, because your small mind can't handle it." The girl answered: "A crow mocking another crow's color."
-"Who will accompany you?"
-"Clyde."
-"An obedient servant, but with no merit."
-"Still better than you."
-"Damn you."
Filius interrupted them, saying: "What do you think about accompanying Valerio to the capital, Enith?" The girl paused with food in her mouth and said in surprise:
"Me?" Then continued hesitantly: "I don't know, I'll do what you see fit, father, but what's the purpose of that?"
Filius replied: "It would be dangerous to send Valerio alone. In the end, he remains of the Valthurions, and if something happens to him, we wouldn't know from any of them unless you were with him."
Enith said: "I won't argue with you on that, father, but Queen Flora is of our family, and Valerio is her nephew, she wouldn't think of harming him."
-"Girl," said Crethorus sharply, "Flora caused her sister's death, so why wouldn't she harm her nephew?" Then continued as he rose from his chair: "She's no longer my daughter, nor is she of our family."
Enith lowered her head and said in a low voice: "I'm sorry, uncle."
The Mytharion family palace was huge and spacious, built of precious white marble, its roof covered with blue tiles, and atop it fluttered the banners of House Mytharion — a golden phoenix on a blue background.
In the inner garden of the palace, Valerio was walking with Enith, who would accompany him to the capital. Enith seemed excited to go, as she said: "You know, the only time I went there I was just one year old, and of course, I don't remember it. But I'm excited to go, and even better, I'll be accompanying you."
"It will surely be a fun trip, but we must be careful."
Although Enith was four years older than Valerio, they treated each other like close friends and always argued and mocked one another.
The girl didn't respond, so Valerio stopped walking and said: "Did grandpa's words upset you earlier?" There was no need for the question — her annoyance was obvious — but she said:
"Well, yes, but I won't blame him. Flora caused your mother Rollinth's death, and of course, he'd be angry at the mention of that. Also, I said something stupid."
-"Families are really strange things."
Enith smiled politely and said: "Your way of speaking has improved, and you've started to talk like a grown-up."
Valerio fell silent, seemingly embarrassed by her words, trying not to smile.
-"What?"
-"What?"
-"Why are you speaking respectfully to me?"
-"And why shouldn't I?"
-"Shut up, you shouldn't talk like that."
-"Idiot."
Valerio called Clyde over and over as he walked through the halls, then remembered that Clyde had become somewhat fascinated by books recently, so he immediately headed to the study.
Inside the wide library, as he walked between the bookshelves, he finally found Clyde. Valerio shouted: "What are you doing here? I searched the entire palace for you!" Clyde closed the large book he hadn't understood at all, stood up, and said: "Sorry, sir."
Valerio said: "It's fine, but what were you doing here?"
-"Nothing, sir."
-"Liar, you're reading the book about crystals, isn't that right?"
The servant answered cautiously, lowering his head: "Yes, sir."
Valerio patted his shoulder and said: "No problem, do you need my help?"
The boy hesitated, unsure what to say, and finally just said: "As you wish."
He handed the book to his master, but Valerio refused.
-"The book is complicated and requires time and effort, so I'll give you a short introductory summary about the crystals."
The servant agreed without hesitation and waited eagerly for Valerio's explanation.
-"There are ten types of crystals, but their numbers reach millions, if not billions. But not all of them grant supernatural power."
Valerio continued explaining: "The crystals that grant supernatural powers are the black ones, and also the golden ones, but they require the blood of kings. As for the other types, each has its own abilities — some are connected to the black crystal and its powers, some are of dreams and prophecies like the white crystal, and some are of magic, like the violet crystal."
Valerio paused while the boy listened with full attention and whispered:
"Enith is waiting for us, and the crystals are complicated. Why don't we take the book with us to the capital?"
-"Great idea, but I have a question, sir."
-"Go ahead."
-"What is the power granted by the black crystal?"
Valerio laughed briefly and said: "Everything."
Outside the palace, Valerio was fully prepared to go to the capital, Erthoria, for the first time. He wore fine black clothes embroidered with gold, his dark hair curling over his shoulders, and he seemed much taller than the previous year.
He had turned fourteen a few months ago and was no longer a child; he would carry the sword and wear the armor like his father Rathorius and his ancestors before him.
Behind him stood five guards, Enith, and his servant Clyde, who was a year younger than him — not truly a servant, but a child once abandoned and cared for until he grew up and became one. But now, he would accompany Valerio as a friend on a long and fateful adventure, not just as a servant.
Valerio hugged his maternal grandmother, Scarlet Mytharion. Scarlet, who looked lively that morning, said softly: "Take care of yourself and be cautious. You are a Valthurion — you'll always be the center of attention wherever you go." Valerio reassured her: "It's alright, I'll be fine."
Enith mumbled mockingly: "Heh, your grandson is going to one of the safest places, not to war, old woman."
-"Won't you stop chattering?"
-"Aren't you coming with us? Come on, quickly!"
-"Alright, alright."
After saying their goodbyes, they joined Enith, Clyde, and the guards to leave the west and head toward the capital, which lay in the center of the kingdom. Without a doubt, it would be a long journey, even though the west was not far from the capital .