The Beast Within

CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN

Elder Feyrer looked briefly behind him but it was enough for the child’s features to be burned into his mind, big, dark eyes peered frightfully out of a gaunt and pale face.

“Go ahead, show us who it was stealing the diamonds.” A short and stocky soldier leered at the terrified boy.

Elder Feyrer turned back to dig at the rock at this point, it was evident from the horrified look on the child’s face that there was truly no diamond thief and he was simply ordered to point out any Mage to face the punishment or face the consequences.

The now familiar feeling of bone-deep weariness came over Elder Feyrer once more, his heart felt like it was slowing down, the longing for his place of birth filling up his very soul.

“Tis he, is he not?” The soldiers were carrying the little boy around to show off the Mages to him, he looked like he might like to cry, bony and bruised hands holding tightly to his ratty tunic as he shook his head to one more Mage.

The Mages mining were just as terrified as the small child, knowing that it was not the child’s fault but yet, a simple nod from him was going to mean devastating consequences for them.

It was difficult to feel any sympathy for the suffering child while the soldiers just wanted to get a scapegoat to quench their boredom and hate for the powered race.

Soft rustling filled the space of the cave, Mages shuffling with uneasiness as a Mage was yet to be chosen for the fabled crime of stealing the King’s diamonds.

A loud silence replaced the soft sounds of moving cloaks and uneasy feet and Elder Feyrer could easily guess that someone had been chosen.

“Cease pretending to work and show your face.” A cruel voice called behind him.

He turned around slowly, paying no mind to the soldiers and instead bestowing on the terrified child a warm welcoming smile even though the child was practically sacrificing him in his stead.

“Well then.” The tall soldier cuffed the boy on the head, harshly. "Is it him then?"

The poor child had initially wanted to make out Elder Feyrer to be the thief but at the nice old man's warm smile, the first proper one he had been given all his life, he suddenly did not want to do it to him anymore.

His hesitation to answer drew another harsh blow, making him curl into himself.

"Speak."

Elder Feyrer gritted his teeth as he struggled to remain calm, he would only lead the both of them to more trouble if he tried to intervene.

The little boy started to nod but then he stopped halfway and shook his head.

Elder Feyrer glanced sharply at him, about to tell him to the best of his ability without speaking that it was fine to tell the soldiers that he was the one that stole the diamonds.

He was too late for the soldiers had already picked up on the child’s mixed messages and acted accordingly.

"Which is it?" A cruel kick which sent him crumbling to the ground, gasping harshly in pain.

The short stocky soldier leaned over with glittering eyes to deliver another blow in addition to the first kick from the tall soldier. "You are in cohorts with the thief now, are you not?" He accused.

The boy went rigid with terror, tears making his dark eyes bigger as he began to shake all over, unable to say a word to save himself.

Elder Feyrer had already made up his mind, he would kill at least a soldier or two before he got caught, he was not at his peak anymore or all three would have been dead in minutes.

The logical part of his brain kept warring with his decision, reminding him of his promise to his wife to come back.

He knew he was a hopeless cause now, they would still make him out to be the thief anyway, he might as well try to save someone in the last moments of his life.

He was no hero, on the contrary, he was not even worthy of that title but even day after day of cruelty dished out to him had not hardened his heart towards his kind.

The soldiers hard turned on the child with sharp cuffs and harsher kicks that left him bleeding, trying to coerce a definitive response from him.

The boy did not give in to them, no matter how many blows rained and the rest of the Mages just watched on, perhaps able to help but being unwilling to risk the skin of their neck.

If anything, Elder Feyrer thought they looked particularly relieved that it was not them after all.

The non-Mages were making them turn on each other.

A wave of nostalgia for the sea hit particularly hard that he would have almost sworn that he could smell the saltwater.

He had not lived a horrible life, he just wished there was a different ending to his tale.

But there was not and he was starting to understand that if he was not sent to the labour camps, he would be killed.

There was no escaping that but there was a chance to keep the boy from dying too because all they really needed was the littlest hint of suspicion.

He was oddly calm, although he was about to rebel against the non-Mage soldiers, he bowed his head and let his eyes slip shut to hide the glow in his eyes as he let his lightning magic thrum softly under his skin, giving him reassurance.

At least he would die honourably, not from his body giving out from digging away at the mines nor from the taste of a wild lotus flower but by rebelling against the ones who had stolen their freedom and lives.

He looked up, eyes glowing and attacked.

He was stiff with age but he had been a very strong Mage in his prime and some of that energy came back, perhaps his body knew that this would be their last fight.