Chapter 26
686 Words
I remember it like yesterday. Mom and dad sat before me at the table. A tribal mask stood on it as the sun pierced the c***k in the walls, revealing the serious faces that they had. On the outside, the call of the event had begun and through the window I saw the flags.
“You know what today is Seth?” mom said.
“Yes, mom,” I replied. “The village’s hero’s journey.”
Father sat back in the chair as it cracked. “Seth, you’re my oldest son and this coming of age ceremony means a lot to me. I don’t want you to get hurt, if it’s too difficult or if you’re in pain---.”
“Stop immediately and don’t continue.”
“Yes, you represent the entire family, and what you do here is a protection for us. No, the village with these sacred trials.”
“Don’t worry, father I will succeed.”
“Your always so confident, Seth,” mother said.
“Did you have to do them when you were my age?” I looked from mom to dad.
Mom shook her head. “Only boys.”
“And I was already too old. I spent my time mostly on the road from young.” Father placed a hand on my head. “I know you will be fine. Promise me you will get it done.”
They called my name from the outside. I grabbed my decorative mask and headed towards the door. On turning around again one last time, both Mom and Dad were smiling at me.
“I promise.”
***
I relaxed my shoulders, my focus towards Sharx, the goblin, who seemed far too happy. It may be because he felt safe with the amount of goblins that walked beside us as we rode on horseback. Every single man felt uncomfortable. Even the guild master had whispered his complaints to the hushing sounds of Cameila. She still believed that everything was fine. I knew better, monsters and humans. I gripped my fist. The vision of my sister came to mind: it was something that would never happen. They were the natural enemies of humans, even if humans themselves could natural be evil. Humans still had hoped to redeem themselves, but as a monster, it was that incarnation of evil.
I held the horse's reigns as the horse trode forward on the plains. Malaka, her voice in my head was silent since that time almost four days ago now. Was it a onetime thing? I didn’t understand the spell or the techniques that were used.
“Do you recognize anything out there, guild master?” Caremila asked in the wagon.
The guild master began. “I am---.”
“Useless as always,” Caremila interrupted.
“We dere soon,” Sharx responded as he walked just a spear’s distance from my sight.
“What kind of demi humans lives there? You never did say Guild master and do they speak our language?”
“That is a good point,” Caremila responded from through the window, her hand gripped upon the guild master. “I wouldn’t really want a conflict between these goblins us and whatever else comes from there town.”
“You, you never asked. So I didn’t see a reason to say.” He swallowed his saliva as he took a gulp. “Well, they are a bunch of half men, weird looking to behold and they don’t like ---.”
“It there, it there,” Sharx arm pointed out as he jumped up and down.
It was a small village that was next to the beginning of what looked like a mine under excavation. It had a few towering posts and from one a horn blew. Short looking men ran out armed with pickaxes in hand and makeshift armour.
The guild master continued, “Whatever they are, they don’t like goblins.”
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