"No, stop with the kindness, he doesn't need nor does he deserve it. If he wants to act stubborn, he should be treated like so. Shitty brat, that whole mess you are into right now could have been avoided. If you had simply acted accordingly. But, drunk in an illusion of power and strength you never had, you thought you could force everything your way."
Selene stands up straight and looks at me with her arms crossed,. That's the most menacing look i have ever seen on a woman my whole life.
"If you had simply bowed to Kalok and admitted your weakness, at worst, he would have broken a bone or two. There were too many nobles around for him to do otherwise. But not only did you defend yourself but you even humiliated him. Exactly what he was hoping for. For the rest, if you are not too stupid you can understand by yourself."
So, because I accepted Veronica orders, because I trained, because I fought Kalok… I promised myself to become stronger, but it seems strength isn't just in the body. But what was I supposed to do then?
"You keep talking like I am at fault. But what should I have done?! Who was there to tell me?!! No one!! Nobody was there!! I have been all alone! I am all alone! So, no, I am not at fault! I didn't do anything wrong! And if this world thinks otherwise, I will-"
"You will what? Fight the whole world? Ahahahaha!! Lookk at this dog shit trying to become a tree. You are nothing kid! Nothing! In fact, maybe your parents were right to-" When Selene talked about my parents, I throw my dagger at her, wounding her cheek.
"You fucking little!" Before I could even move, Selene was behind me and smacks my head so hard it buried in the ground. My nose must be broken because I can't breathe through it anymore. THe taste of blood also invades my mouth.
Even so, I try to stand up but she has already placed her foot on my head. She put so much pressure on my head I think I hear a crack at some point.
"Listen and listen well, you stupid arrogant shit. You are weak, whether you like it or not, whether you accept it or not, you are weak. Because you are weak, there are people who will suffer like my husband right there. The strength you seek is not useful every time nor will you ever be the strongest. And you want to know why? Because you are too stubborn to understand your own faults. Stubbornness is useful for those who use their brains. For the others, it is just stupidity. And being stupid won't maintain you alive for long."
Do you think I don't already know that? Do you think I just want to be pushed around every time?! Even I want to change! Even I want to become stronger.
"I..."
"You see, even though you are in this situation, you won't accept it like you should, always trying to resist. That's what I am talking about and you won't even listen."
"I don't care."
"You what?"
"I don't care. I will live as I want! I am naïve? I am weak? And so what?!!!"
I try even harder to stand up now, putting both of my hands and even my knees on the ground, I push as hard I can, if my neck must break, if my head must explode, then so be it. But I won't let people treat me however they want anymore.
"If I don't know something, I will learn. If I am not clever enough, I will observe and change. If I am weak, I will become strong. But, I. WILL. NEVER. AGAIN. LET PEOPLE INSULT OR MANIPULATE ME!!!!"
Finally, I push Selene's foot away and stand up. Or maybe she removed it. I don't care.
"Never again. Even if I die! So if you think you can, do your worst but you won't leave unscathed."
My breath is rough, and I am breathing through my mouth which I am not really used to. My vision is a bit fuzzy.
Selene looks at me for a while, then she sits back at her place and takes a piece of meat that Excafol had cut while we were talking. After eating it, she finally talks.
"Do what you want. But you better learn fast then. The world won't wait for you to be ready. And one last thing you should never forget…" She looks at me with dead eyes. "THIS WORLD IS CRUEL AND RUTHLESS."
When I sit back down, Excafol hands me a piece of meat with my dagger, I take it and put it in my mouth. The taste is weird. This is the first time meat tasted like that ever since Tatradum. It's not that it is good or something. But the taste is like I had never eaten meat before. I wonder why.
***
The next morning, we resume our journey. After five hours inside the forest, we reach a house. It looks old and run-down. Excafol stops and climbs down, Selene also. But when I want to follow them, Selene signals me to stay. Then she goes around the house while Excafol goes to the door. Weird enough, he knocks. Like it was not enough, somebody answers:
"The fuck is that?" A first voice.
"Are ya stupid? Why did ya answer fucking blockhead? Who would knock here?"
A second voice, then an arrow passes through the window at high speed towards our carriage, and almost hits our horse. The horse starts running and I jump from the carriage. At the same time, somebody blows up the door with a kick and comes out with an axe and a shield. His armor is dirty and damaged. A bandit for sure.
"Where is he?"
While the bandit is looking for Excafol, who is floating in the air above him, I see a red light appearing from Excafol's finger, then it becomes as big as a lemon and goes straight to the man's head. It blows it off. The guy's head is gone just like that. Soon after, I hear a window breaking and people screaming inside the house. Must be Selene, then one of the bandits jumps through the door and starts running towards me.
"You won't fight with a hostage, you fuckers!!!"
The bandit extends his arms to catch me. So I do really look weak to the world. Let's show that shitty world once and for all that I am not then. You will be the pillar to achieve that, fucking bandit with a tooth missing. I use Disperse and appear right in front of him then I pierce his eye with the dagger. With the momentum of his run, I don't really need to apply much force but, because I got careless and came in front of him, he falls on me.
I push the corpse away and stands up, Excafol looks at me, expressionless.
"Well, this is our new home."