After Donovan finished his speech, I was able to leave the elevated platform, quickly taking off the surprisingly comfortable armor as I walked back to the tent.
"Emrys."
As I walked through the entrance, I felt a hand on my shoulder, stopping my stride. Turning around, I saw the familiar face of Donovan, but he had a complicated look on his face.
"Let's talk."
I set the armor down inside the tent and followed Donovan to a side of town I had never been before.
It was the opposite side of where I had my training and it was full of ruined and abandoned buildings–a relic of the dark past of Beastmen.
"This is my past–our past. As you are my son, you must know about our history."
Donovan went on to tell me about how Beastmen came about, and the civil war that ensued over the territory they were given.
Then, he told me about his dark past and the guilt he carries from killing his fellow Beastmen in a berserk state.
**
I now understand my place–my purpose. I am the heir to the Beastmen. Donovan, my father, has entrusted this responsibility to me, and after I prove myself in battle to the other Beastmen, I will have their respect.
With that, we moved up to the former entrance to the Beastmen area that was now blocked up by rubble.
Donovan moved the debris away as easily as breathing, walking through the now exposed path.
"This area was where we used to live but now, it is just a relic of the past. We made sure to clean it up to fool the Demons into thinking we still live here, and still send scouts periodically."
As we walked through the city, there was one thing I noticed immediately: it was clean. Almost too clean.
There wasn't any trash lying around, no random stains on the walls or floor, not even a piece of dirt from the path out of place.
It was so different from anything I had ever seen.
The bleak stone in the current-day Beastmen city was in such contrast to the vibrant colors and tall buildings found in the former city.
Now, the only color that can be seen in our city is the fur comprising Donovan's tent and the Beastmen's characteristic blue blood.
While we walked through the city, I thought to myself that I would like to live here after the war, even if it was just Donovan and I, that was enough for me.
To be honest, I'm a little apprehensive about killing, even if it's a Demon. I've never killed anything before.
Then, a voice came from behind us.
"Dylan."