Adam hesitated, then let out a sigh. "I think I'm not human," he said quietly.
For a moment, Raoul was silent. Then he let out a deep laugh. "Well, that's a new one," he said, still chuckling. "What makes you say that?"
"It's just a feeling," said Adam. "In my dreams, I feel like I'm something more. Something... different."
Raoul sobered up quickly, his eyes turning serious. "Listen to me, Adam," he said, his voice stern. "You are a talented warrior, with incredible potential. Don't let silly dreams get in the way of your training. Focus on what's real, on what you can achieve with your own two hands."
Adam nodded, taking in Raoul's words. "You're right," he said, determination creeping into his voice. "I won't let anything stand in the way of my training."
The two warriors sat in silence for a moment, watching as the sun slowly dipped below the horizon. And as the last rays of light disappeared and the darkness enveloped them.
"Okay, let's go back to the village," Raoul finally spoke, breaking the silence. The master and student rose to their feet and started walking back to the village, their feet moving in unison as they traversed the path. Raoul could still sense that Adam was preoccupied with his thoughts, and he could see the young boy's mind working, trying to make sense of his strange dreams.
As they approached the village, Raoul could feel that something was amiss. The atmosphere was strange, almost electric with tension, and he could see the backs of the villagers gathered in front of them.
"What's going on this time?" Raoul muttered to himself, feeling a sense of unease settle in his stomach.
As they approached the villagers, Raoul could see the cold expressions on their faces, and he knew that something serious was happening. He was tall, and as he stood on his tiptoes, he could see over the heads of the crowd. But Adam was shorter, and he was curious, eager to see what was happening. He crunched his shoulders and forced his way through the crowd, his small frame making it easier for him to navigate the throngs of people.
When he finally made it through the crowd, he could see what had everyone so captivated. Standing in front of the crowd were twenty armed soldiers, their heavy armor gleaming in the moonlight. Four soldiers were mounted on horses, three wore armor similar to the foot soldiers, but it was not as heavy, and one was not wearing armor at all.
The man on the horse not wearing armor was giving off a commanding aura, his gaze piercing, his broad shoulders and long hair giving him a noble air. He looked at Raoul, who was standing behind the crowd and spoke.
"Are you Raoul De Garcia?" he asked, his tone sharp and cold.
The crowd looked back at the man's question, they didn't notice that Raoul was standing behind them until the man on the horse spoke. Raoul stepped forward, Standing tall in front of the crowd.
"Yes, I am Raoul De Garcia," he said, his voice ringing out across the clearing. "Who are you?"
"I am Leon De Paul, Captain of the King's Guard," the man announced, his voice echoing with authority. He unfurled the parchment in his hands, his cold gaze scanning the crowd of villagers. "Raoul De Garcia, you have been accused of being part of the militia that started the civil war, fifteen years ago, on the king's order. You are to be arrested and brought to trial for crimes against the crown."
The villagers were stunned into silence, their eyes fixed on the man reading the charges.
Roseguard was a hidden village on the outskirts of the Grandé Kingdom, a refuge for those who fled the kingdom during the civil war fifteen years prior. Raoul's circumstances were different, however. He wasn't from the Grandé Kingdom or the last continent. He and the village founder, Zeke, had met in the now-infamous Darklands.
So when Leon De Paul accused Raoul of being part of the militia that started the civil war, the villagers knew it was a lie.
"What lies are you spreading?" a man from the crowd yelled, anger lacing his voice. The tension in the air grew as more villagers joined in, shouting their protests.
Raoul stood silently, his eyes locked on the foot soldiers who had their hands poised on the hilts of their swords. But what truly puzzled Raoul was not the false accusations, but the fact that the soldiers had found the village at all. Roseguard was supposed to be impossible to find, protected by a barrier set by Zeke that made it invisible to outsiders. Only those holding a special artifact could enter the village, yet these soldiers had done so without it.
"How did you find this village?" Raoul asked, his voice as cold as ice.
Leon De Paul ignored Raoul's question and barked, "Follow us. Don't make this complicated for the people behind you."
"Do you think we're scared of you?" a villager taunted, and the crowd grew even more agitated.
"SILENCE!" Leon De Paul roared, and with a wave of his hand, he released a heavy pressure that made everyone in the crowd buckle under its weight. Everyone except Raoul, the soldiers, and a small boy named Adam.
Seeing the boy resist the pressure caused Leon De Paul to frown, and he applied even more pressure. The villagers writhed on the ground, unable to stand, but Raoul and Adam remained standing, unaffected. The soldiers were shocked. They had never seen anyone, let alone a child, resist Leon's powers before.
BOOM
Raoul stomped his foot, breaking the pressure and freeing the villagers. The soldiers, including Leon De Paul, were no longer focused on Raoul, but on Adam.
"Boy! Who are you?" Leon De Paul demanded, his voice a deep growl.
Adam stood silent, his gaze unwavering.
"Boy! Don't make me repeat myself," Leon De Paul warned, his voice growing louder.
"Who do you think you are, shouting at my student?" Raoul countered, his hand glowing with a soft, blue ethereal light. The soldiers in front of him raised their swords, the metallic sound ringing out in the air.
*SHRING*
Leon De Paul, their leader, raised his hand to signal the soldiers to sheath their weapons. He fixed his gaze on Adam, his eyes unreadable.
"Nevermind," Leon said, withdrawing his gaze from Adam and turning his attention back to Raoul. "Decide, Raoul Gracias. Will you follow us or resist?"
Raoul glanced at Leon's right hand, where he saw a red emblem sign that Leon De Paul was a Meister, and Raoul knew that the other three soldiers were probably Meisters as well. If he chose to fight, he might be able to defeat them, but the cost would be the destruction of the village and the safety of the people behind him. He had to weigh his options carefully.
"I will follow you without resisting if you answer my next question," Raoul said, his voice measured.
Adam's expression fell as he heard his master's words. He had always trusted Raoul, and now it seemed as if he was giving up without a fight.
"How did you find this village?" Raoul asked, his eyes locked on Leon.
"Someone guided us here," Leon said, his tone giving nothing away.
"Who?" Raoul pressed, the urgency in his voice palpable.
"That, you don't need to know," Leon said, his voice firm.
With a nod from Leon, one of the soldiers on horseback dismounted and approached Raoul, holding a set of handcuffs. Raoul submitted without resistance, allowing the soldier to secure his hands.
"Master!" Adam cried out, the fear and sadness in his voice palpable.
"Don't worry, I will come back," Raoul said, his voice soft but resolute. A sad smile played at the corners of his mouth as he was led away by the soldiers.
The villagers and Adam watched, their expressions filled with sadness, as Raoul was taken away. They knew he was a powerful warrior, but it seemed as if he was giving up without a fight.
"Are you also abandoning me?" Adam whispered, a single tear slipping down his cheek. The thought of being without his master was too much to bear.