Chereads / STEEL, BLOOD AND LOVE / Chapter 8 - Forgiveness. 

Chapter 8 - Forgiveness. 

The trio arrived back at the castle, Ulfric rushed towards the car. Theodore gets out confused. "What's up?" Ulfric hugs him. "Thank god you're ok!" Theodore raised an eyebrow. "Why should I not be ok?" The woman from the tavern makes an appearance. "How did you get faster than us here?" Ghost gets out and whispers. "It's because we left our vehicle on the other side of the city." Theodore feels ashamed.

And pushes Ulfric away softly. "I need to make a list for new personnel. The old one dislikes me." He looks at the woman. "Rinehart prepares the man for battle, we are taking them down." Rinehart gets out of the driver's seat and rushes to the barracks to get a few dozen troops ready for combat.

"You want to go after the bandits like this?" Theodore's mouth expression turned from neutral to totally downward, the eyes exposing disappointment. "What do you mean like this?" Ulfric looks at the missing arm. "I mean look at this clothing."

Theodore slaps Ulfric. "Why is everyone thinking I am weak? I've done more than others could in 2 years. If I could've, I would've given my enemies 10 years out of my life and see if they can do what I've done in ONLY ONE YEAR!" He shouts and everyone in the castle hears him. Theodore leaves the scene to get his armor.

Ghost looks at Ulfric. "I don't know how much you know my friend, not only my friend. My brother. But he did the impossible. Everyone you saw coming with him was either saved or helped by Theo with his arm situation as it is. If this guy had both arms he would have conquered the war in no time." Ulfric looks at Ghost. "He did all this?" "Not only that he is the reason war ended. I won't get into details if he doesn't want to, but Theodore is a one man army at heart.

The troops arrived armed to the teeth. "Where is our lord?" Rinehart looks at the armory and Theo comes out rushing. "Took you long enough!" Said Rinehart laughing. Theodore gets near Rinehart and looks deeply in his eyes. "Fuck you!" They both start laughing.

Theodore stretches. "Guys we go down the mines from where we activated the god stone."

Ulfric rouse and eyebrow.

"You activated what!" Theodore ignores him. "After that we split between two groups. Silencers on, try to kill very few of them because I want lots of prisoners. The battlefield it's unstable so close range combat is preferable. "Go back to square one, you did what?"

"He activated a God Stone." Ghost said whispering.

"What did you wish for?" Ulfric said annoyed "Peace!" Theodore smiled. One of the soldiers brought a hovering mobile operation center. Everyone except Ulfric gets in. "We will be home soon!" The mobile operation center started moving. Inside Rinehart looks at Theodore. "Don't even dare to ask." Theodore said. Rinehart looks away. "I didn't want to ask you anything. "

Theodore sighs. "You wanted to, I know you wanted to ask and I won't respond."

Ghost, annoyed by the tension, says: "We want to know what's between you and everyone in your castle. They disrespect you, that I understand but your reactions are too cold since you came back to this place. They don't know you, but you should act like you act now."

"You're right, I am more, let's say annoyed. I feel unwelcome in my own home. It's hard to feel that. Enough with the emotional shit let's get our shit together." They arrived at the hole above the mine. They get out and set up ropes to get down. "5 people stay here, the rest go to the mine. Check your weapons!" The soldiers check their weapons and ammo and slowly get down in the pit.

Theodore gets down among them. "Split up in groups 3." He said whispering. They split up and Theodore was left alone. He goes into a small corridor. He hears voices and sends a ping to the other soldiers to ping enemy locations. 'They are 4. I have night vision. If I cut their light they will be blind and kill easily.' Theodore plans in his head. He throws a smoke grenade and activates night vision.

He moves to the closest man and cuts his throat with his sword. He moves to the second one and penetrates his skull with the blade. The blade stuck in the skull he pulls out the pistol and kills the other two people. He holsters the pistol and forces the sword to get out of the skull. He sends a ping to say that the place is cleared.

He goes back to the main tunnel from where they come from and sees they captured 15 people. "How many enemies killed?" "4 on our sides. You?" He uses his left hand fingers to show the number 4. They pull up themselves and prisoners. They turned off night vision.

"We now got to Alverg. We need to know what our people want to do with these bastards." Hastily move the prisoners in and move towards the city. The time now is 6:24 pm. They arrived in town and everyone was scared that another war started. The police force is following the mobile operation center.

The troops arrived at the execution platform. They bring the bandits on it and wait for the people to gather. People curious get to the execution platform. At least half of the city came to see what was going on. News outlets and other media organizations record either live or for their site.

"Today I bring you the men and women responsible for making your lifes miserable. Who am I? I am lord Theodore Bloodhearth. I've returned home earlier than the announcement of the war ending within a few days."

He clears his throat. "I haven heard of his bandits for a long time, but I also thought the police force and the other competent services paid with your money through me. Didn't do what their job is supposed to." He raised his hand up high. "You have a decision in your hands: forgive them and send them to prison, or kill them and send them to hell.."

One of the people from the crowd steps up. "Send them to prison!" So many other people did after. chanting for them to go to prison. A dozen people step up and say: "They killed our families. We want an eye for an eye."

Theodore closed his eyes and started a speech. "Would their deaths bring your families back? Will their deaths make them happy in the afterlife? No! I am a person that knows what killing does, it's horrible and most of the time unnecessary. Your families need revenge, but you have to listen to the other people who also had their lifes troubled by these people. You are a minority in votes, but in events, you are all the same."

Theodore lowers his hand slowly. "It has been decided they'll go to prison, but first as our tradition says, if you kill a man you get hit by 4 stones, for every human killed by these people throw 4 stones in them or atleast one. If they die, gods give them mercy. If they live they punish them already before the life after this one."

They sent the prisoners down the platform and started moving them in a straight line to the exit of this city. "This is not forgiveness, but at least this will please everyone." Theodore said to his men. The bandits get hit by rocks from every direction. Some tried to run through the crowd but they were pushed back.

One of them was hit hard in the head and fell down and never woke up. "Do you think any one of them will survive?" Said Ghost. "Yes, the tradition is made by the god of punishment, and it's only for my region. If the one hit by stones has too many sins they'll face an eternity in prison." Everyone was terrified of what they heard. "You know this because you are born here or because you are a Bloodhearth?" Said Rinehart. "Both…"

Everyone stops because there is just one man standing. "Isn't that their leader?" Someone said, Theodore nods. "And that's our highest sinner." Theodore added. He goes up to him and looks at his wounds. "You were barely hit by stones, comrade stop frowning and look behind you, all of your people are dead and you're the only one alive." Police come and take the last one to the police department before prison.