With a gentle motion, the General extended his hand, offering the boy a seat upon his horse. Cautiously, the boy accepted, his small frame seeming to disappear amidst the grandeur of the horse and its rider.
As the general prepared to depart, the old woman's prophetic voice rang out, her words laced with a foreboding tone.
"You will regret this," she cried, her eyes burning with an otherworldly intensity. "You will get sucked into his bad karma. Anyone who stays by his side will throw up blood, and dirt will get in their eyes. The curse of Orixas can not be avoided, and it will not end until the boy dies!"
The General paused, his expression unreadable. For a moment, it seemed as if he might heed the woman's warning, but then, with a decisive nod, he turned his horse and began to ride away, the boy clutched tightly to his back.
The villagers watched in silence as the pair disappeared into the distance, the old woman's words echoing like the haunting cry of a banshee. Only time would tell if the general's decision to take the boy with him would be one he would come to regret.
The rumble of the horse's hooves faded, leaving behind an uneasy stillness, as the villagers grappled with the weight of the old woman's prophecy and the uncertainty that now shrouded the boy's future.
Seventeen years later, the air was thick with the scent of ale and the murmur of hushed conversations as the General sat at a weathered wooden table in a dimly lit tavern in North Wales. His grunts and groans punctuated the air as he clutched his mangled arm, a grim reminder of the battles he'd fought and almost cost his arm.
Beside him, one of his high-ranking soldiers leaned in, his voice low and weighted with concern. "Sir, the council has been pressing you to leave the battlefield. They want you to take a position in the office, but you've turned them down. Why?"
The General let out a gruff sigh, his eyes filled with a haunted determination. "I can't entrust this task to anyone else," he said,but my adopted son,Liam, continued with his voice rough with emotion. "Not even the finest soldier in my ranks could do what needs to be done."
As he had taught him everything he knew ever since he was a boy. Even his military arts and bravery surpass his adopted father.
The story of being cursed by Orixas was known throughout the town and was known by everybody. He had killed all terrorizing monsters like the water monster and the monsters of Mount Gap. Those monsters fear him as much as they fear Orixas. Some soldiers called him an evil spirit who killed monsters. While others consider him being blessed by Orixas, by capable of slaying the fiercest monsters with ease. They were in awe and fear of his tremendous power.
It was a dark, moonless night as the soldiers, led by the general, including Liam, ventured into the dense forest. Their boots squelched through the muddy ground, splashing water with each step as the rain pattered all around them.
They were on a mission to hunt down and slay the last monster terrorizing the kingdom, determined to finally end this long-standing battle. Monsters were known to reveal themselves during times of hardship, and the men were eager to clear the land of these foul creatures, ushering in a new era of peace.
As they pushed deeper into the shadowy woods, two soldiers suddenly spotted the monster. But to their horror, the beast seized control of their minds, turning the men against one another. The sound of their weapons clashing, and their anguished cries filled the air.
Liam rushed forward, his sword held high facing the monster one-on-one. The monster then revealed its true form, transforming from a lady-like figure into a towering grotesque giant. The clash of steel against the monster's thick hide echoed through the trees as the battle raged on.
Suddenly, a section of the forest caught fire, the crackling flames casting an eerie glow over the scene. Liam fought with unwavering determination, slicing off the monster's ears before delivering the final, decapitating slash into his heart.
As the monster's severed head hit the ground, it let out a final, gurgling grunt. "You will pay for this!" it rasped. "I will remember your soul, and I will have my revenge!"
With those final words, the monster fell silent, and the other soldiers erupted into triumphant cheers, hailing Liam as their hero.
In the aftermath of the intense and harrowing battle, the ancient traditions of the land dictated a sombre and sacred ritual. The fallen soldiers, brave warriors who had fought and perished, were to be carefully returned to their hometowns and villages, so that they may receive the proper burial rites and be laid to rest by their loved ones.
However, the traditions also called for a grim task - the bodies of any who had been murdered by the monster were to be burned, their ashes scattered to the winds. This was seen as a way to prevent the corrupted souls of the slain from lingering and potentially rising again to terrorize the living.
With heavy hearts, the surviving soldiers and townsfolk carried out these solemn duties. They knew that honoring the fallen in this way was crucial, both to provide closure for the grieving families and to uphold the hallowed customs that had guided their people for generations, even in the face of such unspeakable tragedy.
However, the commander harboured a deep resentment towards Liam, the hero who had slain the monstrous scourge. "He is a monster himself," the commander spat, his voice dripping with contempt. "The deaths of these brave men mean nothing to him - he only cares about killing, as if it is his sole purpose in life."
The other soldiers, still shaken by the intensity of the battle, tried to reason with their superior. "If not for Liam, we would all have perished at the hands of that monster," one of them pleaded, his words tinged with desperation.
But the commander would not be swayed. "He is of lowly birth," he sneered, "How dare a commoner like him be placed above men of high status like ourselves?"
The hatred festered in the commander's heart, growing stronger with each passing day. The sound of his venomous words echoed through the barracks, poisoning the minds of those who had once hailed Liam as a hero.
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