Chapter 3: HEART OF STEEL

The sky was gloomy and dark , covered with clouds. The six stars in the sky were not visible. Although now it should be called five stars. According to myths and legends ,Hundreds of years ago the sixth star, the lost one, fell. It vanished from the eyes of people. They say it was a sign of calamity. Some said that the lost star will return someday. The truth in those sentences was not something Victor knew nor did he care. He continued his walking holding the rope tied to the horse. The river water was flowing opposite of the direction they were moving.

The area was dangerous. He had a premonition that something had an eye on him. Soon that premonition turned out to be true as a black mountain wolf jumped at him from a nearby bush. The hunter was intending to catch his prey at the neck.

But that did not faze Victor too much. He was experienced. Much more than anyone in the village. Pulling the sword from his scabbard, he pierced the head with only one strike using the hunter's own momentum.

The hunter became the prey in an instant. A fountain of blood emerged from the wound as Victor pulled away his sword and the wolf's body limped down. If it was any other day, Victor would harvest his kill. It would make a good winter cloth with the wolf's pelt. But today he has no intention of that. He left the corpse to be eaten by the other predatory creatures waiting in the darkness. The guy who was gagged in his mouth and tightly tied by a rope on the horse tried to let out a scream but ultimately failed. Even the bounded man who was a bandit all this year, killing people and looting coins after coins, didn't have the courage to come this north into the woods alone and absolutely not in the time of night. 

He had a bad premonition. Normally a captured bandit's fate was nothing but execution. All the other members of his group were already dead, executed by the villagers. They never thought a warrior would be found in such a remote corner of the kingdom. If they knew they would never attack Altria village. The man was in despair. He was sure of his eventual death but hoped for escape. 

Victor was the chief of the village. It was not difficult for him to keep a bandit alive for some time in the name of questioning. There was not a soul in the village who did not trust Victor, quite contrary to this, everyone trusted him for their back more than themselves. Victor felt a little guilty for betraying their trust. Today what he was going to do was ethically wrong. He was going to sacrifice a human for his goal. Even knowing the consequences, he was clear on his priorities. Victor was a righteous person but not an angel.

So, he ignored the muffled screams of the man and continued walking without looking back.

……...............

The day before.

"Victor, are you sure? For god's sake let that go. You have been trying it for so many times and still failed right. Nothing happened. Haven’t we tried enough? Haven’t you tried enough? Gods have forsaken our child. Face with reality ,Victor. Let not bring more danger. I don't like the idea. Victor,Victor "

Haley was trying to convince Victor but he continued wearing his warm clothes from the hangar. He was staring at the wall not to face Haley face to face. He was also in turmoil but that couldn’t break his resolve. When Victor’s first born son died in front of him, He had made a promise to himself that he would protect his children at all cost even if he had to sell his soul to a devil.

But sensing the hinch of anger and sadness on Haley’s eyes, he felt that he was the worst person ever. Just as Haley was about to say something, Victor turned around deeply stared at Haley.

They have spend their life together for so many years. They have so many moment happiness as well as grief. She was the anchor Victor always had. But now she was trying to stop him. He understood that it was for his own sake . If Their position was reversed Victor would done the same as her.

“What do you think Haley. How many days has she left? How can I see my daughter dying slowly inch by inch everyday in front of my eyes?”

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His voice aroused but it was not too loud to be heardable from the next room.

Drops of tears came out of her eyes. She was breaking but she was not going to endanger the life of one of her loved once for another of her loved. But she also knew that Victor was not a man who cared about his own life when it come about his children and his family.

Then they heard footsteps and soon a voice called out, “Brother?”

Rekan walked into the room. He was Victor’s brother. He was wearing thick warm village clothes so only few can notice his buit of a Warrior. He stands about 5’8’’ tall and has dark hair that falls to his shoulder. A chiseled face and dark brown eyes escalated his sharp features. An old sword was resting in the sword belt at his waist. 

Seeing him Haley turned around to hide her redden eyes. Some matters should be kept hidden even from their family. She had raised Rekan from a very young age. After Victor and Rekan’s family died in a very unfortunate event. There was not a single person left in this world to call them their own for Rekan and Victor. A young Victor oneday appeared in this village with nothing except his little brother and a sword. She still remembered how much Rekan was in trauma after that event. He didn’t talk with anyone but Victor. Victor always wanted to stay strong in front of him. But Haley knew the other side.

Fortunately when no one was there for them. The village Chief came forward to help them start a new life. He has helped them to take the hardship together. Victor also worked very hard. He was like the big tree in a storm for Rekan. He took all the rough winds that came their way. Victor was not only Rekan’s brother, He was like a father for him.

The respect for Victor in Rekan’s heart was also not something to be taken lightly. He loved his big brother more than his own life. Where on oneside losing his parents made him less reachable and cold,but on the otherside Victor’s example and their hardship made him very mature and a very gentlehearted person inside. The cold ,silent personality was just to hide his soft nature inside as Rekan always wanted to be like Victor. A strong person who would protect his family at all cost. For him, the Six gods can be wrong but his brother couldn’t. His respect or should it be called reverence was on a very dangerous line if directed towards a wrong person. Fortunately , Victor was not a person like that.

“Brother,I don’t think it is good time to go on a journey for about a week. Even if you want to go out, you better be hurry up. The signs are not good. The clouds are coming.” Rekan’s voice was flat. There was no trace of anxiety in his tone. Although he had noticed this atmosphere and had a good premonition of what was going on, He chose to believe in his brother. The decisions should be taken by Victor and He would follow them and complete them. That was his mentality. And Rekan had seen Victor going in this type of journey before. It always takes about a four to five days for Victor to return. 

The news about his absent would be inevitably known to villagers. So they were informed that Victor was going to the nearby town of Zindar for the medicine. Everybody knew that Victor’s daughter was suffering from a unknown disease.

Only Haley and Rekan knew that Victor was not going to the Town. But Victor didn’t tell Rekan about his destination and Rekan never asked about it. But this time the atmosphere was different. He could sense the tension in the atmosphere.

“ Is the horse ready?” Victor asked at that moment. He took out his sword from the wooden chest.

“Yes. I have prepared more than a weeks food this time as you asked. Is this going to take longer than usual?” Rekan asked out of curiosity.

“No.” Victor just answered in minimum words possible.

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