"I... I come..."
Aelrin felt his voice break, he stopped for a moment and felt a ball knot his throat. Hesitant to express himself, his fists clenched and his eyes closed, he recalled all his memories.
Lucas, attentive, did not rush him. Instead, he looked up to admire the golden leaves dancing in the wind, while keeping his ears attentive to Aelrin.
While Aelrin was still hesitating to express himself, a light breeze, loaded with the scent of Solnycto, touched his face. Suddenly, he felt a slight soothing in him.
Aelrin caught his breath slightly and in a calm tone, he said:
"I... I come from a small village in the north of the kingdom of Malagasy. "
"We lived there in peace, my family and I, without the slightest concern," he said before stopping for a moment, feeling a knot in his throat again.
When Aelrin stopped, Lucas, who was attentive to his words, turned his gaze to him and thought:
"He then comes from Malgasia... Isn't it this little kingdom located in the east of our kingdom? "
Aelrin, having caught his breath, resumed:
"On this day..."
"Everything seemed normal to us... but we had no idea what was about to happen..."
AELRIN'S FLASHBACK:
In a small village nestled in the northern mountains of the kingdom of Malagasy.
The sky was a slight clear blue that morning, the first rays of sun illuminating the modest wooden houses of the village. And the birdsong rose gently in the sky. The leaves of the trees, still pearly with dew, trembled gently, caressed by the breeze, and the smell of fresh bread mixed with that of the wet earth.
In a wooden house, Aelrin, still a child, ran around the table with his little sister Lyra, her cheeks red with laughter. Their mother Lina, being a woman of great beauty with blue eyes and blue hair, prepared bread for their breakfast, while smiling slightly listening to the laughter of the children resounding in the room.
Lina, having then finished making her bread, said in a soft voice:
"Children, at the table! She said while setting the table.
She placed four plates around the table with four glasses of milk in front of each plate and in the middle of the table, she placed a large plate composed of cold cuts and cheese and another plate composed of the breads she had prepared.
Following his words, Aelrin and Lyra stopped playing and approached the table.
Before Aelrin could sit down, Lina, who placed Lyra at the table, said:
"Please my love, can you go and warn your father that breakfast is served? She said in a soft and calm voice.
Aelrin smiled slightly and said:
"No worries, Mom. "
Aelrin, then six years old, left their house and went to the back of their house.
There, he saw a man with an athletic build, white hair and crystal blue eyes, cutting wood with an axe.
"Dad! "Exclaimed Aelrin, watching the man cut the wood.
"Mom wants you to come and have breakfast. "
Then the man, who was cutting wood, stopped and turned around, and with a smile on his lips, he said:
"I'm here in five minutes, son. "
Aelrin then decided to squat right behind his father and began to observe him in silence with curiosity and admiration.
Five minutes passed and Logan, Aelrin's father, turned around and saw Aelrin who was waiting for him while contemplating his work. Having seen this, he let out a smile with the tip of his lips.
So, he took Aelrin in his arms and placed him on his shoulders.
"So that's how you were waiting for me, my big one? He said in a soft voice with a warm smile.
Aelrin, who was then sitting on his father's shoulder, said:
"I want to be strong like dad," he said in an amazed tone.
Logan smiled tenderly following his words and began to walk slowly towards their house with Aelrin on his shoulders.
"You want to be strong like dad, huh? He said, laughing slightly.
"Don't worry, one day you will be as strong as dad and even stronger than me. But never forget to protect your family, no matter the circumstances. Only then can you become as strong as dad... and maybe even be the strongest person in the world." he said in a calm voice and a warm tone.
Aelrin remained silent for a moment, touched by these words that he did not yet fully understand, but which already resonated deep in his heart.
"I will always protect mom and Lyra. Promised." he said proudly, raising his little fist towards the sky.
Logan looked at him over his shoulder, his heart swollen with emotion.
"I don't doubt it for a second, my son. You are already much stronger than me." he said with a slight smile on his lips.
They arrived in front of the wooden door of their house.
Smelling the smell of hot bread inside, they entered the room that was bathed in a golden morning glow.
Entering the room, Logan placed Aelrin on a table chair, then approached his wife, placed his hands on her hips and gave her a light kiss on the forehead, and whispered:
"You're beautiful, my love," he said in a soft voice.
After that, they all went to the table and had their breakfast.
A few hours later, the sun was already high in the sky, flooding the small village with golden light. Life followed its course, peacefully. The villagers went about their business. The children laughed as they ran between the houses, while the adults were busy in the fields or at the improvised market in the center of the village.
Aelrin and Lyra were playing not far from there, a wooden top in hand, under the tender gaze of their mother, sitting in the shade of a tree.
As the afternoon advanced peacefully, the sky was still clear, and the light wind rustled the trees bordering the village. Aelrin, exhausted from having run so much, had lay down in the grass, his arms outstretched, watching the clouds pass slowly. Lyra, for her part, ends up falling asleep in the arms of their mother who looked at them with kindness.
But this tranquility was interrupted by the arrival of five hooded riders, mounted on dark steeds. Their presence stood out in the decor of the village. Their armor was not those of the Royal Army of Malagasy. They wore long black coats bordered with dark red.
They stopped at the entrance of the village and began to sweep the village with a hard look, as if they were judging every corner.
"Is this really where the ice knight lives? " said a young knight, looking with contempt at the village and its inhabitants.
"Be careful what you say, even if he has lost a large part of his powers, he still remains a powerful person." says the knight at the head of the procession.
As he approached the house, Lina, sitting outside with Lyra in her arms, having noticed the outfit of the five knights approaching them, her face tensed.
"They... are back." whispered Lina with a worried look.
She got up, while holding Lyra in her hands, and went to take Aelrin who admired the sky to bring them back inside the house.
While Lina had brought her children back inside their house, the knights eventually approached their house under the eyes of all the villagers.
They got off their horses and approached the door. As the young knight was about to open the door, a hand suddenly grabbed his, and an imposing and athletic build stood in front of him.
"What were you trying to do? Logan said, looking at the knight with a threatening look.
The young knight, then surprised that his hand was caught, suddenly wanted to draw his sword, but another knight told him:
"Don't do that! " said a slender knight, with an imposing build, who was at the bottom of the procession.
The young knight slowly sheathed his sword while staring at Logan with a threatening look.
Then the knight with the imposing build advanced and said:
"Young master Arven... It's been a long time since we've seen each other, but it looks like you're still in shape. "
Logan stared at the knight with a threatening look and said:
"The young master Arven no longer exists... he died a long time ago. My name is Logan now," he said in an intimidating voice.
The knight sighed deeply, his tone hardening as he addressed Logan in a deep voice:
"Arven d'Estherion. You're been refusing to come back for years. Yet you know that orders come from above. "
"Your father the Duke, is ready to give you a second chance. This will be our last warning. Come back to the duc, and we will let your wife live. "
Aelrin, his curiosity piqued by the different atmosphere that had settled when he rushed into the house, approached discreetly towards the window. He saw his father talking to five unknown and imposing silhouettes. His instincts perceive a slight danger. He observed the scene in silence, his eyes wide
Logan was silent for a while. His hard, almost icy gaze, staring at that of the knight in front of him.
"This is no longer my life, now. "
"I didn't ask for anything. Neither your mercy nor your mercy. "
"Leave here... and tell the duke that my answer is always the same" the coldness in his voice was icy, almost sharp.
The leader of the knights narrowed his eyes under the shadow of his hood. If his face was hidden, his entire body gave off a palpable threat.
"You are no longer what you were, Arven. But you continue to refuse the duke's orders. "
"This time, it was not a simple request but a warning. You are making a serious mistake, young master Arven."
With a sudden movement, he turned his heels and signaled to the others to get back in the saddle. But before they left, he stopped one last time, a cold smile on his lips.
"We will come back. But this time... it will no longer be a warning. "
As they turned away from the village, a last directive slipped from the mouth of the leader of the knights, hard as a blade:
"Go tell the bandits to attack tonight. They will have our support. "
Their silhouettes slowly disappeared into the horizon, leaving behind a silence full of omens.
Logan, who had been observed in silence by the villagers, rushed back into the house. The eyes of the inhabitants weighed on him, accusing, but he paid no attention to it.
Lina, holding Lyra asleep in her arms, was there, ready to welcome her, looking marked by worry. Aelrin, who had quickly stepped back from the window, already knew... something terrible was approaching.
"Lina..." he whispered, kissing her gently on the forehead.
"Prepare their things. We will leave tomorrow at dawn. "
She nodded, without a word. His eyes met those of Aelrin, and in this look, he knew that the situation was tense.
Logan then knelt in front of him, placing a firm hand on his shoulder, an intense but tender look.
"Listen to me, Aelrin. Whatever happens... you don't have to worry and you will have to stay strong for the sake of your sister and your mother. Promise me that you will stay strong, no matter what happens"
Aelrin opened his mouth to protest, but Logan stared at him with a rare intensity. He had never seen his father so serious.
"Promise me. "
"I... I promise you..." whispered Aelrin, his heart clenched.
Night had fallen, bringing with it an icy wind and a pouring rain. The first drops were already hitting the roofs, while Lina, worried, rushed to close the shutters. Aelrin was deeply asleep, snuggled up against Lyra.
But Logan... he couldn't sleep. He was sitting in front of the fireplace, sharpening the blade of a shining sword under the dancing glow of the fire.
Lina seeing anxiety in him, slowly approached him, settling behind him, wrapping her arms around his neck.
His soft and soothing voice pierced the silence of the room:
"Don't worry my love. Everything will be fine, as always"
Logan, remained for a moment without answering, his eyes fixed on the flames of the fireplace.
He snuggled up against Lina's warm hand and in a deep voice he whispered:
"I would like children to grow up in a peaceful atmosphere where they can flourish. I don't want my father to find them and use them as instruments of war. "
Lina leaned over to place a kiss on her cheek, a sad smile on her lips.
"Our children are happy, thanks to what you have done for us. We must be proud of them, proud of what we have built. They are beautiful and strong, thanks to you. "
A few hours later:
The wind was blowing hard now, screaming in the alleys, slamming the shutters. The flames of the chimney flickered, as if they presented a danger that was approaching. The wood crackled, the rain hammered the roof. But in this artificial heat, an icy atmosphere gradually invaded the house.
Logan slowly put his sword by his side. She shone faintly at the flickering light of the flames. He got up, his blue eyes fixed on the door, the tension palpable in the air.
A whisper, barely audible, made the atmosphere tremble. A distant, almost imperceptible sound. Clogs. Then another one. And one more. Then footsteps accompanied by wild screams.
Logan slipped silently to the door, looking through the lock. Hooded silhouettes mixed with armed bandits, brandishing torches. The threat was there.
Logan slowly straightened up, his gaze now hard and sharp than the blade he had sharpened.
"They are already here..." he whispered in a breath.
Logan equipped himself silently. He tied his sword behind his back and fled a dagger in his boot. Then, he slowly took out a small box, hidden under a slat on the floor. Inside, a bluish gem pulsed weakly, like a frozen heart.
Lina, woke up in the warmth of the room. His eyes were fixed on Logan, who was taking the gem.
She got up, worried.
"They're here? She asked, a hint of anguish in her voice.
Logan nodded, in approval.
She approached, embacing him from behind, her warm breath against his neck.
"Re you sure you want to use it, Logan? "
Logan hesitated for a moment, his gaze on the gem. Then, he grabbed Lina's hands, smeezing his fingers in his.
"If that's the price to pay to protect them, then yes. "
He then turned to her, the tenderness in his eyes betraying the pain that gnawed at him. A last kiss, sweet and bitter, which he placed on his trembling lips.
"Take the children, take the back door and head towards the forest. Don't come back, especially. "
Lina looked down, tears threatening to pearl. But in her heart, she knew... He would never change, and that was what made his strength.
She raised her head, her eyes shining with tears and love, and smiled weakly at him.
"That's why I love you..." she whispered, her smile warming the icy air that surrounded them.
"I won't leave. I will stay to help you. "
Logan wanted to answer, but when he saw this smile, illuminated by the light of the fire, he felt a comforting warmth spread in his heart. He let out a small smile, almost imperceptible.
"I hope you're not rusty..." he said, with a corner smile.
She answered with a confident smile, her eyes immersed in hers.
"I hope so too. "
They then went silently to the children's room. Seeing them sleeping peacefully, they approached, and with a tender gesture, stroked Aelrin and Lyra's hair, their hearts full of the love they had for them.
BOOM...
TO BE CONTINUED...