In the weeks following my nineteenth birthday, unease seemed to creep its way into my very being. Although I understood the story of where I came from, as told to me by Avi, I soon found myself more and more confused about this killer of a king. Avi described him as a tyrant, a murderer of the innocent, and a sadist. This made me wonder, why did his people permit him to be that way? Were the subjects so brainwashed that they couldn't see his true nature?

The whole situation made me sick. Not only because my parents were dead because of this man, but also because he was still alive and in power. I thought about him on a daily basis, and often found myself begin to shake with built up rage. To calm down, I would escape to an isolated field and practice my swordplay. However, this only seemed to ebb my anger temporarily. Every few days I would become so worked up that I just needed to kill something. I would suddenly call together a small hunting party and collect any unlucky game that happened to be nearby. Thankfully, no one seemed to really notice my personality change. I was still the "golden boy" of the village and everyone still admired me.

One early morning I awoke to find Avi asleep next to me. The large man took up most of the bed, but somehow I hadn't noticed him until that moment. I observed his bearded face as he lay in undisturbed slumber. His chest rose and fell in silent rhythm, and his eyelashes fluttered faintly every few seconds. My thoughts wandered over the possibilities of what his dreams could have held.

Then suddenly, Avi stirred from his deep sleep and shifted his position on the large bed. His middle-aged face twisted uncomfortably for a moment before his eyes slowly opened, revealing his dark auburn pupils. Upon seeing me awake next to him, Avi's mouth softened into a compassionate smile.

"I apologize, Caleb," He murmured in his deep tone. "I didn't mean to fall asleep in your bed."

"It's alright," I assured him, offering a faint smile. Closing his eyes again, Avi stretched his arms above his head and sighed heavily. I watched him with curiosity, wondering when had been the last time that I'd woken up with the older man beside me.

Back when I first came to the village, Avi had spent almost every night with me, all because of the unbearable nightmares I experienced. I'd wake up shaking and crying from the realistic terrors that haunted my dreams, and Avi would always be there to comfort me. As the years passed, I began to forget the horrific events of my childhood, and Avi stayed with me less and less. It must've been years since he'd actually spent the night with me.

He must've just been too tired to make it to his own bed last night, I thought.

Then, as my mind was wandering over the events of the passed weeks, such as my own growing hatred and suddenly changed personality, a thought struck me.

Would Avi allow me to go and seek out the king that had killed my parents?

It wasn't the first time the idea had come to my mind, but it never seemed like anything plausible before now. If Avi weren't so close to me at that moment, I never would've given the possibility a second thought. However, with the tranquil morning atmosphere surrounding me and the older man so at ease, I began to find myself wanting to ask for this outrages request.

Honestly, I didn't know how much longer I could stand this deep hatred beginning to boil within me. Perhaps going to see this king, or at least his kingdom, would bring some closure to my mixed up feelings. The only conflict was that I couldn't go anywhere without Avi's permission, not only because he was the tribe leader, but also because he was my father figure and I respected him.

This may be the only chance to ask.

"Avi," I murmured. The bearded man turned and looked at me through tired eyes.

"Yes, my son?" He inquired.

"I want to ask you something important," My voice was low as I began. "Something that I think I need to do."

Avi's eyebrows furrowed together in confusion; he sensed my sudden seriousness. You have to ask him, I told myself. This is probably a one-time opportunity. Taking a deep breath, I reassured myself that I just had to be confident and accept his answer, no matter what it may be.

"Is something wrong, Caleb?" Avi suddenly asked. He extended one hand and placed it on my cheek, stroking it lightly.

"It's not a matter of something being wrong," I clarified, sitting up in the bed. His palm dropped from my face as I did. "I…" But the words refused to form within my mouth.

Concern starting to plague him, Avi sat up as well. He placed an encouraging hand on my shoulder. Again, I heaved a deep sigh, calming my suddenly agitated nerves.

"I want to go to Altea…I want to see my parents' killer for myself." I admitted, looking down.

When Avi didn't respond to the proposition, I peeked one eye up and glanced at his still confused expression.

"Why…why would you want that?" He asked lowly, disgust evident in his voice. I kept my head low, now regretting ever bringing up the subject.

"Well…I just can't live knowing that he's out there, and I've never seen him for myself." I said honestly. "I wouldn't harm him, Avi. It's something I need to-"

"No," the sudden interruption made me snap my head up, hoping that I hadn't just heard the abrupt rejection. Avi's expression was firm, and his eyes burned with a sudden intensity. "When I brought you here, I vowed to myself to never let you go back to that horrible place."

"But if you would just-" A hand was panned against my mouth, stopping any further arguments. The older man took his large palms and, rather violently, captured my face with them. He pulled me up so that I was face to face with him; he was close enough that I could feel his warm breath on my nose.

"You are forbidden to leave this place," My caregiver whispered in hushed anger. "Is that clear?"

"Yes," I choked, trying to hide the hurt within me. Although I secretly knew this would be the outcome of the conversation, a small part of me had still hoped to be accepted. Unfortunately, this idea had only managed to hurt me internally and put me on bad terms with my only guardian.

Avi's face softened the slightest bit, and his palms slackened as he grasped my cheeks. A sigh escaped his parted lips, making warm, moist air stretch across my face.

"I just…I just want you to be safe, Caleb," The older man explained, looking me straight in the eye. With that, he released me from his grip and lifted himself off the bed. He exited the large tent without another word, probably going out to look for something to do that would distract him from my situation. I watched him go, also not speaking.

I felt an urge of rebellion start to burn within me the moment he left, a sensation I had never experienced before. Almost instinctively, I knew that I couldn't stay in this place for much longer. The more I thought about it, the more it seemed like Avi was hiding something, which led me to believe I would never truly find out the truth with him around. I didn't want to lose his trust by being disobedient, but how else was I going to find out what I wanted to know?

As wrong as it was, I knew I had to leave.

And soon.