Hello There! Sorry for the wait again. I still haven't gotten into a good schedule but I'm sure I'll find one. And also, I want to say thank you for all of the reviews. It makes me smile seeing everyone's reaction to the surprises I put in my stories. Thank you for being patient as well and I hope ya'll like this chapter. I think it's very interesting. Enjoy!
-Joyful Wild :)
-CHAPTER 14: ANGER
Artham woke from a dream he couldn't remember. At first, he wondered where he was until the memories of the day before came to him. He looked outside and saw that the sky was still grey, and it was lightly sprinkling. He smiled. He couldn't place why he felt a sudden joyfulness inside of him. He felt like something big happened and it was something amazing! Artham rubbed his eyes and took in a deep breath. The air felt fresher too. He sat up and looked around and saw everybody asleep except for one person. Podo. Artham stood up and let his eyes adjust to the light looking everywhere but not finding Podo. Was it all a dream? Artham thought, Did Podo really come back? Then he walked towards the wall covered in vines and looked at it very closely. He recalled Laylah running into it and then disappearing behind it. There must've been something behind there. But then a voice startled him, making him turn around letting his eyes open up a tiny bit. "Mornin' Artham." Podo stood at the doorway of the cave.
"Oh, good morning, Podo," Artham said quietly while walking towards him. "Was wondering where you were."
"Well, I was just taking a look around and scouting the place."
"Anything we need to worry about?"
"Well by the looks of it the path could be slippery but I'm sure we'll be alright. Even Leeli."
Artham looked behind him and saw Leeli sleeping peacefully with her crutch and whistleharp beside her. Artham smiled when he had the small flashback to when she was just a newborn sleeping peacefully in his arms. "Artham," Podo said. Artham snapped out of his memory and turned to Podo.
"We need to talk." Podo looked down at Artham with a gaze that he hadn't seen in a long time. Anger. Artham tried to look back at what he had done but couldn't figure out why Podo would be angry with him. He had kept everybody safe for as long as he could ever since he returned to Anniera. "Follow me." Was the only thing that Podo said before walking up a path that continued up the mountain and passed the cave. Artham hesitated and the joyful feeling in him slowly disappeared as he followed Podo.
They walked up the path for about a minute and stopped at a small clearing that overlooked the Blackwood from above. Podo stopped and crossed his arms as he looked at the view. Artham stood tall and straight beside him with his hands behind his back bracing himself for what might come. It wasn't that Artham didn't trust Podo, he just wondered why Podo looked angry. And most importantly why at him? Artham's mind raced as the two men stood there in silence until finally Artham spoke. "What is it you need to talk about?" He said still looking at the view.
Podo was silent for a minute then he said, "I've let you take your time for as long as I could but now, I can't wait any longer."
"For what?"
Podo turned his angry gaze back to Artham who was still looking at the view. "An apology."
Artham looked back at Podo with confusion and turned to him while crossing his arms. "An apology? For what?"
Podo turned to Artham, "You know what."
"No, I don't."
"Artham, I need you listen very closely. I want an apology for killing my wife. You understand."
Artham stood there surprised. Then the voices started to enter his head. "He's right you know. It's your fault! Everything was your fault!"
"NO!" Artham thought, "I'm done with the blame! I'm done with the guilt and shame! I have had enough of you!"
"But we'll always be here. You can't get rid of us. You can't ignore us."
"I can't get rid of you, but I can still stand up for myself!"
"No, you can't! You're nothing but a weakling and a failure!"
"NO!"
Artham stood there in front of Podo staring at him while he fought with the voices in his head. Then finally he took a deep breath and spoke as calmly as he could. " Podo, I'm sorry that you lost your wife in the war, but I won't take blame for something I didn't do."
Podo's gaze darkened, "Then explain to me why my wife isn't here!"
"The fangs! Don't you remember that for the past nine years fangs have been roaming the lands of Aerwiar?!"
"Of course, I remember those years! Those were the worst years of my life all because you ran away instead of helping us escape! I was alone for nine years Artham! NINE YEARS!"
When those words reached Artham's ears, he couldn't hold back any longer. He finally snapped and anger started to boil hotter and hotter. " ALONE! You felt ALONE?! YOU FELT ALONE WHILE YOU HAD YOUR DAUGHTER AND GRANDCHILDREN WITH YOU?!" Artham started to pace the ground and hands in the air while his wings beat against the ground and each other. IS THAT WHAT I'M HEARING?!"
"Artham, you prevented her from seeing the children grow up! You knew just as well as I did that, she wanted to see them get older! BUT OF COURSE, YOU RAN AWAY LIKE A COWARD! I WAS ALWAYS TOLD THAT YOU WERE THE GREATEST FIGHTER IN ANNIERA AND THEN YOU JUST RAN OFF!"
"WELL, IF YOU SAW THINGS FROM MY PERSPECTIVE THEN MAYBE YOU WOULD UNDERSTAND WHY I RAN INTO A BURNING CASTLE!"
Podo stood there listening to Artham and growing angrier by the second. Who does he think he is? Podo thought. Why can't he take some responsibility?! "WHY CAN'T YOU JUST TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR ABANDONING US AND KILLING WENDOLYN!"
"FOR THE LAST TIME, PODO, I DIDN'T KILL WENDOLYN! YOU ARE NOT THE ONLY ONE IN THIS WORLD WHO LOST SOMETHING IMPORTANT! JUST FOR ONCE BE GRATEFUL THAT YOU WERE NEVER TOLD EVERY SINGLE DAY OF YOUR LIFE TO PROTECT YOUR BROTHER ONLY TO FAIL MISERABLY. BE THANKFUL THAT YOU WEREN'T BEATEN UP EVERY SINGLE DAY IN THROG. BE THANKFUL THAT YOU DIDN'T WATCH YOUR BROTHER TURN INTO A CLOVEN RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU. BE GRATFUL THAT YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO LOOK INTO ESBEN'S EYES AND BEG YOU TO STAY ONLY TO LEAVE HIM FOR DEAD! BE GRATFUL THAT YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO FACE ONE TRIAL AFTER ANOTHER BARELY HOLDING ON TO THAT SMALL HOPE THAT THE ONLY FAMILY YOU HAD LEFT WOULD WELCOME YOU WITH OPEN ARMS ONLY TO BE CRUSHED WITH THE REALITY THAT YOU'RE A MONSTER AND YOU FAILED AND AS PUNISHMENT YOU GET REJECTED BY THEM BECUASE THEY WERE EITHER AFRAID OF YOU OR BLAMED YOU FOR DOING SOMETHING THAT YOU NEVER DID! BE GRATFUL THAT YOU HAD A GOOD MEAL TO EAT AND NOT SUFFER NIGHTS WITHOUT ANY FOOD. BE GRATEFUL THAT YOU HAD A WARM, STRONG HOME TO LIVE IN AND NOT A WEAK TREEHOUSE THAT WOULD CATCH FIRE AT ANY GIVEN TIME! BE GRATEFUL THAT YOU HAD A FAMILY TO LOVE AND FOR THEM TO LOVE YOU AND NOT WATCH IN THE COLD FROM A DISTANCE WISHING THAT YOU COULD JUST RUN AND HOLD YOUR DEAR NEPHEWS AND NIECE AND PLAY WITH THEM AND WATCH THEM GROW! BE GRATEFUL THAT YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO GO DOWN THE ROADS OF YOUR CHILDHOOD AND WATCH PEOPLE EITHER GET KILLED BY A FANG, BURNED ALIVE, OR BE THROWN INTO A BLACK CARRAIGE! BE THANKFUL THAT YOU WOULD ONLY SEE ONE CARRAIGE EVERY NIGHT AND NOT THOUSANDS FILL THE STREETS OF ANNIERA HEARING SCREAMING AND CRYING COMING FROM THEM!
I KNOW IT WOULD BE HARD TO BELIEVE THIS BUT YOU HAD A WONDERFUL LIFE! A LIFE THAT I WISH I HAD! BUT I COULDN'T AND I KNEW I DESERVED TO SUFFER BECAUSE I FAILED MY BROTHER, HIS FAMILY, AND MY WHOLE COUNTRY! MY HOME PODO! I WAS TOLD EVERY! SINGLE! DAY! OF MY LIFE TO PROTECT MY COUNTRY AND MY BROTHER! THAT HAS BEEN HAMMERED INTO MY HEAD AND SOUL EVER SINCE I WAS SMALL! AND I FAILED SO I SPENT THE LAST NINE YEARS BEATING MYSELF UP EVERY SINGLE DAY AND BLAMING MYSELF! THAT'S WHY WHENEVER YOU FOUGHT ME OR CHASED ME AWAY, I WOULDN'T FIGHT BACK BECAUSE I KNEW I DESERVED IT! I HAD VOICES IN MY HEAD THAT WOULD TELL ME TO DO THINGS AND IF WEREN'T FOR THE MAKER CONVINCING ME TO NOT LISTEN THEN I WOULD'VE BEEN DEAD A LONG TIME AGO! BUT WENDOLYN'S DEATH WAS NOT MY DOING!"
Podo stood there shocked and speechless. Good! Artham thought, about time. Artham hadn't realized until then that tears had fallen down his face and soaked the ground that he paced, and his talons had been curled into a fist and he felt the pain of his talons digging into his skin, but he showed no signs of pain. At least pain from his hands. Artham then marched towards the edge of the cliff and slowly spread his wings. "Artham?" Podo said. Artham turned back to Podo "I already know what you're going to say."
"You do!?"
"Yes. And you won't have to deal with me anymore."
"What do you mean?"
"You wanted me to leave so I will."
"What?! No!" Podo exclaimed. But then dropped from the cliff and flew up and turned towards Throg. "ARTHAM! ARTHAM WINGFEATHER GET BACK HERE!" Podo knew Artham heard him but, he only kept flying.
Artham flew and let his tears fall. He looked at the ground that passed by him and occasionally at the mountains. Artham finally found another cave and carefully looked inside. It was deep but from what he could see he was safe. For a while at least. He looked at his talons which were still curled into fists and saw blood on his talons. He hands shook from the pain as they slowly opened up and tears started to swell in his eyes. He was finally able to catch a full breath when they finally opened to reveal deep cuts in his palms. He ripped the very bottom of the legs of his pants that went down to his ankles and used a small piece of it to wrap around his hands. He wrapped his wings around himself as the wind from another storm came and rain started to fall even harder. He walked deeper into the cave trying to see if there was anything useful, but he couldn't.
Then he heard someone talking. Artham followed the sound for a while as the voices became clearer. He carefully put his hand against the wall and slowly walked deeper into the cave. The wall that Artham was following took and sudden turn and when he looked down that direction, he saw a small light coming from the end. He continued to walk towards the light and saw the tunnel turn again this time the light was brighter, and the voices became clearer. Finally, Artham looked around another corner and saw strange creatures huddled together and talking. One of them had a women voice, "So how many did you find?" The creature looked like a wolf with horse legs and antlers. "One." Another creature spoke it looked like a big spider with a beak.
"Good." Said the wolf creature. "And what about you, Laylah." Artham's heart skipped a beat as he saw Laylah walking forward towards the big creature.
"Uh, I found five." All of the other creatures that were there laughed. Artham wasn't sure but he thought he saw her ears go down. "No, it's true!" Laylah continued. "And one of them is a man with wings and talons." Everyone then stopped and silence quickly filled the room. "What did you say?" The wolf creature said with an angry growl.
"I...I found five people and one of them had wings and talons."
Artham knew he was in trouble along with everybody else that came. He turned to go and warn them but quickly ran into fangs who quickly grabbed him then knocked him out.
