บท 18: Chapter - 17

Silence. Sweet sweet silence is what had enveloped me. My head struck the floor and everything went dark. No voices beckoned me to do their will, no tears fell from my face, no faces screamed in mine. Just silence. I had used to wake up and run to my father crying when I woke from having a dream of total nothingness. No emotion, no feeling, no happy birds flew in the sky, no deer frolicking in the meadows. Just total emptiness. "What's wrong with me father! Why does this happen to me!" I would cry as I pulled myself closer to him, I was scared he too would fade into nothingness just as everything around me had done, "It is okay my son" he said as he began to rub my hair "it was just a dream boy. Come now. I'm here with you aren't I?" He asked in a reassuring and loving tone. I looked up at him, my face having two strong rivers rushing from my eyes, I wiped my eyes and nodded my head as I took his hand and we went off to do our daily chores. I would always feel safe in his arms. I knew I would be safe so long as he would be there with me. Now, whenever I had these dreams of nothing the thought of him would bring back some of the warmth that allowed me to survive the harrowing cold. His memory kept me from freezing over in the abyss that I would be trapped in. I knew when I woke he would be there for me. No matter what.Slowly I began to tear open my eyes. They felt heavy. My body felt as if someone had placed a mountain on top of me. I tried to sit up but the pain forced me back down into my bed. With much pain, I forced my neck to move and my head fell to the side. My eyes were blurry and slowly adjusted to the dim light pouring in from the door across from my bed. I saw a figure appear at the door. I couldn't make out who it was, they were a mass of blurry darkness, the figure came into the room and placed a single ax down on the floor next to a helmet. I tried to speak but I could not force the words out. The pain was too great. My eyes finally adjusted slightly to the light. I stared at the ax that was laid down on the floor. It looked so familiar. The handle was made of ebony wood, intricate carvings of dragons fighting one another filled the shaft of the ax, it looked so familiar. My head was still in a daze. The blade of the ax was made from steel, the light glinted off of the surface of the ax reflecting it across the room, I still couldn't place my finger on where I remembered this ax from. My gaze shifted towards the helmet. And as I saw it my heart had stopped. This was no ordinary man's helmet... It was my father's. My ears rang. I could feel my chest rise and collapse as if they were Jotun fighting. I slowly looked at the figure, my heart beating fast, I saw the chief. He was on one knee laying the helmet down on the floor. His face looked mortified. He stared at the helmet as if it were the head of a fallen warrior. I could no longer control my breathing nor could I bear the force of my heart beating against my chest, it felt as if a dragon had buried itself into my chest and was trying desperately to get out, I tried to move but felt more pain course through my body. I felt useless. I tried to move over and over but again my body would not listen. I looked back at my chief and my father's helmet. I had to get up. I needed to see him. I had to be sure he was okay. I closed my eyes and felt tears escape them in a rush. I tried moving once more and screeched out in pain as I tried, the chief was shocked and tried to rush to my side to stop me, I needed to get up... I needed to see him. I screamed and felt every muscle in my body defy me and course with pain, trying to stop me from moving, I felt blood trickle down my chest. I tried once more with everything I had and forced myself to move. Slowly my body began to heed my call. I slowly began to sit up and face the chief. My eyes remained closed and my face turned to the ground staring at my feet which were now carelessly thrown against the floor. I felt pain with every breath I took, with each tear that ran down my face I felt daggers stab me in the back, I forced out a single sentence. "Where is my father..." I said softly as my head faced the ground. "He is not doing well Hunter. He is alive but we do not know how much longer he has got left..." The chief said, his words felt like boulders being placed on my back, he looked down at the floor and his face was hidden from mine. I knew he was crying. I tried to stand. My feet fell out from underneath me. I fell hard down to the ground. I felt the cold floor connect with my body and I wanted to scream out in pain. But I knew I had to push through. I forced myself to my knees and tried to get up but I felt the chief catch me with his massive hands. "Enough Hunter! What will it do you if you and your father die! Think boy! Would he want you to be doing this! Is that really what you think his dying wish would be! To have his only child, his son, drag himself through the mud just to see him die! No!" The chief shouted as he pulled me up to my feet by my arms. He held me close to his face and did not try to hide the tears pouring from his face. "He has been poisoned boy. He is alive. He is not going to die today. Please... Get back into bed. This village needs you... Your father needs you to live. You are going to die if you keep doing this." He said with pain in his voice. I looked at the floor, my body went limp, the chief held me in his arms and hugged me. "Good lad." He had said as he lifted me back into my bed. He turned around and started heading for the door. "Boy." He called back "you will be facing a great many foes soon. You must rest." He said seriously. "And child. Do not forget. She is hurting too. She needs you now. Be strong for her and your father." he stopped for a moment at the door "You have too..." He had said in a softer tone, one that was filled with pain, I watched as the door closed behind him. And I stared at it for a while. I felt weightless again as my body forced me to go to sleep, tired of heading its abusive master's call, I saw nothing but darkness once more. But in that darkness, I saw a shiver of light... I saw her eyes... Asta.