Night of the Soulless Heathens – 50



#50. Aldis 5

“Azadin I am always on your side.”

“yes?”

“It may sound funny to say this but I’m going to be like Azadin’s mother soon.”

“Hey Mom?”

Azadin and Aldis are 12 years apart in age. It’s a bit too much of an age difference for them to be mothers.

“But if Azadin hates himself doesn’t that mean he hates me too for forcing him to live? I feel a little sad.”

“Oh no. That’s not it…”

Azadin averted his gaze. Even if it was Aldis’s request it was unreasonable to ask him to like her when there was not even a single thing about her that made him like her.

*********

As the Haji Festival ended the number of dropouts from basic training began to increase. The children who were training were too busy and tired to touch Azadin but the children who dropped out of basic training had more time.

Of course they had to be trained to become merchants or craftsmen but it was not long after the Hajj festival so the excitement of the festival still lingered. So with time to spare the children naturally tried to turn their arrows towards Azadin.

But with Aldis no one could touch Azadin. Instead of going to his work place Aldis tried to spend time with Azadin by reading books to him teaching him Elvish fishing and mending his clothes in order to cheer him up.

But since she was a messenger she had to leave in the end.

*********

“Hey Aldis is leaving.”

“Really? Then is it finally… today?”

“Oh this traitor’s child was stuck to Aldis?”

“I’m going to kill that kid today.”

Everyone was waiting for Azadin. Especially the children who had failed in the messenger selection process. They couldn’t stand the fact that Azadin was a loser like them.

They want to somehow confirm the ‘difference’ between themselves and Azadin. They want to console themselves for failing in the messenger selection process by trampling on someone who is inferior to them.

Such a desire was driving the children.

“Sigh you brats are really. Aldis loves him so much but if you mess with him and something happens would you just sit still? Your parents will be in trouble too so how can you be so short-sighted?”

There was a shadow watching those children from afar.

*********

As a result the children could not harm Azadin. Before they could lay a hand on him Arael had already seriously injured Azadin. In an argument with him Arael ended up leaving a large scar on his face.

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A long horizontal scar where the eye should have been.

The punishment the elders gave Arael for committing such a brazen act was truly biased: three days in solitary confinement.

Azadin and Arael are the children of the same traitor but it is inevitable that the attitude towards Arael who grew up to be pretty and cute to everyone and Azadin who was disgusting and unpleasant to look at will be different. Above all it was the first time that the Aragas had ever met a helpless child.

It is natural for children to be weak and immature but they did not have the mental capacity to tolerate such things.

*********

“Ugh…. ahh….”

Azadin was suffering from the pain from his wound. He was applying a plaster made of disinfectant to his wound to prevent it from getting infected. However Azadin was able to see his surroundings thanks to his special eyesight…

It’s painful.

The physical pain was painful but the verbal abuse and violence Arael poured on him was unbearable.

“Arael!!!”

Azadin called out the name of his only blood relative with anger and hatred. Despite all the abuse and contempt he had received from the other clans he had never felt a hatred… It was Arael his blood relative who gave Azadin the name.

“I will kill you! I swear to all the gods that I will kill you!”

The wounded Azadin howled and writhed in hatred like a mythical dragon.

*********

The day Aldis left Arael came to see Azadin.

“Azadin you’re disgusting. You’re pretending to be a weak child and monopolizing Aldis’ attention.”

“Arael…..”

“I barely spoke to Aldis during this Haji Festival. I was the one named after Aldis so why are you monopolizing her?”

“Because that’s during basic training…”

“Really? Not because someone was whining and clinging to me?”

She showed me the book of the Knights of the Salvation Order that Azadin treasured. It was a book that Aldis had given her as a gift.

“Ah! That’s….”

“Why do you have such a heretical book?”

“It’s not our place to discuss heresy right? It wouldn’t hurt to know right?”

“Really? The corners of the book are almost worn out. You must have really been reading it with great care.”

Arael grabbed the book in front of Azadin and tore it left and right. The inside of the book was made of paper but the outside was made of hardcover. Arael easily tore it apart with her terrifying strength and threw it in front of Azadin.

“Arael! What are you doing!”

A furious Azadin rushed at Arael.

Of course he was no match for him. Arael simply grabbed Azadin’s arm twisted it and threw him down. Then she lifted her foot and stomped on Azadin’s groin.

“evil!”

“I’m sorry Azadin. Aldis seems to think of you as his son…”

“what?”

“Do you actually like Aldis? As a woman not as a mother.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Not yet. I don’t know because I’m not mature enough but there’s only a 12-year age difference between you and her. Besides the Emperor’s blood runs deep in Aldis. You know that Harconia was the Emperor’s lover right?”

Harconia the legendary leader of the Herald Clan was the lover of Emperor Yaeslat and had a child with him.

It was already an established fact among the heralds and indeed Aldis’ silver hair the Emperor’s characteristic feature remained clearly visible.

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“She is no different from the Yaegasu Goddess so she will live long. Even when you become an adult you will still be beautiful. Will you still be able to think of her as your mother then? Actually even now you don’t really think of her that way do you?”

“Stop it…..”

Azadin was more hurt by the words Arael whispered to him than by the violence she inflicted.

Of course Arael’s words may be true. To the beautiful Aldis Azadin Aldis is the standard of beauty and everything.

Before learning from her Azadin had not known that there was beauty in the world. The wind was just wind the night sky was empty and the stars were just faint lights.

It was Aldis who gave them meaning and gave them longing and yearning.

I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel any yearning or desire for her.

But even if he felt lust for her he considered it to be his biological fate and would keep it to himself without letting it show on the surface. He loved her beyond that so he did not want this desire to taint his love.

Since it was a longing that would never come true anyway I vowed to just keep it hidden deep in my heart and live on.

But Arael was enjoying hurting Azadin by deliberately shaking and dragging to the surface the secrets he had tried to hold onto and keep forever. She was mocking Azadin’s oaths and playing with his heart.

“Arael!”

“Yes be angry Azadin. Be angry. Aldis is of the Emperor’s blood so if you want to embrace her you have to become the most powerful being in Aragasa! Do you have the spirit to do that?”

Arael assaulted and verbally abused Azadin eventually cutting off Azadin’s face.

“Kwaaaaak!”

Azadin writhed in pain blood splattering. For a moment Arael clicked her tongue as if she felt she had made a mistake…

He laughed licking the blood off his hands.

“It would be better to have a scar where your eyes should be rather than a lump of flesh. You should be grateful to me Azadin.”

*********

Azadin was sick with a fever. His wounds were minor but the beatings he received from Arael and more than anything her harsh words were ravaging Azadin’s soul.

The verbal abuse and swearing from other children just floated on the surface.

Son of a traitor.

That damned bastard.

An ugly and horrible monster.

An incompetent and weak person.

Such accusations were certainly painful and tiring but they only scratched Azadin’s surface and passed by. However Arael attacked Azadin’s feelings for Aldis.

It was more precious to Azadin than his life and it left a deeper and more painful wound than the violence and insults that beat his body and tore his skin.

Azadin was groaning and struggling in the servants’ hut when the door to the hut opened.

“Is this the rumored Azadin or the Saryong of Mu-an?”

“Ugh….”

“That’s funny. But you have a scar on your eye. Does that mean you can’t see anymore?”

It was a young man’s voice. Azadin focused his blurred vision and looked at the opponent. It was a blond blue-eyed elf.

“Huh? Elf… gasp!”

Azadin was astonished.

“Hey don’t eat me.”

Azadin loved the books and tales of the elves. However he did not like the elves. Rather he was afraid of them. Not only Azadin but everyone else was afraid of the elves…

They are beautiful and long-lived but they are hedonists and they are greedy for human flesh. Despite their innocent and beautiful appearance they are known for committing all kinds of horrible cruel and perverted acts.

*********

Before the arrival of the Yaegasu Shinzou the Nagas were at the top of the races that ruled Hybris.

Nagashura Empire.

Those who were employed as administrators of that empire were elves. The Nagashura Empire raised humans like livestock and slaughtered them daily staining their temples with blood and the elves also participated in this work.

It is said that the elves were just as excited as the nagas during the frenzied festival of killing and eating humans.

“Ah you know the story of the Nagashura era. I heard you like reading books and are smart. You’re quite the person.”

The elf man who entered the hut said so and laughed.

“Don’t worry. I’ve been off cannibalism for a while now. What I ate this morning means I won’t be eating anything for a while.”

“Ugh… Who are you?”

“Elder Kazasda.”

“Kazas? An elder? But…..”

“Yes. Isn’t it strange that I’m an elder when I’m not an Aragasa? Besides the Senate probably hasn’t seen me either. Well I’m actually a hidden elder.”

The elf who introduced himself as Kazas smiled faintly.

“Rejoice my dear. You have been chosen as the disciple of this great Kazas. I will teach you the Kajas of the Wind Moon and Flowers.”

“yes?”

“What do you mean ‘Yes?’ Now is the time to shed tears and be moved. Oh you don’t have eyes so you can’t shed tears?”

Kazas grumbled when Azadin didn’t seem as grateful as he had thought.

“You’re not Aragasa are you? The flower bird wind and moon….”

“None at all!”

“But what about Kazas?..?”

“Ahaha. Little one shall I tell you the secret of the wizards?”

“What is it?”

“They say that wizards die when their heads are cut off.”

“….”

“Even if it pierces the heart you die.”

“….”

“Even if you break my spine I won’t die.”

“I guess so.”

“That’s what Kazas Haeseran does.”