A Time of Tigers - From Peasant to Emperor

Chapter 77  The Cruelty of The Gods - Part 2

Dominus caught her gaze, and added another little condition. "Ah, and if you would keep what has happened here today a secret, for the most part, it would make my life easier," Dominus said with a gentle smile. "Of course, I do not mind you sharing your victory over the Goblins – that is your glory. I merely ask that you do not mention the appearance of the Hobgoblin, if you can, nor mine own involvement."

"Uhm… Okay," Nila glanced towards Beam, before reluctantly agreeing.

"Well, Beam, do you feel up to a walk back into the village?" Dominus asked.

Beam nodded. "I need to fill up the sled and bring some wood back with me."

"Not a chance." Dominus said.

"Are you stupid!? Look at your leg! There's no way you're doing that," Nila shouted straight after him.

"But I told your mother that I would…" Beam tried to say awkwardly. "Besides, someone will take the sled if I leave it out in the middle of the forest." n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

"I will take care of the sled," Dominus told him, before producing a sack from behind his back and handing it to Beam. "These are the heads of the Goblins you slew. Take them to Greeves whilst you're in the village. Girl, keep an eye on him and make sure he doesn't overexert himself. Those heads are heavier than they look."

And they were indeed. Beam could feel his shoulder already begin to ache as he felt the weight of a sack filled with seven Goblin heads.

Nila nodded. "I'll keep an eye on him, sir," she said respectfully, not sure quite how polite she should be to the mysterious man.

He too nodded in reply, so she figured her politeness must have been enough. "Don't make those wounds worse, boy, as you go. Really, you shouldn't be moving at all, but you had better use this chance to take care of things in the village before the swelling sets in. Inform them that you will not be around for a while."

Beam didn't rush to agree. He wasn't planning on stopping anything, despite his wounds. He figured that he'd be able to push through the pain and go at the same pace that he was. "…Yes, master," he said quietly.

At those words, Dominus vanished back amongst the trees, leaving Beam and Nila where they were, deep within the forest, nearly an hour's walk back to the village.

"Let's get going then," Beam said, striding forward, only to immediately cry out in pain, as he attempted to put weight on his wounded leg. "Gah!" He shouted, hopping onto his other leg, trying to strike a balance that would at least make the pain more tolerable.

Nila watched worriedly. "Are you really going to be able to make it back?"

"I'll be fine," Beam assured her through gritted teeth, as he worked to accustom himself to the pain now that the adrenaline was working off. "How about you? Has the wound on your hand stopped bleeding?"

Nila looked at her hand blankly as they started to walk. She'd forgotten that she'd even hurt it. The wound looked shallow and trivial now, when she compared it to Beam and his body covered with scars and open cuts. She hid it under her sleeve and shook her head. "Stupid. You're in a way worse state than me."

"Heh," Beam said, as he moved along, limping heavily and using the trees to support him. Truthfully, he could hardly stop thinking about his battle with the Hobgoblin and the bitterness of defeat still burned through him. But he was reluctant to show such emotion in front of Nila. Besides, the assurance that he'd get another chance at victory in a couple of weeks did much to ease the pain. He clenched his fist, absolutely certain that he would win next time.

"Who was that, by the way?" Nila asked, after a few minutes of walking on the trail.

"My master. I don't know if he'll want me to tell you who he really is. He seems to be strangely secretive," Beam told her through laboured breaths as he struggled to continue walking.

"Hmm…" Nila said thoughtfully. "What about you?"

"What do you mean, 'what about you?'"

"Who are you? You're not the firewood collector I thought you were… Besides, how did you know how to fight those Goblins? What are those scars on your body?" She paused a moment to recover her breath as she fired question after question. "…Why did you risk your life, just to help me? You were a hair away from dying there… If not for your master… You really would have." She asked, as tears returned to her eyes and emotion choked her voice. "We're just strangers… aren't we?"

Beam didn't hear the fear in her voice. In truth, he was struggling to stay conscious as he forced his way through the woods, every step a true effort. Sweat coated his brow and fresh blood kept oozing its way out of the cut on his leg. Dizziness had been with him a while. He didn't have much thought to give his answer, for it took all his effort merely to move forwards.

"I dunno… I just wouldn't have liked it… If you'd been killed when I could have helped you. I think. I wouldn't want to see your face in my dreams… And be reminded of how weak I was," he said.

Nila glanced at him, hearing his words filled with such suffering. He spoke like a boy who'd had such things happen to him before. She wanted to ask, but she dared not. Even if he had saved her, they were still strangers. He hadn't saved her out of any special feelings for her, after all.

"Hey, are you managing?" She asked, noticing his swaying was getting worse.

Beam stumbled a second later, falling against a tree.

"Gods!" She shouted in worry, running after him. His skin felt so cold as she grabbed him, only serving to worry her even more. "Beam! Beam!" She called to him, holding his head to make sure that he was still awake.

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