by Reja
Zodd continued talking with himself “It can’t be!! .....is this....really ....the egg of the king...?! ..... Really ...a cub likes him ...with the crimson behelit ...?! .....that means.....this.....the GOD HAND!!! ...”
Everyone heard Zodd all talk but nobody understands what he is saying.
Zodd suddenly started laughing and said, “*huh*...HUH...*haha haha* ...so it’s that kind of game...” And strikes the roof with all his power and broke it.
After breaking the roof he saw Kaal and said “Our battle is on hold for now, boy...but ... I wonder if I will ever meet up with you again ..?..well here’s a word of warning no, a prophecy ... If you can be said to be a true friend of this man ...
then take heed...when his ambition collapses... death will visit you!! ...a death you can never escape!! ”
and after saying this Zodd extended his wings and flew upward, towards sky breaking anything that comes to his way.
And in a few seconds, he reached in the sky now every person on the castle saw him and started chatting
“Hey look!!”
“What’s that??”
“A DEMON?”
And Zodd started to move away from the castle.
Kaal was still seeing him from inside the building and think about what he said.
Death?... What ....you mean I’m going to die..??
After seeing Zodd gone far away Casca and everyone started to run towards them.
Casca runs towards Griffin with shouting his name “Griffin!!” And hold him in her arm, and tried to wake him “Griffin! Hold on...!” Kaal saw this but didn’t say anything.
Corkus and Rickert got near Kaal and take his shoulder to help him and started asking
Rickert “Hey... Are you okay, captain?”.
Kaal “Yeah... Guess so”.
Corkus “You are lucky to be alive ...”.
After somehow he got on his feet he said: “Forget that for now, how’s Griffin ...?” And started to move toward him.
When Kaal got near Griffin and tried to touch him Casca scraped his hand and said: “DON’T you touch Griffin ...”
And turns toward Kaal and see him with tears in his eyes and said:“ IT’S ALL YOUR FAULT... this never would have happened to Griffin...IF IT WAS NOT FOR YOU!!”.
After hearing this Kaal didn’t go near Griffin and just left from there and other members took care of Griffin and moved him to treatment. And in all the day ended.
CHAPTER 10
THE INJURIES IN BODY AND HEARTS
After the battle with Zodd Kaal and Griffin got seriously injured and were moved to Midland kingdom’s royal capital in the Windham castle where medical’s facilities are best in all the midland kingdom.
A few days later
In the Windhamcastle
Two of nobles are talking about Griffin’s incident and walking
“Did you hear about the Band of Hawk?”.
“Hmm...yes ...you mean about Griffin’s grave injuries ....incident ....in his recent battle...right ”.
“Well ... I heard ....that ....the few soldiers were saying that some giant beast ... just appear in that Chuder stronghold ...and”.
The other noble just cut him in the middle and said “Well it’s just a falsehood!! ...it’s to conceal their blunder ... making a story like that ... it’s a simple but effective child’s trick!... don’t you think”.
“But it seems it was not just one or two who witnessed it ....and besides that, they were eventually successful in subduing the stronghold. So why they need that story?... Even if he was wounded you cannot call that a blunder.....well whether it’s true or not ... But ....this will be another step in the successive rise of his credit ...”.
“True ... Argghh it is so vexing ...”.
Nobles were still talking when they suddenly noticed Kaal. He was still not fully recovered so he was walking with the help of stick a coming towards their direction.
suddenly one of them nobles silently said to other noble
That is the captain of hawk’s raiders
Second noble
Ohh...
And the second noble suddenly get in the Kaal way and said “Hey!!! ...you!!... Clear the way you churl!!” Kaal heard him but didn’t reply to him.
The noble ones again came towards him and said with the arrogance “ ... I heard ...that last battle was quite the calamity ...a beast appeared on the battlefield ...eh?.....
did you receive those wounds on your body by your so-called BEAST?? ... ”.
The noble suddenly turned his head toward the other noble and started talking with the Same tone again “Perhaps ...in the darkness ...maybe you mistook some mutt for a monster ?!.”.
Hearing this made Kaal lose his temper and he just started to move forward and he intensely put his stick on the feet of the noble.
The noble shouted in pain “Ohh!!..aa! Aa!” And the cause of the pain he falls on his butts and other noble started to argue seeing towards Kaal “Hey!!...How...dare you!!!...”.
Kaal simply looked at them and replied: “Sorry ...the pain’s made me a little dizzy ...”.
The nobleman saw this as his insult and said in anger “Y...You bastard!! Now face my sword ...!” And started taking out his sword.
Kaal turned towards them again and this time with his bloodthirsty eyes and a serious expression on his face.
Noble saw the Kaal face and just lost his all will to fight. Kaal saw him again with a mocking expression and moved forward. After seeing Kaal moving forward the noble felled on his knees and started trembling in fear.
Near the hospital where Griffin was admitted.
At the gate of the hospital where Griffin was admitted all the important band members were sitting and was waiting for something. Kaal saw them and got near to them. Rickert saw Kaal and called him “Kaal!!”.
Kaal walked toward them and asked them “What are you all doing here?”.
In place of answer Rickert question Kaal “Should you be walking yet?”.
Suddenly Kaal saw Casca sitting on a side of the road. They both see each other but didn’t say anything and Kaal suddenly remembered those days words of Casca and started to stare her face a little but Casca moved her face to another direction.
Suddenly Judeaus said to Kaal “Don’t worry about it...everyone knows that was not your fault ...even Casca ...Casca just got as worked up as the rest of us, and she blurted that out don’t sweat it” Kaal heard it but strayed silent.
After a moment he said “So?? What’s everyone doing?”.
Judeaus replied, “Well we all are here to pay Griffin a visit ...but there is already a line ...” And pointing his finger toward a group of people who have surrounded the Griffin.
Kaal asked again “So who are they?”.
Judeaus “Oh, those ...they are officials, bishops, dignitaries from the royal court ...
the world’s as kind as it is cruel you know?...
there is a statesman who sees Griffin as just an annoying upstart commoner ...
but now there are also some like them who think if they stake a claim on him now it will pay off down the road...
well, guess it’s only natural .... these days Griffin’s all wins and no losses.
In fact, he is head of the mightiest armed forces in all midland... ”.
Kaal heard it all and gives a confused expression on his face “...Hmmmm... All right”.
And started walking toward the door to get inside where Griffin was. Seeing him suddenly going inside everyone started to panic and started trying to stop him.
Casca shouted on him “Hey!! Were not you listening just now? ”.
Kaal simply turned his head and said: “I m listening ...so what?”. Kaal answer just confused everyone even Casca and everyone became speechless for a second.
After a second Casca started shouting again on him “WHAT DO YOU MEAN, SO WHAT?... I m saying you need to wait here until the dignitaries have finished their audience!! ”.
Kaal
replied to Casca in a frustrated manner “Well what difference does it make?... It’s just dropping in on a wounded man! ..and who gives a damn about social status?!”.
Casca shouted again to stop him “KAAL!!”.
Kaal put his hand on the guard’s shoulder and said: “I m going in out of my way!!”.
But the guards didn’t hear him and stopped him by placing their weapons in front of him and said “You shall not pass! Please wait until the dignitaries are finished!!”.
Kaal grins a little and then placed his hand on one of the guard spears and throw him down the stairs. Seeing Kaal this behavior Casca shouted on Kaal again “KAAL!!”.
In the meantime, the second guard attacked Kaal with his spare but Kaal easily dodged it and caught his spear and said “Give me a break ...right ”.
And throws the second guard down the stairs too and calmly said “*Hehe!!* Sorry ...”.
Band members saw it and said
Judeaus “Oh!!! Boy”.
Corkus “That dumbass!!”.
Kaal asked Rickert “Hey ...want to come, Rickert?” But he instantly refused and Kaal alone started to go inside the hospital.
Kaal started to calling for Griffin “Yo Griffin...” But he suddenly started to get a chill filling from his behind but he continued his talking and turned his head to see behind “You want more...?..give it a ...”.
When he turned his head behind he saw Casca jumping towards him with a stretched fist to give a punch and before Kaal can react she punched Kaal with full power. Cause of punch Kaal lost his balance and bumped his head on the wall and started to feel dizzy. All band members saw the whole incident and they just dropped open there jaws cause of shock.
After a few seconds, Kaal returned normal and quickly started to stand up shouting “WHAT THE HELL?...YOU CRAZY BITCH!!” But he suddenly stopped after seeing Casca face, she had tears in her eyes. This made Kaal lost his will to argue.
And Casca started saying in a trembling voice “Why??...why do you always have to be this way?... Why do Griffin ... bother with a guy like you...so...much?”.
Kaal started to see the wound inside his mouth and thinking
What’s that about?..well I m the one should be crying ...oh oww...that aren’t no woman’s punch.
After that Kaal just stood up and started going back.
Rickert called him “Hey Kaal?”.
But Kaal keep moving forward and said: “Forget it, I will just come back!”.
Kaal stopped for a second and saw towards Casca and then continued his walking.
After Kaal went Rickert started saying and everyone started to see toward him “Still... I kind of know ...how Kaal feels ...lately Griffin has been kind of hard to approach, I guess....well it’s like he is drifting away from us ...”.
CHAPTER 11
THE MEETING WITH PRINCESS CHARLOTTE
Next day a little distance from the hospital
Kaal was standing alone with his sword trying to know can he hold his sword now. He looked his wound for a second and after that, he started swinging his sword.
And started thing about the recent fight and argument with Casca and that day’s words, the words that are said with tears.
After remembering every unpleasant memory he became a little angrier and started swinging his sword with more power.
After swinging his sword with his full power Kaal
Damn it!! ..what’s that bitch’s problem..?!
Kaal was still in his though when suddenly he heard a voice “Don’t get so angry”.
Kaal turned his face toward the voice and saw Griffin and called his name “Griffin”.
Griffin “You can swing your sword already?... even though you were wounded so much worse than me ...
man you are really tough...and sorry about yesterday... I heard you come to see me with everyone else...
those officials all think they can gain favor by appearing to care for a wounded man day after day ... it’s enough to make me sick ... But...oh well it can’t be helped... It’s important to gain status in this kingdom”. Kaal heard his though but didn’t say anything and for a minute they both strayed quite.
After a minute Griffin started talking again “Nosferatu...Zodd...well who have thought that a monster like that fantastic exists...
It felt like I was having a nightmare ... But if you look at it a different way, it might be proof that there’s some tremendous thing beyond human understanding in this world ...
for an instance ... what are called gods or something ...?”.
Kaal cut off him in middle “Don’t you mean devils?”.
Griffin strayed quit for a second and after that replied “Who knows?... Are not they the same thing?...
By the way, how did we make out of there? I mean I passed out partway through ...”.
Kaal strayed silent for a second and after that he said: “Well ...it because of that thing you wear around your neck ... for some reason, he flew off when he saw that”.
Griffin took Behelit in his hand started seeing it and said “The Behelit...Hmmm... Interesting”.
Kaal looked at the necklace and started thinking
Zodd knew what that thing was...
And started to remember what Zodd said to him that day.
Griffin saw Kaal and said with a smile “Well it looks like this thing even protects against evil spirits... maybe I will have to go and thanks to that old gypsy woman ”.
Kaal suddenly said, “That’s another one I owe you ”.
Griffin “Why is it?”.
Kaal “Three years ago you said ‘i can’t lose such an excellent soldier’ ... but to put your life on-line for just one soldier ... that’s a reckless thing for a calm composed guy like you to do...
SO WHY ?”.
Griffin “Hmm... Ohh my, a discussion from three years ago ... you sure can be picky ... well, there is no reason at all ... well, do I need one..?
...a reason?
Tell me... Do I need a reason each time... I put myself in harm’s way ...for your sake??”.
Kaal just looked toward Griffin and started staring him.
Griffin calmly looked back toward the Kaal. Kaal saw his face and said with a little confused expression on his face “No...I just ...” But before he can complete someone’s voice cut off him in the middle “Why...it’s the white hawk.... Have your injuries healed?!”.
Kaal and Griffin heard the voice and turn toward its direction.
They saw the king and his brother was standing there and looking towards them.
Griffin instantly got on his knees and said “Your majesty....why ...” But he suddenly noticed the Kaal was still standing straight holding his sword in his hand. He instantly looks Kaal and said ”!!!*UHN*
.......Hey, Kaal... “Kaal didn’t get it.
And suddenly the king’s younger brother started shouting at Kaal and said “You there!!....you are before the king!!! How dare you?!”.
Kaal now understood the Griffins signal and just got on his knees without saying anything.
King’s brother was still not satisfied with it but suddenly the king interpreted and said “Raise your heads. I m simply on a stroll”.
King’s brother tried to argue “But sire...”.
But king cut off him in middle and said: “The castle is teeming with agitation from all successive battles and war councils...
there is not even a moment’s rest to be had ...”.
King then aimed toward his younger brother and said “Let me introduce you ..this is my younger brother, Count Julius... he is also the general of the White dragons knights and second in succession to the throne of midland”.
Griffin instantly lowered his head a little in front of him for showing respect toward him and said: “I am Griffin, pleased to make your acquaintance”.
But count Julius didn’t reply to him and just stared him with a big “*hmph*”.
King continued saying “Incidentally sir Griffin the battlefield exploits o
f your Band of Hawk are always most impressive...”.
Griffin replied with politeness “My gracious thanks” and smiled.
King said again “When I see the daring valor with which you all fight it makes even this old man’s blood seem to boil ...
I recall when of old my subordinates and I would run about the battlefield also when I was young ...”
Julius interrupted king in middle and said “Sire... Speaking that way with a mere troop commander ....that’s....”.
But the king stopped in middle and said “Oh come on, there is no wrong in it ...
there are indeed statesmen who do think favorably of such people....
they say that the influence of those of common origin will reflect poorly on our army’s prestige.....
But prestige, status and the like... do not win battles nor do they feed the peoples these are difficult times ...
I anticipate that rather than noble generals who are bound to old customs ... it is common draftees such as yourself, not taken in by status, who will help like you a cornerstone of the kingdom... ”.
Griffin calmly lowered his head and replied with politeness “For your sincere words of thanks ... I ... I am most grateful”.
And when Griffin lifted his head again he noticed a young girl how was standing behind the king and his bodyguards, hiding behind the pillar.
Griffin asked the king “And who might that lady be?”.
King turn and saw towards her and said “*Hn?*... Ohh...
She ....she is my daughter Charlotte... she is shy...
She claims to dislike stern soldiers and seldom does she venture outside the palace” And the king gives a signal with his hand to came and called her name “Charlotte”.
But she didn’t come out in place of coming out she hides a little more behind the pillar.