Ronan was tempted to take up on Shakuni’s offer after he realised how strong shakuni truly was , however the word yes just would not come out of his mouth.
One side of his brain kept repeating Shakuni’s phrase ‘ At my strongest , i can slice the moon in half ‘.
While the other just showed the picture of his family crying when he re-emerged in the ceremony a week ago.
He had been away from home for a long long time and now should he leave again so soon , it would undoubtedly hurt his family.
In a dilemma he could not accept or reject Shakuni’s offer as when he closed his eyes he could see himself wielding his axe and cutting the moon in half whereas in his heart he could feel the pinch for saying yes.
It was Ronan’s ultimate desire in life to get stronger . He had understood from a very young age that strength was supreme in the modern world and only through strength could he become someone who could protect those he loved otherwise he was just a toy under the whims of those who decided his fate.
Being born a noble , Ronan had not learnt to bow before anyone for anything. His pride was enormous .
However without power to back that pride it was nothing more than a fragile glass as anyone could step on it and crush it whenever they felt like it .
Karna was a prime example of a man who did not have enough strength to stand up to his enemies and hence had to suffer humiliation before death.
Only shakuni , the man who stood at the peak of humanity was someone who could proudly say that nobody could step on him anymore , and now Ronan had the chance to learn from him and try surpass him someday and that thought excited him..
The reason behind him wanting to become stronger were for the happiness of his family , yet if in the path to become stronger he hurt that same family then was it even worth it in the end?
As Ronan thought about the tears on mother Sierra’s face in grandpa Augustus’s eyes he knew that he couldnt let it happen.
As the voice in his heart dispelled his ambition , he cooly said ” Sorry Oldman , i can’t “.
Shakuni who was convinced that Ronan would take him up on his offer was shocked to hear the kid say no as his eyebrows furrowed and his forehead turned wrinkly.
Although he was silent and did not say anything to Ronan he stroked his beard and intently watched the boy .
Taking the cue Ronan understood that he owed the old man an explanation hence said ” It’s like i just came back home and my mother , well , she worries a lot for me “.
Ronan scratched his nose and avoided eye contact as talking about his feelings somehow made him feel flustered and embarrassed.
It was one of the traits he had picked up from Alexander , as the same kid who could stare down the face of death without fear , could now not look into his eyes as he talked about his feelings.
Shakuni smiled to see this as he started to realise that the little one infront of him was really a piece of art.
” She cries when I’m not home , and i don’t like it when she cries. My grandmother will probably be sad if i don’t eat all the dishes she cooks for a month , she already complains that I’ve became too thin , and i need to be there for my dad too. He doesn’t show it but actually he is a softie “. Ronan said as he blushed deeply and circled his toes .
Clearing his throat he looked up red faced as he said ” So forgive me , i mean no offense , but at the moment i really can’t “.
Shakuni stroked his beard with joy at hearing this reply , as he felt that Ronan was a fillial student as well as a fillial son , making it more likely that he would be a fillial disciple too.
Although teachers don’t show it , they always do like a fillial disciple. Not the one that talks and praises them the most , but the one that genuinely worshipped them.
Ronan had the personality that made him be grateful towards those that treated him with love and care , and since shakuni planned to do that he knew that he would get a very filial disciple from it.
However not letting any of it show on his face he asked Ronan ” What if i gave you a years time to join …. what about then? “.
Ronan’s eyes widened in surprise as he heard Shakuni’s counter offer , he thought that he was done for once he rejected shakuni. The other would take offense and he would most likely make an enemy for life
however shockingly no such event occured and Shakuni even gave him more favourable conditions.
Ronan felt incredibly lucky to recieve such an opportunity as if he had any doubts about what kind of a man shakuni was before , he knew for a fact he was patient and benevolent , two most important qualities in a teacher , hence he said ” I think i can make it if i have a years time … but my answer remains the same. If my mom doesnt bless me going to your sect , i won’t come “.
Shakuni looked towards the heavens at this moment and smiled as he said ” I’ll see you then if Shiva wills it “.
Leaving only a scroll that was a map to his sect mountain behind , he vanished into thin air.
His speed was so fast that Ronan could not even see his afterimage , creating yet another moment where Ronan could not help but wonder just how strong the man really was.
As he stared outside the window looking at the mountain that was slashed moments ago by shakuni , he did not notice the sound of muffled tears that came from outside the medical dorm as Sierra sat there crying in joy.
She had arrived at the location feeling despair and anxiety as she wanted to vent on Ronan , however as she heard her child talk about how he couldn’t let her mother cry and suffer and actually reject Shakuni’s proposal she couldn’t help but stop in her tracks as keeping one ear to the door she quietly listened on.
Sierra who knew that her son’s were growing up very fast never truly understood how much Ronan had grown up from the last time she had seen him as the little chocolate loving devil was now a very matured Teenager who cared deeply about his mother and family.
On one hand she was extremely proud and happy to have raised such a wonderful boy but on the other her motherly heart ached as she realised that there was so much that had changed about his son that she had no idea about.
The way he talked had changed , his smile had changed his facial features had changed and even his temperament had changed.
What thankfully did not change however was the morals that she instilled in him as a kid and his love for his family.
Melancholic Sierra did not understand how to deal with the complex and contrasting emotions she was feeling atm as she just cried and laughed at the same time to cope up with them.
********
( Somewhere in Barbados)
Barbados was a small town a long distance away from Avalon , covered on all sides by dense natural forests , it was a reserve for some of the most exotic plants and animals on Everlon.
The people there were mostly hunters and gatherers by profession and the town’s biggest source of economy was the various animal skin and ivory products that they sold.
Usually Barbados had a bustling street with vendors selling their daily hunt materials and merchants bargaining with them to get the best price on their deal.
However today the usually vibrant place was converted into a frozen wasteland today as the night kings minions covered the streets and slaughtered every man woman and children In sight.
There were no warnings , there was no mercy , there was no communication. They came in like ghosts and they left the town as if it was a ghost town , all within a matter of 150 minutes.
A population of over 30,000 slaughtered and their blood drained from their bodies and stored in viels made of ice.
As the general of the army drank the blood , his skin regenerated as he regained his vitality and strength , looking more and more human with every pint of blood that he drank than the undead he looked before.
As he drunk the blood from the 100th warrior , his appearance reverted to his youthful days as he could once again speak after a 1000 years of silence.
Looking at the town chief who was the only one that they spared and captured the general smiled visciously as he said ” Now your timeth has arrived …. shall you defy my commands , me men here shall take’th your head “.
His dialect and speech was very different to the language that men spoke in the modern times , however the clan chief still understood the meaning behind that message , as trembling for his life he nodded his head violently to show that he complied.
Smiling the general asked
” Tell’eth me about thy artifact the magnifico undying flame and the clan of the dastardly phoenix blood …. “.
/// Sorry for the 3 day delay in getting chapters , it was a situation outside my control . However all is well now , chapters will be posted regularly after today .
Enjoy ! ///
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