The Unbreakable Bow

That night,King Hans didn't lie. The feast did feed him well, that was if he had an appetite of an orc. He only drinked the milk and ignored all the rest of the mouth-watering dishes . He quickly finished and went to his room. He told Larry about his day, and Larry told him that if he were present, he would have helped him.

"But Larry, is it supposed to be like a real battle. "

"But in a real battle, I would be present!"

"Oh...I suppose that is true ...tell me Larry..."

"Yes?"

"What is your goal in life ?"

"To serve you, of course!"

"Other than that."

"Er, not'ing.."

"But what will happen if I die?"

"I will never let that 'appen!"

"Larry, we all die eventually... What happens if I die before you ?"

"Er, I do my best to complete any last requests that you gave me!"

"After that?"

"I will.....don't know..."

"Then let me tell you , this is a request for you . It has no time limit, so don't worry, take your time. Find for yourself a purpose in life ."

"Ok, master. Is t'ere anyt'ing else that you would need?"

That was quick...

"...No, I am tired . I just want to have some rest."

"As you wish master. Wish I was there instead of that royal girl . She must be useless if you end up like this. "

"Don't say that about Alm- Damn!!!"

He jumped from the bed . How could he forget about his meeting ?

"Master , is t'ere somet'ing?"

"Er, nothing, Larry. Just stay here . I will be back . Don't worry."

He went out of door but quickly returned. He checked himself in the mirror . He looked good enough.

As he left running, he was trying not to make much attention . He was searching for the North, but now he didn't have a problem with that ,did he? It took him a while before he needed to ask a servant who seemed to recognise his problem by just looking at him. On the right path, climbing up the stairs, he was moving as fast as his body could move . He would have used phys magic if his blood didn't still feel boiling.

At last , once on top of the tower, he finally arrived. Thankfully, Alma was there, wearing her typical lime-green robe and holding a book to her chest. Only God knows what he would do if it turned he was on the wrong tower.

"Hello, er.., you made it in time ,look."

The air was crisp, carrying the faint scent of pine and the distant whispers of the wind. Far on the horizon, the sky began to dance with ethereal light.

The tower's weathered stones seem to pulse with the gentle glow from the shimmering waves of colour that stretch across the heavens. Greens, purples, and blues swirl together, like a living tapestry woven by the hands of the cosmos. It moves in slow, graceful waves, its luminescence painting the landscape in hues of otherworldly beauty.

"What is that ? "

"It is called an aurora. In the far north, we can easily see them every night. However, from here, you can only see them on some occasions. It is still not fully understood. Some connect it to some myths about the world war ."

"Like what ?"

"Some say it is a part of the magical shield that protects Adanya, our world from the outer worlds."

"Does that exist?"

"As I said , this is just a myth which says that Adanya builded a secret magical shield covering the whole globe from any future invasions, so a second world war would never happen. That is why many people are against exploring what is beyond the sky. I honestly disagree with that . I believe the outers worlds are very similar to ours, and that is why we shouldn't fear them for eternity. There aren't many clues surrounding why they attacked us . But they always mention seven evil overlords that command their armies. I mean, it is not hard to believe that they had their own "Ryuji" who forced them to invade a foreign world, is it? That doesn't mean everyone beyoud the sky wants us dead , does it ?"

"Well, I suppose, no. But I prefer to think that uriro "

"Aurora, aurora."

"Aurora is like, I don't know the souls of the afterlife looking upon us ."

"You saw them before?"

"Yes , in my village, on certain days, I thought they existed everywhere."

"Er, sorry, it can't be seen from anywhere. That is why when it appears it feels like a special day."

"That sounds nice.."

He felt like something was wrong. I mean, they hadn't talked for a lot of time, and last time they did , they ended it with a disagreement. She seemed to be acting like she had forgotten that . Maybe she did? Do orcs easily forget?

"Aefrine, I am sorry."

"Eh?"

"I apologise for what I said that day . I didn't mean it. I mean, I meant it, but I didn't want to make you feel bad..."

"It is OK. I didn't feel bad about - I mean, I felt bad ,because you were right about what you said . "

"No, no. I was wrong . I shouldn't have judged you for what you did. "

"But your judgment was right. I mean,' if you gave mercy to everyone, then you give it to no one.' "

"Where did you hear that ? "

"Time for Lunch "

"Oh, I remember that .."

"It is just that I don't believe that everyone who did a bad action is necessarily a bad person. That is why I believe in second chances because it shows people's true colours. Like , you can never know if you would have done the same if you were in his place, if not worse."

"Aefrine.."

"It is OK if you don't agree with me, but you said yourself that the outer worlds despite their hostile actions aren't 'evil' "

"Aefrine, that day I wasn't judging you or your decision but rather..."

"Rather what ?"

"I was just trying to find an excuse for myself."

"What ?"

For some reason, those words didn't sit well with Aefrine...

"Nobody told you how I got kidnapped in the first place ,right?"

" ...No?" Aefrine lied for the first time..

"It is all because... I wanted to try and hunt a T.rex by myself. I wanted to prove that I could do it since dad told me that I wasn't ready ... I took an Utahraptor and went from the secret turnel , I searched for the T.rexes . I thought,'How hard will it be to find a huge group of huge beasts in the wild ... But I never found them, and I got lost, and even my Utahraptor left me... And I happened to come across a black-haired man. He spoke Nabilean, and once I told him about my situation. He told me to wait there so he could call his friends . I waited there in the woods . And after some time....I got shot with an arrow, and a gas was released from it -"

"The gas was pink, right ?"

"How did you know ? "

"That was probably Louis . I suppose the other guy's name was Thomas , right ? "

"Yes."

"What they did was the worst kind of help that could offer, but... why did you go out on your own ... I mean, I don't think the king wouldn't have a good reason if he said that you are not ready ."

"I know. It is just ..."

"Just what ?"

"I am not sure if you know this, but my mother died when I was born ..."

"Yes, your father told me... I ... Sorry. "

"No, no . It is OK. It is just that orcs dying from birth-giving is very rare... yet my mother died after giving birth to her first child... I heard the kingdom almost fell into a second civil war, and from what I know about her, my mother was a great woman in all aspects... and..."

Her voice became more and more unclear as if she was crying . Aefrine could almost see the tears coming out of her eyes.

"Ever since I was born , things had become worse and worse in the kingdom... from debts to famine, and now Ryuji might just sweep through us. It is just that I feel like I am..."

"Cursed?"

"Er,..yes."

Thinking of it, there was always contempt in her heart, but to think that it was directed towards herself wasn't something on Aefrine's mind.

"I understand that. Really. You feel that if everyone forgets about you or if you simply weren't born ,everyone you loved would have a better life . That is why you try to prove that you are useful in every way possible. "

"Yes,... it sounds pathetic , sorry. "

"No, no. That is totally fine . Life isn't all happiness and goodness... you simply think that you are the cause... but let me tell you something. Your mother is definitely in a better place, and from what your father said about her ,she is definitely a great person. Now, think, and look at the sky dancing and tell me if she was looking down upon us , what would she want you to do. Would she want you to blame yourself ? She never had the chance to see you grow up, but do you think that she hates you even a bit ? I am sure she loved you more than you think because who wouldn't love his daughter and that love still exists in your father . "

"..."

"She died for you . Do you want to waste the precious life that she gave you ? In my opinion, you definitely have proven yourself. You are smart, strong , and kind to others , I don't know, funny ? You just aren't kind to yourself, but guess what ? None of that matters, you know why ? Because that is my opinion and my opinion or anyone else's does not matter. This is your life , you can choose to live however you want. "

"..."

"God created you for a purpose just like he created the clouds to carry water and the sun to bring light to the universe . Don't let anything make you think that you shouldn't have been born because you have been created for a reason.....and one more thing, you are not cursed . You never did anything to deserve being cursed . Your only fault is hating yourself for no reason, and that might be a great sin. You have potential to be one of the greatest people who ever lived, but only you can decide to make it a reality...It is just ...there is no reason for you to hate life, I am sure that there are other people who have experienced worse yet, they still find happiness in life. So, why can't you ? I mean... there are people who probably ... shouldn't have been ...born, but you are not one of them!"

"..."

A deep silence followed. Aefrine wasn't sure if what he said was right for Alma. Some of what he said was borrowed from a conversation he had with Salrine. But what were they talking about then ? He couldn't remember well... The rest was really his judgement. He said everything he could think of at once . He didn't know if it was the right thing...

"Thank you, really... I don't know how to respond to what you said. But , I just thank you for everything. And I want to apologise for something else..."

"What ?"

"Well, .. it is just that I also was testing you that day as well..."

"What ??"

"I am sorry. Rudolf told me that he still didn't really trust you after everything and that he asked me to check what kind of person you are ... He thought that you were using Dad's kindness for your advantage .... but don't worry, he doesn't think that anymore. He is just trying to protect Dad .And I never thought that of you, but honestly, I did have some doubts. I just thought people like you really don't exist outside of books..."

"Ah, nah, it is nothing as long as you can trust me now.."

Damn, to think that Rudolf thought of me like that, maybe he did try to kill at one point... And that disgusting blob in his soul...just what is it..

"Hey, Alma, is there anything about Rudolf that is rather bizarre?"

"Er? Well, he has his tea addiction as well as his overall pride."

"No, like ..what is his history or something..."

"Well, all I know is that he was a loyal adviser to Grandpa and Dad . Is there something?"

"No, nothing important..."

"Well, then . I wanted to gift you this before you go on your journey."

She handed the book she was holding. The book is an elegantly bound volume, its cover crafted from rich, dark leather adorned with intricate gold embossing. The edges of its thick, parchment-like pages are gilded, catching the light with a soft, radiant glow. A delicate ribbon bookmark, woven from deep crimson silk, lies draped across its pages. The spine is sturdy, with ornate lettering in an ancient script running down its length, signalling the book's sacred importance. The corners of the cover are reinforced with brass fittings, adding to its sense of timelessness and durability. It's read 'The sacred Haal'

"What is this ?"

"The sacred Haal . It is the holy book of Tawanzinrism. I heard you wanted to speak to our Ishop, Claus . I am sorry since he is such a hypocrite. I thought that this might help you in any way, but since it is a Carthagonien copy, you wouldn't find any difficulty in understanding it. You told me your friend was Ishop, right ? I am sure that he had one of these ."

"Thank you. I ..." He opened it and played through its pages that are filled with sacred writings, inscribed in a flowing script that carries the wisdom of the ages. Salrine told him that it wasn't just a book but a source of spiritual enlightenment, a cornerstone of faith for its followers, who turn to its passages for comfort, direction, and a deeper understanding of the universe and their place within it. "She told that all the questions of the universe are answered here."

"Oh well, I wouldn't say it has all answers, but it is a good book even if it wasn't divine... wait, did you say she ?"

"Do you think it has the answer to break a curse ? "

"What ? What do you mean by a curse ?"

"I mean like a divine punishment like you were describing yourself.."

"Oh, I only meant it metaphorically, I don't think that there is something like that, even in the Haal . The only thing that comes close is verse that says I think.."and those who bring suffering where ever they go and claim to do it in my name will be cursed in life and the afterlife" and I don't think it means it literally but if it is then I don't suppose it can be broken..."

"But -"

Suddenly, something caught Aefrine's attention. On the far ground, a small black figure could be seen. It was standing still staring dead into Aefrine's eyes despite its head being completely blury. The sacred Haal fell from his hands.