Chapter 222 – Revelations

“Master!”

Ellie cried out when she climbed up to the carriage and saw Calron awake. She rushed towards him, wrapping Calron in a tight hug as tears rolled down her cheeks. Rebran excitedly followed behind her after hearing that Calron was conscious.

“Boss, you’re up!”

The white cat leapt beside Calron and rubbed his forehead against the young man.

“Hey, guys, how have you been?”

Calron smiled at the pair, propping himself up so he could talk to them. His body was still weak, but it was rapidly rejuvenating as the Blood Legacy started to work.

“Everyone’s been worried about you. I’ll bring big brother and the others now!”

Ellie wiped her tears away and turned around to bring the others.

“No need, Ellie. I’ll come out myself. I should start getting used to this…”

Calron stopped Ellie while gesturing towards his stump. He still felt weird with the lack of fingers on his left hand, and who knew how long it would take to get accustomed to it or to bear the people’s pitiful looks when they glanced at his crippled arm. It was better to face it head-on.

“Alright.”

Ellie replied softly and waited for Calron to get up.

Pushing himself up with his right hand, Calron managed to stand up with a little support from Ellie. With slow and steady steps, he walked towards the edge of the carriage and gently hopped on the ground.

My balance is off.

Calron briefly stumbled before catching himself. His inner balance was set off without his other arm, breaking his walking pace. If he wanted to continue fighting in future, Calron needed to train his body to adjust to the new internal balance of his body.

“Calron?”

He heard a young woman’s voice the moment he got down from the carriage.

Linda sprinted towards Calron, and Rain soon followed a moment after when he saw who it was. The two were currently setting up tents, and the other clansmen around them all muttered amongst themselves cue Calron’s appearance.

“I’m so sorry.”

Linda whispered after hugging Calron and stared at his stump. For a warrior like Calron, losing an arm was akin to missing a piece of their very soul. She could imagine the pain and strife he was hiding underneath that gentle smile of his.

“We shouldn’t have put at the back of the trail with such few guards.”

Rain commented.

“No, we couldn’t have known that they would attack us on the way, and moreover with Heavenly experts. Maybe, I survived precisely because I was at the back, as I heard that the main group of enemy Heavenly cultivators had attacked the front of the trail. If their target was me, then it wouldn’t have taken them long to finish me off before the Elders realized what was going on.”

Calron shook his head and answered. Losing an arm was nothing compared to losing his life.

“Come, let’s go see the others. Roran’s been anxious ever since you went into a coma.”

Linda laughed and tried to brighten up the solemn mood.

She took them towards another area where the tents were already propped up, and in the middle, Roran and Asra could be seen gathered around a large cooking fire. Roran was the first to sense Calron’s presence, his eyes lighting up as he used the Blood Mist Step to swiftly appear before his brother and lock him in an embrace.

No words needed to be said between them, as they each felt the other’s emotion.

“I’m alright, Roran.”

Calron said, breaking the hug and clapping Roran on the back.

“Good to see you again, Calron. Here, have some stew.”

Asra lightly pounded his fist against Calron’s chest and handed him a bowl of hot meat stew. Soon, the group settled down near the fire and had Calron explain everything that happened to him at the back of the trail, and how he lost his arm.

They fell into silence once the story ended.

………………………

Everyone’s so busy.

Calron was walking around by himself, leaving the others after giving the excuse that he wanted to warm his muscles after days of sleep. The truth was, Calron just wanted to be away from people. As much as he loved his friends, he couldn’t be near them with their continuous caution around him like he was an injured baby.

Letting out a sigh, Calron walked towards the end of the tents and stood alone where he observed the thousands of ex-slaves building their tents in the distant. All those people there were here because of him and the promises he made.

“I don’t want to fail them.”

He muttered under his breath.

“I sure hope so!”

A person’s voice abruptly sounded behind Calron, startling him out of his reverie.

“Eva.”

He said her name as the woman slowly walked over to Calron and joined him in his solace.

“I can’t be alone for a minute?”

Calron raised his eyebrows at the intruding woman.

“After with what happened to you? Hell no. The Patriarch has increased the number of guards around you by several folds.”

Eva smirked at him while glancing down at his left arm.

Seeing no one there besides Eva, Calron activated his Divine Perception and immediately detected over thirteen guards a few meters away from him, all invisible. Some of them were even in the low ranks of Heavenly stage!

After a minute of silence, Eva finally broke it.

“How did he die?”

Calron did not need to ask her as to whom she was referring to. From his first mission, he knew that Vala and Eva belonged to Drien’s group, and were probably very close friends.

“He died trying to buy me time to escape.”

He answered after a brief pause.

“So, he died for nothing.”

Eva closed her eyes. Vala always had been courageous, albeit in a foolish way. Escaping from a Heavenly expert was impossible unless you were in the same realm. He probably knew he was going to die regardless that day.

“I’m sorry.”

Calron hung his head, recalling the guards and the captain who also died for him.

“A warrior accepts death the day he takes his first kill, Calron. Vala died under his own will, not mine, not yours, but his. There are worse things in life than simply losing an arm. At least you can still walk, your heart still beats and more importantly, you can still fight.”

Eva poked her finger into Calron’s chest, her eyes glaring at him.

“How?”

Calron asked quietly. He wanted to believe he could still fight with one arm, but it was too big of a disadvantage, especially if he was outnumbered by enemy forces.

“I don’t know, that’s your job!”

Eva retorted, backing off Calron and turning around.

Calron stood there, facing away from Eva and tilting his head to gaze at the clouds above. He hoped to find an answer there.

Staring at his lonely figure, Eva felt a trace of sympathy for the young man. She knew about his past, his orphaned childhood and the revenge he sought for his family.

“What about your beast form? Have you tried shape-shifting yet?”

Eva spoke in a much gentler voice.

“No, but I don’t think I want to become a wingless beast. I prefer being a human cripple instead.”

Calron responded dryly.

“Shape-shifting doesn’t work like that. Losing an arm will have its consequences on the beast form; however, you need to remember that our true heritage is of a beast, not a human.”

Eva then left the speechless Calron there and vanished from the spot.

Faced with the woman’s vague response, Calron stopped to think and see if what she said could be possible.

Will never know until I try.

For the first time in a long time, Calron shape-shifted.

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