Change of Heart

(Third party’s POV)

Adam woke up from his deep slumber.

“Herrrrrmmhh” (Adam)

Bounce bounce

“Ah, you finally woke up” (Amanda)

“Eh, EH! Where am I? How long have I doze off?” (Adam)

“You don’t call this doze off. You sleep like a log for two straight days.” (Amanda)

“What! What is the time now!?” (Adam)

“It’s noon now” (Amanda)

“How’s Lillie? Where is she?”

“She’s there, in the stream near the waterfall, you overprotective brother” (Amanda)

“Ah, so how're her injuries!?” (Adam)

Adam found himself asleep on the lap pillow of the beautiful Amanda. Amanda has a pair of bountiful chest too, and the first thing that greets the waking Adam is those twin hills.

“She’s doing alright. The red liquid you saw yesterday is the colour of blood wine. They look like blood and is thick red. Hahh, I can’t blame you for mistaking it for real blood. And the spot the blood got soaked with is near the heart, so it made you anxious. Anyway, she got some bruises around her body, and I have applied ointment on them” (Amanda)

“Fuuuhhhhhoooh. I feel so relieved, it like I’m flying right now” (Adam)

“Are you having a sister complex? I have been wondering this for a long time, but your case seems so severe lately.” (Amanda)

“No way. Please, don’t call me that. I love my sister as a beloved family member. I owed her so much now, I cannot forgive myself if anything bad happen to her” (Adam)

“Anyway, I’m truly grateful that you rescued Lillie. Thank you.” (Amanda)

“I did what a brother should do. Thank you for taking good care of Lillie and me. I will try to learn how to trust people again” (Adam)

“You should. I won’t betray Lillie. You must have been hungry after all this time sleeping. Here, have a lizard’s tail” (Amanda)

Amanda takes a lizard’s tail from the bonfire at the cave’s kitchen stove and passes it to Adam.

Adam checks for his equipment, and they are all missing. He looks for it around, but they are not near him.

“Amanda, do you see my equipment when you picked me up?” (Adam)

“Oh, y~yeah. I took them in and clean them up since they got dirty in your battle yesterday” (Amanda)

“Oh, thank you, Amanda.” (Adam)

(Adam the mage’s POV)

The thought that two days ago, I did such a taboo thing as killing humans is now just like a dream to me. Although I was able to perform them flawlessly during that time, my hands are now shaking each time I think back what I did. So this is the weight one has to shoulder whenever they take a life. But this weight is just like a drop in an ocean if compared to the sufferings my sister and parents have to endure. I will continue to do what it takes to end their sufferings and lead my sister to happiness so that my parents can have a peaceful afterlife. I hope they can enter a place where they can be happy, and watch over us from there.

“Where is Lillie now?” (Adam)

“She’s at the base of the waterfall, taking a swim. She wanted to cleanse her body from all defilements that have cling onto her. “ (Amanda)

“…..I’m sorry” (Adam)

“Why are you apologizing?” (Amanda)

“I have caused harm to my parents and to my sister. I also place my doubts onto you and held you at knifepoint” (Adam)

“It’s nothing, really. I would also doubt my surroundings and begin to suspect everybody if I got betrayed by my friends.” (Amanda)

“You are my best friend and also my childhood friend. But I couldn’t do anything. Everyone in the capital blames me for causing the death of their son or their loved ones in the battle with the Demon Lord’s army. You also have several cousins working as soldiers in the kingdom’s military.” (Adam)

“Oh, that. I don’t really think I will blame you solely if they lost their lives in battle. This is a risk they have prepared to take when they joined the army to fight against the Demon Lord’s army.” (Amanda)

“No, this is different. Do you know, there are thousands of angry parents, spouses, and lovers, even the people I knew, joined in the manhunt to get hold of me and kill me in cold blood after the announcement that I abandoned my duty and caused a huge military and live loss on the battlefield?” (Adam)

“Yeah, The news did reach here when the imperial army arrives in the village three days ago. The imperial army has now also spread the news that the mage in the hero’s party is a spy working for the Demon Lord, and requested that the people report to the army if they spotted him. They also requested the people to never trust a word that the mage says, and is allowed to kill him if he is discovered. They also put a bounty of 300 gold crown on your head if found alive and 500 gold crown if found dead. Any reliable news regarding you will be rewarded from 10 gold crown to 50 gold crown, depending on how useful the information is” (Amanda)

“Oh, so I’m now a Demon Lord’s spy now, huh. So, do you believe in the news? You can put something in my drink and poison me. Presenting me dead to the imperial seems to get you more gold crowns. With all that money, you can live a wealthy life even to your grandchildren.” (Adam)

“You are making me sick, you know that? What kind of joke is that? I already told you I don’t trust their iffy news since the beginning. You know, they start putting into the minds of the people now that you are the one who killed your parents in cold blood, and also raped and sold your sister to slavery. The imperial army claimed that they only help to cremate the remains of your parents. The jumble of misinformation and web of deceit is like a bucket of poison in my guts, and I really hate it.” (Amanda)

“Great, now I am a parenticide and an incestuous sex maniac too. The list just got longer.” (Adam)

“Just stop it with these useless chatter now. What do you plan to do from now?” (Amanda)

“I just want to get out of this kingdom as soon as possible. Maybe I will do some odd jobs and take on an adventurer job while traveling as far away from this retarded kingdom as possible. Give my sister a new life and provide her happiness until it is time to say goodbye.” (Adam)

“Your plan is too simple. You got to plan more carefully. The journey after this is a treacherous one. How are you going to escape from the military checkpoints in the kingdom?” (Amanda)

“That huh. I have been in the military for eight and a half years not for nothing. I can avoid those heavily guarded ones, and storm those lightly guarded ones. If it’s just me and my sister, this should work.” (Adam)

“I have no doubt in your strength, but now you seem to not be able to perform magic phenomena, and your strength alone and the use of conventional weapons will not be able to overcome the combined might of the imperial army. They have mages on their side, although not as talented as you were.” (Amanda)

“So, what do you suggest in my situation?” (Adam)

“I don’t know. I can only see a dead end in your situation. But I will definitely keep Lillie away from harm.” (Amanda)

“Please do that.” (Adam)

“Adam, please listen to me carefully and be patient until I complete my explanation” (Amanda)

Amanda begins explaining about the time after I fell asleep two days ago. The night after I brought Lillie back from the slave dealer, Amanda helped check Lillie if she’s wounded at her body. The blood red colour on her clothes is confirmed to come from the wine, so she doesn’t have any life-threatening injuries. She treated her external wounds, but the wound to her heart is too hard to bear. Amanda applied the best ointment she can prepare with the herbs she can collect around the waterfall, but her delicate skin is scraped here and there. It appears that she must have fought with the army, and in return, they hurt her badly. Amanda prepared a bucket of warm healing water that is used externally to rub Lillie while she bath under the waterfall water to clean her body. The cooling and cleaning effect of the water hopefully can give relief to Lillie physically and mentally, but it has only achieved limited success mentally. Lillie still has suicidal tendencies, as she tried to drown herself in the waterfall. She would continuously clean herself in the water and refuse to leave, saying that her body still has dirt and she feels dirty.

Lillie also suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, as she can suddenly cry, or turn violent, beats herself up, or cling to somebody, or call herself a whore, or cursing her brother to die a long, agonizing, and painful death and then she will try to end her own life. The condition truly distressed Amanda, so she intended to go back home in order to not worry her parents and to consult her mother. Amanda collected me back from the outside and place me inside the cave while I continue to sleep like a log, as Lillie refuses to help me and request Amanda to kill me with a rock. So Amanda dragged me in from the entrance and Lillie carried the yam leaf to shelter us while we go under the waterfall. Amanda then gave something for Lillie to smell and put her to sleep too.

Amanda then proceeds to return home the next morning in order to quell her family’s worries. To her horror, the imperial army has set up a temporary camp in the village and has set up a roadblock at the village entrance. They also set up roadblocks at the main road leading to the capital. Amanda was wondering why is the imperial army still here, as they had already done what was written in the royal decree. The imperial army gathered some villagers, bring them up for questioning, and beat up those they feel suspicious, regardless if they are young or old, man or woman, and sick or healthy. The village head keeps trying hard to appease the imperial army chief, and it looks appalling. He never once stood up for the villagers, and only cares for his family and close relatives.

(Amanda’s POV)

I tried to sneak in through the bamboo thickets at the back of the village, the place that seems to be unguarded after I observe the army movement for about three hours, and the sun is close to mid-sky. I tried to move quietly among the thickets, and I have almost reached village ground when the bamboo bells gave a rattling sound. I just realized that there are very thin threads placed around the last group of bamboo thickets, probably to serve as an early warning of sorts against wild animals. I quickly find a place to run and hide so that no one noticed that I have slipped into the village.

“So, a wild pussy finally knows how to get back huh” (Village head’s grandson -> Draka)

I hid well behind a well, and slowly move behind a tree so as to get further and further away from the spot where I sounded the alarm. I ignored the rude remark of Draka, the village head grandson. I retreat quietly to get behind a wooden wall, when suddenly two youths spring out from behind the wall and grabbed onto my shoulder each, and land a blow each to my belly. Draka approached me while smiling sinisterly, and his two cousins joint lock my shoulders. Draka was about to put his hands on me when my brother came and rescue me. With a wooden pole at hand, he hit the head of the two cousins of Draka, and they release their joint lock. He then points the pole threateningly at the chest of Draka, and he stepped back from me.

“Who’s the idiot who mistaken a human for a game? Has he got anuses for eyes?” (Brandon)

“Shut up, you” (Draka)

“You, you, you, what? What do you want?” (Brandon)

“She broke into the village’s perimeter. She avoided the main gate, and she is out of the village until now. She must be doing something suspicious. She must be questioned by the imperial inquirer” (Draka)

“She’s out collecting herbs at night. Some herbs can only be obtained at night, and this is not her first time. Our family did inform the village head that my sister would go to collect herbs at night for certain medicines. Also, I don’t agree to the imperial army taking over our guard stations and control our movements like this. It’s stifling, we always move in and out of the village to do our chores and duties.” (Brandon)

“Cheh, don’t make lame excuses. She went out and returns so late, and avoided coming in from the village entrance. She’s definitely up to no good. I will have to arrest her and hand her to the imperial inquirer for questioning” (Draka)

“Since when have you become a lapdog of the imperial army? She belongs to this village, a village your grandpa protects. The imperial army just suddenly set up their checkpoint at our village entrance this early morning. Many of the villagers weren’t even aware of it yet, especially those that went out for work late at night. If you still insist on arresting her, you would have to inform the village guard head, and also over my dead body.” (Brandon)

“I will definitely get back at you for this, just you wait. Soon you will beg for my mercy, and I will happily step on your head and spit on you.” (Draka)

“Oh, got a bone to pick with me. I still haven’t forgotten how you drag Adam’s parents around the village when the imperial army just arrived. You captured his mother first and force his father to submit to the army, and I heard you and your grandpa village head even do immoral stuff to her openly. I would be so ashamed to come out to the village if I were you. Oh ya, you don’t even have face to begin with, just a thick piece of rock that can even repel arrows. I also want to pay you back for what you guys did to Larsen.” (Brandon)

“You will definitely pay for this humiliation. I will definitely convince the imperial army chief that you are the one that attacked him and us yesterday. Let’s go guys. I will get to enjoy all your guys’ pitiful expression later.” (Draka)

“You always think you are in the right, even after all the trouble and suffering you brought. You are a broken human” (Brandon)

I followed my brother back to our home. On the way, I saw the notice board is filled with new notices and a picture of Adam is posted on the board. There are also imperial soldiers here and there telling the villagers “news” of Adam the mage. From what I heard here around, they seem to tell the people that he has escaped from the capital after breaking out from the castle using artifacts stolen from the palace, and he hurt or killed many good citizens of the capital when he’s escaping out of sheer enjoyment. They continued that the mage now has also returned to Thrisand village, and is currently terrorizing the citizens and killed the slave dealer.

They claim that the mage works as a spy of the Demon Lord after they discovered several demonic artifacts in a hidden compartment in his room. The mage’s involved in the current stalemate with the Demon Lord’s army and the loss of tens of thousands of lives. The mage then returns to his home to murder both his parents to erase evidence, and he also raped his sister and then sold her to the slave dealer. The last action he did is he murders the slave dealer and steals all his money, after his negotiation broke down, as the mage’s greed is insatiable. The imperial army covers up their action of burning his parents by stating that they want to cremate the dead corpse before they become zombies or something dangerous due to the mage’s demonic spell. The gullible villagers accept them whole without questioning, or rather, they are made to do so because anyone who questions the story will be brought to the imperial inquirer for questioning if they are possibly related to the mage.

The entire thing is so disgustingly twisted, and it seriously works due to the kingdom’s legitimacy and use of force. As the news spread to more people, all the lies become more believable. Some even add their own version of the story, with gruesome details that made the mage looks and act like a demon lord himself. While listening to all the public gossips, we arrived at our home. I quickly went to apologize to my parents and go to do my chores in the house. My mom serves me the breakfast I missed, and I hurriedly eat it. I put out the leaves I have collected last evening into the drying tray. I usually collected about four times more than today, but last night I was taken by Adam and we stayed in the house, then we went to the waterfall hideout, and didn’t perform the herbs collection. I also used some to treat Adam and Lillie last night.

Mom showed a sad expression, and I felt guilty for abandoning my task of picking herbs, but I did what I can for my friends, so I just can’t be helped. I asked mom about anything happening at home, and she said that her usual activity of gathering herbs from the forest today is affected, so there is a lack of supply of herbal leaves. The ones in the garden are not sufficient for our daily needs. Father also has to undergo the listening of the story propagated by the imperial army in order to get to his farm, so he’s late and the sun now burns his skin, making him and the other affected farmers using more of the ointment mom produce.

My mom asked me where did I go last night. I don’t want to scare or confuse her, so I created a story that I helped clean Adam’s home until late night, and then I go to the area around the waterfall to collect night herbs, but got chased by a wild boar and lose a large portion of it. She doubted me, but choose to accept my explanation and request me to go look for some herbal leaves I can find, and my brother will accompany me since he’s relieved from his duty as a village guard today.

I tried going around the village ground to look for herb shrubs that happened to grow here and there randomly to pick their leaves to supplement my family, and my brother picks firewood too while accompanying me. He asked me in a whisper, what I happen to know last night. My brother is quite the muscle-brain, but I know he can keep a secret well, especially since he’s best friends with Adam. I told him partially what happened. He was especially furious with the imperial army, but I tell him to calm down and be patient because we might get our parents in trouble too.

I happened to pass in front of the house of my friend who helped me pass the message that I’m cleaning Adam’s house until late night the day before. I can hear some soft sobbing from inside the house. I went inside and found her mother is in the house, crying. I consoled her and asked her what happened. She told me that her son went fishing until late at night, and encountered a stranger who gave him a copper to perform some task. When he came back to the village in the morning through the village entrance, he was caught and brought to the imperial inquirer. She only heard from her friend whose husband is the village guard chief. It seems the imperial inquirer questions him and ascertains that he has met with the devil mage, and was detained. From there, they tortured him until he tells them about him, his looks, what he wears, where he goes, and what he uses.

I went to the station where the boy was held and saw his sister, who is my friend, there. The officers there held her right when she tried to get her brother. My brother wanted to go help her, but I stopped him, as they are imperial soldiers, not villagers. Hurting them openly is considered an act of treason, and they are already considered wanted people since the incident with Adam’s family. Although I’m confident in his battle prowess, the soldiers are armed with spears, and they move as a group. My brother can only take on a group at a time, and if they called for reinforcements, he’s done for, as they have garrisoned the exit of the village.

I take my brother with me and hide behind a tall tree, located behind where the army erects a temporary headquarters. By using a cup in my pouch, I place it near the wall and listens in. Adam taught us this when we were small. We used to listen to some conversation of the adult and our potential troublemakers, and we even managed to save ourselves from troubles and traps set up by Draka and his gang. This is a secret we would have to keep secure among ourselves and bring to our graves. I listen in on the army’s conversation intently. They seem to demand her to give them a good lead on the devil mage, or they won’t release her brother. They said that any reliable info will do, like suspicious movement or activity, marks or indications that will lead to the culprit will redeem her brother.

She was under duress, as the imperial army keep reminding her that hiding any information related to the devil mage will lead to the entire family punished under the imperial law. She keeps pleading that she doesn’t know anything, but the imperial inquirer seems to have a skill that allows one to judge if someone is lying or not. It seems the imperial inquirer isn’t able to pinpoint if she’s lying or not, and therefore, keep suggesting fearsome punishments and the terrible deeds the devil mage did to people. She cried and cried, pleading them to stop, and ask that they release her and her brother. The imperial inquirer refused to listen and starts to perform light tortures on her. They ask a church cleric to heal her after they stab her hands with a sharp object. She keeps pleading them to stop, as she knows nothing.

Next, I heard her mother’s voice. They said that if the daughter commits sin, the mother would have to answer for it. They then did something that makes her mother scream so loud, it can be heard from afar. I was also shocked, and Cassie (my friend) relented to them. She tells them everything, like my strange request to clean Adam’s home, a rope dangling in the bush, I walk into the bush after I walk some distance away from her. She also tells them about the strange light she saw coming from Adam’s home, and also some sound that makes it seems like Amanda wasn’t alone. The imperial inquirer let her and her mother go with that information, but not her brother. When Cassie asked why they don’t release her brother, the imperial army chief said that she would have to come alone tonight if she wants to them to release her brother. She tried to bargain with other things, but they started suing her for bribery, so she stops. The imperial army chief demands that she also brings what she intend to bribe them with as payment if she doesn’t want the imperial lawmaker to punish her for bribery.

After listening to all their conversations, I can guess that the kingdom’s military has already rotten to the core, and will do all sorts of despicable things in order to get all they want. I tell my brother what I heard after we move some distance away, and he slams his fist on a tree. His physical strength is great, so I request that he try not to show too much of it here because I don’t want us to be discovered. He is angry that now I also got involved in the stupid schemes of the imperial army. He is contemplating who we can report this abuse of power in the imperial army. This usually involves telling the kingdom generals, or the king himself, but it seems that this method is just not viable, as we are just ordinary peasants. He intends to tell the village guard chief, and also we must try to somehow avoid the imperial army catching, especially our parents.

We pray that our father will somehow avoid the village entrance, as the imperial army now had plans against our family. With the situation at hand, we would need to escape from the village. I would really like to help Cassie, but we are not in control now. The imperial army can and will get all of us in one fell swoop if we tried to do anything to free her brother. I tell my brother that we will go gather our belongings, and my brother will go out first with half the belongings and stop father from entering the village entrance. I will lead mom to the forest at another end and escape there. We will avoid the area I came in from earlier because that place is near the village head’s house and is laced with threads that will warn of intruders. I told my brother to watch out for the imperial army patrol timing while we continue to avoid any contact with the imperial army. I go back home to tell mom that we would need to move out of the village. I can’t tell her the entire truth, so I just made up an excuse that father is working overnight at the farm so we will stay in the farm shed for a night.

Brother told me to pack swiftly and only take some necessities because he noticed one of the four idiots, the loyal follower of Draka, has entered the imperial army temporary office and exited that building while running excitedly. He said that trouble is about to start really soon, and he begins to fear for the worst. I take some cloth and shirts, two towels, a leaf pack of preserved meat and a bamboo bottle of water. We can’t bring too much because it may arouse the suspicions of the surrounding neighbours. I got mom out with me, and we walked to a designated place that has lesser people. At there, we meet brother. Brother said that the patrol around the village perimeter has increased after the imperial army learns of the oddity with Amanda’s activity yesterday from Cassie. We walk casually, looking to pick herbs and firewood when we are actually looking for any gap in the patrol to slip out of the village.

While the others usually mind their own business, the busybody group of Draka’s followers spotted us and alerted a patrol officer. Brother struck him down with his wooden pole, and we tried to make a dash before the patrol group comes to where we are now. We were able to move into the village border and got further away from the village. Mom was very scared and keeps asking me why Brandon struck down a fellow villager, one that always accompanies Draka at that. She also asks why we need to run to the into the village border and not through the village entrance, which is nearer and more convenient. I gave her the excuse that the imperial army has closed the gate, and we can only get to father through entering the village border. I tell my brother to go get father before he arrives at the village entrance, which is anytime soon. He hurriedly dashes to the entrance of the village from outside through the village border, hoping to intercept father before the imperial army caught him.

I bring my mother towards the farm that father worked at. It is nearby the farm Adam’s father also works at. I wonder what will happen to it in the future. While thinking about all that, we almost exited the forest and will reach the pathway to the farm. Suddenly, an arrow hit a tree ahead of us, and it’s on fire. The imperial army has discovered us, and Draka is leading the way. I quickly lead my panicked mother to dash for the pathway, while the imperial army demanded us to stop, or they will shoot to kill. We reached the pathway outside the forest and prepared to run, only for a patrol group outside the forest to discover us and drag us back to the village.

When they dragged us back to the village entrance, I saw my brother also got arrested with father and were detained near the questioning station. Me and mom were also brought to the questioning station before I can even ask my brother what happened. I can only notice his eyebrows asking me to be careful of what I say. Me and my mom were placed separately, so they don’t let us corroborate our story. A soldier begins grilling me with questions, and I answer them carefully, crafting the story that we are out to meet father to help him in the farm and visit him to give him ointment since his skin got burned by the sun. He didn’t ask for too much detail, so I expect that they would accept it without much difficulty.

I exited from the question box and noticed my brother and father is at one corner. Brother has some bruises over his face, so I tried to go rub some ointment on him but got stopped by the soldiers. My mom still hasn’t exited the questioning box after some time, so I begin to get worried. She came out about half an hour later, and her complexion looks pale. It seems like they question mom a lot because she was left in the dark about what is happening, and I fed her some made up stories that made things very confusing. The imperial army must have tried to break us apart from so that they can attack our statement individually, and they pick the weakest link, our mom.

The soldiers then lead Draka here and testify my statement. He confirmed that I stated while coming in from the village border that I claimed to have gone out to collect herbs (actually my brother said that). They check the villagers' entrance checklist and confirmed that I never went out of the village entrance at night. They also confirmed that Cassie stated I would clean at Adam’s house till late at night. The imperial army then arrests my entire family, including me, and sends us to the imperial inquirer.