File 8 - Relief, worry and expectations

“Not ‘it’….my…..name….Sam”

He did the best he could in order to articulate these words.

Everyone’s mouth that just closed opened again.

Brian, a voice full of disbelief said: “Y-You…. did you learn to talk?”

“Was he conscious before?” Brian thought, but Carla would have reported if this child had been awake for so long.

"Or could it be that he was awake all this time and really could not show it to the people taking care of him? The refiners who came to see him however could not sense any vibrations coming from his soul. Could they have been wrong?"

Imprisoned in his own body for years...

This thought sent a shiver going down Brian’s spine. What kind of abyss had this child lived through?

The others also gulped, what sort of hellish life is it to be unable to move and forced to live emprisoned in your own body ? Unable to communicate to show you are conscious, and this, from infancy?

The nothingness they imagined gave them deep dizziness. They did not dare believe he had been trapped for so long. Their imagination did not allow them to do so.

Denise was the first person to react:

“Ah sorry...hmm…Sam, was it? We just couldn’t believe that you were finally awake after all these years!” “.…it must have been a terrible experience." She then turned toward Brian beaming at him.

"Father, instead pressure and interrogation, a celebration should takes place”

“After spending the first fouteen years of his life bedridden, my cousin finally wakes up!”

Turning to face Sam, putting a hand on her heart and bowing harmoniously, Denise said :

”I don’t know how much you understand me, but I, Denise Lennart, daughter of your Uncle Brian Lennart, welcomes you again into the Lennart’s family”.

Brian and Celine looked at Sam and nodded, the guards, following Vincent's lead also bowed.

Denise was surprised at first, but she was not a bad person.

After all, referring to Gerad’s son as an object was not out of ill will for some people, it was a matter of common language.

Sam, on the other hand was stunned. fourteen years? The body he is in has been sleeping since birth?

He begun to understand more on what had happened.

However, before he could ask further questions, his legs started to wobble and he lost balance landing on his rear.

Seeing this, Brian, who seemed to have made up his mind on something said:

“Of course, it must have been quite taxing to stand for so long when you are still so weak."

Turning to face Carla he ordered "Carla, wash him clean and give him a new set of clothes. We'll let him sleep in one unused room of the manor for the night. Bring him something to eat; it must be something soft as to not upset his stomach. A soup will do”.

“Finally, send a message to Mepan telling him to come tomorrow morning for a check on....Sam”.

Carla who was still in a daze woke up and hurriedly said: "Y-Yes, my Lord".

Brian then ordered two guards to help Carla carry Sam away and dismissed the remaining people aside from his family.

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In the living room, silence fell.

After a few breaths, Denise was the first one to speak:

“Now that he is awake, we can expect Uncle Gerad to come back soon!”

She added, remembering the scene: “It was so strange to see him walk and talk after all these years”.

Sasha snorted: ”We cannot expect it to be anything more. Have you seen the way it held its crippled arm?”

Denise turned to look at her brother :”Sasha, that’s mean. You know his condition was not a simple one”.

Sasha angrily replied: ”Simple? How about my condition? Or yours! If this event reach the disciples ears in the outercourt back in the sect, we’ll be a laughing stock!”

Pondering, Denise said: ”Well, It doesn’t really bother me”.

Sasha then exclaimed, “Not bother you? The shame this cursed cousin of ours brought us in the village will be nothing compared to the one it will bring us in the sect! if words of this comes out….”.

“Enough"

Brian intervened, "The matter of Gerad’s son is not something that should be discussed to such length so late in the night".Turning over to his daughter and softly speaking he asked: "Denise, when are you and Sasha leaving?”

“Father, we plan on leaving tomorrow at noon and spend three days in Obour shopping before going back to our sect, there are several materials that we need.”

Disappointed, Brian let out a sigh and said: ”Well, I thought you would have stayed a little longer. However, be sure to come back half a year later for our family’s hunt!”

Excitedly, Sasha replied: “Don’t worry father, we won’t miss it. I've already talked about it with fellow disciples, some of them are very interested, I even managed to convince Silja Valence, a top outercourt disciple to come with us!”

Brian eyes flashed: “Oh oh, is this a girl?” Brian was interested, if aside from being one of the strongest in the Lennart’s young generation, Sasha managed to marry a high-level practitioner, the Lennart’s future would be assuredly bright!

Sasha dreamily said: “Yes and she's a rank eight body realm expert at only fifteen! She is said to be just one step away from the ninth!”

Brian nodded :”Good, good." then said "Your mother and I need to discuss some matters, go to sleep. Tomorrow we’ll talk about it in more details”

Brian smiled and sent a meaningful gaze to Sasha, the lecher type, he wanted to know more about this Silja.

After being dismissed, Denise and Sasha went back to their room. On the way, Sasha was in deep thoughts.

In the White Snow sect, being the bully or the one bullied was a matter of survival; he did not want to give any opening to theses vultures!

For Sasha this was no laughing matters.

But Sasha had also something else in his mind currently. Sasha was one who cared a lot about face. He was recognized in the family as one of this Lennart’s generation fighting genius after all.

However, this crippled child was the son of Gerad, the strongest expert in the clan aside from the patriarch.

He could not stand to force himself being careful as to not insult or tease this piece of trash now that it was awake.

He saw really well how his father had acted caringly toward Sam. He knew that his Father would order him to be also careful around him.

Because his father was afraid of Gerad’s wrath.

From the moment Sasha saw Sam, that was the only thing going in his head. And he felt deep hatred toward this existence that had put a dirty spot on his perfect life’s picture.

---------

When Denise and Sasha went back to their room, they left Celine and Brian behind. Both of them pondering.

Celine mumbled: “It really was like seeing a ghost, at first I thought this was a nightmare”.

“The way he behaved and looked at us was really strange”.

Brian nodded; He was also thinking the same thing. It was indeed strange. But most of all, frightening.

“Well, at least he seemed civilized, and he followed Carla and the guards quite obediently”.

Brian had complex feelings about this, it was as if Gerad's son understood everything that had been said, but most of all, his attitude was different from what he expected.

Do someone who wakes up for the first time after such ordeals act like that?

No rush, no erratic behavior, nor childish or needing either. He just stood there. And the only time he spoke was to make a point about how his surrounding treated him. Like an adult would have.

However, he discarded these ideas thinking that after all, Sam must have been under terrible shock, making him tense and shy.

Everyone beside one easily accepted the matter of Sam being able to speak. They thought that Sam had been conscious for years. In addition, his elocution was far from good, and this, casted enough proof on their inner worries. Making it easier for them to accept this turn of events.

After all, he had still a long way to go.

Turning toward Celine, Brian said: “Celine, I need your help in order to plan how we are organizing ourselves now that the Gerad’s son is awake” He paused then said: “Heavens, I’ve never heard of anyone choosing their own name before”.

-------

Within the group walking toward the bathroom, one person walked with only sheer will to fight her shaking, her footing was clumsy, and she almost fell several times.

Carla, who had spent twelve years taking care of Gerad's son, walked with a pale face.

She was the only one who knew how Sam’s treatment went during this time.

She knew.

She almost never uttered a word to Sam or spoke in his room. Even his father, shortly after Sam’s birth, went into closed-door seclusion and training. Gerad has spent only little time with his son before departing in search of a cure.

Never had she really spoke for long in front of this child and with time it became like a habit.

All these years...

She did talk when she was applying the muscles strengthening talismans, but it was just three days!

After all, she didn't have enough QI in order to activate such powerful Runes alone.

Carla was the only one to truly fear Sam at this moment.

She had been deeply shaken by this youth mysteriousness and behaviour.

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In the Lennart messenger’s aviary, someone was standing in front of a black eagle's cage.

A person who wanted to be informed immediately about the progress or difficulties of a particular individual, had put this black eagle here five years ago before departing.

Vincent was standing in front of the black eagle’s cage.

He tossed a small tube containing a message and the black eagle swallowed it.

Opening the cage, Vincent took the black eagle in his hands and before letting it go, gave it an order:

“Fly as fast as you can, do not rest more than necessary. This message is of outmost importance”.

The black eagle let a determined cry out before taking off and flew toward the west.

Looking at the darkness of the night for a while, Vincent then turned around and returned to his quarters with a face filled with expectations for the future.

Until his Lord comes back, he swore to himself to never let anything happen to the young master.