Zed takes his time as he strides slowly towards Andrew with his cutlass in his hand. “I have waited a long time to do this. The day you destroyed my left eye is the day you sowed this seed of enmity between us and nothing can stop it unless one of us dies”, Zed said in obvious anger. “Stop behaving like a kid and kill me if you have the guts to. Stop whining about all that happened in the past”, Andrew said while laughing at Zed. The look Andrew gave to Zed was that of scorn, like he couldn’t be bothered with him and he should just get over what he has to do and let it all be over. On noticing the look given to him by Andrew and the fact that the look of fear and helplessness he had expected to see on his face was nowhere to be found, Zed got more angry and he sped up with his cutlass lifted up high ready to cut through the neck of Andrew once and for all. There was still no fear in Andrew’s face, he was even absentminded as he thought, ‘At least I would get rid of this powerlessness this way. This new found life ended up being wasted on me at the end. I am still a virgin after all. How would I be so unlucky not to get dis-virgin in both lives? Did I commit a sin in my previous life that I was not aware of? I didn’t even get born into a rich family. I guess I did something wrong somewhere. Well, there is nothing to be done’, his train of thought stops here and he has an evil smirk on his face when he raised his face to meet that of Zed. That smirk was like that of someone whom wasn’t bothered of anything or that of someone whom has all his plans in place. ‘Why is he smiling that way?’, Zed couldn’t help questioning himself. He pauses for a bit and observes if Andrew was about to do anything but on noticing nothing was about to be done by done was all the more annoyed, ‘I am being unnecessarily worried, what can he do at this moment but to wait for death?’, Zed says inwardly but unknowingly to even himself, he breathes in relief and continues with the swing of his cutlass with increased speed.

When the cutlass was almost at Andrew’s neck, Andrew’s grin deepens the more. Zed notices it but didn’t stop this time and just took it as Andrew having given up on life. Just a few millimeters from Andrew’s neck, Zed flew back at a neck breaking speed destroying stuffs in his path before stopping at a distance coughing up blood non stop. His body seems to be critically damaged, on the spot Zed was formerly on, now stood Michael with an angry look on his face. He was wondering whom gave Zed the gall to want to kill Andrew and at that in a public place, it seems like Zed doesn’t value his life anymore. He has just been walking home feeling weird after the meeting with Cornelius and someone just had to annoy him the more by causing such a scene.

Andrew had an incredulous look on his face as if he hadn’t expected Michael to be here. Everyone was shocked also at the appearance of Michael, the men whom had come along with Zed ran away while carrying Zed and the other warriors whom were lying unconscious on the floor without much delay.

Michael decided to talk to Paul about this matter rather than fight it out with his underlings, after all he wasn’t the Michael of the former days and would demand some explanation for what has just happened. Even if Michael was to go into the capital right now, he would be regarded with respect and be offered a respectable post even in the military and nobles would fight over such a powerhouse to be added to their ranks.

“Why did you come to rescue me? I was prepared to die. Stop sticking your nose into my every business”, screams Andrew towards Michael. Michael regains his normal composure while looking at Andrew with a gaze of pity. He picks Andrew up and no matter how much he struggled, he never let go of his hold over him.

Michael walks towards Annie and Marian, offered them his help and escorted both of them home. On getting to their home, Michael just spoke few words of comfort to them before excusing himself from their presence. He didn’t even accept a cup of water before departing from their place heading towards his home.

On getting home, he finally drops Andrew whom he has been holding whom has gotten tired of struggling and slept on his back a long time ago even going as far as snoring. Andrew always seem to perform the most impossible feat never seen by any man in the village. In that position, there would surely be blood rush towards the head but seems like he was really sleepy for him to be able to sleep comfortably that way.

Michael didn’t wake him up and just laid him down before heading towards the kitchen to prepare something sumptuous for them to eat. An hour later, the aroma of the food woke Andrew up from his slumber and he clumsily stretched and yawned for some few seconds before settling down while waiting for his food. But after a while, he still hasn’t seen his food and he had an annoyed look on his face. Michael should have been able to notice that he was awake by now and should have brought his food to him. He just shook it off and thought maybe this time around Michael didn’t notice and stood up from the room heading towards the kitchen. He saw Michael eating without stop in the kitchen and seeing Andrew entering didn’t stop him from continuing his deed but instead urged him to eat faster as if he doesn’t want to share a dime of the food with Andrew. Andrew ignored the attitude of Michael and on getting towards the pot of food, he was shocked. The whole food has been down until a little part was remaining which wouldn’t even be able to cover a quarter of his stomach. He looks towards Michael but Michael ignores his gaze while holding a cup of water and downing it. After which he belched for a long while, rubbing his stomach at the same time.

Andrew was gobsmacked by his new behavior and was about to question him about it, but his stomach rumbling made him to pause off on that train of thought and dig in on the food which was not able to fill his stomach but would at least stop the rumbling. While eating, Michael didn’t leave but stay there for a while before saying, “I would soon be leaving the village to the capital”. On hearing those words, Andrew whom was about swallowing a mouthful of the food, choked on it and coughed very hard. He didn’t expect this kind of revelation after all. Michael passed him some water which he downed immediately before continuing, “After finishing a job in the village, I would be gone, and it would all be finished before next month ending at most”.

This reveal caught Andrew unprepared, he never imagined that Michael would leave the village. Michael telling him made him understand that he won’t be carried along this time along and although he did understand the reason for such a thing, he was nonetheless hurt. How would he be able to survive being left alone all over again, he questioned himself. It was hard just barely living by at this stage, he would most certainly be killed immediately Michael leaves the village. “I would settle all the issues that would threaten your life before leaving so you don’t need to worry about that and I would also leave behind most of the wealth I have been acquiring for you to take care of yourself”, as if knowing what Andrew was worried about, Michael speaks up. Although Michael doing such a thing would make his life easier and without struggles, he still doesn’t feel good that Michael was going to leave him. Michael has been with him since he started talking to anyone in the village and was the closest person to him and Michael has always treated him as his son. This news was hard to accept, he couldn’t help but ask, “Are you leaving me behind because of my new behavior?”. “I guess you could say so. Staying in this village would be less dangerous for you after all. The capital isn’t a place you can behave like this in. You could get killed at any time without you knowing about it and I would be powerless to even think to avenge you. So it’s best you stay here”.

“But I don’t want you to leave my side”, Andrew said not even knowing when those words left his mouth, it was unconscious and what he felt in his heart. “I can’t take care of you as you are right now”, says Michael. “I can change, I won’t be an headache for you or someone you would have to be worried of at every turn. I promise to change, to turn over a new leaf”, screams Andrew with tears streaming down from his eyes. Michael smiles at Andrew before saying, “I highly doubt that”. “I would prove it to you”, Andrew shouts while running out of the house still crying.