Chapter 35: Heart of Glass

The Captain walked along the village with blank eyes. The fiery golden eyes of his have long vanished. His eyes were back to being vacant. He followed the Captain as he listlessly walks around looking for any survivors. The Captain was quite sad to look at. He would claw his hands at the rubble to see if anyone was there. He would shout everywhere trying to see if there was someone that needs help. He followed the Captain until he was done scouring the whole of the village.

The Captain returned to the encirclement where most of the survivors are. The people saw the Captain looked around with a blank grungy expression. They could not understand why he would do that. The villagers wanted to ask him but the look the Captain had was quite broken. The fierce panther that killed most men other than the Lady was now looking like nothing he was before.

The Village Elder saw the Captain coming to him. The Captain told him if he could help. And seeing the eagerness in his face made the Elder point at one of the houses that were still standing. The Captain went there. He took a shovel and went around identifying any villagers. Some of the peasants saw what he was planning to do. It was stupid to them and it was better to pile the dead and let them burn. He told the Captain about this. But the Captain looked at him and told him no.

The Captain then started dragging the dead villagers around one spot. He watched the Captain pull the dead despite his injuries. He could bear seeing the Captain do it alone so he helped him take care of some before collapsing to the ground in exhaustion. He fought his own battles too and he was exhausted from the fighting. He looked at the Captain. He didn’t stop despite the cold breeze. The war band that was staying on the encirclement looked at the Captain with confusion.

Why would he do all of this?

Why would he try to bury the dead?

Those questions floated in their heads. He could not understand it either too. But the Captain was adamant in digging a hole for the dead villagers. He would dig. He would find a dead villager and drag them or carry them to the spot where he would bury them. The Captain did all of those actions over and over again. He could see that the Captain was exhausted, His wounds were still there. The cold wind isn’t helping the obvious fatigue ridden body of the Captain.

In the distance, he and they heard the sounds of armor clanking. The Lady of Asmara has returned to the Warband bathed in blood. After killing the routed bandits she has finally returned with her chin held up high. She seems to be looking for praise. The war band was quite not in the mood but they cheered for the Lady despite the obvious hatred in their hearts. But with how the Lady showed her power to everyone. They became cowards who could only clap and try to lick her feet.

The Lady’s Maid came to her. Gisela was her name. She helped the lady take a seat. There the maid who had her outfit ripped started taking care of the lady. She became so concerned that she ordered those who are around to get anything for the lady. The village Elder had a grim look on his face. But out of fear he went and took a bucket and carried it to the lady to help her wash the blood on her armor away. Most of the carriages have been destroyed in the attack. The bandits robbing the carriages and destroying them and stealing the horses prove that the war band will have to walk.

There was nothing worth anything to have. He could understand that they have choices right now. The village should still have a cellar filled with supplies. And taking them would mean that they would be leaving the villagers for dead. The war band knows this and with darkness, in their heart, they told the Lady about this.

The Lady of Asmara was quite in a good mood after her glorious battle. They coax the lady into taking the cellar worth of food for the war band to survive. The others did not have such heart to do this to the villagers. Some of them seem like they wanted nothing to do about it. But with a simple glare in her eyes. They would become cowards. The plan was in action. And they did in right in the face of the village elder who could only bite his lips in frustration while the war band loots the last of their food. The villagers cried in despair. And their eyes turn blank in misery.

They survive the battle but lost in the end. They took in the war band but in the end, they suffered for it. The village elder had no way to handle it all. But then he saw the Captain digging in the distance. He didn’t know why but seeing that grim look in the elder made him shiver. Then the village elder went to his peers. He told them a simple solution to their problems. He told them to die. The war band could not help but raise their brows at first. But they understood that villagers killing themselves are far better than starving to death or being killed by monsters or dire beasts.

The Lady of Asmara had no care at the peasants who one by one took their own lives. They slit their throats and died. Even the children have been killed in fear that they will suffer. The village elder was the last one to rid him out of despair. Before the Village Elder died he looked at the figure of the Captain digging holes in the distance. There was a smile on the elder’s face. He knows that the captain will bury them.

He told the Captain what happened. The moment he did so the Captain’s face crumpled like paper. The Captain went to where the villagers are and saw them dead. The Captain had a bitter expression on his face. Seeing this, the war band could not help but lower their heads except for one.

The Lady of Asmara who sat on a chair prepared by the village scoffs the Captain. Seeing the pitiful expression on the Captain made the Lady somehow assume he was a coward who could not even bear the sight that he saw. The Lady laughed and implored everyone to do so. Out of fear from the lady they laughed at the Captain who just stared blankly at the dead villagers he worked hard in trying to save.

The Captain could not give less care about the others mockery. The Captain could only do what he has done so far. He wants to bury the dead. The Lady of Asmara found it displeasing that the Captain did not give a look. The Lady stood up and then told him to pay his respects. The Captain did not listen to the Lady at all. He held no fear in his eyes unlike the rest of the war band. He didn’t give a damn care for the lady which made the Lady spat on his face for looking at her that way.

The Lady was strong so she was able to grab the Captain’s head and shove it to one of the dead villager’s wound. The Maid of the Lady cringed at the cruel act of the Lady. Even she knows that it was going too far. The Captain saved the maid after all. Even she would be grateful. He talked to the maid. He asks why she isn’t helping. The maid then said that her loyalty belongs to the lady.

He felt disgusted but he can understand.

The Lady was done jostling the Captain’s face on the dead villager. The Captain stood up without emotion and started dragging the corpses. The Lady of Asmara saw this and sneered at the Captain. She then let the maid of hers bring some of the wine that the villagers had in their secret cellar.

The others started walking away out of shame. He could not help but feel pity for the Captain who did his best. He helped the Captain drag the bodies to the grave the Captain dug. The Captain had a lifeless expression. There were no words coming out of his mouth as he drags the villagers and put them near the grave.

The Captain then gestured him to bring the corpses down the grave. He helped the Captain in lowering down the dead. It took a while but he and Captain manage to put all the villagers into the grave. The Captain told him to go. And out of respect for the Captain, he left.

He saw the Captain in distance kneeling on one knee. He left the Captain in privacy but he could hear the cries of the Captain. The weeping and the sobbing of the Foolish Magus, Arden, could be heard around the village. The war band who heard him could lower their heads in shame for not having any heart. The lady sneered at the crybaby that of a man that she calls a coward. While he can only gaze the Captain with oddness lurking in his heart

The Captain was a strong man.

He is a great fighter and was a like panther in the battlefield.

His body was like steel.

Yet he had a glass heart.

And because of that heart of glass that the Captain could cry for the dead, he tried so hard to save.

He cried for the people he didn't even know.