Chapter 12: A hero's pride
The years at the temple passed away fast with all our training and before I knew it I had already become a eighteen years old young man. Somehow I did also become one of the best in the group. We were a total of 49 pupils and only seven of us would be chosen. In truth they never told us who was doing better and who worse. We didn't know who would be chose at all.
I didn't think to be made to be a protector was right for me. The burden was heavy and I thought it wasn't right for me. I even talked about it with my instructors.
To my surprise they thought otherwise. I was chosen to participate in the final trial. We were 14 chosen out of the 49. Between us 7 would be chosen. It was the final trial to become a protector.
The trial was to defeat a monster inside the forest. It was a strong monster we knew well. Many times before we did go out to hunt down monsters in the forest. This monster was of the kind we normally defeated in group, never alone. But now we were to fight them alone.
After entering the forest I look out for the monster we were meant to kill. I was searching for one when I found one of my companions being in difficulty in his fight. I chose to look after him for a moment and finally help him get way from the monster without any problems. After being safe we separated. I leave him go to hunt the monster again. I made sure he was alright before leaving him behind.
After leaving him I searched once again for a monster. After half a day of search I instead found another companion on need of help. He was trying to run from one of those monsters. He had fight him but wasn't able to bring him down. Unfortunately he was injured before retreating making it hard to get away. He was running trying to heal himself with magic but doing it wasn't easy at all especially against such a dangerous monster one can not ignore. I arrived at that time and killed the monster. Since the monster was already injured I couldn't say I did it neither could my companion. After healing himself we separated to find a monster. I keep looking but couldn't find one.
In the end I couldn't find a monster. I thought it was my utter failure since I was not skilled enough to find the monster.
After getting to the temple I discovered that everyone else had hunted down a monster. We told the temple head and the seven head instructors about our hunt. Every one had their hardships in fighting the monster but in the end succeed. Instead I was unable to even find one. It wasn't like there were none but I just wasn't good enough to find them.
After listening our stories we were all dismissed. We were told to come the next day to know our results.
I was once again surprised when the next day I was chosen to become the seven protector. I didn't understand it at the time. Nevertheless it was expected of me to accept the most honorable task in our world. I accepted without any questioning the decision of the temple's head and the seven head instructors.
We got to know that day the previous seven protectors. They would still serve as protectors for another year. In the meantime we were to learn about the outside world. We would travel around the world and understand our work.
After becoming protectors our travels didn't stop. We went all around the world looking for three doors and the monsters that would come out of it. The only time I returned to the temple was for my children's birth. I married one of the girls I met at the temple. She came from another village but we soon get on well at the temple. Because of my job I couldn't be much time with her. I returned to the temple once or twice a year. Nevertheless I was able to have three sons and one daughter with her.
After twenty years I finally retired. To my surprise the one who would become one of the new protectors was my youngest son. That made me proud. Yet I didn't know if he was up to the task. To be fair I always thought the older ones had more of a chance. Unfortunately both of them perished during the trials. Those were the saddest times of my life. So when I was told the new hero was going to be my youngest child I couldn't help but worry. I talked to him at the time. I was more strict that I wanted to. I always wanted to protect everyone but failed to protect my sons. I would not be able to bear losing another one.
He thought I had considered him unworthy of the position. When he was younger I was more soft with him than his older brothers. He misunderstood it as me thinking he was not worthy, not strong enough. Unfortunately I didn't get the chance to clear the misunderstanding because he had already departed the next day.
On my last year as a protector I traveled the world more worried about my son's future than my task itself. I always wonder if it was because of it that I didn't notice that place. It maybe wasn't there at the time by if it was there then I had failed both as a father and as a protector.
After returning home I spent time with my wife but every day I become more and more worried about my son. Noticing this my wife told me to go outside and look for him. I needed to clear the misunderstanding and clear my worries.
The day of my departure I was told that the three doors had appeared and a horde of demons had destroyed a huge area. As one of the new seven head instructors I had to take part in the organisation of a fighting force to fight the monster that came out. We were to assist the seven protectors to accomplish their task. I was worried since the new protectors were still so young with very few experience. I did my utmost to help and after a week we departed. It would have took months to arrive since we were far and had a large group.
I became more and more worried about my son during our march out of the forest. The others noticed my state too but didn't say anything. Finally the temple's head came to my tent one day. He told me that I should go. I was obviously too worried about my son and by the time we arrived I may have gotten mad. He was one of the previous protectors. He told me that the reason the previous temple head and head instructors had chosen me was because I would do anything to protect other people before anything else. During the test they had especially made it so I wouldn't find any monster. Yet despite this I spent a lot of time to help the others. Now my son as well as humanity was on danger. They were all strong and could arrive there without my help. I was more needed elsewhere.
After several weeks of travel I arrived at the battlefield. There I saw many men dead and the sound of fighting around a huge hole that extended all around a wall.
Inside the soldiers from many nations were all laying around helplessly being slaughtered by demons on top of the wall. It was a one sided battle. But in one place another battle was still going on. I run there to help since I knew only a few people would still be battling on this hell.
Once I arrived I saw this: one of the new protectors was attacking not stop but all her attacks were being neglected by others. The one responsible was just some distance away. He was a demon sure enough. He was closing a body on the ground apparently to finish him off. When I looked closer I noticed that body was the one of my son.
Before I knew it I was running there at full speed. I had my sword already ready to strike. The demon noticed my arrival and turning around pared my attack. I couldn't look well at my son but I somehow knew he was still alive and not badly injured.
The demon was strong. He is surely the strongest enemy I had ever faced and a heated battle soon began. The other protector used the chance to get to my son and help him. She is well trained and would surely one day become a good protector. I did my best to keep the demon busy but more demons were coming and surely it would soon become the hardest battle in my life. One of my son's first battles was one like this. I had to help however I could.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone