Chapter 283: Poems of hope part 1
30 years had passed since the battle of the bloody rock valley.
Inside the palace, Rufus sat lonely and stared at the crystal. Inside was Haely, who hadn't aged at all, but Rufus. He had long, bushy hair and a beard that matched it. The bags under his eyes were enormous, for he had not slept maybe in days or more. He had just stared at the crystal, looking over and wondering what he had done wrong. The guilt he felt, made hom force himself to punish himself
Did he fail his sister when he didn't listen to her in the desert moon world? If he should have just lived a quiet life with Haley, they could at least be together and happy. Just like Haley had wished for.
He went back as far as to the time when he was offered to become the gang boss of the black rat gang. He thought how would have everything had fared out if he had refused Leif's offer and not been such a pushover.
These were the thoughts that ran through in his head. Day in and day night. He no longer thought of a solution but searched for the blame.
~~
In the meantime, far away from Aesis but closer to it than to other worlds. A small gravity vessel sailed across the galaxy. Inside was an old man with a white beard playing a unique instrument. It was made from a massive pike fish's jaw bone, with its strings connected from one tooth to another.
"Väinämöinen. Why are we so far away from ANYTHING! We just passed all the cool worlds!" a young woman with bright blonde hair yelled.
This girl was wearing a dress, and a band around her forehead, with coins as decoration on the headband. She also held a similar-looking instrument, which was not made from a pike's jawbone but from wood.
These unique instruments were called Kantele.
"You promised me an adventure and a chance to see the universe. So far, we have only been to a few insignificant ports just to resupply," The girl kept complaining.
"Words shall not be hid
nor spells buried
might shall not sink underground
though the mighty go."
The divine winds became visible as the old man spelled out those words. They both saw the significant accumulation of the winds that still blew nearby the space near the Aesis world. They had gathered for Haley's beck and call when she had fought against Dalai. Over thirty years ago.
"Is this to rekindle your trust in my gut?" the old man said with a smile.
~~
A loud knock was heard on the doors of the royal palace of the Fairfax kingdom.
"RUFUS, YOU DAMN GLOOMY BASTARD!"
Edward crashed through the doors. He was wearing his full battle armor with his trusted long sword. Most shockingly, he hadn't aged at all. He shoved away the Ghersengs that had tried to stop him and ordered them not to intervene.
"You stone head, don't go yelling like that!" Doreen said, who entered the palace as well.
"Pema, go find that idiot. Check whatever corner he is sulking in and drag him in front of us," Amala yelled and ordered her brother.
Pema just grunted and moved to look inside the palace.
"Rufus! We just wanna talk!" Liana yelled.
Not far walked Gwon. And soon walked in Yosef and Joan. None of them had aged a day. Both Liana and Gwon were still kids even, though from the inside they must have been more mature compared to what they looked like.
All of them walked down to the dungeons. They went down the spiraling stairs until they saw the room where Rufus had placed the crystal for safekeeping with him inside.
"RUFUS, YOU STUBBORN BAS...." Edward yelled before he was hit in the back of the head by his sister.
"Thank you," Doreen thanked.
"Don't mention it. His mouth was running like a pig's on fire," Joan noted.
"Your insults are getting better. You have learned from me," Yosef sneered.
"No one could even learn how to shit from you."
"See. You have learned."
Doreen knocked on the door gently, which was not locked, and she slowly opened it. Inside, they saw Rufus staring at the crystal like a corpse with long hair and a beard. He was boney and frail looking. When he stared back at them, all of them could feel the destructive aura from his mighty divine power. His strength had not yet leaved him.
"Remember when I was overflown by grief. When I was down after the pri...Markus abandoned and betrayed us. You never gave up on me, along with Edward. So neither shall we," Doreen explained.
Rufus sat still. Emotionless.
"Rufus, listen. You can't keep blaming yourself for what happened to Haley. She did what she could to help you. To help us all," Amala tried to reason with him.
"The reason...Oh, I am the reason. But I am not the only reason my sister was taken from me. There are many others to blame. The emperor, for one, the imperial forces. I blame my soldiers and warriors for their weakness and inability to end the battle more quickly."
"We understand it hurts, but lashing out on others won't help," Doreen tried to reason.
"Oh, you also are to blame. None of you were able to stop that god from resurrecting. You let the black company attack our flank and release that chaos. You are also to blame," Rufus said and pointed at them.
They all felt mortified for how uncharacteristic it was for Rufus to blame others so easily. And, of all people, his friends.
"I know you all act surprised by this what I said. But I really don't care what you think of me. So just let me be," Rufus explained.
"Listen here, you stubborn asshole. We came here after we came across a person who could help you. A person of great wisdom who has sailed across the universe cause he apparently felt the presence of your sister," Amala yelled as she was deeply hurt by the words of Rufus.
"I have lost hope in all these so-called healers. So many have come and gone, and some even from different worlds. All of them were useless. I have no faith in this, whomever you have brought. So just give up and send him or her away. Currently, right now, the only one that I believe can help Haley is me."
Amala was just about to go and bash Rufus's head in but was restrained by Pema. They all were hurt by Rufus, but mostly it hurt them as he had changed so much. From a bright and optimistic person, he had turned into such a person.
"Fine. If you believe sulking in here would help your sister's cause. Then fine. Stay here and rot away." Amala said and left in anger.
The others soon joined her and left Rufus alone. The last to leave was Liana, who told him, "We only wished to help you. Like you did years back.....If you change your mind. The person is upstairs."
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