Nopifili Chronicles: Book 1 (War of Change)

Volume I - Part III

'Sit down for a second, will ya?' asked by the Striker. This time, the young warrior appears to be complying unexpectedly without any hint of further reluctance; barely keeping his head held up high in order to keep the menace locked in line of sight, so that they would keep their ground in standoff as they exchanged look of repugnance against each other. Matt couldn't care less anymore before the grim reaper. His face was partially covered in dirt with soiled own blood spewed out from his panting mouth and injured temple.

'Hmmm... I guess trashing you will not be enough.' Captain Severino assumed the boy was used to it, prompting him to pressed on any way possible to listen after putting his only arm off away from Matt's crown, then slowly proceeds in reaching something just behind his back beneath his loosened cloak; 'Playing the hero would only get you in trouble... As for putting your life at risk for the sake of others.'

His reasonings were casually delivered while threatening the kid's prone neck with the dagger that Matt had stolen, wadding off the remains of the runner's cursed blood on his face as though Severino were cleaning it. Matt swallowed hard before the sudden occurrence and Severino could tell that fear were beginning to get on the kid's nerves, for them troubled eyes began shotting glances back and forth between his metal cane few paces from their side, yet would prolonged at the Striker in icy loathing gaze.

Nevertheless, the kid's lasting hostility were nothing new to Severino, and for that, he must control himself from slaying anyone whom dares to oppose his authority at the time. This boy is one fortunate soul.

'Let it be a free man or some creature in chains-' This time Severino's tone was firm and deliberate; 'you-will-not-protect-them.' Severino taps the kid with the lethal object as he makes his point; 'If it's their time, it will be their time. Why would intervene to save those without powers? You're not doing them a favor boy, you're just prolonging their suffering in this corrupted world. If you deliver them from their adversaries, what are the chances they stay alive afterwards.' Captain Severino began to meander around the top rank as he makes himself clear while seeing to the crowd; 'So why don't we say let the universe do its natural selections, right?'

'Hear!' There appeared some concurrence among his men as they sound their collective accordance; 'and we might as well invest our time for ourselves, our purposes and own strength! but not to meddle against how life unfolds but to take advantage and gain from it, hmmm?!' Severino chortles in disgust as he sees to the enchained young warrior; 'unforgivable wretches. Weaklings holds no place in Vandua nor worthy of life, let alone to exist beyond inhumanly possible.' He then picked his way to Matt's comrade, towards Karl, whom look as brave as Matt before the face of dangers, though one could tell how hard he was trying to fake it.'Do you know how you ended up in such a pathetic position little one?!' Severino grabs Karl's face by hand, pressing it as hard until his mouth agape to his ache with tearful eyes that signifies mortal dread.

'Because your people were weak, they were helpless and if they cannot protect themselves, how on earth could've they protected you, just as how you couldn't fight for them knowing you don't have the STRENGTH! Hmmm?!' This squirt were second in rank for a reason, Severino recalled; 'See that kid over there?! Look at him, eh, Look at him!' snapped by Severino as he forced Karl against his will.

Karl was now breathing hard, heartbroken, soul burning in wrath, and unsurmountable guilt devouring his insides as he wept not on the grounds of his hopeless situation, but due to the fact of the people he had lost before his very incompetent presence. He has been told. Face closer, but not too far than he has ever been with the striker, and goes whisper Severino within the earshot, filling the second rank with compelling malice; 'The deities of heaven and earth transpired to give him an opportunity, because he shred enough blood and sweat, aiming for power in order to overcome his own worthlessness, therefore, he vanquished the foul creature -' such unsightly conditions has been perceived between Matt and both of them; Captain Severino's sinister grin, the second in rank seething anger and Matt with his typical look of bravery.