Harry Potter and the Berserker

Chapter 73 A Soaring Dream

'You mean a future that he dreamed up for us,' he felt the need to correct once again. 'Being born to rule something, is that a future we make or is it just... causality?'

Ba-

"I guess that it's just... what we make it," his brother finally settled on after a contemplative pause. "What we make, the sacrifices we chose to make, the ideas that we want to see." His brother smiled again, more genuine than before. "I'll show you. When it's the two of us, I'll show you where our future's going. Well, what do you say to that?"

'That... I'll have to see it with my own eyes. You can talk all you want, but it'll take more than heart and belief to get there.'

"I said that with such certainty then. Did I even begin to grasp just how right I was? Even with all of my ignorance, I was able to spot the ray of truth that poked through those clouds."

"Then let's do it," his brother further insisted. "The only way to be sure is if we do it ourselves. Forget what he says about us be chosen blood. My skill and you being you, we'll grasp it." He held out his hand and made a fist, a vain attempt to capture some of those forgotten rays of light. "What do you say to that? And give me a straight answer this time."

'You say it all like it's going to happen for sure. I...' what did he want? 'I want to believe you when you say that. If you think that we can do it, I... I'll be there with you. I'll be there with you right up until the end.'

The end...

"Don't go making it sound like we're dead yet." He received a slap to the shoulder once more. "There's still so much that we have to do, and I'm not dying until I break my horse in. Maybe I'll let you ride him one of these days." He chuckled. "I'd be a subtle way of showing father just how wrong he is about you."

'I'll leave the stallion taming to you. But...' "You've burnt the food! And on our son's big day no less! Look what you've done, you little freak!" '...I'm going to decline.'

"All those harsh words, you felt them too. If you can, tell me, did you ever wish for something more than the life you were given?"

"You know, I might actually have proof that we're already on the right path. Care to wager a guess?"

'Would it matter?'

"That depends. But just so you know, parents are already naming their kids after us. This boy younger than the both of us, he's got the same name as me. I'm not one for predictions or anything, but just imagine, having kids hundreds of years down the line with the same name as us. But for now, the world is big enough for two Gaiseric's."

'That... doesn't strike me as strange in the slightest.' But why doesn't it?

-thum

'Release me from these shackles! You need to do it! Do it! He's right here, do it! Do it...'

Guts didn't know for how much longer he could keep denying that beast inside of him. He could feel his mind start to strain with every word the beast barked into his inner ear. Tuning it out completely or pushing the voice to the side was no longer an option he had. The mere sight of him was forcing a dying flame from the depths of his very being.

With Casca behind him and Sir Azan wounded, using his cudgel and ax to prop himself back up upon his stubby legs, they found themselves encased by a ring of snarling, drooling apostles with the untainted image of a knight in shining armor facing them directly. From outside their circle, Grunbeld worked on trying to topple the Tower of Rebirth while some of his underlings attempted to end the last of their defenses.