Chapter Eight: The Trial
As the wind started to feel colder and colder, signaling the exhaustion of the body, Aurelius Alderwood, panting on the ground, spoke in a weak yet proud voice.
"Alright, today's lesson is over. I expect you two to break through to the Celestial realm of Sword tomorrow because you have been trained by the Aurelius, the Greatest Alderwood, after all."
Both of The Boys poked their tongues at the elderly and said. "Hah! You are the worst Imperial knight, Gramps. With your training, how do you expect us to break through to that level?"
Both of them started laughing after that.
Aurelius sighed, looking at two four-year-old kids making fun of him.
He then picked up his stuff and pointed to both of them to walk with him to the house.
Aurelius and the duo picked up their stuff and started to head home.
Aurelius stayed silent the whole walk, admiring the children's growth while the duo was talking without room for breath.
The sun near them was almost swallowed into the bottom half of the world from their perspective; the wind was blowing calmly yet coldly.
The light of the sun reflected on the trees and grass, making them shine bright even in the afternoon.
Valen looked at the grass and said.
"Hey, how are the grass and trees still shining when the sun is about to be devoured?"
Hearing his question, Aurelius broke his silence and replied.
"Of course the big city boy wouldn't know of the countryside grass, Ruminara." "Let me tell you, boy, this is a grass that absorbs light at the end of the day, better."
He took a break from talking and continued.
"Yet it shines at the rate it did in the day, but due to the sun setting, it looks bright to us. Also, the sun isn't being devoured; it's setting on the oceanic part of the world."
Hearing his answer, Valen was fascinated.
Looking at Valen's face, Marcus started to laugh while teasing him.
"Why do you look like you discovered a new law of physics, Geonar Caelum?"
Valen was seemingly annoyed, and so both of them started to mess with each other until they reached the Alderwood Residence.
Flion was standing at the gate and went to pick up the boys.
Seeing him come from a distance, Marcus started to run towards him and then grabbed his leg and started to say, "Pick me up, brother, pick me up."
Hearing that Flion picked him up in his arms.
Seeing that Valen started to touch his finger and looked away in the other direction.
Flion, after seeing the innocent kid look away, smiled and spoke with a chuckle.
"You want me to pick up you too, Valen?"
Hearing his question, Valen started to nod enthusiastically.
When Flion picked him up and started to head him, Aurelius smiled while looking at them.
Valen, on top of Flion's shoulders, shouted a question.
"Why did you pick us up, big brother Flion?"
Absorbing his question Flion was surprised yet happy that Valen called him a big brother.
He replied with a smile.
"Because that's what big brothers do."
After that answer pierced Valen's heart like an arrow, he started to remember about Milover.
Terror fell upon Valen's face; he started to see Milover in every direction with a sword.
Tears rolled down Valen's face, his heart started to beat fast, terror started to eat his heart out, his mind collapsed, and Valen started to cry.
When Ellara saw this, she rushed up to them and wanted to pick Valen up, but Fion started to calm him.
Eventually Valen calmed down, and both Marcus and Valen went to get ready for dinner.
Ellara and Flion were seated on the sofa when Ellara spoke.
"Can I get a piece of advice from you, brother?"
Flion, looking outside, said. "Shoot."
"How can you be perfect at everything, like I try to be yet fail all the time?"
The question sank into Flion's mind; he started to remember the first time he held a sword.
He was nowhere near the legend of Aurelius Alderwood, an Imperial knight that came from a backward village.
Neither was he good at any other path he chose. Eventually he gave up.
Remembering his past, Flion replied.
"I don't know about that question; maybe you should ask the right person. Ellara I am not that person.
Ellara eventually stayed silent and nodded.
She went to help her mom and aunt with cooking.
Aurelius was there hearing their talk.
He went to Flion and said, "Mind if I and my eldest grandson talk outside?"
Flion replied. "Not at all."
They went outside, and then they stood on the roof of the house.
Aurelius pointed at the stars and said.
"Do you find those stars useful, Flion?"
Flion replied with confidence.
"Yes, of course, they maintain multiple planets with their gravitation, and those planets will eventually give birth to life, so yes."
Hearing his answer, Aurelius replied.
"Yes, but what use do they serve to us? We are far from those planets; they are useless to us."
Hearing his reply, Flion said.
"No, not at all. They also maintain balance by keeping their comets in their solar system; if they disappeared, Eclypsera would too."
Aurelius smiled and said.
"Then those stars are like Flion; it isn't that you don't serve purpose—you do—but it's just that the paths you can give purpose to aren't to be found lying on the ground; you have to create them. I am proud of you. Can you give what you are meant to? But also, you give more, my grandson. Do you know when you weren't good in the art of the sword yet you still tried to defend a child from a bully? That's what made me proud."
Flion smiled at his Gramps' lesson.
End of Chapter Eight
Author's thoughts.
Hey guys, how was the chapter? Was it good? If yes, please tell me in the comments which character you like the most."