Chương 52: It Started With an Oath, It Ends With an Oath

The light that bridged the sky and the Dark Forest had faded, and the rain had once again fallen onto Widow's Wall. The crimson line that had surrounded the forest slowly sank into the mud, leaving a deep mark in the earth, like the forest itself had been scarred by the oath. And inside, the whisper was gone. The white that had embraced Enel and Blakwud was gone, returning the forest.

"Uh…" Enel stood in the mud, staring down at the mark that had burned itself into the left side of his collarbone. Although it was quite hard to see from where his eyes were, he knew it was the shape of a deer's head due to the antlers spreading out. It was completely black, and the red around the edges was his skin seemingly healing from the burn. It hurt, but not like the burn from Blakwud's breath. This pain was… heavier, but comfortable at the same time.

Blakwud remained where he was, head resting against the ground, hollow eyes still fixed on Enel. The green inside them had faded again, leaving only the black sap. Roots twitched around the Great Spirit's face, and for a moment, one of them sharpened and reached toward Enel's leg. But it stopped, then slowly drew back. Enel glanced at the root, then at Blakwud.

"Do not do that, Great Spirit. You made an oath," he said, sighing as he backed away.

"I promise I will come back once I find a way to free you from the Veil." The forest answered with a soft groan. It could mean nothing at all, but Enel nodded all the same.

"I promised." He turned and started walking. The first few steps were quiet, but then the forest began to shift around him—Blakwud had opened a path for him. Some of the roots still crawled toward Enel, some even wrapping around his ankles… but they all retracted, seemingly cowering away as Enel's eyes fell upon them. He glanced back at Blakwud, but the Great Spirit had shown no sign of change. The corruption was still crawling inside it. Still, it opened a path for him.

And so, Enel glanced back and bowed his head toward it before making his way and following the sound of Lamb's breathing. It was not difficult to find her. She was breathing loudly enough that he could hear her even through the noisy forest. Mira's breath was still with her, faint but steady. And soon, Enel found himself back to where the warning signs fenced the edges of the Dark Forest. He stopped for a moment and stared at the sign—he knew he was only here for less than an hour, and yet…

it felt like days to him. And there, standing among the signs, was Lamb. She had Mira over one shoulder, one arm wrapped around her waist. Her other hand held the heavy axe, the blade resting against the ground because she no longer had the strength to lift it properly. And circling around her were several vemon corpses. Some were still twitching, but none were close enough to touch Mira. Lamb raised her head and forced herself to smirk as she saw Enel walking toward her.

"Huh. You are late again," she said. Enel was about to smile back, but Lamb's knees bent. He was already in front of her before she could fall, one hand reaching for Mira. But Lamb immediately tightened her grip on her.

"No."

"Lamb."

"No." Her voice was weak, but the look she gave him was not.

"My quest is not complete." Enel stared at her, watched as she coughed and swallowed whatever blood had tried to climb up her throat, and forced herself straighter.

"I was told to take Lady Mira out," she said.

"So I will." Enel's hand slowly lowered. For a moment there, he looked like he wanted to say something. But then he only nodded and stepped aside to make way for her.

"Good." She nodded back, then started walking out of the forest while carrying Mira. This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. She limped and struggled, but Enel did not help her at all. He only walked behind her, the Dark Forest slowly being left behind them. They walked, and walked… until they finally saw their home. Everyone was outside, but no one made a sound. The rain had begun falling again after the crimson circle faded.

And the rain was much heavier, and it ran down their faces, their armor, washing the mud and all the blood. Soldiers stood near the ruined gate, and the villagers leaned against whatever they could, and each other. Gawen's knights remained in the field, stabbing the corpses of the vemon to make sure they were all dead. But then someone cried out.

"Lady Mira!" Robert heard that, and rushed before anyone else. He ran across the mud, slipping once but catching himself with the broken spear he had been holding since earlier. His eyes were fixed on Mira, then Lamb, then Enel, then Mira again, and when he reached them, his hands hovered over his wife for a moment, not knowing if she was alive or not.

"Is she…"

"She is, M'lord," Lamb said, gently letting go of Mira.

"My quest… is done."

"Thank you… thank you." Robert caught Mira into his arms, pulling her close as he lowered himself to one knee in the mud. He pressed his ear near her mouth, then her chest, his eyes squeezing shut when he heard what Enel had already heard—life. Lamb smiled and backed away, her vision darkening as all the exhaustion once again hammered her down. But Enel stood behind her, not letting her fall before she suddenly jolted awake again.

"I… I did not faint," she said.

"Of course," he whispered back, holding her carefully to make sure she did not fall again. Robert continued to hold Mira. And for a moment, Enel could only hear the rain. But then, one of the villagers stepped forward and clasped her trembling hands together in prayer. She was near the wall, but Enel heard her all the same. He recognized her, too—Murek, one of the kaniin refugees.

But Enel could not quite focus on her prayer, however, as more and more people started moving closer, the sound of their steps drowned out the heavy rain around them. They remained quiet at first, only whispers. They stared at Enel's torn tunic, at the very light burn across his chest… and then, they saw the mark crawling from his collarbone to his shoulder.

"What… is that?"

"Did… the young lord have that before?"

"M-move… Move!" Duke Gawen started pushing the others away, then approached slowly as soon as he saw the mark.

"That…" Gawen's voice trembled along with his finger that was slowly rising to point at the mark. There was a subtle hoarseness in his voice, and a sense of… surrender, almost. His eyebrows rose, and his mouth was left open for a while. He stopped a few steps away from Enel.

"A World Oath...?" he whispered.

"What…?" Robert looked up from Mira, carefully standing up while still carrying her in his arms.

"This?" Enel looked down at the mark, then at Robert, then at Gawen.

"It appeared when I made an oath with Blakwud. It is called… a World Oath?"

"Oh…" The duke's eyes trembled even more violently… but then it stopped. Gawen suddenly unsheathed his sword, causing Lamb to tighten her grip around the axe she could barely lift.

"Y-your Grace?!" one of his knights called, unsure of what to do. Gawen did not look at him, and instead… he lowered himself to one knee. The mud swallowed his boot. Rain ran down his face, across the scars and wrinkles, but Gawen did not wipe it away. He placed his sword flat before him, then bowed his head.

"The Duke of Lorran kneels before House Blackwood." The world seemed to stop again, though the rain continued to fall. Enel stared at him.

"What...?" he whispered.

"Your Grace, please stand." Gawen did not. And then Lamb moved next. She pushed against Enel's arm, trembling so badly Enel almost held her again. But Lamb backed away, wheezing from exhaustion as she looked him in the eyes.

"Lamb, what are you doing?"

"What I said I would," she whispered.

"Lamb. No."

"Ha…" Lamb breathed out, then dropped to one knee. And imitating the duke, she slid the axe flat right in front of her, then lowered her head. And her blood dripped from her nose into the mud.

"I am your Sword, Enel of House Blackwood."

"No..." Enel shook his head.

"No, please. Do not—" He could not even finish his words before the others also started moving. Those who were already praying to him knelt first, followed by the soldiers, then the rest of the villagers. One by one, like a ripple, they bent their knees. Even the wounded forced themselves to kneel. Some of them only bowed their heads because that was the only thing they could move. Gawen's knights hesitated. Their eyes moved from the duke to the Dark Forest, then to the mark on Enel's chest, then to one another.

They were the duke's knights, yes, but they were of the Crown's, too. But the hesitation only lasted for several breaths. Sir Calven, the knight who had witnessed Enel's prowess right in front of him, lowered his sword and knelt. The others followed after. One by one, their knees touched the mud.

"... Why?" Enel's breathing grew shallow. He looked around, confused, almost frightened, until his eyes finally found Robert. His father looked at the kneeling duke, the knights, the villagers, then at Enel. And then he smiled, nodding to his son. Enel smiled back, and relief began to touch his face. But then… Robert's head lowered slightly, and with it, Enel's smile.

"No," Enel whispered. Robert's eyes softened.

"No," Enel said again, shaking his head harder this time.

"Father, no." Robert smiled again, then mouthed the words, I am sorry. And then, with Mira held carefully in his arms, Robert Blackwood lowered himself fully before his son. The rain fell around them, and the mark on Enel's shoulder still burned softly beneath the water. He looked up, trying to hide his tears with the rain. He looked to the gods, if they were there, and asked...

"Why?" But of course, no answer came. Only the rain answered him. The rain, and the sound of knees sinking into mud. Enel stood alone among them, higher than everyone else only because they had all chosen to kneel. And so, for the first time in its long and miserable history, Widow's Wall did not kneel to an order, or a duke, or even to the Crown. It knelt to an oath. And perhaps, right there beneath the falling rain, Widow's Wall had gained more than just an heir.