As they finally reached the campsite, what the two had expected were their surprised friends, who had suddenly turned their attention to them. Genno and Bruno were flabbergasted to witness them return without any complications whatsoever.
What is more surprising is how long the holy man and his new companion stayed outside, as if they weren't aware that wild animals roam around this area freely during the night, especially after sunset since most beasts tend to hunt when their eyesight is more effective.
Solomon quickly removed his hand from him, shame running over his entire body that he had shown this weakness and vulnerability before others, but fortunately for him, no one seemed to pay attention to this gesture. "I'm sorry," he said in an apologetic tone, lowering his gaze in embarrassment at not informing them sooner.
Genno frowned while the poet was confused at this: "Where did you two go?" Bruno asked inquisitively with concern written across his features, raising his brow suspiciously towards Seth, who only replied with a sigh that sounded oddly defeated.
"It's a long story," Seth said as he took a step forward. "In short, we were attacked by one of the Empire's assassins who was sent to capture me," revealing calmly despite knowing how serious these circumstances really are, causing the other two men to glance at each other momentarily before returning focus back on their leader.
"You both were attacked?" Genno frowns and turns to worry after hearing this. "I want to hear everything that has transpired," he inquired while eyeing them in a demanding tone. "Start talking now." A serious look was evident on his face as he waited for them to respond.
Before Seth got the chance to do so, the boy decided to take the initiative in explaining his father figure's behalf, while the rest began to listen inquisitively about what happened earlier this evening that led them to come back here together.
After the young warrior finished explaining how everything occurred within minutes of their time, which led him into meeting the infamous assassin of the Empire themselves and how the holy man sacrificed himself to save Solomon's life,.
They were then astonished to learn the aftermath: "He survived?" Bruno responded with curiosity filled within his voice when he heard this unexpected development, switching his entire attention to the holy man's appearance. "But did that happen?" He pondered aloud while rubbing his own chin.
A smile graced Seth's lips as he answered positively to this question: "Yes, it did happen; I called upon the holy spirit, and He brought me from death itself." He revealed this simply, remaining vague of exactly how such a thing actually came to be in place.
Both men were dumbfounded by this but were nonetheless curious and amazed at the claim, despite believing this to be impossible yet possible in reality as well. This left them speechless while trying to comprehend this piece of knowledge regarding their friend's current situation.
While Solomon looked at his father figure with a display of uncertainty at the path he was being led into after being so alone throughout the month of simply wandering aimlessly in the world without any purpose other than continuing his revenge,
He wonders to himself if this is divine intervention or mere coincidence when the boy himself meets this man once again in life, as though God wanted them to reconnect. Either way, he no longer cared what happened afterwards as long as there was someone else with him on this journey.
As the three men continued to speak about the event, Solomon stared down at his own hands with a look of conflict, wondering to himself if this is the life he truly wants since everyone who once cared about him is now dead and the only thing heading into complete despair was his reason for moving onward.
Revenge was the one thing driving him, but that only leads into an endless cycle of self-destruction, even more than it already is, as the young warrior soon realized that this will never be enough, even with that sociopathic monster lying in pieces after being torn apart by himself.
Is this really the life he wanted to live? The choice to stop this madness and move on? No, he can never do that. It isn't easy to do so because the hatred and passionate desire for revenge still linger heavily within him, while those memories constantly haunt every second of every day.
The throbbing pain of even thinking about everyone he loved so dearly made him fail to protect those close to him, as this cruel reality forced him to acknowledge that there is no return home where everything seems distant now compared to before.
"Son?"
His hand gently landed on his right shoulder, bringing him back to reality with shock written across his features, while a sudden gasp escaped his parted lips in response. He flinched violently, jerking away instinctively, before his eyes turned to Seth.
"What?!" He demanded angrily, narrowing them suspiciously from being touched suddenly like that. "Sorry," his face softened in realization after gazing upon the worried look of Seth, "I got caught in thoughts of mine," turning away from the prying eyes of everyone.
"We were asking you if you want to come with us," Seth said to him while acknowledging the previous reaction altogether. "Do you want to?" His eyes locked onto Solomon's green ones as they bore deeply within them for a few seconds. "There will be a long, perilous journey ahead of us, and it would—"
"I'll come," Solomon answered without hesitation once the question was asked, cutting off midway through what his father figure was going to say. He paused abruptly, staring into space before snapping back into reality, focusing upon others now rather than drifting deeper into mental conflicts raging inside his mind. "When do we leave?" He asked eagerly.
The holy man was a bit taken aback by this: "Are you sure?" His heart ached with concern, knowing fully well the dangers and hardships that await them should they accept this task without preparation beforehand. "We are heading out to the Empire itself, and it's quite dangerous," the man warned.
Yet those words fell upon deaf ears when the boy crossed his arms with a look of disappointment. "You have no idea how dangerous I am," he smirked confidently at him. "I have killed a lot of those scum in my time, and I am capable of anything they throw at me, but enough of the chitchat," he stated boldly with a hint of pride hidden within his voice, despite underlying hints that could only be interpreted as arrogance. "Where are we going now?"
Both wise men from their respective religions cringed at the mention of a child being a brutal, ruthless executioner to his enemies. It pained their hearts to hear such a statement from a young mouth, as they knew what horrors awaited them beyond borders once they crossed into the capital itself.
Nevertheless, they shouldn't judge others so harshly in regards to the methods employed by each individual against an adversary, considering their own past sins that reflect upon themselves like mirror images in mirrors. They knew too well what lengths their kind has gone through just to achieve goals set by personal desires rather than necessary precautions taken beforehand.
"Solomon..." Kneeling down on the ground before placing his hands on the boy, Seth, with his black orbs, stared at him in a look of sadness. "You shouldn't feel happy about killing others," he counseled earnestly while the rest watched with careful eye. "Hurting others while hurting yourself is not what should be done nor taught." He tried reasoning out loud so everyone could hear it clearly.
Rolling his eyes despite having a hint of uncertainty in his mind, Solomon then frowned bitterly after taking a deep breath. "It's fine; I needed to kill them anyway," he retorted nonchalantly, which prompted everyone nearby to blink several times in shock.
Seeing this response only strengthened Seth's belief in bringing this boy back to God's way, but that is easier said than done. "I'll pray for you to heal your wounds, but until then," retracting his hands, he stood up and turned to the others. "We have to keep moving," he announced to his friends to continue onwards.
Bruno and Genno nodded in agreement, making their current leader of the group sigh in gratitude. "Okay, stick together everyone, and we'll be alright," he declared to his fellow companions before turning to Solomon, who simply rolled his eyes before walking past him.
"What are we waiting for?!" The boy impatiently hissed in annoyance at the group, "Get yourselves ready and let's head out of this filthy forest," ordering them to move on, waving an arm aggressively at them without looking over the shoulder.
After a few seconds for them to process these words, the three men turned their gazes at each other. In an instant, their eyes averted elsewhere, avoiding direct contact with one another while contemplating whether they should trust these demands being issued before them or not.
Suddenly, they heard Solomon growl in frustration: "What are you all looking at each other for? Do what I say!" He shouted with intense ferocity, showing no signs of restraint in his temperament, as his patience began to take a toll on him while his fists clenched tightly together.
Quickly realizing this dilemma that looms over them, Seth nodded with a calm look and said, "Alright, but you have to follow me." He approached the boy without fear or desire to argue any further. The man's gaze pierced into Solomon's eyes, seeing traces of anguish and other mixed emotions.
Solomon almost opened his mouth before stopping himself, feeling it unnecessary to make comments on matters unrelated to the task assigned to him. He shrugged indifferently. "Fine, whatever," he mumbled quietly while shrugging his shoulders weakly as though he didn't care at all.
His father figure sighed but understood that there's still much work to do in helping out this child to overcome demons plaguing his soul. That is why he won't give up easily on saving Solomon from corruption spreading like poison within someone's veins.
"I'm happy you understand that," Seth said with a smile of comfort, finally happy to see some humility appearing from the boy in front of him. "Would you like to hold—"
"No," Solomon rudely rejected, scoffing at his attempt to reach out, "I am good without you babysitting me all the time," finding it irritating to have this man view him as some sort of weakling needing protection. "I can protect myself just fine if needed, so stay out of my way."
Unable to help himself but feel concerned about Solomon's safety despite acting hostile, the holy man then hesitantly nodded in defeat. "If that's what you want to do," he resigned from his previous plan, letting Solomon do what he pleases.
"Are we leaving now?" Bruno asked in an exhausted tone of voice, moving to Seth's side. "Staying here in the daylight is beginning to wear me out," he commented while wiping away sweat forming on his forehead as the sun shines brightly above them.
"Where are you planning to lead us?" Genno smiled as he approached them in group. "You are, after all, the good shepherd," he said humorously, with a hint of patience mixed in while awaiting a response from Seth, who simply waved his hand dismissively at this comment.
The holy man smiled at them. "Follow me just like always," he reassured kindly, turning around before walking away with his comrades closely behind him. "We have many trials awaiting us upon reaching the capital." His tone turned grim as all five of them journeyed further into the wilderness onto the unknown.
Only God will know how their destiny will play out from here onward; only time can tell what lies ahead. For now, they have to do what is necessary in order to continue pressing forward for the future they chose for themselves, which can either be filled with hope or despair depending on the choices made along the road they travel upon.
