Phoenix: The nuruk beast.

Chapter Sixteen: Home

 Archer woke up to the deafening silence he had been waking up to the past month, this was something he still hadn't gotten used to. After a self-made meal which he admitted was terrible in taste, he left his house in an attempt to forget the empty feeling in him. As he stepped outside the house, he heard a voice call out.

"Archer?" a short woman with thick brown hair called to him, she wore a simple white dress and had a somewhat hooked nose with small eyes.

"Bridget." Archer said, he walked over to her unsure why she would call him, "I see you're doing well." he added,

"Seeing as you hardly leave your house by this time, I wonder what may have gotten into you." Archer chuckled lightly, she walked into her house and said over her shoulder,

"Would you like some tea?"

"Yes, thank you."

Aldrich stared down from the middle of the mountain he stoops upon, had he not being immune of the chilling winds that blew on him, he would have collapsed where he stood. From the night where he left the best craftsman he had ever met, Aldrich had started to journey up the mountain with only four hours of sleep each day, he encountered many a beast as he scaled the mountain, none as deadly as the borsak but still a challenge in their different ways. Using his instincts, skills and knowledge Aldrich had overcome every challenge he faced growing stronger and sharper each time, it was only a matter of time before he could stare at the eyes of a beast with no fear in his eyes. He looked up at the mountain which only grew steeper and bore harsher winds, he pulled out the two longest daggers he had sheathed by his thighs and by burying their blades by the mountain walls he began climbing.

Hours later, Archer sat by his fireplace with his hands placed on his fore head. Ever since he had tea with Bridget, his mind couldn't be at rest. He hardly ate with the constant reminder of her words in his head, he stared at the fireplace as it all came back to him;

"Would you like some tea?"

"Yes, thank you?" They both entered the small house; Archer took a seat as he admired how a small living room could be so neat and attractive. Mrs Bridget came with a teapot and poured him some tea shortly before pouring herself some.

"So how is Alston?" Archer asked, he could immediately tell something was wrong when he saw Mrs Bridget's face wrinkle in anger.

"He's probably fine." she said stirring her tea still with a displeasured face.

"Is anything wrong?" Archer asked in concern,

"No, why would you think so?"

"Well for one, it seems you no longer care for your son."

Her anger suddenly rose at the mention of those words, "Why should I?" she snapped, "He doesn't seem to care about me."

"You should know that isn't true."

Her eyes began to water, she bowed her head trying to control her sobs,

"What's wrong?" Archer asked.

"It's this his silly dream of becoming a knight." she dabbed her tears with a napkin, "I begged him not to, but he is under the delusion that it's for a noble cause."

"I understand your fears but shouldn't he learn what is and what isn't for himself."

"And how long will that take? Is it until he is but a cold lifeless corpse that he will come back to me?" Archer found himself at a loss of words seeing the mother in such grief, no matter how hard he tried he couldn't say anything to console her, "You of all people should understand, you've shown great love and care to your only son, how would you feel if he did these kinds of things?" very soon her words were just reduced to sobs, "I already lost my husband and first son to this kind of nonsense, but not my little boy too."