Chains of Vengeance

Chapter 155: Frustration

After resting for a while, Narinder opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling, his mind trapped in that strange dream that, although it was false, ephemeral and fictitious, had allowed him to relive a small fraction of happiness with his brothers. The faces of Leshy, Heket, Kallamar and Shamura blurred in his memory, but the warmth of those moments was still alive, leaving him with a bittersweet feeling. His expression became more serious as he reflected on what that dream meant, that almost nightmare that he had enjoyed in parts.

The movement next to him brought him out of his thoughts. Goliath, the goat, slowly woke up and looked at him with his intense but worried eyes. With an instinctive gesture, the goat snuggled closer to his beloved, enveloping him with his warmth.

In a hoarse whisper, so as not to wake Lambert, Goliath asked:
—Another nightmare?

Narinder, also in a low voice, answered:
—More or less.

Goliath nodded and, after a brief silence, added:
—You have many worries. It wouldn't be bad if you distracted yourself more... I know how hard it is to be a god, and more with... your history and your condemnation... What I mean is... don't torture yourself for your past.

Narinder couldn't help but smile slightly at his partner's words. He leaned down and kissed Goliath's forehead delicately. Then, he confessed:
—The truth... I'm crazy. Yesterday I promoted the twins to be gods, a fantasy of mine. But even so, I didn't have a good dream. Well, not entirely... but...

Lambert interrupted from the other side of the bed, his voice sleepy but direct:
—But you still haven't stopped thinking about your brothers.

Narinder sighed upon hearing the lamb's intervention. He would have preferred Lambert to wake up in a sweeter way and not because of his nightly complaints. Looking at him with some guilt, he whispered,
"I'm sorry... I woke you up."

Goliath, in a sarcastic but playful tone, added,
"Oh, good morning to you too."

The three of them stretched slowly and sat down on the bed. Lambert rubbed his eyes, and Goliath yawned with his typical rudeness before turning his attention to Narinder, who remained silent, staring at the wooden floor.

Finally, Narinder spoke, with a mix of sadness and frustration,
"I'm pathetic. I'm free now, I got revenge on my captors, the twins are now gods, I have you two, and I'm the greatest god of all... but still, I can't let go of the past. I'm tired of it."

Lambert crossed his legs and arms, thoughtful, before asking,
"So... what do you need?"

Goliath intervened in a serious tone, a gesture unusual for him:
—I suppose the bishops... You are not satisfied with the end they met.

Narinder clenched his fists and nodded slowly.

"I regretted all my vengeance ever since the first link of the chains touched Leshy. I have hated myself ever since I did what I did, but still... I kept going..."

The tone of his voice was heavy, laden with guilt. Goliath was about to make a sarcastic comment, as he often did in tense situations, but seeing Narinder so vulnerable, he decided against it. With a firm movement, he hugged Narinder from the side and gently rubbed his cheek against his, in a surprisingly affectionate gesture.

Lambert, seeing this, did the same from the other side. The three of them were wrapped in a warm, silent embrace, each bringing their own comfort. Narinder closed his eyes, allowing himself for a moment to simply be there, with them. Although the scars of his past still hurt, the present reminded him that he was not alone in his internal struggle.

Narinder sighed with a mix of relief and gratitude, saying softly, "I don't deserve them."

However, the thought returned to his mind, and he added:
—I don't know why my mind torments me so much about the bishops. I shared a good part of my mortal and immortal life with my brothers, but still... I know they hated me. They sealed me in the Veil for more than a millennium so that I would rot like a piece of garbage. And although their stay in the cult was short and they "behaved" more or less... I know that, deep down, they detested me. They were only "submissive" because I had power, and they didn't. I am tormented by my own mind, by the guilt of the fate of the four beings who detest me the most.