The Price of Freedom: Innocence Lost

After The Battle

All around you, you hear the roars of the crowd, all cheering in support of your victory. The expressions on the faces of your team mates range from relief to pride, to shame, to complete and utter disbelief. People you've never met before are screaming your names from the top of their lungs, but ultimately, in the audience there's only two faces that matter.

Your master Titus is sitting in the seat of honor with Rhode beside him. While he may not be screaming or cheering, you can see the expression of respect on his face. Not only did you win his bet and defeat a group of rivals that consisted mostly of children a good few years older than you, but you only lost one member of your team of six in the process. That's an impressive victory. Something tells you there'll be one hell of a celebration when you get back to the academy.

Rhode is looking down on you with a sad smile of pride on her face. She probably didn't expect any of you to come out of the battle alive. Perhaps she'd hoped that in a best case scenario Zeru or Gerda might've managed to survive, but instead she only lost one student today. Of course that one student is still a massive blow to her, but she understands you did your best, and that in part, she has you to thank for keeping the rest of them alive.

Turning back to your group you see everyone exchanging bear-hugs and nods of respect and pats on the back, except for one person who has strayed away from the group. "Lula?" You ask, following the girl until she stops beside the body of one of your dead opponents. Getting closer though, you realize that the boy isn't dead. He's a young child, somewhere around Alexius's age. He was probably a new student that hadn't received much training prior to the battle. A lamb to the slaughter. During the fight he'd been stabbed in the chest and is now coughing up blood, in horrible pain but not quite dead.

"Is he alive?" Alexius asks, approaching you slowly, looking at the boy from behind your shoulder.

"Barely." You reply honestly. You doubt he'll last much longer.

"Poor boy." Lula whispers, not taking her eyes of the child. "Best for him if we kill. Put out misery." She suggests.

"No!" Alexius objects, shaking his head. "Maybe... Maybe he won't die. Maybe they'll get him a healer. Maybe they can help him." Unlikely, not with the amount the boy was bleeding. It was a difficult situation, hard to tell which decision would be most kind or most cruel.

You look up at your master's seat to see if Titus or Rhode have any kind of opinion but they are talking among themselves right now and don't even notice. Beneath them, you see Titus's two children, both watching you with completely different expressions on their faces. Septimus is grinning a bloodthirsty smile like this was the most exciting day of his life. He's also leaning forward in his chair, a look of anticipation in his eyes like he can't wait to see you finish the kill. Caecilia on the other hand has little tears running from her eyes. She's a very gentle girl and probably can't stand to see the sight of death, and there has already been so much of that today. Why make her watch anymore?

You look down at the boy for a moment before shaking your head. "No, I'm not doing it." You tell Lula. "Let's just leave him, okay? There's been enough killing today."

Alexius gives you a little smile of gratitude. "Thank you." He whispers. He's been through so much today, seen so many things that a boy his age should never have to see. He's glad you didn't put him through any more.

Brasus seems relieved too, and judging by the pale look on his face, if he sees any more blood he's going to pass out. 

Turning away from the boy, you notice Septimus and Caecilia looking down on you. Septimus gives a sigh of annoyance before slumping back in his chair and looking sulky. Caecilia is smiling though. She saw that you spared the boys life and seems impressed by your display of mercy.