“Julius, are you alright?”

  “I’m fine, don’t worry about me.”

  “I’m worried about you…”

  “I’ll be alright, Dolores.”

  The wooden floor creaked in front of the room’s door.

  “Come in, have no fear.” Julius said.

  The footsteps faded.

  “I’m sorry, they still haven't gotten used to it.”

  “...”

  Getting out of the bed, he picked up a blindfold and tied it to his head; pulling it over his right eye.

  He sighed.

  “Julius…”

  Without replying, he left the room and closed the door behind him. He opened a door to another room, but instead of entering; he stood in the hallway.

  “Amorodium, Amissa.”

  The two sat on their bed, both staring through the window.

  “Hey, you two.”

  They kept staring.

  “I know I don’t look the same. But I’m still your father.”

  The sound of a tear hitting the ground echoed.

  “Father… What happened to you?” Amorodium asked shakily.

  “Please tell us daddy,” Amissa added.

  “I can’t tell you that.”

  “You don’t look the same, dad.”

  “We heard Vibius tell mom that you need to go somewhere…”

  “Why do you have to go?”

  “Vibius? I see– I’m not going anywhere, I promise.”

  “Look at me. Amorodium, Amissa.”

  He slowly walked closer to them and patted their heads.

  “I’ll forever be here, and so will your mother. Neither of us is leaving, okay?”

  After comforting them, he walked through the hallway looking for something.

  “Is this what you’re looking for?” She tapped his shoulder, holding his cape in her hand.

  “Thank you.” He wore his cape, and she stood in front of him. Softly placing her hands on his chest.

  “Julius, please… don’t make anymore trouble. They are already considering banishing you from the village.”

  Her hand stroked his hair, their heads pressed together, they cuddled.

  She gently pulled his blindfold, revealing his right eye.

  “Don’t, please.”

  “It’s okay… let me see.”

  Her hand caressed his cheek, their lips touched.

  “It doesn’t bother me, my dear.”

  “Dolores, I have to go now.”

  “I love you.”

  “I love you too.”

  He left the house, walked over the old bridge in the middle of the village. On this cold foggy day, only a few were outside their houses.

  “Look! It’s the soon-to-be outcast.”

  Pointing at Julius, he laughed.

  “Lad you better shut up, if he hears you…”

  “So what? What is he going to do?”

  “I don’t know, but I ain’t sticking around to find out. You’re on your own.”

  He walked away.

  Julius walked past.

  “Hey, Julius. Why are you wearing that blindfold? Are you ashamed? Embarrassed? Haha!”

  Julius stopped walking.

  “...”

  His hood came off. He faced the man, pulling his blindfold to the side; staring him down.

  Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  The man gasped, took a step back. Barely standing, almost tripping over the edge of the bridge.

  Julius pulled the blindfold back into place and kept walking.

  The familiar sound of heavy metal clangs were heard.

  “Faber!”

  “Julius?”

  The sounds stopped, he placed the hammer down on the anvil and turned around, looking at Julius.

  “What happened to you, Faber? Your face is full of bruises and cuts.”

  “The mercenaries.”

  “The mercenaries?”

  “Yes. Some of them came here before they left, while Dominic was… beating the shit out of you in the village.”

  “...”

  “They came early in the morning, while I was working. Started throwing my shit around, looking through my tools and weapons I have in here. I tried to fight them off, but they had numbers.”

  “What did they steal?”

  “They didn’t take much. Most of the stuff I had in here wasn’t impressive to them. However…”

  “My sword?”

  “I’m sorry, it was one of the few things that caught their eye.”

  “Fucking hell. Those fucking bastards.” Julius clenched his fist.

  “I heard from the villagefolk about what happened. Sorry, as you know I was busy defending my shit here.”

  They both went silent for a good minute.

  “Julius, are you alright–genuinely?”

  “Faber. I believe we both went through worse. Haven’t we ?”

  Faber scoffed.

  “Yeah, that’s right. We’ll be fine… By the way, you know that tonight the village elders will discuss whether to banish you, Julius.”

  “I’ve heard.”

  “It’s happening in the main hall.”

  “I guess I’ll be invading the party.”

  “Be careful. The head of the elders is very determined to banish you. Don’t do anything that would support his madness.”

  “Worry not, my friend. By the way, I’ll get your stuff back.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “The shit they stole from you.”

  “Hm, alright then. Good luck, lad.”

  “Farewell.”

  Julius walked over the old bridge again, in the direction of the main hall.

  On his way there, he stopped at a watermill, then sat down in the grass.

  The fog thickened. The day got darker. He closed his eyes and listened to the running water.

  Something soft and furry sat in his lap. He looked down and saw a cat.

  He patted the cat, making it purr. The cat cuddled its head against his hand.

  After a while, it got up and walked away.

  People around him looked at him. Laying in the grass by himself. He heard echoes of their voices.

  After sunfall, it was time. He got up and walked toward a large building, made of stone and with most of its surface covered in moss.

  “That’s right, I agree Pavidus–”

  He entered the main hall. Three elders sat around a table in the back of the hall.

  “What did you agree on, Caecus?” Julius said.

  “He agreed on my request to banish your trouble-making ass Julius.” The head of the elders said.

  “May I take a seat, my dear elders?”

  “You are not supposed to be here, Julius.”

  Julius leaned with his back against the cold, stone walls.

  “I suppose I’m not welcome to take a seat then, well nevermind.”

  “Actually, it’s good that you came, Julius. You may tell us what the fuck motivated you to get in Dominic’s way?”

  “What motivated me, you ask? Imagine if I demanded you to get on your knees, my dear Pavidus, then insulted you by calling you names and even spitting in your face to get a reaction out of you, and when nothing worked… I attempt to punch you.”

  “Julius, I feel like I need not tell you this, as you already know. We have all been living with Dominic's bullshit for a long time. And now you chose to enrage him and make the whole damn village his target?”

  Julius sighed deeply.

  “Are the three of you elders of this village or idiots? I know that, and I’m sorry about that. Really. But I couldn’t hold my rage back in the moment, that fucking bastard has to learn. Someone has to show him that he can’t just do what he wants because the world went to shit.”

  “You realise your actions have consequences, right? He won’t just take half of our shit anymore. He will be taking even more, and it’s because you couldn’t control yourself.”

  “Don’t you dare lecture me about consequences. Don’t you fucking dare.”

  “Pavidus is right, Julius.”

  “No he’s not, Caecus.”

  “I’ll tell you another consequence, Julius. You are on the verge of getting banished from this village due to your actions worsening our situation that was already fucked up.”

  Julius took his blindfold off, and walked to the center of the hall.

  “I’ll show you consequences, you fools.”

  Pavidus was sweating, Caecus kept staring, and the third avoided looking at Julius.

  “Do you understand now?”

  “Julius…”

  He covered his right eye with his hand, then looked at his palm for a moment.

  “I know what consequences are. But that’s not the problem here. The problem is instead of sticking together and attacking the aggressor, as one village. You chose to banish me and accept your fate instead of challenging it.”

  The three remained silent.

  “You idiots let Dominic bully us, residents of the village… You are letting him take it all and you go along with his bullshit.”

  Julius scoffed.

  “I mean, I don’t understand. The village is more than capable of beating Dominic and his little dogs, so why do you do this? This is just like it was in the past…”

  “We do not speak of the past, Julius. We live in the present.”

  “Well, you really should.”

  “Frankly, I don’t give a shit, Julius.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “As a village elder, I am secure enough not to care whether Dominic comes here and takes all you got. Not just half.”

  “Securus, you fucking bastard.” Julius clenched his fist.

  “The people are suffering, yes. But, why should I give a shit if I’m doing just fine either way.”

  “You little shit!” A loud bang echoed when he slammed his fist on the table.

  “Julius, control yourself. You are already in enough trouble as is. I’m doing you a favor here.”

  “Fuck all three of you.” He walked to the exit.

  “Tomorrow we will publicly make an announcement at the town’s center. Be there, if you wish. Julius.”

  Julius left and slammed the door.