Chapter 16. Forgotten Bonds

“Are you crying?”

“Shut up. I got some dust in my eyes.” I lied, urging the wolf girl to keep quiet as I dismounted from my horse.

“She looks like that pretty lady who was here a while ago,” a little boy commented, pointing at Tina. “Wow. This human lady is so beautiful too!” another one of the boys shouted, the kids chatting excitedly amongst themselves.

“Do you know who they are, Emma?” One of the little girls asked, turning to her.

“Don’t know the girls. Come, let’s go inside for dinner, tell Julia to prepare 3 more seats,” Emma calmly directed the kids inside.

Once she ushered every kid back inside the house, Emma broke down in my arms, weeping uncontrollably. “Sorry, Emma.” I couldn’t find words of comfort, so I just hugged her tightly.

“I’m starving! You two can be all mushy after we eat some food,” Tina complained, interrupting our tender moment.

“Guess one thing won’t ever change,” Emma said with a slight smile, tears still rolling down her cheeks.

“She’s Lovetta’s sister. We are simply traveling together, nothing more. Same with the redhead,” I clarified, feeling like a changed man, albeit not for the better.

“Let’s not make the guests wait then. Come,” Emma replied, finally gathering herself.

“The kids are saying we got guests?” Julia asked, peering out from the kitchen when she heard Emma opening the door.

Dropping whatever utensils she held, Julia rushed over and hugged me while sobbing, just like Emma did.

“You think she is another sister or ‘sister’?” “Don’t care. My sister is better either way. I just want some food! I’m starving!”

The peanut gallery murmured to each other.

“KEN!” someone shouted, and a full-grown man rushed over, embracing me tightly. “Ryo?”

Deep purple eyes, short brunette hair, and handsome as can be. Not only was my house full of unfamiliar children, but the vampire boy I met and helped out years ago had grown into a man and somehow ended up here too.

“He said he's got 10 girlfriends, right? Do you think this one is a boyfriend?” “Maybe he's into men, that's why he ditched my sister and the rest.”

“Okay, no one will think you two are mute if you just keep quiet for a minute,” I snapped at the pair.

“You're that girl I met once at Ava’s castle, right?” Ryo asked Candace after finally letting me go.

“Oh! You're one of the slum boys from back then? If you're here, maybe there's a way for us to get back to Darrumburgh fast?” Candace replied hopefully.

“Unfortunately not. I’ve been here for the past 5 years. I do miss my people at home, but with the worldwide teleport ban, the round trip would take years, and I can’t stay away for that long,” Ryo explained, dashing Candace’s hope of a timely return to her village.

“You guys can chat after dinner,” Emma said authoritatively as all the children listened obediently, settling around our antique wooden dining table, far too small for the number of children.

“Where's mom? Kevin? Melvin? Erika?” I asked, noticing my three youngest siblings and adoptive mother were nowhere to be found. “They're working in the city. Save your questions for after dinner,” Emma ordered.

Surveying the scene, I counted at least 20 kids, plus Emma, Julia and Ryo. While the food offering was plain and simple, it was plentiful. The children were all rather young but behaved extremely well. It was hard to distinguish who the actual children were, them or my companions.

After finishing dinner, the kids all pitched in to clean up, and just as I had an endless number of questions I wanted answers for, the kids looked at each of us full of curiosity.

“Alright, everyone, go play so the adults can talk,” Emma instructed the kids, who responded with whines and complaints. “Why don’t you guys go play with my pet wolf? Her name is Yami.”

After the obedient kids reluctantly left the dining hall to play, Emma was finally ready to answer all the questions I had been holding onto since that day.

“Watching what happened that day was incredibly difficult. None of us knew what to think, and the weeks passed by in agony as we waited to return to Dragonspire. When I got back to school, everything had changed.

“I found out that due to the swift action of the king of Yelwraek, all the major kingdoms decided to withdraw their support from Dragonspire. More than 90% of the students didn’t show up, and most of the professors returned to their respective kingdoms.

“Obviously, you never showed up. Clare and Cecilla were missing too, so we had no idea what happened in Yelwraek and could only hope you’d show up soon. With most of the staff and students gone, the headmistress decided to close the school, and we were sent home soon after.

“Before we left, Alice bought each of us a high-tier teleport artifact so we could meet up no matter where you showed up. But teleportation was banned soon after we got home, and all the artifacts got overloaded and shattered,” Emma recounted, while I listened intently, noticing a few kids poorly hiding near the entrance, eavesdropping on our conversation, which made me smile.

Explaining the story I had already told a few times, I updated the girls and Ryo about what had happened to me in Yelwraek and how the chain of events had affected me profoundly.

“Sorry that I wasn’t here for anyone. I know apologizing isn’t going to make up for the past, but I’m trying to move forward myself. It’s thanks to my chance meeting with Candace that I was finally able to move forward, so I’m taking her to her village, and then I plan to make up with everyone. After witnessing how strong Fernard has become, I can finally envision a future where my death isn’t imminent, and perhaps I can return here and live out the rest of my life in peace. Enough about me! So why is Ryo here, and what’s up with all the children?”

“Ryo and Juila hit it off when he visited, so when the school closed, he decided to come back with me instead of going home. It was a good thing he did too. Things became chaotic for small kingdoms like ours when the major kingdoms started closing their borders and becoming more defensive and self-reliant.”

“With the blessing, random people suddenly became more powerful, and with the teleport ban, it was hard for information and help to travel. Bandit groups, raiders, outlaws, thieves, and all sorts of troublemakers took advantage of the situation.”

"Over those first two years, we faced relentless challenges. Different groups invaded the kingdom, and eventually, a faction killed the King and seized control. Ryo helped us stay safe, but many weren’t as fortunate in the city. Stability only returned thanks to Gwen and Fernard, who eradicated the invaders. Fernard’s fame and power ushered in a period of peace, allowing the new ruler to rebuild and establish a proper army for the kingdom."

Emma’s retelling of the tumultuous years stirred a wave of regret within me for being absorbed in my own despair instead of protecting those I cared about. The weight of my inaction weighed heavily as I sat in silence.

“How come we didn’t encounter any thieves or bandits? I would've saved some poor villagers!” Tina exclaimed.

“You’re not Fernard. I doubt you could handle a horde of goblins. And it's probably too cold and barren up north for raiders to be interested,” I replied, snapping back from my reverie thanks to Tina's remark.

“You were lucky. Many smaller kingdoms in the old beastman alliance were wiped out or taken over. It’s the same everywhere else. Even in Yelwraek, many territories away from the capital are controlled by local powers tolerated by the king to prevent rebellion,” Ryo added, offering more context to the changing political landscape.

“So who’s the new ruler? Is Rena okay?” I asked, concerned about Rena's well-being following the king's murder.

“Rena assumed control after Fernard expelled the invaders. Thankfully, she was in Ostrium when the castle was taken. But it left many kids orphaned, and we took in as many as we could. She also helped us secure jobs in the castle to support the kids,” Emma answered, easing some of my worries.

As Emma departed with Juila to organize our living arrangements and put the kids to bed, I thanked Ryo for stepping up when I couldn’t.

“We understand what you went through, Ken. Nobody blames you. Things are much better now, and everyone’s getting back to normal life,” Ryo reassured me, displaying a level of maturity I couldn’t match.

“Can you believe how much Ryo has changed? Such a dependable young man now!” Candace remarked, impressed by his transformation.

“Yeah, he’s not much older than Tina, but look at the maturity difference,” I added, bracing myself for Tina's inevitable reaction.

“Lovetta was here briefly about a year ago before leaving for Kirksawald. It’s quite a journey, even longer than Darrumburgh, so she might not have arrived yet,” Emma added, joining us again after tucking the kids in.

We spent the evening reminiscing about our adventures, their daily lives, and the days before everything changed, before finally retiring for the night. As everyone said their goodnights, I followed Emma down the familiar hall to the room that once was mine.

“I'm sorry, Ken. With the number of kids we’ve taken in, we couldn’t keep your room open. I wanted Juila and Ryo to have some privacy,” Emma apologized as we entered the room, now a spacious area filled with kids sleeping together in sleeping bags, lacking a proper bed.

“I’m the one who should apologize for not being here for you or anyone else.”

With the room packed and Emma’s sleeping bag near the door, there was hardly any space for the both of us. Amidst the crowded room, I embraced Emma, feeling the warmth of someone I loved after five years of solitude, before slowly drifting into sleep.

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