Age of Heroes (Age of Heroes Chronicles)

Chapter 147: Truth or lies

But the lord hesitated to get out of the tent.

'Do you all doubt my words?'

'But my lord…. wouldn't it be better to rest?' some lord's advices him

Lisa nodded. So does Kyle and West.

'I will rest when this war is over. But enough of your words. Go. Eat. Sing. Be merry. Because tomorrow some people will not be here anymore. Tell them, for some of them, tomorrow will be their last days and tell them that they will be remembered. Tell them that. Give them comfort. Give them assurance, that they will return home. Go. Tell them. And tonight if you still do not tell them of such thing, I will tell them'

The noble lord knowing of their young lord personality to be headstrong and stubborn had no choice but to only nod

'Get well, my lord.'

'Get well, my lord.'

'Keep strong'

They all said words of encouragement.

The rest went out but Kyle and Lisa is still there inside the tent. The wind blows again from the outside and Arial nearly flinched because of the pain.

Both of them are waiting to talk with him. They are not a lord, but a Knight but none of the other lord dare reprimand them because they all know Arial relationship with them.

They went out leaving these old friend as the only one inside the tent.

'Are you sure you are alright, friend?' Kyle said standing beside his bed, looking at him

'I'm fine.' Arial reply. That answer did not made Kyle felt relieved. He sneered and said

'You really thought of yourself as invincible, aren't you?' Kyle said suddenly and sarcastically

Arial laughed a little.

'I was speared, thrown off my horse, licking my own blood in a muddy field, and you called me invincible?'

'Why not?' He argued

'Never before I have seen in battle someone who has been attacked the way you did and survived to tell the story. I almost believed that you have leave us for the High Heaven when I looked at the way that spear stuck on your chest, blood spurting out from the wound. My sister was sobbing uncontrollably, her eyes red with grief and she howls like a wolf that howls for the beautiful moon.'

'I did not!' Lisa said wiping her tears.

'You did!'

'I did no such thing!' she insists

He snickered.

'It's not like it's hard to prove.' He said smirking.

'West can attest to it, he even holds you up when you were paralyzed with grief when you thought Arial is dead, and many other Knights there also saw how you stay by Arial side every night tending to his wounds and changed the towels for him.'

'We don't know what to thought of your condition' she said a little embarrassed with his brother revealing what happen. She glares at her brother.

'Thank you, Lady Lisa' Arial said grateful for what she has done for him

And she blushed. Arial rarely call her Lady Lisa.

'It's…It's…fine. Re…ally. I mean….it is an honour…No... no... I mean it was my pleasure' she said stuttering, tumbling on her words. Arial put his hand on her head and stroke her hair gently like he always did during their times in the academy.

'Don't be so nervous Lisa. Just say, you are welcome.'

Her cheeks turn red.

'You are welcome, Arial' and as she said it she cast her glance away from his eyes. Arial lay back on his bed as he felt the pain is constricting his heart once again

Kyle rant was not enough as he continues while shaking his head and sighing

'The other lords rushed to your side and felt your pulse and it was erratic. The only thing we can do is depend on the medic supply division but they mostly specialised in treating wounds, not what you have which seems to be a bit of poison coated in the spear. But fortunately the recovery of your body is magnificent. It was almost like you were protected by the Divinity. The moment I removed one of the leftover steel that splintered off from the spear from your body, your body quickly heal itself. They said it must be because of your internal energy protecting you, making your body to fight for live.'

'Is that so?' Arial said nonchalantly like he was discussing about someone else.

The pain strikes him again. More intense than the last time. Arial could not help but wince a bit

This pain is like nothing he felt before. He knows it is getting worse.

Is it 'that'? He thought to himself.

He hopes not. But somehow, he need confirmation. When the healer came he could confirm his suspicion.

'Help me arise from this bed.'

Lisa held him up as he clothed himself.

'Kyle, can you tell the armorer to create a new armour for me.' He looked at the corner of the tent, looking at his shattered armour and breast plate.

He sighed before nodding

'Much obliged, friend.' He then shakes his head at the stubbornness of his friend and exited the tent.

But Lisa is still here inside the tent.

'Do you want your rubies too?' Lisa asked.

'My rubies?'

'Yes, it scattered when your armour was spear by that madman' Lisa said and she gritted her teeth in anger

'How did you get it?' Arial asked in amazement

'The soldiers all a searched seven of the rubies and they found it and offer you prayers to each rubies for your safety.'

Arial could not help but laugh hearing this.

'Who know I'm so loved!'

Lisa then snapped

'You have always been loved, Arial. Only you are so dense that that such love is ignored and abused by your recklessness and your stubbornness to burden everything alone.'

'Is this the time to talk about sharing again?' he asks.

She smiles a bitter smile.

'What makes you think of that?'

'I had this talk before with Helia. She said to share.'josei

'And did you share it?'

'Can you keep a secret?'

'Depends on the secret.'

Stubborn! Why does he always meet stubborn girls? It seems he surrounded himself with headstrong woman, and encountered many women who is as headstrong as him.

The Blue Hair girl comes to his minds.

'I did not share with her.'

'Why? Didn't you love her?' Lisa ask

It's not a question of love, dear Lisa. he wants to say. Arial smile and looked outside the tent, trying to find the right answer.

Then he said

'It is because I love her, I did not share.'

'Isn't that selfish?' she asked back

'Maybe. Or maybe it is the considerate things to do. Some things should not be known else it burdens the heart.' Arial said with a bitter smile on his face.

'You lie then?' Lisa ask but it sounds more like a statement

'Did I?'

Then as he smiles he coughed again. This time he could feel the pain even more clearly.  It was like his heart is being sheared by some sharp thing.

'Arial!' she said alarmed. He gestured with his touch that he is fine.

He continued.

'She will understand my need to lie, If I lie. Behind words are other things Lisa: motivation, value, nuance, dialogue. It will not be the end of the world for I only lie to her about what she did not have to know and one lie did not invalidate every truth I ever share with her. It is an ink dropped in the vast sea. One inconsequential lie. Not saying that I lie to her. Merely not telling'

She just silences herself. But then it seems like she is about to ask me another question so he ask her first

'Since you are questioning me then let me ask you a question in return.'

She stands beside him and move to his front as she helps button up the shirt. Arial then ask his question.

'Have you never lied? Never once hide things because there are things that are not supposed to be known. A secret only you know. Your dirty little secret, you never want anybody to get a wind of?' he asked

And she choked for a second.

'I…I' Arial only smiles as he said

'See?' Then he sighed a deep relief. Then he added

'But I prefer that you lie sometimes, rather than speak the truth all the time. I could never trust anything of secret to such person.'

'I'm not a liar' she said defiantly

Arial raised his eyebrows. And even in this pain of his, he still could not help but teasing his old friend.

'Then what are you? You are surely not an honest person, if by honest definition, you have never lied.'

"I…...I just don't always say what I feel!' and she looked at him, like the words meant something more.

But Arial did not understand the meaning of that look and he did not understand that girl heart

'Why not, Lisa?' he asks back, oblivious of the storm in her heart right now.

'Because I…because I…fear to hear the truth and maybe I am afraid the truth will hurt the people I care.' She said, confessing of her deepest fear

Arial nodded like he understands it.

'My point exactly. Truth hurts' he said like he won the arguments. Lisa shakes his head and then look at Arial, looking at that mesmerizing blue eyes

Then she said

'So do lies' Arial chuckles and could not help but nod his head in agreement and he repeated her words

'So do lies'

They look at each other and as she was about to say something, suddenly someone voice could be heard from the outside

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There is a tension there. But our protagonist is too dense....or is he? Anyway, see you tomorrow and leave some comments and reviews. Hope you like the story and dont forget to vote