Chapter 105: Aftermath
Anaria was still in Rylan’s grip when she looked at the beast lying on the ground. Her eyes stayed there. Thoughts ran through her mind.
How was she going to tell Rylan that he had just killed his own brother? What would happen when he found out? How would he feel?
The system popped up in her mind.
[What are you planning to do?]
Anaria did not respond.
Rylan noticed that Anaria had been looking at the beast for too long. He gradually raised her up from his arms and looked at her.
"What is wrong?"
Anaria looked at him, tears filled her eyes "I am sorry."
Rylan was startled. The guards around them were surprised too. Rylan looked around. Then he looked back at Anaria. "Why are you apologizing?"
Anaria could not respond. She kept crying. She pointed toward the beast.
Rylan thought she was still scared that it might be alive. He smiled at her. "You have nothing to worry about. The beast is dead."
Anaria shook her head. "It is not that."
She sniffed. She finally spoke. "That beast is not an ordinary beast."
Rylan was confused including the wolf grauds.
"What do you mean?"
Anaria could not find the right words. She was still wondering whether to say it or not. She still did not know how Rylan would take it.
The system popped up again.
[Host is advised to speak the truth now.]
Anaria stood up properly. She looked at Rylan. "That beast lying there is your brother Zane."
Rylan looked at the beast. Then he looked at Anaria. "You might not be feeling fine. Probably the scare got to you. That cannot be Zane."
Anaria shook her head "That is Zane."
She paused. She was wondering how to tell him that she knew it was Zane. Then she looked up again. "That is Zane. Zane is dead."
Rylan loosened his hands from Anaria’s grip. He looked back at the corrupted beast lying dead on the ground and looked at the grauds then at Ananria. Then he turned and walked closer to where the monster was. He bent down.
Anaria asked him what he was trying to do but rylan raised his hands toward her, signaling her to keep calm.
He pulled out a dagger and slit his own hand. Blood came out. He brought out the blood of the beast lying there. He asked the guards if one of them had water. One of them immediately nodded and brought out the water, Rylan calmly dripped his blood into the water. Then he added the beast’s blood. The two bloods came together. It showed that it was truly his brother.
Everybody saw this, they all started murmuring but eventually kept quiet when they realized Rylan was not talking. They wondered what he was going to do.
Rylan paused for a minute. Anaria was already getting anxious. She went closer to Rylan. When she wanted to touch him, Rylan raised his head up.
He asked the guards to arrange the beast properly. They would take him back to the clan.
The guards moved quickly.
They found a stretcher and lifted the corrupted beast onto it. The body was heavy and twisted. It did not look like Zane anymore. It looked like something that had crawled out of a nightmare.
Anaria watched them work. She stayed close to Rylan but did not touch him. He had not looked at her since he stood up.
The walk back to Wolfrine was silent.
Rylan led the group. His back was straight. His hands were at his sides. He did not speak to anyone.
Anaria walked behind him.
When they reached the gates of Wolfrine, the guards on duty stopped.
They saw the creature on the stretcher. They saw Rylan’s face. They stepped aside without a word.
Kenai and Kai came out of the settlement to meet them. They had been waiting.
Kai looked at the beast first. Then at Rylan. Then at Anaria. "What is happening?"
Rylan did not answer. He kept walking. He went into the main hall and disappeared inside.
Kai moved to follow him.
Anaria grabbed his arm "Do not."
Kai looked at her. "What happened out there?"
Anaria took a breath. "That beast is Zane."
Kenai went still.
Kai’s eyes widened. "What?"
"Zane was corrupted. He transformed. Rylan killed him."
Neither of them spoke.
Kenai looked toward the main hall. "Does he know?"
"He knows now. I told him."
Kai ran a hand over his face. "I will go to him."
"No." Anaria shook her head. "He needs time. Let him be."
Kenai nodded slowly. He put a hand on Kai’s shoulder.
" She is right. Give him space."
Kai sighed and nodded
Anaria turned toward the main hall. She could see Rylan through the doorway. He was standing in the middle of the room. He was not moving.
She wanted to go to him. She did not.
Instead, she found one of the council members. The old beastman was waiting near the entrance.
"My Lord wishes to call the council," she said. "Zane is dead. He wants him buried properly. He was still his brother."
The council member stared at her. "Zane?"
"Yes."
He opened his mouth to ask more. Then he closed it. He bowed his head.
"I will gather them."
He left.
Anaria stood alone in the yard. The settlement was quiet. Word was spreading. People were coming out of their homes. They were looking at the stretcher. They were whispering.
They did not know it was Zane. They only knew the beast was dead. The thing that had caused the sickness. The thing that had terrorized them.
Some of them looked relieved.
Some of them looked at the main hall. They wondered what their new Lord was doing.
The council gathered within the hour. Rylan came out to meet them. He did not explain what had happened. He only gave instructions.
Zane would be buried. A small ceremony. No announcements. No public mourning.
The council members did not question him. They followed his orders.
When it was done, Rylan went back inside. He did not come out again.
Anaria watched him go. She wanted to follow. She wanted to say something. But she did not know what to say.
So she let him go.
Anaria sat in her room.
Ana was against her chest, feeding. The baby was calm like an angel, She did not know what had happened nor the tension that has filled up the atmosphere.
Anaria looked down at her. She wished she could be that simple. That unaware.
The door was closed. The room was quiet.
She had not seen Rylan since he went into the main hall. That was hours ago. He had not come out. He had not sent for her. He had not sent for anyone.
The system appeared in front of her.
[Emergency Task Completed.]
She did not react.
[Congratulations. You have successfully completed the emergency task.]
She stared at the words.
[Reward received.]
She kept staring.
[Due to saving a whole clan, you have received a 50% boost in all attributes. You have also gained the following skills: Farming, Healing, Construction.]
Anaria waved the message away.
She did not care about rewards. She did not care about skills. She did not care about farming or construction or any of it.
She cared about Rylan.
He had killed his brother. He had done it to save her. To save the guards. To save everyone. But it was still his brother.
She had told him the truth. She had watched his face when he realized. She had watched him slit his own hand to prove it.
She had watched him walk away.
And now he was alone.
She wanted to go to him. But she did not know if he wanted her there. She did not know if he wanted anyone.
Ana finished feeding and made a small sound.
Anaria adjusted her against her chest and stood up. She walked to the window. The settlement was dark. The lights were dim. People had gone back to their homes.
She looked toward the main hall.
There was a light inside.
She watched it for a long time. Then she sat back down.
The system couldn’t even help her at this moment.
Ananria sighed, she was wondering if she did the right thing by telling him maybe she should have waited. Maybe she should have let him believe it was just a beast.
But then what? He would have found out later. And it would have been worse.
She waved out the thought immediately " It was the right thing to do but still it doesn’t feel right"
She looked down at Ana. The baby was asleep now. Her small face was peaceful.
Anaria stroked her cheek.
"First Papa is strong," she whispered. "He will be alright." She did not know if that was true.
She sat in the quiet for a long time. The fire stick in the main hall stayed on.
Ananria resolved to meet him the following morning and check up on him.