Part II: Cowardice and indecision\u00a0<\/p>\n
When Sirius and Abril returned to the village, Taren ran toward them and asked,\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere have you been? I\u2019ve been looking for you everywhere.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Abril replied, \u201cWe were cleaning the village. How are the villagers?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cEveryone has woken up. They have started asking questions about us. I think it\u2019s best if we leave.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, we have thought the same. We have done everything we could, so let\u2019s go.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Abril looked at the village. It was silent and looked desolate as the villagers were resting at the inn where they had left them. In that uncomfortable silence, she prayed for the dead to find peace. She also prayed for the villagers, for their lives to return to normal someday. She prayed that they could overcome their\u00a0<\/p>\n
pain or learn to cope with it, and she prayed that they would never have to go through something like this\u00a0<\/p>\n
again.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sirius told Taren, \u201cGo get the horses.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy do I have to go?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you want me to force you to do it?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cForget it, I\u2019ll be right back.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
After Taren left, Sirius told Abril, \u201cNone of what happened here is your fault.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThen why do I feel so guilty?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause you are too kind. You laugh with those who laugh, but you also suffer with those who do. But\u00a0<\/p>\n
don\u2019t put a burden on your shoulders that doesn\u2019t belong to you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI wish I could believe what you say is true, but I could have closed the Hades rift before, and I didn\u2019t.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Abril lowered her gaze and clenched her hands tightly, digging her own nails into her palms. That pain\u00a0<\/p>\n
made her continue speaking.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cEven when I could have done it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBut didn\u2019t you think you couldn\u2019t use your power because of your pregnancy?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not that I couldn\u2019t use it. I chose not to. I was afraid that using so much power would affect my baby,\u00a0<\/p>\n
that I could lose it. That\u2019s why I decided to stop using my magic. My cowardice and indecision have\u00a0<\/p>\n
caused all of this.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, you have only been human and put your family first, something that anyone in your place would have\u00a0<\/p>\n
done as well.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBut\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAbril, you can\u2019t fix everything just by wishing, and even though you have great power, you\u2019re not obligated\u00a0<\/p>\n
< Partil Cowardice and indecision\u00a0<\/p>\n
+25 Points\u00a0<\/p>\n
to use it for the benefit of others. And yet here you are, wanting to help thousands of strangers. You weren\u2019t the one who opened those cracks, nor the one who let out all those monsters. Don\u2019t take responsibility for something you haven\u2019t done. Don\u2019t bear the sins of others.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Taren returned with the horses, somewhat agitated, and said, \u201cWe better leave immediately. Some of the villagers saw me take the horses and tried to stop me. They say they have many questions that they need to ask us, and they seemed somewhat annoyed because we buried their dead without permission.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sirius took his horse and mounted it. Abril did the same, and without thinking twice, they set off, leaving behind that town and all those people with unanswered questions and doubts.\u00a0<\/p>\n
At noon, one of the maids approached Maya and told her that she had visitors. She was finishing feeding Lissana, so she asked the maid to let them in since she couldn\u2019t go to receive them herself. She also asked her to call Cassian and tell him that Barto had already arrived.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The maid left and did what Maya had asked. She first went for the guest and brought him to where she\u00a0<\/p>\n
was.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When Maya saw her brother enter, a big smile appeared on her face. Although they kept in touch, it had been a long time since the last time they had seen each other, but he still looked the same, with his straight black hair reaching his waist.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Upon seeing his sister carrying a baby in her arms, Barto was taken aback and asked her, \u201cDo you have a daughter?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOf course not, silly. This baby is Princess Lissana, the king and queen\u2019s daughter.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Barto approached, gave his sister a kiss on the forehead, and said,\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHello, little sister. You can\u2019t imagine how happy I am to see you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m also glad to see you, little brother.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHow have you been? How is your life with that arrogant little prince?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou already know how it is. Why do you ask?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause I want to hear it directly from your mouth.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m fine, Barto.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Although Maya said she was fine, Barto felt that Maya was lying to him, but he didn\u2019t want to force her to\u00a0<\/p>\n
speak. If he pressured her, she would get angry, and he didn\u2019t want to anger her, so he changed the\u00a0<\/p>\n
subject.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou haven\u2019t come to visit us again. Our father is very worried about you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m sorry. Tell Dad that I will come to visit him soon.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHe will be happy to see you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Part # Cowardice and indecision\u00a0<\/p>\n
+25 Points\u00a0<\/p>\n
Barto sat next to his sister and asked her, \u201cWhy did you bring me here? Even though I am happy to see you, and I know you are also happy to see me, I know that\u2019s not why you brought me here.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy do you always know everything?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know everything, but I know you, and I know that you have been avoiding me. That\u2019s why you didn\u2019t\u00a0<\/p>\n
want to see me or Dad. Calling me means that you need something. Am I wrong?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re not entirely wrong, although it\u2019s not me who needs something, it\u2019s His Majesty the King.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe king has summoned me?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, he wants you to find something for him\u2013two mirrors that can show the reflection of the other person and through which he can speak as if through a window.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Barto remained silent for a moment. Maya asked him, \u201cHaven\u2019t you heard of anything like this before?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not that I\u2019ve never heard of it. What seems strange to me is that the king knows about it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause it\u2019s not something a human should know about.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The door burst open, and Alessandro and Cassian entered. Intrigued by what he had just heard,\u00a0<\/p>\n
Alessandro asked, \u201cWhat do you mean by that?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Barto stood up, made a small bow, and greeted, \u201cLong live His Majesty the King.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDo not ignore my question. What did you mean by what you said earlier?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Cassian put his hand on his brother\u2019s shoulder to calm him down and said,\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cLessan, calm down.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI won\u2019t until you tell me what you meant.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat His Majesty desires is not something that has been created by humans, and therefore it is not something that a human should know. How did His Majesty learn about the existence of those mirrors?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cSo they are real.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, they are. Those mirrors were created by the fairies.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
A big smile appeared on Alessandro\u2019s face, and he asked, \u201cDo you know where they are?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cUm\u2026 maybe.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI need those mirrors. I will pay whatever you ask for them.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI said maybe I know where they are, not that I have them in my hand. If it were that easy to obtain, I would\u00a0<\/p>\n
have given them to my sister.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere do you think they are?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
< Part I Cowardice and indecision\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the fairyland.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAre you sure?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou could go to the fairyland and bring them back.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Maya spoke instead of her brother.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBarto will not go to the fairyland. I won\u2019t let him.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Alessandro tried to persuade Maya to change her mind, but this time it was Barto who responded, \u201cYour Majesty, just like my sister, I am half fairy. The fairy queen has a great interest in me. If I go, she will not let me return, so I\u2019m sorry, but I won\u2019t accept your request.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
He Threw Away and Sold to the Devil 245 Part II: Cowardice and indecision\u00a0 When Sirius and Abril returned to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[87],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-30014","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-his-regret-their-knees-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30014","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=30014"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30014\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30014"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30014"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30014"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}