When he arrived at the church, a crowd had gathered atop the stone stairs. Aiden forced his way through the mass of bodies; he didn't know what was happening, but he could feel the mood of the people: fear, curiosity, and rage were all tangled together.
Lord Firel stepped into the middle of the square, his colossal war hammer resting on his shoulder. He raised his voice, letting it echo between the stone buildings: "The Father betrayed his own people. Let it be known that we have delivered his punishment. Anyone who disturbs the peace of Rivaril shall be sentenced to death."
In the center of the crowd lay the body of Aiden's father. The smell of burnt hair from yesterday mingled with the sharp scent of corrupted spiritual energy. Aiden turned his face toward the source of the smell and just stared. Deep within his heart, something stirred; but that stirring wasn't anger it was a void.
Firel turned toward Aiden. "Eyeless Hunter! We thought you were dead. We were forced to execute your father in accordance with the laws."
Aiden's insides boiled, but outwardly, all that was visible was a cold nod. What kind of crime could Father have committed? he thought. Wasn't he the one who crafted the masks and the filter that protected the town from the poison? Was he not Rivaril's only priest?
Firel pointed a finger toward the sky. "The poison filter broke. The Father provided no new masks! He did not repair the filter that protects us. People are dying. He neglected his duty. That is called treason. Just like you abandoned your duty."
As soon as Firel finished speaking, he signaled the pirates with his hand.
Aiden felt the breath of a pirate behind him and instantly drove his right elbow backward. The sudden, snappy strike was enough to shatter the pirate's nose.
The surroundings were instantly filled with people's screams. Aiden dodged attacks step by step, moving on pure reflex. The sensation given by the spiritual energy pathogens from the gold still echoed in his body: he was stronger, faster, and his senses were sharpened.
Aiden dipped his hands into his pockets, pulled out his brass knuckles, and launched a counterattack. He landed an uppercut on a pirate's jaw, scattering teeth everywhere. When another pirate's sword swung down, Aiden lunged forward, placed both hands on the ground, clamped his legs around the opponent's head, and slammed him into the earth. Every movement was short, sharp, and deadly.
Lord Firel lowered his hammer from his shoulder and began to walk slowly. Aside from the six dead pirates lying around Aiden, there were thirteen more. Screams, shouts, and the sound of breaking bones resonated through the square. There was almost a smile on Firel's face a relatively calm satisfaction fed by pain.
Firel grabbed the pirate standing next to him and hurled him like a projectile, smashing him into Aiden. Aiden toppled over, and immediately after, Firel slammed his hammer onto the ground, the shockwave launching Aiden into the air. Before he could even land, Firel took a step forward and threw a heavy punch, sending him flying into the church door.
"Isn't the difference between us obvious, Eyeless Hunter?" Firel said. "You are a killer who settles for the weak. You've forgotten how to lose."
Aiden pushed himself up on his knees. He wore a blank expression. "You will die today," he said, and lunged again.
Firel smirked. "If I knew you'd be this upset, I would have burned you along with your father."
Aiden jumped with all his might, aiming a kick at Firel's head; Firel caught it mid-air and slammed him hard onto the ground. The wooden floor beneath them splintered. Aiden's breath was knocked out, his mobility reduced. Firel wiped a drop of blood from his nose and chuckled lightly. "Is the famous Eyeless Hunter really this weak?"
Firel knelt, grabbed Aiden by the collar, lifted him up, and began to pummel him repeatedly with his left hand. Every blow sprayed the blood gushing from Aiden's mouth and nose into the air. The only sound heard outside was the dull thud of Firel's fists.
Aiden's face and blonde hair had turned crimson with his own blood. He took a breath in desperation, and a silent vow rose from within: I will kill you. But the voice felt broken, swallowed.
Firel clenched his fist tightly, cocked his arm all the way back…