A Failed Hero's Voyage Chapter 15: Chapter 15: Seeing Truth as it is

Read chapter 15 of A Failed Hero's Voyage by churro on NovelPedia.

Atherius stood at the center of the shattered earth, his gaze locked onto the elven girl as a faint tremor passed through his eyes. She was pressed tightly against the trunk of a broken tree, her entire body shaking, staring at him as though something far more terrifying than the drake had just descended upon her, and perhaps, to her, it had. Yet something about her presence felt undeniably wrong to him, not in the way he had come to expect from non-humans, but in a way that unsettled the very foundation of his understanding. She was not like the others. His lips parted slightly as the thought surfaced, unbidden and unwelcome. “He wasn’t the only one…?” he muttered under his breath. Mordor’s image rose immediately in his mind, calm, composed, almost human, and now, standing before him, this girl mirrored that same contradiction. Aside from her pointed ears, there was nothing monstrous about her. Her skin was pale and unmarked, her hair a soft gold that caught what little light remained, and her green eyes, though filled with terror, held clarity rather than madness. There was refinement in her features, something distinctly noble, and that realization only deepened his confusion. He studied her in silence for several long seconds before finally moving, stepping forward with measured intent until he stopped a short distance away. Looking down at her, he saw that she could not even bring herself to meet his gaze, her fear was absolute, rooted not in uncertainty but in recognition. She knew exactly who he was, and what he had done. Which only made the question burn louder in his mind. 'Why are you different?' His eyes flickered, then widened slightly as realization struck him. Slowly, almost instinctively, his hand rose to the draconic eye set within his face. “He wanted to show me… the truth?” he murmured. His gaze returned to the girl, sharper now, searching. A thought formed quickly, fragile and uncertain, but enough to test. “Hey,” he said, his tone controlled, “say something.” The girl reacted slowly, her head lifting just enough for him to see the tears forming in her eyes as her lips trembled. She tried to speak, her mouth moving hesitantly, but no sound followed. Seconds stretched into an uncomfortable silence before Atherius exhaled, dismissing the attempt with a faint shake of his head as he turned away. Then he stopped. If he left her, she would die. The forest would see to that, with or without him. His gaze dropped briefly to his armor before he reached up, unclasping his cape in a single motion. Turning back, he approached her again and crouched, draping the enchanted fabric over her trembling shoulders. “This is imbued with protective magic,” he said evenly. “Most creatures won’t approach you while you wear it. It should be enough to get you home.” He lingered only a moment longer before she finally spoke. “You humans… should just die.” Atherius froze, not at the words themselves, but at the disconnect. Her lips had not matched the sound. Not even close. His eyes sharpened instantly as the realization settled in. He had learned to read lips long ago, Alice had made sure of that. What he heard now was not what she said, it was something imposed, something artificial, like a voice forced over reality itself. “…A curse,” he murmured, recalling Mordor’s words. He turned back to her, his focus precise now. “Don’t speak,” he instructed calmly. “Just nod or shake your head. Understood?” She hesitated, then gave a small, fearful nod. Atherius drew a slow breath. “Did you just say that humans should die?” She remained still for a moment, then shook her head. His eyes widened slightly. “Then… did you thank me?” After a brief hesitation, she nodded. That was enough for something within him to shift and fracture. Without another word, he closed his draconic eye. The world changed instantly. The girl before him twisted, not physically, but in perception. Her features warped into something grotesque and feral, her skin smeared w