Daisy sighed in understanding. She would've said the same if she was in Daniel's shoes. 'But then they are still his parents' she reckoned and went mute thinking of what to say to get him to change his mind.
After a while, finally feeling she just came up with something, she wiped off the sweat on her face and stared into his eyes. "I know you're so angry with them right now but they are still your parents and they are the only people you have... except me anyway.""I know they are my parents and the only ones I have but I have you like you already said and I also have your parents so I'll be fine that way till when I decide to visit my parents again.""I can't let you do that." Daisy shook her head. "I can't let you keep an enmity with your parents. We have to go to your them. And you need to apologize to them. After all, you're the one in the wrong here not even them. Besides, what would they have done anyway? What if they tried to save you and the people pounced on them as well? Have you thought about that? I don't think you have. Now can we go?"Daniel thought about Daisy's words and seeing so much sense in them, smiled at her and nudged her on the shoulder. "Yes. Let's go," he whispered and with their hands entwined, they walked away.It didn't take long before they arrived at Daniel's parents' house and he halted. Making a quick cross sign he glanced at Daisy who, noticing his anxiousness, rubbed his hand in encouragement and bobbed her head. "You can do this baby. Let's go. Besides, I'm here with you, what can possibly go wrong?"Nodding his head, they walked into the house but abruptly halted at the sight before them. Daniel's parents were cuddled together. His mum was sobbing on the chest of his father while his father was rubbing her hair in a gesture to soothe her. Both of his parent's eyes were so puffy and red and their hairs were so disheveled.Daniel lowered his head at the heart-wrenching sight and shook his head as tears couldn't help but drop down his cheeks in thick lines.He released his hand from Daisy's grip and strolled to his parents. Kneeling before them, he patted his father's shoulder, who in turn, jerked at the sudden touch and turned."Daniel?" He gasped.Daniel's mum raised her head immediately she heard the name and turned as well. The next second, her eyes widened and her jaw dropped. She stretched her hand and touched Daniel's face. "Daniel, my son. You're alive? I thought I lost you." She sobbed, pulling him into a warm embrace.Daniel went freely into her arms, forgetting all the anger he had for them and for several minutes, mum and son hugged so tightly while sobbing in each other's arms.The sight broke Daisy's heart but at the same time brought a radiating smile to her face. She was sobbing but from the expression on her face, one could tell that it was tears of joy. At that moment, Ava sighted Daisy and waved at her to come to join the hug and she rushed and joined.While they hugged, Ivan, on the other hand, was growling lowly like a dog who was warning its prey before it attacked. His teeth were bared and his fists were clenched.A tick vein crossed his forehead and adrenaline coursed through him in waves. He kept tapping his foot on the floor, the sound reverberating all over the place.Daniel, Daisy, and Ava disengaged from the hug several minutes later and Daniel rushed to hug his father with a bright smile on his face but just as his body was about to touch Ivan's, he was hurled away. Daisy and Ava gasped out and stared at Ivan in shock but he didn't even bother about them.Landing on the floor with a loud thud, Daniel groaned in pain and stared at his father with deep sad eyes."What did I do to deserve that, father?" He asked, rubbing his aching elbow.Ivan stood up and strolled to him, jerked him up, and hurled him away once more while cursing incoherently. Daniel landed roughly on a wooden dining table in the room close to the sitting room and the table shattered."Get up and fight, hero! Come on, you foolish boy! Come on and fight!" Mr. Ivan barked at him and rushed to jerk him up once more but Daisy and Ava rushed and blocked his path. "Please stop hurting him. He just recovered from the beatings he received from the villagers. Please don't add more pepper to his wounds. Please, dad." Daisy pleaded and dropped to her knees, clutching his leg.Ivan stared down at her and hissed before kicking her away. He pushed his wife away too and jerked Daniel who was in so much pains up. Staring around, he hurled him at the sitting room table more roughly than the other times and the table shattered the moment Daniel landed on it."I trained a boy of great wisdom, not this one I'm seeing before me. You've brought so much shame to this family just because you wanted to be a damn hero. You made so many people lose their lives just because of your damn challenge. Who are you? Tell me cause I don't think you are my Daniel! I don't think you are my son!"Daniel spat out a mouthful of blood and staggered up. He strolled to his father and knelt before him while sobbing so pathetically. "I'm sorry father. I was wrong and I own up to my mistake. Please don't cast me away. I only beg for your forgiveness. You can hit me all you want but please forgive me."I acted out of impulse as I couldn't bear it when the witch said she'd kill you and mum and also kill Daisy. I'm sorry, father. I'm still your son. Your only child.""Nah, I doubt you're my son." Ivan retorted and let out a bitter laugh. "My son would've walked away without saying anything or perhaps beg for mercy! He would know barking at a witch like Theodora and challenging her would bring nothing but harm. But you chose otherwise."You made us lose not just our lives but our drinking water. Now, both animals and we humans, who don't die from Theodora's sword will die of thirst. After all, we are not yet sure of the other streams."Daniel tried to touch his father's leg but he kicked off his hand. He tried once again but got the same treatment. "Hah!" He suddenly stood up, a deep frown clouding his features. His nose flared up and he glared at his father, snapping, "You all are against me because I chose to be brave. Aren't you ashamed of yourselves? You cowards?"A deafening smack from his father landed on his cheek and he lowered his head, spitting out blood. He raised his head almost immediately and laughed. "Isn't that all you can do?" He asked and covered the space between him and his father, both glaring daggers at each other. "Do your worst, father! Do your fucking worst!"Ivan raised his hand to hit him again but Daniel abruptly grabbed the hand and dropped it back down. "Fuck you, father. Fuck you!" He growled, made the finger sign and stomped out, banging the door so loudly that the house shook."Daniel!" Daisy yelled and rushed after him but not without staring sadly at Ivan who was breathing heavily.Ava tried to touch him but he pushed her away and stomped inside. Sighing, she crouched down on one of the couches and broke into tears while hoping that everything got resolved soon. She couldn't bear it."What was that?!" Daisy shrieked at Daniel as she caught up with him.Daniel glanced at her and ran his hand through hair. Without saying a word, he rushed to a tree, and began punching it so hard that in no time, his fist started bleeding. "Why is everyone against me? Why can't they see reasons with me? Why? I just want to end it all right now!" He cried out and increased his punches on the tree."Stop, Daniel!" Not being able to bear the sight, Daisy rushed to drag him away but he pushed her away out of rage and she landed on the ground on her butt."Stop this, Daniel," however, not caring about that, she continued to say. "I see reasons with you and I know your mum does too. You just have to give your father some time. He's just angry and sad. I know he will come around. Please just stop."You're causing so much harm to yourself and it's hurting me so badly. Stop for me, please. Please, baby." She stood up from the ground while softly groaning in pain and rushed to him, grabbing his arm, intending to pull him away, but he pushed her away again more roughly than the last and she landed on the ground, slammed her head on a rock, and blacked out.Daniel kept punching the tree while sobbing not knowing what just happened to Daisy. For several minutes, he kept doing it until it dawned on him that he'd not heard her voice all this while and he abruptly stopped and turned."Daisy!" He wailed in horror at the sight of her laying on the ground sprawled out and rushed to her with his bleeding fist. He raised her head and she was bleeding. "Daisy wake up! Wake up! I didn't mean to push you! Please wake up!" He sobbed, shaking her but she wouldn't budge.Not knowing what else to do, he jerked her up and began running to the route that leads to her house while sobbing and begging her to wake up.Theodora appeared in her chambers looking not so good. She ran her hand through her hair and hissed, looking around her chamber as if she was looking for something. But seemingly not seeing whatever it was, she gritted her teeth with a scowl on her face and removed her robe and underwear before sitting down on her bed while fidgeting with her fingers.She lowered her head in between her knees and after what seemed like an eternity, suddenly stood up and began pacing about, her face blank and her eyes so cold."What was that light that skyrocketed him out of the stream?" She tilted her head and scratched her hair. "What was yet that other light that brought him back to life and healed him? I know I'm not behind all that. But if not me, who then? "This is just so confusing. And the fact that I can't grasp my hand on the answers to them is pissing me off right now. Gosh!" Still pacing about while babbling, she placed a finger into her mouth and began suckling on it as if in thoughts and
"Daisy! Daisy, wake up! Please wake up! You can't die this way. You can't die by my hands! Please wake up!" Daniel sobbed and cupped Daisy's cheeks, trembling vehemently as he ran. After a while, he stopped running, glanced down at her and pecked her on the exact spot she was bleeding from before continuing running.A golden glowing little light unknowingly to him flowed out of his lips the moment his brushed on her skin and fazed into her.While he moved in tears hoping to get to her house fast enough so that he could treat her with herbs from her mum, he never knew that her injury was already healing up and a force from him was reviving her. Just as he was a few steps to her house, Daisy blinked open her eyes and stared around not remembering where she was. It took her seconds before she began recalling everything that happened and she touched the spot that she felt was where she slammed her head but couldn't find any injury. Jerking up immediately, she tried to move only to reali
"What do I do now?" She asked staring around and having nothing else in mind walked out. Daniel and her parents at the sound of her footsteps turned and stared closely at her."What's wrong baby? You don't look good."She sighed, strolled to him, sat on his laps, and placed her head on his chest without saying anything but yet her breathing was so raspy."You are not saying anything baby girl. What's wrong? Talk to us.""Yes, sweet daughter. Talk to us. We are here for you so speak up.""There's no water to prepare food and I'm so hungry right now. I've not eaten since morning."Mr. Robert and his wife exchanged glances without saying anything. They already heard of what happened while they were coming back from their stroll and they ain't ones who put blames on people for their mistakes so that's why they didn't get pissed at Daniel when they saw him.Everywhere became so silent as no one had anything to say. Several minutes passed and Daisy began groaning in pain. She started rubb
"I'm so hungry. My belly hurts," Daisy whined, shivering feverishly as they entered their house. She stared at her parents then at Daniel and all had traces of tears in their eyes and a tired expression on their faces. Without saying any other word cause it got clear to her that her parents and Daniel has nothing to say she crouched on one of the couches soaking herself in tears."Your tears break my heart baby. It hurts me so deeply. I can't stand it. I hate it when you cry and you know that. So can you stop crying please?" Daniel begged and pulled her into his arms allowing his tears to flow freely too cause he has been pretending not to be hungry but deep down his belly had been hurting so badly that it felt like it wanted to tear apart. And the worst part happens to be that the pain intensifies in every second that passes leaving him groaning inwardly.Mr. Robert stared at Daniel soothe his daughter by rubbing her back and loving the sight cause he saw that it was working perfect
"What did you just say, father?" Daniel asked with a broad smile."I said what if he's in allegiance with Theodora? Like, what if both know each other? What if they are friends?""What if he's not? Our problem is that we conclude a lot father. Like, what if they haven't even seen each other before? What if they are so far apart from each other?""You are also not sure baby. Going to that wizard is 90-10% chances. You have a 90% chance of death and 10% chance of survival.""If that is the risk I have to take to free Hilton Bale from Theodora then to be frank I'm willing to take it, baby. I'll do everything in my power to send that wicked witch to where she belongs. Which is six feet beneath the surface.""Hmm," Mrs. Ryleigh exhaled, stood up, and strolled to him. She cupped up his jaw and stared into his eyes. "You're like a son to me even though you are my daughter's lover Daniel. I love you as much as I love Daisy if not more. I can't sit back and watch you walk into your death. Nope
"Can I sit beside you?" Daniel inquired of Daisy who was sitting on the bed with her head in between her knees and ruffled his hair.For more than three minutes he has been standing at the door not knowing what to do.Several times he opened his mouth to talk but nothing came out. It actually took him a lot before he mumbled that. And from his expression, it's so obvious that's he's so tensed up.Daisy raised her head, glanced at him, slowly bobbed, and lowered her head back in between her knees.He wiped his face and settled down beside her. "I'm sorry for shouting at you. I didn't mean to. Please don't be mad at me" he mumbled and tried to hold her hand but she shifted it away from his grip."I've no reason to be mad at you" she retorted coldly without raising her head. "It's your life anyway and you can live it anyhow you want. And I'm so sorry for shouting at you. My emotions got the best part of me. I don't even know why it did. I'm sorry though.""Daisy" he called and tried to h
"Why does she have to do this!" Daniel uttered profanity as he ran so fastly until he came before the weeping people who had their dead babies in their arms. All of them had swollen eyes and soaked up torn clothes. Their clothes dripped of both tears, sweat, and blood.'I don't think father explained this so well. Havoc is just a little word to consider the sight before me right now' he surmised and didn't even know when his knees hit the ground as tears flowed freely from his eyes and clouded his vision.Daisy and her parents arrived at that instant and shook their heads at the sight before them as a heart-wrenching pain coursed through them. They strolled to Daniel and raised him.Just as Daniel stood up with the help of Daisy and her parents he thought of Theodora and started wondering where she might be.Not getting answers from his thoughts he looked far behind the people and there she was still killing and ripping babies with a huge scowl on her face and a smile on her lips.He
"You deserve to die!" Another voice shrieked from the crowd. "You're the most foolish being I've ever seen in my life..." "Ugly asshole..." "Loser..." While all the taunts and curses were going on Daniel kept calm and didn't even do like he could hear them. He took his mind to the last words of Theodora which was 'good luck on your quest' as his mind sought for answers. "What quest is she talking about?" He breathed staring at the ground. "Does she in any way know of my desire to go find the wizard or was she just talking about my challenge?" He ruffled his hair in obvious frustration, stood up from the ground, dusted his body, and stared at the dead bodies all over the arena as tears trickled down his cheeks. Adhering to his instinct which was pushing him to touch the babies he strolled to them and touched those without heads as much as he could and walked away sobbing lowly. A sudden wind hovered over the babies that he touched immediately he walked away and after the wind