Chapter 6 – Pretentious little brother

Leo looked startled for a couple of minutes as the villagers sprang into a segment of celebration. He felt emotional almost immediately and at the same time had the urge to hug them all.

“Are? are you all serious!” His voice revealed a rush of emotions, especially when the recalled the threatening words of the young man. But luckily, things were going in the opposite direction.

A group of husky men assembled themselves tightly in front of Leo whose blue eyes began to drop tears.

“Elder!, hop on our hands, let us show the village, no… the whole village, that our elder has returned to us.” A random voice shouted out from the assembly of men whose palms stretched to the air.

Leo’s saddened spirit immediately lit up and his once teary eyes transformed into a look that glittered with happiness. He stepped his feet into the palm of the young men who rapidly cheered and screamed in excitement like a festive event was taking place.

“Leo Raynard, the true elder is back.”

The assembled men alongside the other villagers chanted as they walked through the wide street, now even drawing more attention to Leo who stood silently with a face filled with pride.

The villagers did not stop moving even after many minutes and Leo already felt exhausted from standing still on top of the man’s palm.

“Where exactly are you all going? I feel bored already!”

“Just a couple more minutes of trekking Elder!, we’re already near our destination.” The crowd cheered once again and returned into silence, and at the same time walking with an immersed speed.

Many minutes passes within the blink of one’s eyes and the villagers finally stopped in front of a log cabin that looked more attractive than the others they’d walked past.

“Emm… Are we stopping here?” Leo looked puzzled with his eyes glued to the transparent shutter window that effortlessly revealed an almost empty room that was present with only a plain white chair.

Shortly after, a tall masculine figure, wearing a baggy purple robe came out from the wide opened door of the cabin. Thomas Raynard, the elder of the village stood emotionlessly in front of the villagers while staring directly at Leo who looked confused to the core.

“Is this the man you all reported as an impersonator!” His voice came out sharp and flawlessly, exposing that unfathomable aura that strange oozed out from his body.

“An impersonator?” Leo retorted with a voice of rage and confusion. His eyes were keen at the young man, feeling the radiating aura that was enough to suffocate the villagers and him himself, “Who do you think you are to call me an impersonator? I am not here for you, I’m here to see Thomas.”

A weird smirk sneaked from the man’s lips after hearing the bold statement from Leo, and seconds later he burst into laughter as his hazel brown eyes slowly began to gather tears.

“Thomas Raynard, you say?”

“Why are you…” Before Leo could even complete his statement, he saw himself falling to the ground as the men had abruptly let go of him.

A groan escaped his lips as his body made contact with the solid stone-polished ground whose mountain-like pressure subdued him to the ground giving him a scary thought that he might ha broken his backbone, especially when he fed only on dried bread and other minor snacks from the past years.

The village immediately gathered around him with faces filled with rage.

“ Elder Thomas!, This is the man who claims to be your dead brother.” A random voice from the crowd shouted at the young man who looked at him with despite.

“Tho... Thomas!, you look so different.” Leo muttered under his breath with his gaze fixed on the domineering elder.

“Of course, who wouldn’t know my name.” Thomas stepped forward and bent down to meet his lying position and whispered into his ears.

“The guards will take you out of here now. Meanwhile, I’ll wait patiently for my wife’s delivery.”

Two armored guards appeared out of thin air while standing beside Thomas who suddenly stood upright.

“Take him.” He commanded and the guards immediately bent over to pick Leo‘s limp body from the ground.

Leo in return could only surrender himself as he couldn’t make even the slightest movement. The guards disappeared with Leo in their arms, and the crowd of villagers who silently watched the scenery began to move on their separate paths.

****

Meanwhile, the guards appeared in a dark cell that was only present of a stone-made slab as a bed. They immediately dropped Leo to the ground and disappeared once again without a trace.

Leo looked sad as he laid on the cold ground of the prison cell, seemingly disappointed and feeling betrayed by the sudden event that happened with the villagers and his brother.

He would try to stand up from the ground after some seconds but ended up falling to the ground as the pain in his back felt like hell.

‘How long am I going to stay like this, days, weeks, or years.’

Leo laid on the ground silently while trying to summon the smallest creature that could at least provide light with its golden light. Unfortunately, the back pain only grew worse, giving him a wild suspicion that one of the villagers must have used a suppressing ability on him.

Time quickly passed and Leo remained unmoving on the same spot. After another thirty minutes of waiting for whatever was going to come, he saw a tall shadow slowly approaching the glistering metallic steel that served as a lock to his cell. The shadow stood in front of the cell the next seconds and was revealed as Thomas who had a demonic smile on his face.

“Hello, stranger! Hope you aren’t bored.” He laughed while staring at Leo who looked saddened and depressed, “Don’t be sad alright, you already have a visitor. But before that, why will you want to impersonate that little dead monster.”

Leo raised his head to properly stare at Thomas after hearing the plain insult that was unknowingly said to the target’s face. He proceeded to say a word when he saw a menacing smile from Thomas.

“Are you acting, or you really can’t recognize me..”

“And even if it’s you what makes you think I’ll admit it? After all, I saw that corpse with my own eyes the same night you disappeared…”

Leo's face twitched with confusion after hearing the corpse's words once again, but now from his brother. “I never died, I was only…”

“Just shut up impersonator!” Thomas suddenly interrupted his words with an irritated face,

“Whether you like it or not, you’ll be executed for two main reasons. Being a risk to the village, and impersonating a child of high status.”

“Do you think dad will be pleased with this character of…”

Leo immediately interrupted his words by pounding on the metallic steel that separated both of them, “The decision has been made, you’ll be executed in the public after two dawns and nothing will change my mind. By the way, your visitor will come in right now.”