The Stone of Days Chapter 23

Necklace of the Four Seasons (1)

Oh! Arundnayan!
Pure raw brilliance of hidden secrets!
When the four scattered jewels awake from their slumber
They sing of the necklace, for the end of the world
A celebration of the death of a majestic star…

Oh, have you already forgotten?
The treasured promise of 200 years soon to be fulfilled,
When the forgotten races of my people restore their memories
Dark-black feather, uplift the sacrifice on the altar
To open the eyes of the seasons… …

Kingdom of Isnamir, The Prophet of the Seventh Constellation
–  h.e.l.l Wiss Karmohad in the period of

That man knows my name. Where did my name come from? However, at least it wasn't from this person. I know that for sure.

"You grew up well."

"Just a bit more and you can surpa.s.s my height."

Something feels strange. Unfamiliar. I never expected to hear such words once during my life. This situation hadn't even occurred in my darkest dreams.

"I am your father, Fabian Nars.h.i.+nyak"

Really? It doesn't seem real at all.
When I first heard these words, I felt as if my real body was far away, as though we were performing a play. Leaving prison, – the man that claims to be my father has amazing strength –  we circled the castle once and headed towards the front yard.

I couldn't understand this sudden situation at all.
Right now, that unfamiliar person that's walking beside me is my father who shares my blood? And my family name is not Christian, but Nars.h.i.+nyak?
Where did he come from? Why did he live apart from me till now? Why did he only come find me now? I wasn't in the mood to ask any of these questions for now.

The empty castle's front yard left us walking endlessly on the long paved path. How silly. Considering when we were being judged whether or not we were guilty and to agreeing to stay for the night due to the Lord's will, we then destroy the castle's property - the iron-barred window was actually the Lord's property - and leave the castle casually through the front yard by the aid of a person who brought us unconvicted prisoners out.
And no one was trying to arrest our group.

"What has happened exactly?"

Mirbo. From the time we had left the prison cell, he still hadn't lowered his guard down. It's probably because of how he usually functions. That's why he had survived to this day.

"The province has been attacked!"

Mirbo's conjecture was right. I urgently stopped and stood.

"Umm, where? To who? My mother! Did you meet my mother?!"

The man stopped on his tracks. The person that is my father, the strange man that emits this unfamiliar and unreachable feeling.
However, other than the fact that the person was not my reflection, the color of hair that you couldn't find anywhere else, those eyes that give off the same vibe. That dark blue color revolving amongst those dark, shady eyes.
But, compared to what I have, his hair and eyes give off a much more secretive feeling. I never thought about that once of myself.
Mirbo had also said one word when coming out of the prison and seeing his face in the light.

"Resemblance."

'Father' was momentarily silent. Stopping, he calmly looked at my face. His hair, as if they were of those countless stars, was a part of the night sky, as if it was himself.

"Fabian, calm your mind. Calm down and listen to what I have to say."

What are you going to say? Something sad? A truth I never wanted to know?
I don't want to hear a bit of it. I don't want to hear it at all.
My body, slowly but surely began to shudder.
No, I abhor this kind of feeling.

"I wish I could calmly share my story with you and explain why I had revealed my existence so late in front you. I wanted you to understand and give you time to search for me, and I also wanted to help you as well. However, it's not the time for that.

What time? What time is it then!
Mirbo was looking at a different direction. He made an expression as if he already guessed what the story was about! Even you have the capacity to make wrong a.s.sumptions as well!
I barely refrained from collapsing and stared at my father.

"Habiyanak?? Do not go back."

"WHY ! ! !"

I was surprised myself to hear such a tremendous voice. Despite not having the strength or health to uphold myself after starving for three straight meals, I didn't expect myself to have this much energy left over at all.

"… Do not look."

See what?!
My body trembled with such intensity that it was recognizable to anyone. It was as if the ground was las.h.i.+ng out at me excitedly. I clenched my teeth.
"…… What… happened?"

The voices that leaked out of my mouth sounded strange. It was as if I was not myself. I was unfamiliar with this body, the place that I lived.
Afraid of this critical moment.
No!

"NOO~! ! ! "

My head slowly became empty. My knees started to yield, I stumbled a step back defeated. My body was heavier than anything in the world at the moment.
Mirbo had turned his face towards 'Father'. And then he calmly asked.

"From what were they attacked by?"

"Corpses, no the deceased, it would be appropriate to call it an a.s.sembly of the dead."

"Are you talking about zombies?"

"No…it's a bit different."
These two people, as if I didn't exist in front of them, began to share their information. I was not even curious of that.
I didn't need it by any means. Whether zombies had attacked my village or something else, whether that information was obtained by the death of a person, nothing mattered to me. If I go see it, there's no need for words. Even if you tell me to not see, I must go and see for myself what has happened no matter what.
I turned my back towards them and started to run towards the gate.

"Fabian! Where are you going!"

Ahah, why is his scream so similar to my voice to that extent.
I didn't turn back, but paused in my tracks.

"I am going to Habiyanak."

"Don't go."

"I will go."

A brief silence.

"… … You might die."

That's probably so. Yes, you may not care about the life and death of your wife whom you've been separate from for 18 years.
However, as for me, the one whom for the last 18 years she held and scolded me, the one I parted from yesterday afternoon, the one that had cooked for me warm soup, the one that always worryingly said to return safely, the one who wore a white ap.r.o.n with hair flung back, my one and only mother!
There was no need for a reply.

"Fabian."

This time it was Mirbo. What are you trying to say this time?

"Fabian, you didn't forget to retrieve the sword, right?"

Mirbo didn't hold me back. That's it. You were that kind of person. That's why I like you.
I didn't feel the need to talk with the two any longer.

I ran towards the interior of the castle. There was no one that had grabbed me. Guards, servants, n.o.bles, there was n.o.body.
It was hard to pinpoint the geography of the castle as I became a bit confused. But in a while, I realized something was dragging me towards a direction. This, as if it was so certain, was searching for me, or so I thought. Trusting my heart, I followed the trail that it led me to, which didn't take too much time.

Soon, I had entered the barracks of the guards. And without hesitation, I chose one of the doors. It was locked. I kicked it. No time to waste. None. Even if the lord's wealth was here, nothing mattered to me.
Unable to count how many times, I kicked the door as hard as I could until I couldn't feel anything in my feet. The locked door handle finally fell off.
Shaking the door until it was about to break, the room within had signs of it being a complete mess. Among the four beds was an object wrapped in white cloth waiting for me.
Although my whole body was sorely aching, a burning aura from that sword shone up to my chin, because of it, the pain from  my body seemed to have disappeared somewhere far away, as if uncertain if it was mine.
Loosening the string, I held the sword.
This hot feeling, good.

I rushed outside the castle. I couldn't even remember how long the front yard of the castle was. As I had not had a single drop of water the entire day, I exhausted whatever saved up energy onto my legs as I concentrated on running, carrying the sword with both hands.
Ahah, slow, too slow. d.a.m.n it, I wish I could throw away this heavy body and fly off.

The drawbridge was lowered as it was. I quickly jumped over it.
The fastest path to Habiyanak, is that straight uphill road.
The ever-crowded village of Ember, those many merchants with their signs.
However, there was really no one that I could see on the streets.
This ominous presence, it was as if it the air itself was pressurizing my body until it was about to burst.
What's that buzzing, roaring sound that I hear?

"Fabian."

Outside Ember on the corner of the road was Mirbo and a blue-black haired man who stood waiting. Those words, I could barely hear it.

"We will go together."

TL Afterword

Please go save his mother. Don't let her die! Also, it feels like an apocalyptic scene even though it's a fantasy setting and they had gone to war.

PR Afterword

Sai 101: Darth Vader: "Luke, I am your Father" Moment

Translator: Calvis
Proofreader: Sai101, Kajin