Battle of Lies

Chapter II

"Leon, we love you and our love will always be with you, but we are sick. You have learned about the Biotamaw plague. Soon your mother will be taken by it then myself. Leo, you must promise me one thing. Don't look back. Don't regret leaving us. Don't regret still being alive and untouched by the plague. Promise me you won't regret anything, ever, no matter what," Leon's father said.

"I promise dad. I won't regret anything," Leon said.

Leon's father had been right. Both of his parents were taken by the plague that day. Leon was left alone. The next day the rest of his village were killed by the plague. Leon didn't know what his father meant at the time. All he knew was that he couldn't regret anything or else he would fail his father. After all of his village had died he grabbed a torch and burned the entire village. With tears in his eyes he walked away. Leon knew he would never return home.

Leon remembered that week very clearly. How he had almost died of starvation and dehydration all together. How he cried himself to sleep because he missed his parents. How he got a deep long cut that snaked its way down his arm. He remembered it all, but didn't regret anything. He knew it had happened for a reason and that there was nothing to regret. He had kept to his word for four years. Leon didn't plan on looking back, ever again.

Leon sighed. He got up from the bed he was sleeping in. The inns near the Krorale border always took in those from Northwest Drayleial. Most of the inns were run by elves anyway so they didn't have to worry about the plague. Leon went down the stairs into the inn lobby.

"Good morning Leon," the innkeeper, Theomin, said.

"Good morning," Leon said.

"Will you be leaving us, today?" Theomin asked.

"Sadly, yes. I have stayed here for too long. It's time I keep moving."

"Very well, as you wish. I have packed some preserves for you and there is a blessed horse waiting for you in the stables." Theomin set a burlap sack onto the table and waited for Leon to take it.

"Theomin! You didn't have to."

"Oh yes I did. I can't have a 16 year old walk out of my inn without food."

Leon smiled and took the sack.

"Farewell, Leon Walker."

"Bye."

Leon went up to the room he had slept in for two weeks. In truth, he didn't want to leave, but his father made him promise to never look back and that was what he was going to do.

Never look back...

Leon picked up his things and walked out of the inn. He found the blessed horse. It was the most beautiful horse he had ever seen. When he was young, most of the horses in his village looked sickly and on the brink of death. If you rode one it would collapse and you would fall. But this horse, this horse wasn't one you could find in all of Drayleial. The horse itself was a beautiful hickory brown. It had powerful legs that could crush you if the horse was startled. It had a beautiful silvery white mane. The horse's ears flicked as a large fly tried to land on it.

"Oh, you are a beautiful thing," Leon said.

The horse neighed. She was clearly impatient. Leon put his things in the pouch that rested on the saddle. As soon as everything was secure, Leon jumped on the horse and she took off.

"I am sorry."

That was Omsya's mother's last words.

Omsya, herself, had no idea what her mother meant.

"Mother, what did you mean?" Omsya asked out loud.