To Battle Dragons and Our Pasts

Part 3

Part 3

I was speechless, this was the stranger that had saved my life? He had to be, but that didn't solve why he looked familiar because I'd never seen his face. He let out a breath and looked at me.

"I know what you're thinking. How can I be that guy if I look familiar, right?"

I nodded, and then blushed thinking that he must of noticed me constantly staring at him.

"Well, I'm a spitting image of my father." He let out a short, angry laugh.

Realization hit me like an anvil. How did I not figure it out sooner? He looked exactly like the man who killed my parents, except younger. His eyes were less cold too, the depth of color was the same, but Edmund's were kinder, they didn't hold that hard hatred that was burned into my memory.

He looked at me and smiled weakly,

"I know this is a shock but could you breath at least?"

I guess I hadn't really breathed since my initial gasp.

"Sorry."

"Don't be."

More silence.

"Edmund, since I answered your question can you answer mine?"

"Of course."

"Who won?"

"Who won what?"

"Your fight with your dad? You or him?"

"Oh," He rested his elbows on his knees. "That would depend on your definition of winning. After you left I was able to focus more on taking him down. I didn't intend to kill him though, I didn't really know what I intended to do, I just knew I had to stop him.

"I found out about his 'job' when a representative of the king came and demanded to speak with my father. The man and my dad were talking alone for so long that I got curious and heard the man say that dad needed to hit the elder Cyrdynn's place that night. There was some talk of keeping them from rising again or something like that. So I waited for my dad to leave that evening and followed him. He was joined by other men as he went along.

"Since they were mounted and I wasn't, I eventually lost sight of them and had to slow down to track them. When I caught up to them I saw the whole place in flames and the men leaving, but not my dad. I knew this was my chance so I ran to the least burning building. What I saw sickened me, but I won't go into that. Then I spotted you, so small and helpless, and my father with a sword raised and I lost it."

He paused and shook his head.

"Well, after you left it was just us, father and son, in a burning building left to settle our differences. I was glad the cut he had landed on me fell mostly on my face, not my shoulder because, being on the left side it would of hindered me considerably. We went at for a while before he said anything.

"'I am disappointed in you Edmund.' He had said when we both need a breather. 'I thought you could join me soon. I suppose we're different though. Now I'll have to kill you and blame the raid on you and your death on the house collapsing.' I knew he was sincere too."

He paused again. I didn't move, seeing as I had no idea what to do with my limbs if I did. I was beginning to believe his story was worse than mine, but I didn't say so because I knew my sympathy in particular would not be appreciated. He ran his hands through his hair.

"I knew at that moment this fight was to the death. And you know what? I was completely prepared to kill him. That sounds cold, but in the heat of the moment and the scene we were in it seemed the only reasonable outlet. And maybe it was. Anyway, we fought a little longer while your hou- uh... the building was burning around us; Dad must of decided it was time to get out of there because he began trying to find a way out.