The Path of Giants by B.T. Narro (year 7 reading list .TXT) 📗

I’m actually quite livid right now after seeing what you’ve done to this poor girl, but I’m not going to take any action because I believe you’re a man who can change with words alone. Am I right, Gerald?”

He seemed to be in thought as he looked at Pilla. I looked over my shoulder. She didn’t seem too happy that I had lied to her, her hard gaze set on me.

“I swear I didn’t know anything about this,” Shelly told Gerald with fear in her eyes. “I’ve never met this healer before.” She took hold of his arm as if to prevent future aggression.

“That’s true,” I said. “Shelly had no part of this.”

“Both of you shut up.” He pushed her away as he glared at me. “I don’t appreciate you coming in here, lying about Veronica, and threatening my family. Now I know my rights. I have asked you to leave. I don’t want you or Veronica coming back here. I don’t care if you’re employed by the king himself. I’ll defend my family against any threat. Get out of my house.”

“I will gladly leave once you show me you understand that if you hurt Shelly again, Veronica might put an end to your actions permanently.”

“I don’t understand shit. Now I warned you!” He stomped back down the hall and out of view.

Shelly had a pleading look in her eyes. “Please go before he hurts you.”

“You’d best be gone by the time I come back!” Gerald yelled from the other side of the house.

“Please!” Shelly said.

I waited in the dining room. Gerald came back with his rusty pickax.

“Last warning!” he said. “Get out, and tell Veronica I’ll kill her if she tries to harm me.”

“You really are stupid. Didn’t you hear anything I just said?”

He grunted as he swung his pickax at me. Seeing as how it was aimed at my shoulder, I didn’t bother to dodge it.

I tensed as he lodged his pickax deep into my flesh. He appeared shocked when I didn’t move or say a thing.

“The fuck?” he blurted as he pulled the pickax out of my shoulder.

I calmly put my hand over the wound as I kept my eyes on him and repaired all the damage in a matter of seconds.

“Now who’s going to fix this hole in my shirt? I’m no good with thread and needle.”

Aggression flooded his face as he went for another strike, this one at my head. I was more than ready, grabbing him with a thick ring of dvinia and hoisting him into the air.

He groaned and struggled, trying to free himself as he squirmed. “The hell is this? Dteria?”

“Of course not, you ape. It’s dvinia.”

“Put me down!”

“Do you agree not to harm Shelly? Or anyone else, for that matter?”

“Fuck you!”

“Fine, we’re taking a little trip.”

I opened the door behind me and walked out backward, bringing the floating Gerald with me as if he were tethered.

I was pleased to see that a number of people had gathered after most likely hearing the commotion. Even the sheriff had arrived.

“I want all of you to listen to Gerald, who is going to vow not to hurt Shelly ever again.”

“Put me down!” he yelled.

“Vow.”

“Fuck you.”

I figured it was his pride speaking at this point. A little pain should do the trick.

As angry as I was, I was a little excited as well. I didn’t know exactly what would happen here. I had never gotten to practice this on anyone but myself.

I tossed Gerald into the air as high as I could, knowing I had already exerted myself too much to force his body to a height at which a drop would kill him. But I was a little surprised at my strength as he flew up a good deal higher than I thought he would, screaming all the way as I heard gasps around me. A couple children laughed.

Oh no, children shouldn’t see this. Too late now, though.

Gerald dropped like a sack of rocks.

I didn’t bother softening his fall as he struck the hard ground. There was a crack that might’ve been sickening to everyone else, but I was used to the sound.

He screamed and grabbed his leg. I put my hand over it and healed it, fixing his broken bone faster than he could realize that his pain was gone.

“You’re fine,” I told him, and soon he stopped yelling. “Do you want to go again?”

“What’s the meaning of this, healer?” the sheriff asked me.

“He’s been abusing his wife.”

Gerald slowly got up and moved his leg around. Finally, he no longer seemed angry as he gazed at me with what looked to be fear.

“Vow,” I told him.

“Fine, I vow.”

“Veronica will be returning to hold you to that, but I can’t say when. Now I must be leaving. Sheriff, would you take me to your house so I may fetch my horse and my belongings?”

He nodded.

Gerald went back into his house and slammed his door. The dozens of people watching began to murmur, Veronica’s name buzzing. Pilla had a dark look for me. I didn’t bother showing her any semblance of an apology. Yes, I had lied. But Remi was my friend, and she had clearly suffered greatly here. It pissed me off.

I didn’t care if Remi had put worms down Pilla’s dress. Remi did not deserve what had happened to her. No one deserved to be forced into an abusive marriage. I just hoped her parents were somewhere in the audience. If not, I was certain they would hear about what happened here.

“I had no idea about Gerald,” the sheriff said.

“I understand,” I answered. He did seem to be telling the truth, as far as I could determine.

“I’ll take responsibility for Shelly,” the sheriff continued. “I’ll make sure Gerald knows that if anything happens to her, he’ll be at fault.”

“I appreciate that.”

He went on to ask how I knew Veronica. It took just a short while to explain everything I had told to Gerald. I was glad when he didn’t bring up the marriage