Parallel

Chapter 1 Part 1

A Hero Return's

    "Hol dyour head high Llewellyn, look into their eyes and remember this day, for they will never forget it.", Pryderi's first words to Llewellyn since returning to Mendacium.  "I am not sure how I should respond to all this Pryderi.  A festival in your honor, I feel i belong down there or atleast half of me does . . .", replied Llewellyn to Pryderi's wisened word's.  
    "Well tell me, where do you feel you belong?", Pryderi ask's Llewellyn intrigued to hear his answer.  "There is a part of me that feels I have earned this, there is another that feels I belong down there with them . . . but the third tells me none of this is what I need, it keeps me unsure of myself."  Pryderi could sense the stiffness with which he spoke.  Slightly disappointed, he put's one hand on his shoulder to give him some comfort and explains the following.
    "You may be a parentless, streetborn peasant but that was the you from before.  Today you are Llewellyn, you have climbed through the ranks and proven your worth so that not even people like myself can speak ill of you.  Yet your greatest accomplishment has yet to be seen or told.  We, together, defeated a Titan, I may  have had the armor and sword granted to me by our very own king, yet you possesed something I could never hope to achieve.  One day you will realize just what your true value is.  Never let any of these noble's belittle you, now tell me, how do you really feel?", he releases his shoulder and at that moment Llewellyn appeared to have changed.
    Doubtlessly he closed his eye's, felt the thunderous clapping and cheering from the crowd and a cool breeze carressing his face and flowing through the curls of his hair.  A transformation took place.  Pryderi saw him and he appeared taller with a muscular physicque, where he looked weak he appeared strong.  Full of a new confidence, he takes a deep breath with his arms spread out like a "t" and he says this, "I began as nobody, the day you picked me off the street is the day I had a name finally.  It was not easy but with your guidance and support I finally became a man, I even helped you defeat a Titan.  Returning to Mendacium today has me feeling confused though.  The people don't know what it means to fight a war and I no longer feel human.  I feel more than that, I have become more than human, a greater man . . . almost like a Titan!"
    Pryderi was not surprised, he remembers his first war all too well . . . and his first defeat.  "Even Titan's can die Llewellyn, we have proven that much."  Pryderi continued, "Never make yourself believe that you can not as well."  This made Llewellyn feel vulnerable, as he should always feel.  He turn's to Pryderi and looks into his icy blue eyes.  The sun light shine's on Pryderi as if singling him out among everyone else.  Today was his day Llewellyn understood, his would come on another.  
    Pryderi say's one last thing to Llewellyn before turning his attention on pleasing the crowd.  "You are only human."  With this, Llewellyn looked smaller, skinnier and weaker but not like before today.  Regardless, Pryderi spoke the truth and Llewellyn understood.  Pride is a warrior's downfall and overconfidence his poison.
    Still, his strength and newfound confidence is there.  Llewellyn will finally be able to do what he has wanted to since the first day he laid eye's on her.  The only spoil he brought back with him was a full diamond ring he took from the Titan, and finally at last he will have gained the standing he required for her.
    Now the sun seemed to be sharing the light with him as well, but only one noticed this . . . a masked man in the crowd.  All anyone could see if they had noticed him would be a mask which bore intricate character's, runes, patterns and scribbles of a language long lost.  Hair growing wildly from any escape it could find and a frame that was deceivingly strong and weak.  
    "''ave you 'eard?", said the butcher to the feeble looking man in the mask.  We can't be sure if he really was speaking to the masked man.  "Hear what exactly?" replied the masked man.  "They say our very own Pryderi went to (castle/village name here) and plucked the Titan living there right from 'is cozy lil' throne . . . spared everyone 'cept the Titan 'e did.  Not alone ofcourse, 'ad 'im 'is 'lil mutt with 'im.  The one they call Llewellyn.  Fiesty sort of dog that one, never let's any one man spit in 'is face or mutter a word against 'is foster pop, that Pryderi is too sparing with that mut 'e is.  Should give 'im the rod or the lash with the way 'e talks to them fine folk's living around the castle.  The boy forget's 'e is a rat of the sewer's, not one lick better than me, yet still, side by side by Pryderi conquering kingdom's."      
    Jealousy it seemed was what he sharpened his tongue with today.  "Will you shut it you idiot?!", this coming from the whore to the other side of the masked man and all the while the masked man only kept looking at Pryderi and Llewellyn.  "The boy is the most precious thing Mendacium has to offer.  Tall and easy on the eyes, has all the women of this fair kingdom swooning for him and lets not forget he has a martial talent unmatched by anyone in this kingdom, it's no wonder Pryderi plucked him from the gutter's he did!", said the whore all the while, in her mind, fantasazing an evening with Llewellyn. Just the manner in which her eye's focused on Llewellyn would have lead you to believe it was her and Llewellyn alone on that street.   "It is a shame, that high borne miss already has him smug between her breast."  
    "Listen to you!  The 'ore's in love (insulting cackle), I never knew that was even possible!" the butcher said to the whore with the intention of insulting her.  "A whore yes, but you will never have the coin for a night from me!".
    The masked man stare's still, watching Llewellyn enjoying his parade through the street.  "Look at him, Look at him!  Such, mmmm, strong feature's.", says the masked man in a low commanding voice.  "Can he be? Can he be?", says the masked man again, but in a slightly higher, spine tingling tone.  "Please, leave the boy be, leave him free of your game's!"  said the last voice coming from the mask in a calm and soothing tone.  "He will be our next . . . we must have him!"  said he again with the commanding voice.  "No, please I beg you!  When will you tire of this torture?"  asked the calming voice in a pained manner.  "Why would we tire of something so fun?!"  said the disturbing voice with a cruel chuckle.  "This will never end, we will perpetuate our dogma ceaslessly.  Do you not remember what their kind has done to us?",  said the commanding voice cruelly.  "We do, we can never forget . . . ever.", said the calming voice almost in a manner that admits defeat.  "When do we start when do we start?!", asked the disturbing voice with his chuckle growing even more disturbing.  "Soon enough.  We will let him enjoy the moment while it lasts. It will be enjoyable to see which path he will walk down.", stated the commanding voice.
    One moment the masked man was there, but after his last statement, he just disappeared.  Nobody took notice of him disappearing.  It seemed as if he exhisted but at the same time didn't.  
    Now let us turn to Llewellyn and Pryderi for a moment.  Llewellyn return's with Pryderi a champion and you can clearly see it in his eye's and the way he stand's.  However, Pryderi return's with an appearance as if asking everyone there if what they did really accomplish anything.  Llewellyn just can't be as sagely as Pryderi despite all of Pryderi's guidance.  He is just missing one last thing . . . something life changing.  What will it be, what will it take?  That is what Pryderi has asked himself.
    The day was now at the point where daylight hasn't quite died, but the night sky has not yet quite come to life.  The time inbetween the two paints the sky a myriad of warm and cool color's and bring's a certain peace to Pryderi's expression before reaching the edge of the town, and the beginning of the burning forest.