Bound and Broken: An Isekai Adventure Dark Fantasy (Melas Book 1) V.A. Lewis (feel good books to read .TXT) 📖

Everyone stared at him as he finally pushed his way out of the crowd. He was followed by a young boy. Adrian. His parents rushed forward to meet him.

"Adrian, sweetie, are you ok? We were worried—"

"Where were you Adrian?! You didn’t come home for two—"

Walden cut them off and pointed at the boy.

"Adrian has something important he wants to say."

Adrian looked up at the middle aged man, and nodded his head. Adrian then turned to his parents.

"Mom. Dad. I’m sorry for worrying you. But I needed some time by myself to think. I know you guys care a lot for me, and you only want what is best for me. That is why I decided… I will be going to Xanderia."

The young boy’s parents blinked and looked at each other for a moment.

Natalie then turned back to her son, smiled, and hugged him. "Then go, Adrian. We love you so much. You worried us, you know? So don’t make us worry and write to us."

"I’m sorry for being mad at you, Adrian. Be good, ok? We love you, you know." Benedict placed a hand on his son's head, and gently kissed him in the forehead.

The young boy nodded, and began exchanging heartfelt goodbyes with others in the village. Fria looked at Walden, and he shrugged.

"I didn’t do anything. He was already like this when I found him."

Finally, after saying his goodbyes with everyone in the village and his parents, again. Adrian walked up to Fria and the Saint. Theron looked like he was about to say something to the boy, but Adrian just ignored him.

Adrian walked straight up to Fria, but never once looked her in the eyes. The young woman offered a hand to the boy, and he took it and saddled up behind her. Theron looked at Fria, and she just shrugged.

"Let’s go."

The Saint nodded, and they left. The horses trotted away from the village, and Adrian turned and waved until Villamcreek vanished from sight. Fria remained quiet the entire time, and only after an hour did Adrian speak.

"I still think you guys are evil."

His voice was soft, almost a whisper. It was meant only for Fria. And only Fria heard it. Theron did not even turn his head. Fria simply nodded.

"Then be good. Become strong and be the good that this world so desperately needs. Learn about the evils of this world, and become strong enough to do something about it."

"Shut up! I already know that." Adrian snapped back at her. "You don’t have to tell me what to do, I already figured it out myself."

Fria snorted.

"Ok, genius."

And she was only being half sarcastic when she said that

Part Two: Escape Escape

Chapter 11: Free Lands

It was a beautiful day. The glittering rays of the sun shone lightly on my face as the gentle rocking of the wagon woke me up. My vision cleared as I blinked a few times and stared out in between the drapes, catching a glimpse of the verdant green landscape spreading out into the distance.

A voice broke my stupor, as I rubbed at my eyes.

"Hey, you."

A man who looked to be around his late forties spoke out. He had brown hair and blue eyes, a five o’clock shadow covering his chin. He smiled gently at me and continued.

"You’re finally awake. We were—"

I inhaled deeply, and just barely stopped myself from shouting. So instead, I screamed internally. Oh my God, am I in Skyrim now? Is that what this is?! You’ve GOT to be kidding me!

I sighed and looked down, catching a glimpse of silver. I stared at the piece of metal that was on my hands and feet, and really really really hoped I wasn’t in Skyrim. A pair of manacles shackled my hands and bound my feet; it stretched down a row of feet, binding me with the dozen other people in the wagon.

"Wha…?" I breathed the word, confused at what was going on.

I looked up and finally took in what the people riding with me looked like. Everyone— including the man that I was still ignoring— were dressed in ragged garbs, covered in grime and dirt. Finally, I stopped zoning out and turned to the still speaking man.

"So we just crossed the border—"

"What’s going on?" I brusquely interrupted him. "Why are we chained up?"

"Slaves. We are being sold as slaves."

…

Why? Why?! WHY?!! I’m being sold as a SLAVE?! But— what— why?!

How did I become a slave? I really did not know. I do not even remember how I got here. Last thing I remembered was… my mom.

My heart sank as I remembered what happened before I blacked out. My mother was killed. The Inquisitors— the Holy Xan Empire— they killed her.

They found us, and they killed my mom. The only person in this world I even cared about was dead. Dead because a bunch of religious extremists hunted her down like unjustly. Like she was a Witch.

But she was not a witch. This world did not even have the word ‘Witch’ in it. But they killed her because she practiced magic. Because that was heresy.

And my mom was dead. Gone forever. I didn't even say goodbye. I couldn’t. I just ran and left her.

I loved her. I loved my mother more than anything else in this world. It was not even my world, but I loved her. Yet, I left her to die.

Now, somehow, as if the world was punishing me for it, I was being sold as a slave; perhaps I deserved this. Or maybe I should have been angry about it. Furious. But I only felt empty.

I felt nothing.

Not the hand resting gently on my shoulder. Not the tears streaming down my face. There was nothing.

I did not know how