Knight Of Pensylon: Rise Of The Cavalier
Chapter 11 - Graft's

As the sun set, the sky above began to turn dark. The clouds hanging in the sky are no longer visible because they are covered in the dark of the night.

While it's all happening, I'm sitting here. Not to forget, I held my father in front of us who was holding our horse's harness.

Worried about falling backwards as the only thing that could hold me back was a Spirit tail that was completely unreliable as it was short.

Right, the two of us were returning home while riding on Spirit. Although the saddle itself is actually only enough for one person.

We actually feel sorry for this horse for having to carry the load of two people, but how else? My father and I both had reasonable reasons why we both had to ride this one dark horse.

My father actually had problems with his breathing. I don't know exactly how it happened, but I told you it had something to do with fire.

Maybe because of a fire? Because he inhales too much smoke?

I don't know, but one thing is clear. Being able to walk from my home to Victoria's house without a break or passing out just once was a miracle for this man, let alone run so.

Then me alone?

My own reasons should be clear. Basically, Uncle Victoria wasn't kidding when she said my legs shouldn't be moved at all.

Now, I can only go silent frowning withstanding the pain in my leg that felt like it had been pierced by something.

Not only that, the fragrant oil that I kissed since morning was even more concentrated smell. I think I was really sick from the rain last night.

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Long story short, we managed to get home. As I expected, that face was the first one I saw in front of the fence.

Mother's face, sadness is evident from her watery eyes. His gaze was empty looking towards my family's Istal whose door was wide open, one part of it was even lying on the ground.

I can only imagine how painful it is. It hurts when something you get with a bone slam and labor, is suddenly snatched away by someone else.

Before long, he must have heard the sound of a horse's footsteps because he immediately turned to look at Father and I who were riding Spirit. Tears dripped from between his eyes.

"Christopher!" he shouted as he walked quickly towards us.

Dad came down from Spirit, and then lifted me down until my footwear knew what it was like to kiss with grass.

"Mother?" I said.

The woman quickly knelt down and both her hands wrapped around my body. I was stunned, my gaze remained straight towards the stables whose roof was already somewhat weathered like my bedroom closet.

"You're okay, right?!" his jolt.

My mom was worried about me, I could feel it. His arm sometimes touches my forehead which is still bandaged. It hurts, but what else? I don't want him to worry.

"Yes." I replied.

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It's been a long time since Dad and I got home. Quite a lot has happened since the same time.

For example, I have to take a shower because it just ran out to take Victoria to the market to sell manure.

Then Dad who had to go to Istal to fix his front door that was not actually repaired was honestly no different.

Then Mother and Christina were preparing for a family dinner. Last time there was Chris who disturbed Christa who was sleeping, at least before mom pulled her ear.

...----------------...

After a long time, Me, Father, Mother, and my three sisters all gathered at the dinner table. Dinner time has arrived.

However, unlike the usual dinner which is always noisy and full of laughter, this dinner is only filled with the sound of crickets accompanying.

"Bread again? I promised you we'd eat something else today!" Chris surprised.

"Eat what's there, Chris." Father said before he bit a piece of bread.

"But I promised!" said Chris.

Christina reprimands... "Eat it, Brother Chris. Amms... Christa just wants to eat, you know."

"But-"

"Have eaten!" Mother spoke up.

Finally, Chris touched the bread and put it in his mouth. His face looks gloomy.

Shit, it's all my fault.

Mom looks so moody. His face painted an expression of confusion and worry. Makes me even less willing to just look at him.

"What should we do, Carl?" ask mommy to dad.

The father who had just finished his bread turned to look at the mother and asked...

"What?"

"It's winter soon, and almost all of our treasures and food supplies have been stolen. For the Soul of Pensylon, what should we do?" lamented mother.

It's all my fault. If only I could stop those two robbers...

"I honestly don't know what else to do." I'm speaking up.

"Hmm, then we have to do that."

"Wait, Martha. You're not-"

"Sorry." I said.

Everyone at the table looked at me, and also stared at the piece of bread on my plate that was still intact, I could even guarantee it was completely untouched.

"Why are you sorry, Christopher?" ask Dad.

"I'm sorry I failed to stop those two robbers. If only I could, we wouldn't be like this." I explained with my head bowed down for not daring to look at them.

"You're not wrong at all, Christopher. Just continue eating." Mother is back.

Therefore, I stared at the bread in front of me and tore it a little before finally eating it.

"We don't have any other choice, Carl." Mom continued the conversation.

"Come, Martha. It's my father's legacy."

Grandpa's relics? Wait for. Don't-don't...

"Carl. We have to sell Spirit."

BRAK!!

The crack of my desk shocked the whole house, even Chris reflexively stood up from his stool.

"WHAT?!" my yelling.

I must have heard wrong, right? There's no way mom can think of

"Sorry, Christopher. We have to sell Spirit. It's the only way we have to survive the winter" Mom said.

No, can't!

"I told you, that's the only way we can survive the winter!"

I could feel mother's frustration at having to repeat the same words, both from her face and her tone.

"What makes you think selling Spirit will make you survive the winter?!" my sentakku.

"All our food supplies for winter have been stolen, Christopher. We have to sell Spirit so we can get at least enough graft (pensylon currency) to buy food in the winter."

"But there's more than one way to get food, right?! We don't have to"

BUKS!

"Mom's not done talking!" cut it while swinging the knife to the table in front of him.

Cut the bread in front of him, and cut off the guts of anyone who sees it, including - not, especially me.

How not? Mother's eyes were completely wide open towards me.

His gaze completely pierced my soul, realising that my soul would be at the side of the Pensylon Soul at any moment if I was foolish enough to reopen my mouth.

"Do you think mom decided to sell Spirit without the slightest consideration?! Christopher Hamilton?!" hardik the woman.

My mouth was tightly locked, my body was shaking as if I was feverish, I felt my chest being beaten from the inside by my heart, my body stiff.

"The horse will definitely need food as well, and he will only spend the graft that we should be able to use to buy family food.

So, rather than Spirit starve to death or exhaust the graft and starve us to death...

It would be better if we sell the horse so that we get the graft and he gets a new employer who can take better care of him.

Plus, even without the horse, we can still survive. What more reason do we have for keeping the horse?" obviously mother.

The explanation makes sense, even I would actually agree to the thought that Spirit is not my grandfather's legacy horse.

"But-"

"Nothing but! Christopher, tomorrow you and your father will go to the market to sell Spirit!"

My family's dinner isn't even over yet, and mom already told me to do something tomorrow.

"BUT THIS IS UNFAIR!" I shouted as I moved from the dining table.

I took three steps back before my feet were fixated on the floor of the ground I stepped on. Staring at the five family members who were in front of me, all of whom were looking at me unhappily. Especially mother.

"Mom doesn't care if this is fair or not to you, Christopher. After all, you only use Spirit to race horses, right?!"

"I told you, I never race horses again mom!"

"You think I'm stupid? Then what's with that cut on your forehead?!"

With reflexes, I touched this wound on my forehead that Uncle Victoria said would remain imprinted at any moment. Shit, he realized it. What am I supposed to say...

"Look! That cut on your forehead is the main reason why we're banning you from horse racing, Christopher! You'll only hurt yourself if you race horses!" hardik Mommy to me.

"I'm..."

I die of lice, not a word comes out of my mouth, I feel the vibrations in my body, I silently stare in front of my family, like a belaguer.

I was frozen still.

"Tomorrow morning, you will go to the market with your father to sell the horse. When you get back from there, you'll stay home. There will be no more playing time for you, forever. Point." said my mother.

I looked at the father who also saw me with a gaze that seemed to say:

"Listen to your mother, son."

However, I still don't want to. Spirit is grandfather's legacy. Family pride for a long time, and mom wanted to sell it as easily as turning the palm of the hand? Then make me lose my freedom? Of course I'm not willing!

"Is Mom seriously going to punish me like this?!" much

"Of course I'm serious! You've given me a second chance since the village chief's son and his girl friend begged for your freedom! Then you just broke it! You think I'll give you your next chance?!"

I was silent for a moment, before I asked a question I was sure I would regret in the future...

"Are you really my mother?!"

Mother was silent for a moment, as well as others who had witnessed my debate with Mother. Before then he screamed.

"How dare you say that!"

"Of course I dare! From the start all you did was get angry, yell, and punish me! It's like I'm not really your real son!" I quickly answered her scream.

"Where do you think that?! You must learn from your friends, right?!"

Damn it, this woman blames Norman and Victoria for what I said?! Is he completely unconscious?!

"Don't blame them both! Those words were purely from me because that was the fact! You're always mad at me! Not to Chris, Christina, or Christa! YOU'RE ALWAYS MAD AT ME!"

Mother's face has shown great wrath, but she doesn't know for a moment that I'm as angry with her.

"YES ALREADY THEN, JUST STAY THERE WITH NORMAN DAN-"

"NORMAN IS GONE!!!!!" yell while...

Brak! BRUK!!! PRANGS! Tech... Tech... Tech...

I hit the dining table in front of me, making this fragile table finally collapse. Metal plates fell to the ground, making a loud noise that made the entire room noisy.

The uneaten breads just fell to the ground floor, and my family all simultaneously took a few steps back and watched the fragile table finally collapse.

"Mother!! Uwaayahhhh...." Christa cried and hugged Mom who then tried to calm her down.

Chris hurriedly picked up the bread that was in front of him. Honestly, that's disgusting. Christina herself I think is my thoughts because she looked at Chris with disdain.

Dad looked at.

I couldn't explain what he was looking at, but I knew it must be bad.

"Christopher.." call Dad to me.

Tch, shit!

The tep! The tep! The tep!

I ran towards the front door of the house.

"CHRISTOPHER HAMILTON!!! COME BACK HERE RIGHT NOW!!!" shouting Mother.

KRIET! JEB!

I don't care, I left the four members of my family whose dinner I just made a mess.

I opened the front door of my house that was starting to rickety, and then I closed it hard. The rain soaked my body and my clothes, forcing me to go somewhere...

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