Seeing how Kael wasn't killing Aldric just yet, Vaelen breathed a sigh of relief, but he also swallowed hard, as now, he had to start explaining.
Every eye was on him—demihuman guards, villagers peeking from shattered doorways, Aldric suspended midair and barely breathing, Marthis unconscious on the stone, and above all—
Kael.
Those golden eyes didn't glare.
They measured.
Vaelen straightened on his knees and bowed his head.
"I'll start from the beginning," he said hoarsely. "I came here chasing you."
Kael's gaze sharpened.
Vaelen felt it immediately and rushed on, words tumbling out. "Not because of justice. Not because of revenge. I came to impress my father."
A murmur rippled through the onlookers.
"I chased you and the demihumans who escaped Veldera," Vaelen continued. "Because… because you killed my brother."
His fingers clenched into the stone.
