With a fierce roar, Archer unleashed a torrent of violet flames, reducing the followers of the Church of Light to ashes that floated away on the cool breeze.
Scanning the garden with his eyes, he searched for Janna, finally spotting her at the back, comforting his sisters. Archer nodded his massive head in her direction.
With a mighty flap of his massive wings, he gracefully ascended into the sky, soaring higher and higher.
His gaze remained fixated on the distant silhouette of the Church as he closed in on the sacred structure.
His mighty wings beat with intensity, propelling him forward at increasing speed.
Drawing closer, he slowed to a stop, hovering just above the Church. At that moment, Teuila's voice broke through the silence.
"Arch, what are we doing here?" She asked.
Without a moment's hesitation, in a deep voice, he replied, "Destroy."
A brilliant glow emanated from his chest as he unleashed a stream of fire onto the Church, setting it ablaze and casting a beautiful violet light over the surrounding area.
The flames raged, consuming everything in their path until nothing remained but smoldering ruins.
Flying out of the city, Archer felt a surge of pride wash over him. He landed just beyond the city limits, Teuila hopped off his back as he transformed back into his humanoid form.
Standing there, Teuila enveloped him in a tight embrace. "I heard everything that horrible woman said to you," she whispered.
Archer returned the hug, grateful for her unwavering support. Teuila continued speaking, her voice filled with love and reassurance.
"Forget what she said. I'll never leave you, and neither will Ella. That girl deeply loves you, you know. Even when she was hurt, you were all she could talk about."
A warm sensation spread through Archer as he realized the depth of love and support he received from the two girls.
With a grateful smile, he opened a portal and stepped through, Teuila followed closely behind him.
[Janna's P.O.V]
As Archer soared into the distance, Janna knew she had wronged him, but in recent years, she had been trying to make it up to him.
Swiftly redirecting her focus to the girls, she calmed them down and ensured their safety.
Once the girls were settled, she hurried towards her husband, who lay amidst the rubble, his body bearing numerous injuries.
He began to stir as she approached. Leonard sat up, surveying the scene as the violet flames gradually diminished.
Janna wasted no time and got straight to work. "Get up, Leonard. We need to clean up this mess," she declared firmly.
As she walked away, her sharp eyes caught sight of Ksara, who remained dazed and struggled to stand.
Without hesitation, Janna strode over to her, confronting her head-on with a voice dripping with scorn.
"You disgust me. I knew he was bullied, but I had no idea he endured torture. You better go check on your sons; they're screaming like children," she spat.
Ksara snapped out of her daze and hastily rushed off to tend to Aldwulf and Pallius, as they rolled around on the ground.
Janna's attention was captured by the sight of healers emerging from the castle, diverting her gaze towards the two boys who had been transformed into eunuchs by Archer.
Two girls approached her, their voices filled with curiosity. "Mother, was that brother Archer?" They inquired.
She turned around to find her youngest daughter, Kestria, standing there with her short brown hair and bright green eyes.
Nodding at her daughter, she replied, "Yes, my love, it was him."
Kestria's eyes sparkled with delight as she spoke. "He's become so handsome, he even has a fiancée now," she said, her voice brimming with pride.
Curiosity filled Kestria's widened eyes. "And is she a princess? Which kingdom does she come from?" She asked.
Janna pondered for a moment before answering. "She hails from a kingdom in the far south, near the sea. That's all I really know, to be honest," she said with a shrug.
As Janna and Kestria conversed, her older daughter Dara approached with an angry expression etched on her face. She halted in front of them and spoke in a frustrated tone.
"Look at what that weirdo did to the boys; it's evil," Dara exclaimed, her voice brimming with anger and concern.
Janna turned to face her daughter, her voice growing angrier. "What do you mean, 'weirdo'? He was tortured by our family, and it seems like you were involved?" She accused.
Dara's face turned pale as she heard her mother's words. She cast her gaze downward, unable to meet her mother's eyes, fully aware of the truth behind the accusation.
Witnessing her daughter's reaction, Janna's anger intensified. She slapped Dara across the face and began shouting.
"How dare you torture him! He was an innocent little boy. All he did was lose a damn fight, and all of you turned on him, making his life a living hell!" She yelled.
Dara held her cheek, feeling scared and ashamed. Her mother's anger was an uncommon sight, and she understood the weight of her terrible actions.
Janna's voice trembled with emotion as she addressed her daughter.
"I never raised you to be like this, Dara. He was your baby brother! You cradled him when he was born. How could you do such things to him?" Her words dripped with disgust and disappointment.
Feeling furious and betrayed, Janna left Dara standing there and stormed off to confront Larka.
But before she could reach her, Leonard approached, attempting to calm her down.
"Darling, calm down. We all made mistakes with him, but he was too weak to remain here," he said, trying to justify what he had done.
Janna abruptly halted and turned to face him, her yellow eyes ablaze with fire. Her voice quivered with emotion as she confronted Leonard, her fury palpable.
"Mistakes? Weak? Are you kidding me? He bested you and commands a legion of formidable Dragon-kin warriors. He single-handedly killed hundreds of the Church's knights. He is the savior of an entire kingdom. The imperial family itself seeks him out! What part of any of that is weak? He's a powerful Dragon, Leonard!"
Leonard hung his head, unable to find the words to assuage Janna's anger. Regret consumed him, and his mind raced with thoughts of what might have been.
'What if I had treated the boy differently? What if he had shown him the love and affection that a father is supposed to show his son?'
These thoughts left him feeling helpless and lost. Janna's voice quivered with rage as she approached Larka, her eyes blazing with fury.
Larka's face remained blank and pale, but Janna's disgust knew no bounds. She stood before her sister-wife, her expression twisted with pure contempt.
"You witnessed your son being tortured and didn't intervene, Larka?" Janna spat out the words, her voice dripping with venom.
"Sia was right. You're an unfit mother who doesn't deserve children. How could you stand idly by and watch the son YOU gave birth to endure such torment? And the worst part is, you probably relished in it!"
Janna's words pierced Larka's heart like sharp daggers, inflicting deep wounds upon her soul.
"I can't believe I have two sister wives as despicable as you and Ksara," she hissed, her voice brimming with contempt.
The weight of Janna's words left Larka utterly disgusted with herself. She retreated to the castle, seeking solace and attempting to calm her racing thoughts.
In the midst of the turmoil, Aldwulf and Pallius descended into a deep depression, realizing that their masculinity could never be returned to them.
Hyara was consumed by fear of her brother and shouldered the blame for his transformation.
She understood that it was impossible to repair their relationship, as she had crossed boundaries in her abuse.
While most of the Ashguard siblings had played a role in Archer's torment, a few didn't join in on such cruelty.
Some of them never bullied him and tried to bond with him. Among them, Oswyn, their oldest brother, had never bullied Archer and had actively tried to intervene.
Regrettably, his pleas fell on deaf ears, and he was sent away to the academy. The castle garden was swiftly restored to its former state, and life resumed its semblance of normalcy.
[Starfall City, Avalon Empire's Capital]
A resounding knock echoed through the halls of the imperial palace.
"Enter," he called out, and his advisor complied, bowing respectfully before approaching him, holding a sheet of paper.
Osoric glanced at the paper and inquired, "What is it, Gerrin? I'm currently reviewing the harvest reports, so it better be important."
Gerrin nodded solemnly and replied, "Yes, Your Majesty. It pertains to the Ashguard family and their exiled son."
The mention of the exiled son caught his attention, and he proceeded to read the paper, growing increasingly shocked.
With a resolute gaze in his emerald eyes, the Emperor finished reading the report and issued a command to his advisor.
"Gerrin, dispatch our men to locate Archer. They must bring him back to the palace without delay. Furthermore, inform the Royal Intelligence Agency that they are to abstain from pursuing any charges against the young man. The responsibility for this outrage lies solely with the Ashguards."
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