Riven’s screams continued to echo throughout the communal room, as the moment Garron finished wrenching his second shoulder from its socket, he released the boy without warning and allowed him to collapse face-first onto the wooden floor.
THUD
Before Riven could even recover enough breath to understand what had happened, Garron stepped forward and drove a heavy kick into his ribs, sending his battered body skidding several feet across the room.
"GUH...!"
Riven grunted in pain, as blood sprayed from his mouth while his body struck the far wall, leaving him gasping desperately for air that refused to enter his lungs properly.
Instinctively, he tried to push himself back onto his feet, however, with both shoulders now dislocated, his arms could no longer support his weight, causing him to collapse helplessly onto the floor once again.
Nobody inside the room dared move, as the silence became so complete that every ragged breath escaping Riven’s lungs could be heard clearly while Garron slowly began walking toward him.
’Damn it... what a waste.’
Garron thought, as he looked down upon the broken boy lying before him while feeling a rare trace of genuine disappointment settling inside his chest.
Out of every child who had left Ashfang Village, Riven had quietly become one of the few Garron genuinely believed possessed exceptional potential, as his discipline, endurance, and determination had repeatedly exceeded expectations.
More than once during the journey, Garron had found himself wondering whether the boy might someday become one of the finest soldiers produced from this miserable group of village children.
However, talent meant absolutely nothing without discipline, as a gifted soldier who ignored direct orders could become far more dangerous to his allies than an obedient fool who understood his responsibilities.
Fear and respect were the only two things holding the expedition together, as every child followed Garron’s commands because they feared the consequences of disobedience while respecting his authority enough not to test its limits.
The moment one child openly broke a direct order without suffering overwhelming consequences, every other child would begin wondering whether Garron’s warnings could be ignored whenever they found the risk worthwhile.
Once such thoughts began spreading throughout the group, his authority would gradually weaken, until the children no longer followed orders immediately and the entire expedition eventually collapsed beneath repeated acts of individual stupidity.
’I don’t have the luxury of showing favoritism, not even toward someone as promising as you.’
Garron thought bitterly, as he bent down before grabbing Riven by the front of his shirt and hauling the battered boy upright once more.
"Do you think I enjoy doing this to you? I gain absolutely nothing by breaking your body, and I find no satisfaction whatsoever in listening to you scream."
Garron said, as he looked directly into Riven’s tear-filled eyes before driving a heavy fist into the boy’s stomach and forcing the remaining air from his lungs.
"ARGH...!"
Riven screamed weakly, as his body folded forward around Garron’s fist while every organ inside his abdomen seemed to twist beneath the overwhelming pain.
"This punishment pains me as much as it pains you, because every injury I inflict damages one of the more promising talents I spent the past few months training."
Garron explained, as he forced Riven upright again before shoving him backwards hard enough that the boy stumbled several steps and nearly collapsed.
"However, an order remains an order, and the moment soldiers are allowed to decide which commands they personally consider worthy of following, discipline ceases to exist entirely."
He warned, as he stepped forward before striking Riven across the cheek with enough force to send him spinning sideways and collapsing onto one knee.
"If this were the Imperial Army, you would not be receiving a beating inside some cheap inn while the rest of your companions watched."
Garron continued, as he grabbed Riven by the collar once more and slowly lifted his bruised face until their eyes met.
"You would be standing before a military tribunal, because abandoning your assigned position during an operation is considered desertion, and desertion is usually punished through execution."
He explained, as the seriousness within his eyes made it clear that he was neither exaggerating nor attempting to frighten Riven with an empty threat.
’This isn’t like Hagrid...’
Riven thought through his blurred vision, as tears continued streaming down his cheeks while every part of his broken body screamed beneath the pain.
Whenever Hagrid beat him, the cripple laughed openly and seemed to enjoy every cry that escaped Riven’s mouth, as causing pain had always been the purpose behind those punishments.
Garron, however, was neither smiling nor laughing, as he looked more disappointed than angry while delivering every strike with the cold determination of someone completing an unpleasant responsibility.
Somehow, that made the punishment feel significantly worse, because for the first time in Riven’s life, he could not convince himself that the person hurting him was entirely responsible for his suffering.
’I ignored his warning, left the inn despite knowing the danger, and brought the attention of an outsider directly toward our group.’
Riven thought weakly, as the memories of Garron’s repeated instructions returned to his mind while shame gradually became almost as unbearable as the pain.
’I did this to myself, and every strike I’m receiving now exists because I was too foolish to follow one simple command.’
He realized, as instead of blaming Garron for what was happening, Riven found himself directing every fragment of anger and regret inward toward his own stupidity.
"You’re no longer fit to remain with this group, boy, and that’s a damn shame because I genuinely had high expectations for what you might become."
Garron said quietly, as those words struck Riven far more deeply than any of the punches or kicks he had received until now.
"I... I’m sorry..."
Riven apologized weakly, as his head slowly lowered while his voice barely rose above a whisper, carrying none of the confidence or excitement he had possessed while leaving the inn earlier.
However, Garron’s expression did not soften, as after watching Riven struggle to remain conscious for several moments, he raised his fist once again and prepared to continue the punishment.
"Instructor, please stop! He understands what he did wrong now, and I swear he will never disobey another command again if you spare him this once."
Mary begged desperately, as she could no longer remain silent and suddenly rushed forward before dropping onto both knees between Garron and Riven.
"Please, Instructor, if you continue hurting him like this, you may genuinely kill him before he ever gets the chance to prove that he has learned his lesson."
Stacy pleaded, as she immediately followed her sister forward and knelt beside her while glancing anxiously toward Riven’s barely conscious body.
For several long moments, Garron simply stared at the two girls kneeling before him, as neither Mary nor Stacy looked away despite the fear clearly visible across their faces.
’Guys.... So you do care for me....’
Riven thought, as he felt warmth spreading through his chest.
Despite not stepping up before, the fact that Mary and Stacy stood up for him now meant the world to him, as he smiled a broken smile knowing that he had true friends.
However, before he could truly comprehend that happiness, Garron spoke again—
"The only mercy I am willing to show him is that I will not kill him, because despite his stupidity, wasting his life completely would serve no practical purpose."
Garron replied, as his gaze slowly shifted toward the battered Riven lying helplessly upon the floor while his tone remained completely devoid of sympathy.
"However, as far as allowing him to continue travelling as part of this group is concerned, that is simply no longer possible after the example he has set."
He explained, as without another word, Garron bent down before lifting Riven’s broken body across his shoulder as though carrying nothing more than a sack of grain.
Riven no longer possessed enough strength to resist, as both arms hung limply beside Garron’s back while blood slowly dripped from his split lips onto the instructor’s clothes.
The entire room remained completely silent while Garron carried him toward the doorway, as every child watched with horrified expressions but understood that interfering any further would accomplish nothing.
"Instructor, just where are you taking him? Please, just give him another chance!"
Mary shouted desperately, as she immediately scrambled back onto her feet and followed Garron into the hallway with Stacy rushing only a few steps behind her.
"A ditch."
Garron replied flatly, as he continued walking toward the staircase without slowing his pace or glancing back, behaving as though Mary’s desperate question had not affected him in the slightest.
"If he can find us again like he did after we left Ashfang, I’ll let him rejoin. If not...."
Garron muttered, not completing the sentence, as he continued to walk away.