《Enru: Accursed Child》


 Prologue

    ¡°All hands on deck! Don¡¯t let-¡± the thunderous roar of a cannon, reverberating across the darkened sky as it released another mass of iron, drenched the last of his words. It blurred out, disappearing into the heavy rain with tremendous speed.


    ¡°They be getting closer, sir!¡± the bald man with a bushy, brown beard readied another cannonball to be fired off.


    Another shockwave resounded through the air, but it wasn¡¯t from them.


    ¡°Shield the side and tear the sails!¡± the captain waved his arms back and forth, directing the men that surged out from below, ¡°Shield the portside!¡±


    Translucent barriers covered the ship¡¯s left side at his command, yet his stern expression did not change in the slightest as he watched the arrows and cannonballs rain in. Gusts of winds reached out from behind, dragging the massive amounts of droplets into their backs.


    Waiting for the vibrations to end, he raised his right hand -ready to signal another retaliation.


    ¡°Remove the shields. Ready the cannons and spells!¡± he sliced the air with his hand, gazing over his comrades¡¯ every move, ¡°By my command. Fire in three, two, one. Fir-¡±


    He stumbled, nearly falling onto his knees, as a sudden tremor reached him from the ship¡¯s front. Drenched in water, he looked around, dreading the only possible answer.


    ¡°Captain! Our portside by the bow has been hit!¡± the anxious, high-pitched shout came from his right, ¡°We¡¯re taking on water!¡±


    ¡°Sir, they be closer than me own heels!¡± the bearded, bald man loaded another cannon in the rain.


    ¡°Y-you fools...¡± It was futile. The captain¡¯s large hand grabbed the center of his chest as he looked over his crewmembers, still fighting for their lives; loading one cannon after the other, or running back and forth with buckets filled to the brim with water. Endless attempts at surviving, only delaying the inevitable.


    If he didn¡¯t know better he, too, would go out there and struggle until drawing his last breath. But they couldn¡¯t outrun their fates. Letting go of their struggle would at least give them a peaceful death.A death at sea for what they protected...


    Air escaped his nostrils as he let out a sigh, ¡°How could I ever think of telling you to give up?..¡±


    There was nowhere to flee.His eyes darted back and forth, gazing through the thick layer of rain; counting every man still struggling to keep the ship going. Many were already lost to the storm. Good men with families, dreams; goals...


    And many more of those men would inevitably be lost.


    ¡°LISTEN UP!¡± his deep voice overtook the roaring cannons at that moment, gathering the attention of everyone left on the boat, ¡°You¡¯ve all struggled well until now...


    I¡¯d say it¡¯s only a moment until we¡¯re safe, but what captain would I be, if-¡±


    ¡°A bloody good one.¡± the bald man placed his hand on the captain¡¯s left shoulder, ¡°You grew up fine, Riam.¡±This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    Riam returned the gesture and grasped the man¡¯s shoulder, locking eyes with him until the ship began to tilt. With a nod, his eyes were filled with determination.


    He turned his head up for all to hear, ¡°We turn around! This may be our grave, but let''s make sure it¡¯s theirs as well!¡±


    Nobody cheered, yet there was no word of complaints. Resuming their work, they had already resigned to their fate. It was deathly silent, even though the downfall never stopped.


    Only a fool would cheer in the face of death.


    ¡°Let there be hell upon those that stand in yer way-¡± the bald man glanced at the captain one last time.


    ¡°-And salvation for those that follow.¡± Riam replied to his back, ¡°They¡¯ll die with fear in their hearts.¡±


    ¡°Aye...¡± there were tears in the old man¡¯s voice as he returned toward the cannons.


    Ending his salute, Riam looked at the other ship closing in behind them. Taking off under the ever-increasing rain, the hurried toward the ship¡¯s wheel. What would decide the outcome of their lives, inevitably landed in his hands.


    It was heavy, slippery, and hard to turn altogether, but he couldn¡¯t back down now. His brows furrowed to the thoughts of a future. The last of all their hopes would be lost.


    But Someone had to do it; a captain¡¯s burden.


    Riam turned the ship, heading straight toward the enemy. Hurrying down the stairs, he helped prepare and ready the rest of the cannons available on the left side. Even under a storm, cannons at point-blank range would be hard to miss with.


    With the last one finished, he waited alone at the front. Looking death right in its eyes, he was ready to give off the signal to fire at any time.


    ¡°FIRE!¡± just as each ship¡¯s bow scratched against the other, the cannons got lit by his crewmembers. A thunderous roar reverberated through the sky, the sound of wood being crushed to splinters followed. From the impact, the man lost his footing to the tremor, and fell overboard.


    Falling toward the deep ocean as rain poured down, he grinned, watching how the two ships broke into pieces, ¡°...I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Debris slowly sank into the ocean, one captain with it. Three years had gone by, but the time spent was not in vain. It was a shame, yet knowing that the other ship sank with them -that the others would not see the light of day- he accepted his cruel fate.


    Picking up a wooden piece from his breast-pocket, he held it tightly with his right hand. It was broken in half, yet didn¡¯t seem incomplete at all.


    The air couldn¡¯t reach him any longer. Everything but a dim light had abandoned him. Currents had their hold of him and he closed his eyes, sinking further into the depths; consciousness fading away.


    With only a faint grin and memory left, the world turned dark.

 Chapter1: -Broken Half-

    Ripples formed as the small hook passed through the water surface. The curved metal glimmered as it continued its deep dive. Not before long, the hook disappeared; engulfed by the shadows.


    Enru gazed over the darkened water. A flicker came from the thin fishing line every so often, reflecting the dim moonlight into her eyes. It wasn¡¯t blinding, but still took some focus away from her real objective.


    The clouds finally thinned out and she could watch as the reflection of the moon appeared on the water, just as clear and bright as the real one. Their pale light illuminated the night, painting the world around her with hues of silver and blue.


    ¡°...I wasn¡¯t late after all.¡± a faint smile appeared on her face. This sight only happened monthly. It was nostalgic, and every time she looked over at the clear brilliance she could be at ease...


    Everything would be alright, as long as the moon would continue to shine above her.


    But it wasn¡¯t just the sight that soothed her. Enru would often come here alone, sit at the edge of the steadfast wooden bridge and gaze over the tranquil scenery. It was a time and place when she could be herself, without the influence of others.


    Without forcing herself to seem strong.


    Clad in a hemp shirt and baggy pants, her muddy and bare feet were dangling over the water as she sat tight for the fish to bite. It could happen right after the last catch, or a long while after, but she didn¡¯t mind. Fishing was an art of patience, not strength.


    Enru was only sixteen and already old enough to be considered an adult in her village. Given her own house by the elders, she had been contributing to the market by hunting and fishing. What she came with every other day, would last her another two weeks.


    But the same amount wouldn¡¯t last another villager five meals.


    She leaned forward and stared down, waiting for something to happen. The black untidy hair -set up into a ponytail with a red string- reached over her forehead, down to her ears on the side and just enough to still cover the back of her neck.


    Slowly but surely the hair slumped further down as she faced the water. The image of a young, light-skinned girl appeared on the surface. The reflection of mixed blood.


    Enru glanced to the side of the clear reflection. Her ears were long. Narrowing slightly into a pointy end, they resembled the ears of some fabled elves as they were described by the elders¡¯ old tales.


    She sighed, switching her focus to the vivid reflection of her eyes. Just like anyone else living in the village, her deep pupils were vertical. Compared to the yellow or grey eye-color befitting those demons, however, hers were a fiery orange; a deep amber.


    The rod¡¯s thin fishing line tensed up. A sudden force pulled it down, causing Enru¡¯s slender body to nearly follow into the deep saltwater.


    She straightened herself and quickly pulled the rod back with all the strength her thin arms could muster. Her fiery gaze followed the small, shimmering fish as it twitched back and forth on the thread. Half her harm in length, it¡¯s scale was a deep blue.


    ¡°...Another one.¡± It wasn¡¯t the first fish she had caught that night.


    Enru turned around and walked over to two large wooden buckets. One was filled with well water, while the other was full of the same rahnafish she had just caught. She crouched, placing the blue fish into the water-filled bucket.


    The fish stopped moving as soon as its head was submerged under the water. Enru swiftly struck down and got a firm grip around its slimy scale. Reaching in with her other hand, she began to remove the glimmering angle that was stuck in the marine fishes¡¯ upper lip.


    ¡°That makes eight.¡± Enru laid the passive rahnafish down into the second bucket.


    She glanced between each and every one of the fish she had caught, watching how their scales shimmered under the full moon. There was enough fish to last her three weeks, and at least a week for any other villager.


    Enru faced back to the sea behind her. Furrowing her brows, she softly bit her lips. Stuck with her gaze on the beautiful scenery of the sea, the girl sighed in defeat of her own indecision.


    ¡°Maybe a few more.¡± Enru grabbed her fishing rod, stood up and walked toward the edge of the wide wooden bridge where she always sat down to fish.


    Casting the hook out into the water, she sat, and began to wait.


    A breeze passed her as the time went by, forming small waves on the water surface. The girl looked back at her reflection, making weird faces to pass the time. Eventually, she stopped and focused on the still fishing line before her.


    She began humming on a short melody. Even without the words of the song, her breathing got calmer as she continued the sorrowful tone of the tune. But it ended abruptly once she reached the last note, leaving her with more silence.


    Enru stared into the water. No fish had even tried to take a bite. Her head turned back, toward the buckets behind her, ¡°...I don¡¯t want to be pitied by him again.¡±


    She sighed heavily, defeated by the lack of fish. Preparing herself to head home, Enru stood up and tried to lift the hook out of the water, but was interrupted by the tension of the thread.


    She pulled the rod behind her shoulder in a swift motion, but its tip didn¡¯t move and instead forced her small hands to another abrupt stop.


    ¡°Great,¡± her arms loosened as she leaned over the edge to look into the water, ¡°just great.¡±


    Taking a deep breath, Enru got a firm grip around the fishing rod. She steadied her footing on the wooden planks below. With the flick of her right arm, pulling the rod back fast and as sudden as she could, the tedious struggle began.


    Her arms moved back and forth as she repeated the fine-tuned process. Slowly moving the rod closer to the water, loosening the tension, she once again snapped her arms in an upward slant -behind her right shoulder.


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Enru curled her toes to get a better grip on the bridge. It wasn¡¯t working and, soon enough, she abandoned everything reminiscent of the fine movements from before.


    She pulled her body back with all the strength left in her thin arms. The tension abruptly disappeared, the momentum caused her body to tumble down onto the bridge.


    As Enru fell, she caught a glimpse of something odd flying out of the water along with the hook. Captivated by its sudden appearance, the girl watched as the object twirled in the air above her. It clattered lightly as it slid further in over the bridge before coming to a stop.


    A wooden mask.


    She slowly raised her body, giving a puzzled yet curious look. Glancing back to the water for a moment, confused as to what had happened, Enru stumbled back on her feet. Unable to resist the temptation of inspecting her mysterious catch, the girl moved toward it.


    Reaching out for the mask, a sudden jolt jumped over to her fingers; causing her hand to jerk back almost immediately. Her heart began to beat faster as she immediately inspected her wet fingers.


    But nothing seemed out of place. Her head turned back toward the wooden item lying before her. She began to reach out for it again; this time, carefully.


    Without another shock running through her arm, Enru managed to safely touch the mask lying in front of her. Making sure nothing else would occur, she firmly grasped it and took a closer look.


    Under all the mud, the mask¡¯s backside was so smooth, so polished, that not even some of the best craftsmanship she had seen could compete against. It was broken from its upper left, all the way down to its bottom right, but she couldn¡¯t see the item as incomplete. Rough and uneven on the surface, two small cuts were carved into the wood where the eye would otherwise be.


    Her small eyebrows closed in on each other as she picked off another seaweed and brought the mask closer to her face. She removed strands of hair covering her sight and focused in on the odd but enchanting design.


    ¡°Where,¡± the mysterious mask reflected itself in her awestruck eyes after ¡°have I seen...¡±


    You¡¯re here again?


    ¡°Who¡¯s there!?¡± Enru quickly took her eyes off the mask and tensed the muscles in her legs as she began searching for the figure behind the voice.


    The night continued to stay silent around her. On the damp bridge, she stood alone. She turned her focus back onto the mask, before glancing over to the large buckets filled with either water or fish.


    As she gazed over the sea, the moon had already begun to fade away from the surface. In the sky, dark clouds were forming; blocking the strong light. Enru let out a drawn-out sigh.


    It would be another four weeks until she could witness the breathtaking sight again.


    She picked up the fishing rod and prepared herself for a long night, but looking at the drawn out line, she returned toward the buckets. The small hook was long gone, forcing her fishing to an end.


    Even though she was ready to return home with what she had caught, Enru stood still - looking at the base of the bridge for a while. Nothing but grass and the outer houses of the village filled her sight. It was just like a normal night.


    But for some reason, it seemed all the more eerie now than what it ever had before.


    ¡°Anybody there?¡± she kept an eye out for her surroundings as she walked away from the bridge with her catch.


    Only the crickets answered her, as if mocking her sudden wariness.


    ¡°Thought so,¡± she puffed air out of her nose as she laughed at herself inwardly and loosened up, ¡°just my imagination.¡±


    Enru walked out of the village and took the dirt path -reaching into the forest. She didn¡¯t live directly in the village, along with the rest, but rather in a small cottage a few minutes away.


    Cold air escaped through the entrance as she dragged the door open. Enru stared into the darkness, letting out a faint sigh, carrying her nightly catch inside and further into the kitchen. She placed the dark-scaled rahnafish into a tall barrel filled with salt -preserving them.


    After lighting the fireplace, the girl stared into the growing flames for a while as they slowly warmed the house up. She shifted her gaze toward her hands, where the wooden mask was held; drawing all of her attention.


    Enru had trouble letting her sight off of the peculiar item, until a sudden yawn escaped her.


    Letting out a puff of air through her nose, she glanced toward the mask one last time. She turned away from the flickering flames and walked up the wooden stairs.


    The mirror that was placed against the wall on the second floor, between the stairs and her room, came into sight. White wooden frame and crystal clear glass. It stood there, proudly, as it had been ever since she got the house.


    Enru glanced at the reflection of her vertical pupils as she passed the mirror.


    Entering her small room, she went directly for the straw bed in the corner and laid down -staring into the opposite corner. The maple recurve bow, metal ornamented quiver and broadhead arrows leaned organized against the wall. Her largest source of food.


    She scratched the left side of her neck as she held the wooden mask before her eyes. With a smile, she placed it down on the wooden floor and turned around; facing the only window in the room.


    Closing her eyes, Enru slumbered into her pleasant dreams. The night had gone on for too long. She had to get up early the next day to sell the fish.


    ...I suppose it could be, yes.

 Chapter2: -Fer铆n-

    The gravel rustled faintly under her leather boots. Gazing over the village, her eyes met the small path leading in. Bustling sounds came from left and right as tall and scaly figures walked around, dealing with their daily business.


    Fer¨ªn; a village of demons. Demons she met and talked with each day.


    Enru¡¯s lips curved into a wide smile as she went in. Small and large houses, built in wood, stone; or both, stretched out as far as her eyes could see. An intricate maze of various paths.


    Further out to the left -standing either on the large bridge, or to its side- were fishermen, working their day away with nets, fishing rods and barrels of alcoholic beverage.


    Two demons perked their heads up and waved toward Enru. She returned the gesture before they disappeared behind the houses, carrying stacked wooden barrels in their arms.


    ¡°Strong as always¡­¡± Enru muttered, staring into the palm of her own left hand with longing eyes.


    Passing by the near-grey or purple figures of demons, carrying sacks of grain and other commodities, she headed for the stall set up along the main road like usual during midday. The butcher, with small cracks running across the two horns on his forehead, stood outside his wooden stall, facing someone just as tall as him.


    ¡°Do you think, that I,¡± the owner of the stall growled in his deep, raspy voice, ¡°can be fooled by petty tricks?!¡±


    ¡°Grendol, listen to yourself!¡± a pale-skinned demon flung his scaly arms up in the air, making a gesture, ¡°You¡¯re placing your anger on the wrong man.¡±


    Enru tilted her head as she gazed toward the two demons. Slowing her pace, she strained her long ears and watched from afar in order to not interrupt the interesting talk. The fish could wait.


    ¡°I resent humans and you know it!¡± the butcher stared deeply into the other man¡¯s eyes -looking ready to fight, ¡°But, Larg, your words are nothing but suicide.¡±


    The tension grew, as it always did.


    ¡°You¡¯re a fool to think that!¡± the pale-skinned demon stabbed the air with his right index finger as he pointed at Grendol, ¡°We won¡¯t get a better opportunity!¡±


    Grendol placed down his butcher¡¯s knife on the wooden counter behind him and turned back to the pale man called Larg. Furrowing the brows on his bald head, he stared intensely at Larg -without any hints of yielding. The butcher wouldn¡¯t allow someone to do the same mistake as he had.


    A small crowd -people they laughed and shared thoughts with on a daily basis- began forming around the wooden stall. They knew what was unfolding, yet their eyes held no worries.


    Once Enru took a second glance, she noticed she had been closed off into the center with the other two. Her chance to be a spectator was lost. The safe distance wasn¡¯t that much safer any longer.


    Grendol took a large breath, breathing it all out through his purple nose. Fights were routine by now. He could only blame himself for his past actions.


    ¡°Then prove it,¡± the butcher flaunted his apron-covered chest, ¡°what chance I¡¯m missing out on.¡±


    Larg¡¯s scaly arm flew toward the butcher¡¯s face without a second thought. He had warned the butcher over and over again, he had tried so many times to convince him... If even he couldn¡¯t talk some sense into Grendol¡¯s thick skull, then the loyalty would be better off forced.


    The punch missed Grendol¡¯s face as he jerked his head back. Retaliating immediately, the bald demon grabbed the scaly wrist and bashed his left wrist into the pale man¡¯s ribcage.


    Grendol released his grip and watched as Larg staggered backward. It seemed to have hurt him greatly, but he wouldn¡¯t stop it there. He had to be rough, or else everything would repeat itself -over and over again.


    Enru jumped to the side as the pale demon¡¯s tail almost swiped her feet off the gravel. Cheers came from all sides around the stall. They had yet to notice the crowd.


    Not that it would stop them anyway...


    Larg closed his distance to the butcher, aiming his fist toward the thick throat. His punch was parried by Grendol¡¯s large palm and shortly after, he got sent down onto the ground with another hit to his ribcage.Gasping for air, his eyes tried to focus on the purple-skinned butcher left standing.


    ¡°The only fool here,¡± Grendol crouched, staring deeply into the eyes of the youngster, ¡°is you.¡±


    Applauds came from the crowd which slowly dispersed, continuing their daily business. Two muscular demons, the same fishermen she had earlier greeted, chuckled loudly as they carried Larg away from the main path.


    Demons...


    Grendol went back inside his stall and picked up the cleaver, resuming his work. Cutting up some shank meat, his back faced the wooden counter until the smell of fish finally reached his nostrils.


    He turned his head and looked. Leaving the cleaver in the preserved meat, he spread his arms. A wide grin had formed on his purple face as he faced Enru -carrying the blue-scaled fish with a metal ring.


    ¡°Almost doubled the amount,¡± Grendol chuckled as he placed his large hands on the counter, leaning forward, ¡°since last time, anyway. In a few years, you¡¯ll surely overtake the adults.¡±


    Enru puffed out air through her nose, responding with a smile as she handed over the metal ring along with the rahnafish. Eight fish was a lot more than four days ago, but it wasn¡¯t nearly enough to catch up.


    She bit her lips as Grendol glanced away. There was no way to catch up to begin with. It wasn¡¯t hard to see the difference in strength, not to mention the overall physique.She was far behind -so far behind, yet...


    Enru couldn¡¯t let the demons down and do nothing, even if her own back would break as a result. She had to do better -not show her weak self. They deserved at least that much out of her, for having taken care of her for so long.


    The girl stared at the wide and large back of the demon as he laid the fish onto the table -right beside the half-sliced shank. A view she had seen many times. The lonely back she could never catch up with, no matter how hard she tried.


    ¡°Eight rahnafish,¡± Grendol turned back around with a small leather pouch in his hands, and began to take out small coins, ¡°should be... Two silver coins and five copper.¡±


    Enru gazed into the butcher¡¯s yellow eyes as she received the coins with her hand. That grin which he always gave her... She couldn¡¯t sit back and just let things stay as they were.


    ¡°Next catch!¡± the coins clinked as she clenched her fist, ¡°I¡¯ll bring the double again, so...¡±


    The bustling sounds in the background overtook as she stopped her sentence. She had done it now... It was impossible for her to catch sixteen, let alone another eight rahnafish within the next four days without relying on luck.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Grendol¡¯s grin got wider as he reached out to ruffle her hair, ¡°work hard!¡±


    One day, she would greet that smile with a confident grin of her own.


    Leaving the butcher alone to his cleaver, Enru walked off -further into the village. Other stalls were beginning to set up along the path; preparing their daily goods. Everything from bread and flour, to gems, armor and bows.


    She stopped at a vacant area between two busy stalls. Walking into an alley on her right, her gaze rested upon the leather merchandise hanging from a secluded stall¡¯s roof. Light equipment that was easy to move in, flexible and still provided decent protection against blows; perfect armor for hunting.Enru focused in on one item in particular, before glancing at her left hand.


    ¡°Back here again, dear?¡± a tall, slightly round, woman called out from behind the counter, ¡°The gloves won¡¯t disappear all of a sudden.¡±


    ¡°Hi Asmira.¡± Enru placed a silver coin on the wooden counter in front of her, staring toward the black set of odd-looking gloves hanging behind the shopkeeper.


    Asmira sighed and turned around, picking down the archer¡¯s gloves. Laying them on the counter, she looked at Enru with worry, but all Enru could see was the gloves.


    Softened leather, they wrapped around and covered the wrist. While the right glove covered the whole hand as well, the left only extended over the thumb and index finger. The leather covering the backside of the wrist was reinforced; hardened with another layer.


    ¡°You really don¡¯t need to bring a silver coin every day, dear.¡± Asmira smiled for the company she had been given nonetheless, ¡°I am doing just fine without Robert. It was eons ago since he left us.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± Enru replied back, ¡°Just slowly paying off these gloves.


    Another drawn-out sigh came from the shopkeeper, taking a seat on the wooden stool placed in the shadows next to the stall.


    ¡°Whichever you prefer,¡± Asmira shrugged her shoulders as she looked over the young adult, ¡°but you have paid more than enough. They are already yours.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll just pay for everything else.¡± an honest smile came from Enru, causing Asmira to heave another sigh at the girl¡¯s stubbornness.


    Enru removed the gloves from her hands and looked at them for a good while before placing them back onto the counter. Walking up to the occupied stool, she sat on the ground next to Asmira -leaning her back against the side.


    None of them said anything, as they stared out over the men and women walking by on the main path; holding buckets of water in their arms or sacks of grain behind their backs. A small breeze tried its best to brush itself against her untidy hair. The atmosphere was different at Asmira¡¯s shop compared to everywhere else...


    As if the time around her had slowed down.


    ¡°It¡¯s... Calmer here,¡± Enru said in a low voice as she stared out toward the bright area, ¡°Colder, too.¡±


    ¡°Again, huh?¡± Asmira tried to meet the younger girl¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Enru¡¯s eyes followed the burly figure of a man, carrying a dead deer over his shoulder, ¡°more brute force I can¡¯t hope to reach.¡±


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    The shopkeeper chuckled at the girl¡¯s words; exposing her small fangs as her pale eyes stared toward the sky. Her grey body was completely protected from the sun; covered under the shadows of the roof. Eerie, yet beautiful.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to push yourself,¡± Asmira turned her body, facing the girl leaning toward her stool, ¡°strength comes naturally.¡±


    ¡°I know!¡± Enru averted her eyes, ¡°I know, but...¡±


    Silence filled the space around them. Gazing onto the gravel below, she dug down with the heels of her leather boots.Enru wasn¡¯t a demon -at least not one with the same physical strength.


    A slight breeze swept past the two as they sat, together, in the cold shadow. Like usual, it would take a while until any of them moved again.Heaving a sigh, Enru lifted her chin and glanced toward the tall shopkeeper sitting behind her.


    ¡°Hey...¡± Enru was barely audible, ¡°Can you tell me that story again?¡±


    ¡°The spellcasters?¡± Asmira began stroking the short girl¡¯s messy hair.


    ¡°Yeah, the humans.¡±


    Asmira was silent as she glanced at the long-eared girl in front of her. With a smile, she lightened the atmosphere.


    ¡°Then, just this once.¡± she couldn¡¯t just say no to the fragile child¡¯s requests, ¡°It all began one hundred years ago. There was a clan of humans, formed from many families, living on an island secluded from everything else.


    Humans capable of magic.¡±


    ¡°Magic?¡±


    ¡°Magic.¡± sheconfirmed, ¡°They were the advisors of kings, the keepers of order... And this one specific family leading it all was the pinnacle of power.¡±


    Asmira continued to stroke the girl¡¯s head, doing her best to straighten the strands of hair as she told her story.


    ¡°But that was it. They were never remembered for their deeds. Only known for their power, the specific family carried on.¡± the older woman said as her voice saddened, ¡°Nothing linked their family together. Nothing except their blood.¡±


    ¡°So they wanted something that could do both.¡± Enru added.


    ¡°You know the story well,¡± Asmira smiled, reaching for a small petal in the girl¡¯s hair as it had fallen from the blossoming tree, ¡°do I even need to tell the story?


    Asmira heaved a sigh at the stiff silence, taking the chance for a slight pause. Switching her gaze toward the path bustling with people, she watched them walk by under the sunlight.


    Taking a deep breath, she continued her story. ¡°Their family decided to create an item, an heirloom to be passed down with each generation that would lead the clan.


    It was all peaceful. The head of their family imbued the item with a part of his magic as the first one to pass down the heirloom.¡±


    Enru listened to every word. There were as many strong humans out in the world as there were weak ones, meaning she could one day also get stronger.


    ¡°But then the orcs began their raid. A night no living man had seen coming. In a frenzy, they stole; murdered innocents. In a brave attempt, the family tried to protect the island -but failed, as their magic suddenly disappeared.


    The orc¡¯s leader challenged the father to a battle between swords -giving him another chance at protecting the island. Sparks were flying as the steel of their weapons clashed. A fierce battle, lasting long into the night.¡±


    Asmira¡¯s left fist tightened, but eventually loosened up as she sighed, turning her eyes back to the unmoving body that was still leaning on her stool.


    ¡°He was ultimately overwhelmed by the orc¡¯s strength. Unable to protect the island, he watched as the rest died to the hands of the orcs.¡± Asmira slowly pushed the girl¡¯s body away in order to get enough room to stand up. ¡°...And that¡¯s how the most powerful of spellcasters disappeared in one night, unable to fulfill their only wish.¡±


    It was a short, yet sad story. Enru had listened to most of Asmira¡¯s stories already, but this was the only one involving a sad ending.


    Overwhelmed by someone stronger.


    She glanced down on her small hands. They were definitely capable of more than just detailed handicraft, but after seeing the raw strength of Grendol or the fishermen...


    ¡°I¡¯m...¡± Enru clenched her hands into small fists as she let her voice fade away.


    Asmira crouched in front of the girl. She smiled faintly. Her pale eyes, full of compassion, met Enru¡¯s gaze.They were different, refreshing; trustworthy.


    ¡°Your eyes do not lie. You are as much of a demon,¡± the shopkeeper waved her arms slightly in a gesture, ¡°as anyone else living here.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯d be an elf as well, going by your stories,¡± Enru stared onto the ground as she fiddled with her ears, ¡°but I¡¯m nowhere near as strong.¡±


    White petals slowly sank onto the gravel below, in rhythm with the muffled laughter she could still hear -from the main path only a few steps away. Brawling the day away with drinks, selling their large amounts of grain, buying new seeds...


    They really had no worries.


    Asmira sighed and brought the sulking girl into her pale arms, gently stroking the back of her head. Looking up toward the sky, she could see the blossoms falling from the tall tree. Words escaped her mouth, sounding both sad yet hopeful, as she began to sing a short melody:


    When the days come to an end.


    Don¡¯t cry, my child.


    Can¡¯t you see the stars, as they brighten the night?


    They will follow you dearly, and bless you with light.


    Then you can tell me, my dear.


    ¡®The ravens are here.¡¯


    The day when we part.


    Don¡¯t fear the dark.


    Can¡¯t you see the footsteps, the path that I¡¯ve set?


    It will always lead you home. It will show you the way.


    It¡¯s alright now, my child.


    For you¡¯ll be okay.


    Will you remember me? A broken half.


    Will you see the truth of it all?


    Will you remember me? A broken half.


    Will you forgive my sins as I fall?


    Don¡¯t look back, my brethren.


    The world is still there.


    Reach the mountains, the forests; then carry home some beer.


    The fire still burns, the moon is still young.


    The crest of the ravens, will always stay strong.


    Ending abruptly, the lively sounds of the demons¡¯ daily routine slowly returned. She was in a daze, staring into the green color shoved into her eyes as Asmira hugged her tightly. It was warm, yet...


    The gravel beneath them rustled to Enru¡¯s hasty movements as she struggled getting out of the shopkeeper¡¯s grip. After some resistance, she managed to safely free herself.


    Her eyes widened as she gazed up toward Asmira. Enru couldn¡¯t look any longer and immediately burrowed her face into the shopkeeper¡¯s chest in an attempt to hug back. Comforted all this time, she never noticed who actually needed it.She had never paid attention outside of her own struggle, her own weakness. She couldn¡¯t look at her teary face, or when she bit her lips... Asmira wouldn¡¯t make those sad expressions.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright!¡± Enru burrowed her head even further in, ¡°The rest of the song will be found, someday, so don¡¯t cry!¡±


    ¡°...What?¡± Asmira blinked rapidly as she searched for where the muffled voice came from, ¡°No, I¡­ My thoughts wandered back for a bit. I¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    The sunlight painted the village paths in a deep orange -almost golden- color, indicating how long the two had been talking for. There was less noise around, but laughter still filled the air every now and then, as drunken demons sometimes passed by.


    Asmira sighed, glancing down on the messy, dark, hair that had burrowed itself deep into her chest. Taking a deep breath, she stroked along the back of Enru¡¯s head.


    A soft giggle escaped her as she looked up into the sky with a faint smile on her lips, ¡°Thank you...¡±


    Petals continued to land on them as they sat still in silence. Every now and then, drunken workers passed by, singing merrily -from the bottom of their lungs- before disappearing just as quickly as they had appeared. The sun was close to setting when Asmira finally released the girl from her arms.


    ¡°...Are you sure you¡¯ll be alright?¡± Enru tried getting up on her numb feet to leave.


    ¡°I should ask the same,¡± Asmira grinned heartily, her pale eyes brimmed with newfound youth, ¡°you¡¯ve been scratching your neck since getting here. Take care of it once home.¡±


    Enru tilted her head slightly as she met the shopkeeper¡¯s gaze. She stood still in the shadows, puzzled over her words for a while. Her neck hadn¡¯t been scratched at all, not often, at least.


    Sighing through her nose, Enru walked further out -onto the main path.


    Warm winds brushed past her cheeks as she turned around one last time. The girl didn¡¯t say anything and just showed a confident smile on her face as she waved goodbye. Next to no sunlight appeared on the gravel below her.She didn¡¯t leave immediately, instead continued staring at the shopkeeper. Asmira had said that she was fine. She could take care of herself, but the longer Enru gazed toward the older woman...


    The pale, almost transparent and hornless demon Asmira... It was as if... As if she would just disappear at any moment.


    Enru sighed and turned around. Another night short of sleep wouldn¡¯t be good. The gravel rustled beneath her as she walked away with slow steps, toward her own home.

 Chapter3: -Illuminated Night-

    Enru reached out with her hands, brushing away the branches and leaves covering the silent pathway ahead. Plants and bushes, full of blooming flowers or tiny purple berries, grew alongside in the dirt. The forest was dark; blocking any moonlight that might have been present in the night.


    Her house was just a little further ahead. Enru took a deep breath and skipped along the forest path. Her smile changed into a wider grin. The night was soothing, and she could stay up and dance, outside her home under the bright moonlight, all night.


    It was tempting... Nobody would ever know of it.


    But without discipline, she would never grow stronger. No, she had to get up during day, greet the demons with a confident smile, then work hard. Grendol and Asmira deserved at least that for how much they had supported her.


    Her pace slowed down and she returned to walking normally, glancing over the lush greenery around her.


    The gnarled trees towered above her, as if they were about to suddenly spring to life at any moment. Oak, maple and birch; they all grew in the forests of Dooru Mae -the mountain range dividing her village from the northern lands.


    Grendol¡¯s expression would always darken as he told Enru about it. Large beasts, dangerous terrain, giants made of flames; it wasn¡¯t a place for someone like her to play around. He didn¡¯t see her as anything more than a weak child.


    Enru looked down at her hands covered with purple and red stains from berries. The tiny hands of a human. She had to get stronger or she¡¯d be left behind; never recognized as an equal.


    If that was even possible.


    The two fishermen that always greeted her in the morning might take her under their guidance. They were strong, tall and managed to catch at least enough for half the village to eat for a day. It was obvious their wooden ship helped -and they weren¡¯t just one, or even two- but they undeniably brought in a lot of fish each three days. If they allowed her then maybe...


    No, not her. Grendol would surely stop her and say that.


    An intense breeze brushed past Enru, causing the hair strands on her neck to stand up straight. The temperature around the girl slowly decreased with each puff of wind.


    Soft rustle reached her ears. She glanced around, gazing between the trees, behind the bushes, on the ground; the shadows got darker -Larger.


    Enru slowed her pace even further, closely observing the dark woods. She would be home soon anyway -home in front of the warm, cozy fireplace. There was no need to rush; nothing to be afraid of.


    Her eyes caught a glimpse of round, glinting dots of light -appearing and disappearing from behind the trees. Either something reflecting the moonlight, the eyes of massive animals; beasts.


    Or ghosts...


    She stopped, standing still silence. Drawing as small amounts of breaths as she could, Enru strained her ears, listening for anything unnatural. Her eyes were stuck looking at the two, four -eight- shimmering orbs floating in the dense forest.


    Ghosts didn¡¯t exist. Not here.


    The lights didn¡¯t move and just continued to blink from the shadows. She couldn¡¯t let them out of her sight. With slow movements, Enru backed along the path -one step at a time.


    Another rustle came from her left. Her voice got stuck in her throat as she trampled into a medium-sized bush hidden in the dark. She stumbled and hit her back onto the cold ground.


    The girl struggled getting her left foot out of the bush. She had to turn around and stand up quickly or else¡­


    But she was stuck. The leather boot was held down by sticks and thorns. She wouldn¡¯t get out of it anytime soon. Enru raised her head to quickly localize the dimly lit orbs, but they were already gone...


    Her body twitched as a faint rustle resounded from behind her. She was unable to move further than what the bush would let her. Taking the shoe off would let her free, but she risked wounding her foot or ankle on the thorns.


    She quickly turned as much of her body around as she could and began her attempts at removing the shoe. However, Enru immediately stopped and removed her hands from the oversized blueberry bush, instead lying still on the ground -silent.


    The cottage, her home, was already in her sight; lit up by the moonlight. The clearing was as bright and tranquil as it would be during the day, but right now the much needed sight wasn¡¯t quite as warming.


    A shadowy figure, with the physique of a man, stood by her doorstep. It didn¡¯t seem like someone she recognized from the village. He didn¡¯t look her way, or hadn¡¯t acted upon seeing her.


    She would make sure it stayed that way as she continued observing upside down.


    The man¡¯s hooded cape slowly waved back and forth to the wind. It captured her sight; made by fabric she hadn¡¯t seen before. The rest of his clothes, however, seemed normal. Travelling clothes she had already seen every harvest season when the merchants came.


    But an unusually long knife, or a really thin sword, sat sheathed on his hip. She couldn¡¯t make out the fine details without getting closer, but that was not something a mere traveller would possess...


    And that stranger was in front of her house.


    ¡°Wha-¡± Enru¡¯s widened her eyes, and her vertical pupils expanded as she shut herself up and continued to stare.


    The hood had come off to the wind as he walked closer to the cottage. He had turned his head around and swiftly dragged the hood back over his head, changing his focus to one of the round windows placed on each side of the door.


    But she had definitely seen it. The stranger was human, even though it couldn¡¯t be true. Not here.


    They were in the middle of nowhere -in a village of demons... Humans wouldn¡¯t just randomly appear around Fer¨ªn, not to mention in front of her house during night. Yet there the man stood, right in front of her home, searching for something -or someone.


    It couldn¡¯t be her. She had never seen the stranger before. Living in the village, she had only been outside the borders to hunt every once or twice each month. She hadn¡¯t been in contact with someone other than the villagers, especially not a human that wasn¡¯t her brother.


    Yet she couldn¡¯t deny the possibility.


    The hooded man moved closer and reached his hands out for the house wall¡¯s rough surface. He leaned toward the window by the door¡¯s right, then returned to his earlier position -only to once again lean against the wall, looking into the same window.


    As he hesitated once more whether to stay or leave, his body knocked over one of the tall, round and white clay pots standing on each side of the doorstep. But as it was about to fall to its doom, he reached his right hand forward and stopped it¡¯s fall midway through.


    Making no contact at all.


    The faint whispers of the wind reached Enru¡¯s ears and continued toward the stranger. Faintly glowing orbs swirled out of the stranger¡¯s hand and the air around him. The small spheres had stopped the fall and slowly brought the pot back, toward stable ground.


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Another breeze surged in. Her hand unconsciously tried to reach out toward the chiming creatures as they disappeared one by one.


    Bringing his hands up to the door, the faint light appeared again for a brief moment, but swiftly dispersed like smoke in the wind. Glancing around, he turned around and left, walking further into the thick grove.


    With her voice stuck in her throat, Enru slowly lowered her arm. She looked at her own dirtied hand with puzzled eyes. Her hands were shaking, but she wasn¡¯t cold. Not cold in the least.


    Her body was warm. She was wide awake.


    Turning around as the silence slowly creeped in, Enru focused back on getting her foot out of the bush, making sure no thorns would cut into her skin. She glanced back every now and then. The stranger might still be around after all -waiting in the shadows for her to appear.


    After making sure the human was gone, Enru walked up to the door and brought her hand closer to the knob, but stopped herself before touching the wooden handle. The faint echo of a chime softly reached her ears, and a dim blue light, pulsating to its own rhythm, appeared with it.


    On the door, there was a creature. Some creature she couldn¡¯t recognize further than that it had come from the stranger. It didn¡¯t look like anything other than one of the stupid and small glowing spheres.


    Yet she couldn¡¯t take her eyes away from it.


    Enru brought her hand closer to its center. Soft, clear sounds escaped into the night, only to abruptly disappear soon after, letting another similar chime take over.


    With the touch of her fingers, the creature lost its glow and disappeared into grey smoke. She backed away, following the trail it left behind with her eyes. It was still around, in the air.


    ¡®Riam. Our side is ready for departure...¡¯


    ¡°Who-¡± Enru tensed up and hastily glanced around the illuminated clearing. Nothing, nobody was around -close enough- to cause such a clear reverberating voice.


    ¡®...We just need you and the mask before heading out...¡¯


    She stumbled further back as the echo came from all sides, swirling around her, louder and clearer with each heartbeat. Holding her hands up to her ears, attempt to block out the sound, it only brought her further down on her knees.


    It wouldn¡¯t stop. The voice came from within. Her body tensed up, it got harder to breath, but the voice continued on, unable to react to her pain.


    ¡®...I¡¯ll await you for the next two days¡­¡¯


    ¡°Get out...¡± Enru breathed heavily as she screamed while facing down onto her own doorstep, ¡°Stop!¡±


    ¡®...And may the ravens guide your path.¡¯


    The pressure left her head, silence returned to the night. She was down on her knees and hands, breathing heavily. A splitting headache still lingered, but she could at least hear her own voice, her thoughts.


    Enru got up on her feet and opened the door to her home, stumbling in without a second thought. Her hands were stinging, her head was pounding. The day had already gone on for far too long.


    She brought her hands up for her own eyes to see. The palms were covered in small cuts, bruises and mud.


    ¡°What was-¡± she brought her hands up to her temples as her own voice echoed loudly within her ears. With a sigh, the girl removed her leather boots and walked across the room, into the kitchen, to clean her hands -maybe grabbing a light meal.


    Anything that could occupy her from her thoughts.


    Her head turned toward the location of her private room as soon as she got out of the kitchen. She changed her gaze toward the entrance, glancing out of the windows. Her door was locked. The stranger wouldn¡¯t get further than her doorstep, if he ever appeared again.


    ¡°...Riam.¡± The pain had almost faded. Whatever it was, it didn¡¯t seem to be after her, or hostile to begin with.


    She repeated the name over and over as she walked up the stairs leading to her room. Only one thing came to mind, but her brother was long gone. Older than her by six years, Riam had left at the age of twelve as he was taken in under a merchant family¡¯s guidance. She hadn¡¯t heard the name of her brother for ten years...


    ¡°Riam...¡± Enru looked into the palms of her own hands, reminiscing over their farewell.


    Whoever that stranger was, he wouldn¡¯t find her brother here. He was out there in the world, hopefully doing well.


    A gleaming light came from the mirror as she walked past it on the way to her room. She stopped and glanced up toward the odd reflection. Enru¡¯s body tensed up on the spot, ¡°No...¡±


    She swiftly brought her hands to the left side of her neck and turn her head around. The strands of hair swayed back and forth over her forehead as she looked around her, searching for an explanation, but the answer was already clear enough. She had been unconsciously scratching the whole day.


    And now she paid the price.


    Enru turned and glared back into the mirror. She lifted her hands away, making sure of what she had seen, only to cover her neck once again. It was still there, stretching itself from the left side of her neck, down to the center of her collarbones.


    ¡°No- No,no¡­ This, no, it can¡¯t be. Nonono-¡± her weak voice filled the hallway until she unconsciously silenced herself, furrowing her brows, glancing around for an explanation; anything that could tell her that it was all a lie.


    But there was nothing -no one- there to tell her.


    A bright light glowed out of what seemed like a scar; a reddened burn mark. Curving all the way down to the base of her neck, the three smaller lines glowed a bright silver.


    She repeatedly opened and closed her mouth, breathing heavily; unable to make a single sound. The mark seemed brighter the longer she focused on it -illuminating the dark spaces around her.


    Backing away from the mirror, shaking her head as she covered her neck with her hands, Enru dashed to her bedroom. She didn¡¯t want to see it, but the bright light didn¡¯t leave, it didn¡¯t fade. It kept glowing brightly from the scar on her neck.


    ¡°It¡¯s a lie...¡± Enru closed the door as soon as she got into the room. She headed for the straw bed.


    Pain struck her right toe and she began to stumble into her bed. Rattling noise echoed into her ears as the wooden mask struck the ground. The headache resurfaced.


    ¡°It¡¯s all a dream.¡± she covered herself with a blanket as she closed her eyes in an attempt to sleep.


    But the light continued to shine brightly.


    ¡°Just a dream...¡± Enru whispered, shutting her eyes even harder.

 Chapter4: -One Hunter, One Arm-

    Enru looked into the mirror, stretching her neck to the side. Her eyes glanced at the base of her neck with worry. No light glimmered from the reflection, but the three burnt lines making up a scar were still there.


    Reaching up with her hands, only to quickly retract the moment she touched the scar, Enru exhaled the large breath she had been holding. Her eyes widened. No immediate pain rushed through her body...


    But it was still there, on her neck.


    Bringing her hands up again, determined to inspect further, she followed along the scar with her fingers, shaking as she tried to be as careful as she could. Enru sighed once she reached the end at her collarbones. It was just a lengthy scar anybody could do without.


    Trying to make sense of it all, she continued staring into the mirror, only to avert her eyes seconds later. She couldn¡¯t go out like this. It would bring her questions if anyone in the village happened to see. Questions she wouldn¡¯t be able to answer.


    But it was already evening. She hadn¡¯t been outside the whole day. The two fishermen, or especially Asmira, would begin to wonder; perhaps even pay her a visit.


    Then they would find out the similarities of the scar by themselves, call her weak, and chase her out...


    ¡°...Asmira.¡± her eyes widened. She turned her head around while moving about, searching for something.


    She had to visit the village; to visit the lonely demon waiting under the shadows of her own stall until the end of the day. Asmira would be the first one to notice -the first one to figure out that something was not right- if Enru didn¡¯t show up.


    Enru couldn¡¯t let her worry.


    Dashing down the stairs, jumping over the last step before reaching the first floor, Enru¡¯s hair took a swift turn as she turned around and glanced toward the back of the entrance hall. The kitchen. She would always place it there, on top of a chair, to make sure she didn¡¯t forget it the next cold morning, even if she in the end never wore it.


    Enru headed for the kitchen as soon as her boots were on. It had to be there. She would be in deep trouble if it wasn¡¯t, for more reasons than one.


    The kitchen entered her sight and she turned to gaze over the table, toward the chairs. Her eyes stopped by the small wooden chair standing by the far right side of the oval table. It was still there.


    She walked up, grabbed the dark woolen sweater and dragged it over her head. She was saved by something she had only worn twice. Its long neck was perfect, covering her scar. If this sweater wouldn¡¯t be able to take the focus away, then nothing would.


    Enru scratched her chin as she walked out of the kitchen and headed upstairs, toward the mirror. She furrowed her brows, gazing over the odd reflection. The long wooly neck of the sweater did cover the scar, but...


    No. It was worth it, for now.


    Enru stretched her neck, looking into the mirror one last time. Nothing except the oversized sweater seemed out of the ordinary. It had to work.


    With a smile on her lips, Enru began to walk downstairs. Her eyes glanced over to the door. A golden color blessed the oaken flooring underneath the round windows. The sun had begun its descent.


    Enru took her first step outside for the day and breathed in the fresh air before turning around. Locking the door, she headed out for the village.


    Only a slight amount of sunlight still shone over the village by the time she got there -painting it deep red. The shops had already closed and most of the villagers had gone home for the day.


    A few demons were still walking outside.


    It was strange. Many shops would usually stay up a while longer, until inevitably closing for the night. At least until the sun had completely gone down behind the horizon. Yet there was only silence.


    Enru continued further in until the familiar sight of Asmira¡¯s stall entered her sight. Leather items still hung down from the stall¡¯s roof in the dark shadows and, as she focused her eyes slightly to the left, so was the pair of gloves. The shadowy figure of a woman sat on the wooden stool next to the merchandise.


    As Enru got closer, the figure raised its head up and gazed toward her with a wide grin.


    ¡°I thought you¡¯d never wear it again,¡± Asmira¡¯s face was beaming with joy as she eyed the long-necked sweater, ¡°last time was two years ago... I had already given up hope.¡±


    Enru returned the greeting with a wry smile on her lips, and sat down -next to the demon. The ground wasn¡¯t cold, even though everything was covered by shadows.


    ¡°Is everything as it should?¡± Asmira furrowed her brows slightly, ¡°A silver coin¡¯s usually forced upon me by now.¡±


    Twitching as she heard the words, her hands were already on their way to her waist, searching for the small pouch. She quickly gave up, as her eyes confirmed the missing belt her other items would hang from.


    ¡°I seem,¡± Enru met with Asmira¡¯s gaze for a second before she stared onto the gravel below, ¡°to have left it at home...¡±


    A puff of air escaped the shopkeeper¡¯s pale nose, followed by a hearty laugh, echoing through the late evening.


    Enru¡¯s lips twitched as she tried her best to not get influenced. Steeling her jaw, she looked the other way. It wasn¡¯t that funny.


    Asmira stood up and walked around Enru, crouching as she met her gaze with a warming smile.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Asmira tried to suppress her short bursts of laughter, ¡°let¡¯s say that today¡¯s silver coin is on me, then.¡±


    The shopkeeper gave Enru a hug, before taking a seat on the ground beside her. They sat next to each other in silence -gazing over the blossoming tree. Its flowers danced around in the air above them; slowly sinking to the ground.


    Enru picked up one of the white fragrant flowers that had landed on her lap. Its petals were soft to the touch.


    ¡°Will it ever grow any fruit,¡± Enru glanced toward the lonely tree before turning toward Asmira, ¡°like the other trees?¡±


    The shopkeeper met the gaze of the child, ¡°Do you dislike it?¡±


    Enru couldn¡¯t respond immediately. Instead, she began to fiddle with the translucent petals in her hands. Five of the oval-shaped petals would make up one flower, one of the many that fell from the tree each day.


    ¡°No, but,¡± Enru stared back to the tree, ¡°it just... Blooms.¡±


    As if it was crying for someone.


    ¡°All year round.¡± Asmira grinned, leaning in on the side to hug the defenseless girl, ¡°Much better than the other trees, blooming for just a week.


    It¡¯s almost like that story you always disliked.¡±


    Watch it some other time, we need to leave. Now.


    Enru jumped, turning her head to her right. Concentrating her ears, she stared out of the alleyway. Apart from the gravel, rustling below as she tried to stand up, it was silent.


    She turned around and gazed toward Asmira, furrowing her brows slightly.


    ¡°What?¡± the shopkeeper returned the gesture, ¡°Is everything okay?¡±


    She didn¡¯t seem to have heard the deep voice, or ignored it if she had. Their ears might be different, but this deep reverberating voice was something Asmira wouldn¡¯t have had any trouble hearing.


    Enru sat down, keeping her eyes glued toward the alley¡¯s entrance. After a short while, however, she sighed and stared onto the ground, ¡°Just my imagination... What about the story?¡±


    ¡°You know, the one about the kind demon who, after gaining a shimmering scar on his chest, turned a ruthless tyrant wishing only for the end of all life? They¡¯re quite similar, now that I think about it...


    Though of course, our little tree here wouldn¡¯t want to harm us.¡± Asmira chuckled at her own words, ¡°Or maybe it would, what do I know. Might be an evil tree.¡±


    Amused with the thoughts, Asmira began bursting into laughter on her own. The story of the scar would always do that to her. It was a grim tale that told about nothing other than the weakness within, yet she still laughed in the end.


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    ¡°...What if,¡± Enru carefully interrupted the pale demon¡¯s joyful moment, ¡°what if I had a similar scar?.. Would you-¡±


    ¡°I would hunt you and end your life before you change,¡± Asmira hanged over her, with her arms high in the air, but chuckled shortly after and returned to sitting still, ¡°but of course, the scar¡¯s nothing but a fairytale.¡±


    ¡°What... What if it wasn¡¯t?¡±


    Asmira furrowed her brows, ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a good one. I¡¯m afraid I wouldn¡¯t be able to give you an answer, really...¡±


    They won¡¯t stop, just because it¡¯s in the middle of the night. Now hurry!


    ¡°Who¡¯s there!?¡± Enru jumped to the voice and rushed out the alley to find the cause, but there was nothing but silence.


    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re alright?¡± Asmira stood up to face Enru as she returned, ¡°You¡¯ve been acting strange tonight, even as far as wearing my sweater-¡±


    She didn¡¯t seem to have noticed Enru¡¯s scar yet, but it didn¡¯t seem like she was far from finding out.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± Enru glanced back at the main road, trying to change the topic, ¡°It¡¯s just not always this quiet...¡±


    Asmira seemed puzzled for a moment, until a drunken demon walked past -singing aloud. The demon leaned her back against the house wall and looked toward the darkening sky, ¡°Oh, right. They all closed shop at lunch and went to the village hall to prepare...¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Enru hastily turned her head toward Asmira. Her untidy hair covered half her face for a moment, until she sorted it with a stroke of her small hand, ¡°Why?¡±


    Grinning widely, Asmira met Enru¡¯s gaze in silence. The horn-less demon raised her eyebrows in a teasing manner. She glanced back and forth between Enru and the main path through the village.


    Nothing would ever come out of her lips when she was like that.


    Enru sighed and stood up, ready to leave for the evening. But before she would leave, she faced Asmira, ¡°Until tomorrow, then.¡±


    ¡°Take care, dear.¡± the demon¡¯s lips still formed a teasingly wide smile, ¡°Enjoy yourself.¡±


    Her sudden change seemed to have worked for now. Turning her back against the shopkeeper, Enru walked out into the wide path. It was empty to the point of seeming eerie under the dark, but at least she knew something bad hadn¡¯t happened to the villagers, or else Asmira wouldn¡¯t jokingly withhold news from her.


    If Enru wanted to know, she would have to find out what was going on by herself. Perhaps the strange voice would be there, too.


    The gravel echoed for every footstep she took. She walked further into the village, taking both left and right turns around the unlit houses. Merchandise were still left lying on a few of the stalls standing along the path.


    Bustling sounds reached Enru¡¯s ears. The noise was hard to mistake for anything other than the usual atmosphere going on during the day. It came from behind the last set of houses before the village hall would enter her sight.


    As Enru got around the last corner, her eyes widened. Something like this would only happen once a year; during the harvest festival.


    Lanterns, hanging from the house walls, illuminated the wide path leading up to the large building in the center. The bustling sounds came from inside, seeming to be either songs, or laughter, like during the usual festival. But that event wasn¡¯t until eight weeks from now.


    A heavy pressure was placed on her back and the stench of alcohol reached in from her left side.


    ¡°Missy!¡± a purple-skinned demon called out from her left, ¡°Didn¡¯t get to greet you this morning. Here to celebrate?¡±


    Her face contorted as she tried to respond to the fisherman she¡¯d usually greet, but Enru didn¡¯t say anything in the end. She couldn¡¯t get the words to leave her mouth, no matter how hard she tried to. The air seemed to escape her, but...


    ¡°Dunrug,¡± a pale blue demon walked up from behind the first man, ¡°You¡¯re breaking her back.¡±


    Dunrug immediately released his arm from around her shoulders and jumped away, holding his hands up in the air -making sure nothing else accidentally happened. Small patches of purple scales glimmered on his bare upper body as he stood still under the lantern light.


    ¡°Shit! I-¡± Dunrug tried to get closer, but stopped himself before he did something worse, ¡°I got too excited... There aren¡¯t many younglings in our village.¡±


    You there! Get the children away first.


    The whisper reached Enru¡¯s ears as she was bending over her knees -coughing and wheezing. It was faint enough for her to ignore it, and surviving came first.


    After some time, she held a hand up into the air -indicating that she was okay. Taking a deep breath, Enru raised her body. The other two stood still under the lantern, looking on in silence.


    ¡°Evening, Dunrug,¡± Enru coughed as she stared at the scaly and purple demon with a wry smile. She leaned out to the side and glanced toward the thinner blue demon behind, ¡°and Murrol.¡±


    They balanced each other out quite well.


    ¡°So,¡± Enru continued as she got closer to the two fishermen, ¡°what¡¯s all this?¡±


    ¡°Come, a feast is being held!¡± Dunrug¡¯s face beamed with excitement as he began to lift the youngling up from the ground, ¡°They¡¯re finally back!¡±


    Caught in his pace, Enru turned her head and looked down, ¡°They?¡±


    The scaly demon just continued to laugh as he carried her forward. His scales glimmered to the flickering flames inside the lanterns along the path. Another smell of alcohol reached up to Enru. She wouldn¡¯t get any immediate answers from him.


    Enru turned her head and looked back at the blue-skinned man following right behind them. Furrowing his brows, he averted his eyes, and instead stared toward the darkening sky.


    After a while, Murrol bit his lips.


    That Murrol.


    ¡°Wait,¡± Enru froze up as only one thought crossed her mind, ¡°by ¡®they¡¯, you don¡¯t mean...¡±


    The tall and thin demon remained silent. Even if he always kept his words short, he¡¯d never stay this silent when asked about something. Yet that very same -composed- Murrol tried his utmost to stay out of it.


    ¡°It¡¯s been ten bloody years since they left Fer¨ªn to head north...¡± Dunrug almost skipped forward on his toes in excitement, ¡°The ¡®Hunters¡¯, they¡¯re finally back!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m heading home.¡± Enru squirmed, trying her utmost to get out of the drunken demon¡¯s grasp. She had heard enough, ¡°Stop, put me down!¡±


    ¡°Come on. Took me forever to convince Murrol and... Since you¡¯re already here, can¡¯t hurt to stay for a while. There¡¯s a feast, after all.


    ...I¡¯ll pay for everything, so stop hitting my head.¡±


    Enru wouldn¡¯t give up so easily, but as she turned her head back, searching for help from Murrol, she was in for a surprise. Things didn¡¯t seem like they would go in her favor.


    Murrol didn¡¯t return her gaze, still focused on the sky. He walked slowly, to the point where he might just stop altogether and suddenly turn around and walk away once nobody was looking...


    A faint thunderous roar resounded in the sky as the number of clouds increased. Enru just stared forward, at the illuminated entranceway, where the feast was being held. She couldn¡¯t get out of Dunrug¡¯s firm grasp, no matter how hard she tried.


    Enru steeled her jaw. It was so long ago since the group had left, that it all could¡¯ve been just another one of her dreams, but it was also the only other explanation to the feast...


    He was back, along with the others. The one-armed hunter had returned.

 Chapter5: -Awakening-

    Joyous laughter echoed throughout the spacious halls and dull noise followed in rhythm as tankards struck down onto the long, decorated tables stretching along the stonewalls of the building. There wasn¡¯t a shortage of liveliness from anyone inside. Villagers sat down and watched as others arm wrestled, danced, or even brawled the night away. Men, women; demons.


    Dunrug heaved out a laughter as he spread his arms into the air. He fully faced Murrol, standing beside him, ¡°This... This is a feast.¡±


    Cheering loudly, then waiting as the other villagers replied in the same way, he headed for an empty spot by the far end corner on the left side. He sat Enru down first by the enormous table, before taking a seat himself. There wouldn¡¯t be much of a feast, if his partners left him before the night had even begun.


    Enru furrowed her brows. They sat too far away from the exit, not to mention she was stuck -between the table and two demons.


    ¡°Not as bad as you imagined, right? Food¡¯s free for the night and the drinks are on me!¡± Dunrug reached for a grape, ¡°Order anything, whatever you want. You too, Murrol.¡±


    ¡°I-¡± Enru gazed with a defeated expression over the various delicacies decorating the table, ¡°...Some grape juice.¡±


    ¡°Water.¡± the blue demon reached stiffly for a small berry floating in a bowl of melting ice.


    Dunrug tilted his head, looking back and forth between the two before standing up to find someone serving the refreshments. He came back soon after with one glass of water, and another holding a dark purple liquid. Placing them down on the table, he walked away once more, returning shortly after with a large tankard of wine.


    They stared back at him, sitting in silence, as Dunrug returned. Every bit of the large hall was filled with laughter and joy.


    Everywhere except for the spot he had chosen.


    ¡°Well you two sure are fun...¡± slumping down on his seat with a sigh, he took up his tankard to drink.


    It would take a while for the useless drunkard on Enru¡¯s right side to let her go for the night. By the pace he was downing the wine -at least another five rounds. She took a sip of her grape juice and gazed over to her left.


    Murrol still sat in silence, holding the glass of water in his hands as he stared into a stone pillar close to the exit. A faint mumbling escaped his lips and, as Enru looked closer, his forehead was glistening under the flickering flames.


    ¡°Murrol,¡± Enru leaned further in to whisper, ¡°help me get ou-¡±


    ¡°The hunters are here, but I promised Dunrug...¡± the hoarse voice, near inaudible under the lively atmosphere, had no time to bother with the problems of others, ¡°I should leave while I can, but I can¡¯t let him down...¡±


    It seemed like he wouldn¡¯t be of any help to her, either. Enru placed her chin on the table with a sigh. Tankards full of ale, large bowls filled with oval grapes and enormous boars, grilled over open fire, towered above her head.


    Even the fish seemed larger.


    Picking a grape from the red bowl, she sat back upright and glanced around.


    Every table, wall and even pillar had been decorated nicely in the colors of red and golden. The village hall had really transformed into something other than the modest appearance she remembered. Torches were warming the halls, the dusty pillars were glistening, and even the sculpture of the sun and moon, standing in the far back, had been replaced.


    ¡°Who is that even?¡± Enru furrowed her brows and took two more grapes to her mouth. She tried to keep her eyes open as the sour taste quickly spread itself on her tongue.


    The large statue appeared in the image of a young human. A boy holding something toward the ceiling with his left hand while smiling. A merchant¡¯s child, if she had to guess from appearance alone.


    ¡°Well I¡¯ll be... That idiot really brought that out yet again.¡± Dunrug placed his second tankard on the table as he looked up, ¡°I swear, he worships that boy way too much these days.¡±


    She glanced back at Dunrug with furrowed brows, only to slowly shift her gaze back toward the detailed statue, ¡°Do you know who he is?¡±


    ¡°Tus appeared with him one day... Ah, the living one, of course... rambling on and on about how the runt had saved his life.¡± Dunrug stood up, gazing over the hall, ¡°Back then, it wasn¡¯t every day you¡¯d see that man give praise to someone.¡±


    He walked off and came back with two new tankards. Both filled to the brim with red wine.


    Dunrug brought one up to his pale lips, chugged half of it, then slammed it onto the table as he instead brought up a piece of grilled meat with his fork, ¡°Meat tastes sho much better with this... You¡¯re missing out.¡±


    ¡°So, who¡¯s the boy?¡± Enru reluctantly reached her hand out for another grape.


    ¡°Oh, an interesting kid for sure!


    He walked into the village that day with the same kind of short-sleeved shirt, vest and short pants. The large hood you see covering his neck and shoulders, he said was a magical item given to him by his mother, wherever she disappeared to...¡± Dunrug sipped on the wine as he glanced back at Enru, ¡°Had a thing for puzzles and riddles, too...¡°


    About to bring the tankard to his mouth, the demon stopped and grinned instead, ¡°You should¡¯ve seen our faces when Tus came back with a kid -a human at that- instead of his right arm. Everyone thought he had brought the kid as his food!


    But apparently we were all wrong. To think that runt would end up-¡±


    Dunrug furrowed his brows, and looked over at Murrol, who blankly stared at an extinguished torch stuck in the wall by the exit. The half-emptied glass was still in his shaky hands.


    ¡°Murrol... Hey, Murrol!¡± he swiped the glass away, placing it down on the table as he pointed toward the statue, ¡°Listen, do you still remember that boy?¡±


    Murrol blinked rapidly, searching around the bustling hall for the voice until stopping his gaze on Dunrug. Following the purple demon¡¯s finger, he had to turn his head in order to fully see the statue.


    His face was contorted as he turned back with a glare, ¡°...Yes.¡±


    ¡°Oh come on! Stop sulking already. Sure, you have plenty of reasons to dislike him... Like, when he stole your boots, dropped them in the water and such... Or when he broke your horn-¡±


    ¡°Both of those were you.¡± Murrol narrowed his eyes, snatched the full tankard from Dunrug¡¯s hands and chugged it all in one go.


    ¡°See?! It wasn¡¯t even the runt that-¡± Dunrug furrowed his brows as he noticed the lack of weight in his right hand. He glanced around, then stood up, slowly leaving the table, ¡°Be glad it was just one of the horns...¡±


    Enru had a quick glance. A scar ran down from the left side, right under what was left of the broken horn. The other white horn, still there on the right side, curved back around his ear.


    Just like the two horns growing on Dunrug¡¯s head.


    You two need to get to the tower.


    Enru glanced toward the statue. The voice had softly echoed into her ears. It was deep and clear, even with the loud laughter around her... Something similar had happened before. It wasn¡¯t as sudden as the first time, easing in rather than outright jumping at her.


    The statue seemed oddly familiar, the longer she stared.


    ¡°...Anyway!¡± Dunrug appeared with two new tankards, filled with ale compared to wine. Placing them down, he sat and turned toward Enru, ¡°That boy, he- What are you glaring at? Something on my face?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Enru sat back on her own spot, ¡°go on.¡±


    ¡°Well... He quickly got accepted by the rest, even though he was a human and all... His name was Sam- Sammy, something.¡± Dunrug raised his large mug toward the statue, ¡°Whatever it was, I suppose that in the end he was just another one of us.¡±


    Taking in the scent of the foam lingering on top of the ale, his face beamed as he was leaning in to treat himself to a sip. He closed his eyes, ready to enjoy the taste on his tongue, only to have the large mug swiped out of his hand.


    ¡°Thatsh-¡± Dunrug raised his head in an instant, ¡°...Not mine. Welcome home.¡±


    A red-skinned demon stood on the other side of the table -chugging down Dunrug¡¯s ale. His horns, as dark as charcoal, reflected the flames of the torches on their jagged surface.


    Cold shivers ran down Enru¡¯s back.


    There he was, right in front of her... His appearance hadn¡¯t changed at all after all the years. The fur on his leather cloak hastily waved back and forth as he slammed the wooden mug onto the sturdy table.


    ¡°His name was Samuel Ferren.¡± the demon released his grip of the mug to point at Enru, ¡°A man whose strength you¡¯ll never reach.¡±


    The demon clenched his teeth as he continued to glare at the short girl on the other side of the table, ¡°...You are nothing alike-¡±


    ¡°Right!¡± Dunrug reached for the other tankard of ale he had brought to the table, ¡°His name was Samuel Ferren. Thanks, Tus!¡±


    Tus narrowed his eyes onto the other nuisance, then over to the amber-colored liquid held in that drunken demon''s hands.


    Dunrug flinched, immediately covering the tankard with his body. Taking a quick glance behind his back, he gulped down the ale before anyone else had the chance to take it from him once again.


    His night wasn¡¯t over just yet.


    Leaving a dent as he struck the table with his empty tankard, Dunrug gazed back at Tus with a smug smile. He had outsmarted them all. Now, he wouldn¡¯t risk losing his precious beverage... He just had to get a new one.


    Tus straightened his back and glanced at Enru one more time before leaving the three to themselves. A group of four demons -all with a sword sheathed by their hips- were all waiting for him further inside the bustling hall.


    Are there others hiding here?


    Stolen story; please report.


    Enru flinched, covering her ears. It jumped at her, from outside the building, reverberating through the hall -loud and clear. Yet nobody else reacted, as if they couldn¡¯t even hear it.


    Once it quieted down, Enru gazed toward the exit with a frown. Something, someone, was reaching out to her, and only she seemed to hear it.


    It had to be the scar¡¯s doing.


    ¡°But I must say... The number of ¡®Hunters¡¯ seem to have almost halved since the time they left.¡± Dunrug followed the group of five with his eyes, ¡°Hurun, Inra... Even Narg?..¡±


    He brought the tankard to his mouth, only to put it down, standing up, ¡°I¡¯m gonna need another ale for this, dammit.¡±


    The purple scales on Dunrug¡¯s back glimmered under the flames as he walked away in search for another drink. The way out was finally free of obstacles; a straight path. She could head home. Murrol was even sound asleep to her left, his face stuck on the table. A perfect opportunity in any other case, but...


    She couldn¡¯t just abruptly leave now. It wasn¡¯t right. Not without making sure that someone could watch over that drunken oaf.


    ¡°Murrol, wake up...¡± Enru lightly shook his body, ¡°Wake up! I need you to watch over Dunrug, so-¡±


    Let¡¯s hurry to the tower.


    The deep voice caught Enru off guard again. She almost flew up into the air from the surprise alone. It was louder than the last one, but that was the least of her problems.


    She had really done it now... Her hands were wet and, as she looked through the gaps between her fingers, so was the table along with Murrol¡¯s black hair. After spilling water everywhere, the glass had crashed into the ground. If someone noticed, she wouldn¡¯t be left alone for a long while.


    Enru could even hear Dunrug¡¯s hearty laughter for when he¡¯d come back to witness the mess.


    ¡°That won¡¯t wake him up by a long shot,¡± The muscular demon sat down, raising his filled mug toward Enru, ¡°but it did help me a little... Cheers.


    ...May their spirits finally rest from the curse.¡±


    Alcohol seemed to have saved her.


    ¡°What curse?¡± Enru turned her head and sent a puzzled look toward Dunrug while trying her best to dry Murrol¡¯s hair with the red table cloth.


    ¡°Oh, right. You got thrown out of the group early by Tus...¡± he glanced around himself, before leaning in closer to whisper, ¡°They leave the village to, simply put, defend us and other places from the curse slowly devouring the lands.


    You¡¯ve heard things from Grendol before, right?¡±


    Enru gave a nod as she sat down, ¡°Dark creatures; beasts.¡±


    ¡°Well there you go. You can trust his words,¡± Dunrug leaned back with a smile, ¡°he used to be in the group long before taking on the job of chopping up the meat for the rest of us.¡±


    ¡°But that doesn¡¯t tell me-¡±


    Anyone still alive needs to retreat!


    Enru covered her ears, but she could still hear it clearly. Faint screams echoed in the background of the voice, the sound of metal striking against metal... Pain.


    ¡°Hm? What¡¯re you covering your ears for? Headache? Or, don¡¯t tell me...¡± Dunrug Leaned in, sniffing the air around her, ¡°Drunk? On the smell alone?¡±


    ¡°The only drunk one here is you!¡± she brushed him away with one arm, ¡°Can¡¯t you hear it? The fire... The screams.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re drunk.¡± he back away as a fist came flying toward his stomach, ¡°An angry drunk.¡±


    Enru stood up and tried to force her way past Dunrug, but easily got blocked by his legs. The pathways just had to be so narrow...


    How is this possible? They just keep coming!


    ¡°My ale!¡± Dunrug quickly placed his tankard away to have both of his hands free, ¡°Easy there, don¡¯t want to fall and hit the ground, do you?


    It¡¯s hard.¡±


    Enru raised her head, blinking rapidly, as the voice had faded away yet again. She was held up by Dunrug¡¯s arms, just before her knees would have hit the stone floor. Released from his grip, she swiftly crawled past his legs while she had the chance. Something was wrong... The scar was wrong...


    Something was wrong with her.


    Dunrug stood up and grasped her sweater before she had the chance to run out of the hall, ¡°Calm down. What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°I need to leave, I-.¡± Enru struggled to drag herself out of the long-necked sweater, ¡°I need fresh air!¡±


    She stared at Dunrug with teary eyes, trying until the very end to not leave too much of a bad impression, ¡°I need to head out, so please-¡±


    ¡°Enru,¡± Dunrug¡¯s eyes looked serious for once as he pointed toward the base of her neck, holding the wooly sweater belonging to the girl in his other hand, ¡°Your neck is...¡±


    A silvery light glowed faintly from the base of her neck, all the way up to her left ear. Enru¡¯s neck wasn¡¯t covered by her sweater any longer. The scar was completely exposed. She quickly covered it with her hands, but it was already too late. Everyone had already seen it... It would only be a matter of time before they would surely throw her out.


    ¡°What was that?¡± Dunrug reached out with his hand, causing Enru to flinch, ¡°Let me- Hey, wait!¡±


    Enru couldn¡¯t hear his words. She had already dashed out of the village hall and simply continued forward under the rain. They wouldn¡¯t be able to catch up with her as long as she kept running.


    The pathways darkened as the lanterns grew more scarce with every step. Underneath her, the gravel gave off a sharp rustle which echoed under the cloudy night.


    By the time Enru got out of the village, she couldn¡¯t distinguish between raindrops and tears, both running down her cheeks. Everything was over, all of it. Soon, she wouldn¡¯t have a place to belong to anymore.


    Have you savages lost your mind!?


    And it was all because of the voice.


    Tears escaped from her cheeks as she abruptly changed direction to where the voice came from. Jumping over sticks and stones, she slowed down once reaching a clearing in the forest.


    I¡¯ll never surrender! I shall die, knowing that the others survived with my sacrifice.


    Enru fell onto the wet grass with her knees first, covering her ears. She could clearly hear the clashing of metal and the crackles of the burning flames reach out to her. From inside her house.


    As the pain from her head faded, she hurried toward the door and slammed it shut once inside. Enru carefully glanced around the entrance room, then the kitchen, before heaving a sigh. It all looked the same as when she had left.


    You cripple me, yet you still can¡¯t bring me down.


    The shelves shook as the deep voice appeared again. Compared to before, however, it didn¡¯t disappear after a few seconds. It was only getting louder... She had to stop it herself. Somehow.


    Enru held her ears while moving up the stairs as fast as she could. The cottage was trembling and everything inside moved along as if they were glued on their spot.


    Come! All of you at once!


    Not a second too soon.


    With her body, Enru pushed the door to her room open and began searching for the source of the voice. Her eyes stopped at the corner behind the bed. It really was...


    Hurrying to her bed, she froze on the spot and just stared at the wooden mask. Ever since back then, it had all been...


    Do you know who I am!? I-


    Enru reflexively grabbed the blanket from the bed and tossed it over the strange item in an attempt to block out the loud noise.


    It worked. The trembling stopped and the voices disappeared -it turned silent. Awfully silent. She stared toward the blanket held down by her hands. It was too quiet. Releasing her grip, she was ready to jump back in if something strange occurred...


    But nothing happened. The mask made no loud noises. No fire, no clashing swords; not even a muffled whisper. Only the rain, as it pattered against the window, filled her room. A puff of air escaped through Enru¡¯s nose.


    She stood up with the wooden mask in her hands. It had all just been her imagination.


    It couldn¡¯t have been the mask after all.


    Is that all you got!?


    The broken mask clattered as it struck the ground and Enru followed shortly after, onto her knees. Covering her ears didn¡¯t help. It was all so, so very real. The flames burning the houses. The swords striking down the screaming men, women and children as they beg for mercy...


    Images continued to appear inside Enru¡¯s mind, as if they were her own memories and always had been. Her eyes were closed, but she could still see them so clearly.


    The pressure on her head only got heavier. She couldn¡¯t breathe as waves of images hit her and once it seemed as if it would stop, another wave crashed in with the new screams and voices it carried.


    It just continued, endlessly...


    Her sight flickered. Tears dripped onto the ground as she passed out.

 Chapter6: -Night of the Ravens-

    The smokes from the flames towered above him, covering the sky. Buildings were burning as far as his eyes could see, lightning struck the ground without mercy and the screams of his men filled his ears. The night had been peaceful just a moment ago.


    Until they appeared.


    ¡°Aruen!¡± a robed figure ran toward him with a glimmering sword in his hand, ¡°Tyril¡¯s taking the children and wounded to safety right now.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all I need to know.¡± Aruen strengthened the grip around his dagger and dashed toward the robed man, ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡±


    The robed man froze on the spot as warmth gathered in Aruen¡¯s left hand. His legs wouldn¡¯t budge, no matter how hard he tried. Speechless, he looked on as the red-haired man he would trust with his life closed in with bloodthirsty eyes.


    A squeal came from behind, the burning heat began to spread. The robed man could only watch as his superior thrusted the dagger between his left ribs and arm. Blood painted the grass beneath them and the warmth behind him faded.


    ¡°Your methods are always so...¡± the man turned his head as soon as his body could move again. Ashes slowly scattered with the wind, leaving only a small pool of blood behind on the ground, ¡°I can¡¯t tell if you want all of us killed or not.¡±


    ¡°Good job.¡± Aruen gave a pat on the man¡¯s shoulder before he turned his head around and screamed from the bottom of his lungs, ¡°Now can anyone tell me how there are orcs invading our island!?¡±


    The thunderous roar from the sky overtook them as the rest stayed silent. It was obvious that none of them would have a clue. Orcs didn¡¯t simply appear once a night, looking to dominate lands. On contrary, they had always been known for their code of honor -respecting those stronger. They knew better than to just invade an island full of mages on nothing but a whim.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you why.¡± the bloodied dagger glimmered as Aruen pointed it toward the advancing enemy army.


    Ripples formed in the air above his left hand as the heat increased rapidly. Clenching his hand into a fist, the heat disappeared.


    Soon, a low rumble came from the skies above, and flames the size of men began to disperse the clouds, falling onto the army of orcs. Gasps came from the other men and women watching the dreadful sight. Some dropped their weapons, while others fell to their knees, understanding the meaning of what had occurred. What they couldn¡¯t hope to achieve was unable to...


    It was futile, their ends were near.


    The flames dispersed as a thin, blue layer had appeared above the orcs. Unharmed, the army continued forward. Large area magic seemed no more effective than a child¡¯s pranks.


    Aruen lowered his arms and began to walk toward the rest, ¡°One of our own have guided them to us.¡±


    ¡°Y-You¡¯re insane!¡± a bearded old man, dressed on par with the rest of the robed men, stopped in his path, ¡°Not only do you claim to have the voices of others inside of that thick head of yours, but now you dare say that one of our own... A magician... Has betrayed us!?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll find out soon enough,¡± Aruen walked past the old wizard and turned around to face everyone present, ¡°but they wouldn¡¯t attack us if we still had the advantage...


    If we don¡¯t break that barrier, our lives will be gone before sunrise.¡±


    Aruen gazed over the dark mass trampling their ground. The orcs that eagerly rushed forth were quickly dealt with by the lightning. But not even his lightning could break the barrier from afar.


    ¡°Lisen.¡± Aruen tried to wipe the thick blood staining his cheeks, only to smear it out further onto the red stubble he called a beard.


    ¡°Aruen?¡± the same robed man, earlier appearing with news about the safety of those incapable of fighting, slowly walked up beside Aruen. He glanced back to the crowd forming behind him on the cliff edge, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me...¡±


    ¡°Find a way in and kill whoever¡¯s shielding the orcs,¡± Aruen leaned in to whisper before he left, ¡°and be careful, their eyes are among us.¡±


    Lisen stared out over the approaching army as Aruen left to face the other magicians. He was certainly the right man for the job, but... The creator of a barrier could only be found at its center.


    ¡°...Sometimes, I¡¯m not sure whether you¡¯re really trying to kill us or not.¡± with a sigh, Lisen began to move according to Aruen¡¯s request nonetheless. He was seething with rage, even if he wouldn¡¯t show it.


    Twenty-three years... Having left the island only twice in his lifetime, it pained his soul to see the lush greenery get trampled over and over, until nothing left stood undefiled. It had been exciting to leave on a small ship as a youngling, but as the world got known to him, his home was the only warmth left. On both of his journeys, he had seen the doings of orcs before, and this was not one of them...


    This... This was the doings of humans; greed.


    Aruen closed in on the outer edge of the small burning town, right by the north entrance. It was littered with green-skinned corpses. A small number for what was to come, yet that number was already closing in on their entire fighting force. Evacuation had to be finished soon if they would make use of the tower.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Gerd?¡± Aruen searched among the villagers either preparing to fight until their deaths, or despairing over their cruel fates, ¡°We can¡¯t retreat from here until he¡¯s back with confirmation-¡±


    ¡°Brother is-¡± a small hand stopped him from behind his back. The soft voice seemed on the verge of crying, ¡°Brother left that way, and hasn¡¯t come back yet.¡±


    Aruen knew the voice with every bone in his body. She should¡¯ve been at the tower right now. This place was too dangerous for children.


    He hastily turned around and held the young girl¡¯s shoulders. His grip strengthened as he stared at her. She had been told not to come here, to stay at the tower, yet... It was heavy; the gaze of those trusting eyes. Aruen couldn¡¯t yell at her when her pale eyes were full of tears. He would receive a mouthful of complaints in the morning, if it ever came.


    Kneeling down, Aruen brought the girl in for a hug, ¡°I¡¯ll go take a look, so run back to safety. That nice old man in robes over there will protect you on the way.¡±


    ¡°But-¡±


    ¡°No buts...¡± Aruen lifted her up with a confident smile while standing up, ¡°You¡¯re a big girl now, right? Asmira.¡±


    He let her down and ruffled her short, untidy hair, ¡°Once you get back to safety, count to a thousand. I promise I¡¯ll be there, okay?¡±


    ¡°...Promise?¡± tears trickled down the child¡¯s reddened cheeks, ¡°You won¡¯t leave like mommy?¡±


    Aruen could only smile at her innocent words. It had been far too long since the love of his life had left the world, with two unruly gemstones alone in his care. Those had been painful and hard days... Now, the children were the only ones keeping him sane as he still often woken up, sweaty, from his restless nights.


    With a soft kiss on her forehead, he gave her a reassuring look, ¡°I promise. I¡¯ll bring Robert with me, too.¡±


    Asmira looked back several times as she hurried away with the old wizard.


    He couldn¡¯t waste any time either, if only to keep his promise. The orcs would easily break into the village once their main force reached up the plateau. If somebody hadn¡¯t evacuated until then...


    ¡°I¡¯m heading east!¡± Aruen sheathed his dagger and turned around, ¡°You know how barriers work. Break a hole and slay as many orcs as you can before it repairs!


    Sarlow has command while I¡¯m gone.¡±


    ¡°You heard the fool! Those savages are just large in numbers...¡± the muscular man thrusted his sword through the air, with the approaching army at the tip, ¡°Now protect Tempest with all you got!¡±


    The air got colder the further away he got from the center, where everything had begun. Stairs led him down along the mountainside to a lower plateau, and the modestly shaped houses entered his sight. The echo of his footsteps, stomping over the laid out stone path, spread in the silence. Everything seemed abandoned, but Gerd, as well as Robert, were out there -somewhere.


    Blossoming trees grew along the pathway. The same ones he had planted along with Asmira, Robert, and...


    ¡°Robert!¡± pearls of sweat formed on Aruen¡¯s forehead, ¡°Robert, answer me!¡±


    His words faded into the night without a response.


    Robert might even be back at the tower already... He had promised his father to behave. He promised to watch over Asmira.


    ¡°Robert, dammit! Don¡¯t play hide and seek with your father... Now isn¡¯t the time!¡± Aruen stopped and took another look at the area he had passed. His breathing was getting rougher, ¡°Robert-¡±


    A plank fell over and clattered onto the stone path. Unsheathing his dagger, Aruen hurried over to the house on his left.


    Wooden boards and planks leaned against the wall. Ready to strike with his dagger, he shoved the boards away, but sheathed his weapon as soon as he could see the small feet retracting.


    Two girls desperately pushed their backs against the wall, trying their best not to usher any sound. Streams painted their muddy cheeks as tears had trickled down for some time.


    Aruen crouched down to meet them at their eye-level.


    ¡°You two need to get to the tower.¡± he brought them up on their feet one by one, ¡°Are there others hiding here?¡±


    One girl exaggeratedly shook her head, while the other nodded once; slightly, ¡°Mommy told us to stay here...¡±


    ¡°Then she cannot have gone far.¡± Aruen stroke his thumb over their cheeks, wiping away their tears, ¡°Let¡¯s hurry to the tower and I¡¯ll promise to come back with your mother, alright?¡±


    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Both girls gave a nod and seemed ready to follow him, but the loud echo of a horn caused them both to crouch with their hands over their ears. The sound that shouldn¡¯t have been here came from the roof above them.


    Aruen stared straight up. Holding his hand toward the low ceiling, he clenched it into a fist as he brought it down. Wind began to howl, blowing through the area without remorse.


    A black blow horn fell to the ground. Taking the initiative, Aruen lunged forward with his dagger, and pierced the dark-green chest as it had fallen right after. Retracting his short blade, he watched as the orc lifelessly slumped further onto the ground.


    He picked up the horn and faced the children, ¡°We need to hurry.¡±


    Sarlow was protecting the only safe entrance to the village, and any stray orc should have been struck by lightning. They shouldn¡¯t have been able to get this far in... And his son was still out there.


    ¡°Stay close to me.¡± Aruen looked back at the two girls holding hands, glancing restlessly back and forth between the houses, ¡°I¡¯ll make sure nothing¡¯s hurting you-¡±


    ¡°Aruen!¡± a robed man slowly limped forward on the pathway. He carried a child on his back, ¡°Oh thank the stars, it is you.¡±


    ¡°Gerd-¡±


    ¡°I found Robert passed out by a tree.¡± Gerd handed the boy over, ¡°He seems alright, but you need to leave here quickly. I¡¯ll buy you some time.


    The orcs, they¡¯re coming up the mountainsides...¡±


    Gerd glanced toward the two other children. Taking a deep breath of the fresh air, he faced the young father with a bitter expression, ¡°...There are no other survivors from this side, just a bloodbath.¡±


    Aruen didn¡¯t meet the two girls¡¯ eyes. He knew the pain all too well...


    It was already too late.


    ¡°You better return in one piece.¡± Aruen walked away as fast as he could without leaving any of the three children behind, ¡°Don¡¯t increase that number.¡±


    Gerd said nothing, not until Aruen would be too far away to hear him. Slumping down by a house wall, he stared at the incoming wall of orcs, ¡°...Always asking for the impossible, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Blue sparkles flashed as arrows grazed the layer surrounding Aruen and the children. He looked up to the next plateau. The peaceful houses had been transformed into platforms for the orcs as they engaged a cold-blooded battle.


    ¡°...Get closer to the wall.¡± Aruen slowed down to let the girls catch their breaths, ¡°There¡¯ll be less arrows that way.¡±


    Aruen continued up with the girls right behind him. The orcs¡¯ numbers only increased with each drake ship arriving on the strands far below. A swarm of death; ruthless savages only caring for money and power, and the power had shifted into their favor.


    ¡°We¡¯re soon there.¡± Aruen looked back again, making sure nobody was left behind, ¡°There¡¯s a nice old man inside that you can trust.¡±


    Just a little bit further...


    The base of the silvery tower entered his gaze as they got out of the maze made out of burning houses. Large orc corpses were lying around the front, as if they had desperately tried to charge the building to no avail. Safety was just up ahead.


    Lightning seemed to dance as it struck down against the orcs appearing from around the sides. Aruen focused completely on the short path that was left open. Some weak arrows wouldn¡¯t be enough to stop him. Not now.


    He placed his hand on the white wall and closed his eyes until a chiming sound began to reach his ears. A large wooden door slowly appeared before them.


    ¡°Dad!¡± Asmira ran past the two girls entering first and hugged Aruen as he appeared fourth behind the large door.


    ¡°I brought Robert.¡± Aruen smiled as he sat the boy down against the wall before returning the hug, ¡°Has Sarlow returned here?¡±


    ¡°Nobody but you has entered since I and Asmira got here.¡± the bearded old man walked up behind Asmira¡¯s back with a grim look, ¡°We need to start thinking of saving those already here...


    You know where I¡¯m going with this, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Everyone else stayed silent as Aruen and the old man stared at each other. With a sigh, Aruen released his grip around Asmira, standing back up. Removing the necklace from his neck, he placed the key it held into the old wizard¡¯s palm.


    ¡°Take care of the rest from here.¡± He faced back to Asmira one more time, whispering gently as he ruffled her hair, ¡°I¡¯ll be right back, so listen to the elder for now... And take care of your brother while I¡¯m outside.¡±


    She sniffled back some tears, giving a slight nod. Standing still, Asmira watched as her tall father walked out of the entrance. He turned around and waved with a smile on his face.


    Light from the outside faded slowly as the door closed, and disappeared.


    Aruen stared into the smooth wall reflecting a blurry version of himself. It would only take a second to remove the seal and get inside the tower again...


    Clenching his fists, Aruen turned around, increasing his pace until he was running down the hill. Sarlow was still down there with the other villagers. They all had the duty to protect, and would never leave him in the same situation. He still had people to protect.


    ¡°Sarlow!¡± Aruen froze an orc crossing his path and shattered the statue to splinters with his dagger before heading further into the fray, ¡°Do you hear me? Sarlow!¡±


    ¡°So the young master returns,¡± Sarlow puffed air out of his nose as he felled an orc to the ground with a clean cut down to its knees. Piercing its chest once, he turned to face Aruen, ¡°we might still need another hand or two.¡±


    The metallic smell of blood reached Aruen as he got closer. Sarlow might have never been good at magic, but he could handle his sword and lead a group like no other... Yet the shallow cuts displayed all over his body was more than enough to understand the strength of his opponents.


    Aruen grasped Sarlow¡¯s right shoulder and leaned in, making sure he was heard under the screams, ¡°Anyone still alive needs to retreat.¡±


    ¡°About bloody time!¡± his moustache vibrated to his own voice, ¡°Defend me and I¡¯ll get the message out in no time.¡±


    Sheathing his sword, Sarlow took out a small hourglass from his chest pocket, holding it up to his eyes. The water inside splashed from side to side against the crystal clear glass. A soothing sight, even in the midst of despair.


    He covered it with his fist as he closed his eyes, concentrating on the needed words, ¡°Liun.¡±


    A light shot out toward the sky along with a high-pitched clang as he opened his fist. The clouds were slowly painted green in the shape of a raven. Their signal to retreat had been released.


    The hourglass cracked, slowly turning to dust that swept away with the wind. With a sigh, he faced Aruen and nodded, ¡°We¡¯ll slowly fall back and keep the path clear-¡±


    The sound of a horn echoed over the battlefield. A chill ran down Aruen¡¯s spine as he turned around to where it came from. Orcs swarmed in from the burning houses, occupying the rooftops, and worst of all, even more of them blocked off their path to the tower.


    Sarlow unsheathed his sword as he felt the tension rise within his body, ¡°...I suppose it¡¯ll have to take some time.¡±


    Aruen watched as Sarlow ran in, screaming without hesitation. Concentrating, Aruen began to gather the heat from the flames into his left hand. He couldn¡¯t let the sword-enthusiast outdo him.


    But as he raised his hand, sharp pain suddenly rushed in from his shoulder. He crouched down, reflexively covering the wound with his hand. The shield against physical attacks was still up, covering his body, but...


    Blood was surely seeping out from his shoulder.


    An orc grunted from behind him, sword raised. He brought it down, but was swiftly parried by the dagger in Aruen¡¯s hand.


    Using the momentum, Aruen closed in and cut into the savage¡¯s muscular leg before burning him to ashes with the touch of his heated palm.


    Standing up, he gazed around. Everything seemed different from just a moment ago... The echo of swords as they struck against each other, the low rumble of the thunder coming from beyond the rain...


    The rain that shouldn¡¯t be falling.


    Dull pain suddenly came from his chest and his legs couldn¡¯t carry his weight any longer. One by one, the comrades around him fell to the ground with steel piercing through their chests. Their screams filled the air. Yet he could do nothing but watch in silence.


    Aruen brought his hand to his chest. The feathered wooden shaft sticking out seemed almost like a joke, but the dull pain told him otherwise. It had gone through his shirt and was stuck, right next to his heart. But the pain didn¡¯t linger, no blood of his own colored his clothes. It was just a throbbing pain left, as if he had gotten into a tavern fight and took one too many hits.


    He stuck his hand in under his shirt, ripping out the arrow. A wooden mask fell to the ground and split in half. The wooden mask which he had always protected ever since making it... Had now protected him.


    Tears rolled down his dirtied cheeks, dripping to the ground. He was unhurt, still able to fight the orcs, to protect his home. Yet the salty liquid wouldn¡¯t stop pouring out of his eyes... As if he had lost something important.


    A half of his very being.


    The voice other than his own, the one he would always hear in his head, had disappeared; ripped out. Only emptiness lingered in its stead...