by Michael Sisa
He climbed the hollowed tree and using his twin blades, he cut off branches one after another. With great effort, he placed the thick blanket of leaves right at the entrance of the hollow. After squeezing his tiny body inside, he closed it off with another leaves-filled branch. He dozed off into dreamland.
***
It was morning, and the sounds of ravens chirping woke him from his slumber. He quickly glanced at his mother, and heaved a sigh of relief after seeing her sleeping face. Her breathing was faint but stable. It brought him great joy that he was able to protect such seraph.
He pushed the blanket of leaves forward, and it fell down the ground. He covered his eyes from the sudden flash of bright morning light, and he heard a sound beside him.
“Nnnn…,” he heard his mother say. She slowly opened her eyes, and she immediately squinted upon contact with the bright rays from the outside.
“How are you feeling, mother?” Dan said. Aside from numerous gashed from the forest’s trees’ branches, her body was in a fairly good condition.
“Dan… Where are we?” She said. As if a thought suddenly struck her mind, her eyes bolted wide open, and she frantically said, “Krisse! Your father, Krisse?!”
Dan lowered his gaze. He paused before he replied, “Mom… he stayed behind for us.”
Silence filled the two after those words. Minerva’s lips quivered, and she desperately tried to suppress a wallow. She wanted to look strong in front of her son. Deep inside, she knew that Krisse was gone. She saw the beasts herself. There was no way for a mere human to win against such monsters.
She felt a warm hand on her shoulder. It was tiny, but it held great strength. She looked up and saw her six year old son. His body was battered all over, but his gentle smile seemed to belie the pain accompanied by it. He spoke no words of consolation. Instead, he hugged her tight, and she felt his beating heart against hers. She sobbed and she wailed. She had lost someone precious, but she knew life had to go on. She had her two children with her. They were her life’s new purpose.
Eventually, her wailing stopped. With a snot-filled face, she uttered, “Thank you….”
Dan did not reply and instead went out of their abode. The morning sun seemed enraged, and it sapped at his strength the moment it touched his skin. It seemed to scorch everything around them. Minerva followed suit and she almost shouted in great fear the moment she saw the sprawled corpses of the beasts the night before.
“What… happened here?” Her voice trailed off. She looked at her son’s body. It was filled with bruises and gashes.
“I don’t know,” Dan said with a shrug. “Someone must have come here and killed the creatures. The Empire’s army, I guess?”
Minerva knew that the Empire would not bother to traverse deep into such place. Somehow, she felt that her son was lying, but she dismissed the thought. She resolved herself to trust her son no matter what.
“Mother, where should we go?” Dan asked, though he knew the answer to his question. Personally, he wanted to go back to the village to find his father. He knew that the blacksmith was most likely dead, but he wanted to see even his corpse regardless. He was a doting father, and Dan knew that he gave his everything to provide for his family. He wanted to give the man a proper burial at the very least. Still, he gave up on the idea since his mother was his current priority. The living took precedence.
Her mother looked beyond the trees that surrounded them. Despite the innumerable barks and leaves, the Great Wall was visible from their current spot. It spanned an immeasurable length, and its same towering height touched the clouds.
Minerva touched her belly. With a firm voice, she said, “The Great Wall. We’ll go inside the Empire.”
Chapter 04: The City of Molivia
“Mother, are you alright?” Dan asked. He squinted as he looked at the huffing figure on his left. Her mother was filled with sweat all over, and the green mucks from the beasts covered most of her skin.
“Yes, I’m fine,” Minerva replied. She was exhausted, but her resolve to appear strong before her son kept providing her strength. The two of them had exited the dense forest. Occasional decapitated corpses were seen along the way. Even now, numerous clouds of smoke filled the sky. It created a surreal painting straight from a battle field.
They were now on a grassy plain filled with overgrown weeds. The swaying grasses crept up till their waist, and its sharp blades kept gashing against their bodies. The pain was tolerable, but when coupled with the scorching sun above, it became excruciating. They were in desperate need of water, and they knew that such resource was impossible to acquire. Everywhere around them were unending fields of weed.
Minerva’s memory the night before was blurry, but one thing was sure: Dan made sure of her safety. She had a vague idea on what happened the moment she lost consciousness. Just the battered appearance of her son, his muck-filled body, and the blade marks on the corpses of the beasts were enough testaments to the events that occurred while she was ‘asleep.’ She had an inkling of the truth behind the veil, but she was afraid to ask. She was afraid of the answer.
The two of them continued to traverse the seemingly unending field of overgrown weeds, and after a couple of hours, they eventually reached their destination. They were expecting to see a large army blocking the colossal gate of the entrance to the Empire, but reality gave them a different picture.
The Great Wall and the Empire that governed it seemed detached from the nightmare that happened before. The wall remained unchanged, and guarding its colossal gates was a meager amount of soldiers that hardly surpassed two dozen. They were positioned right before an outpost. Surrounding its perimeter were stone blocks that made a clearing despite the unending grasses of the outskirt’s meadow.
Minerva glanced towards her son, and with resolve in her eyes, she grabbed his young hand and ushered him towards the outpost. The soldiers assumed a wary stance as the two figures approached their group. A soldier took a step forward and said in a loud and firm voice, “Halt! State your purpose!”
Minerva swallowed the lump in her throat and replied, “We wish to seek refuge in the Great Empire of Kulaima, honourable soldier, sire!” Her left hand was on her chest, and her body was bent low in respect.
The soldier scrutinized the two figure’s body from head to toe. They wore battered looks, and the mucks that covered them gave an irksome appearance. The soldier cringed and assumed a slightly disgusted look on his face. He asked, “Did you swim through mud or anything similar?”
Minerva shot a quizzical look but still replied, “Krukas, sir. I’m sure the soldiers stationed on top of the battlements saw the fire that ravaged our village?”
The soldiers stationed bolted up the moment the word ‘Krukas’ came out of Minerva’s mouth. They nervously glanced at each other, and some of them swallowed the lumps in their throats. The soldier from before paused for a long time before he reluctantly asked, “K-Krukas? We did see a sea of fire miles from here. Numerous sea of fire… separated from each other.”
‘So our village is not the only one ravaged by those beasts? Still, I’m surprised with the so called ‘Great Empire.’ They’re not even aware that their enemies are lurking nearby,’ Dan thought. He silently listened in their conversation.
“Yes. Our village…,” Minerva’s body trembled as she tried to continue with her words. “It was attacked by numerous beasts the night before. Everyone was killed. We’re the only….” She was unable to continue the last bit of her story. Dan felt her grip on his hands tighten, and he casted a gentle look at her quivering face.
“It’s fine. You have me with you, mother,” Dan softly said. His voice was low and hardly audible, but it held great strength behind it. Somehow, to Minerva’s surprise, it filled her with strength.
“Are your words true?” a voice sprung out from beyond. They glanced at the source and saw a man clad in white armor walking towards their direction. His black hair had tinges of white, and a well-kept beard lined u
p above his lips. Despite the numerous wrinkles, his face was firm and muscular. His eyes were deep and hazel. “If it is, then we have to inform the Royal Family. We have to mobilize the army of the Molivia City.”
“Captain Jackslow!”
The soldiers immediately assumed a respectful bow upon seeing the middle-age man. The so called captain of the soldiers wordlessly walked towards Dan and his mother. Afterwards, he raised his gauntlet-cladded right arm and mumbled a few incomprehensible words. An azure light enveloped the two, and it filled them with unexplainable warmth.
“Hmmm… they’re humans. There is no need to worry if these two are High Fenris that morphed into a human body,” Captain Jackslow said. He mumbled another few incomprehensible words, and the mucks that clung to Dan and Minerva’s body dissipated. Their wounds closed on their own, and the fatigue that continued to embrace them vanished. They entire body was cleansed and rejuvenated.
“Wow,” Dan said in honesty. He had never seen such a convenient thing before. It was without a doubt a form of magic.
Captain Jackslow turned towards his soldiers. He shouted, “Coordinate with the City of Molivia! All soldiers stationed on the battlements are to ready their magic and arrows! Send a message to General Orbit! We are to immediately assume a tight defensive stance!”
“Yes, Sire!” the soldiers chanted in unison. Afterwards, they immediately scattered and assumed their roles.
“Thank you… for believing us,” Minerva said while bowing. Her eyes were moist, and the feeling of having her son’s injuries healed almost sent her to tears. She had the feeling that her son fought a battle she was unaware of during the time she was unconscious, but she was afraid to ask. All that she could do was stand beside him as they both traversed the unknown.
“Don’t get mistaken. I don’t believe you, but there is no harm in preparing for the worst, is there?” Captain Jackslow said. He stared at the twin blades strapped on Dan’s waist. “There is something peculiar with your kid. I cannot pinpoint it, but my instincts are screaming at me… he’s dangerous.”
“He’s human! You said so yourself!” Minerva said. She nervously glanced towards Dan then to Jackslow. She was ready to run from the captain if the situation willed it.
“Relax. I didn’t say that he’s a Fenris. I’ve confirmed it with magic: both of you are humans. There is no need to fret. It’s just that….” Jackslow’s voice trailed off. He heaved a sigh and said, “Nevermind. If what you said is true, then this area is no longer safe. We normally charge two Wys per person as entrance fee.”
“Two Wys?!” Minerva uttered in disbelief. It was an amount that would feed their entire family for half year.
“Yes. There’re two of you, so the entrance fee is four Wys, but this time’s an exemption,” Jackslow smiled. “As exchange of the information you’ve given, I’ll give the two of you free entrance to the Empire. I won’t be able to guarantee what happens to you guys after that though.”
“So you’re not really aware that monsters began decimating villages in the Empire’s outskirts? Even though you’ve seen the sea of fire the night before?” Dan asked. His question took Jackslow by surprise. His words seemed unbefitting of his age.
“The Empire… I hate to say this myself… but they do not care what happens to the villages that are not under their sovereign. Even if we see the entire Rul Forest burn before our very eyes, we will do nothing but watch. It is not part of the Empire’s territory.”
Rul Forest was the forest that surrounded the outskirts of the Empire. It was the forest where Dan’s village was located. He remembered the looks of anguish of the villagers as they succumbed to their deaths. It was a gruesome sight, and the Empire did nothing but watch during that time of peril. Still, he somehow understood the stance the Empire took. It was the same stance of the Leopold Family: “We do not involve ourselves to those outside our jurisdiction. It’s part of the code of Separated Territories.”
‘At least the Empire’s soldiers are not scumbags. At least not this one,’ Dan thought. He pertained to Jackslow. Dan smiled and lightly bowed his head. He said, “I see. Then, Captain Jackslow, thank you for granting us entry to the Great Empire of Kulaima. Thank you very much.”
Jackslow did not reply and instead just returned a smile. A soldier walked towards the captain and saluted. He said, “Sire! We’ve contacted Molivia! General Orbit is going to send an army of two thousand soldiers to guard the entrance to the Great Wall. A reinforcement consisting of five thousand soldiers is on stand-by!”
“I see,” Jackslow said. He turned towards the Dan and Minerva. “Go. The soldiers shall grant you entry to the Empire.”
Dan and Minerva again said their thanks. After that, they went towards the direction of the gates. It spanned a hundred meters in height, and a single side was two meters thick. It was made of pure iron. It opened inwards with a loud creaking sound the moment the two approached, and a shrouded view of a city greeted both of them.
The gap created was enough for them to pass through side-by-side. After a confirmatory nod from a soldier, Dan and Minerva entered. The colossal gates shut afterwards.
“As expected of the Empire,” Minerva mumbled. Numerous structures that spanned three to four stories in height were seen. The ground was paved, and soldiers filled the streets. Some of
them glanced at the two, but afterwards dismissed the sight. Murmurs and buzzes filled the air. The entire city was bustling.
“Captain Jackslow told me to escort you two to an inn,” a soldier from behind spoke. He was wearing the same brown leather armor as the rest of the soldiers. He seemed to be around early twenties. He removed the leather cap on his head. “I am Hans. A trainee soldier. Welcome to the Molivia, the military city that guards the front lines.”
“SOLDIERS! GET YOUR ASSES UP AND READY! HURRY UP!” a shout from beyond was heard. Hans seemed apathetic to it and said, “So, let’s get you two to an inn?”
Hans walked forward and Dan and Minerva immediately followed. He was humming, and he was calm despite the blatant tension that filled the streets. It was obvious that everyone were on their edges after knowing that Krukas was about to attack the Empire.
The group entered an alleyway then turned left after reaching a corner. Numerous broken barrels filled the cramped path, and a cabin with a broken window was seen on their left. Eventually, they reached the end of the alley, and they found themselves in a different road. It was wider than the previous one, and a platoon of soldiers stood in attention before an officer. Hans waived for Dan and Minerva to keep following him. Eventually, they stopped in front of a structure made of polished lumber. It was three stories in height, and its entrance was a double door. Muffled voices were heard from the inside.
“Know what, the two of you are not the first ones who asked for entry to the Empire. A dozen refugees also went towards the wall to seek shelter,” Hans said. His voice was nonchalant. “They wore torn garbs like you guys do, and their expressions were grim. They said monsters began attacking… saying Krukas is on the move. The soldiers dismissed their story though. Can’t blame them o’ soldiers. The royal magicians said its five years from now.” He scratched his chin. “The story became believable when the two of you came. I guess you two are like the confirmation of their message? You can’t blame us. It’s hard to believe strangers, right? Lucky for you guys that Captain Jackslow was stationed outside when you guys came. Otherwise, you would have been like the previous refugees.”
Dan and Minerva did not utter a word. The words of Hans confirmed their suspicions. It was peculiar that they were the only ones that sought shelter inside the Empire—others did so too, but was refused entry. It seemed that they were lucky that the captain was a reasonable man.
“Here’s the inn. It’s the cheapest in the city. The food’s bad. I mean… it’s really bad.” Hans chuckled. “You guys look poor, so I guess this inn would serve as the best choice for now. Well, it’s not like I’m discriminating. Just saying my tho
ughts, ‘kay?”
Minerva dismissed the rude remark. She said, “Thank you, soldier Hans.”
“Hahaha! Madam, I’m no soldier. Just a trainee. And thank God Mulavek that I’m currently a trainee. Otherwise, I would have been forced to fight Krukas outside the solace of this city. Just the thought alone makes me shiver. Geez,” Hans replied. He walked forward and waived a hand. “My job’s done. See ya.”
The two of them watched as Hans calmly walked away. He turned right at a corner and disappeared from their sight. They turned towards the inn and entered through the double doors. A cabin-like view greeted them upon entry. The tables and chairs were wooden, and at the corner was a counter; a fat lady wearing a spotted dress with frills at the edge stood behind it. Five people were sitting before a table at their left, and two were at their right. They casted a quick look at Dan and Minerva. Afterwards, they resumed their conversations.
“Welcome,” the fat lady said. She was wiping a wooden tankard. After seeing the hole-filled garb of her potential customers, she mumbled, “Oh….”