Black Mist

by Michael Sisa

  Minerva took the initiative and said, “Lodgings for two. A dinner right now would also be nice.” It was currently dusk; it took them half a day to reach the Empire by foot.

  “Certainly,” the fat lady said. She continued to wipe the tankards before her. “That’s two Ors per night. Food’s included. Down payment please?” Her voice lacked enthusiasm.

  Minerva fumbled inside her pocket. After a few seconds, she took out a golden Wys coin. It clanked twice after she placed it on the counter before her. The fat lady’s eyes widened in surprise, and she immediately assumed a big smile. She exclaimed, “Oh! Dear customers! Lodgings for two it is!” Her smile was still plastered on her chubby face. Freckles adorned her cheeks. “Please sit. Dinner shall be served in five minutes! Please take your order!’

  She went out of the counter and ushered the two towards one of the numerous vacant seats. After Dan and Minerva sat, the fat lady took out a small parchment and a quill pen. She said, “Tonight’s menu is Grilled Rakal. Yellow Feshlin is also available.”

  Minerva had eaten Yellow Feshlin before. It was a type of fish that lives in shallow water. She said, “Two Grilled Rakal please. Double the servings for my son.” Dan was a voracious-eater despite his young appearance.

  “Right away, madam,” the fat lady said. She added, “An additional fee will be charged for the double serving.”

  “Yes, please do,” Minerva politely replied. After those words, the fat lady returned to the counter. She shouted a few words accompanied by some cursing towards the cook inside. The voice of a man retorted, and the sound of a tankard hitting bones slightly resonated.

  Minerva looked at her sitting son. She said in worried tone, “Dan, are you alright?”

  Dan stared back. He then glanced at the twin blades that dangled on his waist. Surprisingly, no one seemed to mind the weapons he carried. With a gentle face, he replied, “Yes, I am fine, mother. Instead, I should be the one asking that question. You’re pregnant. I don’t want to lose my future sibling. Please, take care of yourself better.”

  No matter how many times, Minerva could never get used to his son’s maturity. She was always taken by surprise whenever the child uttered words that carried weight. She was about to respond when she heard footsteps coming towards their direction. Upon looking, she saw the fat lady from before walking towards their direction. She carried a tray with her, and two wooden plates were on top.

  “Grilled Rakal. Here you go,” the fat lady said as she placed the plates before the two. The plate before Dan was filled with a large serving. “Enjoy.” She politely bowed and walked away.

  Dan thought on how money could instantly change the demeanor of a person as he stared at the fat lady’s shadow. The memories when he was still Hades resurfaced on his mind. As if dismissing the thought, he shook his head once and scooped a large portion of the chunky flesh. He bit it off thrice, and gulped down the lump in his mouth in one go. He heaved a sigh of exhilaration and said, “Uaah~, Mr. Hans told us that the food here is bad, but this one’s good.”

  Minerva sliced a portion of the meat and chewed in an elegant fashion. She wiped her mouth with the cloth placed at their table’s center. “Yes, you’re right. This is really good.” Her voice was loud and clear.

  The other customers glanced towards their direction after her words of praise.

  “Woah. Seriously?”

  “Who would have thought that there would come a time wherein someone would actually appreciate this inn’s food?”

  “Those two must have been used to eating worse stuffs. Amazing.”

  The two of them dismissed the comments and continued eating. The opinion of others hardly mattered. What was important was that they were enjoying the food on their plates. They came into contact with a life-and-death situation just a day ago, and the mere thought that they were able to have dinner again together made the Grilled Rakal akin to Food of the Gods. It was absurdly tasty, and each and every bite seemed to melt in their mouths. They wordlessly ate until their stomachs were unable to carry the load any longer. With a sound of relief, they leaned on their chairs and grinned at each other.

  “Delicious,” Dan said. Minerva smiled in response. She rubbed her belly, and Dan stared at it. Her son asked, “Mother… I’ve been hearing the word Krukas numerous times. It seems that everyone knows it.”

  Minerva paused for a moment but eventually decided to speak. “Krukas. Dan, it’s the term used to call those that belong to the army of the Demon Lord Vanarava. It’s quite complicated. To make everything simple, the Demon Lord Vanarava died two centuries ago, but he left behind five descendants. Each of those descendants has the power to vanquish an entire army alone. They’re the greatest threat in the Continent of Tal.”

  Suddenly, a loud sound reverberated inside the inn. The ground violently shook, and shouts were heard from the outside.

  Another deafening sound echoed. Afterwards, the sound of asphalt cracking and breaking was heard. It was accompanied by neighing of horses. The ground continued with its violent quake, and the tables and chairs eventually tilted over. Those inside the inn immediately crouched to prevent themselves from falling to the ground; Dan and Minerva were included.

  The deafening reverberations intensified. The frantic voice of a soldier echoed afterwards, “THE WALL! THE WALL WAS BROKEN THROUGH! ALL SOLDIERS ARE TO ASSUME FORMATION—DEMON SUBJUGATION! THAT IS GENERAL ORBIT’S ORDERS!”

  The customers inside the inn immediately went outside the moment the ground stopped trembling. Dan and Minerva immediately followed. Upon exiting the inn, they were greeted with the sight of a bustling street filled with pale-faced soldiers. Numerous shouts filled the air, and from their spot, the damage to the wall was unseen. It was as imposing as before.

  “The wall’s been broken through? Impossible!” they heard a soldier say.

  “No, not the wall! The gates! The gates were reduced to smithereens the moment the Stone Dragon showed up!”

  “What about the soldiers stationed outside? I heard that General Orbit sent two thousand men to personally oversee the outside. What is Captain Jackslow doing?!”

  “Captain Jackslow is dead! He died while trying to buy time for the soldiers to escape! We need to assume the Demon Subjugation Form or else this city is done for! We can’t let that happen!”

  Dan felt a small pricking sensation in his heart after he heard of the captain’s death. He was a good man, quite contrary to the Empire he served. He grabbed Minerva’s hand. It was ice cold. He said, “Come. Let’s escape. This is a city devoted to the military. It won’t fall that easily. We should use that time to escape deeper into the Empire.”

  Minerva broke from her trance after her son’s words. With a nod, she dashed off towards their escape. Suddenly, the inn from before blew up into tiny bits and pieces, just in time after they were a few meters away. A loud roar was heard, and the same beasts the night before showed themselves. There were around three dozens of them, and behind them was beast that resembled the monsters. Unlike the other beasts, its size was ten meters—thrice that of its comrades.

  The soldiers immediately pulled out their swords from the scabbards. Numerous ~twing sounds echoed, and their weapons reflected the moon above. A large fire suddenly erupted from their rear, and cries of agony accompanied it. The City of Molivia was turned into a living inferno.

  Numerous roars echoed, and the beast began charging towards the armed soldiers. Clanking of metals resonated, and the sound of flesh and bones being torn apart filled the air. Dan did not bother to look at the blood-filled battlefield. Instead, he grabbed hold of his mother’s hand and pulled her towards their escape. At the corner of his eyes, he saw a familiar figure. Still holding Minerva’s hand, he went towards it.

  “Sir Hans,” Dan said towards the figure. He was hiding and crouching behind a wooden cargo box, his entire body trembling. Hans looked at Dan and his mother. After a couple of seconds, he turned the other cheek. His two arms were twined together as he e
mbraced his body. Dan knew Han’s face well. It was the face of a man that had lost all hope. His eyes were empty, and his body seemed devoid of blood. It was the same face Dan’s targets assumed when the blade of Hades was about to strike their necks. It was the same face the prey of the Grim Reaper of the Leopold Family assumed a few seconds before their deaths.

  Dan placed a hand on the trainee’s shoulder. He said, “Sir Hans, It’s not too late. You could still escape. Please. Please tell us where the direction of the other gate is. There should be another gate that leads deeper into the Empire. It wouldn’t make sense otherwise.”

  “It’s over… there is no escape,” Hans mumbled. He pointed towards the east. “There. A gate that leads to the Serpent Fork is located at the east. As for me… I’ll stay here.”

  “Soldier Hans! We could escape together!” Minerva exclaimed. Her eyes were moist. Mortifying things that kept happening one after another were taking its toll on her mind.

  Hans replied, “I’ve told you. I’m no soldier. Just a trainee, madam.” The last bit was uttered with bitterness, with self-mockery. “I’m the cause of this thing. If only I did not open the gate to save the captain. He said so himself that we should not open it. Strong as they are, Krukas won’t be able to break through such thick armor so easily. If only I obeyed his last order… if only I was strong enough to sacrifice the captain for the sake of Molivia… if only… if only….”

  Hans kept chanting the last part like a mantra. His eyes were red and capillary-filled. It kept dashing right and left. His lips were pale and dry. Dan squeezed the man’s shoulder. With a whisper, he said, “Thank you. You are a soldier Mister Hans. You’ve resolved yourself to die with the city. Your decision... I respect it.”

  Hans looked up but saw no one. At the corner of his eyes, he saw the figure of Dan and Minerva fade into the crowd. He mumbled, "Haha... me, a soldier? No... Hans... is just a trainee. I'm no soldier. Definitely not."

  With another loud ~twag sound, the structure behind him was crushed to pieces, and along with it was his youthful body.

  Chapter 05: Escape From the City of Molivia

  Dan and his mother kept running. Everywhere around them was in complete chaos, and the living inferno that used to be the military city of Molivia kept its rage aflame. Shadows danced as the wind flickered the embers of the scorching city. A large four story structure blew up after a creature’s gargantuan tail had hit it. The tail of the creature was made of pure hard earth, ash-colored, and it spanned thirty meters in length. When combined with its bulky body, the creature encompassed almost a hundred meters. It was a stone dragon.

  “Magicians! Fire!”

  Large orbs of fire cruised towards the creature, and they hit their marks perfectly. Each of them created a massive explosion upon impact, pushing the earthen creature backward. It roared as multiple cracks formed upon its body which then immediately healed after a second. It glared at the source of its pain. It stomped its right feet once, and a massive shockwave blew. Using its tail, it swept away the magicians that continued to cast their magic. Houses and inns were decimated from its strike, and pieces of wood flew in every possible direction. The magicians managed to survive the strike by forming a large barrier made of magic.

  ‘This place’s too dangerous,’ Dan thought. He pulled his mother’s hand as he led the way towards the east. He knew that the situation was far more dangerous than the previous one, but this time, they had the advantage in the form of the Empire’s army. He knew that the military city of Molivia would not go down without a fight; he would use that time to escape.

  He heard the loud huffing sound on his right. His mother was heavily panting. She was exhausted from running. As if fate was benignant, he saw a cart near them. Its rear was decimated, but the bow front was in a fairly good condition, and the wheels were intact. Two horses remained tethered at its front.

  Dan turned to his mother and said, “We’ll use horses.”

  Minerva tilted her head in response. She wanted to ask, “You know how to drive one?” but her lack of energy rendered her unable to do so. She wordlessly followed her son. Dan made her stop in her tracks. He said, “Wait here. I’ll go check on something.”

  Chaos still filled the air as Dan walked towards the decimated rear of the carriage. Underneath a pile of wreckage, he saw a man that was profusely bleeding all over. His breathing was slow, and twin lines of blood flowed down his mouth. He stared at the child that approached him moments before his death.

  “You own this carriage, Mister?” was the first thing Dan said the moment they made eye contact. He knew that the man before him was in his death bed.

  The man’s eyes glimmered for an instance; it was enough of a reply. Dan closed his eyes for a couple of seconds. Upon opening, he pulled out one of the twin blades on his waist. He walked towards the man then bowed down. With the sound of a wind, the man’s head rolled on the floor with a ~clag sound. His blood blanketed the paved ground crimson. It was a quick and painless death.

  Dan cut off the strings that tethered the horses to the carriage. He then immediately leaped into one of the horses, and with a swift motion, he gripped the reigns and ushered it to move forward. He stopped right in front of Minerva. “Please hop to the back. Using a single horse is faster than using that carriage. The road’s practically non-traversable by cart at this time.”

  By now, her son was one of the most mysterious things in the world for Minerva. He seemed so capable. He seemed so reliable. Whenever Minerva looked at her son, his shadow seemed to loom over everything. It was like her son had lived through countless hells before. His decision-making was impeccable, and his character was hard as steel. Just the thought alone that he was with her was enough to fill Minerva with strength. It was a peculiar feeling, especially since the child was only six.

  Minerva hopped onto the horse’s back. She was behind Dan; Dan held the reigns. “Mother, grip the horse’s body using your feet. You won’t fall off that way. Hold your hands to my body,” Dan said. After those words, he made a suppressed roar, and he slapped the reigns. The horse loudly neighed, and it furiously charged forward. Dan’s horse riding skill was absurdly good; the piles of wreckage that continuously blocked their way were skillfully avoided. It was to the point that the child did not bother to reduce the speed despite the numerous obstructions. They passed through the scorching city at a frightening speed. The wind was blazing, and the scent of blood filled the air, all the while numerous shouts, screams, and roars were heard.

  “Spells at ready—FIRE!” they heard a voice say. Immediately after, the heavens rumbled and numerous blizzards and fire arrows rained upon the invading beasts. Sparks of fire and shards of ice flew everywhere, and it took Dan his everything to skilfully evade each and every one of it. Some of the soldiers were swept up in the violent hail, but the sacrifice was worth it; a third of the beasts were decimated after the assault.

  ‘We won’t last a second if we get sweep up in this chaos. I need to get her out of here as fast as I can,’ Dan thought. He gnashed his teeth, and he slapped the reigns further. Their mount seemed to have felt his determination to escape, and it strode forward at a frightening speed. Everything passed by in blurs, and the roars and sounds of explosions were becoming fainter as they got farther. Eventually, they got to the eastern gate—it was half-opened and was slowly closing.

  Numerous soldiers were guarding its front. All were armed to the teeth and were in tight formation. Some of them were surprised when they saw a child riding a horse. A faint roar was heard from beyond, and a large pillar of fire rose towards the sky. Muffled sounds of agony suddenly intensified.

  From their distance, they saw the stone dragon flap its wings, and it soared to the sky. It then opened its jaws wide, and with a fierce murderous glare, it summoned an orb before its snout. The orb twirled violently, and the surrounding air was sucked towards it like a violent maelstrom. A few more moments, after it released its ferocious breath, the entire northern part o
f Molivia became non-existent. Only a large fissure remained. The impact cruised till the wall, and as though made of paper, it tore through the fortress that had protected the Empire for centuries.

  “My God… if that was directed our way…,” a soldier mumbled. Everyone was dumbfounded from the absurd strength of the stone dragon. They had never encountered such a mythical creature before. It was a creature heard of only in legends. Just its name alone was enough to send even the fiercest of magicians into wobbly knees.

  Dan assumed a grim look after he saw the damage created after a single breath. A large portion of the Great Wall that was supposed to be impregnable was decimated in an instant. Furthermore, the entire northern part of Molivia was now gone.

  He gulped in a large breath and slapped the reigns. He charged through the tight formation of the army. Upon seeing the horse that seemed enraged and would not stop at any moment, the soldiers instinctively created a small path for it to pass through. The door had yet to fully close, and the gap was wide enough for Dan’s mount to pass through. Everything happened in an instant, and when coupled by the shock that came from the previous scenario, the guards were unable to fully close the gates in time..