The fog grew dense on our way down to the valley of Senra, ruins of an ancient memorial where fallen Solsarians and Amayans had joined hands against the Demon of the Dawn, or so what our ancestors say.
In the distance, I could see faint lights of purple dancing in the fog. I thought that we were heading towards the purple lights, but they were heading to us.
I can hear the clashing of silver and steel grow louder. A wave of echoes yelled out "Enemy on sight!" from the front flank to us.
Then we heard one of our men scream as the clanging of his armor grinded against the stone floor away from us.
I can hear the enemies growling and snarling in the darkness of the fog.
"Kyuro!" Shia shouted.
And I sliced the beings behind me. Their bones were the color of coal, and their eyes were engulfed in purple flames as their hearts were glowing in the center of their caged ribs.
Shia ran to me and asked," Kyuro are these things-"
"No, these guys aren't homonculi. They're bodies aren't fresh enough to be," I said as I fought.
We were able to fight off the beasts and secured our headquarters.
I was panicking. Where was she?
I walked around looking for the red head and found her in a garden talking to a blonde man in a black lab coat.
"I'm sorry, Miss, but you shouldn't be here," the man said.
"Oh, is that so?" she said.
"Do you like flowers?" he asked as they walked away from the garden.
"Haha, not really, but my Mother would always spend her time in the garden. And I recognize those flowers," Saiya said.
"You do?" Varen asked confused," Where have you seen them before?"
"They're grown in my fiance's garden and were always placed in our home," she said.
"I see," Varen frowned and said,"These flowers are not merely for looks, Miss. They can be used medicinally, however if they are simply out in a room for a moment in time, they can be deadly, causing hysteria and false illusions. It concerns me that you would have those flowers in your home. Are you for sure that those are the flowers you saw? Not a flower that looks similar?"
"I believe so? I may be wrong, but the flowers smell similar to the flowers in his office," she said.
"Smell? Miss, excuse me for my rudeness, I am Dr. Varen, a clinical scientist and botanist. You said the flowers have always been there, so i assume that you've been exposed for a long time. I ask that you and your fiance and those who else have been exposed to this flower to come to my office as soon as possible for a diagnosis just in case," Varen looked at her intensely.
Saiya had left to find Lex and I followed Shia into the doctor's office.
"Why didn't you let us know there were beasts in this valley, Varen?!" Lieutenant Iren yelled out as he pulled onto Dr. V's collar.
"Calm down. I told you in the letter to be aware of any obstacles, did I not?" Dr. V.
"And by obstacles you meant beasts not the physical terrain?!" the lieutenant smashed his fist onto Dr. V's desk.
"What else did I mean by 'BE AWARE,' " the doctor scoffed.
"My men were injured severely and we are just about near the time to battle against Solsus. We need all our men in shape!" the lieutenant continued to yell.
"Atleast your men are alive!" Dr. V shouted.
I noticed on the way to Varen's office, there were newly dug graves outside.
"Iren, he's right. They lost more men than the number of men injured on the way here. It must have been difficult for them to send us a warning ahead of time," I told him.
"Then what are those things?! I've never seen any beasts like them! Beasts are either giants, poisonous, or carnivorous. Those beasts look like the undead!" the lieutenant asked for an explanation.
"There are many unknown beasts that have been appearing lately. Even I, a scientist who studies beasts, doesn't have the knowledge of what they are. Some appear humanoid and others resemble as deformed beasts," Varen said.
"Yaaagh!"
"Evacuate!"
Bells were ringing, signaling a warning of an attack as people were screaming and running outside.
Someone slammed at the door and asked for Varen.
"Doctor! Something is going on outside!" said a young a man dressed in a black coat.
Iren opens the door and the young man falls onto the floor.
"Doctor! You have to look at this! The same thing is happening again, but it's getting worse! The men outside are burning alive. Some of them have died from the flames and some are not affected by the burns! Come take a look at them!" the man desperately asked.
Varen grabs two cases and asks his assistants to follow him.
"Hold on Stupid!" Iren yells at them," What if they kill you?! You're the only doctor here! Let my men and I handle this!"
"I don't care if you come or not! This has been happening WAY before you came and WE have been handling this on our own the WHOLE TIME as you and your men took YOUR SWEETEST TIME TO GET HERE!" Varen said as he stomped away. Iren was angered, but he didn't say anything back.
Iren and his men ran with Varen to the scene. I stopped a boy carrying a little girl who ran pass me and asked him," What's going on?"
The boy looked shocked and slapped my hand away,"Y-your people are burning alive by the purple flames! And some of them are attacking others! Maybe you've been infected too! S-so leave us alone!" The boy continued to run and turned a corner, but they ran into a beast in purple flames.
I sliced the beast and it dissipated in the air as black and purple particles rose from its corpse.
"It's dangerous to go by yourselves. You may not trust me and my men, but please, if you want to survive, then follow the evacuation route," I told them.
Shia and I caught up to Iren and the doctor. The commotion was over. Iren was able to keep the scene in control as the doctor and his assistants looked after the immobilized soldiers in flames. I watched the doctor in amazement as he touched the burning victims.
"They're not real flames of fire. They just look like fire. The flames are a spell infused with mana particles," the doctor said.
"So what's happening to them?" Iren asked.
"Do you... believe in curses?" Varen asked.
I could hear her sniffling as she dragged Lex's body towards us.
"Please, please help him!" Saiya pleaded in tears
.
"Fire!" a man yelled out.
Red flames burned behind Saiya as a figure in purple had followed her to us.
"Esther!" Tera yelled out to the burning figure.
As I looked closer, I could see the threads of red shining under the moonlight.
It was indeed red head number two.
Blood soaked his clothes as he stood infront of Esther.
"Kyuro! This is the time Kyuro! I need your help! Please stop Esther!" Tera cried," C'mon! Mr. Reaper!"
Reaper? Does he know? Had he known all this time?
"Hurry up mutt! You know what to do!" screamed Esther as her voice was followed by a thousand of her voices laughing, crying, and screaming in anger.
"Mom?" Saiya crumpled to the floor, holding Lex in her arms.
"Esaya Ri'pe afrina shtekro" Tera said as a pink glow surrounded my wrist with spell marks.
"Was this your plan all along?! ESTHER?! TERA?!" I yelled out to them.