Following Arsh from behind. The band of adventurers looked around in puzzlement crossing the last of the forest, leading to the hidden village. It was the place they only heard gossip about.
Their eyes followed the surroundings, stopping at the solemn figure standing at the very boundary of the little mysterious village.
They didn't call out to Arsh. Even though they couldn't say they also had been through what he was feeling. They somehow understood his pain and grief. Instead, trying not to act insensitive. They slowly walked to his side, their eyes going wide from the horror of the sight in front of them.
"...Are you sure this is the right place?"
Adam asked cautiously from the side of the group. His eyes skimmed through the nearly new-looking houses at the front of the village.
"...Yeah, it is."
Arsh sighed, nodding his head slowly. Walking inside the village step by step. It had been a long time indeed.
To Arsh, it looked exactly the same. The houses, the village well, the way they used to be arranged. It was all the same….If only he only didn't look at the ground.
The others followed behind Arsh, keeping a little distance between them.
Their eyes were solely focused on the scattered skull and bones on the ground. Some bones were crushed to dust. Their crumbs were still present near them. Some of the different bones with a little bit of flesh attached to them.
The lifeless skulls of people unknown to the adventurers seemed to stare at the group hollowly from the hell itself. And the smell, the smell so feculent surrounding them, making it nearly impossible to breathe.
They had to cover their noses to keep at least some of the smell away. In such a disturbing sight, keeping the attention retracted was nothing short of impossible for the group. Fidgeting uncomfortably they stole frightened glances at the half-decomposed bones on the ground near them.
They looked at Arsh, who didn't seem to mind them at all. He walked ahead without paying them any heed, his expression distant…with a little glimmer of hope in his eyes.
"How much time has passed since you left this place?"
Ethan's solemn yet stern voice resounded in the group. Turning everyone's attention toward him.
Arsh turned around to look at the group. Noticing Alan and Gelina signaling Ethan with their eyes to shut up. Arsh waved his hand at them, replying in a firm tone. At least as much as he could muster at the moment.
"I don't mind guys. let him be…."
"As to answer your question, Ethan. It's been almost a year since I was plunged away from my home right here, to that shithole you call your home."
Arsh sighed, stopping abruptly.
"I know you guys are curious as to why the houses didn't have a scratch on them. And why did the bodies of the villagers not decompose completely even after a year?"
Arsh pointed a finger at the boundary of the village, rotating it in a full circle. Trying to show them the outline of the mysterious village.
"...The village chief of ours was an astounding sorcerer…. He was the one who drew the boundary of the village separating it from the forest, with his aspect. Even though he never told me what his attribute was….. That geezer, always trying to sound all mysterious and profound, saying 'Aspect is a mage's biggest secret. You don't get to know mine, and neither do I am going to ask for yours'...."
Arsh smiled to himself slightly, remembering the happy old times. But looking at the pity-driven eyes of his comrades focused on him, he composed himself again. Reminiscing could wait for later.
"His boundary is the reason no monster could ever enter this village. However strong they are. I guess that could also be the reason for the slow decomposition rate…..I am not too sure though. That geezer never explained any of it to me either."
Arsh looked at the skulls and bones on the ground with a somber yet somewhat lonely expression. They used to be part of his life before being forced into this hell of a life.
Even though he somewhat had come to terms with his never-ending grief of losing his everything. It was still taking every fiber of his being to stop him from mentally breaking down completely, looking at the half-decomposed corpses of people, who had once been the reason for his life.
Looking at their dissected corpses solemnly, he gritted his teeth in rage. He still didn't understand what was the reason for all this bloodshed. Why were they slaughtered for no reason at all?
If the Gods were all omnipotent beings, then why did they fear a little village of the north so much? That they had to root it completely out of existence, countless innocent lives along with it too.
Why do they care about little humans or other beings at all? Why couldn't they have left him to live a normal life? If only 5 of their followers were strong enough to take care of their concerns easily.
Remembering the happy faces of the villagers he asked himself. What sins did they commit to die like that? What was the reason they were forsaken by humans and gods?
Why did they leave the shade of the gods at all? What was the bloody reason for which they were ready to go against their creators?
If they could have lived an easy and normal life just bowing their heads to real deities. Why did they throw it all away? Making the enemy out of the greatest beings in existence.
Arsh had several questions he wanted answers to. Though as always no one around him was capable of answering them for him.
Even then….
He was sure of one thing….
Arsh glanced at the barren corpses on the ground, reprimanding himself.
"They didn't deserve such a fate."
For that reason and that reason alone. He swore to destroy them. He didn't need to know the answer to every question in order to hate them. Burning their entire existence to the ground was the reason for his life.
Arsh walked past the village slowly. He felt his companion confused stare at his back. But he didn't turn around to answer them. It was better to show them rather than tell.
Arsh stopped, looking at the house made of wood with the weird calligraphy over its entrance door. Even though the house was surprisingly unharmed, like every other house in the village, the blood stains were still there.
Looking at how they didn't destroy everything to dust, Arsh at least now knew those 5 intruders were not some mindless monsters, destroying everything in their sight. However much he considered them monsters. They indeed were fully functional humans with working brains.
Arsh sighed and turned back, looking at his comrades' confused expressions. He stretched his hand toward the entrance of the house, announcing dramatically.
"Welcome to my humble abode. It looks the same as when I left it. So, I don't think it has any major structural problems…. probably. Whatever. Let's just hope it doesn't come down on our heads."
"Why is your house away from the village?"
Joey asked, looking intently at the house.
"You know, I wondered about that for my whole life too…..I don't think I can get an answer now."
Arsh looked ahead taking a deep breath, trying to act as calmly as possible. He didn't want to show his companions what he was feeling right now.
Especially that clenching grip on his heart, that had made it nearly impossible for him to keep the tears from falling down. He was again where all of it started.
Arsh walked ahead slowly opening the creaking door. As a solemn tear made its way out of his eyes, tracing down on his cheek finally to his chin, dropping to the ground silently.
"I am back home…..M-Mom."
But…Now there was no one present in the little house to welcome him anymore.