In the midst of the darkness of the storm, a spark of fire appeared. the light was so warm, like a star in the middle of the dark sky. the spark grew bigger and bigger. lighting up the place that was covered by darkness.
little by little, the fire devoured the corpses that were previously alive. the fire continued to burn despite the rainstorm. the crows cried out as if their food was being stolen. the fire continued to grow, but the grass that was exposed to the fire did not burn. in fact, the fire was not too hot like the air in spring.
with a cold expression moirai just watched the phenomenon. slowly the fire turned flesh and blood into ashes. after a long time after there was nothing left, the fire slowly disappeared. leaving moirai enveloped by the darkness of the storm again.
Everything... vanished so quickly...
moirai stepped deeper into the village. so many corpses were strewn all over the place. several houses were scorched to the ground with various corpses that died from being devoured by the warmth that was supposed to protect them from the cold of the storm.
amidst the gloomy situation moirai felt an attraction to one of the houses in the village. the house exuded an aura that could not be described through words. even with the many corpses scattered in front of the house, the building still looked solid.
moirai stepped into the house. step by step the aura grew stronger. the smell of blood that was not there before suddenly appeared from inside the house. moirai approached and opened the door. when he opened it, the door felt heavy like something was holding it. when moirai checked there was a corpse blocking the door. moirai immediately pushed and made the corpse fall.
as the door opened, the blood of the corpses inside the house pooled in the centre of the room. but most striking was the corpse of a young priestess among the human corpses. the priestess was a demonic race. who had a large wound on her stomach. her eyes were open with her face half burnt, lying helplessly. moirai approached the priestess through the pool of blood on the floor and closed the priestess's open eyes.
'O pure soul, thank you for living your destiny, on behalf of myself... a messenger of the goddess, I pray for you for the promised destiny'
Moirai bowed his head, folding his hands as he began to pray. He remained still, his body unmoving, as he immersed himself in solemn supplication. Time seemed to stand still until, eventually, Moirai rose to his feet. His gaze fell upon a necklace lying on the blood-stained floor. With a careful hand, he picked it up, the cold metal marred by crimson blotches, and placed it gently into the hand of the lifeless priestess.
Turning away with a heavy heart, Moirai's eyes caught the glint of a halberd beside the priestess. Blood smeared the weapon, a silent testament to the recent violence. Resolute, he reached down and grasped the halberd, feeling its weight and significance.
"This..."
Moirai took the halberd and bowed his head to the priestess, offering a final gesture of respect to the servant of the gods. Before departing, he gently touched the tip of the halberd. Instantly, a spark ignited, burning the tip with a fierce, cleansing flame.
"At least... this can ease your suffering," he murmured softly, his voice heavy with sorrow.
Moirai touched the tip of the halberd to the wooden floor, and instantly, the house was engulfed in flames. The fire quickly consumed the structure, reducing it to ashes. Moirai walked outside, dragging the halberd behind him. As he did, it left a trail of fire that ignited the grass.
The flames spread rapidly, a chain reaction that set the entire village ablaze. One by one, the houses were devoured by the inferno. The corpses lying in the streets were reduced to ashes, their remnants carried away by the wind. Every corner of the village was consumed by the fire, a conflagration born from Moirai's sorrow and resolve.
The fire spread through the village with alarming speed, unaffected by the wind and the storm. Instead of quelling the flames, the fierce weather seemed to fuel them, making the inferno grow larger and more intense. Moirai walked through the chaos, his halberd ablaze, searching desperately for anything or anyone that could still be saved.
At the corner of the village, Moirai spotted a cart that remained intact, untouched by the fire. With a swift swing of his halberd, he extinguished the flames surrounding it. Looking around cautiously, he approached the cart.
Peering inside, he saw a tragic sight: a pair of corpses lay within. The male corpse was slumped against the cart, deep stab wounds marring his lifeless body. Beside him lay the naked female corpse, her body gruesomely separated. Moirai's expression reflected a mix of pity and disgust at the horrific treatment they had endured.
Shifting his gaze, he noticed a box next to the female corpse. Moirai opened it and found supplies: bandages, food, drinks, and some herbs.
"If only you had left here earlier..." Moirai muttered, gazing at the two corpses with a heavy heart.
He grabbed some supplies he could carry, then took a few bandages for his own wounds. Leaning against the cart, Moirai began to clean himself of the blood from the recent fight. As the flames crept closer, he replaced the cloth covering his wounds with fresh bandages, carefully applying them one by one
Moirai fingered the wound as he applied the bandage. "This shouldn't rot, right?" he murmured to himself.
Suddenly, a spark appeared beside him, forming into a bird made of flames. The flaming bird, Flammiel, landed on the man's corpse and began to devour it with its fire.
"Hey, Flammiel," Moirai greeted as he continued bandaging himself. "You still mad at me?"
Flammiel didn't respond, remaining silent as it consumed the corpse.
Moirai raised his hand, inviting Flammiel to land on his finger. The flaming bird was silent at first, merely looking at Moirai's outstretched hand. After a moment, Flammiel took flight and chose to perch on Moirai's head instead.
Moirai smiled, gently stroking Flammiel's fiery feathers. The bird seemed content, a sign of their enduring bond. "You are... thank you for worrying about me," Moirai said with a smile.
"Now..." he continued, "I think we should go. The mess I made must have attracted the attention of both sides. It'll be a hassle if we encounter them."
With difficulty, Moirai stood up. He donned his cloak and armor, preparing to leave the place. The growing fire had now consumed the entire village, leaving no corner untouched. The flames roared so fiercely that the darkness of the storm seemed to vanish in their light.
Moirai raised his halberd, and Flammiel, understanding the gesture, flew around it. Sparks appeared on the halberd, which began to emit a bright, warm flame.
With the flames burning fiercely, Moirai aimed his halberd at the cart. The fire quickly devoured the cart and the corpses inside. Although the fire blazed hot and dangerous, the grass around it remained untouched, as if shielded by a divine force.
"Thank you for carrying out your destiny, O poor souls. Return to the bosom of the goddess for the destiny she has promised. On behalf of the goddess's messenger, I give you prayers and hopes for your journey," Moirai said, bowing deeply to the cart.
Under a rainstorm and lightning strikes, Moirai continued his journey, leaving behind a village that was once filled with life and warmth. He walked down the solitary road through the village, the flames creating a fiery corridor that guided his path.
"The world hasn't changed at all," Moirai murmured, glancing at some of the charred corpses.
"They should have been treated better if anyone cared about this..."
He sighed deeply. "I hope the world can still be trusted..."
After a long trek, Moirai found the village gate that led to the exit. Despite being heavily scorched, the gate still stood sturdy. Beyond the gate, the light from the burning village contrasted sharply with the darkness outside, as if the world beyond was swallowed by shadow.
"Is it night already?" he wondered aloud. "I can't tell the time because of this damn rain..."
Moirai walked out of the gate, accompanied by Flammiel, whose flames illuminated his path. Before leaving, he turned and bowed, paying his last respects to the village.
"May the souls of you all find their way to your promised destiny," Moirai said softly.
After paying his last respects, Moirai took a step and moved out into the darkness with confidence.
"Flammiel... please help me one more time. The fire I have, I don't think will be enough," Moirai said, smiling at Flammiel.
flammiel put on a happy expression, she flew up and began to move to give light to the moirai. step by step moirai walked, under the storm, he kept walking, and walking, following the light, in the midst of the dark night.