" Hey little brother, are you sure it's fine?"
" What is?"
I looked at the young man now, my family.
His back was broad enough to carry the whole village on it. To adopt a girl who lost everything, to make the girl everyone give upon a beautiful flower who never stops smiling.
To teach a fool the words he decided to build his entire new life on...Family is all.
" Nothing.. I was getting ahead of myself."
I wanted to ask if it ok not to fight Emet?
I still believed with him and all that we learned from him..we might have a chance to kill a divine beast. But he wouldn't like it. He just found happiness..and wasn't willing to part with it.
I understood him better than most. He was burning to fight like myself. He loved to fight. No one who is good at it can possibly hate it. It just he found someone or someone he loved even more.
The others led the animals front and were talking lightly. We made excellent time. Zephyr wanted to keep to Lylly words. Ahh.. new love was adorable.
Made me remember Demelza how she followed around before I asked for hand at winter.
The road was untouched and travelled.
Merchants were the only one who dared, but they only did with dozens of mercenaries. All the mountains belonged to Emet. It wasn't necessarily dangerous, more like sacred.
My grandfather used to tell stories about fights that for a childs ear sounded glorious.
What he didn't say is how the sounds of bones being crunched were like. The cries of agony that followed, the smell of blood stayed in you nostrils for weeks. Or all the nightmares that followed.
The reason I kept going back was simple.
All those given their lifes..it had to be for something. No one ever said out loud because it's sounds crazy! Hell, even thinking it was.
But all of us went up that mountain with the same glorious purpose like the previous generation..to kill Emet.
" You more silent than usual, brother. " - he looked behind with genuine concern. " What's wrong? Talk to me.."
As always, I relied on him to pull me away from useless thoughts.
What my Demelza said to me after waking up still rang in my ear after he knocked me flat with a single well placed kick..' I won't let my foolish brother kill himself'.
I knew right then.. we are a family.. and family is all.
" Just thinking about future glories and throwing you a great big wedding comes the snow.." - I walked beside him and patted his back." I warn you, Zephyr. You are cold as balls..hahaha!!"
" Fool.. I'm looking forward to it."
" Hahaha..!"
Let's deliver this lot to the ancient pen and leave. Let's celebrate tonight with our families and start our futures tomorrow.
It took use of fice hours to reach the clearing.
There it was, the pen. Our ancestors build for the animals. Legend says it was all built by the women who's husband died one disastrous sacrifice. It was quiet..to quiet. No birds or even the sounds insects.
" Whoa.. you were right, Alex. This place is creepy. With the animal pen in the middle." - Zephyr pointed at the near perfect circle.
" I told you. Did ever tell you that lege.."
" Yes, yes.. it was built by women who lived up here the mountains for months. Let's go and place them and go home please."
I laughed, watching him anxiously want to get home as quickly as possible. He was right.
I saw young Lucian help him gather the animals inside. I looked behind me and saw the houses down the distance. Our land was sure beautiful.. but also cursed.
" It's damn quite no..Jartok? " I turned to my right.
Norman .. His wife is Lylly's friend.
" Sure is..I remember it more..alive." - I kept having this bad feeling. The damn silence was unnatural.
" I sure wish to see Zephyr land a kick on that bloody monster, huh? " - he patted my back, and I could barely remember the frail guy who was one of the first to join.
I laughed.. I wanted to see that too.
CLOMP,CLOMP,CLOMP.
Just then, I heard loud thumps, and I knew what it was from some of my bad memories. I had no time.
Emet broke through some trees and landed near the other side of the pen.
" RUN!!"
Someone shouted, and chaos insued. I figured we have some time. Emet will be busy with the animals.
I turned to run but I heard screaming. One of ours got caught by him it was Rick... and just like that, he was gone. Long dead before his lower body touched the ground.
He went straight for him. The animals were in a frenzy, yet he ignored them.
I allowed a second to appreciate his size and strength. Muscular, his legs were as big as me standing. The biggest lion type divine beast ever recorded.
He's speed. Maybe it's only weak points. His purple main was now drenched with blood. Before, I knew he finished his meal and headed towards me. I draw my sword and lowered my centre to gain a better balance.
He never attacked me...
TAPTAPTAPTAP.
Zephyr was running towards it with his blade not even drawn. Emet took notice and ran at him head on.
What is he doing!!?
" BROTHER!! GET OUT THE WAY!!!"
He didn't hear me or maybe just didn't want to.
In the orange hew by the setting sun, he disappeared like a lie just before collision.
I blinked, and Emet stopped confused. But I saw a familiar blue haired man on his top standing. He reached down.. I could see his fingertip touch his back, and both Emet and him were nowhere to be found.
They were gone.. the silence returned, and the nine still alive friend of ours walked forward.
" ZEPHYR!!! WHERE ARE YOU!?" - I whipped my head around wildly, but all I saw it frightened comrades doing the same thing.
By Ehlite..where are you?
" Alexander!!! WHERE ARE THEY!?? "
I ignored Lucian panicked screams and scanned and re scanned the surroundings.
No.. no. What? I ran around in circles. Others were screaming things, the animals running around crazy. The 200 ft circle of clearing it was only 9 members alive, and one had only a pait of legs of him left.
A minute or more passed, and I began to believe he just died with Emet and turned into... nothing.
{Whistle.}
Just then, an unnatural sound of falling... I looked around but saw nothing.
" ABOVE US!! "
I looked up so fast that I hurt my neck. I saw something big falling fast.
I ran with the rest and only heard of the sounds of bones shattered, a sickening thud, something hitting the ground very hard.
CRASH!!!
I ran up to see...it was Emet.
He was...broken terribly, terribly broken, its corpse emitting steam. The amount of purple blood was everywhere and the sight .. it was stomach turning.
The smell was..delicious, however. It was all too overwhelming. Emet was dead.. but where is Zephyr??
I checked the sky for him..maybe..
" ALEXANDER!!! IT'S HIM!!"
I ran towards Lucian, standing a bit far off, and found my little brother under a tree lying flattened and unmoving.
We ran up to him and turned him around. Is he dead? Is he?
He was breathing steadily.. he was hot to the touch, yet some of his clothes were cold as ice. What the hell happened?
I was so relieved that I didn't notice how everyone left Emet body and gathered around us.
I felt someone tapping my shoulders.
" Blessed..by Ehlite."
It was Lucian. Who after said that went and took a knee next to him. The others soon followed him
" Blessed.."
" Ehlite.."
" Blessed by Ehlite."
" Chosen by God."
" Bles..."
" Son of Ehli.. "
" Son of God..."
They all knelt near my little brother and me.
I looked at his face..Zephyr? Who exactly are you?