[ Chapter Seven - At the Town of Mahc, He Slept and Woke up ]
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Ashran was already tired when they arrived in Mahc and had their dinner at that time. It was almost evening, and he had decided to rest for a while or maybe sleep through the night.
They were currently inside an inn. Sir Hector and the other mercenaries were on the second floor, specifically at the mezzanine, while Ashran was still on the lower floor. When he finally caught sight of them, Ashran made his way towards the wooden stairs leading to the second floor and headed straight to join them.
At the front of the hallway, Hector and the mercenaries stood close together, appearing to wait for someone.
Ashran approached Sir Hector.
"Excuse me . . . Sir?"
"Oh, Ashran—good thing you're here. Stay and wait with us. Any minute now, we're going to meet the Lady to discuss a few matters," Sir Hector said quickly.
"I would like to come along, but I don't think I would be able to focus during that, Sir. I think I'll rest for now," said Ashran with a faint smile.
"That . . . makes sense, considering what happened. Alright then, you may rest," replied Sir Hector.
"Thank you, Sir."
Ashran proceeded down the corridor, trying to remember his room number, only to realize he hadn't checked in yet. "Oh man," he sighed softly.
He walked down the stairs, headed to the reception area, and requested a room for himself.
Incidentally, the red-haired woman was standing next to him, staring intently. Ashran felt a chill run down his spine, as if someone was about to stab him in the back. What's her problem anyway, he thought. She was also renting a room, and to his dismay, their rooms were next to each other. Ashran could probably care less about it, as long as their beds weren't next to each other, he wished everything would be fine.
Once he was given the key to his room, he hurriedly headed back upstairs, not wanting to walk alongside with the red-haired woman, or even having her behind him.
"Fourteen, fifteen, sixteen . . ." Ashran counted the room doors as he walked along the corridor, quietly and finally, ". . . seventeen." At last, he arrived. He inserted the key into the door, unlocked it, and opened it with a creaky noise. The bed came into view immediately.
The bed looked cozy enough for someone on the verge of exhaustion.
"Time to sleep," he said finally. He threw himself onto the bed and hugged the pillows. Ashran fell asleep in just a minute.
...
The night sky was indeed beautiful, shimmering with countless stars. Ashran could probably stare at it all night.
From Ashran's bed, he could see the night sky clearly. It seemed the ceiling had vanished, though he distinctly remembered it being there when he first arrived. A chilling wind gushed in, slapping his face and waking him up. He felt the strong wind and wondered if that was what had disturbed his sleep, or perhaps it was the warmth that was slowly getting hotter. What in the world is going on right now? He didn't want to think about it—he still hadn't rested enough.
He didn't know why the ceiling or the rooftop itself was missing. The surroundings were burning, and the window in front of him was now a torn wide hole. The clay walls were crumbling, with bit of flames crawling around the room.
Ashran got out of bed to see what was happening outside. Upon looking out, he saw not only torn buildings but also ones set on fire. And nearby screams could be heard that seemed not only coming from a person.
While Ashran was looking around, he caught sight of a few suspicious individuals walking hurriedly. They were wearing green robes and holding staffs that looked like tree branches picked up nearby. Their faces were covered with plain white-silver masks, so reflective they could be used as mirrors.
Then, he heard a heavy knock on the door and a voice saying, "Get out of there! I'll only say this once because I was ordered to. We're leaving!" Ashran put on his outfit and left the room. The person who had spoken was no longer around, so he proceeded down the hallway.
". . Move, hurry!"
"Everyone . . ."
"M'Lady, this way please." Sir Hector was guiding the Lady in front, with Trent nearby and the mercenaries following. The red-haired woman and her group were at the back. And the Lady was wearing a plain red cloak with a hood. Because of the hood, only the lower half of her face was visible. They were about to go downstairs when Ashran met them along the way and joined the group. Since they were in a hurry, there was no time for Ashran to properly greet the Lady. However, he didn't forget to show his respect to her. The Lady stayed quiet, nodding only in acknowledgment.
To Ashran's left, Trent was explaining the current situation. According to Trent, the town was under attack by a group calling themselves as the Revenants. This claim sounded ridiculous to everyone, as the Revenants had supposedly perished three decades ago (explained by the fellow Merc). However, the man behind them suggested that there might be a possibility of their return, a sentiment that Sir Hector echoed.