Soon, the aroma of spice meat and bread filled the area. Terry and his teammates kept looking towards Ethan's camp. Lara knelt by Ethan's side.
"They have some bean dish and no bread. They must have fallen on hard times."
Ethan placed his hand on Lara's and looked at Terry, sitting with his shoulders hunched forward. Now that he inspected the men, he could see they had probably not had a decent meal in days.
"Alas, sweet Lara, let us share our food with them."
Lara looked away as she stood, rushing over to Maple. The two women dished up, and Lara approached Terry and collected bowls from him. Maple filled them with the meat stew she had prepared, adding generous pieces of bread. The catkin and bear kin came to collect the bowls and bread. Suddenly, Ethan had a disturbing feeling. Something was wrong. He could not place it. His hands trembled. Sophia, what is happening?
"Alas, we do not know. Something feels strange on the mountain."
Ethan remembered the ruined city.
"Alas, Ethan, this feels different. Something is coming, and we do not know what it is. Be careful and diligent."
Ethan could sense it with his whole being. Something was approaching, and it was terrifying.
"Ethan, Ethan, hello Ethan Grace to Ethan."
Ethan disappeared from the mountain. Grace stood before him, holding a bowl of stew with bread.
"Alas, sorry, my thoughts were somewhere else. We should be on guard tonight. Something feels off."
A twig broke behind them close to the fence. Grace peered at the forest as Lucy scooted closer to Ethan.
"Squee, could it be magus or humans looking to take Wendy for breeding?"
Ethan did not think it was an animal or monster either. He ate the delicious stew and bread, winking at Maple as he did. Everyone ate hungrily, and the men came for seconds. Maple and Lara ate in between baking bread and cooking more meat. Ethan stood, taking his bowl to Maple. They worked hard to feed everyone.
"Alas, when you finished, come sit by me, you two. I have something for you."
Ethan chose a piece of wood from the pile in the corner and walked to the gate. After inspecting the mechanism, he jammed the wood inside it. The mechanism did not budge as Ethan tried it. Terry walked up to Ethan.
"What are you doing, giant."
Ethan showed Terry the piece of wood and then whispered.
"Alas, there are magus and humans in the forest. They are watching us."
Terry looked at the women and then whispered.
"They must be after Grace and the others. No criminal in his right mind would leave them alone."
Ethan nodded as he returned to sit beside Wendy and Lucy. Lara and Maple had placed the dishes in Lara's Backpack, which had a magical cleaning ability for dishes and clothes. Ethan rummaged through his backpack, then returned, motioning for the women to come closer. Everyone scooted closer to Ethan, wondering what he held behind his back. Ethan broke a generous piece of chocolate for each and gave them two fruit-flavoured hard candies.
"Alas, when we have enough coin, we will buy chocolate and milk to make warm chocolate drinks."
After they had enjoyed the chocolate and candy, Ethan threw more wood on the fire. Lara had made them a family bed under the leather shelter. Terry and his team stared in their direction. It was time for bed, Terry shouted in jest.
"Keep the moaning down, please. We need our sleep."
Lara and Grace looked at the man. If looks were arrows, he would be dead. Maple hid her face while Wendy and Lucy grinned, caressing Ethan's head gently as if showing him off like a dog at a show. It was decided that they would sleep with their clothes on and weapons ready if something should happen.
Ethan ensured everyone lay comfortably as he took his boots and placed them next to Wendy and Lucy's. Ethan lay between Wendy and Lucy, pulling the blanket up to block out the cold breeze. The fire broke some of the cold, and the ground felt warm. Lara had made sure to make the fire close to their sleeping arrangement. Terry and his team slept around their fire, sharing its heat.
Ethan's mind exploded with pleas for help and crying. His women on the mountain were in danger. He could feel the dread overwhelm him as he closed his eyes and stood on the mountaintop. The women were nowhere to be seen, but he could hear them all around him. Mei peered out from behind a machine. Her face streaked with tears, she ran to Ethan, holding him tightly. The others followed, leaving their hiding places. Ting-Ting trembled in his arms.
"Alas, we do not know what is happening."
Something appeared in the sky. It shone bright red, growing as it approached. Lilly spoke.
"Alas, this might be the end for us. Do you feel the murderous intent?"
Sophia held Ethan from the back. All the ladies stood behind him, holding his robes. What did he do to trigger this effect? Could it be the end of the line for him? Ethan lifted his chin. He would die defiantly, giving strength to his women in the end. He realised he would miss Wendy, Lucy, Grace, Lara, Maple, and everyone at the inn.
The object came closer by the second a foghorn sounded. The foghorn sounded louder again, and still, the ground vibrated. Miley, how nice it would have been to see you grow into a woman, Ethan thought in his last moments. The cube blocked out the sun and the sky.
Ethan could see it now as it approached. It looked like it was made from black rock with lava flowing in lines across the cube. Symbols covered the cube's surface, and the heat radiating from the lava felt like standing in the sun on a hot summer's day. The cube was massive. It would crush the mountain and surrounding area. Sophia spoke.
"Alas, I hope the village evacuates in time."
Ethan turns to the woman.
"Alas, what village."
The cube caused gale-force winds that cleared the clouds beneath the mountaintop. Ethan could see a village at the bottom of the mountain. It looked like something out of a future. People ran in the opposite direction, and robots carried food and goods. Vehicles sped away shaped like leaves, and a massive airship more advanced than Heather's ship lifted into the air. The deck was full of people as the glass canopy closed, protecting the people inside.
The foghorn sounded. Ethan could feel the sound vibrating through his body. It was the end for them. Sophia spoke.
"Alas, we love you, my emperor. We have five seconds left till impact."
Ethan hugs the woman close, finding comfort in the end.
"Alas, I love all of you."