He sat down near the fire, his large hands resting on his knees. His deep voice filled the cave as he recounted his journey.
Mathew's initiation together with many other promising talents, into the warrior sect of the Shirohaga Clan was supposed to mark the beginning of a promising future. The ceremony had been a grand affair, with elders chanting ancient hymns and marking his skin with the ceremonial sigils of his ancestors. His broad shoulders bore the weight of expectations, his towering frame a symbol of strength and determination. But deep within, Mathew carried a fear he did not want to voice a fear of failure, of not being enough.
The day after the ceremony, his first mission came swiftly. He was assigned to a patrol near the borderlands, where the refugees from the lands ravaged by monsters would pass to enter the Shirohaga village.
A vast expanse of rocky terrain where the Shirohaga territory met the untamed wilderness.
This area was treacherous, known for its dormant beasts creatures that slumbered for decades before awakening to wreak havoc. Mathew was not alone; three other warriors accompanied him, veterans who had seen their fair share of battles.
As they moved along the rugged trails, the forest around them grew eerily silent. The chirping of birds and the rustling of leaves vanished, replaced by an oppressive stillness. It was then they saw it a horde of dormant beasts, their massive forms scattered across the valley below.
The beasts were grotesque, their leathery skin covered in jagged scales, their eyes shut as if in deep sleep. Some resembled oversized wolves with spiked tails, while others were towering reptilian creatures with elongated claws. At the heart of the valley, a cluster of refugees huddled together, their faces pale with terror.
"By the ancestors…" one of the veterans whispered, his voice trembling. "They're waking up."
Indeed, the beasts were stirring. Their massive bodies shifted, claws scraping against the rocks as guttural growls filled the air. The veterans exchanged uneasy glances before one of them spoke. "We need to retreat. This isn't our fight."
The veterans were indeed awakened and warriors at that but the number of dormant beasts far exceeded there strength and none of the them possessed an inert ability or the Shirohaga bloodline trait.
Mathew felt his stomach churn. Every instinct screamed at him to turn and run, to flee from the valley before it became a graveyard.
But his eyes fell on the refugees a mix of women, children, and elders. They had nowhere to go, nowhere to hide. If the warriors left, these people would be slaughtered.
"No," Mathew said, his voice barely audible.
The veterans turned to him. "What did you say, boy?"
"I said no," Mathew repeated, louder this time. He tightened his grip on his spear, his knuckles white. "I won't run. Not while they're defenseless."
"Don't be a fool!" one of the warriors snapped. "You'll die before you take down even one of them."
"Then I'll die standing," Mathew replied, his voice steady despite the terror coursing through him.
End of Chapter 17