When he woke up, Elios was in a completely unfamiliar place. He was lying in a comfortable bed in a small wooden house. The smell of hot soup filled the air and satisfied his hunger. But what immediately caught his attention was the woman sitting by his bedside.
She was not human. From her pointed ears and thin fur, he knew she was from the beast.
A fur-covered figure moved through the screams, blood, and smoke: .... The last moments of his parents' lives flashed before his eyes like a nightmare he could not escape. His heart raced and cold sweat covered his forehead. Every muscle in his body tensed, ready to run or fight.
Instinctively, he reached out his hand and summoned the power of the flame. A small flame rose from his palm, but the beast woman extinguished it with a casual gesture. She nullify his magic without effort.
But that little flame won't hurt me. You are still a little weak, go rest."
The woman's benevolent tone made Elios more and more distrustful. Elios huddled against the wall, his gaze running between the door and the woman. His hands trembled with fear and anger, and he spat out a question.
Who are you? Why did you save me? You are ... The same people who killed my parents," he said, his voice breaking with emotion. Is this a cruel game? Are you keeping me alive to torture me later?
The beast woman's ears drooped slightly and pain ran through her gaze. But Elios was not fooled. He had seen how quickly this creature could switch from false peace to its true murderous nature.
My name is Merlione. I was once a warrior of the Beast Empire. I found you unconscious on the street. You had been asleep for a month and a few weeks, to be exact."
Elios' heart leapt. A month. Elios narrowed his eyes. He squinted, searching her face for signs of deception. The aroma of soup suddenly became suspicious. Could a kind gesture hide a deadly trap?
Merlione seemed insensitive to his hostility.
A heavy silence passed between them. Elios's mind whirled with contradictory thoughts. Every instinct was screaming at him not to trust her, not to give her information that could be used against him. But something in her patient demeanor made him hesitate.
"The Beast Empire," the bitter hatred showed in his voice. 'So you are one of them. One of the murderers who destroyed everything I had." His fingers twitched, wanting to conjure up more flames, but he knew it was futile.
Sensing his discomfort, Merlione softly added: "I understand your fear and anger. What you went through is horrible and unfair. But I want you to know that not all Beasts are like the ones who attacked your neighborhood. There are those who seek peace.
"Peace." 'Peace'? Hunting humans in their homes, slaughtering their families. His voice was heavy with angry tears.
Finally, Merlione spoke again: "When you are better, you can eat and leave. I will not keep you here.
These thoughtful words ran a crack in the wall of disbelief of Elios. If it was a trap, why offer freedom? But Elios remained tense, trying to react to the slightest sign of betrayal. After a long struggle in his mind, he whispered in a trembling voice:
'My name is Elios. My name is Elios Krueger."
Merlione's face softened and a faint smile played on her lips.
Nice to meet you, Elios," she said. 'Rest now, and We will talk later, when you are ready."
-some day passed in silence-
Thus began a complex and unexpected relationship between a young human and a former beast warrior.
Elios lay in bed, his eyes fixed on the wooden ceiling above him.
The young boy didn't talk for days.
Every night, Elios couldn't sleep and stayed awake, nervous, his heart pounding and wondering about all the sounds coming from the next room where Merlione was sleeping.
How could he live under the same roof with a beast? I don't understand, I can't stand it, he thought>
The Beast. Creatures like the ones who had destroyed his life, killed people in front of him, reduced his village to ashes and took his family away in screams and flames. These monsters have ruined his life and haunted his nightmares.
Huge silhouettes, steel gazes, jaws that could shatter at any moment, claws that cut through armor and hearts. How could he live with one of them?
Merlione's every gesture, word, and look seemed to soothe his disbelief and reassure him. But the child's heart remained heavy and skeptical. Monsters remain monsters.
The boy slowly got up in bed and looked toward the half-open door. The light from the fireplace fire cast Merlione's shadow on the wall. She lay near the hearth, as she did every night. Elios waited, watching her regular breathing.
Gently, he slipped off the bed. The floorboards creaked slightly under his weight and he froze. But Merlione did not move. In fact, she was fully awake, all senses sharpened. She sensed the boy's every movement, every stopped breath, every hesitant step. Her eyes remained closed, but her ears followed the slightest sound.
Elios picked up the small bag he had secretly prepared during the day. It was the food he had stolen from the pantry, his canteen, and a small blanket that Merlione had given him for the cold night. He paused for a moment, almost feeling guilty about taking this last item, but quickly shook his head. The beast remained a beast.
He slid into the front door and carefully avoided the creaking boards. Merlione continued to pretend to be asleep, her chest tightening as she watched this little being try to escape.
Once outside, the coolness of the night hit him. The moon dimly illuminated the path leading into the forest. Without looking back, he began to walk.
Minutes passed, then hours. Elios moved deeper and deeper into the forest, Merlione following from a distance, moving silently from tree to tree.
The boy stumbled many times, but kept moving forward. His mind replayed memories of his former life. His father sat on the edge of the bed and talked about the Fire mage for the umpteenth time. His mother entered the room with a furrowed brow: "No More hero talk. You should learn the scriptures instead." It made Elios laugh and irritated his mother even more.
A faint smile appeared on Elios's lips, but it was quickly replaced by a wry smile. There will never be another moment like this. Never again would he hear his father speak. Never again will I see my mother roll her eyes at their complicity.
Tears streamed down his cheeks, quietly at first, then in an uncontrollable whisper. He fell against the tree, his legs no longer supporting him. Where would he go? What was he doing? He had nowhere to go, no one to turn to.
His sobs echoed in the night, drawing the attention of the creatures lurking in the darkness. The rustling of the underbrush was the only warning before a huge buffalo emerged from the shadows.
Several horns jutted up toward the sky like menacing spikes. His eyes were sharp and hard as he stared at the frail, crying boy. Panicked, Elios tried to summon the fire that had once comforted him, but this time only weak sparks betrayed fear and despair from between his trembling fingers.
The beast was relentless in its assault, and the earth trembled under its weight. And at the last moment, in the midst of the chaos, a familiar figure appeared between him and danger. It was Merlione. Without hesitation, she firmly planted her feet on the ground and stopped the buffalo's attack. Horns sliced through her hands and blood gushed out, but she did not flinch, rising up like an insurmountable wall.
She glanced at Elios, her eyes glowing with a protective light. 'Elios,' she whispered in a gentle voice, tinged with the familiar pain of those who have fought a thousand battles. 'The world is unfair. The world is unjust, merciless. It offers neither pity nor comfort to bleeding hearts."
The enraged buffalo struck again, but this time Merlione moved with the grace and agility of a lioness. She danced around the beast, dodging each blow and feinting her attack. Merlione's quiet, unwavering, quick, shadowy movements embodied within herself the weight of her experience, the struggles of her past, and her will to protect this child who was lost in a world that did not give him a chance.
'Tears change nothing. The world never stops listening to our cries. The world will continue to crush those caught in its own weakness.
But there was no blame or anger in her voice. There was only the gentleness that only a weary warrior can have. She dodged around corners with the suppleness of a cat, calculating each movement, mastering each breath. It was a dance against death, a silent lesson she dedicated to Elios.
But you are not alone, Elios," she whispered as she stood up. 'You will never cry alone again. As long as I am here, I will protect you and fight for you.'
The buffalo lunged one last time. With a precise movement, she leapt and struck a sharp blow to the neck, knocking the buffalo down. A heavy, solemn silence fell, as if the forest itself was honoring this moment.
Elios hid in the shadows with tears in his eyelashes. For the first time, Elios saw no longer a mere beast, half man, half beast in front of him. He saw one who shared his grief, one who chose to fight for him and for his tears despite the wounds and war, one who reminded him that there was still hope in this ruined world.
Merlione knelt before him, tired but with a peaceful gaze, one hand wounded but the other outstretched to welcome him. After a moment's hesitation, Elios slipped his small hand into hers and they remained there in silence.
Then, in a whispered, gentle voice, he spoke words that touched the boy's heart:
'' You and I, Elios. Let us make this world a place where no child will ever cry again."
And that night, under the stars, Elios felt a new feeling growing within him towards this woman. A fire born of tears, a promise engraved in his soul by the voice of a beast.