...
(El's POV)
Do you…
Ever see the sky?
Do you, ever see the clouds with its fleet riding the unseen air and winds above - mayhap twirling, twisting, curling in the atmosphere?!!
I see it once. I see it twice… I see it, through the ceiling of my… Hmmmm, dwelling might be a fitting word to use on it. Shadows wave, stretching languidly as I awaken; like fingers grazing the immense building, with rubble strewn about me. And in this period of darkness, I gaze upon the quiet night sky, sprinkled with starlight. Perhaps it's a hallucination on my part, but... it feels as though, a whisper has been interminably caressing my ear for some time by now.
With weary hands, I propped myself up, sitting amidst the dirt and dust that also clung to my skin like a second layer.
Slowly and carefully, I shifted my thin arms, my empty stomach rumbling – a sound that echoed the whispers of pain surrounding me. At last, I had traced the source of that incessant growl; it was my own body, a relentless reminder of my plight.
Annoying as it is, it was mine to bear after all.
Turning my head to the side, I caught sight of spots and puddles of blood – pooling beneath the jagged gaps of the massive wooden roof that had once threatened to crush my debilitated form. It was a sight I wished were merely a nightmare.
The two elderly figures, who had hovered on the brink of madness, perhaps contemplating the unthinkable like butchering or eating me alive, now lay lifeless or for more specific: the two crushed beneath the debris. Uh, maybe not crushed. I've no idea since I'm not the one there, and my eyes do not present to witness the scene either.
Was it my fault? Perhaps. Was this a punishment from the gods, as I had heard whispered in hushed tones before? It certainly felt that way.
How had this calamity unfolded? I pondered, lost in the haze that obfuscated my thoughts.
Just days before, the three of us had teetered on the edge of starvation, our bodies drawn together in the stillness of the cold night. We had clung to one another in a desperate embrace – our scents mingling, a testament to our shared suffering. It was a slightly unpleasant closeness – by the gods, it's the odor to be honest; but in that moment, it was the best decision we could make, a fragile lifeline that kept us alive, if only just barely at least.
I rose to my feet and brushed the dirt and grime, off my torn and filthy clothes. My white shirt was no longer white, and my short black pants were no longer black – both fading into their original felted fabric. Yet, I'm grateful to have clothes at all, unlike my last friend who had lost everything to the gnawing of repulsive – white worms.
Hmmmm… what is the name again?!!
Ah, maggots!!! Yep, that's the word. At least I now remembered something correctly this time.
Uhhh, the dust didn't come off easily. Was it the moisture in the air that cause it, or something else? I couldn't quite grasp it. I had learned about it from the books I once read, but erratically, those memories were sometimes fragmented and scattered in my head, running rampant like a horse beaten by its saddle. Or it's rider. No, I can't seem to recall. That grandpa said something like, 'e – ques, yan,'. Well anyway, the point is – something is wrong with my brain.
How did this happen, I wondered.
Surely, gradually losing one's memories can't be good, can it?! Double it with the way at times I can't remember anything precisely, making it even worse for me.
However, dwelling on it was pointless. I continued walking until I stood beneath the moonlight, which fell gracefully upon the ground through the uneven hole in the ceiling, connected to pass the wall on the side. Looking up, it was... magnificent. In this godforsaken land where death roamed about without a path, there was still beauty to be admired – a fuzzy feeling flowing inside my chest as I found the charm in the world, remaining so mesmerizing even amidst this unsettling reality.
A moment later, I grimace. The side of my head, my right knee, and my shoulders – all are in pain, likely from the debris that had fallen on me earlier. However, this discomfort is bearable compared to the pain in my stomach.
*Drap drap drap*
*Neigh*
Suddenly, the faint sound of horse hooves and its loud whining sound echoed in the night, growing louder. One, two, three... surely there were more. 'Damn it, weren't they leaving already?'
Oh, how furious I am. Feels like a hammer interminably pounds inside my chest.
Before, this lovely abode was at least a shelter from the rain and cold, but now it's been blown up. Why? I have no idea. All I know was that there was fighting on the other side of the wall before chaos erupted, and boom; then here I am, with dried blood marking my face from the roof that nearly killed me. I'm just slightly fortunate to still be breathing here.
Outside as I remember, other poor and famished villagers were scattered about, walking to and fro – tending to the dry fields as part of their daily routine, when suddenly they were attacked. Myself and the two elders, who had already peeked outside, were hiding, quivering with fear. I'm not actually trembling or afraid for my life; my hands and legs were just weak from hunger, hence the shivers.
In short, I'm not scared!!?
For a while, there were loud sounds – what one might describe it as shrieks from men and women ringing outside. I'm sure there's a clash of swords with hoes and spades, perhaps. I had no idea if the villagers could even fight back, as they seem all skin and bones to me; not like the warriors I once saw visiting this village with their tall statures, massive arms, and thighs, muscles bulging – and intimidating face to boot.
Can you imagine that? It's nerve-wracking, knowing this village is likely doomed.
I pressed myself against the cool wooden wall, my small frame swallowed by the shadows that danced in the dim light. My heart raced as I scurried to the side with my little feet, every instinct honed by the countless times I had narrowly escaped death. The ball of flames from the indignation inside my chest gradually also growing colder, dimmer, until it fizzed out; replaced by a jumpy clown.
Yet, despite the anxiety that gripped me, curiosity flickered within. Perhaps this time, they were not the ones who attacked this settlement earlier.
The possibility might not be much, but still, I prayed to all the gods above or below or even in the middle, might as well each side if they were even existing – that this time, they were actually kind souls brimming with food like fruits, bread, or anything edible; unlike the grass, hay and bark I had nibbled on before. The mere thought made my stomach churn even more, and my mouth watered from the expected flavor.
Now that I consider it carefully, I am fortunate, weren't I? Before the attack, I had drunk plenty of water from my secret spot. At least, it helped me survive, as it seems I had fainted for quite a long time.
Shortly after, I heard and saw men dressed in fine clothes, all in black, sword on waist. One of them, with a slightly reddish beard, appeared to be giving orders to his subordinates. I could faintly catch snippets of their conversation, especially from the two men who were approaching my location.
"Crap," I muttered to myself, not forgetting to curse the gods I pray beforehand. They couldn't be the good guys, not with how suspicious they seemed. It was evident, especially since they carried no bags for food, only those swords – not even a small pouch. Oh, good gracious, I'm truly going to starve this time. I swiftly ducked and pressed my back even tighter against the wooden wall. Well, I'll admit it; I kind of scared right now. But still, my back gradually detached, and my eyes and neck shifted slowly to peep over the walls where there is a hole poking out.
How was I to see in this darkness? Strangely, as long as there was a moon, my eyes were capable of seeing many things – or rather, everything was quite clear in the night, not as much as the day of course. The old couple said it was a sign that I was born of Tribals; that my blood originates from the natives of the mountainous region.
'Whatever' it was, it sounds cool enough to me, for I have used this advantage many times before to avoid starving to death.
Yet here I see all those people, capable of seeing everything at night with only the light of the moon, without any torch in hand. So, were they children of Tribals too then? It made me slightly giddy thinking of all this.
What even is Tribal? And what these people even want from this war-torn village, not even worth taking a glimpse. Or perhaps, they came here for me. No way, right? Every single time I'm going outside, the mud specifically prepared by the two elders, was always polished on my face or any skin exposed, creating a grim sight. Was that not sufficient anymore?
"What do we do now? We already looking all over this place. How did that Witch persuade captain to search this place again. 'There is a breath left here. Search!' – that doesn't even make sense. It's not like there is a magic just to conceal a breath in this 'remnant' land. Are we even in a movie or a drama, looking for a 'prince-princess whatever' in this rundown settlement. And what's with the horse? Are we even that poor; can't even afford an off-road car? What age do we even live now? Medieval?" the man on the right spoke, his voice clearly laced with frustration – it was quite loud too, chattering like a music box with its own tempo. When it came to the horse part, he stretched both of his hands forward, directing them towards the horse they had tied nearby.
The other man shot him a glance, irritation slowly crawl across his features the longer the guy talks. He scowled. "If you want to complain, do not run it off my ear and turn down your voice..."
He suddenly paused; his gaze flickering toward the shadows where I hid, and it did, jolted my body slightly. I quickly trying to avert my vision away, which fail terribly for my face and eyes felt stiffen from the surprise. The only thing I manage to do is raising my hands slowly – stack it on top of each other, then clasp them tightly over my mouth to stifle any sound.
"Besides, what's wrong with horse? Do you even know how hefty the prices are in city these days?" he continued – eyes turning away from my place.
The first man was agape in disbelief, picking over the clue of what he said. "Really? So, it's true – you had a mission in the empire? Damn… you crazy b*stard. I knew you had it in you! You knew one wrong move there – your head will be rolling, right?" at the end of his words, he rolled his index finger right in front of the man's eyes, who swatted it away with his hand.
The rugged man then merely shrugged to reply, a nonchalant gesture that belied the gravity of the actual situation. "Then you'd best keep your mouth shut. This is a classified one."
The other man replied with a click of his tongue. "Tch, why the hell the higher-ups agreed to take this on!? Hiding right under the territory of the empire. I heard they even managed to hold one of the escapes Hybrids to join their side. Don't tell me they believe that nonsense of a quote, about 'Hidden under the thumb is better what-not.' Wonder whose jerk saying that. Too much. Too much risk here…"
"It's not only one," the latter replied. After few moments pass, he shakes his head. "You remember the two Labs spoke to be burned to the ground?"
"You mean?"
"Yes…"
Suddenly, a faint rumbling sound heard upon the silent of the night, breaking the conversation of the two who just one wall away from me. Yes. It is me – my goddamn stomach who can't read the atmosphere, and just when they are the closest. My luck…
…