Chapter 6: Carnage.
Nothing prepared me for what came next, what I had to witness, the horror of what happened that day haunts my sleep. I lost a huge piece of myself.
We turn to the sound in unison. Even Kassia has stopped polishing her tomahawks to stare in the direction of the village.
My heart in my throat, I took off without a thought. Kassia hot on my heels, her axes strapped to her lower back. Running with the bow was cumbersome, she reaches out and snatch the bow with a lightning quick flick.
We run like hell through the forest. It would be more accurate to say we ran like the lords of hell were right behind us, giving chase.
Within moments Quan overtakes us, leading the race. Kassia a couple yards behind him, I was dead last, but gaining on her.
The forest was a blur of greens and dead leaves. I trip and fall a few times, but I was back on my feet in one point two seconds each time. We burst out into the creak, not slowing down.
There was no plan, no communication between us. Just the desperate need to make it to the village in time to save them.
I felt despair, strong and urgent, clawing at my mind and heart.
What if we arrive too late? What if there's nothing left to save? The thoughts come unbidden, choking me. I run faster.
The little creek was behind us in minutes.
Please be okay! Please be okay! Please be okay!
My world narrowed to that one thought, I repeat it like a mantra. I felt fear, but not for myself.
Quan pulls up far ahead, his longer legs eating the distance with alacrity, he seemed to only get faster each passing second. Soon I couldn't even see his form anymore. I can't wait to grow up.
A sound like thunder boomed out.
We burst out into a scene straight out of a nightmare. Everything was on fire. Bodies were scattered all over everywhere, burnt beyond recognition. Limbs severed from torso, guts and visceral spilled on the dirt, soaking the ground with blood and other fluids.
The smell of burnt flesh, heavy and thick in air was the worst. I gagged, throwing up.
From here I can see what was left of the place I called home for as long as I remember. It was completely burnt down, nothing was left standing.
I could hear the sound of battle coming from that direction, I didn't care. With great haste I make my way to the remains of the orphanage, hoping, praying to whatever god would listen --- Let them be alive!
I did not notice the man until it was too late.
I was a split second away from getting cleaved in two by a longsword wreathed in golden flames. My assailant was quick, his aim was true. But I had Kassia.
One of her tomahawks sails and strikes the man dead center in his skull, with enough force to shatter his cranium. He crumples immediately. His sword falls from his loose grasp, and the flames gutter out.
Blood sprays, drenching me. I barely notice.
Just outside the burnt rubble of my home, I could see bodies, so badly burned I could not even recognize any. My heart dies.
A soul crushing wave of despair hits me like a bull, my knees hit the ground, scattering hot ash and sending soot everywhere. Jeering my jaw, teeth rattling my skull. The world around me blurs as tears rob me of my sight.
I'll never see little Xenia again, she was always so cheerful. She wanted to be the top hunter in the village, having everyone acknowledge her. Now she's nothing but a charred husk.
Annabelle, Matron Tess, Tyric, the rest...
All gone.
Who would do something like this? Why?
As my despair crescendoed it began to give way to a new emotion. One that I am wholly unfamiliar with: Rage!
I welcomed it, anything to escape the crushing weight of loss.
"Are you going to wallow on your knees?" A voice sounds out. "Defeated. Weak. Afraid. Did I choose wrong? I think not!" Ash sounds almost as pissed as I felt. But I get the feeling he's pissed for an entirely different reason. "Rise. Rise my boy and repay those who dare hurt you seven fold. Make them regret the day they were spawned. Visit such terrible atrocities upon them that others know not to cross you."
"This is the road to power, you must walk it. This world is cruel, it is merciless and unforgiving. The strong take what they want, the weak cower and die in fear. Are you weak, my dear boy?" His voice drops to a whisper. "Are you prey? Or are you a predator?"
The world burns down around me. My world goes with it. My love goes with it.
"Are you a weak sniveling little boy?"
"No!"
"What are you?" I can see Ash now, a silver and black asp with burning red coals for eyes. Those eyes stare at me with intensity.
Indeed, Ash was right. This world is cruel, a merciless world that chews up innocents for no more reason than it can. I want to raze this world and salt it with the blood of unjust.
But I am just a nine year old boy. What can the rage of a child accomplish?
"Teach me to be strong. Show me the path to powers untold." The despair was still there, but it was muted. Shoved behind the iron bars of my rage.
"Call on me, little one. Say the words, and I will deliver you the vengeance you seek." Ash purrs. His smile, unnerving. "None shall escape my wrath."
"Scales of the night..." I begin the chant. The words tumbling from my lips, unbidden. "Lord of ravenous death, I call you. Let two become one, your enemies are my enemies." The world goes still. The fighting that has been going on comes to a grinding halt, even the wind stills, like the world is holding its breath. "My enemies are you enemies. Rise, undying Lord."
I never learnt this chant, whatever it is. I understand the words, but not their meaning.
"Ash, come!" The last I say with a whisper. My voice cold, even to my ears.
For a moment nothing happens. Everyone stares at me, Kassia was behind me. I couldn't see her but I know she's there.
I spot Quan, he was trading blows with four men by what used to be Mr. Royce's bakery, a few others were on the ground, some lay still and unmoving. My eyes finds the elder --- he was still alive and kicking --- fighting back three assailants, he bleeds from various injuries. He wouldn't last long.
I hold out my hand, saying nothing. Kassia slaps the bow on my palm. I take a breath, nock an arrow and pull.
"Ash, I need your help."
The tattoo on my chest burns, I could feel it slithering around on my flesh. The head of an enormous snake emerges from my chest, in seconds the rest follows.
He's not as big as he could be, definitely not the size of a mountain, but this'll do.
"Two have become one. Your enemies are my enemies. Now, who wants to die first...?" Ash boomed, gleeful murder in his tone.
The carnage begins anew.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
I don't understand the pain Heron feels, I think I should. In theory I have lost a loved one, so I should know the feeling of loss. But I don't.
I never met my mother, she died shortly after birthing me. Father never talks about her, I don't even know her name or what she looked like.
But I imagine if I did, it still wouldn't compare to losing your entire family, everyone you grew up with, everyone you ever knew. All gone in a single day.
To such unprecedented violence.
There's no such thing as a beautiful death, dying in your sleep sounds peaceful in theory. But who could prove it?
Flames and the sharp end of a weapon is anything but peaceful. My heart aches for him.
I wish I could wave my hand and make everything better, but I know the world doesn't work that way.
So I stand watch. Neutralizing every threat that gets too close. It was easy, I am a prodigy afterall. Achieving the bronze stage of ascension at just ten years was unheard of, but I did it. Father is especially proud of that one.
I wish I could do more, I wish I could say something to comfort him, take some --- even a little bit of his pain away. I know the words, but my voice fails me. I have never had use for words, the only connection I've ever had is with my father. Until Heron came along. I've never met anyone around my own age before, I find him interesting.
Another assailant lunches an attack, lightning the color of egg yolk. I pick up the sword the first guy dropped upon his timely demise, catching the lightning bolt and then stabbed the sword into the dirt to discharge harmlessly.
The attack should've been stronger, but the lightning was from an artifact, and a very low tier one at that.
He's only an iron ranker, I can keep up with them and protect Heron simultaneously. I was about to go on the offensive when I sensed a change in the atmosphere.
It was immediate, overwhelming and completely halted everything. Even the fighting stopped. I knew what this meant, so does my father.
The snake is awake!
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
What happened next can only be described as a slaughter.
I stand there, watching Ash annihilate the remaining invaders, about twenty three of them all together. Kassia stands beside me, looking on with a stoic demeanor.
It was a brutal scene to watch, there was no technique to it, nothing savvy, just raw strength. Ash moves like a ghost on wheels. I could scarcely follow his movement. Crushing bones, biting off heads. There was blood everywhere. I refuse to look away.
The sounds of dying men fills the air, a requiem for the dead.
Within the span of a minute and change, the invaders seemed to realize the flow of the battle has flipped. They're superior numbers no longer a deciding factor in this scuffle.
It was no longer a fight. It was an execution.
They tried to run. Scattering like leaves in the wind.
None made it. Ash only got faster, and faster.
As for me, I decided it was a good time to get some practice in.
I loosed the first arrow at a man trying to leg it into the obscurity of the forest. He had about one furlong to cross in order to make it to the forest line. He wasn't very fast, dragging a bummed leg behind him.
My first aim wasn't as good, it fell short. There was no power behind it. Not enough!
The second arrow, I released after taking careful aim. This one flew true, striking the man but did not penetrate. I look at the bow and then my fleeing prey.
"You should probably imbue some vita into the bow and arrows before you fire the projectiles. Travels faster, hits harder." Quan says as he walks up to me. He was bleeding from a small gash on his scalp, carrying the unconscious form of the elder on his shoulder. I couldn't tell if he were dead or just knocked out.
He's comfortable letting Ash do cleanup.
I nod.
By now most of our assailants were already dead. Ash works fast.
I draw back the string, eyes locked on my target. Next, I pull on my cores, it comes easier than ever before. Both responds with gusto, flooding my channels with energy.
Instinctively, I imbue a little energy into the bow, it was a straight forward affair. The energy was readily absorbed. Next I imbue the arrow, it explodes.
"Energy control is as important as output and capacity. Don't rush it." Another sage advice from Quan. Again I nod.
This time I reduce the Vita imbued to a miniscule amount, the arrow held. I increase the capacity, until I felt the arrow would explode, then stopped. All this took only a few seconds.
Taking aim again, my breathing slowed. Focused, I pulled, the string of the bow leaving a line on my cheek. The bow hums in my hands, the wood crackles with energy. Vying for release.
I release it.
A concussive force rocks me, sending out a small shockwave in every direction. Ruffling our clothes, sending ashes and soot flying every which way.
If I wasn't dirty before, I certainly was now.
The projectile takes the man in the lower back, it explodes on impact, blowing out his abdomen in the process. He's dead before he hits the ground.
That was it. My first kill. And I felt nothing.
Not anger, nor satisfaction, remorse, pleasure. I felt nothing.
"Not bad. Your aim has improved, you still need fine tuning with your energy control. Now, how did you summon Ashur?... It's not something you should be able to do at your level." Quan rambled, I think he's nervous. Maybe it has something to do with the nine meters long behemoth feeding on the bodies of the dead a couple of yards away..
"I don't know." I reply. Staring at the fresh cadaver I just made. I think I should feel something for taking another man's life. Why don't I feel anything?
"These were the same people who attacked you the day you killed me, what did..." Suddenly exhausted, the bow falls from my grasp and I find myself sitting on scorched earth.
"Easy boy, you've been running before you even learned to walk."
My vision was dominated by black spots. I drift into the dark recesses of unconsciousness.