Ashes and Kingdoms Volume 1 Chapter 5

In that instance, Fin had a flash back to when he was still with Oandus and the others in the windmill: they were all huddled in a room that they tried their hardest to keep lit as they waited for dawn to come.

(It’s the same sound. It’s them, they are coming)

Clatter, rattle, clatter When he heard that dry sound, he unexpectedly remembered a wooden rocking horse, but being reminded of that didn’t help to relieve his heart.

(Here they come)

Where? Where is the first?

He quickly looked around. And then—

“Right! Fin!”

A nearby soldier said, and at the same time, Fin also discovered it. One of bonfires on the diagonally right of the line was missing. On instinct, he ran out and repelled with his sword something that came rus.h.i.+ng out from the darkness.

“Tch!”

In a moment, a pain as sharp as one that pierces through the arm ran through his body. Was I injured? he thought, but he had no time to be concerned about it. He ran with all his might to straighten the fallen bonfire and relight it. He felt the shadow that was there just a moment ago quickly took refuge into the darkness.

Immediately following, a sound that could pierce through the sky echoed and Fin held his sword above his head for protection. The second he took the impact, the sword had closely packed frost on it.

It can’t be Fin became wide-eyed. At that time, the frost had already disappeared and there was only a thin layer of dew on it. Yet, color was fading from the hand holding the handle. Fin held his right hand and briskly rubbed with his left hand that was still holding the torch.

As soon as a little bit of the feeling in his hand returned and he was relieved, the flame on his left disappeared. When Fin quickly ran over there, a black shadow was going to cover the top of the pedestal.

“d.a.m.n!”

He forgot Masod’s teachings and raised his sword overhead to slash at it. But just before that, the crouching shadow turned around and opened its mouth suddenly and widely, rus.h.i.+ng towards him.

It was unexpectedly huge. Right away Fin leaped back a great distance and stood guard with his torch like a s.h.i.+eld. What he saw on top of the pedestal was a giant black wildcat. And what’s more is, besides having three eyes that glowed a phosphorus blue light, the nose, ears, and limbs were indistinguishable.

The hand holding the torch lowered in the moment he was preoccupied by the sight. The beast abruptly bent over, and Fin jumped at the same time he came back to his senses.

(I’m done for!)

The figure of his body being eaten in a gulp quickly flashed in my mind. Without thinking of anything, Fin squatted there and only his left hand was high, raising the torch. But it was too late.

“Uwaa!”

The torch was sent flying with the impact. Fin couldn’t stand the pain, which was as if his arm was torn off. His arm was fine, but there was no feeling in it.

Although he was struggling with fear of pain, he looked over his shoulder to search for the beast.

“–!”

It was right beside him. Once again, the deep shadow arose within the black darkness. It opened its mouth, planning to tear up its prey.

Nellis’s figure appeared in Fin’s mind this time.

(I don’t want to die!)

While unaware of his mad cry, he thrust his sword in a daze. There was resistance, but the beast didn’t give even a scream. What the wide-eyed Fin saw was the imminent beast’s black fang as it didn’t stop even with the sword piercing the inside of its mouth.

(This can’t be)

Impossible. I won’t stand for this kind of thing happening.

Useless words spun around in the corner of his stunned head. Darkness flowed down the blade and the drips could be felt on his right hand. In that moment, chills ran through his whole body.

–It was without a double: hatred.

Hateful, hateful, hateful. I’ll kill you. I’ll get rid of you. I’ll remove ever little trace of you from this world.

The words were not necessarily clearly thought, but he had a hunch that it was the beast’s heart, or possibly the components that made up the beast. There is no way that this is the same as just a common wild animal.

(It’s no good. I’ll lose)

In front of such tenacity, anger, and hatred, human strength cannot even compare to it.

Understanding this terror, Fin was seized by despair and at his wit’s end, he froze. At this rate, it looked like his right hand and sword will be swallowed up — but, in a sudden moment, his field of vision became bright.

All of a sudden, the beast raised such a fierce scream that one would feel the worst guilt. While that was happening, Fin desperately tried to extract the sword. Within all commotion, Fin unintentionally let go of the sword.

“F**king idiot!”

When the insult reached his ears and he came back to his senses, the beast jumped back to escape in the darkness while the sword was still half-buried in it. Fin was out of breath and sat down in a daze, but someone grabbed his arm forcefully and made him stand.

“Not only did you let go of the torch, but also the sword. What the h.e.l.l did you hear during the day, you fool! Don’t fall asleep and quickly pick up your torch!”

Fin was yelled at and searched for his torch in a hurry. He took several steps away and knelt down, and the flame was covered by sand and was weakening. When Fin picked it up, a soldier came to help and restored the flame by touching his torch to it. The bonfire that was extinguished a while ago had once again s.h.i.+ned brightly.

“Don’t be idle. Return to the wall and come back after borrowing someone’s sword. Hurry up!”

In other words, he was saying to get back to work. Two or three lights flicked in the far distance. When Fin rushed back to the castle walls, he received the sword from one of them who was awake.

“Don’t mess up again. I won’t save you. Get eaten by yourself”

What a far from reprimanding threat. Fin gave a stiff nod and ran back to his position. Although he wasn’t expecting any encouragement, his fear grew when he thought that his comrades might abandon him. It’s already hard enough to fight a beast; he is at the edge of a cliff.

(Save me)

He didn’t pray to anyone in particular. Someone, take me away from here. Save me. End this.

But of course, there was no response.

He lost all sense of time until the break of dawn. If he thought about dozing off for a mere second, he would be violently shaken awake. Although he was aware that he was injured in many places, in reality a bleeding wound couldn’t be found. He was just awfully tired and the dark stain of despair was gradually spreading to the corners of his heart.

The front line of bonfires were a little closer to the wall. If they were a little stingy by lessening the number of bonfires in the beginning, then they probably wouldn’t last a night. Fin’s feet were swollen in pain, and the hands holding the torch and sword were gradually becoming like lead.

But, he suddenly noticed after coming and going several times in the interval between nightmare and reality. His view became slightly bright. He looked idly at the ground. The pedestal where the bonfire was extinguished and stones of the highway that stretched far south. On that subject, he wasn’t fighting for a while now. Those blue spots couldn’t be seen.

Fin looked around absent-mindlessly.

Before long, the sound of bells announced dawn. When he turned around after someone tapped his shoulder, a soldier who had the same tired face gave a friendly smile.

“You survived, eh, youngster”