Ashes and Kingdoms

Chapter Two

"Well, the season is still good."

Igross said and watched Finn's family in the first place. You think you've got more luggage to pull your legs off, or you're comforting yourself that it's better than not even just a powder shop, your mood isn't showing on your face. Fortunately, I didn't complain about that one. Finn spoke with some anxiety about how his attitude would change after spending the night.

"Right. Now you don't have to walk in fur and tremble, you don't have to prepare as much barley as a pile because the horse has green grass, and you can move it gently."

In fact, winters in the north, including Nanais, are seriously, terribly cold and miserable. Summer is said to be easy to spend, but if you let Finn, who actually lives there, the hot stuff is still hot. I was perfectly fortunate that this was the Aoba season.

The sun still feels comfortable, although it contains faint signs of summer, and the wind is refreshing. Now, if there are people on the side of the street who spread green fields and put their energy into wild work, I have nothing to say.

Finn looked at all the rough farmland and pasture he could give up and clouded his face. Will people see signs of life somewhere? Or is it possible that not only Nanais, but all of the Empire...?

"Hey, Brother Finn."

When I woke up from my thoughts, called in a strong tone, Nellis lined up beside me at some point. One of the horses with two heads loaded his bags and the other two women decided to take turns riding, but now it seems to be Fauna's turn.

What, Nellis finally pointed up to Finn, who asked just with his eyes. Looking up at the motion, he draws a circle as the shadow twists.

"It's strange, I wonder if Dark Beasts don't attack birds like that. If they're going to eat and scatter anything without sight, aren't they going to be dead? My loba and duck are a treat for them."

How can you tell, Nellis said, pointing her mouth in dissatisfaction.

"If you say so, you do"

It was the first time Finn had noticed it when he had been told too, and I thought, Hmm.

If the Dark Families had invaded other organisms just like their onslaught on humans, then other animals not as capable of defending themselves as humans would have disappeared first. Before this situation, however, hunters had acquired a variety of prey in swamps and forests. pheasant, quail, duck. Deer or pig. Wasn't such birds and animals the object of the Dark Beast's attack? Um - of frozen hatred, too.

Finn shuddered, recalling the abomination of extreme cold transmitted over the blade.

"Maybe the Dark Beasts... only hate humans. humans and animals useful to humans… livestock."

"What, you guys don't even know the old story?

Igross pinched his mouth from the side. Nellis just wandered, staring in disbelief and vigilance, and did not reply. Igross didn't miss Nellis stopping by his brother.

"Oh man, they hated me. Hey, even if you're not so freaked out, I don't have a hobby for making kids cry. My little girl screams at Pippi because she's particularly deaf."

…………

Nellis, ridiculed, turned bright red and burned a flame of anger in his eyes, but still remained silent. If you yell here, you know it's what they think it is.

Finn tapped his sister's shoulder lightly before inquiring into Igross.

"What's the old story? We're going to know the whole way, but is there something special you want to talk about?"

"It's not special, but there's a reason why the Dark Families hate humans. You sure you don't know that? Once upon a time, the world had nothing but sky and sea. The sky is presided over..."

"I know about that. The earth Nena was born from Deia and Audia, where various gods and dragons and spirits were born to create terrain and flora and fauna, and dwarves and humans were also created at that time. Eventually when the night came and everyone fell asleep, now the Dark God created the creature of the night"

That would be right, so as to be sure, Finn tilts his little nipple. Igross nodded and began to tell a slightly more detailed myth than the simple and simple story Finn knew. It was not a “fairy tale” for children, but something to make them look at as if they had learned from “records” written in volumes and books.

The gods, who set the cause of Genesis one step down, took on their respective roles and moved the world in peace. God, dragons, and spirits didn't have lusts for dominance, but for the smaller life they created, such lusts arose. And the Dark Family.

"So there was a war between day and night, wasn't there," Finn put his hand together.

"Yes."

Humans and dwarves began to turn the night into day, and more time and land into their own territory, and the Dark Families tried to turn the day into night against it.

The two forces fought hard, but it was better to be wise first to win.

"That's why we're human."

Humans were weak, but came up with a way to make it up to them. the moves of putting spirits and dragons on your side, that is, witchcraft. But it was an act of shaking the foundations of the world.

"Man and dwarf blinded by power tried to slap the dark family thoroughly, ignoring both their original purpose and the voice of their conscience to stop here. So at last, the world that was created was about to be turned upside down. So what happened to the gods? We quarantined the heavily fought areas so they wouldn't jump any further. I guess I could have put it back to nothing, but I didn't think I'd be able to throw away what I made around the corner."

"... kind of the right way to put it"

Nellis snapped softly. Igros raised his eyebrows and was surprised at the big smile, then laughed slightly.

"Truth is, I don't know what God thinks. Anyway, so to the east of Diatius the mountains that soar to heaven grew astonishingly from north to south, and from the foot of them the earth was torn open and fell, and the humans finally woke up. But by then, it was almost settled, so the Dark Families never regained their strength.

Humans then abandoned their own too dangerous sorcery moves. There are theories that dragons and spirits refused to cooperate more. Anyway, the Dark Families have become totally weak, and the humans who are used to it have become busy making all kinds of kingdoms and being attacked and attacked, and the great enemies of the past have only thought to the same extent as the beasts there "

"... but they hadn't forgotten. That's what I'm saying."

Finn closes with a dark voice. Hundreds and thousands of years of accumulated resentment took shape and began to take revenge. A chick who hasn't been born twenty years doesn't come from the edge, such as the possibility of being held up by that blow. Remembering the paralyzing pain and chills, Finn unconsciously squeezed his right hand tightly.

"Don't look so gloomy, it's like the end of the world."

Enchanted by Igross, Finn disputed for a moment that it was not a laugh, but he realized all the more and deceived with a bitter smile.

"Excuse me. I'm a genius at boring things."

He says it's about the same as a dead fish, and he goes aside and says, eating Nellis' fist and groaning in a big way. Sometimes from now on, my companions will have a taste of anxiety and despair. Because if you cross the night, you won't deny it, and they'll see.

The sun slowly passes overhead. The line just took a small pause at noon, and the rest kept walking without stopping. Still, I couldn't reach the village just because I could see the remains of a house by the street.

When the sun turned honey-colored, the shadows grew longer, and anxiety grew just as great, they finally found their settlement. - Correctly, the wreckage.

"... this is..."

Leaving Oandus and the others standing flat, Igross quickly and emotionally searched the village. Finn helps with that, too. Which is the best house with no objects left to use or a wall or roof left? There was no hope about survivors, and in fact, people had no grated chicken, no rat, nothing to move about alive. It's just bugs at best.

"Right here."

Igross said after checking the stables, and Finn agreed. The only building in the village with a decent alignment of walls and roofs. There was also some straw left to lay, and when I collected the clean parts, I seemed to be able to make a bunk.

After Finn and Igros had picked up the horses and human bones that had fallen on the floor and buried them outside, the Oandus family went inside and connected the two horses, unloaded them and began to take care of them. Fauna rushes to the well and draws water for both horses and humans.

It's already dim outside. Nellis hurried out the corner light and put the fire in. Boo, the bright golden light spreads. It's not just a flame. Finn squeezed his eyes in surprise.

"Nellis, could that corner light be"

"Yes, it's the temple's. Master Fianella just gave me one. Even if we burn, we'll need the lights that won't beat the rain storm. Besides, there's a flame even if we haven't spoken all night."

"Thank God."

Finn relieved and offered his thanks to the priestess of Nanaith. If there is only one watch on the replacement, it is difficult to take care of the incineration and fight the beast opponent at the same time. Corner lights are reassuring in that respect.

A small fire was set ablaze on the muddy soil, and Fauna boiled water in a small pot to prepare dinner. I boiled the dried flour in dough, added the returned beans and a little vegetables, and when I could somehow do something like that, we had a restless meal together.

Igros delighted Fauna by saying it tasted better than the rice in the barracks, but the atmosphere on the ground did not soothe much.

It was Finn's role to be on duty first. Place the sword completely familiar to your hands beside you as you pull yourself out. The burning fire was dull, but instead the corner light lit firmly inside the stables.

Nellis and Oandus and others lie down, knowing they can't sleep. Igross was accustomed to boulders, his head falling into the laid straw. No, he was already resting easily.

Time flickers.

Finn, finally observing that the Nellis and the others seemed asleep, softly stood up and peered outside through the gap in the door. There is no blue light point. On the contrary, it was blue and white and bright outside. Moon and night.

Finn was surprised, making sure behind him, then slipped out just a few doors open. Clean night air fills the back of my chest.

(Right)

Finn unexpectedly remembered. There used to be nights like this.

Looking up into the sky, the full moon was brilliant. Only a particularly bright star spills all over the deep purple blue sky.

Finn stood up for a while as though he was frightened, and when he realized it, he naturally knelt down on both knees and prayed to the gods. I thank you for giving this beauty to the world, I hope this will continue, and I beg you to illuminate the way to go with this light. Please protect us with light the night ahead, too.

Crushing our prayers in my mouth, praying with my forehead against my assembled hands, I felt calm and more calm than I had had had in the past few months. If, after this, the beast of darkness appeared again, I felt I could fight without fear.