Hitsugi no Maou

Twenty-six Tales: The Night of Ashes and Dust

When Ash woke up fuzzy, the dust sat in front of the stone kiln.

It is dark in the house, and no light has fallen from the skylight made of worm feathers.

In the darkness of the night, only the light of the flames leaking from the stone kiln illuminated the dust red.

Ash stared bluntly at the side of the dust for a while on the bed of grass, but eventually turned around and crawled over the floor as he rolled and approached the stone kiln.

When you squash your feet next to the dust you threw out, you breathe deeply into the flaming heat that reaches your head.

When I gave him a good glance, Dust and I met eye to eye.

Laughing reflexively small, Dust gazes back into the stone kiln without expression.

Following his gaze, a piece of burnt paper is rolling at the end of a fire dancing in a stone kiln. The stone kiln had burned before entering the floor. Did you wake up the fire that went out after bedtime?

If you look away, the piece of paper says something.

Dust dropped his voice from above as he scrubbed his sleeping eyes and tried to get his face close to the stone kiln.

"About midnight, you should sink your consciousness into your dreams. You don't have to come back to a gloomy reality."

"... even myself, you're awake"

"Some nights I can't sleep"

Ash leaned back with his lips slightly crouched by the dust of easy opinion. When you yawn heavily, turn your back on the stone kiln and shrink.

The flames that warm your back are comfortable.

When I breathed, something covered my body after a while.

When I open my thin eyes, I am coated with dust. I smelled sweet from the dry fabric. I had it for dinner, it smells like lamb ray honey treats.

A stiff treat where you mix water with honey, boil it all over, and just solidify it as it is.

Ash inhaled the smell and closed his eyes.

Keep your eyes closed and let your voice fall into the dark.

"Trouble? I'll listen to you for as long as I can."

"If you sleep listening, it'll be a nightmare"

"Then I'm going to sleep first, so you can talk to me unilaterally. Good night."

That's what Ash said, pulling his coat in and closing his mouth. Stay where you are, stay where you are.

In the darkness, surrounded by comfortable warmth.

Ash couldn't tell if the voice that eventually reached his ear was real or in his dreams.

[Does it make sense that I'm alive]

[To whoever did not save another, why does salvation come]

[I wonder why I met someone like you now]

[... when risking my life...]

[This rotten life]

[Dirty soul]

[For the people who have made me cry so far]

[... not gala...]

[Ash]

[You]

[I want to see you happy]

[Who's the kind to be unhappy?]

[I don't want to see it anymore]

- When I opened my eyelids, the firewood from the burnt stone kiln caught my eye.

The world is bright and thin columns of light are descending from the skylight.

Ash wakes up slowly, pinching her sweaty clothes.

For some reason, my heart beat (like this) was loud and my breath was disturbed.

From behind, Dust's hand came out and offered Ash's iron helmet.

"Get dressed. Clouds are moving fast today.... It's gonna rain."

Turning around, Dust is smiling.

Ash returned a full grin as she received the iron helmet.