Hundreds of feet grumbled the gray brick road. Wooden wheels grinded and cracked. Sticks and soles tapped along with the dust carried by the cold afternoon wind. Men and women, young and old, with huge bags and carts but their eyes bore the heaviest load, despair.

Oblivious, the innocent eyes of the children seemed to like the new sights. The green and endless mountain range in the south, known as the Mother Mountain to the Old Tribes but the Vicari faithful called it “The Great Barrier”; But whatever its name it's a perilous adventure even to seasoned mercenaries or knights which help keep its mysteries hidden in its high slopes. The God’s Pillar in the east, the king of the landscape. Said to be made by Gods themselves. It was scattered across the realm, piercing the clouds and striking the land with its crystal-blinding reflections. And above everything else and farther than anything the naked eye can see, the Bakunawa–a faint red moon during the day--had been glaring on the land while moving to the west. It cast a shadow figure that flowed like water behind it forming its serpent-like image.

A child sat on his father’s shoulders riding like a king. He pointed forward to a young man who also looked oblivious to the exodus. The young man, Magnum, had been pulling his own brown and shaky wagon while looking straight on the road. Everyone turned and wondered where was he going.

A lady with glasses was leading the exodus. She stopped as Magnum passed her.

"Hey Merc!" she said but the man did not respond.

Seeing the lady get snubbed, a short but strong-looking bearded man strayed from the line and followed Magnum.

“Wait Chief!” the lady said.

“Hey merc! Where you going?” the chief said from behind Magnum’s wagon.

“Hey! Merc!" he called again, closer now but Magnum still did not respond.

The chief groaned, his steps became deliberate and he breathed in before speaking again, “Merc! Where you going?”

Magnum finally heard him. He stopped pulling his wagon and turned his head around, "Ah? Hi!” he said.

The lady and the chief looked at each other, surprised at how clueless the young man was.

“Didn’t you hear? Where you going?” the chief said.

“There!” he replied pointing a finger opposite of the people walking past them.

“I know merc!” the chief said. “Why? Can’t you see this?” he said pointing to the exodus. “Everyone left the south! It's full of demons now!”

“Did you just call me a merc?” Magnum said.

The chief squinted his eyes and walked around Magnum. He inspected his face, brown and untidy in contrast to his short hair with clean shave around the sides. A single white earring, dark red clothes and boots, a black spaulder on the left shoulder, and a large suspicious bulge on his back covered by a dark cloth.

“What's this?” he said then flipped the cloth behind Magnum revealing a gunblade. “A big merc weapon! Yes, a merc!”

Magnum sighed and dropped the wagon's neck; the thing he had been holding for a few hours now. He wiped the sweat on his forehead with the back of his hand then gave the chief an irritated look.

“First of all!” he drew his weapon up getting reactions from the crowd. It looked heavy; it was about the size of a Greatsword but wider and with triggers and barrels near the handle and holes on its thick blade.

“Yes! This is my Gunblade! The weapon that will kill the Grand Demon!” Magnum said.

The chief laughed. “Good job kid! We needed that one joke," but the chief's face quickly turned serious again and waved at the crowd to keep moving.

"Move it, everyone. We have a nut here, not a knight!” the chief said turning back to the road.

Magnum shook his head. He then walked around pretending to look, “Knights! Where are they? Where!” he said.

He asked the people but they continued to move forward. Some of the older ones looked down on the grey brick road. They remembered the time when it was pure white, gleaming by absorbing the light from the knights' bright and glowing weapons that used to frequent the road.

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“They abandoned you!” Magnum said putting his gunblade back in its holder on his back that produced a clunking sound.

“And second of all! Mercs ask for payment, I don’t and that makes me actually, a hero!” he said looking at the chief.

The chief quickly turned to him and pulled him to his face. “Shut it! You'll get our young ones killed with those talks! Let the knights do their job!” he said.

Magnum pushed him back. “Cowards! Let the knights do their job? Then why are you here? Is that what you say to yourself? To your son?” Magnum said.

"I don't have a son,” the chief replied.

“Stop this young man!” said the lady with glasses.

Magnum didn't pay her any attention, "Your daughter!” he said to the chief.

The lady stepped forward to slap Magnum but the chief caught her hand.

The chief took a few deep breaths and then looked straight at Magnum's eyes “She played hero kid... and now she's dead”.

Defeat was in the eyes of the old man. He looked down trying to contain his chest and the tears that started to form at the side of his eyes.

Magnum looked away, “Sorry,” he said.

The chief turned his back to Magnum and looked up to the sky. The lady was still glaring at Magnum.

“Did you even say goodbye to your parents?” the chief said.

"No," Magnum replied still looking away.

The chief smiled, "Of course, they wouldn’t let you go". The chief took a few breaths and faced Magnum again.

"I’m sorry lad I didn’t want to offend you but there is nothing for you in the south. Turn around and come with us to Midandria. I don't want another young one dying."

The chief clenched his fist and thought about his daughter, "My daughter protected us. It should have been me. And you're right, the knights abandoned us. But I still believe that the old gods haven’t. I know Bathala is watching,” he said giving Magnum a nod of respect.

Magnum returned the nod and turned around to face his wagon. "She didn't play hero, She is!" he said before he started walking back to pick up the neck of his wagon.

Upon hearing what Magnum said, the chief covered his face with his own two hands. He couldn't hide anymore the big breaths and the tears that started falling down his face.

The lady with glasses tried to follow Magnum, “Lad, we already hired mercenaries but they failed. It's not too late. Come with us. You’ll just get yourself killed there!” she said.

Magnum continued walking, “Thanks but don't worry. I'll clean them up!” he said.

The lady and the chief finally went back to the line.

"Chief, he said he'll kill the demons”.

"I'm not deaf," the chief said while drying his tears.

“Is it really possible? I thought only Knights with enchanted weapons could kill them. And… we gambled a large sum of silver to the mercs and they still failed," she said.

"There are exceptions. There are some warriors and mercenaries that can but they are rare. Someone drilled that hero stuff in his head. Poor kid,” he said.

Magnum continued on his path but he felt his wagon got a little heavy. He looked behind and saw a boy hiding behind a crate inside his wagon.

“Hey kid!” he said looking at the boy's thick eyebrows.

“Shhhhhh!” the kid gestured looking to his left and right.

Magnum stopped walking and went up inside.

"They were talking about you, mister. Can you really kill demons?" the boy whispered.

"Why?"

"I'm coming with you!" the boy said.

Magnum's eyes widened in amusement but he kept it cool. "It's dangerous kid. Can't bring you with me,”

The kid jumped into Magnum's legs, "Please! Please!" the kid said in a whisper.

"Oh! Here’s your mother. She's coming!" he said after seeing a lady run towards them.

"David!" she said. "I'm sorry! Let's go David!" She pulled the boy from Magnum's legs.

"Bye kid!" he said.

David tried to hold on to Magnum’s wagon and started heaving, "My Father! He's still! He's still there!" his voice cracked as his tears exploded.

Magnum’s face turned serious as he looked at the boy’s helpless eyes. He breathed and a feeling of something sharp struck his heart as the boy begged.

The lady started to cry as well, muscling the boy back to the line. "Let's go... David! Please…" she said.

David kept on fighting. "He’s in our house near the bank! He’s crippled! Save him!" the boy cried.

No one looked as the boy was being pulled, except for Magnum. It is not that the people do not care, only incapable. It is not that they were heartless but they were also in pain. They were also grieving, because all of them left something behind and worse... someone.

Magnum jumped down the wagon still looking at the boy who was waiting for a response. He turned around to face the setting sun and the road he needed to take. The road no one wanted to take. He knew he was not good with words so he did not say anything to the kid. Instead, he raised his fist as high as he could casting a long shadow behind the day's final light.

David’s eyes swelled and his tears burst. His cries became louder. He cried for his father. He cried for this stranger, and for everyone who were walking away. His cries carried fears but they also carried hope. Hope not just for himself but for everyone. The people saw what transpired; they bowed their heads and held their hands, and then they prayed that this would not be the last time they see this young man, with a big gunblade on his back.