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— Jumping off the low wall in front of her, the little girl flew through the air as if she was really flying. With a big smile on her face, her eyes still naive and childish, she finally landed on the ground and took a proud pose.
- I jump very high!!!
She had both fists on her pelvis and was in a very upright pose: it was clear that she was happy to have succeeded in jumping off that low wall. Even though anyone could have done it, the fact that she too could perform such a task made her proud; wasn't that all that mattered? The ground beneath her was untended rock and there were bumps everywhere. It wasn't a road, nor a street, or anything special; it was just a plain of stone in a depressing landscape.
- I bet I can jump over this one toooooo!!!
She pointed to another low wall, a little higher, that was in front of her. The little girl started to run, still with a big smile on her face. Her footsteps echoed on the rocky ground and her hair that barely reached her shoulders floated behind her. Even with such a sad and gray landscape, she managed to find a smile; even without any vegetation around her, the little girl felt alive. With the momentum she had from her run, she jumped in front of the low wall. She had managed to do it with the other one, so she was convinced she could do it with this one too; but she was wrong. Her foot caught the top of the wall and she fell face first to the rocky ground.
- Waaa!!!
She screamed as the ground came dangerously close to her face. Against rocks that formed bumps and little hills all over the place, she was sure she was going to get hurt badly; she was going to get hurt!!!
- Whoa.
But she was caught in time.
Even before she came to smash her face against the rocky ground, she was caught with one hand. After all, she was a little girl; also in size. Barely exceeding 1 meter, she could not be considered tall.
- Are you okay?” asked the person who had caught her.
She was gently placed on the floor and the little girl nodded, holding her hands in shame.
- Yep... But I couldn't jump over the low wall, sniff…
She wanted to cry about it, but she restrained herself. The person next to her crouched down, a sweet, gentle smile on his face.
- That obstacle was a little too high for you, wasn't it?
- I-I’ll get it right next time!
The person who was in front of her was a man; he reached the 1m80 easily, but did not exceed 1m90, it was certain. A hood on his head, his face was still visible despite his rather... special attire. He caressed the hair of the little girl with kindness.
- I am sure you will succeed.
And he meant it. To an outsider, he might think this conversation was meaningless; however, to this little girl, achieving such a feat was important. No matter what obstacle was in front of her, overcoming it, having the agility or strength to get to the other side was something she cared about. The man stood up and looked around.
- …
The landscape was deserted of any life. A rocky plain with a few pieces of ancient ruins scattered in all directions; that's where they were. There was no greenery around and only a large statue could be seen in the distance. He knew that this was the direction he should be heading, but the closer he got to this place, the less comfortable he felt. After all, considering where they had to go... How could he feel comfortable? He looked at the little girl and smiled at her.
- Hey, Mamou.
- Yes?
- Are you ready to go there?” he asked gently.
Mamou. This is the name of the little girl at his side.
- Hmmm, I'm scared and my tummy hurts a little bit, but when I'm with big brother Bubu's side, I feel great! I can do it!
She clenched both fists in front of her chest, which pleased Bubble.
Although Mamou called him "Bubu", his real name was "Bubble". A slightly taller than average man with blond hair, he had a long garment that served as a hood and cape tied from above. The rest of his clothes were pretty basic, although around his pelvis was something not very understandable. Maybe it was bags tied together that went around his pelvis, but only he knew what it was; even Mamou didn't know. The little girl called him "big brother" out of respect and love, but they were definitely not related by blood; only the two of them knew the reality of their relationship... One that was closer to family than friendship, but one that was more moving than one would think.
- Perfect, then.
Bubble was happy to hear the comforting words of the girl and turned her gaze to the statue. Even if they hadn't arrived, they were going to be there soon... The border was where the statue was; at least, that was what it said in his notes. He took the papers out of his pocket and checked the contents again before nodding.
- Shall we go?" he asked, reaching out to Mamou.
She nodded and took his hand, smiling. She was so warm, she was happy, very happy! The two of them started walking, the only signs of life for miles around.
Arasol was high in the sky, but little by little, the star was descending. It was past noon, but they still had time before night fell. Even though the sky was still light, the landscape was so gray, lifeless and uninteresting that it seemed as if it was already evening. The ground was of a rock with no real color and had never been maintained. The few pieces of walls and buildings here and there proved that there had been life here, but who would want to live in such a place? Not even crazy people would have fun coming here. The air was not unbreathable, but the place was so "dead" that one could have thought that oxygen did not exist here. A large statue was visible in the distance, but even that didn't give any particular effect; however, it was the only thing that stood out in the landscape. Not even a single piece of vegetation could be seen. Whether it was in the ground or somewhere else.
Bubble and Mamou both walked towards the statue and the closer they got, the more the landscape changed.
- ... What is this...?" asked the little girl, frightened by the landscape.
- …
No one could walk by what was on the floor. It was… foul. Filthy. Horrible to look at. Greasy and slimy, even Bubble wouldn't want to go near the red masses that littered the floor. Like bloody giant vomit, these disgusting things were called—
- ... It's brëël.
A particular name to be pronounced in a northern accent, Bubble was aware of this disgusting substance. Even if it looked solid, no one would want to touch it to check; and from what he knew, it was pretty creamy. Fake solid, basically.
- It's not pretty…” Mamou let go while approaching Bubble.
- I promise, we won't see too much. Let's not dawdle.
The further they went towards the border, the more you could see. The red of the brëël was like immaculate blood, as if a fierce battle of the Gods had taken place there. Giant vomit, colossal guts; even if Bubble knew about the brëël, what exactly it was was another thing. Even scientists these days had many questions about it, although the most plausible theory was that it was a cause of Lost Hell's effects on nature. After all, vegetation was so scarce on the borders. However, nothing was confirmed yet. In all cases—
- Be careful and don't touch it," said Bubble, holding Mamou a little tighter.
He wasn't afraid of that foul substance, but since he didn't know what it did, he preferred not to let her get any closer to it. He wasn't necessarily afraid of it, since Mamou was repelled by it, but protecting her was his duty. He continued to walk with her, noticing the abundance of bristles as they moved forward.
Then, the statue was finally visible in its entirety.
Close to it was some vegetation. It was green, but not much of it. Some trees in the same place were doing their best to survive. Next to them, one could see some that had not managed to survive. Trunks and branches without color, falling to the ground because of a heavy gravity. Their last breath must have been horrible, in such an atmosphere. The mere fact that trees managed to stay alive around here was a miracle. Mamou looked at the statue with wide eyes, impressed by its size. She was not good with measurements, but she was sure of one thing: the statue was more than 30 meters! Maybe even 40! She pointed at it with a slight smile.
- Say, say, Bubu!
- Yes, what is it?
- This statue, what does it represent?!
She was very intrigued by what she saw, but unfortunately, the statue was not in very good condition. There was a lot of brëël in front of the effigy, as if it was trying to climb it. The stone of the base was of very good quality, but the passage of time had marked it with irreparable wounds and scars. The statue itself was imposing and very beautiful, but it must have been even more so in the past; what it represented was complicated to see because of the missing pieces. Parts of it had fallen off or crumbled and because of this, the statue was not very clear.
- Aaah, it's not in very good condition anymore, huh... Bubble let go.
He had never seen it in its entirety with his own eyes, but one of his teachers had mentioned it when he had gone to school a few years back. Even though it hadn't been the most important class he had attended, he still remembered it. He stopped to look at the statue and explained what he knew to Mamou.
- It is a statue that represents the very first king of Lost Hell.
- The first king!
This impressed Mamou, even though she could hardly tell what it looked like: the statue was just not in good condition.
- Exactly. Even though I don't know much about him, he would have been the one to control the population when Lost Hell was created. He's considered a hero, as far as I know.
- Lost Hell was created...?
Mamou had more questions than before, making Bubble's answer quite useless. He scratched his cheek with his free hand and let out a small "Eheh".
- Lost Hell has a great story, but we'll talk about that another time, won't we?
She nodded before sticking to Bubble.
- Yes, the landscape scares me…
She was shivering a little, so Bubble started walking directly. He could understand that the place was giving Mamou the creeps, considering the bloody colors, the lack of life and vegetation. Everything was in ruins or in bad condition. The ground itself was unpleasant. Even the sky was a gray color, dust-like clouds on the horizon.
There was a lot of brëël in the area, but fortunately, Bubble knew it would die down once they crossed the border. After all, even though he was talking about Lost Hell, they weren't there yet: they were still in Teizanie, the country surrounding Lost Hell. The border they were about to cross was going to make them change countries and Bubble knew one thing: Mamou was going to be surprised and probably scared when that happened.
Because Lost Hell was a real hell.
If they were heading there, it wasn't by desire: it was by necessity. By choice. By need. Even if he would have preferred never to go there, he had to do it; and Mamou had to accompany him. He looked at her, who was holding his hand with a smile, and took a rather sad expression while observing her. This pretty and cute girl who had not asked for anything, did she deserve such a fate? He wanted to protect her as much as he could, but how long could he go on like this...? Would he get answers to his questions, in Lost Hell...? He had never been there, but he knew the stories that were told there. The name "Lost Hell" was not random, after all. He wasn't looking forward to going there, but that was his destination; hopefully it would be a good place to go. It would be the right one. He believed it because he had to; if he thought that he would have no answer in Lost Hell, so it was best to give up.
But giving up was not something Bubble enjoyed doing.
Holding Mamou's hand a little tighter, he continued on his way to Lost Hell. The sky was getting darker as time passed slowly and the brëël disappeared little by little. The little girl didn't like this change of atmosphere, but she was happy to see less and less of the brëël, since she was disgusted by it. However, even if the blood red of these filthy things was fading away, the sky was still filled with it; was it any better?
- The sky scares me…” she admitted.
- ... I know, Mamou…
He found it disturbing to see the sky take such a color, especially since little by little, Arasol, the so beautiful star of their sky, took a red color in its turn. It was as if blood was pouring out of the sky and coating their world with its dread; how could he feel comfortable, even for Bubble? He kept Mamou close to him, especially since he didn't know what was waiting for them there…
And finally they arrived at Lost Hell.
It was easy to know when the border was crossed : Arasol was of a pitiful color while the sky was cloudy and took on a frightening red color. Moreover, even if the brëël had disappeared behind them, there was worse in front of them: human guts and remains decorating the ground of their gory scene, their smell would give nausea to anyone not prepared. Mamou held her nose and groaned in displeasure, not wanting to look at the landscape in front of her. Bubble bit his lower lip: he wouldn't have believed that Lost Hell was so horrible, especially from the beginning. The difference between the border of Teizanie and Lost Hell itself was striking... but also disgusting. Maybe the brisket wasn't so horrible after all? Blood from the guts was spilling onto the ground, mixed with rainwater and other substances that were better off never knowing. Bubble walked slowly with Mamou in her arms, protecting her with her long cloak.
- She does not deserve to see such a landscape…” he thought.
He would have thought Lost Hell a little kinder to the visitors... but he had been wrong. Mamou was still quite fragile and his duty was to protect her, so he wouldn't let her be traumatized by this vision of horror. How could this country be so terrifying since the border?
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
- Why are there so many human remains...?” he wondered.
Humans, Kemonos, Morris; it didn't matter what race they were, having their remains strewn on the ground like that was sickening. Mamou shuddered when she heard her own footsteps hit some of the guts. She splashed blood from the floor on her shoes and tried her best not to fall into tears.
- I want to go home…” she complains.
- ... We'll soon find a place to rest,” Bubble promised.
He himself didn't want to walk too long, since it had been more than three hours since they had started their journey; at least, if we were talking about today. The ground had been unbearable enough, so his feet were asking for a break; but the longer they took to get to their destination, the less time they had ahead of them. Bubble didn't have all the time in the world, after all. He felt sorry for Mamou for having to endure such a sight and smell, but Lost Hell was not friendly to anyone; it was a horrible place that was known around the world to be a real hell. He didn't like having to come here, but he would go to Lura for his purposes. No matter where, no matter what, he would not give up; he had something to do and Mamou was necessary. Not because he had to use her, but because she was the one he cherished the most.
Because he had to help her.
He had started this journey for one reason and one reason only and that was Mamou. So backing down from the challenges was not in his plans; he would do anything to it.
The sky had darkened even more since then, but the guts, organs and other remains of living things were no longer in abundance as before. The landscape was still out of a horror story, but since it had been a good hour walking through Lost Hell, they had begun to get used to it; Bubble more than Mamou. She had cried along the way, so disgusted was she with the scenery, so he had carried her on his back and told her to close her eyes. He felt tiredness taking over his body, especially that he had not slept much last night: he had to take care that nobody would come to steal them during their sleep. He hadn't found any house that wasn't in ruins and the landscape was so depressing that it didn't help his fatigue; how much longer would he have to walk...?
- Aa... Aaaa…
He was breathing with more difficulty than before: the air in Lost Hell was nauseating. It was far from being unbreathable, but the smell of it was unpleasant. He wanted to rest, but it was deserted, all around him. He knew where he had to go, but how long would it take him to get there? He was already tired of it. Besides, even though Mamou was very thin, carrying her added weight to his unfortunate feet. He was resistant, but his physical condition was not the best in the world.
- ……….
Nevertheless, for her, he had to continue. Even in a landscape straight from the underworld, he could not stop. Maybe it would take hours, but he would continue to the end.
- … !!
As he walked with difficulty, his instinct alerted him violently. He took a big step backwards and avoided a huge rock that had fallen from the sky. He looked up and noticed... a person with wings ?!
- What is this?
Bubble squinted when he saw the person, but they were so far away that it was difficult to observe their details. Was it a man, a woman? Since this person had wings, it was most likely that they were a Kemono with bird-like attributes. However, this did not answer the question he had in mind:
- Why attack us?! shouted Bubble.
This woke up Mamou who opened her eyes slowly, but he didn't notice. The winged person started to laugh, but Bubble couldn't hear them well, because they were so high in the sky.
And suddenly, she started to run at them both.
- !!!
Bubble started to run, Mamou still on his back, gnashing his teeth. It was already unbearable to walk on such a ground, but now, he was attacked?
- What's going on?" asked Mamou, still a little sleepy.
- N-Nothing!
He didn't want to lie to her, especially since she would quickly understand, but he didn't want to alert her as soon as she suddenly woke up. He turned his gaze behind him and saw that the winged person was already catching up to him! He was a man with ugly hair, but his Aura was not the most powerful one Bubble had encountered; nevertheless, he was still an enemy that was going to be tough.
- Do I use it...?” he wondered.
Using his Power was the best way to be safe, but with Mamou in his arms... Besides, did he really have to fight...? Did he want to? He jumped to the ground protecting the little girl, avoiding the winged man's sharp talons. He stood up, telling her to stay there and be careful, and looked up to the sky, where the winged man was laughing again.
- What do you want?! shouted Bubble, his fists clenched.
- Your life!! No, BOTH OF YOUR life~! Kyakyakya!!
He began to laugh unbearably and Bubble frowned: trying to discuss with him was going to be impossible, he was sure. He looked behind him and saw that Mamou was frightened, holding her hands together. He turned his attention back to the winged man and stared angrily.
- Don't look at me like that, but you know, corpses sell well here! Kyakyakya !!!!
The winged man didn't speak further and started to run towards Bubble, laughing. Bubble opened one hand, ready to use his power to protect himself. Even if he would have preferred not to do so, protecting Mamou was his duty; and protecting himself was natural.
- Come to me, K—
He was about to invoke his Power, the enemy just a few feet away from him.
But something came and pierced the winged man in the skull.
Because of his momentum, he rolled disgustingly on the ground and crashed into a pile of guts a little further away. Blood spurted into the air with a nauseating sound.
- Waaaa!!!
Mamou screamed in fear and ran at Bubble, crying. She grabbed his cloak and put her head on it, her eyes closed because of her fear. To see a man die so violently in front of her, she didn't deserve such a thing...! Bubble turned his gaze when he saw that someone was coming, but he had been distracted: a blade was right in front of his throat. Or rather—
- A-A giant screwdriver...?!
It was exactly this weapon that had been planted in the skull of the man and yet it was in the hands of the young woman in front of him.
- Who are ya?
- ... My name is Bubble. I accompany the girl at my side, Mamou.
- Ya're not from Lost Hell, are ya?
- I am a traveler.
- What would a traveler do in such place... especially with a lil’ girl!
She brought the tip of the screwdriver closer to his throat, threatening him with angry eyes. He had to remain calm and raised his hands to show that he was not there to fight.
- We were just walking along when that man attacked us," Bubble said.
- Hey, hey. Ya're not answering my question.
- ... I'm on my way to Lost Hell City.
- Why go there, huh?
- I was recommended this place... because I have to go somewhere there.
- Where?
- …
- Hey, now. Answer me. Where?
She spoke fiercely and Bubble would not accept underestimating her: she was really pissed off. Even if he couldn't understand why she was acting this way, given the way she had killed the winged man, it was best not to play on her nerves.
- See a woman named Porencha at FIREFIGHTERS.
- ...... Tsk.
She drew back her weapon from the man's throat, but kept it in her hand with squinted eyes.
- FIREFIGHTERS, ya say, eh? Ridiculous, ah!
She let out a laugh that lasted less than a second and clicked her tongue again.
- And what da hell are ya doin’ pickin’ up a girl in such a horrible place, huh?
She pointed to the girl who was still crying but silently watching the young woman. Bubble took her in his arms and smiled at Mamou, telling her that everything was fine now. She nodded softly, but said nothing. He turned his gaze to the young woman with the giant screwdriver.
- I am here precisely because I am protecting her. If I have to go to the woman with the name Porencha, it is because I want to protect Mamou.
The young woman opened her mouth, but as she looked more closely at the girl, she closed it and looked more... calm. Even…
Sadder.
- …
It was as she watched her that she understood. She stuck the giant screwdriver into the ground, but two seconds later, it disappeared as if it had never existed in the first place. She scratched the back of her head and sighed, eyes closed.
- Aaaah, sorry for bein’ aggressive, but even with such a reason in mind—
- I know that bringing Mamou here is a horrible idea, but I had no choice," Bubble cut her off.
- ... Yeah, I can see that.
She opened one eye, watching the man.
- Ya’re still far from Lost Hell City, I think it’s better that ya come with me first,” she said. ‘Specially since, as ya've seen, in deserted places like this, there are assholes attacking from everywhere... It's dangerous, eh.
She opened her other eye and held out her hand.
- My name is Syrianna.
- Bubble. Her, Mamou.
He pointed to the little girl in his arms and smiled.
- Yeah, I know. Is this yar sistah?
- Ahah, not really…
- ... Eh, whatever. I don't care.
She turned on her heels and motioned for them to follow her, which he did without hesitation. Even if he didn't know this young woman, he didn't really have a choice, especially if he wanted to get to know her and he was also quite tired. He stood beside her and looked at her.
- Say, Miss Syrianna…
- Please don't be so formal with me…
She sighed as she let her shoulders fall. Bubble scratched his cheek with his free hand.
- Aaah, sorry. I wanted to ask, what exactly are you doing here?
After all, the place was quite deserted with only a few ruined houses; she had arrived from nowhere. Syrianna observed him without moving her head before answering him.
- It's not uncommon to patrol the area, ‘specially when there are a lot of punks like the one I killed. Did ya see how I BLAM BLAMed him in the skull like WOOOOSH! Ahah, well done, you fuckin’ fuck!
She started to laugh while striking her fist in her other hand, which frightened Mamou who clutched Bubble even more. The latter looked at Syrianna with astonishment, but she was not even embarrassed by such behavior. She calmed down slowly.
- ‘Nyway, even if it wasn't me, someone else would probably have seen ya and helped ya. Even if travelers are very rare, there are many people from here who travel to the lands of Lost Hell by searchin’ for... stuff.
- Stuff?" asked Bubble.
- Whether it's money, people who are dead or need help; ya're lucky you ran into me, though!
- Because you helped us?
- Naaah, I wouldn't have been the only one to help ya. But here, when ya help, ya ask for somethin’ in return.
- Aaaah, and then we were lucky because you won't ask us anything in return?
Syrianna raised an eyebrow when she heard Bubble's words.
- Are ya fuckin’ stupid or what ? Of course ya'll pay me back for my kindness! I don't do anything for free. Ya're lucky because ya met a beautiful young lady, mwahahah!!!
She started to laugh while moving a little faster, which frightened Mamou even more, who hid her head in Bubble's cape. The man sighed as he listened to Syrianna's laughter. He had come across a very strange person, but at least they could rest…
He hoped with all his heart that everything would go well here.
Because Lost Hell was not known for being nice.