Snuggled between mountain ranges was a once prosperous rural village. The cottages were in ruins with their thatched roofs falling apart and the wooden pillars looking to collapse at the weight of the structure at anytime.

In one such cottage, remained two brothers embracing each other.

They both had brown hair and the elder one sported a thin mustache, while the younger one was clearly too young to have any facial hair. The adolescent had a square face with a strong jawline, a round nose, and thick lips. His skin was a beautiful bronze, while the younger brother had a warm olive-colored skin. His head was more oval and his body leaner than his sibling. The elder one was plump, with a gut uncharacteristic for his age.

They remained clasped to each other.

They had just cremated their parents and were the last remaining survivors of this forsaken village. A sudden plague had devastated the valley, and the disease took away indiscriminately all living beings.

Now the elder brother, Morchel, too showed signs of infection.

Morchel opened his eyes and tears raced down his cheek. It might just be the last time he could hug his brother. They never got along well, but shared an unbreakable bond.

Morchel had no idea if this disease was curable.

'What is my fate now? Will I survive this infection. It could certainly be possible if the Pandits arrived soon. But, will they?'

A myriad of thoughts occupied his head. He then uttered heavy heartedly.

“Goodbye, runt. The pandits will be here soon. Who knows? If I'm lucky, I'll be there right alongside you. I will pray for the best.”

Flint didn’t reply.

He had just mourned the death of his parents and bawled himself to sleep.

Morchel knew he could not stay any longer. Now that he exhibited symptoms of being infected, he had to distance himself from his brother. Flint would eventually be infected himself, but maybe he could avoid the ailment but staying away from Morchel.

He thought to himself regretfully.

‘I can’t stay here anymore... I have to leave now. Goodbye brat. I’ll head to the forests. Perhaps I can intercept the pandits on their way to the village. Yeah, that will do. I will head there now.’

Even if he stayed in the village, his brother was going to want to maintain contact. Morchel knew he had to do something to protect his last remaining kin from this wretched sickness. Nonetheless, Morchel refused to outright throw his life away. He didn't want to abandon his sibling now that they were left with nothing.

'The pandits should arrive sooner or later. If it's sooner, then I'm definitely blessed by the lord of fortune.'

Blisters and red spots riddled his bronze skin. His eyes, now bloodshot, were deeply remorseful. With a pained expression, he carries his brother to the bed and carefully places a blanket over him.

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He turns to head out but stops and gazes one last time sorrowfully.

‘You will be safe. I know it. Now one last goodbye!’

*****

The night sky was lit by countless stars and a crescent moon. Countless compact circles also lit up the sky in a myriad of colors. His favorite one was a cerulean crooked circle. It shone dimly, but looked oddly captivating.

Legends tell of great beings occupying these colorful objects in the sky. But at this moment, even these magnificent existences cast aside Morchel and everyone he knew.

His gaze soon lands on the valley, only for it to be shrouded in darkness. The mountains cast deep shadows that encompassed the entire valley.

Morchel tread the forest with great difficulty. His disease was progressing by the minute, and his breath turned ragged. He wanted to go as far as his body could. He felt his ears turn hot and his face flushed from the exertion as he continued traversing past countless trees.

He stumbled on numerous roots and rocks owing to the uneven terrain. But he got up every time.

He kept on moving.

‘As far as possible. Maybe the pandits are here already.’

He carried on.

HIs lungs were on fire and a fever swept his body, but he continued nonetheless.

‘Just a bit longer!’

Countless thoughts powered him on as he inched deeper and deeper into the wilderness.

As he marched through the vegetation, he could not help but wonder what the future held.

‘Am I just going to die like this? Will the pandits come fast enough to save me and Flint?’

He was not concerned about wild beasts as they too had long succumbed to deadly illness. Just as he pondered on how the plague had taken life away from this peaceful valley, he saw a fast moving shadow in the corner of his eyes.

‘No way. Nothing should be alive. The animals were the first to go out before the village inhabitants. It’s a miracle that we even survived this long. Food was hard to come by and the carcasses of dead animals and fish contaminated many water sources.’

He quickly contemplated on his next actions.

‘I can’t run now, but can I hide? Perhaps.’

He quickly scans his surroundings but vertigo quickly took over. His fever had not subsided yet. At this moment, it was peculiar for him to even have a level of control over his thoughts.

‘There!! that spot over there.’ He locks onto a structure that he thought to be a grotto.

It was slightly obscured by the bushes and plants.

'Too dark! I can't see well enough to make out what exactly that structure is.'

He was still unsure if it was truly a beast roaming the wilderness, but he was unwilling to take his chances. Until confirmed, it was better off being a threat rather than feigning ignorance to whatever caught his eyes.

‘Even if I am sick, I still want to live. I HAVE to! I just have to survive long enough for the Pandits to arrive.’

Hoping for the best, he breaks into a slow jog as agony painted his face. The illness had started to affect his mobility. Moving his joint felt like trying to use the rusted tools his father would insist were perfectly fine. They refused to budge.

Even then, he pushed on.

‘Just a few more steps till to cave’

‘Harder legs. Don’t give out now. Few more steps. I can do it!!"

He motivates himself like-so.

But just as he is about to reach his destination, a heavy blow knocks him off his feet. He twists his waist to have a look at what could produce such unnatural strength.

Right then, his caramel eyes mirrored a dark wooly beast clad in armor. The crimson armor draped over its figure, and it stood on its feet easily towering over the tallest humans he had ever seen. It had a wide, salivating maw filled with keen canine teeth. Just it's stare could strike fear on the bravest warriors, and was armed with long adamantine claws. It had cleaved Morchel’s left foot.

Unable to sever his foot cleanly, it met with some resistance and hence flung him.

His left foot flew sideways and the beast immediately lunged towards it disappearing from his line of sight.

Morchel could not process what had happened, as it all took place in mere seconds.

Luckily, or rather unluckily, he flew towards the grotto he made out in the distance and at the last moment before plunging into it; he locked eyes with a mysterious man.

His golden eyes shined through the darkness, but darkness shrouded his features. In his last moments, he thought to himself mockingly.

‘That’s it, hah? I can see the end then. Goodbye runt. I’ll get to meet Ma and Pa before you. Is that even a good thing? I don't know. Whatever its the end anyways.’

The dim glow of the night too leaves his eyes as he drops into a seemingly deep cavern.