I recall that she was a busy person. But she always had time to take care of me with her warm, smiling eyes. It was a fine day, one of those rare days where dad was off from work. Mom took us to the central park.
"Hahaha-!"
My name is Helen. I was seven, eight or maybe nine. I was a jubilant little girl, yet unknown to the sorrows of the world. My brother, Garen, was around seventeen. He was my favorite grown-up who would always call me "princess". Never would we quarrel or fight. When I would try to do so, he would just pinch my plump cheeks and giggle.
"Hehehe!"
I was stubborn that day and wanted to wear my white dress. Mom told me that I would be cold, but I was not listening. My heart was already on the snowy plains outside. I wanted to be a snowflake myself; cold, quiet, and beautiful.
"It’s snowing! It’s snowing!"
Slowly and gently, white flakes of beauty were gliding down from the sky. Garen gave me that mischievous look, and started throwing little balls of snow at me. After getting hit several times, I tried to lump snowballs myself, but somehow the icy dust would always slip through my fingers. As soon as Dad saw me stick out my lips, he started shooting snowballs at Garen. My brother let out a playful laugh, and the grand snowball battle had begun. Of course I cheered for Daddy. Mom was laughing the whole time, uttering “Silly man, silly man”. I was happy, too happy to doubt that this happiness could last. My family would always be with me. They would always be there. I was sure. Oh, I was so sure. My world would never change.
But it did.
My world fell that day. It crumbled; miserably. Everything, all of it, collapsed into a lump of dust.
There was an explosion in the middle of the park. Hot, parched gust hit my face. Snow-flowers that had covered the land were gone; they evaporated in an instant. The dance of crimson flames scattered them away. Lights flashed all over the place, and the air shook in heat. Everyone stood in their place, utterly stunned.
I raised my eyes. Something was in the middle of the park. It was orange, brown, red, gray, black, big as an airship, and shaped like a bell.
It was moving.
Writhing and twisting, as if it was struggling to get out. There was something about it that made me feel sick. Finally it split into three pieces. The insides of it were a mix of carmine red and purple. I saw hundreds of pores, blocked by a jelly-like membrane. Something was moving in there....
One of the membranes popped open. I heard horrified screams. One by one, the pores burst open, spitting gelatinous green liquid into the ground.
"Run..... RUN NOW!"
My dad was well educated about Kyl’aq invasions since he was a government employee. He scooped me in his arms and took off. Garen took Mommy’s hand and ran behind us. Out of curiosity, I turned my head back.
And I saw it.
I will never be able to forget it. I saw death, the damnable devil that crawled out of hell itself. Its reptilian eyes, red and furious, its enormous body, split into multiple segments, layered with iron, reddish muscles; its jaws, dripping with saliva, and a rough carapace that looked like it had been formed out of the earth’s depths. It wielded sharp, deadly claws.
Suddenly I realized, it was the monster they talked about on TV. I’d seen it. I knew what it was. It was them. The big, ugly blob all the children tried to hit in P.E class. It’s the bad guy.
Kyl’aq. Monster.
It was fast. No, too fast. It didn’t make any sense; it was far too fast for its size. One of it jumped at a man, and the snow beneath him turned red.
Again, and again, fresh blood splattered the field. The Kyl’aq hunt the people’s heartbeats. Bodies were torn like balloons holding red paint. One by one, they turned into crimson stains.
I heard mothers screaming over their sons, daughters miserably weeping for their fathers.
Boys yelped for their torn limbs, and girls fell to the ground, utterly stunned. Children lay dead with potato chips in their hands. Men poured their guts into the ground. Pregnant women took their last breaths – with children that never, ever breathed. The sky was bloodied, the earth was well, and dark red, blood red, was everywhere.
"Close your eyes Helen!"
Mom shouted at me, but I was too frightened to listen. Could it be? I thought one of them was chasing us. Yes, I am certain now; I can even hear the monster grinding his teeth. Its terrifying scream still lingers in my dreams. I can still hear it –vividly.
"Kyieeeeeeeeaaaaaaaakkkkk!!!"
Dad rushed into a nearby building in hopes that the monster would get stuck between the doors. But no, the beast tore in, completely destroying the entrance; – rocks and debris flew in the air. Garen was a few steps away from it. He could not move; he was stunned by its gaze. The Kyl’aq bolted at him and just before it stabbed Garen with its razor-sharp claws –
Clunch-
I was tossed to the ground. Just before I fell down, I heard something. It was a horrible sound, the sound of a spear sinking deeply into flesh. Dad's face distorted with pain. I saw a big hole in his left arm and Garen standing safely behind him.
"Dad!"
"Stay away from me!!!"
Dad stopped Garen from approaching him. He shouted at us to run. “Run toward the narrow alleys. Avoid big streets. Run, run I mean now.” Mom started to cry. Dad turned his back. His voice was trembling.
“Please go. I am begging you. Take care of the kids.”
Mom picked me up in her arms, and we started running.
I heard dad let out a big sigh. He held out his gun.
"You can kill me, but you are NOT hurting my family."
The monster jumped, and the gun flared. It was a one-sided battle, but my dad didn’t give up. He fell, hugging the ground. Just before the Kyl’aq began pulling its blade from my dad’s chest, Dad whispered,
"Now Wh.. Where do you think you’re goin-"
Barely able to breathe, he frantically grasped on its forearm. The Kyl’aq shook its body several times to pluck the crimson blade out of him. My dad clenched his jaws and held on. He shut his eyes. With all his strength he shot a kick to the monster’s head. The monster howled in anger. At last the monster swung its other arm to rip the man apart. “No, Daddy!” I burst into tears. The hideous creature sank its crimson blades into him. My small hope of his survival shattered into pieces. Yet my Dad did not release his grip. Dad opened his mouth and shouted out something resembling “I’m still alive.” He held on to the Kyl’aq blade until his limbs were both sliced off. He did not give up even then but buried his teeth into the Kyl’aq. A small, moaning sound slipped out from his tightly clenched mouth.
“I am still not dead. I am still not dead, you monster,” He garbled.
Just before the monster raised its legs, they were out of sight.
★★★
My mom and Garen ran desperately. The Kyl’aq, now red with my father’s blood, had almost caught up with us. If our running speed was one, its speed must have been eight or nine.
“Kunkayee !…”
My brother let out a curse. The monster gained ground, thundering about ten steps behind us. We were going to die at any second. Just as I felt its disgusting breath touching my cheeks, I heard a bang.
The razor-sharp blade was there no more. The Kyl’aq screeched in pain.
Bang.
Blood blasted out the Kyl’aq’s head.
I looked immediately around. There were several people in green uniforms that read PDC: Planetary Defense Corps. They were hiding behind some building debris. They had to drag Mom away from the site, for she was frozen from the gun sound.
“Get behind us!”
“Move it!”
We were safe. It took me a while to realize that. Garen crumpled to the ground, exhausted. Too many things had happened in the space of few minutes. A soldier handed him a water bottle, and Garen hastily swallowed from it.
“Maintain suppressive fire!”
“Do NOT expose yourself!”
More Kyl’aq approached the soldiers, lured by the thundering gun sounds, but the skilled firepower of the infantrymen quickly turned them into messy pieces of meat. The agonizing screams of the Kyl’aq were heard all the way down the street.
“Hey, Baron!”
“Yeah?”
“This is way better than your gorram computer games!”
“I know right? The graphics are way too good.”
“This is why we need to send those stupid game designers to the front lines!”
“About friggin’ time.”
“Mark! Baron! Quit chatting and shoot!”
I watched loads of Kyl’aq collapse to the ground. Their blood showered upon us. The gunshots endlessly tore through the sky. Suddenly, a big one appeared on the horizon. Its black carapace flashed in the falling sun, and its claws were stained with blood. Horrified, I clung to my mother’s hand.
“Hey, hey! Big one twelve O’ clock!”
“Holy shit, we got a 6-meter!”
“Wax em’ boys!”
Instantly, all the guns were pointed at the big Kyl’aq. It did not take any damage, however. Yellow bullets bounced off on its thick carapace. It crawled toward us, destroying all the buildings around it in the process.
“Sir! 50 mm’s not working!”
“Give me 70! Lieutenant! Where are those 70s?”
“Delta has it sir! They took it all!”
“Blast and damnation! I told them to spare some!”
“What do we do sir?”
“Just put more pepper on it! Don’t let it approach us! Our orders are to stand our ground!”
The big Kyl’aq crushed one of the soldiers. The men tried to hold on, but the Kyl’aq had already smashed through their battle formation. Terrifying screams were heard everywhere. The officer cried into his headpiece, “Team Charlie requesting support! We need armor! Repeat, send armor to point C!”
One of the men screamed at him. Everybody was in fear.
“Officer! We can’t hold!”
“Fuck this, retreat! Take the civilian and leave! NOW!”
“Retreat! Retreat!”
“Kyieeeaaaaaaakkkk!!!!”
One by one, the men were smashed into a pile of blood. Frightened and confused, the soldiers scattered in all directions.
“Idiots! Stop shooting and run!”
“Baron is down! I’m gonna get him!”
“No! We have to leave now! Allen! Take the civilian!”
A young, teen-age soldier took Mom’s hand. I could see he was afraid like we were. His metallic name tag swung in my sight. We fled together.
“Run!”
The Kyl’aq was distracted by the men on the ground. The men writhed in pain, but unfortunately, no one could save them. The horrified faces of them would put a permanent stain on my heart.
Leaving the men behind, the squadron darted between the buildings.
“Move! We need to reach point B! Team Bravo has armor.”
“But what about Baron?”
“Do you want us to all die, soldier? Now move it!”
I breathed heavily. My head was spinning. What was happening was simply unbelievable. This had to be a dream.
The soldiers probably felt the same way.
“Damn it! What the hell is happening right now? I just wanted a quiet holiday!”
“Consider yourself lucky. I was on my way to my sister’s wedding.”
“Oh, you mean the music girl. Damn, I thought I would get her first.”
“Wake up.”
“Who took her away?”
“Vocal major. Shit, I just got a message from him. He’s saying the caviar is ready. Crap, I love caviar!”
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
“You two, shut up and run!”
I was crying. Warm teardrops drenched my mom’s back, and she tried to calm me down.
“It’s all right Helen. Mommy’s right here. Don’t cry. We’re almost there. We’ll be safe.”
BAM.
A piece of a building crashed on the road. Everyone looked up. Something was falling from the sky.
“What the hell is that?”
The falling object resembled a giant dragonfly with eagle wings. Its tail had razor sharp spikes on. It opened its exterior, spraying acid into the soldiers beneath.
“Bogie inbound!”
“Flyer!”
“Open fire!”
“Ahhhghhh! It burns!”
“Vermin nissest! Just shoot the gorram gun!”
The deafening rifle cracks stunned my senses. Blood splattered all over us. My eyes rolled around in fear. I saw Garen. I saw mom’s back. We were still running. I faced the other way. The fair-looking boy was there. The next moment his body was sliced in half. My mind turned white. My vision blurred. I lost consciousness.
★★★
I tried opening my eyes. My eyelids were still heavy. I frowned. The air smelled awful, as if something foul was burning. I realized I was lying on a deflated mattress. Slowly, I raised my head and rubbed my eyes like I always did. I saw Garen smiling.
“Ga…Garen.”
“Are you awake?”
Garen was listening to a radio transmission. At first I couldn’t hear the words properly. The ground was stained with red spots. Blood-red spots. I suddenly realized that this was not a dream. The announcer spoke in a shaking voice.
Hundreds of Kyl’aqi are crawling, running, and flying over our land.
Our planetary forces have fallen, and the city of Iydunburg is now no more.
Infantry and Armor are scattered everywhere, and the headquarters of the army is swarming with…-
After rubbing my eyes with my baby-like hands, I started looking for my mother.
“Where is Mommy?”
The droning radio filled the silence after my question, and Garen bit his lips until blood began to ooze out his mouth.
“Don’t bite your lips, Garen.” He remained stolid. “You’re gonna get a boo-boo, Garen. Boo-boos hurt. I don’t want you to be hurt.”
“Helen…”
Garen embraced me and began to sob. My eyes clouded with tears. I was young, but in that moment I knew. Mommy couldn’t hug me ever again.
“But… but I want Mommy’s hug…”
I let out a wail. Garen wept too. We stood there crying until our tears dried out.
Then we started walking. Corpses and blood lay everywhere. I felt sick. Garen held my hand to comfort me. My white spotless dress was torn and grubby. My hair was tangled, and my face was covered with dirt. I was exhausted, but I was still sound. Garen, on the other hand, had an injury. He was bleeding from his right side. I was too young to know anything about breathing disorders, but I remember he was coughing badly as he walked onward.
“Are you okay?”
“Keep walking, Helen.”
His voice was unclear and rather thick. I could see that he was in pain. He frowned periodically as he moved his legs. He smiled rather bitterly when I gave him a worried look.
We were walking away from the city. Garen probably thought we could get help in the suburb areas.
He picked up a pistol from a dead soldier. Garen was not the fighting type, at least in my memory. He was a rather small, skinny boy with a pale but charming face. He mostly talked with girls, and he liked to read about plants and trees. Once he boastfully told me that he was a pacifist. Puzzled, I had asked him what a pacifist was. Despite his beliefs, he did unload his pistol when the Kyl’aq appeared in front of us.
★★★
Helen gives me that sad, worried look. Oh the poor little girl. I force a smile. I can’t let her be troubled by my misery; she saw enough today. My breath grows heavy as I take more steps. Ah, the lingering pain! It hurts every time I spit out the damn flaming air. Fortunately, the wound didn’t reach my lungs. However, it damaged enough muscles to cripple my breathing pattern. I can’t help but frown as I breathe in and out.
“Are you okay?”
“Keep walking, Helen.”
I let out a bitter smile. I am so sorry for lying to her. But we have to get out of the city before night falls. We can’t afford a break, regardless of my condition. Thank God Helen is unharmed. I’ll have no idea what to do if she is wounded. At least the bugs aren’t chasing us for now.
Something materializes on the horizon. What is it? As we walked near, I feel my eyes widening. I see massive, armored vehicles with gigantic mounted rail guns. Never in my life where they looked so dazzling. It’s a tank! It’s the armored forces! Thank heavens, we found a military outpost. I strengthen my grip on Helen’s arm. When we draw close enough, I start to fanatically flail my hands at them.
“Hey! Look here! We’re here! Hey! Look here!”
Two soldiers pop their heads from the gigantic tank and notice me.
“Civilians at three-o-clock. Repeat, civilians at three-o-clock.”
We are safe now. We’re safe. This time, we are really, really safe. I almost burst out crying. When the soldiers take us inside the base, I can’t help stop repeating, “Thank you, Thank you!” Several men smile at us when Helen mirrors me, murmuring her gratitude.
“Welcome, guys. Lucky that we found you before the bugs did.”
“Thank you, sir.”
Most of the men are middle-aged, fully equipped with armor and guns. One of them leads us to an army tent to rest. Helen stood beside me, hastily consuming a big lump of chocolate. Poor girl, you must have been absolutely famished. I instantly collapse on the bed. Phew, sleep at last. I close my eyes. Not long after I fall asleep, Helen shakes me awake. “What is it? I am very, very tired right now…” I move my lazy eyeballs to where she is pointing outside the tent and I frowned. My eyesight is still blurry. I’ve barely woken up.
Helen is still pointing in the same direction. Her voice quavers as she asks,
“What is that?”
My eyes fix on the object to which she is pointing. Instantly, I feel my breath stopping. The object on the horizon moves. Its gray, purplish carapace, four sets of wings, four legs, four blades, a pair of huge mandibles and thousands of bones, muscles and fiber is grotesquely mixed together. It is small, about the size of an adult man, but it is covered in a huge plasma shield that deflects almost every bullet and shell we have. It is a complete abomination. Its body screams of death, death and even more death. I shiver in horror. I know what that thing is. The soldiers know what it is too. One of the older soldiers lets out a curse. Others shout the monster’s name.
“Oh, my God.”
“It’s an Atrox.”
“Atrox!!!”
“Alert the crew!”
“Red! Red! Red!”
“Open fire!!!”
Sirens ring, guns flare, and cannons boom. But it is in vain, in complete vanity. No armor can match the Atrox, the final evolution and the ultimate weapon of the warring Kyl’aq. It toys with the soldiers. One of the tanks fires its main cannon, but the shell does not even scratch the monster’s hardened plasma shield. The monster crushes the tank into a pile of junk. It slices a second tank neatly in a half, lacerating the crew inside. Infantry falls quickly to the Atrox’s blades. I realize this is no longer a battle, but a slaughter. I feel the sky crumble down. I stand there, completely hopeless. We are done.
A pistol is in my hand. It is small yet fairly heavy. I picked it up earlier from a dead soldier. I look at Helen, who is covering her ears. She is screaming for it to stop, please stop. I holler at her to run. No use. She is too terrified to listen. The Atrox turns its gaze to at me. I raise my gun and aim at the Atrox. It flies toward me at an incredible speed. My pistol flames and my mouth involuntarily let out a painful scream.
I suddenly realize this is the end for me. I am on the ground, drenched in my own blood. My eyesight blurs. The last thing I am able to see is little Helen. I move my lips to say something. After that, it is utter darkness.
★★★
“Run, Helen! NOW!”
I remember coming back to my senses, and then backing up. Garen’s tormented scream interrupted me before I could ask, “What about you?” His blood splattered up, touching my cheeks. The next moment he was on the ground, his heart speared and his arm sliced. That was the end of my beloved brother Garen. It was a meaningless, young, and sorrowful death. He whispered his last words. I wept as his gaze slowly drifted into the afterlife.
I’m sorry, Helen. I am sorry.
The monster slowly approached me. I tried to run, but as soon as my eyes met its beastly gaze, my feet were fixed to the ground. It was hatred, unending, bondless, and infinite hatred. Its eyes flamed with it. I could feel it. The monsters would not stop until the last earthling fell to the ground. They would stab, cut, tear, and crush until the last of us breathed no more.
The Atrox stepped toward me. Finally, it stood right in front of me. Six buggy yellow eyes were looking at me. It slowly eyed me, as if it was looking down at a helpless prey. I stopped breathing. I did not move. My thinking process had completely stopped. Too scared, too shocked, I was frozen in the spot. Like a small bird paralyzed in front of a rattlesnake, I forgot how to move my body. The Atrox clutched me by my throat. I let out a soft moan. My small body was lifted toward the sky. The beast deliberately tightened its grasp slowly. He was playing with me, enjoying every little moment I struggled for my life. I twitched and kicked as I slowly choked on its clutches. My movement rapidly diminished. My body was involuntarily shaking from the lack of air. Finally, I succumbed. I could move my body no more. I helplessly hung in the air at the mercy of the Atrox. My vision began to blur. I could not feel my fingers anymore. I closed my eyes, as I prepared for the end.
I could not think of anything. Nothing, nothing came to my mind. I was waiting for my death. Time passed slowly. Seconds felt like hours. With great difficulty, I opened my eyes. Was I dead? Did I get to meet Mommy, Daddy, and Garen again? No, the monstrous Kyl’aq was still there, sneering at me.
To my amazement, it let go of me. I fell into some rubble. I gasped for my breath. I shivered as I shook off the Kyl’aqi scales sticking on to my skin. The Atrox jumped back and let out an intimidating scream. It stomped its feet, whirled its jaws, and shouted again. Its wings fluttered in excitement. I could not understand what had happened. I turned my eyes to the direction in which the Atrox was looking.
A boy and a girl stood there. The boy’s uniform looked familiar. I remembered seeing people with those clothes on television, in the papers, even at my school.
Each held a slim, gleaming sword. I burst out crying. At last, I understood who they were. Probably every child in the universe would know who they were. Boys followed their gestures; girls mimicked their voices. They were everyone’s heroes. I let out a small murmur.
“Knights.”
Humanity’s last hope, the living gods of our century – these labels were given to our highest heroes.
The Knights I saw that day were mere teenagers, short in height, with child-like faces and high-pitched voices. It was rather pathetic for these small kids to fight against the gruesome monsters of doom.
Of course, on that day, they looked ever so big to me. The boy was full of confidence. His blue eyes blazed with fury. His grip was strong, and his drawn sword glittered in the sun. His face was like a wolf, snarling and growling upon his enemy. The girl beside him was a mysterious, beautiful figure with jet black hair extended down to her back and locked with an oriental hair band. Her expression was silent and cold, yet full of vigor. Her pose was well disciplined, her sword was exotic, and she spoke with an unfamiliar accent.
“Type-5. It’s a named unit too.”
“Bone Smacker?”
“It is Bone Ripper, enlightened one.”
The boy smiled, rather awkwardly.
“I don’t need to remember all the names of worms I killed.”
“You have not killed it yet.”
“I will.”
“You mean, we will.”
The boy chuckled.
“Man, Nanny was right! Boys can’t fight girls with words. We always lose.”
“Ah, I see you were a stubborn student with a wise teacher. Recall that I bested you with swords, too.”
Glaring at the Atrox again, the boy opened his mouth.
“What are you looking at, worm?”
I was close enough to hear radio transmissions from the boy’s suit. An adult voice was demanding the knights’ withdrawal. It said the main forces were retreating, and the knights must wait for sufficient support. The boy shouted back.
“Coward! Are you afraid of death? Is that why you send us to the front? To hide behind your desk?”
He held his sword and shifted into an aggressive stance. The girl changed her position as well. The Atrox rattled its blade in return.
“I’m not waiting until the stupid worms chew up everything on this planet.”
“Then let us get to work. Shall we, Mr. Insecticide?”
“Eeeeeekkkk!!”
The monster roared with a terrible voice, but the young knights didn’t even blink. In fact, the boy shouted back.
“Shut your mouth, worm! And clean your damn neck while you have time. I hate staining my sword.”
“Let us engage.”
“Ready? Let’s go with Position B.”
“Understood.”
The boy and the girl crouched for a jump. Their swords twisted simultaneously at a same angle. The boy’s eyes lit up to a bright hue. Suddenly, he blurted out-
“Um, let’s kill it with its head intact.”
“Why?”
“For my bugger face collection. Uh, no, I mean – You know biology class.”
“You? Biology? I am deeply concerned. I pray you won’t end up in obstetrics.”
“Oh shut up.”
“Kyaaaaaaakkkkk!!!”
They kicked the ground. Instantly, both knights were in the air. The Atrox dashed at them. Sharp metallic sounds rang through the air. I watched in wonder as the boy and the girl danced with the winged Kyl’aq. Their swords and the beast’s blades flashed brilliant lights back into the sky. The Atroxi blade hit the boy’s sword at ridiculous angles. The boy whirled around, dodging two blades and a pair of mandibles. Just before the Atrox swung another blow, the girl’s blade jumped in. Their blades collided violently. The creature howled in anger and it extended its wings. The girl-knight returned a scream. Her roar was controlled yet powerful, like one of a tigress. The boy joined his colleague by conducting several blows to the left. The Kyl’aq countered the girl’s blade, sending her back. It then flew up and then plummeted at a ridiculous speed, delivering a massive blow to the boy’s blade.
CRACK.
I gulped. The shock could be felt yards away. Dust arose in the air.
Their blades locked together, vibrating viciously upon each other. A moment later, the Atrox swung its second blade toward the knight. The boy ducked his head just in time; the second blade sliced several strands of his hair.
The monster must have put too much weight on its blade, for it leaned off its balance. The moment the Atrox’s body tilted forward, the boy put up a cold smile and said, “You’re dead, worm.”
The girl jumped in, slicing the Atrox’s right forearm. It screeched in pain. The boy’s sword smashed into the Atrox’s defending primary blade. The blade shattered, and the knight’s sword cracked into two pieces. Blue particles scattered into the air. For a split second, the Atrox stood there completely defenseless. Immediately, the boy and his sword became a giant bright light, and a cracking sound filled the air.
A crescent afterimage was drawn in the air. The Atrox’s right arm fell down. A clean line on its torso sliced its body into two equal halves. The Beast crashed onto the ground, its green, slimy body fluid drenching the earth.
The girl smiled, satisfied. “Dissection complete. I say, splendid abdominal cut, doctor.”
The boy walked to it, and held his broken sword to the monster’s head. Emotionless, he slowly drew a mark on its neck. The Atrox hopelessly cried out and twisted its body, but the boy’s face remained cold. At last, the head fell and the monster stopped moving. The boy sheathed his sword.
“Damn, not again. It’s my third sword this month. Instructor’s gonna kill me.”
“Doctor, you get too emotional while performing dissections.”
“But it’s totally the academy’s fault! These swords are so low in purity.”
“Good doctors don’t complain about equipment. Perhaps you should practice eastern medicine instead. Poking is easier than cutting. Oh? Hey there! I think we have company.”
The girl must have felt me looking at her. A moment later, she stood in front of me. I did not move. She lent me her hand. It was a small hand, thin and delicate, like those of a violinist. Some kind of exotic writing was on the back of her hand.
“Greetings, what is your name?”
I was barely able to whisper my name. “Helen. Helen Emoliya.”
“What a beautiful name! I am Arien.”
I took her hand, which felt much different than its appearance. It was rough, cold, and somewhat metallic.
“Ari… yen?”
“Kya! You are so cute!”
The moment I said her name, she hugged me with all her might – I could barely breathe! Before I could say anything, she dragged me to the boy. With sparkling eyes, she asked him,
“Can we keep her?”
“No.”
Arien’s lips pouted.
“Why?”
“She is NOT a pet, Ari.”
“But I wish to keep her! Here, Helen, please pledge to be my sister.”
Alas, I was too young to know about oaths and pledges.
“Wh...What?”
“That means no.”
The boy grinned. The girl puffed her cheeks. She grabbed the Atrox’s head in her hand.
“Hmph. Then I shall discard your precious specimen.”
“What? How did you… Wait! No! Stop! Don’t do it!”
“And what do you say?”
“Ah, Fine! We can keep the girl. Just give my bugger face back.”
Arien smugly handed the Kyl’aq specimen to the boy.
“By the way, his name is Lyouell,” She told me.
“Li.. Lie-you-all?”
I couldn’t pronounce his name right. The boy grinned when I tried.
“You may call him Lugh.”
“Hey Ari, take the cutie and let’s get outta here.”
“Understood. Location of her legal guardian?”
“Both are on the deceased list.”
Arien paused, frowning bitterly. But as I watched her, she quickly changed her expression to a joyful one.
“Um, so Helen, what do you wish to be when you grow up?”
For a split second, everything that had happened that day flashed through my mind. The Kyl’aq, the soldiers, and all the slaughtered people mingled together in my memory. I could see Mommy, Daddy, and Garen lying helpless, powerless and defenseless in front of me. They were dead. I had lost everything, everything. They took it from me. Mommy’s hug, Daddy’s smile, the word princess – they were stolen. And I could never, ever get them back again. Why? Why did you have to do this? Why? The horrible scream of the Kyl’aq lingered in my ears. I had realized it was laughing. It was laughing at me. It was laughing at the solders laying helplessly in the ground. It was laughing at all the innocent people who could not defend themselves. Something snapped inside of me. Boiling anger burst from of my heart. It consumed my fear. It devoured my sorrow. It paralyzed my childlike emotions. I grinded my teeth, clenched my small fists, and raised my face, my eyes ablaze with fury. The cold, beautiful snow-flake was there no more. I was a burning piece of charcoal, and now no one could put out my flames. I opened my mouth to speak. At that moment, I was not a child anymore.
“I want to be a knight.”