14th Moon of the fifth, 34 HT – The Road back to Reinchurch and Reinchurch

The entire walk was silent, I couldn’t bring myself to say anything to this man and he clearly wasn’t one for talking.

That morning I knew I was going to be back at Reinchurch, although I had no idea what I was going to say to everyone. How could I have explained what happened.

Eventually, I had to say something to this man.

“What’s your name?” I eventually asked.

“Why?” He asked, not even looking at me as he carried on walking.

“So I know the man who saved me, who tried to save Sammy and Joel.” I told him.

“Orion, my name is Orion.” He grunted.

“Where are you from? I have never heard of anyone that… looks like you.” I said, partly worried that I offended him.

“I am an Ashi, from the island of Izikiria.” He said.

“I’ve never heard of that before.” I told him.

“Izikiria had a volcano that erupted over a hundred years ago, making it inhospitable. That was when I relocated to the continent of Somerled.” He told me.

“How old are you?” I asked him, from what he said he must be older than any person I had met.

“I am three hundred and forty three.” He told me.

“What? How is that possible?” I asked him.

“Ashi live much longer than regular humans.” He said, obviously not one for conversation.

“Oh,” I replied, more confused than ever, “How did you… find me?” I asked him.

“I was hired by the mayor of a town to help his caravans that kept getting attacked by the beast in the cave, what I didn’t know was that the mayor was part of their plane. He led caravans and soldiers into the attack to be killed and taken by that Paizon. In return, I’m guessing he kept all of the valuables.” Orion told me.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

“So he let people get taken by that thing, just for wealth?” I asked, not believing someone could be that cruel and heartless.

“That’s what I’m going to find out after I drop you off.” Orion grunted.

“Oh, and what was that beast?” I asked him.

“I can only assume it was a child of Kialcho.” Orion said.

“A child? That doesn’t make any sense.” I told him.

“That’s why he needed a woman, the Paizon takes the woman how they please, forces a being inside of her, then that beast came out.” Orion told me.

“That’s what it’s going to do with Sammy?” I asked, fearing the answer.

Orion didn’t reply, but that was answer enough.

I didn’t want to know any more after that, my parents were right, the world is too much for me. Everything I had encountered in the last week had made me see how cruel and vicious the world is outside of Reinchurch.

My village slowly came into sight, from afar I had a sense of relief. My world may have been rocked, but at least I was home.

That was until I got closer and first saw the smoke coming from the wooden houses.

“What’s going on?” I said as I saw flames engulf most of the village.

I started to sprint towards the village but the closer I got the worse it looked. The buildings were either alight of burnt down. As I got into the village I saw bodies pilled up around the streets, friends, people I had known my whole life.

“Jaymie!” I heard my fathers voice call out.

“Father?!” I shouted and turned my head to see the same, furred beast that was killed in the cave holding my father up in its deathly hand.

“I told you,” I heard the high pitched demonic voice say, I turned my head to see Sammy, covered head to toe in blood and smiling at me, “You would suffer my wrath, Jaymie.”

Then the beast holding my father ripped him in two in front of me.

“No!” I screamed and fell to my knees in despair.

I felt a cold, wet hand touch my chin and lift my head up. I stared at Sammy smiling down at me, the woman I found so beautiful, now just a demon in my eyes.

“Why?” I whimpered out.

“Oh Jaymie,” It said in Sammy’s normal voice, “This was all your fault, everyone is dead because of you.”

I couldn’t do anything, I wanted this demon to kill me, just to end my suffering. I wanted to be with my family.

Then I heard the grunt of Orion and the sound of his sword slice through the air. I looked to me side and saw the monster that ripped my father in two fall to the ground.

When I looked back at Sammy, she was gone, just like in the cave. Disappeared.

“I’m sorry kid.” Orion said to me, for the first time I felt sincerity in his voice.

“Everything I know, everyone I love, they’re gone. Because of me.” I said.

My sadness was slowly fading, instead I felt something new bubble up inside of me. My pain was being filled with boiling rage.

“But I will not let them die in vein,” I said and stood up, “I will kill them, kill them all.”

“Why don’t I take you to the closest town, let you sort yourself out.” Orion said to me.

“No!” I shouted at him, “I’m coming with you, to the town where the mayor helped this Paizon. He may have a way to find it again, if not, he will die at my hand.”

I looked at Orion, pure hatred had taken over my body and from the look on his face he could tell.

“Okay,” Orion grunted, “Come with me.”