‘Looks like nothing’s changed…’

Luther gazed at the destruction before him, a mountain of memories all now but a mound of concrete and dirt. It wasn’t as bad when he had first saw his home laid to ruins many years ago. But still, it held a deep place in his heart, and it hurt to see it in such a state. It clawed at the depths of his being once more, making it once more apparent of the loss that he had taken this day; his home, friends, town- family. He subtly lowered his gaze to the bloodstains that were painted among the concrete in a darkened crimson colour. It had minor points where the colour had taken a violet colour, perhaps he thought, they weren’t dead?

If what he thought was true… that time had truly reverted and he was back in the past, couldn’t there be a possibility they were alive? This can’t be their blood, he knew it- he wished for it. It wasn’t a clear or pure crimson colour, so it had to be a monster… shouldn’t it? But despite what little hope he held, he couldn’t deny the pain that burdened him deep in his chest. Imprinted from that very day- this very day...

Seconds later, a small scream reminiscent of the one’s from within town greeted his ears. He looked to his chest as the small girl he had carried in his arm forced her way from his grasp. She landed to the ground as she fell to her knees, sunken in her own despair. It caught Luther by surprise as he towered over her. She looked distraught as she looked over the ruined homes cast under the dusky night sky. Her body casted in his shadow as the flames raged behind them, eating away at the last fragments of her and Luther’s hometown. Luther overlooked the town for what he believed to be for the last time. Seeing someone’s hometown destroyed right before their eyes would inevitably invite such a reaction from her he thought- from him.

“Mother, father, everyone….”, his voice grew hoarse as his sole hand formed a clenched fist by his side. A solid determination hidden beneath the raging flames that were reflected off his eyes. It was time to leave he thought, he could no longer bear the pain that this place brought. And his left shoulder- it still stung from the separation of the bicep below, he needed to rest for the time being. Luther stepped onto the ashen path as monsters ran rampant in the background, distracted by the guardsmen. He looked back once more to the girl, an emotional wreck torn apart by loss and pain. He sighed as he returned to her, taking her into his arms as he sprinted out of the ashen city.

* 3 days after*

Grand oak trees towered over the wildlife and vegetation that covered the base of their stumps. Lines of bushes waist high covered the majority of the forest. Ferns and rock outcrops accompanied them around every corner. The wind carried the sounds of wildlife that hid between the shadows as the sun began to leave for dusk. Predators of the night would soon come out to hunt as the first pair of hunters came out to play. Specifically, a pair of wolves with their ravenous hunger observed a deer that fed in an open space. Their mouths were salivated in anticipation of the begin of their night’s long hunt. As they prepared to pounce, the sudden sound of air being parted above them marked the end of their lives.

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Shortsword readied in his hand, Luther had leapt off from a branch above. He slammed his shortsword into the side of a wolf’s neck as he swiftly pulled it out in a smooth motion. Slashing it against the second wolves neck as crimson blood gushed forth from the gaping wound. They collapsed to the ground as Luther knelt between the two. With his one hand, he wiped his shortsword against the fur coats before placing it in the sheath he had taken from the blacksmithery. He waited to see if he could pick up any other sounds before taking the two carcasses to a temporary camp a few minutes walk away.

*Girl’s PoV*

Beneath the cover of an oak tree a campfire raged between the safety of the oaks stump and roots. On the root to it’s right sat a little girl no older than the age of 10. Left deep in thought, she was nestled safely against the warmth of the fire. She wore clothes, now mere pieces of dirtied red cloth as her hazel coloured hair was left unkempt and ragged. Beneath her chestnut eyes were dark circles that were the testaments of her lack of sleep. Fur coats acted as makeshift beds that were laid separated upon both sides of the campfire. The sound of bodies dropped to the ground awoke her from deep thought as she looked up to see a bipedal monster. It proceeded to mechanically separate the fur from the meat as she observed.

The girl glanced to the carcass as she gave a look of disgust, she still couldn’t get used to the blood and idea of eating such meat. She knew that it was the same thing as eating beef or any type of meat for that matter, but seeing it skinned and gutted before her? That was a whole different matter, she stomached the feeling of disgust as she focused on the one gutting the creature. She had spent the past three days with it, hunting, eating, and having what little bits of sleep in its company. It provided her with food, a bed, and even healed the small scratches and burns that she had.

It looked up and gestured towards her, pointing at the base of her feet. She looked down as a bundle of sticks came to view. She handed some to the monster as meat was impaled onto them, afterwards being rested nearby the campfire. The smell of fresh roasted meat, albeit wolf meat, left the girl feeling slightly better as she anticipated the food before her. The monster sat opposite of her as it placed multiple pieces of meat next to the original skewer and waited for them to roast.

It left the girl to reflect other the past week once more as she remembered what she had to endure. One of the major problems was communication and trust. First she had thought the language barrier between the two would have been challenging, but after realising that it understood the human language, the majority of her worries were dispelled. It could not speak it however, but gestures worked fine as a substitute. She looked into it’s menacing gaze as she quickly turned away, terrified by it’s empty eyes. But as for trust? She held only the faintest hints of trust, was it perhaps due to the fear of the unknown? She doubted herself for being so horrible, to being unable to accept the unknown- it. Eyeing the monster, thoughts ran rampant through her mind as the very same excuses to doubt that trust surfaced...

‘Still… I need to be careful… Even if it is kind now, would it be kind in the future? Tonight? Tomorrow? How will I know it won’t kill me then?’

She turned back towards it as it went over the roasted meat, looking it over before taking in a deep bite. It tore away at the skewered meat as it seemed to release a growl in satisfaction.

‘It should be safe… it should be fine…’

She grabbed a skewer near the fire as she indulged herself, the sweet meat leaving a tangy taste in her mouth.

‘Well, we’ve been moving towards the town of Maple… It’s about what? An hours walk? Could it be taking me there…? Well, that doesn’t matter… I’ll get there one way or another… with or without it...’

Night soon fell upon the two as the fire was laid to rest, the girl was the first to fall asleep as the monster laid awake. It watched over her as she slowly drifted into the cold night, and soon after, it would follow as it soon was taken under control of the darkened skies.