Chapter 3: The First Roar of Krukas

“Dan—here,” Krisse handed his son a twin dagger. Each was almost a feet in length, and its scabbards have spiraled ornamental designs embedded.

Dan took the two bronze colored daggers from his father. After glancing at the twin weapons, he looked up and stared at his father’s eyes. “It’s beautiful. What’re these two for, father?”

Krisse scratched his temporal. A trickle of sweat flowed down his cheek. “It’s my birthday gift for you Dan. I know that you like those things. I’ve seen you practice using wooden daggers before.”

“But you’ve already given me one, right? The magic feats.” Dan tilted his head. “Father, if you’re still feeling uneasy by the events that happened that time, then be at ease. I’ve repeatedly told you, I am okay.”

“Of course! Of course!” Krisse repeatedly stated. His heart thumped fast as he looked towards his wife. The two of them was under deep remorse at the fact that their child had close to zero mana. They both knew how interested Daniek was to learn magic.

“Now, now,” Minerva said. Her red hair was tied at the back. “That was something that happened two weeks ago. We should forget about it. Besides,” She touched her belly with her left hand, “We should celebrate.”

“Definitely,” Daniek immediately said. His eyes glimmered in anticipation. “I’m going to have a younger brother or sister soon right? I can’t wait!”

A week ago, the family found out that Minerva was pregnant. The entire village was delighted of the news. It meant that their meager population was soon to increase by one. Krisse in particular was unable to contain his joy after he found out that his wife was pregnant. He even went as far as assume the role of cook in order to not overwork his wife.

“Ohoho! If it’s a boy, then we should name him Rafael! If it’s a girl, Muan.” Krisse kept pacing about inside the humble shack.

“Father,” Daniek grimaced after stuffing the bread into his mouth. “This is horrible. I think we should let mother do the cooking for now.”

Krisse stopped in his thoughts as the revelation of his absurdly horrible cooking made him come to his senses. “N-No! Minerva should rest for now! I’ll get better at cooking soon, I promise!”

Minerva fondly smiled at her husband. She walked towards him and gave him a hug from the back. Her belly started to subtly grow lately, and her pale skin was now blooming with radiance.

“You’re such a sweet husband,” Minerva said. Her voice was muffled by Krisse’s skin. “I’m so lucky.”

Dan warmly gazed at the scenario in front of him, all the while he still held the twin blades in his hands. In his previous life, he had lost his parents at the age of nine, and he was left with nothing to fend for himself. His younger brother was only a year old that time, and he made it his life’s purpose to make sure that the pure infant survived the apocalyptic-like world they grew up in. He even went as far as sold his soul to the devil—Leopold, eventually becoming known as Hades himself.

He was about to join in the heartwarming scenario when suddenly, the ground shook, and the sound of fleeing birds filled the air. The ground trembled again, and the sounds of shouting from the outside were heard. Krisse and Minerva immediately opened the wooden door and peeked outside.

“Heavens…,” Minerva uttered. Her right hand covered her mouth. She glanced towards Krisse and gave an immediate nod.

Krisse took Daniek’s hand and led him to where Minerva was. “Dan, listen,” His voice was trembling. “Get away from the village as quick as you can. Take your mother with you.”

The ground shook again, and the sounds of screaming intensified. The evening sky outside was illuminated with fiery crimson. The blaze was felt even from their spot.

“What’s happening?” Dan asked. The sounds of anguish from the outside continued to swell by each passing moment. The scent that filled the air was something he was very familiar with.

“I don’t have time to explain,” He took Daniek’s and Minerva’s hand and led them outside their house. Immediately, the scorching village greeted their eyes. The scent of blood lingered in the air, and the moonless sky seemed to add to the mortifying atmosphere.

“Krisse! What are you guys still doing here?! Take your child with you and escape!” The bald Vale said. He was tattered all over. After a few more huffing breathes, he collapsed on the ground. He jerked twice and gave a croaking sound. Krisse’s and Minerva’s eyes widened in fear.

“Go! Go towards the wall! Do whatever you can to get as near it as possible! The guards stationed there should take care of those creatures.”

Krisse hugged his wife and kissed her on the lips. With moist eyes, he said. “I love you Minerva,” His eyes darted towards her belly, “I’m sorry that I won’t be there to guide you when you grow up.” His voice was filled with sorrow and regret.

Daniek tied the twin daggers on his waist. Somehow, his instinct was screaming at him that those twin blades would mean his life and death. He asked his father, “Father, what’s happening?”

“Krukas,” His father said. “It’s said that they would attack the Empire of Kulaima soon, but this is too soon. It’s like five years earlier than the predicted date. GO! ESCAPE!” He shoved his family towards the Great Wall’s direction, “There should be someone to stop them here, even for a few second! Those beasts are fast, GO NOW! ESCAPE! PLEASE!”

Minerva bit her lips, and she grasped tight the hands of Daniek. After a last glimpse at her husband, she ran towards the intended direction, all the while her hands held Dan’s. Her frail hands trembled, and it was ice cold. The ground shook again, and numerous footsteps were heard coming from the direction of the village. Dan casted a quick look towards his father, and his eyes widened when he saw numerous giant beasts that spanned three meters in height. Each of them had four hands, and all were filled with green furs. Some of them held torn bodies of the villagers. Their absurdly large canines were overflowing with viscous saliva, creating a silvery thread every time they opened their jaws wide. Blocking the five beasts was a single bulky man that held a shovel on his right—his father, Krisse.

“Father!” Daniek shouted as he saw his father charge towards the rabid beasts. He felt his mother’s grip tighten, and his face distorted in agony as he continued forward. Only the warmth from the hand that held his was what gave him enough strength to continue his escape. After several years of silently gazing at the horizon on top of the hills, he had come to love the peaceful life he was granted by fate. It was something that he would never exchange no matter the amount of Yilian he was offered with. Tranquil life and a loving family. It was what he, Hades of the Leopold Family, had long sought for. It was something akin to his utopia. But now, such paradise was taken away from him, and he heard the splattering sound of a crushed body subtly reverberate in his rear as he ran towards his escape. He remembered the words uttered by Merlot before it left the village.

“Listen kid. I don’t know what kind of experience you’ve gone through, but believe me, this is a world where the strong literally tramples the weak. Inevitably, there will come a time wherein a peace cherishing individual like you will have no choice but fight.”

Those words left by the sadistic monster now resounded in his mind.

“I guess it’s too much to wish a simple and peaceful life huh?” Dan mumbled under a huffed breathe. He felt the grip of his mother loosen, and he glanced at her face. She was heavily panting, and her face was pale from the unfolded nightmare. Still, the two of them kept running. It was all they could do to make sure that Krisse’s last attempt of saving his family did not go in vain.

“We should rest mother,” Dan suggested after a few more minutes. It was evident that Minerva could no longer run. Her face was filled with gashes from the numerous branches of the forest, and her face was ridden with sweat. Everywhere around them were ominous trees that spanned several meters. Their thick canopies continued to flick against each other, creating consistent ~shhkk sounds. Even from such distance, the crimson inferno that continued to rise up was seen. Its smoke shrouded the moon above, and the violent chirping of birds echoed.

“No!” Minerva firmly said. The two of them were still running inside the forest, with the Great Wall as their goal. “We will survive no matter what! Your father—”

She was unable to continue with her words. Tears streamed down her eyes as she buckled her wobbly knees. Only the sheer will to protect Daniek and the soon to be born child was what pushed her past her limits. Her voice was raspy, and the chilly forest breeze made her burning body shiver. The two of them heard numerous sounds from their rear, but they did not bother to look back. They both knew of the origin of the sounds.

A loud roar accompanied by multiple galloping sounds was heard. It was very close to their direction. Daniek glanced towards the twin blades strapped on his waist, then to her pregnant mother. At the corner of his eyes, he saw a large hollow tree. The size of the hole was large enough for a person to squeeze in to.

Dan casted a quick look at their pursuer; there were two of them. He gripped his mother’s cold hands tight, and he ushered her to the direction of the hollowed tree. A howling sound was heard from beyond, and with heavy breath, Dan said, “Stay inside. I’ll lure the beasts towards the other direction.”

Minerva shook her head twice, and with a firm voice, she said, “No. You are coming with me. It’s my responsibility to make sure that nothing bad happens to you!”

Dan knew that Minerva would not back down from her stance. He pulled her hands and pushed her inside the hollow tree. With a smile, he said, “I love you mother. I’ll be back. I promise.”

Before his mother could utter a word, Dan hit her chin with a swift strike, and she instantly lost consciousness. He pushed her body further inside the hollow tree, and after wiping the sweat on his forehead, he turned to their pursuer; they’ve caught up with them.

“I’m not sure if this body of mine could keep up with my previous self, but I definitely won’t die without taking at least one of you guys with me,” Dan said. He pulled out the twin blades from their scabbards, creating a uniform ~shwk sound. “There are things in this life worth dying for. These things are what make life so precious.”

Dan quickly eyed his immediate surroundings. Everywhere was nothing but thick trees that seemed to have been there for centuries. He had never heard of Krukas before, but it seemed to be common knowledge; even their isolated village knew of it. All he knew was that he did not want to again lose something so precious. He did not want to lose his family again.

A gust of wind blew, and the smoke that shrouded the moon above receded. The beasts roared, and Dan immediately dashed towards their direction. Even after being born in a different world, the Grim Reaper of the Leopold Family continued to practice his martial art. The art of dual blade wielding was something that calmed his shrouded mind. It was his panacea.

The beast on his right swiped its large claw towards him, and Dan dodged by ducking. With swift movements, he gashed at its arm in the split second given to him. Four consecutive strikes were made, and the beast roared as it felt pain from the sharp gift of Dan’s father.

‘As I thought. The wounds are shallow. It’ll take numerous strikes before I could kill a single beast at this rate,’ Dan thought. His skills were impeccable, but his young body couldn’t keep up with it.

Dan dodged another strike from one of the beasts. He kicked the ground, and dusts flew towards the beast’s eyes. He fearlessly leaped towards it, and using the full weight of his young body, he stabbed the dagger onto the beast’s eyes. The twin blades hit their marks perfectly. He felt a gust of wind from his rear, and he lifted his body up using the hilt of the jammed blade as pivot; the claw of the other beast missed its mark. The beast roared as it felt the weight of the child. The blades remained stuck inside its eye sockets.

Dan mounted the beast, and using a bone-breaking force, he jammed the blades further inside the beast’s head. He twisted it numerous times, and green blood dripped down to the ground. The beast cried in agony, but Dan paid it no heed. The beast desperately tried to grab the mounted young body, but Dan kept evading, all the while he kept stabbing further his blades inside.

After a few more moments of struggle, the beast fell down its knees, its body twitched, and it eventually kissed the ground. Dan quickly took out his blades; it was stuck. At the corner of his eyes, he saw the other beast charging towards him. It opened its jaw wide as it tried to bite his body. He rolled on the floor in desperation. The ground was surprisingly salty, and his face sunk half an inch into it as his body skidded.

He saw a branch on his left and took it. His blades remained stuck inside the dead beast’s eyes, and the other monstrosity blocked his path towards it. Without hesitation, he charged towards the remaining monster. He ducked as a swipe flung past him, and he side-stepped as it tried to bite his flesh off. With swift movements, he plunged the branch into the beast’s left eye. It sunk an inch inside, and green fluid spurted in every direction. The beast howled in pain as it repeatedly strikes at Dan, all the while the previous Grim Reaper of the Leopold Family dodged by a whisper.

The beast crouched for a moment as it groaned in pain. Dan used that opportunity and dashed towards the corpse; he plucked out the twin blades from its eyes. His meager strength made it hard for the weapon to be pulled out, but after successive attempts, the spherical flesh gave way in the end.

The beast with an injured eye finally regained its composure. It howled and charged towards Dan. He heard numerous howling sounds from beyond as response, and Dan knew that he should kill the beast before its comrades arrived.

Dan jumped into a boulder, and his feet landed on the bark of a tree. With uninterrupted momentum, he spun into the air and using the force of the pull of earth, he stabbed the twin blades into the beast’s skull. Unfortunately, his weight and strength was not enough to pierce through such thick armor. The beast roared in pain as it felt the blade sunk deep into its flesh; it did not reach past its bones.

Numerous green furs scattered everywhere as Dan pulled out his blades from the monster’s flesh. Its metallic body was mucked with green blood.

“This body of mine…,” Dan mumbled as he felt his bones creak upon landing on the ground. His muscles ached, and his left arm was torn. Bruises formed all over his body; his movements were too much for his current body to handle.

He glared towards the now one-eyed beast. With unsuppressed blood lust, he dashed towards it. He ignored the cries of agony of his body. Hi bones kept creaking and breaking, but he paid it no heed. With torn muscles, he spun around and gashed at the beast’s neck. This time, the cut made was deep enough to inflict great injury. The gash was not lethal, but it was enough to grog the beast for a few seconds. Using that opening, he repeatedly stabbed his twin blades into the monster’s thick armor. His young body kept begging him to stop, but his mind refused to obey. After a few more moments of excruciating pain for the both of them, the beast eventually quivered and kicked the bucket. The forest ground was blanketed with its green innards, and Dan stood there, his body covered with its blood all over. He was huffing, and with every breath, steam came out.

With keen ears, he heard multiple sounds coming towards their direction.

“Mom… I need to get her to a safe place. This forest is too dangerous,” Dan said under heavy breath. He glanced at his twin blades, and with a flicker of sorrow in his eyes, he sheathed it into the scabbards. They were the last gift given to him by Krisse.

His body battered all over, he moved towards the hollowed tree. He casted a gentle smile as he looked at the unconscious face of his mother, then to her belly. She was pregnant, and he can’t wait to see her child. The idea of having a younger brother or sister filled him with excitement. He heard the footsteps from beyond intensified, and he knew that they were now very close to them.

‘It’s too late to escape. At least, I’ll make sure mother is safe,’ he thought. He went towards one of the corpses, and with a blade, he cut out a chunk of flesh. The task was arduous for his torn body, but his will was more than enough for him to keep moving. He moved the chunk of flesh towards the hollowed tree then placed it in front of his mother. Using his hands, he wiped mucks of blood onto her frail skin, making sure that the scent was strong enough to conceal her human lineage.

Just in time, he heard loud roars from behind. The ground slightly shook, and it was accompanied by innumerable footsteps of beasts that towered three meters. The blazing inferno that was used to be their village continued to rise to the sky, painting it crimson. Dan turned around, and what greeted him were dozens of the same beasts from before. Without a doubt, they came here after the beast’s howl.

“Six years of life… six years of living with a family…,” Dan said. A smile formed upon his young face. Somehow, although he knew he was about to die, he had no fear; he had no regrets. He had long resolved himself to do everything for his family, no matter what; dying for them was a trivial thing. “It’s such a pleasant feeling.”

He readied his weapon and he firmed his footing. The wind blew westward, and the thick canopies of the trees that surrounded them conceded with it. No matter how skilled he was, he knew that there was no way for him to win against dozens of such monstrosities. With the thought of dying while taking as many of the beasts as he could, he charged head-first towards the bestial army.

“TWIIICKKKK!” The sound of a whistle echoed, and the beasts uniformly glanced at its direction. Dan stopped in his tracks as he felt the previous murderous rage of the monsters recede. The beasts casted a last look at the young meal before them then turned towards their rear. A few seconds after, they galloped towards the direction of the whistle, and Dan stood there as he watched their shadows fade into the darkness of the night.

“What was that?” Dan said. He was surprised by their sudden retreat.

Suddenly, he felt the pain all over his body intensify the moment the threats were gone. His body felt heavy, and his legs kept wobbling. With his entire body aching, screaming, and trembling all over, he walked towards the hollowed tree. His head seemed about to burst open as he resisted the urge not to lose consciousness.

“Not yet,” He said to himself. “I can’t lose consciousness yet.”

He climbed the hollowed tree and using his twin blades, he cut off branches one after another. With great effort, he placed the thick blanket of leaves right at the entrance of the hollow. After squeezing his tiny body inside, he closed it off with another leaves-filled branch. He dozed off into dreamland.

****

It was morning, and the sounds of ravens chirping woke him from his slumber. He quickly glanced at his mother, and heaved a sigh of relief after seeing her sleeping face. Her breathing was faint but stable, and it brought him great joy that he was able to protect such seraph.

He pushed the blanket of leaves forward, and it fell down the ground. He covered his eyes from the sudden flash of bright morning light, and he heard a sound beside him.

“Nnnn…,” he heard his mother say. She slowly opened her eyes, and she immediately squinted it upon contact with the bright rays from the outside.

“How are you feeling, mother?” Dan said. Aside from numerous gashed from the forest’s trees’ branches, her body was in a fairly good condition.

“Dan… Where are we?” She said. As if a thought suddenly struck her mind, her eyes bolted wide open, and she frantically said, “Krisse! Your father Krisse!??”

Dan lowered his gaze. He paused before he replied, “Mom… he stayed behind the night before.”

Silence filled the two after those words. Minerva’s lips quivered, and she desperately tried to suppress a wallow. She wanted to look strong in front of her son. Deep inside, she knew that Krisse was gone. She saw the beasts herself; there was no way for a mere human to win against such things.

She felt a warm hand on her shoulder. It was tiny, but it held great strength. She looked up and saw her six year old son. His body was battered all over, but his gentle smile seemed to belie the pain accompanied by it. He spoke no words of consolation. Instead, he hugged her tight, and she felt his beating heart against hers. She sobbed and she wailed. She had lost someone precious, but she knew life had to go on. She had her two children with her. They were her life’s new purpose.

Eventually, her wailing stopped, and with a snot-filled face, she uttered, “Thank you….”

Dan did not reply and instead went out of their abode. The morning sun seemed enraged, and it sapped at his strength the moment it touched his skin. It seemed to scorch everything around them. Minerva followed suit and she almost shouted in great fear the moment she saw the sprawled corpses of the beasts the night before.

“What… happened here?” Her voice trailed off. She looked at her son’s body; it was filled with bruises and gashes.

“I don’t know,” Dan said with a shrug. “Someone must have come here and killed the creatures. The Empire’s army I guess?”

Minerva knew that the Empire would not bother to traverse deep into such place. Somehow, she felt that her son was lying, but she dismissed the thought. She resolved herself to trust her son no matter what.

“Mother, where should we go?” Dan asked, though he knew the answer to his question. Personally, he wanted to go back to the village to find his father. He knew that the blacksmith was most likely dead, but he wanted to see even his corpse regardless. He was a doting father, and Dan knew that he gave his everything to provide for his family. He wanted to give the man a proper burial at the very least. Still, he gave up on the idea since his mother was his current priority. The living took precedence.

Her mother looked beyond the trees that surrounded them. Despite the innumerable barks and leaves, the Great Wall was visible from their current spot. It spanned an immeasurable length, and its same towering height touched the clouds.

Minerva touched her belly. With a firm voice, she said, “The Great Wall. We’ll go inside the Empire.”