Chapter 5: Escape from the City of Molivia

Dan and his mother kept running. Everywhere around them was in complete chaos, and the living inferno that used to be the military city of Molivia kept its rage aflame. Shadows danced as the wind flickered the embers of the scorching city. A large four story structure blew up after a creature’s gargantuan tail had hit it. The tail of the creature was made of pure hard earth, ash-colored, and it spanned thirty meters in length. When combined with its bulky body, the creature encompassed almost a hundred meters. It was a stone dragon.

“Magicians! Fire!”

Large orbs of fire cruised towards the creature, and they hit their marks perfectly. Each of them created a massive explosion upon impact, pushing the earthen creature backward. It roared as multiple cracks formed upon its body which then immediately healed after a second. It glared at the source of its pain. It stomped its right feet once, and a massive shockwave blew. Using its tail, it swept away the magicians that continued to cast their magic. Houses and inns were decimated from its strike, and pieces of wood flew in every possible direction. The magicians managed to survive the strike by forming a large barrier made of magic.

‘This place’s too dangerous,’ Dan thought. He pulled his mother’s hand as he led the way towards the east. He knew that the situation was far more dangerous than the previous one, but this time, they had the advantage in the form of the Empire’s army. He knew that the military city of Molivia would not go down without a fight; he would use that time to escape.

He heard the loud huffing sound on his right. His mother was heavily panting. She was exhausted from running. As if fate was benignant, he saw a cart near them. Its rear was decimated, but the bow front was in a fairly good condition, and the wheels were intact. Two horses remained tethered at its front.

Dan turned to his mother and said, “We’ll use horses.”

Minerva tilted her head in response. She wanted to ask, “You know how to drive one?” but her lack of energy rendered her unable to do so. She wordlessly followed her son. Dan made her stop in her tracks. He said, “Wait here. I’ll go check on something.”

Chaos still filled the air as Dan walked towards the decimated rear of the carriage. Underneath a pile of wreckage, he saw a man that was profusely bleeding all over. His breathing was slow, and twin lines of blood flowed down his mouth. He stared at the child that approached him moments before his death.

“You own this carriage mister?” was the first thing Dan said the moment they made eye contact. He knew that the man before him was in his death bed.

The man’s eyes glimmered for an instance; it was enough of a reply. Dan closed his eyes for a couple of seconds. Upon opening, he pulled out one of the twin blades on his waist. He walked towards the man and slightly bowed down. With the sound of a wind, the man’s head rolled on the floor with a ~clag sound. His blood blanketed the paved ground crimson. It was a quick and painless death.

Dan cut off the strings that tethered the horses to the carriage. He then immediately leaped into one of the horses, and with a swift motion, he gripped the reigns and ushered it to move forward. He stopped right in front of Minerva. “Please hop to the back. Using a single horse is faster than using that carriage. The road’s practically non-traversable by cart at this time.”

By now, her son was one of the most mysterious things in the world for Minerva. He seemed so capable. He seemed so reliable. Whenever Minerva looked at her son, his shadow seemed to loom over everything. It was like her son had lived through countless hells before. His decision-making was impeccable, and his character was hard as steel. Just the thought alone that he was with her was enough to fill Minerva with strength. It was a peculiar feeling, especially since the child was only six.

Minerva hopped onto the horse’s back. She was behind Dan; Dan held the reigns. “Mother, grip the horse’s body using your feet. You won’t fall off that way. Hold your hands to my body,” Dan said. After those words, he made a suppressed roar, and he slapped the reigns. The horse loudly neighed, and it furiously charged forward. Dan’s horse riding skill was absurdly good; the piles of wreckage that continuously blocked their way were skilfully avoided. It was to the point that the child did not bother to reduce the speed despite the numerous obstructions. They passed through the scorching city at a frightening speed. The wind was blazing, and the scent of blood filled the air, all the while numerous shouts, screams, and roars were heard.

“Spells at ready—FIRE!” they heard a voice say. Immediately after, the heavens rumbled and numerous blizzards and fire arrows rained upon the invading beasts. Sparks of fire and shards of ice flew everywhere, and it took Dan his everything to skilfully evade each and every one of it. Some of the soldiers were swept up in the violent hail, but the sacrifice was worth it; a third of the beasts were decimated after the assault.

‘We won’t last a second if we get sweep up in this chaos. I need to get her out of here as fast as I could,’ Dan thought. He gnashed his teeth, and he slapped the reigns further. Their mount seemed to have felt his determination to escape, and it strode forward at a frightening speed. Everything passed by in blurs, and the roars and sounds of explosions were becoming fainter as they got farther. Eventually, they got to the eastern gate—it was half-opened and was slowly closing.

Numerous soldiers were guarding its front; all were armed to the teeth and were in tight formation. Some of them were surprised when they saw a child riding a horse. A faint roar was heard from beyond, and a large pillar of fire rose towards the sky. Muffled sounds of agony suddenly intensified. From their distance, they saw the stone dragon flap its wings, and it soared to the sky. It then opened its jaws wide, and with a fierce murderous glare, it summoned an orb before its snout. The orb twirled violently, and the surrounding air was sucked towards it like a violent maelstrom. A few more moments, after, it released its ferocious breath, and the entire northern part of Molivia became non-existent. Only a large fissure remained. The impact was sent till the wall, and as if paper, it tore through the fortress that had protected the Empire for centuries.

“My God… if that was directed to our direction…,” a soldier mumbled. Everyone was dumbfounded from the absurd strength of the stone dragon. They had never encountered such a mythical creature before; it was a creature heard of only in legends. Just its name alone was enough to send even the fiercest of magicians into wobbly knees.

Dan assumed a grim look after he saw the damage created after a single breath. A large portion of the Great Wall that was supposed to be impregnable was decimated in an instant. Furthermore, the entire northern part of Molivia was now gone.

He gulped in a large breath and slapped the reigns. He charged through the tight formation of the army. Upon seeing the horse that seemed enraged and would not stop at any moment, the soldiers instinctively created a small path for it to pass through. The door had yet to fully close, and the gap was wide enough for Dan’s mount to pass through. Everything happened in an instant, and when coupled by the shock that came from the previous scenario, the guards were unable to fully close the gates in time, rendering Dan and Minerva able to pass through.

As if fate was benignant, the gates shut directly after Dan’s horse passed through. It clanked a loud metallic sound, and dusts flew into the air upon impact. Dan halted his horse and took a peek at the colossal iron. The sounds behind it were extremely muffled, but he could still smell the faint trace of blood in the air. He knew that just getting through the eastern gate was not enough to ensure their safety. Without hesitation, he ushered the horse to move forward, not bothering to conserve the mount’s energy. Time was a resource they were scarcely given as of the moment.

“Strong as they are, Krukas won’t be able to penetrate such thick armor easily.” Such words flashed through Dan’s mind. It was the words uttered by Hans as he mocked his own weakness. The man kept blaming himself even the moment before his death.

But now, Dan realized that Hans’ words were entire wrong. Krukas could easily break through the Great Wall if it willed it. Then what was Han’s grievances for? It was all for naught. The soldier that guided them through the city died without knowing the truth. Dan shook his head once as he tried to clear his mind. Now was not the time for such things.

The horse continued to move at an impossible speed; it felt the murderous force that mounted its back. Its instinct was screaming at it that the young man riding it was a monster, and he would do well to obey the child’s will. Therefore, although severely famished and exhausted, the mount kept galloping forward.

By this moment, Minerva eventually lost strength in her entire body; she lost her consciousness. So much had happened in a span of a day, and just the mere thought that their peaceful lives were taken from them in a flash filled her with nightmare. It was memories she would rather forget. Dan carefully drove the mount while taking into consideration his unconscious mother. He slightly tilted his body forward in order to accommodate Minerva’s weight.

Hours passed, and they eventually passed through a wooden board that had the words ‘Serpent Fork’ written on it. It was the place Hans mentioned before his death. A fork in the road greeted Dan a few minutes afterwards. Hans did not mention much about Serpent Fork, but judging by the tone he used when he uttered it, it was a road that would lead them deeper into the Empire. The question was which one of the three paths was to take.

The moon above continued to illuminate the road a dim hue, and the breeze seemed sub-zero. Dan fumbled inside the Bag strapped on the horse. Luckily it seemed that the owner of the mount was preparing to escape the city. Its leather bag was filled with a flask half-filled with water, a small piece of bread, and a cloak.

Dan took out the cloak and wrapped it on his sleeping mother. Minerva was sleeping soundly, her face slightly twitched into agony. It seemed that even in her sleep, she was unable to find peace. Dan bitterly smiled at such imagery. He felt helpless as he was unable to prevent the catastrophe from happening.

He took a fifth of the small bread and munched on it. It took only four bites for him to completely devour his portion of the food. It was definitely not enough, but he could not afford to completely consume their only resource. After drinking a sip from the skin flask, he gazed at the three roads before him. After pondering, he chose the one to the right. His decision was not based on anything but instinct. Furthermore, he knew that there was no sense in pondering too much on something he knew absolutely nothing about. It was a waste of the precious resource called time.

With his entire body groggy, he continued driving the mount. With its every gallop he could feel the horse’s agony, but he ignored it. He would sacrifice the mount’s life in exchange of theirs. He knew that the further they get away from Molivia, the higher were the chances of their survival.

With torn muscles and broken bones, he slapped the reigns once more, and he fell into dream land.

****

Dan woke up after an unannounced pain bolted through him. He felt a murky taste in his mouth, and he regurgitated and eventually swallowed the nasty thing. His eyesight was cloudy, and he felt queasy the moment he felt the slime-like texture that clung to him. With a rush of adrenaline, he stood up and wiped his eyes. He realized that he fell onto a mud—no, it was an absurdly large dung.

He silently groaned and spat the remaining pieces of dung that remained in his mind. A thought suddenly strike him, and he looked left and right. He heaved a sigh when he saw Minerva on top of the mount. It was sleeping soundly, and the cloak sheltered its skin.

“It’s dead,” Dan said as his gaze fell on the horse. It died standing. Somehow, it seemed that the mount felt Dan’s great will to protect Minerva from anything. Even at its death, the stolen mount did not let Minerva succumb to the dirty ground. It died proud and tall.

Dan closed his eyes for a second. Upon opening, he said to the mount, “Thank you.”

Dan brushed off the dung that clung onto him. It was irritatingly sticky, and it clung onto him like a leech. Numerous fruit flies hovered on top of his head as he deliberated on whether he should wake Minerva up. After some thought, he lightly tapped his mother’s shoulder and softly said, “Mother, wake up.” It took him five taps before she blinked her eyes.

Minerva squinted her eyes the moment she woke. After blinking thrice, she stood up but then realized that she was on top of a mount. With Dan’s help, she leapt towards the ground. Surprisingly, the horse remained standing despite the two’s movements. Its eyes were closed, and dried drools lined its mouth.

“This horse…,” Minerva mumbled. She realized that it was no longer alive. With solemn gaze, she touched the mount’s head. She then sniffed and cringed her nose. “Dan, you stink.”

Dan wryly smiled and hugged his mother. Minerva was shocked by his actions—particularly since Dan definitely knew that he was currently covered in dung. Slightly twitching her body, she loudly said, “Hey!”

Dan laughed as he released his grip. He combed his hair backwards and mockingly said, “Mom, you stink too. We’re even.”

Minerva pouted her lips as she stared at her mucked body. With her hips hands on her hips, she declared, “Seriously, this kid!”

The two of them stared at each other, after a few seconds, both chuckled. The thought that they still were able to tease each other filled them with bliss. After a few more moments, Minerva’s laughter turned into wails. She cried with all her might. “Hic… Hic… We’re… alive. We’re alive… We’ve survived… Dan… Dan… Hic… Hic….”

Dan’s expression turned sour but gentle. Without uttering a word, he wrapped his arms around his pregnant mother. Minerva felt his warmth, and it filled her with unexplainable strength. They again survived the knock from the God of Death. So many things had happened, but they survived, and they both knew that as long as one was alive, there was hope.

Dan whispered, “There was this saying that I’ve read way long ago.” Minerva silently listened. Her wailing had stopped. “Look at the Heaven’s. Beautiful isn’t it? Shrouded by clouds, or clear as morning dew—all depends upon the eyes that look at it. If you’ve reached the bottom of the well, have hope for you cannot go down any further. The only way left is up. Have hope. Have hope.”

After Dan recited such poetry-like words, Minerva’s tears completely died down. Her previously crestfallen eyes were filled with fire. It was burning with hope. It was burning with the desire to live for the future.

The words uttered by Dan were actually words uttered by Leopold, godfather of the Leopold Family. Those words were the one that filled him with strength when he lost his parents at the age of nine. Without anywhere to go, he accepted the offer to join the Leopold Family.

Initially, Leopold took the nine year old child as a form of entertainment. He had never expected the child to be a sponge; a talent that was rarely seen. A talent that would shame even the Gods themselves.

Minerva was about to utter some words when they heard a rustling sound from their rear. Dan immediately assumed a defensive stance, ready to kill at a moment’s notice. At their left was woodland, and in front of them was a small lake. Shadows from school of fished were seen bathing under the morning sun.

Eventually, the source of the rustling sounds emerged, and came a child that was around Dan’s age. It looked at the dung-filled duo with big eyes. It gawked and pointed at them. Afterwards, it squeaked, “Father!”

Hurried footsteps were quickly heard after that. The grasses parted into two, and a man in his early forties emerged. It was holding a bow on his right, and the arrow was loaded—lightly pulled back. It stared at Dan and Minerva for a while then blew off a sigh of relief.

“Oh. I thought its bandits,” the man said. He relaxed his grip on the bow and patted the head of the child. It was male, and was the same height as Dan. “Carin, I’ve repeatedly told you not to run off like that. I almost got a heart attack. Lately, bandits are lurking around our village. I’ve heard they made the woodlands their home.”

“Nn…,” the child mumbled. It continued to stare at Dan and Minerva. The two were silent during the entire ordeal.

The child’s father stared at the two and scrutinized them from head to toe. Eventually, he smiled and said, “Lost? You guys probably need a bath.” The man meant it. Even from afar, he smelled the pungent stench from the two. “And probably a meal? Say, want to stop by my house for a moment? My family’s ancestors will definitely haunt me to death if I don’t help you guys out.”

The man strapped the bow on his back and said, “I’m Mervik, and this child here is Carin. Welcome. Welcome to the village of Ruktia.”