Small high pitched whimpers echoed throughout the war ridden town as Luther glared at the child before him. She was covered in what rags of cloth were left of her clothes as tears instilled through fear ran down her cheeks. Her body trembled as she backed into a corner, frozen into place by Luther as he continued to give her an inquisitive gaze.

‘Who is she? A daughter of a merchant? I don’t remember her….’

Puzzled, Luther tried to comfort her as he crouched down, calming her as he tried to speak to her. But that only scared the child more as she cried out. She backed farther into the corner as she mumbled beneath her rapid breaths, tears creeping their way down her cheeks.

“I-I don’t wa-want to die….. Ple-please don’t kill m-me….. I don- don’t want to d-die…. Mo-mom…. Dad…”

She proceeded to bury her head between her chest and knees as she huddled against the wall. Luther himself became confused as he tried to speak before he realised once more- he was not human. If he were not human, how could he speak the human language? How could he even interact with them? Much less so, how would they interact with him. They would be like those guards and adventurers, he thought, intent on killing him. And if not as battle hardened, scared. Scared for their lives, scared of the monster he had become.

He distanced himself from the child as he tried to think of what to do. Should he leave her he thought? Or should he try and get her to safety before that? He returned his vision to the girl before finally deciding to help her. She reminded Luther of him as a child, alone and terrified by the onslaught that occured around him. It was traumatising, something one shouldn’t go through alone, much less her. But before he could begin to decide on what action to take after, he heard a small group enter the store.

A group of Kobolds and Goblins arrived as they rummaged through the store, laying their eyes upon Luther as they began to release battle hardened screams. With no time to waste, Luther swore as he took the child into his embrace, sprinting past clothes and furniture alike as he maneuvered throughout the packed store. The Goblins and Kobolds held mostly knives and a few staffs as they lashed out in surprise at the sudden danger. Spells were cast as tendrils of lightning and fire birthed crimson raging flames that spewed cloudy smoke.

The store began to become ash whilst the air became ridden with heat as fear began to drive the Goblins back to the entrance of the store. Luther with the girl on his way towards the very same entrance, kicked a stand full of clothing towards the Goblins. Shrouding their vision with the smoke and clothing as they brashly waved their arms. An attempt to rid themselves of the clothes and smoke as their vision was cleared, only to see Luther was gone. The few that could still see him backed away towards the interior of the shop despite the encroaching fire as Luther approached from behind.

He used a Goblin Mage as a springboard as he kicked off from it out of the shop. Leaving it to the insatiable crimson flames as it too became the very ash that it created. It writhed in agony and terror as it slammed it’s body against the nearby furniture and objects in a futile attempt of silencing the flames. Instead, it only allowed for the flames to spread as it ate away at the rest of the store and it’s flesh.

Luther, satisfied with his work, left the Goblin’s to their fate as he rushed towards his home on his way out of town. He could do no more than that he thought. Not with what little power he had, not with what losses he had taken. Instead it’d be more dangerous to stay, being in the company of both human and monsters. A battle where he stood alone… and he knew what strength there were in allies- in friends he thought.

*Girl’s PoV*

It’s darkened blue eyes returned to her as she vainly struggled- despite being in its monstrous grasp. She was confused and scared by the large monster as it towered over her. But most notably, hidden behind those emotions, she was both curious and interested. Why wasn’t she dead she thought? Why didn’t it kill her? What was it? She had heard all about these monsters in fairy tales, but had never seen them with her own eyes. They slaughtered and killed mercilessly for no noticeable reason, that’s what she had been taught to believe. This attack only reassured her opinion about the monsters being nothing more than harbingers of death and destruction.

But this monstrous- no, almost human like creature that held her in it’s only arm. It felt so natural, so familiar, as if it were someone close to her. Why was that? She tilted her head towards the almost infatuating blue and red face that looked down on her. She inevitably trembled, despite knowing that it was not like the others. But it was hard to change one’s outlook on life- one’s view on others.

Abruptly, it came to a halt, throwing the girl back into it’s chest as she gripped onto it’s forearm.

‘Wha…. what?’

Right before her stood a house laid to ruins against the cold hard ground. Bloodstains were laid bare against the concrete as it trickled down into the depths of the ruins. Becoming nothing more than a forgotten memory. It incited a scream of utter despair- fueled by the anguish and sorrow of that moment. Right before her laid her house, and beneath them scattered among these ruins- crimson blood.