“You want to be… my friend?” I asked, taken aback.

“Y-Yeah! My wish is to be everyone’s friend,” she exclaimed.

I stared up at her with wide eyes and my mouth slightly parted. “There’s no reason for you to be my friend,” I snapped back.

She nearly cut me off with “I don’t need one!”

It was then that I had a revelation. There were no hidden motives behind her words, no intention to hurt. Just some girl who, for no reason at all, wanted to be my friend. It’s difficult to describe, but I somehow knew.

“Hey Alice, what’s going on?” I heard a voice to my left and turned my head. There were two boys coming towards us, impeding on our conversation. One was clearly African American with a buzz cut, and the other was Caucasian with medium length, blonde hair.

“Hey, you’re Seth right? We’ve heard about what happened with your family,” the boy with the buzz cut said. His words set me off, and I turned my head away from all three of them. I gritted my teeth, knowing full well what the words they would speak. They would denounce me, make all the crude remarks at their disposal, the same as all the others in my class and my town did.

Before he could say what he wanted, I blurted, “Go ahead, treat me like trash,” with a spiteful tone.

“N-No! That’s not what we were going to do at all! We came over to tell you that it’s not your fault!” The buzz cut boy defended himself with his hands up, palms facing me. “Yes, that’s it!”

There was a long pause, most likely because they were expecting me to break the silence. So I did just that. “You’re wrong. It is my fault. It’s all my fault! If only… if only I hadn’t shown them my dumb drawing!” I shouted, banging my fist on my desk. “You deserve a better friend than a killer like me—“

I was swiftly interrupted by a strike to my face. It was sharp, and it demanded something. It wanted me to face something… something important about myself. I looked up at the blond girl, and as I did, I felt my cheek sting from her slap.

“You really believe that? I know you didn’t do it, Seth!” At that moment, her eyes spoke much louder than her words. They glistened as the tears slid down her face, almost as if they were sapphire gems. Nonetheless, they told me what I needed most right then and there. But I was still hesitant to believe those words and those eyes.

“How could you believe that,” I asked with a harsh tone, knowing full well that she would eat her words.

But I was mistaken, and the surprise I experienced when she announced those few words was grand.

“Because… Because I believe that you didn’t do it!”

“WHAT?” The old half-demon boomed. He then pointed at Seth and yelled his lungs out, “JUST WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE, HUH?!”

“I’ve already told you sir, I’m Seth Foster,” Seth responded, mocking the old man just a tad.

Out in the crowd, a lone woman came forward to the front. She was definitely in her later years, her hair grey and the life draining from her body. “I-I-Is it true? A Haridib is coming?!” Her voice trembled in fear as she asked the question.

“Unfortunately, yes,” he said, and the crowd once again erupted into chatter. Seth showed them his arm, “See, I got this scar from the Haridib’s flames a couple nights ago.”

“Oh my!”

“We’re doomed!”

The old man spoke up again in his usual aggressive tone, “AND HOW WE TRUST YOU?” Before I could answer, they heard it. The rumbling growling of a bloodthirsty Haridib in the distance. The ground trembled and struck fear into the hearts of the villagers before Seth. Panic spread like the plague amongst them, and through it, he attempted to calm the crowd.

“Please calm down, everyone! We won’t get anywhere with you all in chaos! Please—” he was about to continue his pleading, when the old half-demon raised a sword. It glimmered under the moonlight, with a silver metallic blade that was so sharp it could even cut down the strongest of dragons. Its gems of red, blue and violet glowed, further enhancing its beauty. He pointed it up in the air, as if to slice the sky in half, and made a final announcement to his people.

“QUIET! THE BOY IS RIGHT, WE WILL GET NOWHERE WITH ALL THIS TURMOIL,” he screamed. “I, CHIEF ABBAS OF ALMAT VILLAGE, WILL FIGHT THE HARIDIB AND SAVE US ALL!” A long moment of silence followed, only being disrupted by the growling in the near distance. And as quickly as it began, the silence subsided and a cheer arose from the crowd, praising the prideful chief.

I guess I won’t be the only one putting my life on the line, will I?

Suddenly, Abbas pointed at Seth, who was still standing up on the small wooden crates. “And you… Seth, was it? I’m not proud to say it, but you’ll have to help me take down that monster! How about it,” this time, his tone was much softer, but the aggressiveness could still be heard in this voice. The color in his eyes had deteriorated with age, but even then they shined even brighter than the sword that he held in his hand. Hearing this, Seth lifted his right hand and saluted the man, accompanying it with a heartfelt promise.

“I’ll say it again, I swear to protect you and fight well.”

Marching side by side through the tall golden grass, the two made their way toward the fire-breathing monster. While he did so, Seth began to stress about the forthcoming battle.

“Now that I think about it, I never thought this though. How am I going to fight this thing?” The thoughts rushed through his head at the speed of light and his hands began to shake.

“You announced to everyone in the village that you would slay the Haridib, and you can’t even fight it? Heh, have fun dying,” he scoffed at the boy, still worried sick about how he would bring down the monster. Then, he remembered it. The words of Luga the Great Spirit of Language about his magic gate.

“Hold on, let me try something real quick.” Seth halted and closed his eyes, causing Abbas to stop walking as well. He lifted his hands and once again attempted to use magic to create a small flame in his palms. He imagined a miniscule spark ignited in the middle of the dark void that seemed to be infinite. The tiny flame waved around as though the wind was soothing its soul. Upon this, it grew in size, first becoming a small flare, and then a medium sized flame. He tried to feel the heat of the fire as if it was actually there, and then burned it into his brain.

And… go!

He hastily opened his eyes, to see what he had been hoping to lay his eyes upon since he had known about magic: a small flame. It was not as big as he had hoped for, but it was something. His eyes were glazed with the satisfaction of finally being able to control such power that he had never had before. The running thoughts in his mind that stressed him so much had finally dissipated into thin air. All he could do was gawk at his feat. Breaking out of his mesmerized state, the flame quickly disappeared and the darkness invaded the palms of his hands once again.

“Is that your first time using magic, boy,” Abbas asked, his rough tone still present.

“Yes… yes it is.” Seth responded, still astonished. The next thing he did was imagine an icicle in the same void that the fire spawned within. He could feel the chill in his fingers, the incoming bitter cold. A mist formed around his hands, swirling around and around, steadily forming an icicle. It crackled and gleamed, almost like it was living and breathing. A beast made of ice, surrounded by an everlasting blizzard. In the midst of his current excitement, Seth wondered if he could potentially launch the icicle like an arrow from a bow. He imagined in his mind it going far, far away, beyond the horizon. And since now he could feel the mana surging through him and the magic at his fingertips, he was ready. With a little nudge, the icicle shot from his hands and cut through the air as fast as lightning. It sped beyond his field of vision and into the unknown, never to be seen again.

“Incredible…” Seth mumbled under his breath. Suddenly, the roar could once again be heard throughout the prairie, and the air grew tense, almost as if it would choke the two out of breath. The roar of a monster, a wild beast who knew nothing of right and wrong, only desire and bloodshed.

Just then, Seth remembered something important from his previous encounter with the Haridib, or rather, the Haridibs.

“Hey, Chief,” he started. “I have more bad news…”

“Oh yeah what is it?”

He gulped, “there may be more of these guys coming. Keep an eye out for them.”

There was a short silence, then Abbas snickered. “I like challenges, even at my age! I’ll take them down no problem!”

“Seth made a slight satisfied grin, “excellent.”

Abbas gripped the sword with tremendous force and raised it above his head.

“AHHHHH!” He let out his battlecry, rivaling the monster’s roar, and launched himself forward toward the Haridib at the speed of sound. It made shockwaves throughout the area, making Seth’s hair and the grass heavily sway with the impact. It was truly a stunning sight to behold, to see an aging man who could become the victim of death, be alive and ready to face any enemy that stands in his way.

Seth released a deep sigh and spoke to himself, “so this is it, huh? If I don’t make this work, I’ll really be fucked,” he chuckled. And with that, he ran towards the battlefield, where the flaming red eyes of the Haridib were glaring back at him.

Surrounded by scorched grass, Chief Abbas stood before the beast, tainted with burns and charred clothes. He appeared as if he were going to collapse at any moment, yet he gripped the sword tight, not giving in to failure. Seth, however, was petrified with terror. Flashbacks of the rabbit and Kamaria made his entire body and every nerve tremble.

“How is it this strong,” the exhausted chief asked himself. “I’ve fought so many in my years, but none of them were like this!” The monster aimed its head toward him whilst opening its jaws, as if it was once again going to unleash its hellish flames upon him. Seth, still watching from the sidelines, snapped out of his state of mind and clenched his fists.

I have to do something. I said I would defeat the Haridib, so what am I doing just watching this poor man suffer? With his hands still shaking, he raised both his hands, and began to summon icicles. He wasn’t sure how many, just that it was as many as he could create. He could feel the temperature drop dramatically when he began, the exact same as before. This time around though, he could feel the mana being drained from his body. In a way, it was nauseating. He felt like if he didn’t stop, he would pass out, or even die. Upon stopping, his arms and legs were weak, he was out of breath, and his head was throbbing. But above all else, there was a wall of icicles in front of him, waiting to pierce the flesh and soul of the enemy. Seth was appalled by such a sight, and could do nothing but gaze at his accomplishment. Then, he heard Abbas’s aggressive shouting and snapped out of his trance.

“GO BOY, GO!” His voice made waves, and the message reached Seth, who now looked the Haridib straight in the eye.

“HEY!” He screamed at the beast, getting its attention. It turned its head to face the boy. “COME FIGHT ME, ASSHAT!” With that, the wall of icicles aimed at the monster shot themselves through the air, whizzing past Abbas. They pierced through the fire that was consuming the golden grass. But just then, the beast opened its mouth, and expelled a humongous blaze, instantly melting the entire wall of icicles, vaporizing back into mana that could never be obtained again. The flames incinerated more of the surrounding tall grass in the blink of an eye. Seth saw it all. He remained motionless and silent. The only thing he could do was stare at the Haridib and rack his brain around what he had witnessed.

“No… no, no, no, no, NO!” Seth screamed in disbelief. His legs gave in and he collapsed onto his knees. His arms dangled at his sides, worn and sick. His head pounding, driving him to the brink of insanity.

“I GAVE IT EVERYTHING I HAD! SO, WHY? IS THIS MY FATE? TO BE SLAUGHTERED BY SOME CERBERUS KNOCKOFF?” Rage, that was the only emotion going through his barely-sane mind. He began to claw at his scalp again, uncovering layer after layer of skin, aggressive and savage. His molars began to grind against each other, and he started to hyperventilate. In a way, he was the very thing he swore to defeat. He was losing it in almost the same way he had lost it before. Through his fit, all of his senses were blocked out. The only things he recognized were his own thoughts, being regurgitated in his head, over and over.

Suddenly, whilst in the midst of his insanity, Seth heard a muffled voice. It called out to him, wanting to get his attention. It steadily became more coherent and less blurred as he regained his senses, until he finally understood the earth-rumbling voice coming from afar.

“GET A HOLD OF YOURSELF, KID!” Chief Abbas boomed across the battlefield. Seth looked up from the ground and faced the man, who was still standing. He stopped scratching his scalp and placed his hands in his lap. “I CAN’T HAVE YOU GOING CRAZY ON ME NOW, YOU HEAR!”

Seth snapped back to the objective at hand. He remembered the reason for defeating the Haridib, the reason for this second chance he received from the gods. To save her, and to keep on living. The boy, who had just been saved by mere words once again, stumbled back onto his feet and glared at the monster who had descended his life into a living hell. Furious, yet diligent gray eyes, determined to preserve the village which he had grown so attached to.

Just then, he saw Chief Abbas in his peripheral vision raise the sword that had slain many monsters in its time. He took one step forward, then another, and another. He approached the monster slowly, not to be cautious, but because his energy and mana had diminished severely. His legs almost gave in, but he kept standing tall.

“Chief Abbas! What are you doing?” Seth yelled from across the battlefield in order to get his attention. “Please, rest. I’ll take care of it—“

“SHUT UP!” He was harshly interrupted by Abbas, who gritted his teeth as he remained standing. “LISTEN, I WILL PROTECT ALMAT BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY! EVEN IF I HAVE TO PUT MY LIFE ON THE LINE!” A short moment of silence overcame the prairie, then he continued, “you understand that, don’t you, boy? I could see that look in your eyes when you spoke to my granddaughter.”

Of course I understand it. If I have to risk death in order to save her, then so be it. But…

“But don’t we have other options?”

Another moment of silence befell them, before the chief shook his head, with a smile.

“You obviously are out of stamina, boy. I’ll use what power I have left to slay this beast and free Almat of it’s fate… just like you said.”

Seth had no words, only the face of someone who is forced to face tragedy after tragedy, without being able to do anything to help. He knew this feeling all too well. It was a feeling he could never escape, like a curse that cannot be removed, or a disease without a cure. However, with the events that had surrounded him recently, he felt calm about this. No hyperventilating, no racing heartbeat, no urge to scream and cry. Maybe, it was because he was reassured that doing nothing was not wrong this time around.

“I understand, Chief. I trust your judgment,” Seth confirmed with a deep sigh. He peered up at the night stars, shining down on the prairie full of unknowns, both amazing and disgraceful.

“I’m glad you do,” and with that, Abbas sprinted straight for the Haridib, with his mighty sword ready to strike. Seth continued to stare at the sky, attempting to block out the sound of Abbas’s struggle. Once more the Chief launched himself forward with the remaining mana in his body. The shockwaves once more made the grass sway harshly, and he sliced his way through the beast’s smoldering flames, and aimed for its throat.

There was the sound of flat, sharp metal falling onto the ground, followed by a hard thump, declaring the victor in this battle. A hard fought one at that. A few seconds later, a tear rolled down Seth’s face. He looked toward the battlefield, where he saw Chief Abbas’s body in the tall, golden grass, now graced with his blood. His body was still intact, however it was covered in burns and bite marks.

Seth took a moment of silence, before whispering to himself once again, “Thank you, Chief.” Focusing back to his goal, he glared back at the Haridib, and called upon a certain spirit.

“Great Spirit of Knowledge, Luga, I request that I borrow some mana for this time only,” he pleaded respectfully.

“Hmmm… alright. But just this once, okay,” she responded with her usual soft tone.

Seth patiently waited for his request to be answered. Meanwhile, the Haridib before him started walking towards him, establishing its dominance and power over the weak boy. It came closer and closer, each step making a subtle rumble beneath the ground. The monster licked its chops, looking for another meal or another someone to torture and slaughter. But just then, Seth suddenly felt an enormous surge of energy within himself. His legs were no longer weak, his head no longer throbbed, and he was ready for round two.

“Was that the power I had asked for, Luga?”

She gasped, “that’s right! How did you know?”

A smirk grew on his face as he acknowledged her response, “thank you.”

Seth took one step after another toward the beast, asserting his superiority over the foul creature before him. The Haridib halted its movements, and began to open its mouth to unleash more hell upon and land. However, this time things were different.

“I think it’s time to finish you off,” he announced to his bloodthirsty opponent. He concentrated the mana circulating through his body into his fists, strengthening them for combat. He then distributed some of the mana throughout his arms and legs.

I think this should suffice.

Seth got into the same position as Abbas did before, and used the mana in his legs to launch himself forward toward the Haridib. Now that he was experiencing it himself, it was quite exhilarating. The feeling of the wind rushing against his face and his hair felt amazing. It truly felt as if he was alive. But Seth kept his eye on the prize, watching every movement it made. Then, the monster opened its mouth, the hot, humid breath meeting his senses. He knew what was coming. He came to an immediate halt and sharply bolted forward, just below its neck, evading the torrential blaze. Seeing that the boy was nowhere to be found, it frantically searched its surroundings. Its crimson eyes were growing wider by the second, its senses heightened.

“Take THIS!” Seth drew back his arm and punched the beast’s throat as hard as possible. With the amount of concentrated mana in his fist, his punch easily crushed its windpipe. Even as resilient as its skin was, it was easily bruised and beaten by the impact. As soon as the Haridib felt the blow, it let out a high-pitched grunt and audibly choked.

“AND THIS!” Seth lifted up his leg, and stomped on the monster’s front paw with the mana that he had concentrated. The force shattered its bones and blood leaked, tainting the grass. It grunted once more, and began to sway from side to side, losing its balance. As it toppled toward him, he swiftly took a few steps back, before it collided with the ground. It made a deep, loud thud against the dirt, causing the ground to rumble. Seth simply looked down upon the creature, writhing in pain, only able to make small movements.

“How ironic,” Seth remarked as he advanced toward the beast. It’s crimson eyes squirmed like a child’s when they’re helpless. Its jaws convulsed whilst warm breath was drawn out from its wasted body. Blood continued to pour from its paw like an endless waterfall. He stood inches away from its head, staring it dead in the eye.

“I didn’t think I would be this strong because of a bit of mana,” he said, “but I’m glad this worked out.” He began to step back bit by bit, increasing the distance between them, until he stopped.

“Your death wasn’t in vain, Chief,” he mumbled before raising his hand. He envisioned a large chunk of ice, about the size of a car, and aimed to create it. The chilly temperatures returned, and rather than it only being around his hand, he felt it around his entire body. It was a cold so bitter it could freeze the warmest of hearts. It continued to drop and fall, until it stung his scar, which became too much to bear. Seth peered upward to see his creation: a car-sized chunk of ice, surrounded by cold mist, brimming with beauty.

“Man, it’s a waste to use something as exquisite as this on such a foul beast.” Seth’s eyes were entranced by the glacier’s elegance, but he knew what he had to do, and could not stop to fathom his creation. He drew back his hand, the ice followed, whilst the Haridib’s eyes grew wide and its body jerked and thrashed around.

“NOW, PERISH, AND MEET YOUR OWN HELL!” Seth screamed, echoing across the prairie. He hastily swung his arm downward, calling to the glacier to fall upon the head of the beast. In its final moments; the beast focused its vision on the plummeting object. Time seemed to slow down as it faced its doom. Ultimately, the Haridib’s final few seconds were that of terror and agony.

The glacier smashed the beast's skull with a satisfying splat. The bones were fractured, its blood oozed out of every opening, and its convulsions ceased. Seth’s arms dropped to his sides, and he let out a huge sigh of relief.

“Finally, I’ve done it!” He exclaimed, still exasperated. He could have broken down right there and weeped, but he stayed strong and walked toward the corpse of the fallen chief. He picked up the sword, which was still sharp and clean, and set it onto his chest. He folded his still-warm arms over the large blade, and then proceeded to hoist him up with both arms.

“We did it, Abbas. We did it,” he said with a smile. With that, he progressed back toward Almat with a gentile smile, as the sun rose beyond the horizon.