“So… Solar…Solaris!”

“Huh?”

Solaris, stunned by the minotaur’s menacing aura, is brought back to reality as Marianne shakes his shoulder violently.

“We need to run!”

Solaris is brought back to reality but he’s still in a daze unable to make heads or tails.

Something is clenching to his skin and he looks down to see Lusaia burying her face into his chest. Her hands are shivering as she lets out soft muffled whimpering.

Seeing her daughter in such a state, a sense of guilt washes over him failing as a father. The blunder of him falling into despair in front of his daughter is unacceptable.

“What are you doing? Hurry!”

Solaris holds Lusaia tightly to his chest and pats her back. The aftereffect of the stun still affects Solaris but he pushes through. Solaris gets onto his wobbly feet and follows up behind Marianne who leads them back to the main road.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

Large heavy footstep drum on the soft dirt behind them as they run up the narrow side road leading back towards the main one.

Solaris turns the corner out of the main road but feels a gush of wind swoop from behind him…

CRACK! SPLACK!

Cracks and splintering of wood can be heard just a second later. He turns back to see entrails leaving the side route and towards the front carriage. The minotaur’s body is embedded into the hull and as it gets up, flesh and guts of the unfortunate demi humans are crushed into a large bloody pancake.

“This way! The Farwind border is closest to where we are!”

Marianne drags Solaris away from the scene in hopes that the minotaur will not follow them.

Demi humans and mercenaries scatter around as they attempt to escape the minotaur’s attention. They split into two directions, some heading back where they came from, some like Marianne heading to their supposed destination.

The merchant and his private bodyguards are nowhere to be seen. The horses of the first carriage are gone too, most likely being used by the merchant to flee the moment danger arises.

The minotaur swings its large axe swiping away the lives of any victims close enough in its range. As it’s about to chop down a wolf demi human, the mercenary commander swoops in.

He rolls out of the way from the axe blade just as it over topples the second carriage behind.

Drawing his sword, the commander ordered his men. “Hold your ground! We need to buy enough time for the demi humans to escape!”

The surviving mercenaries fortunate enough to not be caught in the first onslaught rally up behind the third carriage. One stands inside handing out weaponry to their respective owners. One by one, they attempt to surround the minotaur.

Though their valiant bravery and battle-hardened nerves commends them respect, in the face of the minotaur’s brute might, they are no match. Like flies to a fly trap, the mercenaries give their all sacrificing their lives down to the last men.

Bloodied and missing an arm, the commander grips his sword tightly as he struggles to stand up straight. The minotaur’s axe looms right above him but he does not waiver. Following his training, the commander raises the sword in an attempt to parry though it is futile.

His face, inches before the axe head slice him apart, shows no dread but a sense of calm and fulfilment. To die with honour and put his life on the line knowing he did everything he could to protect others, he has lived the dream of hero despite never having to aptitude to become one.

Knowing this, he is satisfied and accepts the end…

----

“Ahhh!! Help me!”

“I don’t want to die! I don’t want to- argh…”

Fate did not favour Solaris. Behind them, the screams of the victims plead for mercy as their lives are quickly extinguished. The minotaur could have chosen either direction but it chose to chase the demi humans fleeing towards Farwind.

“Papa, Lusaia don’t want to die…”

“Shhh… it’s ok, so long as Papa is here, you won’t die- Koff! Koff! Argh… damn it…”

Solaris pats her back to soothe his worry-stricken daughter but his condition gets worse the more he runs.

He pushes Lusaia’s head down into his shoulders so that she will not see the horrors that is happening behind them.

Ignoring the burning pain that swells in his calves, Solaris pushes his body to the limits trying to follow Marianne in the sea of other demi humans. However, as he continues to chase after Marianne, his vision is starting to feel stretched and tunnelling inwards.

The exhaustion is getting to him as the adrenaline in the body is no longer potent enough to suppress it.

Gradually, in his mind, the demi humans around him seem to be going at super speed as they drag away from him. Time around Solaris seems to be going at a snail’s pace and the voices in the surrounding are being droned out into the silence.

Everything feels like a nightmare but he cannot remember when he had fallen into such a deep sleep. It must have started since the day he and Lusaia were exiled from his own nation. Betrayed by his wife, he was stripped of everything and Lusaia’s happy childhood has been tarnished.

Solaris prays hard that he will wake up in his comfy bed again but reality hits him when Lusaia calls out to him.

“Papa! Watch out!”

Without needing to doubt his daughter’s words, Solaris jumps to the side rolling on the dirt.

BOOM!!!

A deafening clap erupts just as Solaris is stopped by the base of a tree. He looks back to see a crater where they had been moments ago and a large stone axe head is planted in the centre. Had his daughter not warn him, their lives would have ended right there.

Brushing off the dust on his daughter’s hair, Solaris pushes himself up. To his horror, his legs no longer wish to move. With Lusaia in his arms, Solaris’ legs buckle under their weight. They have hit their limits.

The minotaur lifts its axe up disappointed that it has missed its prey. The main group of demi humans have run too far for the minotaur to catch up but it does not worry about it. After all, to its side are the small fries that had survived its attacks.

The minotaur approaches them, a sinister smile widening from cheek to cheek on its hideous bullhead.

Seeing the impending death that is to befall them, Solaris cannot help but freeze in fright again. Is this it? is this their end? To die in a land that is not their home while he has yet to start his fight to take back what’s his.

Seeing his daughter curled up into a ball quivering, something within him begins to burn. Biting his lips till they bleed, Solaris is brought back to his senses. For Lusaia to die when she still has a future ahead of her is unacceptable.

The minotaur stands before them, raising its axe above its head, it prepares to deliver a swift death. Solaris musters what little courage there is within him.

“I’m sorry Lusaia… forgive me.” Whispering to his daughter, Solaris throws her away from him just as the axe begins to fall.

Lusaia tumbles on the ground letting out a confused “Waaah!” as she rolls.

BOOOM!!!

Another explosion erupts.

Lusaia comes to a stop and she hurriedly picks herself up rotating her head to find her father.

“Papa! Where are you?”

As the dust settles, Solaris lives. Yet, the father and daughter pair are separated by the minotaur who stands between them.

The minotaur puffs out a cloud of steam as it heaves the large war axe up once more. It turns to its right staring at Lusaia who is still on ground.

Thock. “Oi! I’m over here you fat cow!”

A rock hits the thick hide of the minotaur’s as Solaris shouts insults at it. His aggravation proves effective as the minotaur turns around with furrowed eyebrows and red eyes.

“MOOOO!!!” it bellows out in fury.

Lusaia notices her father giving her one last final look before he takes off, the minotaur chasing behind soon after.

“Papa! Come back! Don’t leave Lusaia!”

Lusaia is in disbelief at what her father is doing. She calls out to him not wanting her father to leave. With her short stature, her legs does not allow her to run fast enough to catch up to him.

Yet, she tries her hardest until she trips. Falling over, she hits her forehead on a rock and is knocked unconscious….

The sun has fallen behind the treetops and Lusaia gradually awakes, a throbbing pain stings her forehead as she gets up to rub it with her hand. She feels something gel like and she pulls her hand back to see clotted blood sticking to her palm.

Lusaia wonders how she got injured and where she currently is. She doesn’t understand where she is in and why she is on the road. It’s only when her eyes focus on the craters left on the road that Lusaia suddenly recalls all that had happened.

No… No way… her body shivers at the thought of it.

“Papa? Papa, where are you?” She calls out but only the silent ambience answers back.

“Papa, stop playing pranks on Lusaia. Lusaia knows Papa is nearby…”

The thought of her father succumbing to the minotaur is impossible to imagine. Since her earliest memories, her father has always been strong and powerful so there is no way he can die.

Just then, a thought pops up in her head. Her father might have defeated the minotaur after leading it away. The only reason he’s not here is because her father is already with the other demi humans.

Such an answer has so much flaws but to the young mind of this little shark girl, that is the only answer. Lusaia recalls the direction where the other demi humans had fled and follows it.

The shade of night covers the sky as the moonless night turns the forest into a pitch-black void. Unable to see what’s in front of her, it might have proven to be a blessing a in disguise. The light of campfires glows visibly in the dark that shone the path towards where the demi humans have set up camp.

Lusaia’s anticipation to be reunited with her father overflows as she sets off running towards the light of hope. Brushing past bushes and stumbling over roots, Lusaia enters the camp at full speed as she bursts out of the woods.

“Papa! Is Papa here?”

The demi humans look towards her with some having their face brighten up. Upon discovery that Lusaia isn’t their child, those happy faces turn into sour ones. They return back to staring solemnly at the campfires mourning for the loss of their respective children and loved ones.

Lusaia waits, her father is probably trying to find her now. She stands there hoping to see the silhouette of her father in the campfire’s light but he never came.

“Papa! Where is Papa? Lusaia is here!-”

“Shut up, kid! Your father is dead!” irritated by her voice, a dog eared demi human man snaps at her.

“No way! Papa is still here! You’re lying!”

“What the fuck did you say?! I’ll beat you up for going too far!”

That was the last straw for the dog demi human man as he shot up from his seat. He stomps angrily towards Lusaia with an armed raised ready to slap her.

Lusaia steps back but the dog demi human man is approaching too fast.

“Canaan!”

Just before the man could even touch Lusaia, someone grabs his hand from behind.

“That’s enough, don’t take it out on the girl.”

It was Marianne! She arrives just in time to stop the man from hurting Lusaia.

Canaan gives Marianne a deathly glare but she retaliates, “Don’t forget who’s the one saved your son from that serious case of smallpox he had…”. Marianne’s intensity clearly beating the man’s fury, Canaan simmers down and returns back.

“Aunt Marianne!” Not being able to hold back her joy, Lusaia went in for the hug which surprises Marianne.

Marianne holds her tightly with a face filled with guilt. “I’m so sorry. I tried going back for you both but the others were insistent that you two were a lost cause…”

“Hehe! It’s ok, Aunt Marianne. As long as Lusaia have Aunt Marianne and Papa, Lusaia will always be happy… Aunt Marianne, I don’t see Papa. Where is Papa?”

Marianne froze, she could not answer her. From her past experience dealing with similar cases, Marianne understands that her next few words have the potential to traumatise Lusaia for years to come.

“Aunt Marianne… Papa is here, right? Papa is definitely here, right? Why won’t Aunt Marianne tell Lusaia?”

Lusaia’s desperation seeps into her words as she begs for Marianne to answer her. The seed of doubt grows larger for every second Marianne ignores her. Her castle of hope beginning to crumble as she becomes more anxious by the minute.

There is no avoiding it. Marianne grabs Lusaia’s shoulder firmly and calmly speaks the truth. “Your Papa is not here. He did not make it…”

Like bullet shattering her fragile glass heart, Lusaia broke.