Scene 2

The armored man is only but a few feet away. Beommi clings to the back of my skirt and shakes her head.

「N-no Unnie! Let’s just run… I don’t want to be left alone!」

The man’s mask now in view, I’m able to make out a pair of dark-brown eyes hidden in the eye slits. He twirls the pike in his hand and snarls before performing a bark for intimidation.

Beommi squeals behind me, but I continue to gaze into the helmet’s eyes slits while gripping the handle of the dagger within my fingers.

… He’s no demon, he’s human just like me.

The man rushes forward with an outcry and stabbing his pike forward, perhaps doing it to frighten us into running away. However, I knew that he’d chase us and stab us in the backs if we gave him the chance.

No, I must stand my ground here and figure out a way to outmaneuver him for Yunmi to escape.

I lunge back, holding Beommi to my backside as I ready my dagger in front of me at an angle. His eyes glare at my weapon, seemingly furious, he yells once more and charges. His footsteps throwing mud off the ground as he’s about a foot away.

I see the sharp edge of the pike coming near and I elude the spear, performing a nimble slide to the right. I couldn’t protect Beommi and fight at the same time, so I pushed her back making her shoes slide across the mud as she raises a hand at my backside.

「No! Please Unnie! Don’t!」

My eyes narrow and I focus my attention to a portion of his neck being bare from his metal mask. I leap into the air and angle my foot so that it lands onto the nearby wall then push myself off. The man being somewhat taken back, attempts to draw a sheathed weapon from his waist but it’s too late.

With a cry of my own, I plunge the dagger deep into the side of his neck, it slipping in quite easily. I jump back and watch him claw around as his throat, as if confused while gasping and coughing up streams of blood from his lips.

I then look back to Beommi now fallen to the floor with trembling lips. 「Beommi! You need to leave here now! Keep running through the houses and don’t stop!」

「N-no! I don’t want to be alone!」

「This is no time to debate Beommi! Just—」

A sluck of mud makes me turn my head around to the man seemingly immobilized. He falls to his knees and rips the dagger from his throat, making a red river stream down the shingles of his black armor as he gasps. My eyes widen as he gets onto one foot then two, despite my efforts his brute determination allows him to stand back to his feet.

I freeze as I gaze into his dark-brown eyes, seeming to have a crimson tint as he performs another cough while walking forward with lazed steps.

「Unnie! Unnie!」

My sister’s callings make me blink, noticing the man already hovering over me with his dagger slicing toward my right. My eyes suddenly go white and I could no longer feel my burning chest or breath being taken in.

… I was careless, it seems. Maybe once I fall, she’ll understand the situation and begin to run… I’m sorry dear sister… Mother…

—SHLUUCK

My eyes look down to my white dress being sprayed with streaks of red. But… I don’t feel pain…?

「… Damn stealers, you’re all going to pay for what you’ve done.」

I return my gaze upward and notice our attacker being lifted into the air with the broad end of a silver sword entering his chest. Our assailant then twists the dagger in his hand and drives it into throat, his helmet sliding from his neck and revealing his face. A younger man no older than me, his bloodshot eyes coming to a close as his arms go limp, allowing his dagger to fall and stick itself into the dirt.

He’s then slides from the blade and drops to the ground, taking a final breath before collapsing. A muscular and tall man wearing a black scaled armor covering a long red garment lets out a breath while looking at me with a half-smile.

I look into his light-brown eyes, his comforting smile made me run forward as I wrapped my arms around him. I nuzzle my face into his chest as I let out a short whimper.

「Papa… Where were you… Mother… S-she’s…」

He lifts my chin with two fingers and nods his head. 「My brave daughter, look at how you protected yourself and your sister. Such tenacity from such a young girl, I’m so proud.」

My lips curl into a smile, feeling pleased by his comforting praises. I then look back to Beommi still sitting on the ground, her hands gripping mud between her fingers with a detached look on her face.

I run over to her and shake her by the shoulders and pat her cheeks several times. 「Beommi! Beommi, wake up! It’s father! It’s time to go, please get up!」

She blinks and rests her shoulders gazing over to our father with tears escaping her eyes. She then picks herself up and runs over to him, falling into his arms. Papa then picks her up in between his arms and looks onto the dirt road with narrowed eyes.

「We must be quick, they’ve broken through the walls and are swarming the city. By now they may have swarmed the eastern farms and inner districts. We must make it past the riverbed.」

He then beckons me with a tilt of his head and I run to his side. He then peaks his head onto the street from the house’s corner.

「Follow.」 Papa orders as he dashes into the opening.

I follow him close behind, the roofs of the houses once shielding us from the torment of rainfall allows us to become wet once more.

. . .