5 In Times of Darkness

The trio hurriedly retraced their path through the forest without much incident. They raced against the storm. It was bad news if they were caught in it. The wet ground made traversing through the dark forest even more dangerous than it already was.

However, they were in luck, as most beasts would also seek shelter from the oncoming downpour. No creature likes to be exposed directly to the storm.

Gale saw the marker that he left beforehand that indicated the direction of the cave.

"We're close!" He cried out in relief.

After a short distance, they reached a cluster of trees. Gale fumbled around for a hidden rope amidst the branches and pulled it three times.

The rope was connected to two pieces of wood in the cave that would knock against each other when pulled. It was their signal to the inhabitants in the cave to inform that they were back instead of potentially dangerous people.

Thunder rumbled across the sky. The thick and heavy clouds that blanketed the sky made it look like the sky was almost meeting the lands underneath. One could feel almost claustrophobic in such an atmosphere.

The entrance of the cave was a sinkhole hidden behind some bushes. By following signs that Gale had left beforehand, they made their way through the thick bushes with ease.

The trio had just reached the entrance of the cave when it started pouring. A buxom woman with a lamp stood by the entrance with a weary face. Beside her, a blonde-haired youth guarded the entrance with a stick in his hands.

"Gale! Thank goodness that you're back!" The woman cried out when she saw her husband. She rushed towards Gale but was surprised when she saw them carrying somebody.

"Father, what's going on?" The youth asked Edward as he saw the scene in front of him.

"Quick, help us carry him inside. He's hurt! Eugene, prepare some hot water and boil some rags. And take my kit out!" Edward gestured to the woman for help and urged his son with the instructions.

Eugene, the blonde-haired youth, stalled for a moment to process what he saw before his brain clicked. He did not expect to see his father returning with a bloodied body in his arms. It was supposed to be a trip to search for Night Blossoms. How did his father end up carrying somebody back?

Nevertheless, the urgency in his father's voice snapped him from his daze. He bolted back into the cave to prepare the things per his father's instruction.

Gale took out some rope and tied it around the injured youth. When it was done, Martha descended the rope into the cave through the sinkhole. Both Edward and Gale grunted as they lowered the youth slowly, while Martha did her best to guide them.

It was pouring and they were all drenched from head to toe. The soil beneath their feet softened and was slick. The combined weight of the youth and the two men made the soil sink abruptly.

Gale stumbled and lost hold of the rope. The sudden increase in tension made the rope slip through Edward's hands.

"Careful!"

"Whoa!"

Gale and Edward exclaimed at the same time as they both lost hold of the rope. The dangling youth fell without restraints under the pull of gravity.

Martha, at the base of the sinkhole, heard the alarmed shouts of the men and was startled when she saw the youth free-falling down towards her. She reflexively held her hands out and caught the youth in her arms.

She sighed. That was close.

"Martha!" Edward anxiously called and peered down from the edge of the sinkhole.

"It's alright! I got him!" She grinned victoriously.

Edward sighed and felt his whole being deflate. He had had a fright.

The rest of them descended into the sinkhole without any problems despite being drenched all over.

*****

Glowing embers sat in the center of a cave. A group of villagers huddled near each other for warmth. Even though it was summer, the nighttime temperatures can be chilly.

They did not dare light a fire for fear of exposing their location. The incident that happened a few days ago in their village cast a shadow in their hearts.

Life in a rural village was already difficult. They had to rely on themselves to provide food and shelter and to fend off beasts. Who knew that bandits would plunder and kill indiscriminately in their remote village. There were not even many supplies in their village to plunder!

With much difficulty, they managed to escape with their women and children into the forest with the guidance of Gale and Edward. Even so, they were afraid of being followed and decided to hide in the cave for the moment.

Alas, not all of them managed to escape unscathed. They even had to abandon one of their mortally wounded. Various cuts were on the villagers' bodies.

However, this was not the worst. Isla, one of the children, was shot in the arm with a poisoned arrow. Without the Night Blossoms, she would not even survive to see a new day.

Her mother tended to her daughter anxiously. The blood from the wound had turned black. Her daughter's skin was cold to the touch in contrast to before when Isla's skin was burning hot from a fever.

Isla's mother held her daughter's hand and cried. She panicked when she saw that her daughter had difficulty breathing. Could it be that it was already too late?

Just then, she heard hurried footsteps echoing in the cave and saw Eugene rushing back in.

"Eugene! What's wrong?" Isla's mother asked.

"Father's back, Aunt Lynn! He brought back someone hurt too!" Eugene said hurriedly as he started preparing the things that Edward asked.

"Edward's back? Did he bring the Night Blossoms?" Lynn asked with hope.

"I don't know," Eugene paused and shook his head.

The villagers, who were sleeping, awakened to the commotion in the cave. They were nervous at first but calmed down after they realized that Edward and his group were back.

They milled about in confusion but made way for Edward as he rushed into the cave. Numerous lamps were lit in the cave to provide adequate lighting. Elise, panting after her sprint, went to Isla and checked her condition.

'Not good!' She exclaimed inwardly.

"Father! Isla, she..."

"I'll trust Isla to you, Elise. You know how to make the Night Blossom remedy, right?"

"Yes!" Elise bit the bottom of her lip with determination in her eyes.

She had observed and learned from her father since young. Although this was the first time that she treated someone on her own, she had confidence in herself. After all, her father trusted her.

Elise learned everything she could from her father for the sole purpose of reducing his burden, for moments like this. Pride swelled in her heart as she busied herself with Isla.

Edward, without bothering to dry himself, tended to the injured youth. He clicked his tongue and sucked in a dry breath.

The youth was badly hurt. There were wounds all over his body. Aside from the long gash on his side, his ribs were fractured. Blood was coming out from a wound on his head as well.

His extremities had scrapes all over with varying degrees of severity. Edward was not sure if the youth had any internal injuries. Worst of all, he had lost a lot of blood.

After changing into dry clothes, Gale finally had a clear look of the youth that they brought back. Under the light of the lanterns, he was stunned as he saw the youth's blood-red hair.

"He-he's a foreigner! Gale exclaimed.

The villagers gasped as they realized it as well. They stared at the unconscious youth nervously.

"Child of the demon," someone muttered.

Eugene heard the exclamations of the villagers and peered at the so-called child of the demon curiously. The unconscious youth looked like any other person, except the with the deep red-colored hair. He wondered why they called him so.

Edward frowned as he heard that comment.

"He's hurt badly. Someone, please help me hold this down on his wound to stop the bleeding," Edward pointed to a rag while he rummaged through his kit.

Nobody made a move. Instead, they just stared. Some even stepped back and distanced themselves from Edward and the youth.

Edward paused. His frown got deeper as he looked at the faces of the villagers. They averted their faces as Edward's gaze landed on each of them.

"I'll help," Martha's warm voice sounded as she volunteered.

"Thanks," Edward nodded towards Martha gratefully.

Gale stared at the youth as he clenched his fists. He remembered the stories, no, the legends that were passed down from their elders.

Foreigners with blood-red hair were the descendants of demons. They wielded ungodly powers and were a bane to the lands. Misfortune and calamity befall those who interacted with the children of demons.

He looked at the other villagers and saw that they were nervous. Some even clasped their hands in prayer. Gale was sure that the villagers were having the same thoughts as him.

He gritted his teeth and made a decision.

*Shunk.*

A blade was unsheathed and a dull thud was heard as the leather sheath fell onto the cave floor. A metallic gleam reflected off a blade and flashed into the eyes of the spectators.

The blade of the dagger stopped at the neck of the unconscious youth. It trembled.

"Gale?" Martha asked, dumbfounded.

Gale breathed heavily as he clenched the dagger in his hand. His knuckles were white. He gulped down his saliva. His mouth was dry, his eyes wide.

Edward turned around and was shocked. He tried to remedy the situation.

"Gale, what are you doing? Put the dagger down," he said cautiously.

The villagers were shocked as well. The atmosphere in the cave grew heavy. No one dared to breathe.

Elise, who was busy with Isla, felt the tensed atmosphere. She could not help but turn to where everyone's attention was. She gasped in horror when she saw the scene unfolding.

Just then, the water in the pot in front of her started to boil.

'No good, I have to grasp the timing correctly to ensure the maximum effectiveness of the medicine. I must focus! Isla's life is at stake here,' she thought resolutely and tore her attention away from the others.

"Gale," Edward tried to reason.

"Don't stop me! I must do this. This demon child must die! If not, calamity will befall us!" Gale's breath grew ragged.

"Gale, listen to me. He's not a demon child. Those things are stories, they're not true," Edward reached his hand out.

"You don't know that! Those stories were passed down for generations. This here is prove right in front of our eyes. Look! The red hair! How can a human have red hair? Who knows if the disaster a few days ago was caused by this thing here!?"

Gale's face was flushed. His eyes were wide and he was shaking. He was getting delirious.

Edward felt his chest heating up.

"What nonsense are you talking about? There's no such thing as demon children. Have you seen a demon before? Hmm? Red-haired people are people like you and me. It's just that they are from far south, much farther than your pea-sized brain can imagine!"

"Put that dagger down, now!" Edward roared.

He saw the hesitation in Gale's eyes and tried to snatch the dagger from Gale's hand.

"Don't!" Gale shouted.

He gripped the dagger with two hands. The blade pressed against the neck of the youth. A thin red line appeared from underneath the blade.

Edward stopped in his tracks.

"Gale, I know you don't want to kill the boy. You're not that kind of person. If not, you would've killed him already, right?" Martha said gently, appealing to Gale's conscience.

Gale bit his lip so hard that it bled.

Elise, while concocting the medicine, could not bear to see the scene unfold negatively. The medicine just needed to simmer a little before it can be consumed. Noting that the medicine was almost done, she stood up.

"Uncle Gale, Aunt Martha's right. You're not that kind of person," Elise pleaded.

"Aaaargh! Shut up! This is none of you children's business! You stay out of it!" Gale's thundering voice echoed in the cave. His mind was getting increasingly chaotic.

Elise jolted and closed her eyes reflexively. Her uncle Gale had never treated her like this.

Gale wanted to kill the youth because he believed that he was doing it for the benefit of all. However, he could not bring himself to kill the youth in front of him. Gale looked at the youth. He was at most fourteen years old. That age was considered a child in the eyes of the adults.

Gale could not do it. He was struggling against his conscience. He tried to reason, mostly for the sake of himself.

"Hahahaha! I've already killed a man. Why not add a child to the mix?" his eyes were getting delirious.

"He's dying anyway. Look, he's barely breathing. Why should we waste our precious medicine and bandages on him? We have our wounded too. We need these. He's dying. I'm just releasing him from his suffering," Gale said emotionlessly as he faced the villagers with wide eyes.

His irrational fear and guilty conscience stirred him to persuade the villagers. He needed a reason to justify his actions. He tried to unload his burden onto the villagers.

Unfortunately, the villagers just stared back at him. They were afraid but they did not know what to do.

"Look, Gale. I know that you're afraid. I'm afraid too. We are all afraid," Edward said with a level voice and gestured to the villagers.

"We've just escaped from the bandits and our fate is uncertain. I have my children to protect and I'll do anything to keep them from harm's way," he paused.

"However, I strongly believe in the light. I believe-- I have faith that, in times of darkness, in times when we seek refuge from darkness, when we seek light, we shall be the source of light itself."

"In darkness, thee shalt beest the light, so the light that thee seek shalt shine within thee."

Edward said solemnly and recited a phrase from their faith.

Everyone gasped when they heard the phrase. The villagers clasped their hands in prayer. Some whispered, others said it in their hearts.

[O Ytrea, Goddess of Light, grant thy blessings upon this lowly one.]

The light from the lanterns glowed brighter in a flash. Before anyone noticed it, the light went back to its original brightness. The tense atmosphere calmed down, almost dissipating.

Raised in the Kingdom of Arbeanne, even peasants were baptized in the faith of Ytrea, the patron deity of the kingdom. Therefore, the villagers immediately recognized the phrase and came to a realization.

Gale looked at Edward wide-eyed. Tears glistened in his eyes.

"I… I was just trying to do the right thing. I was thinking for the sake of all of us," he mumbled.

"Gale, my dear. Do you remember our son, Larry? Wasn't he about the same age when he was lost and hurt in the forest?" Martha asked tearfully.

Gale trembled. A shaky breath escaped his lips.

"If someone found and helped him that year, wouldn't he still be with us?" Martha reached forward and held her husband's arm.

"This boy has a family too. Perhaps his parents are waiting for him to come home, worried sick," her voice quivered.

"Oh, Martha… I…"

The dagger clattered onto the cave floor.

*Thud*

Gale fell onto his knees and held his head in his hands. Martha embraced her husband. They wept in each other's embrace.