Scene One

All of my senses told me to flee; So I did all I could to escape.

The hard rainfall dampened my ears to the terrified screams and wails of anguish surrounding my burning town. My thighs felt sore while my ankles throbbed with pings of pain. Though, I wouldn’t dare stop in this chaotic atmosphere, full of townspeople running down the dirt road past their homes with faces of grief and despair.

If the grown-ups were scared of something, I should very much be as well.

Despite the pouring rain partially clouding my senses, I could still hear them in the distance. Numerous warrior cries, bellowing like thunder without lightning, made my heart beat faster. I could taste the blood at the back of my throat as I continued to exhale with heavy breaths.

My black bangs stuck to my forehead, moist from the pouring rain. My clothes also felt more weighted as they were heavy and damp. The ground beneath my feet was slick with mud, but I dared not trip, for mother gave me one task.

To run as fast as I could east, to the Nam River.

「Haa... Haaa... So fast Eunmi… Could we stop and take a break, I’m getting kinda tired… 」

I look back to my younger sister, her eyelids drooping whilst breathing heavier than I was. Her cheeks were flushed red, as mine probably were from the intense running. Her white-colored skirt was soggy, becoming a darker shade below herwith clots of brown dirt shrouding the hem of her dress.

I strengthen my grip on her hand and continue to pull her behind me.

「We’re nearly there Beommi, just a bit further then—」

For a second I hear no rain. A droplet of water slowly passed my eye as if the earth was becoming still. The townspeople in front of me turn to look down a right turn down a set of clay houses, their mouths widened and eyes full of dread.

「Karera wa nigete imasu! Sorera o korosu!」

I hear the voices of a distinct languages, but unable to understand. However, the townspeople turning tail and running in different directions made it obvious they were a threat.

An older man with light-brown skin wearing a farmer’s hat attempts to back away, his eyes looking down the road with angst. The muddy road makes him stumble backward with his arms flailing and feet now angled off the ground.

Before he could fall, a gleam of silver catches my eye, whisking through the air and punctures his chest. The spear digs past back and punctures into the ground as he coughs blood onto his white tunic shirt.

He attempts to stand back up with a look of worry while clenching the wooden pole, but a sudden gasp causes his eyes to flutter close as he lets his arms rest freely bent in the air.

A screech from a woman behind me snaps me from my daze and I turn away from the display with scrunched eyes. I look over to Beommi, her eyes watering as she performs a soft hick and turns to meet my gaze.

「Unnie…」

The woman who wailed before runs past us, bumping into me and nearly making me fall. She then drops to her knees, muddying her blue skirt and claws at the punctured man’s shirt while resting her forehead onto his cheek with a despaired sob. The plaps of footsteps on the opposite side of the road came into earshot. I look to my right and tug onto Beommi’s hand so that we dash into a closed off corridor of two clay houses. It was a tight fit, but our size was working for us.

A clink of metal followed by a grizzly gush and another outcry made my skin tingle, signaling that the woman from before was caught and dealt with swiftly.

As we continue to take a right down the small encasement of adjacent houses, Beommi clutches onto my arm. Her touch making me realize how cold I am from the restless winds and downpour.

「Is that… Hic… Was that man… Dead…?」

I look into her wide eyes, her unique violet pupils, usually beaming cheerful and full of joy, were now dull with her head tilted to the ground. Instinctively, I pull her close to my chest and caress her head with gritting teeth.

「I’m sorry Beommi… I’m sorry you had to see that… But we must keep going—」

She pushes me from her gasp, her fists clenched to her sides.

「N-no! Where’s mom! Why didn’t she come with us? I want her now!」

My head darts to the opening partway of the dirt road in front us and bend down, cupping my hand over her mouth.

「You mustn't exclaim like that Beommi! I’ll explain it later, just please keep quiet—」

「Heerrr… Please spare me and I’ll give you my grain… It has healing properties.. Heerr…」

A old man with a balding scalp and white hair sprouting from his ears walked past the opening between the houses we were sitting in. His hands were cupped in front of him, with bits of white grain falling onto the ground between his fingers as he gave a demented smile.

His left leg was bloodied and torn, him dragging it through the mud as he hummed a merry tune.

I could feel Beommi’s lips moving beneath my hand but I kept it sealed with my palm. I then start to back away as the old man exits or vision.

「Yooo hooo~… —GAAHWK!」

Despite not seeing, I could hear the ripping of flesh and his painful wheezing. I take another steady step back as we’re almost near the next narrow set enclosures leading to another alleyway of houses.

In a muddy plap, his head comes into view as his body is pushed through the mud by an unseen individual to his front. I gaze into the redness of the man’s eyes as he gasps once more, blood pooling from his lips.

He’s pushed once more, allowing us to see his murder weapon; A pike burrowing itself into his neck, with a man wearing a set of scaled-red and yellow armor bending over him, as if he reveled in seeing the light fade from the old man’s eyes.

I could feel Beommi’s muffled scream and breath onto my head, but I continued to hold her mouth tightly as we’d be next if he spotted us.

The old man turned his head and looked over to us, throwing up a puddle of velvet fluid as he let out a squelch, most plausible from the air leaking out from the gash in his throat. His attacker followed the man’s gaze and looked into the alleyway toward us.

His helmet didn’t allow me to see his face, but the wide grin of his black mask and horns resting atop of the helm made me think of him as some sort of demon.

Without turning his gaze from us, he plucks the spear from the man’s throat causing him to sputter and jolt before dying outright. The person clothed in armor then bent down, inching toward us with the blood dripping from the pike’s iron tip being washed away by the rain, as if it was cleaning itself for it’s next victim.

「Koko ni kite… On'nanoko…」 The armored man whispered while reaching his hand out.

My eyes shift to the left, looking down the passage we took earlier to the open dirt road leading to the river; Then to the right, viewing the small alleyway dipping downhill.

From the footsteps before, I could determine that there were more than three of them on the main road. I’m not certain if they’re still over there but I don’t want to take any chances.

Then there’s the alley leading to the downslopes of the farmlands. It’s a bit of a detour, but we could also make it to the river. If he made his way over here, it could be deserted… But he just came from that direction, so that wasn’t a certainty either.

I look down to my inner shirt jacket and move a metal-encased dagger down my sleeve and balance it onto the inner side of hand. It’s cold sheathe making my hand tremble, or perhaps maybe it was the thought of what I had to do next.

「Beommi, these houses are the only cover we have and we must keep moving forward. Stay behind me, and if I get captured… Please… Please just keep running, for me…」

I let go her mouth and move in front of her, allowing the sheathe to slide halfway off the knife, making sure to keep the back of hand poised to the front so he was unsuspecting as I take another step.

Our best bet is to stay concealed in the alleyway of houses, it’s a straight shot to the river from here; All we have is one obstacle.

I know what must be done.

. . .