Wake Up Call

Soundly sleeping in my bed, the very last thing I expected was a loud shout, filled with half panic, half urgency.

"CHRISTOPHER! WAKE THE FUCK UP!" The shout carried through the entirety of our house and, of course, I woke up. I quickly made my way towards the source of the shout, not bothering go even put anything on.

The moment I saw my father, as did he, he didn't let a moment to waste. "Here is a real sword, it was supposed to be your gift. Get dressed and take that sword with you and go collect all of the children around the village as best you can, start with the girl you read with, they're closest to the gate."

I was in an utter daze and not fully understanding the severity of the situation wanted to ask something... only my foolishness was rightfully addressed.

"Dad, I-"

"DO AS I SAY. The beast tide began earlier than expected and it's worse than it's supposed to be as well." And with just those words, he ran out of the building, and he didn't need to say where. Naturally, the front lines.

I ran back to my room in order to put on some basic clothing, and strapped the sword and it's sheath to the side. Running outside of the house, I could finally see something I could consider pure hell, just like those children's stories. Houses were burning, some were straight out destroyed. People shouting all over, some cries for help, corpses of both beasts... and people.

For some reason I couldn't think of, all of it didn't really register with me. All the death around me was just... not there. In a way, I was glad.

Glad, since I could focus on what I was supposed to do.

Elise's as well her family, the Brambles, reside practically at the very front of the village. Being merchants, easy access in and out of the city was crucial. Being merchants, their lives were at stake.

I knew nothing of the situation, apart from the fact it was a beast tide. Under the moonlit glow the sky above me, and the crimson fires giving me way, I bravely ran towards her house.

Each and every step I took, I could see bodies of both kinds. My skin was burning. The air was too toxic from all the fire, making it hard to breathe. The people alive were all trying to fight off beasts, and the closer I got to the village entrance, the more fights I saw.

I saw families defending their homes. A couple of women dressing up wounds on someone else whom I couldn't see. I even saw a man not much older than my father, keep several beasts from going forward.

Yet, for some reason... All I cared about was the mission I was entrusted... though it would be more accurate to say that the aching pain I feel, makes me wish Elise is safe.

It didn't take long to get there, and just like our house, the Brambles had a garden of their own. Only what was there now, made me stop in my tracks.

There, right outside the house, were two Worgols, standing around, for what reason, I couldn't be sure. Worgols were a type of beast that was somewhere between a dog, and a wolf. There were on the far low side in terms of strength, in comparison to other beasts.

I knew that for someone like me, who's parents are great sword-masters, and who trained for so many years; these beasts, should be nothing. However... my feet just wouldn't move.

Seconds felt like hours. My body stiff, my sensitivity on its peak. For all intents and purposes, I was ready to run away.

"AAARGH~"

The sound of a female girl in pain, or struggle, or whatever that was happening to her, cleared my mind immediately as I uttered but a word under my breath.

"Elise."

Someone precious to me was being hurt, and I was out here, unable to move. Laughable, really. My legs immediately sprang forward as if I flew through the garden, the two beasts, surprised by the speed of one they sense to be young, jumped backwards. Though by doing that, they essentially pressed their backs against the walls of the house.

My concentration was now too, at its peak.

After all, one wrong move, and I'll be dead.

In my field of view, in front of me, were a couple of chairs and tables, and only behind those, just some 7-8 meters away, were the two Worgols. Confronting directly two beasts is foolish, however, I didn't have to. Using all strength within my body, I kick all the tables and chairs towards the beasts in rapid succession and sprang forward to the closest one, my sword aiming for it's mouth, face, jugular, any of those areas to hopefully kill it instantly.

I was betting on the chance that the beasts would fumble, their reactions lessen with the distractions in play, and at the very least, turn the situation into a 1v1 confrontation.

Thankfully, it did work... to a certain degree. The worgol I targeted couldn't react on time and instantly got pierced through its jugular; it's fangs longing to get a taste of me.

Thankfully for the worgol, it's partner did indeed manage to sink it's fangs. In fact, it aimed directly for my neck and if not for my quick reactions, it would have been successful. Instead, a part of my shoulder and arm, were taking on the pain. What made it worse was that it was my sword arm, too.

Deciding to go with the impact of the assault from the second worgol, I fall on the ground, releasing my sword. Thereby allowing the first worgol to fall on the floor, all the while I'm being chewed apart. Naturally, I start kicking with all my might, hoping there are male beasts as I sincerely wished for his balls to be slammed into smithereens.

Surprisingly, it worked.

It was clearly in some sort of pain and it's group onto my skin lessened. This allowed me to reach for the sword with my left arm instead, sliding it from the dead beast body. Next, I raised it with all the strength I could muster, and immediately shoved it to the neck of the worgol, from the side.

Two beasts slain, single-handedly.

Before I could praise myself for achieving something I doubt many did on their coming of age days, I refocused on my goal.

"Elise." A murmur, quietly leaving my lips. The pain I felt from that brief encounter was supposed to be too great to handle, and yet, I didn't feel any of it.

I grabbed hold of my sword, and rushed inside, immediately making my way towards the second floor of her house, where she lived with her other, younger siblings, whom where two little sisters.

Running up the staircase just barely, and getting to her room, I noticed the door was already creaked open, with weird sounds coming from it.

I creeped towards the door, slowly opening, however, before my mind could process what my eyes saw, I threw up.

Without having a single clue what was wrong with me, I was throwing up, my mind fuzzy, body aching, and my heart, in pieces.

It wasn't until after I finished barfing that I could at least... somewhat aknowledge the sight before me. Though, in a way, I had to.

Considering the bloodied face of a gorgol standing in front of me.

All around the floor were bodies. To be more precise, two bodies of little girls were torn apart into pieces, some still not eaten. The third, belonging to Elise.

The beast was in the process of eating her, and with the corner of my eye, I did notice what seemed to be her hand, gripping onto a sword. Not that it was connected to her body.

Her eyes were full of shock, agony, pain, sadness...

Time stopped.

It felt hard to breathe, my eyes became too wet to see, and yet, I knew where to swing. Before I knew it, my body moved on its own. I kicked the gnarling bastard with my left leg and immediately placed it done right after as my body repeated just one of the motions I've constantly repeated over years.

An overhead swing down.

Sadly, my strength was only enough to cut through him half-way, not that it mattered to something already dead.

Yet despite pulling off such a clean strike, being happy was the last thing on my mind; just as my eyes darted all over the scene before me.

I felt my mind shatter as I felt myself being pulled into a frenzy. My vision was dark, my hand held my sword, and all that happened were the occasional splatters of red across a black view.

It was almost systematic.

Stab. Stab. Stab. Stab.

My mind felt weirdly at peace, albeit a messy one. While my thoughts were too many, they were all centered around a single thing.

Elise. It wasn't until I realized that she was gone, that I understood that what I felt was far more than just her being a friend. She was my first love.

I'd never get to see her smile. Nor her excited tone talking about what books she read. I will not get to play with her, when with other kids. I won't get to hear her laugh, listen to her voice, gaze into her eyes, or admire her hair. I wouldn't get to tease her about her style of clothing, or admire the few times she wears elegant clothing.

I, a man who turned 15 just today, with memories of a mangled, split apart corpse still fresh in memory, finally realized the feelings I harbored inside my heart.

Only now, it was too late.

And only now, did all the death and destruction of everyone around me start hitting me. The terrified faces of the dead people, some of which I knew personally. People struggling against the beasts, I am certain many more died after I ran past them.

Their faces, their bodies, her body, all of it began to haunt my mind and the only thing on my mind, was but a simple word.

WHY. Why. Why...

What did it mean when my father said the beast tide is stronger and happened earlier than it was supposed to?

Why weren't the Saints and their subordinates here to protect us?

Why is the world so cruel, having the power to summon beings who can destroy all beasts, but incapable of eradicating them once and for all?

And lastly, my guilt.

I took too long. If I was stronger, or faster, or smarter, she could have lived...

But at the same time I knew that... even if that were the case, the chances of her being alive even if I got here sooner... were slim.

At the end of the day, it's the beasts who are at fault for robbing me of someone precious.

Exhaustion quickly filled both my mind and body. I felt my face was wholly wet, though I couldn't tell from which exactly, tears, or blood. My actions became more slugging, and... all I could remember happening moments between I stumbled to side and passed out, were the familiar sounds not too long ago.

Repeated actions, and a body that wasn't recognizable.

Stab. Stab. Stab.

Stab. Stab.

Stab.