Chapter 17: Always Ask For Help

"I need to stop this!"

The attack started, according to Ford's calculations, in exactly an hour.

He got up, grabbed all his materials, which includes a sword, some rope, and an unsharpened dagger, which he found lying around on the ground when walking around the village.

He left the village, but before he did, he said-

"Goodbye"

He said goodbye to the village. He would walk for about 5 hours, before seeing the walls of Crowlan Capital.

"Shit!!"

He rushed inside, and froze.. he called out everyone's names, but no one responded.

"Hello?? Is anyone here?"

Ford thought everyone was ignoring him, but that would prove to be far from the truth..

He looked around, before looking into a house.. and seeing what looked to be a charred body, laying lifeless and burned on the floor. Ford collapsed from scarring..

Ford was scarred. Everyone in the City, laying lifeless. Everyone he cared about, dead...

"No... This isn't..."

Ford was unable to say anything clearly, he was broken.

He walked over to Arias's Castle, but...

"Cecilia..."

Cecilia was laying on the floor, guts splattered everywhere. She was dead..

He went to check on Rosey-

The door was locked.

Finally, he would check on Arias-

"nononononononononoNONONONONONONONO!!"

Arias was dead, her throat slashed. She was laying in a pool of blood..

"ENKAI!!!!!"

Ford wanted to kill Enkai. He would continue to scream his name, with murderous intent..

"ENKA--"

Rae showed up, but not in his usual form..

His eyes were a glowing yellow, and is claws were ten times sharper.

"Ra---"

Rae: "Shut up, Ford"

Just then, Rae slashed Ford, causing him to fall to the floor, blood spattering everywhere..

Alive...dead.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Ama: "what do you need?"

Ford looked up-

"Huh?..."

Ama: "you rung the bell..."

"Oh..."

Ford collapsed to the floor.. and fainted.

*****************

He woke up an hour later, Ama was still by his side.

Ama: "Ford... What happened.."

Ford didn't respond, rocking himself back and forth in the corner of his house.

Ama: "For..."

Ama didn't finish what she was saying, and instead would hug Ford, as he had an intense breakdown in her arms..

Everyone Ford knew was going to die, and there was nothing he could do about it...

Arias... Dead

Cecilia... Dead

Rosey's door was locked, so he had assumed she died as well.

He was truly devastated..

PTSD from his past had returned.

He was still having the breakdown in Ama's arms.

"I couldn't save them... I watched them die... I can't save them..."

Ama didn't know what he was talking about, but she would pretend she did, and said-

Ama: "let me help you... It was you who stopped those cultists in the forest by Arias's domain... You had saved an old friend of mine... So let me help you save her again... Don't carry these burdens all on your own... Rely on the people around you... I know you have potential... I know you can save her... I believe in you, Ford Reski..."

"I believe in you". Those were the words Ford needed to hear. He snapped out of his PTSD, and got back up.

"You're right, Ama. I need your help. I can't do this on my own..."

Ama smiled at Ford, and said-

Ama: "See? It's always alright to ask for help!"

Ford hugged Ama one last time, and moved to the meeting area of the village..

****************

Ama: "Enkai Kaito..."

Ford nodded his head.

"Yes... I had a run in with him outside of the village.."

Daren: "let me help too."

Daren walked in.. Ford was still holding some resentment towards Daren, and

"What are you doing in here?"

Daren looked at Ford, and said-

Daren: "I deeply apologize for everything. The way I handled things was immature... You seem like a great man, Ford."

Ford couldn't be angry-

"ALIGHT ALIGHT I know now, okay? I'm sorry too, for lashing out.."

Ford and Daren still had a long way to go, but that was the first step in forming a good relationship.

Daren: "About this battle, you plan on taking on Enkai Kaito, right?"

Ford nodded his head.

Daren: "Tell me, Ford, What's your dream?"

Ford closed his eyes, and said-

"I wanna be by Arias's side, I wanna protect her, I wanna be her strength.."

Daren smiled, and said-

Daren: "That's a good dream... I can tell you truly care about her.."

"I love her.."

Ford had finally said those two words.. He was always afraid, but this time... He knew..

Everyone smiled..

One individual spoke up, and that was Ama..

Ama: "Let's save princess Arias.. and end Enkai Kaito!"

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