Run. Escape. Bring Anton to safety. Run. Escape. Bring Anton to safety. RUN. ESCAPE. BRING ANTON TO SAFETY. The order repeated in her head running through the sea of death.
The air was thick with dust and smoke as they ran.
Behind them, homes split apart, burying those caught beneath. Blood stained the ground in broken patches, lost in the chaos of fleeing footsteps.
Villagers surged past one another, running blindly, searching for any path away.
Ruina pressed themselves against broken stone, holding their breath as heavy footsteps passed. When the ground fell quiet, she moved again— quick, silent— towards the next cover.
She turned a corner— only to stop short. The path ended in flames. She panted heavily, the exhaustion starting wearing her down. She spun, taking another path. It's blocked by burning debris. Damn it! What path is left to take? Her frustration started building within her.
She turned towards the last route to the church— The last route lay ahead, suddenly something shifted in the air. Ruina senses it, it's not in the air, it's not anywhere, it cannot be seen, but something is there. Ruina froze, her grip on Anton tightened. Then, she backed away, choosing not to engage. A low growl echoed from the dark. On the ground!
She doesn't know what beast lurks underneath the soil. They don't have time to waste to tend her curiosity. She leaps upwards as she dashes away from the area. If it emerges on the surface, it's bad news for them.
They took another direction. The last road. A wide open road.
A cry broke through the chaos, thin and desperate.
Somewhere in the darkness, something monstrous answered it, a low twisted howl.
They can't take a detour now, there was no path left to take anymore. Besides, the beast is distracted by a man trying to fight it. If they won't catch its attention, then they will be alright. They can continue down the road.
"Anton, close your eyes… Do not open them." She warned him, trying to lessen what a hellish nightmare he is already witnessing. If only she had another pair of arms, she would close his ears too.
Anton didn't utter an answer, but only shut his eyes tight.
Ruina moved swiftly along the open road, her steps light as she kept to the cover of drifting smoke. They must not catch any attention.
A cry rang out nearby. They passed him— trapped, legs crushed beneath a boulder, hands scraping uselessly at the ground.
A shadow swept down from above, too fast, too dangerous.
The man's voice broke into panic. Then silence came, followed by a sickening sound of flesh tearing apart. The man's head was severed, letting his bloody spinal cord covered with a tad of fleshes attached hang in wide view as blood pooled his headless body.
Anton heard the disturbing sound buried his head at the crook of Ruina's neck.
They turned a corner, they passed through the training ground, beast insight! Ruina swiftly leaped over the river bank where Anton usually plays, and ran past the baker's house.
The village no longer moved. Bodies lay strewn across the ground, the only signs of life replaced by a heavy, lingering silence.
Her ears pick up the noise of multiple footsteps behind her, it's too many. Where can they hide? Her eyes furiously darted in every direction searching for a rubble to hide— they are out in the open!
"It's Mona." Anton whispered, his eyes locked to a certain figure. "It's Mona!"
She turns around and sees the wounded little girl crying holding tight to her teddy bear while calling to her mother. "Mom, help me. I'm scared!" Her snivel follows a sob. "Mom, where are you?" She kept calling.
Anton wiggled his way out of Ruina's hold.
"Wait, Anton, Stop-!" She caught his wrist before he could get away. Beasts are coming! They cannot be here.
"Big sis, look, it's Mona." Anton tugged at her sleeve, pointing towards the little girl. His eyes searched Ruina's, desperate, hopeful to take Mona with them, he asked without words.
Anton looked at her, the tension in her shoulders, the way each step came a little heavier than the last, the staring he felt in her grip, the tightness, the effort she tried to hide so he wouldn't worry.
He knows how selfish of him to ask her, seeing Ruina struggle on making themselves safe, hiding, running around carrying him, racking her brains, finding a safe route to take— adding another person to protect too, it's too much.
He knows that if it wasn't because of him, Ruina would have already escaped, but even if it's just one person, he wants to protect that little girl, for her to survive. If only he was stronger and able to protect himself, then he can save Mona too. He bit his lower lip in frustration, guilt, and disappointment.
But Ruina can't do that. "I'm sorry. I can't do that."
Anton's eyes widened, astonished at her answer. Why?
Her orders are against that. Do not help anybody else. Prioritize yourselves. That's the firm order of Mr. Degget. She can't disobey it. Orders are absolute.
"Big sis Ru?" A small voice called out to her, trembling. She lifted her uneasy gaze, her eyes locked with Ruina.
Then, the smoke shifted— shapes burst through it. Wolves lunged forward, claws bared,jaws snapping as they closed the distance in an instant.
"MONA, RUNNN!!" Anton screamed in pure despair. It was too late. The wolves plunged towards her, each clamping down her limbs forcing her flesh and skin to stretch releasing an excruciating cry from her as she called for her mother.
Their breathing hitch, they are like a scarecrow hammered down the earth helplessly watching the birds feed on their crops, unable to shout, unable to move. Anton's lips paled, trembling and agape as he watched the little Mona be devoured limb by limb until a small part of her face left.
Ruina stared at Little Mona's eyes, what once sparkling with innocence turned to an orbs of lifeless pairs reflected on the pure terror eyes Ruina owned unwantedly imprinted in her mind.
She flinches upon sensing another wave of ominous presences coming their direction, there is nothing they can do anymore, they have to go.
Ruina moved without hesitation, grabbing Anton and throwing him over her shoulder. He barely had time to react before she was already running, again. She didn't turn. Not even once.
Anton's eyes lit in horror, still locked to where Little Mona is, they already run a distance when Anton realises what Ruina did and throws a fit, punching Ruina's back. "You! Why didn't you save her?! You could have taken her with us! You are strong, you could fight those monsters! Why didn't you do anything?! Why didn't you save her?!"
Ruina can't answer nor face him. Her lips pursed tight together, deeply disturbed by the violent squeezing in her chest. She can't disobey the order.
Anton stole a glance at her face and immediately understood her. His arms halted mid-air, trembling in anger, he clicked his tongue as he diverted his gaze as they could do nothing anymore but continue running.
Billowing plumes of dark smoke spreading into the sky burning the throat of people under its flare. The Degget couple dryly cough, covering their mouth and nose with only their hand, as the stinging exposure made Mrs. Degget's vision blurred causing tears to swell.
The Degget couple scurry through the ashes, ignoring the stinging sensation of their burnt skin from devouring flame. They seek the Church, in hurry, for monsters are still hunting. Mr. Degget's grip tightened in his fragile wife's hand, watchful for the beast's insight.
Mrs. Degget's gaze roved the entire street destroyed by the blast from the first attack, there's nothing left. Her friends, their neighbors, their home— they are all gone, only mutilated bodies reduced to only a chunk of human meat scattered all over the dead village. There's nothing left anymore.
Everything is flaring, the blaze erupted into a raging inferno engulfing everything in its path, roaring wrathfully resonating with cheers of beasts for the bountiful night, there's no longer traces of their old peaceful lives, and their children are missing.
Mrs. Degget can't help imagining the terrible scenarios in her mind if ever her son is - no, she shouldn't be having these kinds of thoughts. She trusted Ruina. Ruina will protect her son. Ruina will get him to her.
O' dear merciful Saintess, please protect my children. Let my children be safe from the death the evil unleashed. Guide them with your holy light and protect them. I will follow you from now on and I'll attend the church obediently, I beg you, just let them be safe. She silently prayed to their Saint.
"Bimer, behind you!!" Chief Rondor's voice alerted the couple. A flying beast appeared breathing balls of fire, Mr. Degget quickly pulled themselves to the ground dodging the attack.
A man was hit bursting into flames, he bellowed with agony as the fire took his skin and slowly in tormenting pace melted away. "Don't just gawk there, run!" Chief Rondor snapped at them. Mr. Degget, with a bad knee, forces themselves to stand and drag his terrified wife, gaze locked at the man deliciously being feasted like a roasted chicken with horror in her eyes.
Running towards safety, the couple avoid the rampaging danger or bump into panicking people, Chief Rondor yelling, hurrying people to enter the hall. "Get in! Get in! Hurry! Don't just stand there and get the fucking inside! Don't look back! JUST RUN!!!" Chief Rondor yelled at the people nailed in their stand, faces displayed of pure fear after witnessing such a gruesome incident.
Another blast flew in their direction, the old couple raced against the fireball, Mr. Degget loudly grunt clenching his teeth as he carried his wife and hurried to enter the Church door.
The fireball hit the Church's Barrier, creating a wave of golden light— like a disturbed puddle, instantly dissolving the fireball into pebbles as it rained to the ground. The Saintess' Blessing.
Chasing their breath, Mr. Degget curled on the floor, writhe at the stabbing pain of his shoulder, "Bimer, are you alright? Did you get hit? Tell me where it hurts!" Mrs. Degget kneeled next to her husband, bathing in her sweat, searching for wounds.
"Healer, we need you!" Chief Rondor called.
Mr. Degget reached for his beloved wife's hand and held them. "Hey, it's just my annoying shoulder, I'm not hit… I'm fine." He assured her between pants, he took a deep breath before taking a seat.
Unable to contain her maddening emotions, Mrs. Degget embraces her husband tight, tears of relief trail down her stained face.
Chief Rondor looks around and realizes someone's missing. "Bimer… Felicia, where are your children?"
Mrs. Degget only plastered a grim look, sealing her lips. "We got separated on Larkspur street. Houses collapsed above us… I can't get through them." Mr. Degget whispered the last part.
"Those beasts scattered all over the village— in land or air. There's no escape."
"We know that!" Mrs. Degget screamed. "We know that…" She mumbled, pain and fear etched in her face.
"Ruina is smart and strong. I know, she can protect themselves. I know, they'll be safe. I trust her." Mr. Degget declared. His eyes are firm and stern.
Chief Rondor blew away his worries in defeat to calm the two. "I know she is strong." That fact is known to the whole village. But, it isn't what bothers him. "She never learned how to wield a sword— forget that, she never even knew how to slay a beast. How could she protect themselves? One way or another, they will face a beast."
"She doesn't need to fight them, they just need to get here." Silence reigns, villagers that manage to get inside sink in the corners, hugging themselves seeking little comfort, having their eyes shut as their prayers unite. Make the monsters disappear. Let them survive the night.
A heavy sense of anxiety hung in the air resonating of seconds passing, wrapping everyone with tense anticipation for their family.