There was something else different about that creature, a faint blue light was visible beneath its scales, in the area from its neck down to its chest as all six of its legs stepped forward. Ash raised the pitchfork still lying nearby.
But that thing didn't help him at all. One swing of its hand and Ash was thrown again, his body hit the ground and rolled, smashing through a wooden crate. The creature ran after him, slamming Ash back in another direction.
Crashing into wooden walls, smashing through a cart and tumbling across the ground, Ash had truly reached his limit.
Weak, dying, Ash stared at his house again, Elira's voice was no longer heard from there.
His chest was tight, from the attacks and also from his mind wandering to the worst possible places. Now Elira's offer to stay with her had become his regret. He should have stayed with his wife and daughter.
Suddenly Ash's eyes went wide, Elira was running with Lyanna in her arms, heading toward the small shed behind the house. Two creatures were chasing behind her.
"Elira!"
Ash shifted his gaze to the big one now running toward him. He had to settle things with that big one before he could save his wife.
Not far from him, a sword lay beside the severed corpse of a guard soldier. With whatever strength he had left, Ash grabbed the sword and drew it, just as the creature with the same blue light on its neck landed with its mouth open and fangs ready to tear.
"ARRGGHH!"
The big one's eyes went wide, its fangs sank into Ash's shoulder, but his sword also sank deep beneath the creature's jaw, driving through the base of its tongue and into its skull.
Dark blue blood poured out heavily, the creature had no chance to fight back.
"Eat this!"
Dark blue blood flowed over Ash's body, bathing him in blood.
At that moment all the other creatures suddenly stopped and looked toward him. Ash was already on the edge of consciousness, he kept staring at the small shed where Elira and Lyanna were hiding.
Slowly his vision went dark, his body no longer listened to his commands.
***
His vision was dark, but his ears still worked.
"Calm down, sweetheart, your father is a strong man. He'll be fine."
Elira's voice came through faintly nearby, his wife's tone low and careful the way it always was when she spoke to Lyanna. Ash couldn't make out her words clearly, but it was enough to know both of them were still alive.
His eyelids were heavy when he tried to open them. A familiar wooden ceiling greeted him, the light from several room lamps felt blinding.
"Daddy!"
Lyanna lunged at him before Ash even had a chance to sit up. The little girl's arms were tight around his neck, her body trembling softly. Ash lifted one hand and patted his daughter's back gently.
"Hey there, sweety, Daddy's right here," he said shortly.
Elira sat beside him, her eyes red and wet. She didn't speak right away, just stared at Ash's face with an expression that was hard to read, somewhere between relief and fear at the same time.
"You've been crying," said Ash.
"Of course I've been crying." Elira's voice trembled slightly. "You were covered in blood from head to toe, Ash. I thought you were already ...." Her sentence hung there, she shook her head slowly. "Thank goodness you're still here."
Ash sat up slowly, his spine cracking. Only then did he really take in his surroundings. The village hall, the place he was used to seeing residents gather for worship every weekend, was now packed with wounded people.
Dozens of people lay on the floor on makeshift cloth bedding, some groaning softly, some just staring at the ceiling with hollow expressions. The sound of a small child crying came from the corner of the room, mixed with the hushed murmurs of exhausted adults.
"Elira," said Ash, his eyes moving to the bandage on his wife's arm. "Your wound?"
"Just a small scratch." Elira lifted her arm briefly then lowered it again. "Not deep, not enough to keep me from moving. Don't worry about it."
Ash nodded once. His gaze swept the room one more time.
"Those creatures, what happened?"
"Gone." Elira let out a slow breath. "They just stopped and left all of a sudden, like something called them home. Nobody understood why." She glanced toward the hall door. "Reinforcement troops from Vindale City have been standing guard outside since last night, in case they come back."
Ash didn't answer. He tilted his head slightly, processing that information in silence. A pack of creatures that attacked the village didn't do so without purpose, and they didn't just leave without reason. Something had set them in motion, and that same something had stopped them.
There was one other thing bothering him more than that.
Ash looked down, staring at his own hands. No pain. None at all. His chest, his arms, his shoulder that had been pierced by the fangs of the large creature. Everything felt normal, no stinging, no heat, no deep stabbing sensation.
Ash stood up.
"Ash?" Elira looked up.
"Toilet."
Ash walked past several people lying on the floor, making his way toward the back corner of the hall. When the wooden toilet door closed behind him, he stood in front of a small mirror hanging crookedly on the wall, staring at his own reflection under the dim lamp light.
He began unwrapping the bandage on his left arm with slow movements. The white cloth, already browned with dried blood, came off layer by layer until the skin of his arm was fully visible.
No wound, no scar, no dried skin, no red line from a bite. His skin was clean as if nothing had ever touched it.
***