Picking Up the Ashes

The forest reeks with the smell of death. Over two hundred knights and an unidentified number of beastfolk fought with their lives on the line. In the end, only two remain.

Quiet steps approach from behind whilst I stare at the body of the young knight, this war's final casualty. A pair of sandy ears appears beside me and looks out over the carnage.

"Are you alright, kid?"

A silent nod.

Neither of us move for several minutes. Be it from exhaustion or uncertainty, we share the calm breeze and warm sunlight. Our bleeding still hasn't stopped, but we have nothing but time on our hands now.

My knees are the first to give out, lowering my body to rest against a nearby tree.

"Quite the mess I've made…"

Causing this much death and destruction is nothing new to me. However, I don't have an easy place to return to this time. I always had the armoured van and our comfortable facilities spread across the globe. No matter how many lives I took, there was somewhere safe for me to rest until I'm called upon for my next mission. I don't have that liberty after killing every person that could escort me back.

"I should begin preparing an explanation…"

Blood that had flooded my brain during the conflict had begun returning to normal, but I'm unable to rest just yet. That appears to also be true for the beast girl.

In the distance, a pile of bodies has begun to form. Humans have been strewn about the nearby woods while beastfolk are neatly piled onto one another in the centre of this clearing. One by one, the girl brings each body from around the village. Her twin shields rest against one of the nearby houses while she works.

I rise to my feet and carefully approach the girl.

"Need assistance?"

"Grr!"

Instead of words, I receive a growl and a glare. She likely won't try to kill me, but best to not sour relations so soon.

"If you insist."

My hands instead begin work of their own on the dead.

I explore the entire village and search bodies for anything valuable and worth keeping. Weapons and armour are left in place, but any kind of robe or pouch is raided and collected. A majority have no more than some spare change and little trinkets, but bits of coin here and there add up.

There wasn't much of interest from hours of searching, at least until I arrived at a body covered in reddened white robes.

"The Message Stone…"

I find the other half to go with my blue-green artefact. While humans on Earth used their unique technology to bridge gaps in communication, humans in this world use magic. Every system has its own limits, but just how far can this one be pushed?

Hessa's other belongings include many small scrolls and booklets written in a language I fail to read. She also carried a pouch with a handful of small crystals whose purpose I can easily assume. All of them are red, including the crystal tightly fastened between the fingers of her left hand.

"Quite the final resort…"

I was fortunate that Hessa didn't survive to witness my treason. The mages I fought before felt like amateurs compared to the casting speed and strength of the court mage. Even if I could defeat her, I would be killed in the raging flames.

A shuffling reaches my ears from a nearby house, or at least what remains of it. Most of this structure has collapsed from fire, but you can still walk inside and look upon the beast resting eternally inside. When I approach, I notice the girl simply standing and staring at the beast man I killed.

Despite my better judgement, I bring myself to stand right next to her.

"Is this your old man?"

She shakes her head, sandy hair waving along with it. I had no intention of pressing further, but I didn't have to. For the first time, I heard her voice.

"He was…Uncle."

A quiet voice slowly enunciates each word. The young girl speaks well enough for me to understand, even if she offers little context.

"I see."

His face isn't visible, not that I could ever forget the face of that man. Even if I never participated in warrior culture back on Earth, strength that challenged my own always left marks in my memory. I felt that the beast and I were similar, that we could have shared an intriguing conversation. It's a shame that the difficult choice was made for us.

There is no remorse in my heart, but something inside of me itches. This feeling only gets worse the longer she stares at his burned form.

"I killed him."

"…I know."

I would not have blamed her for digging her claws into my neck. Much like the beast boy I let escape, there is plenty of motive to attempt at my life. However, I receive no rage. Those green eyes only stare solemnly downwards.

"He was strong."

No response, not that I'm looking for one. I only wish to speak my thoughts out into the world.

"There is not a single man or woman that pushed me so close to the brink of death. I doubt there will ever be another that does."

The wind picks up and blows into the fallen structure. Ash starts to fly into the distant sky as I continue.

"He did not beg for mercy, nor did he require that of me. Until his last breath, he threatened my life to ensure that his people would survive."

I begin to feel the gaze of the young girl beside me. Green lenses shine in the light and sandy hair floats along with the man's thick mane.

"Were we not born to be enemies, I would have wished him to live. Perhaps I may even have sought his company in a world that does not exist."

Reaching into my pocket, I pull out one of the small red crystals. I never had the chance to pay him back for throwing one of these at me earlier. The side of my neck throbs as I hold the glowing gem over his body.

"I will forever live with the scars he dealt me. May he find an end that recognises his strength."

The beating red light falls to the ground and fills the house with flame once more. Both of us silently watch the heat consume the beast's body, burning brightly until only a pile of ashes remain. The girl beside me only stirs once every last ember blows out into the sky above.

"Thank…you."

Her voice is soft. It feels as if she's whispering, but the emotions behind her words are more than clear.

"It was the least I could do."