The Injured Man's Reason

<OMNISCIENT POV>

Back at the southern gate, cornered and trapped by the horde of monsters in front of him—the injured man fell back and attempted to push himself to the back of the group.

He couldn’t afford to die. Not now. Especially after King’s humiliation.

King, he said to himself, I won’t let you get away with this.

The injured man pushed backwards while the people in the crowded, clumped group he was in pushed forward.

I don’t want to die!

That was the thought most people in the group had . If they got to the front, they could run. If they run, they can hide and live another day.

But others picked up their weapons.

“I’m tired of running from these damn monsters!” one man said.

“Same here! And I’m not gonna let these bastards get to me or my family!”

The group of men cheered ‌and raised their weapons. Swords, spears, rakes, and torches. They charged at the terrifying and unknown creatures ahead of them.

Family, huh?

That word tugged at the injured man’s heart.

His mind raced back to earlier in the night. He and his wife stood outside their house in the southwest outskirts of the city.

Their house wasn’t anything fancy. There were only 2 bedrooms, and it was cramped as all hell, but it was their home, nonetheless.

For the injured man and his wife, it was just another tiring day from work. Her working at the tavern guild as a receptionist and his selling lumber. It was an honest life they lived.

And it was an honest life that was taken from them all.

Their son was asleep. Not to bother him, the couple talked about their days and reflected on how the present came to be—and how they still care and have fun with each other.

That’s when they heard their back window smashed through and wood falling to the floor…

Wood…that fell from the roof of their house.

The couple’s son didn’t make it. There was no way for an average adult to survive the weight of a roof, much less a toddler.

The grief, the distraught, the stress. It was like a blade that stabbed the couple’s heart and twisted it for them to experience the full extent of the pain and the worst nightmare that no parent should ever go through.

The injured man’s wife collapsed to the floor. She didn’t make a noise. Not one peep.

The light in her eyes dimmed sadly .

The injured man kneeled by his wife’s side and wrapped his arms around her.

It wasn’t going to comfort her fully, and it wasn’t going to comfort him either. Not when the rubble was still in front of their eyes.

Still, he didn’t know what else to do.

That was until the werewolves showed up.

They stood tall with large humanoid chests with claws that spelled death for whoever came across it.

The injured man pleaded and urged his wife to stand, but she didn’t.

Or maybe she couldn’t.

Either way, the wife remained still with grief.

“Come on, love! Snap out of it!”

The injured man shook his wife, but she didn’t respond.

“Damn it!”

With no other options, the injured man carried his wife and ran from the three werewolves in front of him.

And that was his big mistake.

He left his back wide open for the werewolves to hunt. To feast. To attack.

One of the werewolves caught up with ease and swung its long sharp claws towards the injured man.

Still running, the man couldn’t dodge. The best he could do was stop in order not to get his wife killed.

But the werewolf's claw grazed his arm.

“Aaaaagh!”

It hurt. His whole arm hurt.

His wife flung from his arms.

He screamed her name when she fell headfirst onto stone.

And all the while, the three werewolves laughed.

It was evil. Wicked. And torturous.

They’re having a laugh at us, the man thought.

His breath grew shaky as the werewolves swarmed him and his wife.

They inched closer. Their laughs did the same. It became louder and louder.

What a horrible way for a person to meet their end.

Just awful.

But the injured man stood in front of his collapsed wife and spread his arms out.

In the back of his mind he knew he and his wife were done for, and for a second—he didn’t mind.

Leaving the world of Eldoria meant reuniting with his son in the Underworld. Maybe they’ll meet together in the afterlife process and go to heaven. Or maybe even reincarnate as family in their next lives.

The injured man didn’t mind that.

Staying alive and living on would just be too cruel for him.

But he didn’t want to go out without any honor. With no bite back.

Still, it’s three against one.

The injured man drew an angry breath.

“Agh, it doesn’t matter anymore!” he yelled. “Come on, you stupid dog monsters! I’ll take you all on!”

The three werewolves laughed.

What am I saying? The injured man thought. I’m blabbering like an idiot.

The werewolves inched closer and closer. They drew their claws back.

Oh well. It doesn’t matter anymore.

The injured man, bleeding from his arm, kept his arms extended out wide and closed his eyes.

And in his last moment, he thought about his wife.

I hope what she goes through is painless.

But before the werewolves could get to the injured man, a single adventurer swooped in and pulled him away from the group.

The injured man didn’t know the adventurer at all. He wore thin clothes and had a dagger sheathed at his side. It wasn’t anyone popular or anyone he knew personally.

If that’s the case, then…

“What are you doing?!” the injured man yelled.

“I’m saving you!”

“I didn’t ask for that!”

The injured man swung his body from side to side.

“If there’s anyone who needs saving, it’s my wife! Please! Save her!”

But the werewolves didn’t chase the two of them.

Instead, they feasted on the injured man’s lifeless body.

Even when she was being eaten alive, she didn’t scream.

And the injured man saw it all.

“I’m sorry,” the adventurer said. He saw it too but continued running.

Tears streamed down the injured man’s face.

For the first time in a long time, he was alone.

Now, back in the present, pushing past desperate runners who wanted to make it to the front, the injured man stepped back and operated with calculated coldness.

He made it to the back of the group.

In front of him was a mob of men and women, brothers and sisters, cousins and uncles, as well as lovers and fellow parents. They raised their weapons and charged at the horde of monsters in front of them.

A guard stood next to the injured man and watched along. To him, these people were charging towards a painful death.

But to the injured man, he saw what the people were really charging towards.

A better future for themselves and the people they loved.

It was a noble act. As a father, that’s all he wanted for his son and wife.

A better future that they can all live in.

But those two weren’t with him anymore.

Still, there was a fire in the injured man’s eyes.

I’ll avenge you two and take back our city! Our home!

With his good arm, the injured man clenched his fist.

When one of the men got slashed by a werewolf’s deadly claws, the injured man picked up the sword of the noble fighter.

“Don’t worry,” he told the dying man on the ground. He wasn’t going to make it. The man knew that himself. But the injured man’s words brought the dying man warmth in such a cold and cruel situation.

The injured man softened his gaze.

“Your death won’t be in vain. I’ll avenge you and everyone else who lost their lives. So, take a break. You deserve it.”

It was words that were said with great confidence. Like a father telling his son that everything will be alright.

The dying man nodded to the injured man and smiled.

“Thank you,” he said weakly.

It was the last words he said before closing his eyes and drifting off towards peaceful and painless sleep.

The injured man wanted to say, “No problem,” but it seemed as if the dying man made peace with his situation.

His dying breath wasn’t filled with pain. The injured man smiled, happy for the dying man no matter how weird it may seem.

Then his attention turned to the crowd facing the horde of monsters.

Three of the creatures caught his eye.

It was the werewolves. The same werewolves who tore down his house and ate his wife.

The injured man tightened the grip on his sword.

“I’ll kill each and every last one of you,” he said.

The injured man then stared at the rooftops from which King once stood on.

“And I’ll kill you too, King. As well as your plan to destroy this city. I’ll kill you all.”