The fellow soldier breathes heavily as blood flows down his cloth.
"Y-Yeah…Got contracted to a god of healing some time before this…"
"But why?" Mosa's face still squeezed.
"Why what?" The soldier replies as places his hand on his knee. The wind lightly blowing and the thumping grew nearer.
"Why do all this? For a random soldier like me?" Mosa stares at him, the area under his eyes sagging.
"...hahh…" He breathes loudly while holding down his knee.
How was he bearing this?!
"It's hope." His voice, stern.
"H-Hope?" Mosa wondered as his hair blew in the slight breeze.
"Your will to still want to fight… even though it's futile." The soldier smiles.
"It sure is stupid." He chuckles.
"But that spirit… It just can't go to waste."
"Since the others are running for their lives…" He removed one of his hands from the wounded area.
He pointed his bloodied hand right at Mosa, shaking as it was suspended in the air.
"You need to inform the rest… you need to inform the lord… what just happened."
At that moment, Mosa was lost with words…Only thing he could do was to widen his eyes.
The shouts and the horses with their hooves digging into the ground drawing near.
"Now go! Before it'll all be in vain." He shouts with a little spot coming out of his mouth.
Out of haste, Mosa stood up and made his way into the bushes.
He paused…
"At least…" He clenches his fist.
"...Tell me what's your name?" Mosa turns.
There as the soldier sat on the ground with the rest of the corpses.
His face quickly spoiled into rage.
"Are you dumb?! I just told you to go before they get here!"
"Don't ask me stupid questions or it all would've been for naught."
The intensity of those words—his voice, they were so sharp and thick that they blew Mosa right back.
"R-Right!"
He shakily nodded his head at him.
"It's Gerl…" He replied while spitting to the ground.
Mosa, still running, tightens his fist and his legs spaced out—ready to run.
Gerl…
Then just as soon as Mosa blinked.
He saw a tall man standing right in front of the soldier, wearing a long black coat with a hood.
Everything from head to toe was covered in black—couldn't even see his skin.
What seemed out of a nightmare.
A long black spike emerged from him, going right through the soldier's head.
SPLAT.. SPLAT… SPLAT…
The head was stuck with its mouth's edge slightly raised, but blood pouring from underneath.
Finally saw the horses with the men on top of them nearing them.
They all passed both the man and the soldier's corpse.
One even sliced the headless body, but they did all do one thing—they avoided the man in black.
W-Wait… that symbol…
It's a crest…
Mosa, slowly closing the gap between his eyes, tried to make sense of it, but It was all blurry with the leaves and branches blocked his vision the more.
The man in all black, slowly moved his head, each turn seeming like he's breaking his own neck.
His head stopped moving—Facing head on in Mosa's direction as it slowly tilted it.
Mosa's skin whitened…
His hands trembled and his feet seemed nerveless.
The man in all black slowly moved towards Mosa…All the horses passing by him.
"Hey where the heck is he going?" Someone on one of the horses asked as he looked back at the man in black.
"It's best not to question him…" The person besides him answered
"Or even talk to him." The person behind them both answered with a face of dread.
Finally regaining his nerves in his legs, Mosa ran. He ran and ran as the man in black slowly picked up his pace, his black coat flowing in the wind.
Mosa's heart skipped a beat…but was still beating so much that it was like a drummer was in there.
Not looking where he was going…
BAM!
His head collided with a branch.
For a moment…
He saw black and white…
The hit caused him to lose his balance… as he then slipped past the bushes, with the tiny thorns and branches scratching him.
He rolled down a hill as his metal armour collided with his body—Also smacked a large stone.
The pain spreading all over his body and did not stop as he tumbled downwards. Only a river on the flat bottom of the hill stopped him.
"Ughhhh…" Groaning as Mosa couldn't feel his body—The sound of the river drowning out his moans…with also his sight and hearing.
Everything then washed out to nothing.
…
"Huhhhh?!"
He gasps back for air, his lungs seemed to have stopped for a moment, feeling them rise…
Then suddenly deplete once more.
Opening his blurry eyes to see that he's right on Snoino's laps. Mosa's bleeding eyes could see him…
He seems to be having a conversation with somebody.
His hearing though blocked…he could still make out what they were saying…
"Where is that damn waiter with the healer?!" Snoino shouts.
"Do you all want him to die?!"
"What's taking so damn long?!"
"If what he said was true…then that means…" The lord still looking perplexed.
"And right after we offered for us to become a noble clan." Fashma, his hands rubbing against his temples, breathing out of his mouth.
Everyone's mind at a shutters cock and rod. But Mosa's mind was clear, it was at peace.
Hehe well I did it Gerl… you happy now?...
His mouth slowly forming into a smirk.
"I can't believe the King did this…after everything we've done for him."
"Even gave up being outlaws."
The lord, clenching his fist and gnawing his teeth as veins slither up his hands.
Snoino looks towards Mosa's bloodied face, his eyes suddenly droopy. His brows wrinkled together.
"Don't worry… Everything is—"
Mosa…suddenly couldn't hearing him anymore.
What's happening?
His vision becoming blurry.
Trying to speak… but can't his lips feel weighted.
Ahh… that warm and cold feeling— why now?
Slowly he tries to move his hands.
His right hand was on his stomach—feeling so warm and moist.
…
My…own blood?
So that entire time, I've just been….
Damn…hehe…
At least I was useful to them in the very end huh?
Hmmm…
But why I'm I at this much ease?
Mosa's ears still picking up nothing, only silence—complete and utter silence.
The evening light piercing through a window, Shining on his bloodied and worn out body.
It illuminates the dust particles in the air as they flow upwards and towards the window.
Mosa's slightly closed eye, witnesses it all.
Huh…would you like at that…
I-Its just beautiful…Ain't it?
His eyes, slowly closing…
His mouth gapped apart and no more tasting that metallic taste…
His muscles, loosening up…
His body slowly going numb…
Why's everything suddenly cold?
Everything is just dark…
I…Can't…even…
...
No sound can be heard, even his light breaths came to a complete halt.
Snoino's face growing from caring…to something more dreadful.
"Hey… Mosa?" Snoino gently taps him on the face.
"Mosa!" He then slaps him on face repeatedly.
"No…"
Tears immediately began to fill up his old weary eyes.
The lord, clenching his fist as he's standing there just like a statue.
General Fashma, bowing his head down.
An eerie silence enveloped the room.
So silent that if a pin was dropped…
It'll be heard.
The people around not even moving, their heads down, but no cries. They seemed to have turned into statues as well.
"MOSA!!!!"
"NO!!!!"
Snoino's loud cries fill up the room.
Giving life back to it.
"Heyy… I finally found a healer… and someone that we could use as a—" The waiter finally comes in, walking gleefully, his smile as bright as his white teeth.
Everyone stares at the waiter.
"How dare you?!" Snoino shouts at him, grabbing Mosa's worn down sword.
He throws it at the waiter.
"Eeek!" The waiter ducks down with his hands above his head.
CLANK! CLANK
The sword hitting the wall behind him.
"What took you so long?!" General Fashma raises his voice, a lone vein bulging on his forehead.
The lord standing there, still stiff.
He grunts and mumbles to himself.
"I swear… I swear…"
"They will pay…"
"He will pay…!"
The gold and silver trembling—Even the throne itself seemed to glow and wobble.
The evening light above Snoino and Mosa, The illuminated dust particles flowing towards the window themselves.
As birds fly past the old stronghold.
Care-free and oblivious to what had just happend—no… to any of the world's woes.
Only going where they feel like going, as they fly into the sun—-The light blinding.
…
Then somewhere off… Far from what just happened, where mud and wilderness had a child, birds fly overhead on someone riding a horse as it drags its foot through the mud.
Wind softly blows, moving the person's hair and the horse's mane.
"Tch!"
I just hate this!
His coat flowing with wind on the saddle.
—The end of chapter 3—