2 (1/2)

The cold, morning wind enveloped him as he nocked his next arrow. He made sure to position himself behind a few of the larger violet bushes he could find nearby. Don't fuck this up. Don't fuck this up. He repeated. He inhaled, trying to steel his nerves as well as a sixteen-year-old could, and concentrate on the task in front of him. In the distance ahead, a single ice-wolf ate away at a careth corpse. Jin had watched as the ice-wolf cast a spell to freeze the careth, and subsequently dismembered it. Poor bastard never had a chance. Jin narrowed his eyes and pulled the arrow back.

Suddenly, a force struck his side, something so strong it sent him flying in the opposite direction. Jin yelped a panicked cry, but quickly rolled into a crouch. He didn't have to look to his side, which he knew had been injured. The pain was quite enough evidence for that. Ferally, he looked back at the spot where he had just been attacked. Of course. He thought. There were two other ice-wolves growling at him up ahead. The one that had been feasting earlier also turned to face him. He had forgotten one of Elizabeth's first hunting lessons. ”Wolves are always in packs.” Jin quoted in his mind, resisting the urge to sigh. Alright. He thought. Let's do this.

He cautiously placed the bow on the ground and unsheathed the sword Elizabeth had gifted him just a few years ago. His eyes snapped between the three targets. One was quite a large distance away, the other two though were right in front of him. He had two concerns in this fight, aside from their numbers. For one, ice-wolves can cast, as their name implies, ice magic. If Jin lost focus, he could find himself encased in solid ice, unable to prevent the animals from tearing his limbs off. His other concern was the fact that even though he'd been hunting by himself for about two years now, he was still a terrible fighter. Elizabeth had told him that one day, he'd just ”get it”, but that day refused to come. He was much better with a bow than a sword, but a bow was not an option in this situation.

Before he could form a coherent plan though, the wolves attacked. One cast a spell at him from afar, unleashing a torrent of blue steam in his direction. The other two lunged forwards. He grimaced, and rolled to the side, just quick enough as to avoid all three attacks. It wasn't out of luck that he managed to avoid certain death, he had simply found himself in this situation before. The first time this had happened to him, he wasn't so lucky, and gathered four scars to remember that. He swiftly spun as a wolf landed beside him, and his blade caught a large section of its neck. Another blue line of steam erupted in his direction, and Jin clicked his tongue before scurrying away. This time, however, the survivor of the two wolves that attacked him head-on was there to capitalize on his sluggishness. He landed on top of Jin, ready to bite into his neck and rip out any chances Jin thought he had of winning.

Only, Jin wasn't about to let this happen. He placed his palm upwards, facing the wolf from below, and just as the beast was about to tear into his skin, he closed his eyes and cast his own magic. A ball of flame emerged, the force of which pushed the wolf right off him. He knew it wasn't dead, Jin's magic was nowhere near strong enough to be lethal, but it did the job. He ran, avoiding another blue cyclone and plunged his sword into the wolf's head. The blood splattered across his face, and quickly, he turned to grace his final opponent.

However, the last ice-wolf didn't seem to be so eager to face him, and simply turned and ran off. The battle was over in under a minute. Not because Jin was just that skilled, according to Elizabeth, he ”sucked beyond belief”. Rather, unlike the epic battles that would ensue in the storybooks she used to read to him years ago, fights in the real world were often decided quickly. Elizabeth used to tell him, ”whether you live or die is decided before the first swing of your sword”. He scorned himself for his earlier mistake, failing to identify the pack before it attacked him, and went to gather their corpses. At least they'd be eating well tonight.

The trees swung back and forth as Jin walked between them, carrying two animal corpses. One of the wolves on his shoulder, and the small careth, a two-legged, black-eyed fluffy white thing that had the fur ripped off by the wolf, hung from his waist. This was enough for a few days if he preserved it right.

It dawned on him how many times he'd experienced this scene. The almost glowing vegetation, the songs birds sang, the frosty air nipping away at his exposed skin. The sweat rolling down his chest and forehead. As much as he wanted to take it for granted, Elizabeth always told him to admire this whenever he could. ”Other people don't get to see this every day like you do.”

The word stung when he remembered it. ”People”. Meaning other humans, elves, beastmen, and demons. It stung because he remembered the one time he'd seen someone ”else”. Someone other than Elizabeth. A memory that still tore at him at night. Elizabeth still didn't know. He had gotten good at hiding the tears that surfaced whenever that day played back in his mind. Killing animals was one thing, it was hunting, it was survival… But…

No, he'd not remember this. Not now. This day was starting off well, he'd not taint it so soon. Instead, he maneuvered through that buzzing wildlife, and eventually found himself back at the cabin he called home. ”Home”. There was another one of those words Elizabeth had taught him. He didn't quite understand the significance of this though. What was the difference between a ”home” and a ”house”? The way Elizabeth described them, they sounded like the same thing. Still, Elizabeth insisted there was a difference. He shrugged internally and walked up to that place. He was about to place his hand on the wooden door, decorated with various leaves and flowers forming a sort of crown around it, when his eyes trailed to the side.

He glanced at a stone tablet that was placed over a distinct part of the land. The tablet simply read, ”Sofia”. Emotions Jin didn't quite understand appeared inside of him. Elizabeth had told him much about this woman he called his ”mother”, but he still felt he didn't quite know her. He shook his head and forced himself to open the door.

Inside, Elizabeth's growingly-frail frame was cutting vegetables in the kitchen. She glanced at him, and her brown eyes narrowed into a scowl. He then remembered the injury he'd suffered. He'd become so used to these things happening that it barely hurt after a while.

”Tell me what happened.” Elizabeth simply ordered.

”I, uh…” Could he really tell her he messed up again?

”Ya forgot, didn't ya?”

”Okay, yeah, but I still won!” Jin replied.

”Dammit Jin, how many times does an ice-wolf have to claw yer ass before ya get the damn message?”

”It won't happen again!”

”That's what you said the last time!” Elizabeth snapped back. ”Sigh Just put the damn things on the table.” She instructed.

Jin walked over to the large, cream-colored structure in the middle of the room. He set down both corpses on it, and without a word, reached for his dagger and started to skin the beasts. He'd have to clean his clothing afterwards, but he didn't mind. It was a process that was so practiced that, even as his mind began to drift he kept at it. It was an almost mechanical procedure, one learned through years of having to hunt and prepare his own meals.

Elizabeth coughed. Jin briefly glanced at her. He knew she was getting worse, but he had no idea how to stop whatever affliction she had. The herbalism she had taught him was useless, and Elizabeth never even referenced her health, so he never had the chance to ask about it. He realized that even now, after spending all his life with this woman, his ”aunt”, he didn't know much about her either. She told him stories, sure. Tales of what she did before she lived here, as if such a concept as ”before” was something Jin could conceive of, but she refrained from talking about herself whenever she could.

Jin never questioned it though. He just assumed this was what ”people” were like.

His eyes drifted towards a large piece of paper pinned to one of the walls in front of him. It was a map.

The paper presented one large figure, that extended vertically, and was of a low width, with a name on the top that read ”Azeria”. Within, were various segmented, labeled parts. Each label read a name of which he'd only ever heard of. Elizabeth would tell him of these places, but he'd never seen any of them. The farthest he'd ever strayed from the cabin was… No, no need to remember that just yet. He squinted his eyes and scanned over it. He knew each name by heart, but found it entertaining to read through nonetheless. In the center, was a large square with the label ”Nova Kingdom”, where the elves live. Within that square were several smaller labels, but there was one larger than the others that read ”Nova”. Apparently, the kingdom and its capital shared the same name. Above, to the north, occupying a blue expanse was the label ”Farrah Valor”. According to Elizabeth, this was where the demons lived. Jin had never seen one before, but Elizabeth assured him that they were not much unlike humans. It always fascinated him to hear how she described them. ”People” with skin of various hues. Sometimes they wore horns, other times gems protruded from their skin. The eldest carried lines like scars that ran through their bodies. Apparently, they were also extremely adept at magic. That was another concept Jin found interesting. He knew one spell, [Fireball], which according to Elizabeth, was the most basic spell of all. Even then, it never ceased to amaze him that he could manifest flames from his hands.

Unfortunately, that spell was also the only one Elizabeth knew, so she never taught him beyond that.

His eyes drifted south, and he saw the name ”Griffin's Sight”. This was a place that baffled him. Apparently, here lived hybrids between animals and humans. The way Elizabeth said it was, ”imagine if a wolf had legs, abs and arms”. Jin's interest was piqued, but Elizabeth always stressed that these were not a kind type of person. That if Jin ever saw one, he should run.

Around those three countries, were a few other places. ”Isen, Akino, Tarashima, Hammerpoint, Corona” and others. Elizabeth said that these places were ”colonies”, areas that belonged to one of the three main nations but did not share the same ”rights”, or independent countries that would soon be colonies. His eyes returned to the ice-wolf that now lie completely red, with a single blue horn stabbing out of its skull.

A few hours later, it began to rain. Jin lied on his makeshift bed, weaved out of pelts and feathers. Hearing the repeated splashes of raindrops falling, feeling the temperature go ever lower, sleep tempted him. He didn't want to risk going through that dream again, or rather, that nightmare, but eventually he gave in.

Sure enough, it happened. He was suddenly transported to a time when his body could barely rise over a counter. When his hair had not yet grown to the size it is now, and when his skin wasn't riddled with the scars that decorate it today. He saw himself, a curious child, listening to Elizabeth tell her tales at night. Suddenly, Elizabeth grew quiet, and an expression Jin hadn't seen before graced her portrait, as she began looking side to side, as if searching for something.

She stood, and held a hand up, telling Jin to wait where he was, as she walked out of the bedroom. Jin heard a door open, and close, and he was alone. What was happening? Was something wrong? His small frame bounced off the bed and followed. He wasn't totally weak, he figured. If something was wrong, he could help! He arrived at the living room and saw that the front door led to a black expanse unlike what he'd ever seen. He'd never been outside at night, Elizabeth made sure that didn't happen. But here it was, a black void that extended into a world Jin did not know, a world his aunt just chose to traverse. He had to follow. He had to help. But, he wasn't foolish enough to go unarmed. He reached and grabbed a dagger that sat tied to the wall.

He steeled his nerves as best as child could, and he followed. He heard nothing. No wind, no animals, no life. Immediately, he was scared. Almost too scared to move. Until, he saw a flame in the distance. It was a single bright, orange spot in the middle of a black space. Not too far away from that spot, he could vaguely make out Elizabeth's figure. His eyes were beginning to adjust, and he started seeing things he had no idea had been there this whole time. He saw a single bird, perched on a nearby cliff to his left. He saw how there was a person in the distance, holding the flame. But that, wasn't what terrified him. What terrified him the most was the existence of four separate figures, just like Elizabeth's and his own, moving beside the flame.

He began to search, hoping to find the woman who had given him comfort all these years. She was not there. He thought of hiding, maybe he could go back inside, but a sound kept him still. Cries, the sound of metals clashing, something was happening. Someone was fighting. He looked back towards the fire and saw that each of the figures were dancing around another. And one by one, they began to fall. He could see a liquid rising from their bodies as they did, he could not identify it, but it was as if each person there was spewing water from their torsos. It looked unnatural.

His eyes widened when he realized one of those figures broke off from the rest and was headed his way. It was running, it was panicked. However, Jin saw that it wasn't looking towards him, it was looking back, where the rest of the silhouettes now lied still. He gulped. What was happening? Was he… In danger? His hands began to tremble as the person drew closer, and closer, and closer still. It was all happening so fast.

Something inside of him whispered in his ear. ”That thing is going to kill you”. It said. Jin realized it was his own voice speaking to him. ”Don't let it kill you.” It said once again. ”Kill it first.”

Jin closed his eyes and ran forwards as the figure drew nearer. He held his dagger out, and they collided. They toppled and fell. Jin didn't see what was happening, but he knew he was on top of whatever he had struck. He didn't want to open his eyes, he was afraid he might see a monster. And yet, he did, but it was not a monster that greeted him.

It was another ”person”. Like him, like Elizabeth. A woman with black hair, dressed in a suit of leather. It was her eyes that haunted him the most. Her eyes were wide and pleading. Jin looked down, and saw that his dagger, had stabbed through the armor, and collected that same dark liquid from earlier. He immediately let the blade go, and the woman began twisting, and turning, trying to shake Jin off. Before Jin could react, arms grabbed him. Elizabeth was there, and she carried Jin away. She held him in front of her and looked at him for a moment as if she could not believe what she was seeing. She briefly looked back at the woman who was trying to slither somewhere and looked back at Jin.

”I'm sure you had to.” She said, simply, before bringing Jin back inside the cabin.

Jin woke up. It was still raining.

He never saw what she did with the woman. And Elizabeth never mentioned it. All she said was that they were ”bandits”. Bad people. As if Jin knew how to distinguish between a ”bad” person and a ”good” one. But that day never left him. He still remembered how it felt. Hunting, killing animals to survive was something he was fine with, but for some reason, this felt wrong. He couldn't say why, looking back, he probably did have to, but still.

The rain continued to fall as Jin's eyes closed once more.