In the middle of the night, under the moonlight, the platoon of soldiers moved quietly through the forest. Tall trees cast long shadows across the narrow path, and the cool night air rustled the leaves above them.
Riding their horses, they traveled in a formation. In the middle of the group was a large cage made only of metal bars on every side, allowing anyone to clearly see the captives inside.
Keeping an eye on the cultists, they talked among themselves.
"Finally, we put an end to this cat-and-mouse chase. I was so tired of these pests getting away every time."
"Right! Their atrocities have risen significantly in recent days… I just don't understand why the higher-ups are bothering with keeping this filth alive."
Shaking his head, the soldier turned away and looked at the cultists with disgust. Spitting on them, he shook his head again.
"Everyone has the same opinion…" Moving his horse closer to his companion, he whispered softly in his ear.
"I heard that because of the rumors of the king being incompetent, he is thinking of making a big show out of it. He will make them an example and have them executed in public. Within a week I suppose."
"Oh! That makes sense after the death of the previous king… the kingdom is going downhill."
"Shush!... Don't."
Nodding their heads, the soldiers stopped talking about the current affairs of the kingdom and shifted their focus back to the captives.
"What about that giant..."
Hearing the question, the other soldier remembered the conversation he had heard before and whispered, "Don't tell anyone, but I heard the higher-ups talk about some forbidden magic used there. And I think he is one of the byproducts of that."
"Poor soul… is he going to be executed as well?"
"Nope… that's the strange part… they are thinking of using him on the frontline."
"Tsk!"
Clicking his tongue, the soldier sighed in disappointment. The kingdom had been slowly losing its empathy. Once a place that boasted morals and compassion above all had now become the total opposite of it.
The two men continued their conversation.
Unnoticed by either of them, Ash listened quietly. Having only recently woken from the spell, he struggled to make sense of his situation.
'So they are going to kill me before the end of the week… am I just a showpiece to them now? I have to escape before we enter the kingdom… but how?'
Ash thought, opening his eyes ever so slightly, and inspected his condition.
He was handcuffed, while chains bound his legs and his torso, securing him completely. If that wasn't enough, he found the restraints locked directly to the cage's steel bars.
Rows of soldiers moved around the perimeter with no gaps in their formation. He couldn't find any opening in their ranks. But even before that, the cage itself was a big problem.
'The cage can be opened if the giant tries…'
The only way out was if the giant could rip the cage apart, and they could vanish into the jungle. The problem was how to convince the monster to do that.
Knowing it was worth the gamble, Ash looked for the giant.
'Huh!'
He found him in an instant, for the giant was sleeping right beside him.
The three other cultists were on the opposite side, while the large brute had moved toward him for some unknown reason. Sleeping peacefully, he had folded his legs to his stomach, a thumb in his mouth, and sucked on it.
'Why is he so close to me?'
For obvious reasons, Ash was unnerved by the giant being this close to him.
'Could the one whose body this belongs to have been close to the giant? Now, this can work in my favor…'
Ash thought, seeing a ray of hope shining from the creature's ugly face.
From his speech pattern, it was obvious that the giant had the mental capability of a child. If he could somehow manipulate him to break the cage, all of them could get free.
'I'm sorry, but there is no other choice… and anyway, you are just an illusion..' Thinking to himself, Ash moved closer to the giant and tried to pinch him.
He tried and tried again, but the giant didn't even budge.
'What is he made of… stone?'
No matter how much strength he put in, he couldn't make the giant feel anything. After trying for a minute or two, Ash eventually gave up. His strength wasn't up to standard.
'Tsk! What a sleepyhead… why doesn't he wake up…' He thought of whispering in his ear but quickly gave up that idea.
Flopping on his back, he stared at the sky. Two beautiful moons hung up in the starry sky, making him forget all his worries.
Sighing, Ash couldn't help but compare it to the void—The Reckoning. As his mind slipped toward that memory, Ash remembered the other humans he had seen there.
'Is Kite going through the same trial?'
: : N O : :
Remembering about Kite, Ash felt a bit relieved.
'It's good… if someone like him were to revive, the world could become a great place…'
: : W H A T A B O U T Y O U? Y O U D O N'T W A N T T O A W K E N : :
Kite was someone Ash didn't know he needed in life. The man was kind, compassionate, and most of all, he knew how to listen. It was this quality of his that Ash liked the most.
: : Y E T Y O U D O N'T L I S T E N T O M E : :
'Me…' Frowning, Ash looked around, thinking someone was talking to him, but no such person was there.
: : L E T U S M E E T : :
Ash suddenly felt gravity shift beneath him. The starry sky above seemed to pull him upward like a giant invisible force. His feet left the ground, and he began to float higher and higher.
Surrounded by countless stars, he felt frightened as the sky appeared to swallow him whole.
Arghh!!—
Before he could cry out, he found himself transported into a place where nothing existed. Everywhere he looked, there was nothing but darkness.
Arghhh!
The lack of detail began to break his psyche apart, but before it could deteriorate to a dangerous level, something ancient whispered in his ear.
"How curious. Such pride, from one whose spark has yet to awaken."