Ch 2 : The Greater Tragedy

They had gone to the vicinity near Agur Mountain, not that far behind Rachen. There was an abandoned cave there, shallow and dry.

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"Listen," Heldia told the twins, trying to sound like their father Magamus von Agilrach when she took a peek at his intercourse with her Mother accidentally. "This cave is a castle. You two are the guards. You must find white rocks to defend it. Ten white rocks each."

Irina, bolder despite being born minutes later, put her hands on her hips. "Why do we have to stay here? You always get to explore."

"Because I am older and because I said so," Heldia said.

"That is not a reason," Irina said.

"It is a reason because I am nine and you are six," Heldia said. "And because if you come with me you will step on a snake."

Erina, tugged Irina's sleeve. "There is a good white one there. Look."

"Fine," Irina said, still glaring at Heldia. "But if we find ten first, we get to be duchess and you have to be the horse."

"Deal," Heldia said, and she smiled despite herself. "Stay in the castle. That is an order from your commander."

"Yes, commander," Erina said solemnly, and saluted with a rock.

Heldia walked up the small rise behind the cave, just enough to see over the scrub and see her hometown. The wind stopped. The birds stopped. Then the sky tore.

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*BOOM!!*

There was a loud sound that was not thunder.

"Father?" Heldia whispered to the empty air.

Fire engulfed Rachen. Not a house fire. All of it at once, as if the town had been lit from below. Smoke rose in a black pillar that turned the gloom yellow.

Through the smoke, things moved. Creatures from the demon world such as goblins, ogres, trolls, even lesser dragons.

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She saw them massacre, dismember, and eat. She saw people she knew. She saw a baker torn between two goblins. She saw a guardsman of her father's house try to hold a line, and an ogre took his head and squeezed until it burst.

Her legs went soft.

One of the goblin horde saw her. It screamed and ran at her with a wooden club in its hand.

Heldia kneeled. She could not stand. The wooden club rose.

"Hey! Ugly!"

A voice cut through the screaming. A man moved between her and the goblin, so fast the wind blew her braided hair back. He was young, perhaps twenty five, with blue hair tied messily and rugged light armor patched many times. In his right hand a curved sword, in his left a mace.

He slew the goblin with a single cut and then brought the mace down to be sure.

Blood sprayed her cheek. Hot.

He looked at her, breathing hard, eyes tired.

"Are you hurt, kid?" he said.

*shake*

*shake*

Heldia only shook her head twice. She could not speak.

"Good. Listen to me. What is your name?"

"H-Heldia," she whispered.

"Heldia, do you have family?"

"In the cave, my sisters," she said, pointing.

He crouched, so his eyes were level with hers. "Heldia, you need to run now. Take your sisters and run into the mountain. Do not look back at Rachen. Do you understand? The bells are gone. Do not wait for bells."

"My mother and father are in Rachen," she said.

"My father is Magamus von Agilrach. He is strong."

The man closed his eyes for a second. "Ah.. the Duke.. His last wo-- i mean, he told me to find the children by the mountain. so that was you. You have to run, okay?"

"Where is my Father?? and my Mother?? will you come with us?"

"They are.. fine. maybe." he said.

"No, I have to go back. Now run, Heldia von Agilrach. Run and do not stop until you cannot hear the fire."

"What do you mean, mister?" she asks.

but that man hurriedly ran towards the blaze inside Rachen without a words.

So she heed his words and ran. She ran back to the cave where her sisters were, heart beating so fast she thought it would break.

"What was that sound?" Irina asked when she burst in, panting, face streaked with blood that was not hers.

"Nothing," Heldia said, pulling them both into her lap. Her hands shook. "It was nothing, just hunters."

"The sky is black," Erina whispered. She looked past the cave mouth where the glow was now orange. "Sister, the town is burning. I can smell it."

Heldia put her hands over their eyes, gently.

"Close your eyes," she said. "We are playing a new game. The game is we sleep here tonight. Whoever sleeps longest gets to be Empress of Apixus."

"That is a stupid prize," Irina said, but her voice wobbled. "Is Mother coming?"

"Mother said.. to stay here for tonight" Heldia said, and her voice cracked. "She will find us. For now we sleep. It is fine."

"Is it fine?" Erina asked, small.

"It is fine," Heldia said, over and over, until it sounded true. "It is fine, it is fine, I am here, it is fine."

The three of them fell asleep in the cave, huddled together under Heldia's thin cloak, while Magamus von Agilrach died protecting Kylene ein Falsid, and Kylene followed the same fate soon afterwards, and all of their other family died in that incident, except for her and her twin little sisters.

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Meanwhile in the front gate of Rachen

"Kylene!!" shout a man in a state that one couldn't tell is fine of not.

in front of him, a woman lying on the floorbed was swarmed with 8 goblins, one at each of her limbs, two holding her backbone, one covering her mouth from behind "Mmphhh--!!" that woman was Heldia's mother and the man earlier was her Father.

*ripping sounds*

one other goblin tore her dress, exposing her intimate part.

one of the Guardsmen outside the Gate shouted "Your highness!!" as he ran towards her slashing the goblins restricting her.

*slash*

*slash*

three goblins dead on the spot.

"Are you alright Your Highne--"

"Watch out!!" Kylene shouted as she saw one goblin behind the guard.

*stab*

"Guhh-- no.. i must.."

The goblind behind him plunged a dagger into her back, piercing through his stomach.

"Nooo-- Mmmpppfff!!!" shout her, again.

the surrounding goblins swarmed at her once more, twice the amounts. four restricting her while the others lined up holding their part of the lower body that resembles a big tipped, small staff, 2 inches long.

*thump*

the one on the front rammed the Cavern of the restricted woman. moving forward and backward in a fast pace.

the others stood still as if wait for their turn. some of them rubs their weapon back and forth.

"Nnnggghh..!!!" Kylene moaned while struggling. but it was useless.

*splurt*

"Kylene, NOOO!!!" Shouted Magamuz, he couldn't move, his legs are torn. he crawled towards her.

"MMMMMPPPFFF!!! KYAAKKK!!" She screamed as the goblins take turns.

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And the moment finally ends when the last goblin unplugged his weapon from her Cavern. leaving whole lot of White Mucus mixed with blood around her Cavern and its bushes.

They left.

Magamuz finally arrived near hear, after dreadfully crawl his way. he lost too much blood. so was she.

"I'm sorry, Kylene... My dear" he said

"... Ngk.. Keuk.." she couldn't spew a single words. Seizure befall her. it was pitiful and disheartening.

and then, after a few moment, they breathed their last breath while holding each other's hand.

Fortunately, this tragedy did not reach the ears of their beloved child. What burden shall they carry, if it does. The world is not so unforgiving to let that happens.

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to be continued..

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