The Forgotten Field Chapter 73: Act 2. Despair Is Ash-Colored

isearliestmoryalwaysbeganinthesaplace.

Avastplaindyedingold.Windsweptacrossitingreatgusts.

Ashepushedthroughtheripplinggrass,anunnaturallydeepblueskypoureddownoverhishead.

Consudbyanintensethrill,arkaswanderedbetweentheboundarywheregoldandbluet.

Atsopoint,henolongerknewwherehewasheaded.esimplyranthroughthewindwithoutathought.

ewasfree.

ecouldgoanywhereanddoanything.

hebeautifulworldbeforehiseyeswhisperedso.

isheartpoundedasthoughitmightburst.

heheatofbloodflowingthroughhisveinsandthechillofthedryairfillinghislungs.

verysensationtoldhimthathewasalive.

etastedthejoyoflife.

Butbrillianceneverlasted.

hickgraywallsclosedinaroundhimfroverydirection.

nanarrowspacetoocrampedtoliedownin,toocrampedeventosit,imprisonedinaroomnodifferentfromacoffin,heclawedatthewallsuntilhisnailssplitandcollapsed.

hatfutileresistancedidnotlastlong.

hroughthenarrowslitinthewall,theeyesofafanaticwatchedhimfromtitoti.Untilallthe'evil'dwellingwithinhimhadbeenannihilated,thepriestwouldneverreleasehim.

Amidimasurabledespair,hebegankillingoffhissensesonebyone.

Painwasthefirstthinghetoreaway.

extcatasteandsll.

Atsopoint,henolongerfelthunger,andeventhedesiretosleepvanished.

ecouldnolongerbecalledalivingcreature.

nlyaftereverythinginsidehimhadevaporatedandnothingremainedbutanemptyshelldidthedoorofthetombopen.

Withholloweyes,helookedupatthepersonstandingagainstthelight.nsteadofcoldeyesgleamingwithstrangeheatandafaceasfrigidasforgedsteel,hesawaslenderfacegonepalewithshock.

Awomanwithdarkhairandpaleeyesstretchedoutherarmstowardhim.hinfingerstouchedhiscrackedcheek.Yethefeltnothingbutthefaintestpressure.

hathand,whichmighthavebeensalvation,ledhimoutofthegrave.

heicysunlightpouredintohispupils.

Anunnaturallypalelandscapefilledhisvision.

Beforelong,herealizedthateverythinghesawhadanash-grayhue.

Afadedworldwithoutcolororscent.

tfeltasthoughtheentireworldmightcrumbleintoashesatanymont.

o.

Perhapsitwashehimselfwhohadbecoash.

eslowlyliftedhiseyelids.

Foramont,hecouldnotrecognizewherehewas.

nlyafterseveralsecondsdidtheshadowedceilingofatentcointoview.

eslowlyraisedhisarm.

otthebonyhandofachild,butthehandofagrownman,veinsandtendonsstandingoutbeneaththeskin.

Asthoughconfirmingsothing,heranhisfingersoveritwhenasoundlikethecryofabeastreachedhisears.

arkasrosechanically.

Almostatthesati,asoldierburstintothetent.

"SirSiorcan!Direwolveshaveappeared!"

eimdiatelyswunghislegsoffthebed.

rabbingthehalberdrestingbesidehishead,hestrodeoutsidewhileattendantswaitingnearbyrushedforwardandfastenedalightbreastplateoverhisbody.

Shakingofftheirbothersohands,heswiftlysurveyedthechaoticcamp.

Paledawnlightfaintlyilluminatedtherowsoforderlytentsandthesoldiersfranticallyrunningbetweenthem.

Beforelong,hefoundit.

Apitch-blackbeastnearlyeightcrevetslong,roughlytwohundredandfortycentitersfromnosetotail.

hemonsterseedtonoticehimaswell.

oweringitsbody,thegiantwolflauncheditselfforwardwithasavageroar.

arkassteppedforwardwithhisleftfootandgrippedthehalberddiagonally.

heheavyaxebladeattachedtothespearheadtiltedtowardtheground.

heinstanttheblackshadowfilledhisvision,hetwistedtheshafttightlyandswunginawidediagonalarc.

hecrescent-shapedbladepiercedthewolf'stoughhide,cleavingthroughdensefleshandthickbonesinasinglestroke.

Stickyblooderuptedlikeafountainfromtheseveredneck.

Roughlywipingtheliquidsplashedacrosshischeekwithhissleeve,heturnedhisheadandsurveyedhissurroundings.

Betweentherowsofconifersstandinglikeawall,ash-coloredbeastswerealreadyscatteringwithastonishingspeed.

Realizingtheywereretreating,arkasloweredhisgazetowardthemassivecorpsesprawledontheground.

'...Sothisonewasthealpha.'

ncewolveslosttheirleader,theyquicklylosttheirstructureandfellapart.

Plantingthetipofhishalberdintotheearth,heheadedtowardthecollapsedtentstoassessthedamage.

Amongbrokenpolesandheapsofsand-coloredcanvas,anotherblack,fur-coveredbeastlaydead.

ebentdowntoexaminethewolfwithitsheartpiercedwhenalight,sowhatfrivolousvoicecafrombehindhim.

"Quitethelivelywelcoonyourveryfirstdaybackho."

urninghishead,hesawamanwearingnothingbutaloosecoatdrapedoverhisbareupperbody.

AwarrioroftheBarakantribe.

Drivingtheaxe-spearinhishandintotheground,themangesturedtowardtheforestwithhischin.

"Shallsendthenafterthem?"

"Wecan'tdivideourforcesrightnow.Securethecampandstrengthenthewatchfirst."

"here'sbarelyanydamageworthntioning.heyonlycarriedoffonepackhorse."

Massagingthebackofhisneckwithonehand,themanrepliedabsentmindedly.

"negreenhornwhojustcompletedhiscoming-of-ageceremonygotinjured,butthankfullynoonedied."

arkasstraightened.

hesunhadalreadyrisenfully,illuminatingeverycorneroftheruinedcamp.

Aftercalmlylookingaroundtoestimatethedamagemoreaccurately,heturnedhiseyesbacktotheman.

"Cleanupthecamp.Wemovebeforemorebeastsaredrawnbythesllofblood."

"Asyoucommand."

hemanturnedawaywithleisurelysteps,andarkasheadedtowardthecenterofthecamp.

xcitedhorsesbeingcaldbysoldiersandservantsclearingawaybrokententspassedbeforehiseyes.

Walkingpastthem,hestoppedbeforeawaterskinplacedbesidethelargecommandtent.

ntheclearrainwatercollectedthepreviousday,aghostlypalereflectionappeared.

estaredatitforamontbeforescoopingupwaterandwashingthebloodfromhisface.

helukewarmtouchofthewaterprovidedafaintstimulationagainsthisskin.

Afterroughlywipingit◆оvеlіgһt◆(nlyonоvеlіgһt)away,hebroughthishandtohisnoseandinhaled.

hetallicscentofbloodhadfaded,replacedbythefaintsllofwater.

ecouldnottellwhichscentwaspreferable.

Sllhadbeenthefirstsensetoreturn.

Yetevennow,hecouldnotconnectthestimulireachinghisbrainwithemotion.

ecoulddistinguishdifferentscentsandtheirintensity,buttheyneverbecasothingpleasantorunpleasant.erelydifferentiated,throughlearning,betweenwhatgaveothersafavorableimpressionandwhatdidnot.

Andaccordingtoeverythinghehadlearned,thesllofbloodespeciallymadepeopleuncomfortable.

estrippedoffthestainedarmorandtosseditcarelesslyontothegroundbeforecheckinghisshirt.

Fortunately,nobloodstainswerevisible.

Butperhapssootherunpleasantsll,onehehimselfcouldnotrecognize,hadseepedintoit.

eturnedtowardhistenttochangeclothes.

henhenoticedaquarter-dwarfwomananxiouslypacingbeforeatentinthecenterofthecamp.

Withouthesitation,arkaswalkedstraighttowardher.

"Whatisit?"

ventohisownears,hisvoicesoundedroughandforeign.

hewomanalsojumpedinsurpriseandlookedathimwithfrightenedeyes.

"M-Milord,theyoungladyhasbeenmissingsinceearlier..."

Atthatinstant,asharpringingechoedinsidehisears.