“No human being is so bad as to be beyond redemption.”
—Mahatma Gandhi

Chapter 3: Far From The Past

The streets were dead silent, stains of dried blood were painting the ground as the ashes were dancing in the air like snowdrops from winter. The sun was covered by the clouds, leaving the place in a shadowy atmosphere.

Despite the ghostly surroundings, it was still a peaceful place. For he was wandering to find food and resources, this was good. No noise meant no trouble. He stood in front of a ruined house and looked inside from the window, the place was all empty, as expected. He pushed the door, only for it to break down with a loud crack.

It didn’t matter, with a step forward he entered the house and took a look at the place, the living room was ahead, donated with a sofa, two armchairs which he assumed were coated with velvet. On the left, was the upstairs that led to the second floor and on the right was the reason he was here, the kitchen. He quickly made his way to the counter and started searching the cabinets.

To his misfortune, first two of them appeared to be empty, the third however contained a well prize, a box of cookies which seemed to be unopened. He reached out and put it in his bag before turning to the refrigerator. As he opened its door, he came face to face with a colony of insects that he couldn’t identify. Of course all this time they would end up here without the device working. To his luck however, there was a bottle that caught his attention down in the drawer: Apple cider. With a smirk he grabbed the bottle and examined it carefully, Sweet Apple Acres. He remembered hearing about the place and its cider before, knowing about its products but never having a chance to taste them himself, until now.

After containing what he found, he left the house to check the other buildings. A few more family homes, two restaurants, five shops and now here’s what he had: Three boxes of cookies, seven cans of corn, a bottle of cider and a whine, two breads and some cheese. It wasn’t bad, in fact, a pretty good meal for a while to keep him up. The only thing he needed now was some water. He went to a house ahead he didn’t check but couldn’t find anything.

After about half an hour of searching, he was starting to get impatient, there really was no water to be seen anywhere. Just when he was about to get out of the house he was in, a loud humming took over his ears. He quickly got to cover on the side of the door as he got his pistol from the holster. The humming slowly turned into a loud singing. He knew what the sound belonged to. Four peeked from the door side to see the source of the sound. In the distance, a giant, flying being was approaching in the air that resembled a seahorse. There was a siren.

Instantly, he got back to his cover to avoid the odds of confronting the beast. Normally, a single squad of Imperial troopers could take down a Siren with ease but with his limited resources and the fact he was alone, he wouldn’t even be able to defend himself let alone kill it. Sirens were among the most ruthless enemies the Empire has ever faced. The way they killed their men during the fight, with one word, was nightmarish. He remembered those things eating up soldiers alive in the battle. Damn, if he was to be seen by this one here, he would definitely end up being its meal. The idea gave chills to Four.

He then peeked out to see what the beast was up to, it was floating around in the streets, probably searching for food. Why would it be here anyway, if not for food? It then turned towards a house next to it, stretched out its head from the window to take a look inside. “Oh?” He genuinely didn’t expect that, it was checking inside of buildings and that was not good news for Four.

He slowly stood up, trying his best to avoid making any noise, closed the front door and made his way towards the back door of the house. While walking, his elbow hit a Vase standing over the counter. In reflex, he quickly grabbed the object before hitting the ground. “Phew.” He slowly put the Vase back on its place and turned back to the door. Just as he took a step forward, one of the corn cans in his bag slipped out and landed on the ground with a loud clang. “Fuck me…”

Four quickly jumped to his side to hide behind the wall. After a short moment of silence, the door he just closed broke down as the sound of heavy breathing and growling invaded the place. It was there, on the left and behind the wall… If it moved forward a little, they would come face to face. He quickly drew his pistol towards the edge of the wall. With the heavy breathing came closer, its muzzle came to view along with it. It had sharp, dragon-like teeth and scars on its face.

Four was holding his breath as he remained still with the pistol’s barrel facing towards the face of the beast, one wrong move would mean instant death at this point. The beast sniffed the air a few times, then opened its mouth to reveal the rest of the knives lined up on its jaws. Its long tongue moved out and licked the lips and the sides of its mouth as it drooled more.

All Four could do was to watch the disgusting scene without having a chance to breathe with the gun in his hand. Just if it showed its eye, he could have a chance of killing it. He just hoped he wouldn't have to do such a thing. To his luck, after sniffing the air a bit longer, it backed away from the building, leaving Four in bittersweet relaxation.

After being sure that it left, he made his way to exit in front of him. He left the building and walked as away as possible from the siren quickly. He believed he walked long enough to throw off his track, that was until he came across a pink little animal in front of him.

“A… Pig?” Four raised a brow. It would actually make a good meal. He took up his weapon from its holster but stopped before he pulled the trigger, “The Siren…” The sound of the gun would definitely attract the siren and if he couldn’t get it with a single shot, the animal’s screeching would certainly preserve his own end. It’s your lucky day champ.” With disappointment, Four put his gun back in the holster and walked past it.

But the animal must have been interested in him that Four felt a grip on his foot, the stupid pig was biting on his pants. He tried to pull off his leg but it wasn’t letting go. With a rush, he swung the pig that it flew back at the wall behind. The impact must have hurt so much that screeching of the animal echoed all over the place.

Four quickly got behind the wall against where the pig was, there was no way the siren couldn’t have heard that. Without moving a muscle he started watching the animal, it was just a matter of time for the siren to show up for its prey now. It was still dead silent, except for the wailing pig ahead. Instantly, a bulky figure lunged at the pig from the side, grabbing it deep and landing on the ground with force as the poor animal cried in pain. Blood splattered on the wall, painted the old building with its insides as Four backed away without hesitation.

It was a disgusting scene to watch, those things… So clever but so primitive. He was just wishing he didn’t fight on the Sirenian front. Who knew what kind of scars these beasts left on his fellow brothers back there. He then raised his head to check around to be sure where he was. The palace was standing in front of him, it was just a few houses ahead. Only thing that was separating him from safety was the road where the siren on the left was ripping its prey apart.

He quietly left his cover, began to make his way across the road while the beast was busy eating the pig. In a few steps he made it halfway through the road. Then as he turned his head right, he came face to face with a terrified pony. It was mare, from what he could tell by her look, she was a local. A wounded, scared local who was now in shock by the appearance of an imperial trooper. But what was she doing in here!? They should have evacuated the place months ago!

Without making a sound, Four quickly shaked his head to the sides as he put his finger on his lips. But it was no use. Whatever he could do wouldn’t prevent the mare from screaming at the top of her lungs.

“Fuck!” He threw himself on the ground as the beast flew over him to the mare. The screaming was silenced immediately. Four quickly got up and backed away from the siren. The beast raised its head with the red fluid dripping from its mouth and turned to the trooper behind it.

Every part of his body was screaming at Four as one: Run!

Troopers were firing at everything that was moving in front of them, shop carts, ponies, farm animals, refugee griffons, dragons, yaks and several other creatures that Four couldn’t even count. He, on the other hand, was on an anti-aircraft cannon, thinking deeply.

“E-Delta Four, fire!”

He looked at his hands, how many innocent lives did he take?

“E-Delta Four, shot that thing down!”

Why?

“E-DELTA FOUR!” He then got a hold of himself back again, gripped the triggers and aimed at the airship in the air. Just when he was about to pull it, something on the airship caught his eye. It was a filly, looking down on the town he probably once called home. The shine in its eyes was gone, replaced with a hopeless, saddened tone. They were like staring at his soul.

He couldn’t pull the trigger even if he tried to. His eyes were tearing, hands were shaking and the burning in his body was growing every time he forced himself to do it.

“E-Delta Four! What do you think you are doing! Blast that thing, out of the sky!” Commander shouted.

Four let go of the handle of the cannon as he stood up from the seat. No… He then took a step back from the machine, he was still shaking.

“E-Delta Four! What the fuck do you think you are doing! Get back in there, right now!”

No. Four looked at the commander, the massacre that was happening at the moment and the cannon he was sitting in seconds ago. He took off his helmet and shared a last moment with it before throwing it on the ground and running inside the buildings ahead.

“E-DELTA FOUR!” He could hear the commander yelling from behind.

He got inside a building which he assumed was a shop. Apart from the fire outside, the place was buried in darkness with no proper light source. He reached for his flashlight and checked the pleace, it was some sort of a boutique, judging from the clothes all over the place.

Several noises came from the counter. Four took up his pistol and directed at where the noises came. “I know you are in there! Show yourself!” Slowly, a horn, then an equine figure rose behind the counter, she was holding something in her hoof. It was a filly, from what he could tell by its appearance, it was a baby.

The mare was sobbing, shaking in fear before the invader trooper in front of her, the baby on the other hand, was sleeping despite all the chaos going on outside. It was easy to tell this mother was in great shock at the moment, any sudden move could make her lose it.

“He went this way!” A masculine voice rose from behind. “Take that traitor alive! I will have him judged in the Imperial Tribunal!”

Four slowly brought his gun down and shaked his head, implying her to go.

The pony’s sobbing slowed down with the unexpected relief, “T—Thank you…” was all she could say before leaving the place from the backdoor.

Four placed his pistol in the holster and made his way out of the boutique, to the forest ahead. He was now officially a runaway.

Four was making sharp turns between the buildings with the beast behind him, it was getting closer with every straight line he made, then whenever it was about to catch him, the turns he was making were building the distance back, preventing the beast from biting him off.

This cycle wouldn’t save him forever, the buildings around were breaking down with every hit the beast gave, they wouldn’t keep him safe, running in an open area was on the other hand, nothing but suicide at this point. As he kept his tempo, the sound of chiming caught his attention, just ahead was a clock tower, shading over the surroundings. What he was focused on however, was nothing else than the metal bell on its top. With one last sharp turn, he pushed the ground harder with his feet and ran towards the building, the beast followed.

Four threw himself inside and crawled backwards from the entrance as the siren’s head followed, just to take a piece from his flesh but its body was stopped by the narrow doorway. Its jaws snapped a few times, if he was a few inches closer, he’d be in the beast’s stomach by now. He quickly got up and headed towards the stairs as the siren kept forcing itself inside, from what he could tell by the situation of the walls around the doorway, it wouldn’t take long for the beast to break in.

He successfully climbed to the top, to find himself in front of the bell. The beast’s growling could be heard from down, without losing time he took out his knife and started cutting the thick rope of the bell. Just when he cut it halfway through, the building started to shake, he looked down to see the beast inside the building, ascending to the top. He was cutting as fast as he could, only one more slash of the knife and— the building shaked again, much more rapidly this time, it was wrecking the whole building!

He jumped on the curved structure and struck his knife to the rope one last time before holding onto the metal object and letting gravity do its job. He looked down once again to see the siren in the middle of the collapsing tower. Despite all of this going on around them, its eyes were fixed on him like the predator it was. This was of course, until everything fell apart for both of them.

Four opened his eyes, or at least he tried to, with the ringing in his ears and the blurry sight, he couldn’t keep up much longer and before he could even get up, he passed out in the place.

By the time he reopened his eyes, the sun had already set and it was getting darker. He tried to get up but came to realize the slimy, soft texture surrounding his lower body. He looked down and saw the big jaw fixated on his legs, he could feel the hard teeth pressing on his flesh, see the saliva mixed with blood, dripping from the sides of its mouth. The flame in its eyes was extinguished, yes, it was dead. He gripped the lower jaw of the creature and lifted it to free his legs, being careful for the teeth to not cut him.

After freeing from the siren’s mouth, he got to his feet and stretched out, he didn’t know how long he was out but he didn’t care, he was just happy to make it out alive from this situation. He took a look at the now dead siren, the enormous bell fell between its head and body, tore the long neck apart from them, the red fluid was leaking underneath, forming a pool of blood near the giant corpse, he could tell it was decaying by the disgusting odor that filled his nostrils. He turned back and left the corpse to decay all by itself.

The weather was getting colder and none of these houses would make a good shelter, he knew what his destination was, the Crystal Palace. Without losing time he headed to the giant structure.

Two crystal columns, one rooting from the ceiling and the other from the ground, connected near the surface by a black box surrounding where the crystal heart would be. The Empire was aware of the situation with the crystal heart, the first thing they had done after taking over the Crystal City was to secure the heart and prevent the place from drowning in the hard winter.

Four put his hand on the box and closed his eyes for a minute, he could feel the warmth coming from the heart and hear the humming, it was in fact quite a satisfying moment to experience. Alas, he had to cut it short for the cold night was about to take over the night.

He headed to the entrance on the corner of the structure, got inside and closed the door from behind. With that, the stairway in front of him illuminated with the colourful crystals on the wall, so the magic still was functioning after all. One by one he climbed through the slabs just to find himself in front of a long hall with numerous doors.

“Alright, I only need to find the kitchen, then a bedroom. That’s all.” Four then scanned the long hallway, there were doors on both sides, all resembling each other with no signs on them… “Piece of cake…”

After an hour of searching the place, he had finally acquired what he needed. Bottles of clean, drinkable water. Heck, did they really have to make all the doors the same though? Now all he had to do was to find a room to spend the night, he looked around and laid his eyes on the majestic double doors ahead, the royal suite.

“Bingo.” Four then made it to the room, opened the door to peek an eye out, it was empty, all the clothes and the furniture was all over the place but to his luck, the bed was still in a good condition. He shut the doors and headed to the bed, dropped his stuff on the floor then threw himself on the soft surface after taking his armor off of himself.

Finally somewhere comfortable without a sleeping bag. He thought as he reached to the blanket and pulled it on himself. As he did so, something fell down with a thud, he didn’t know what that was but couldn’t care to check at the moment. Right now, it was bedtime and whatever that was could wait for tomorrow morning.

Four closed his eyes and dived into the darkness until the morning sun…

Author's Note

There it is.