Mary's eyes turned to Androx, her eyes flashing red, fierce and cruel. hungry. She reached for him and he tried to twist away, but could not escape the animal's teeth; instead, he gasped in pain as their fangs dug into his bones. She grabbed the front of his robe, which suddenly fell to the floor like wet papyrus. He was used to being naked in public, but even under her gaze he felt exposed and ashamed. She reached out to scratch his face, but he tried to bite her finger. She grabbed his chin, held his head tightly, and looked into his eyes.
"You'll make a good meal. There's meat in your bones." Then she thrust her murderous intent upon him. He found himself unable to move or even think. A great pressure pressed upon his soul, causing him to tremble in fear. It was as if his mind itself was fleeing from her. He had no way to resist but to try to conjure his intentions from an empty shop, which he did, without success. None came.
She laughed at his efforts, her determination stronger than before; he could feel himself growing stiff and numb. The pain from the wound seemed to be getting stronger and stronger, and he began to worry that he was dehydrated. He was frightened. Completely humble.
"That's what a person is supposed to do. Tremble. Cringe. I'm Mary," she whispered viciously in his ear. Her fingertips were like knives, drawing long and shallow outlines on his chest and abdomen. She then took a bite of the skin on his chest, pulling out her teeth and tearing it apart instead of cutting it clean. He gasped as he felt the pain of his injury and the cold air slap against his exposed muscles.
She took a step back, chewing something in her mouth, with a look of victory and satisfaction in her eyes. He looked down and realized he was missing a 2-by-2-inch patch of skin. If such a wound is not bandaged immediately, it will fester, and it is so close to his heart...
Mary touched the blood dripping from the wound with her fingers and licked it clean. She smiled, her teeth stained red by his blood, and said: "You are not the first. That girl came first, the one my husband caught for me. You will watch me eat her."
This thought frightened him again, and he summoned the courage to cry: "No!" squirming before the bears and wolves. He could not escape; they held him too tight. He could feel their teeth tearing at him. Muscles. He made a sound much like a whimper, the result of desperation and pain.
Mary laughed again. "You still won't listen to me? Why don't you beg like everyone else? Tremble, plead, beg." You are human. I'm Mary. "
Her attention was still on him, stealing his breath, but his mind was growing clearer and he focused, finding contempt. He glared at her and said: "Caught by crows!"
Mary just laughed at him again, running her fingers over his wound and licking it clean. She smiled, her sharp teeth gleaming in the firelight. Behind the goddess, he noticed a dark shape smaller than a wolf, barely visible in the shadows, hovering over Galbi. It picked her up, and though it seemed to struggle under the weight, it carried her into the shadows. That was her end. An animal is trying to eat her.
Mary slapped him again, again on the same side. He thought he could hear bones cracking, and the pain made his eyes water and his stomach felt sick. He struggled again with the beasts, but they had a firm hold on him. This is more painful than surgery.
The goddess turned around and walked over to where Gabby was. Then she turned around and faced Androx. She covered the distance in one step, then slapped him again, this time on the other cheek. The pain nearly knocked him unconscious. His face began to swell and soon he lost sight of his left eye. His neck felt like it had been torn apart by her blows.
"Where has she gone?" Mary asked. A
d
Okles mustered up his last bit of courage and resistance and spat in her face. His spit was mostly blood. She slid to the side effortlessly, unaffected by it. She grabbed his chin, lifted his head, and looked into his eyes. Then she said: "You have no idea. I'm going to find her."
Wolves and bears immediately ran through the ruined village, scurrying in and out of the shadows. They searched every remaining house, howling. The goddess went crazy, screaming in frustration with a sound like thousands of jars breaking at once.
His head ached, and the nausea from the pain was getting worse. He would soon vomit; the pain was too much for him; the animal's teeth biting at his bones, lifting him up; the broken bones in his face; the open, oozing fluid on his chest Wounds; the tendons in his neck were injured, and it took all his willpower to just hold his head up.
He was sure that the goddess would soon save Galbi from what had been dragged away. Then he would watch the little girl being eaten. If there was a God who could hear him, he would pray that she stayed broken, didn't wake up screaming, and didn't get hurt with every bite.
At this moment, Androcles finally knew that he had failed completely. His resistance disappeared, and the feeling of abandonment filled his mind clearly. He did not want to go in fear. He gave up fear and waited for death.
At one point, Nikon said he wanted to die at the hands of a jealous god after sleeping with his wife. It's like this, Ankerex thought, too hurt to even fake a smile. The jealous goddess stabbed her husband to death. He wanted to laugh but couldn't move. What better way to die than to die with inner pain and black soldier humor? It was the only fitting end to his life. Killed in a savage land, the last of his family and friends, never to be remembered. Raphael's corpse-eaters will soon claim him.
He waited dejectedly. The weight of his head pulled his arms forward, grimacing in pain as the animals bit tighter to keep him in place.
Then, as if by perfume, he heard a pure, innocent voice singing a gentle melody over the ravages of fire and beast. It sang in a language he didn't understand, and the tune was completely foreign to him. The sound sounded like "Flower" and it touched his heart deeply. Tears welled up in his eyes and he struggled not to cry because to his ears the song sounded like everything that could possibly happen. The sound sounded like green wheat fields growing and the laughter of his children playing in the wind. Fresh bread, fresh wine, good oil. His wife and her friends met in their room, with incense and laughter coming from the windows for all to enjoy. Sunset dinner with his staff. His daughter climbed into his bed during a thunderstorm. On a hot afternoon, his children raised their butts and swung their tails, trying to race the bugs. After a stressful day at the market, his wife rested her head on his chest and they embraced. His friends knocked on his door late at night with jugs full of wine.
All of which he will never have. It filled him with an indescribable longing, a longing that was more painful than injury, for it tore at his dignity. The sight he had seen so far at the end of his life was too cruel for him to bear. His tears streamed hot down his cheeks and he sobbed quietly, shaking all over.
The final image of the song is of himself, Androl, as he always wanted to be. Brave, noble, and powerful, he stood proudly on the edge of his land, between his beloved home and the desolation of war. His family and servants were safe behind him, but before him lay destruction and bloodshed that would never pass. By law and tradition, the army has always been the wall of the entire glorious nation. He, A
d
okles is the wall of his house. His burnished bronze armor gleamed in the sunlight, and his enemies cowered at the sound of his name. Nothing can pass him. Not a grain of wheat will be lost. He is A
d
Okles.
The singing ended and the voices became quiet. He gasped as the power of the vision faded away, leaving him trembling at the memory. A powerful emotion filled him and took its place, one that was both familiar and foreign to him. It wasn't anger, it wasn't fear, it wasn't regret, it wasn't pride. He didn't know its name; that's just the way it was. This is how things were meant to happen. It felt more angry than he'd ever felt. As white as the sun. pure. That’s all.
His pain never subsided, but it didn't bother him anymore either. This is how he died. If this was how he felt in his final moments, this would be an acceptable ending. He opened his eyes again and faced the goddess, looking at her evil without blinking or flinching, witnessing her fall.
On a nearby rooftop, which for some reason remained untouched by the fire, he imagined he had a vision of a dead man. He saw Wolf Scar glowing and concentrating with his eyes closed. "Flower" and "Little Pepper" were waiting below him, their hands clasped as if praying. Aguna stood between them, holding a sparkling gemstone in one hand and holding Gabi over her shoulder with the other. So, Gabi is gone. He nodded in acceptance.
Then Aguna met his gaze and shouted: "Bring out your evil, you stupid bastard! I will protect them!"
He blinked for a moment, not understanding, and then he realized it wasn't over yet. This wasn't a hallucination - Argon had somehow saved them. They are all still alive.
Mary screamed and clawed at the orbs of light around them, but couldn't get through. Her animals, too numerous to count, circled the cabin screaming and roaring. Hundreds of them, almost like a living carpet of fur and paws.
The images of the song, and the emotions they evoked, stayed with him. If they were still alive, he had to save them. He thought of Andruk in the fantasy, gritted his teeth, frowned, and dug deep into his murderous intention.
This time, he found it. It was white as fire, hotter than flame. It filled him from head to toe and radiated widely, sending shockwaves through the beast. He poured all his hope and determination into it, and it grew stronger and stronger. He is intent on inflicting violence on the wicked and seeing them cut down and trampled under his feet like rotten grain. He could feel it radiating from his body like huge waves. Androx is a killer more certain than time; his will to destroy his enemies is absolute. The bear and wolf holding him let go of him and fled away whimpering.
He stood up and strengthened his determination. His pain was not lessened, but it no longer touched his soul and shook his courage; it was entirely in the body. Mari turned to face him, his long, bestial face snarling with long, gleaming teeth. Her fingers turned into claws, and her fair skin became as hard as gravel. The pools of blood in her eyes glowed red like focused lanterns, flickering in the smoke. He knew that if he saw her like this in the hotel, he would never dare to resist.
He strode over to his spear and picked it up, then his shield. The injury to his arm limited his strength, but he was determined not to waver as long as he had breath left.
"You really get on my nerves, you know that, Mary?" Really. I think I'm going to kill you. "
The blood loss was making him dizzy, and his nausea was getting worse. There were dozens of stab wounds on his arms and ankles, and blood was pouring down, but he strode toward her with firm steps. The animals that approached her parted to let him pass, most of them fleeing his murderous intent. He thought about spearing her over and over again, his intention getting stronger and stronger. The bears cowered and the wolves jumped over each other to avoid him.
Mary grew larger and larger, and as she moved, skin turned to rock and friction turned to sand. She was half his height and looked less human with every step she took. Androcles rushed forward and jumped, throwing all his weight into the spearhead; she stepped aside, but her size and thick skin slowed her down. He stabbed into her belly, hissing, sand pouring out of an open hole. She screamed, her voice low and ferocious, almost like the sound Tatalo had made.
Thorns sprouted from the uneven ground and twisted forward to wrap around him, but he jumped away and lunged at her again, stabbing her leg. This time he took aim, and the spear pierced her thigh, leaving a gaping wound from which sand poured out like a broken jar. She rushed down and grabbed him, grabbing one of his legs rather than react to the wound. Blood caused the spear to slip from his hands as she lifted him above her head and tried to bite him in half.
His sword slipped from his belt and he caught it in the air, stabbing her in the face gracefully, as if he had planned it beforehand. She moved her head and the blade moved away from her cheek, causing no harm. When she straightened her head for another bite, he was ready, thrusting the sword deep into her eyes.
She screamed in agony, sounding like a dozen angry bulls, and threw him down. He tried to catch her to keep from falling, but his hands just slipped against the rocky surface of her skin. He fell awkwardly to the ground, hearing a loud thud as he hit the dirt. The goddess stamped her foot to crush him to death, but he rolled and rolled away from her. Each time, he felt a sharp pain in his left shoulder and knew it was dislocated or worse. Panting, he stood up, his left arm dangling limply, and picked up the spear again.
The goddess glared at him with her good eye, trying to conquer him with her intentions. Thorny vines sprouted from the ground again, but he dodged them easily. She hesitated.
"You are getting weaker and weaker, you ugly gorgon!" he shouted, his voice also sounding a little pale.
She hissed at him, pulling his sword away from her eye and throwing it aside. Water gushes from the wound and flows down her like a stream.
"I am Mary. You are human. You are a river that crosses boundaries. You are the wind that blows down doors, the fire that burns out of pits. You are chaos. I am divine. If I fall, the rest God will destroy you completely. Your soul will burn in the first fire and you will be destroyed. Your name and memory will be gone forever. You never will. I am Mary."
She was on all fours, taking on the shape of a wolf, half as tall as him at the shoulders, and instead of sand or water dripping from her wounds, she was dripping with blood. Her claws and teeth grew longer and sharper, turning into metal, and her roar now truly sounded like a wolf's, albeit much deeper. The vines retreated into the ground, the miasma in the air lessened, and Mary herself grew larger and stronger.
Androcles' murderous intent gives him some strange awareness of what's going on: Mary is withdrawing her influence from the land, becoming fully real, fully integrated into the world. She risked her life to kill him.
He squatted down, panting, out of breath. He was losing a lot of blood; he could feel his face shrinking and his thoughts disappearing. He looked up at his little family, illuminated by the light of Wolf Scar. Aguna's face was covered with sweat, and she closed her eyes in concentration. The two children clutched each other's robes and looked at him, their faces scrunched up in worry. He realized he must look terrible. He left bloody footprints everywhere. He gave them a grim smile and straightened up. He redoubled his murderous intent, doing everything he could to kill.
Then Mari pounced on him, leaping out of the air to crucify him. He knelt down and pressed the spear against the ground. She fell face down on the tip of the spear, which passed through her mouth and penetrated her brain. The wound hissed and smoked, and she flung back, shaking her head and clawing at her face to free the spear.
He nearly fell over, convinced that it was finally over; that she would convulse and die. Then she lunged at him again, swooping down with claws longer than his forearms. He flung himself at her, safely under her belly, then darted away, searching for his sword. He found it, picked it up, and turned to face her. He slashed at her claws, digging into the soft flesh of the pads as she tried to scratch him again. She roared again, still shaking her head and trying to get the spear out, but it wouldn't budge.
She lunged at him with her other paw. He stepped back, ducked, then rushed in and stabbed her upward in the neck. The blade stabbed deep and blood spurted out. He thrust upward again, but she jumped away.
Mary trembled, clawed at the ground, and spun in a circle. Then she glared at Androx again, focusing her anger on him.
"I can't change. The spear holds me. You don't deserve it." Her pronunciation made it difficult to understand what she said. The spear clamped her wolf tongue, and she began to speak with her mouth, which was different from before.
"Come here and I'll pull it out," he said.
She snarled viciously at him, blood spurting from her neck. Androchus was dizzy and lost his sight; his wounds had completely stopped bleeding, indicating that he was empty. He would die, but so would she, and the children would survive.
He mustered up the last of his strength and lunged at her again, dodging her claws. He slashed at her belly, slashing as far as he could before he passed out. She screamed and froze, and he took the opportunity to eviscerate her, stab her at an angle, and use his entire weight to pull her away.
Blood and guts poured from the wound and he slipped, losing control of his sword. Mary took a few staggering steps to the side, then her own guts slipped and she gasped heavily. Blood no longer poured from her belly, replaced by a strange puff of smoke that whizzed past her, forming the shape of dozens of faces. It seemed as if hundreds of souls were fleeing her, taking human form and disappearing with a scream. He watched in amazement, but somehow managed to stay awake.
After a while, everything was quiet. He lay on his back in a pool of the goddess's blood, breathing fast and short. He looked up at the sky. The fire gradually dimmed, and there were no more fresh thorns burning. This was his fate, but he saved them. He put up his own shield between them and death, taking comfort in the thought of what it meant. The toolbox, the girl, the fairy, and Agun. They would tell his story, he would be remembered, his name would be redeemed, if not his family. It can only be this way.
