Even after his last breath. He silenced the conquerors with his last words.

"He slept for so long and now he's awake. This will be your last."

And thus, Eliaz completely succumbed to this unforgivable death.

Theon held his chest as if he felt Eliaz's mourning death. He turned around only to see the smoke arising. All mushy and dark. As if death was surrounding behind its hollow tint. It was done and gone.

"Theon, we have to go!" An old man held Theon's hands as he slightly pulled him to wake him up from the unexplained feelings.

He nodded and went after the old man.

As they ran deep into the woods, it ate their shadows and they could hear their breathes. They have run long enough but the forest refuses to show them the end. Exhausted, he held unto a tree to support his body. However, he lost sight of the people and this cause him to paranoid.

For a moment there was silence. Somehow, the silence was deadly to his ears. He started walking and recognizing the road to the other side of the mountain. Until he heard a loud noise. It was not from a human, he concluded, nor from the bombs that were landed to the village but an Anomalous noise coming from a creature.

Frightened, he ran as fast as he could. Step to another step. However, the forest has played him a trick. Stumbled his foot from a rock and found himself falling from a short cliff.

'When was there a cliff in this mountain?' He thought.

He could not avoid screaming but immediately breakdown as he reached the bottom.

He was awakened by the sound of the insects that distracts the appeals of the night. He checked himself to see if he did not hurt himself. The man was lucky to have a small bruised on his knees. Nevertheless, his body was still intact. He stared upward and saw that the cliff was not that high.

"All tragedy has passed in one night." He gripped his knees.

He was a man but failed to stop the tears that were already racing to his chin. He thought that he could have made a change of fate if he had just persuaded Eliaz to escape together with him and the people. Eliaz could still be survived. He flooded himself with the pressure that he never thought would be brought upon his head.

"Eliaz, will it be right if I end my life here?" There was no end to his tears.

He was there alone, sitting in the depths of his misery. Crestfallen, he realized that his chance to bring peace into their land was gone. He was lumped.

But then he heard a stump just nearby. His eyes widened, wiped his left faint tears and stood up. He got alerted and grabbed the sword that fell together with him. As if he wasn't gonna bring an end to his life way back, now he is much more furious. The thought of the conquerors might be making this noise was far from his conclusion. This was unheard of before.

Setting the matter aside he narrowed his brows remembering the reason for his fall.

"It was that noise or was I just hallucinating at that time." He whispered to himself.

But an even louder stumped was made. He could feel it so near him. It was still midnight. The brightness of the moon bringing a light for him was not much of a help. The obscurity of the tall trees brings darkness into it so he barely sees the one who's making a loud stump.

"Nope. Not my hallucinations. I'm sure of it."

He could have been much more frightened but he was even more curious and more cautious as to what lies at the other side of these tall and horrendously looking trees.

Stump after stump. However, he felt that it was not walking towards him but in a horizontal manner of direction. When he filled up his courage. He then decided to follow this mysterious creature that's been lurking near him.

He slowly walked deeper into these woods and followed the trace of that creature. The light was no longer accompanying him. Leaves above showers him a thick shadow. He can only trust his hearing at this point.

And then he brought himself to another side of those thickening trees. He glanced from left to right and saw nothing but a cage.

"I remember this cage. When was it?" He whispered trying to remember the place of the event he had.

It was dark inside the cage. Theon contracted his vision to focus on seeking this creature.

Theon then gasped as he felt a rustling behind him. He thought that his senses might have weakened and sworn himself.

"Blood and ashes."

He turned around to face, not a mysterious creature but a bear. Still, his eyes were widened and made a stance to protect himself. Now he's regretting his decisions. He should have just looked for his way back to the other side of the mountain.

The bear growled but to his surprise. It sounded nothing like the terrifying noise he heard when he was still running with the people.

Even so, the idea of a hungry bear struck him. It was about to attack him when it saw something behind Theon's back, envisioning inside the huge cave.

Shivers ran down Theon's spine as he felt hot smokes from his back. This time he gasped even dramatically. He saw the bear ran for its life as if its size is no match for its kin. He slowly turned to face it filled with apprehension he looked upwards. His soul immediately left his body when he could finally see the creature up close. His eyes widened like it never had before. Hands trembling like a child. His knees that were bruised started to shake.

Even after his affrighted state, he said.

"What are you?"

———————
ABYSSCESS