Chapter 73: Act 2. Despair Is Ash-Colored
isearliestmemoryalwaysbeganinthesameplace.
Avastplaindyedingold.Windsweptacrossitingreatgusts.
Ashepushedthroughtheripplinggrass,anunnaturallydeepblueskypoureddownoverhishead.
Consumedbyanintensethrill,arkaswanderedbetweentheboundarywheregoldandbluemet.
Atsomepoint,henolongerknewwherehewasheaded.esimplyranthroughthewindwithoutathought.
ewasfree.
ecouldgoanywhereanddoanything.
hebeautifulworldbeforehiseyeswhisperedso.
isheartpoundedasthoughitmightburst.
heheatofbloodflowingthroughhisveinsandthechillofthedryairfillinghislungs.
verysensationtoldhimthathewasalive.
etastedthejoyoflife.
Butbrillianceneverlasted.
hickgraywallsclosedinaroundhimfromeverydirection.
nanarrowspacetoocrampedtoliedownin,toocrampedeventosit,imprisonedinaroomnodifferentfromacoffin,heclawedatthewallsuntilhisnailssplitandcollapsed.
hatfutileresistancedidnotlastlong.
hroughthenarrowslitinthewall,theeyesofafanaticwatchedhimfromtimetotime.Untilallthe'evil'dwellingwithinhimhadbeenannihilated,thepriestwouldneverreleasehim.
Amidimmeasurabledespair,hebegankillingoffhissensesonebyone.
Painwasthefirstthinghetoreaway.
extcametasteandsmell.
Atsomepoint,henolongerfelthunger,andeventhedesiretosleepvanished.
ecouldnolongerbecalledalivingcreature.
nlyaftereverythinginsidehimhadevaporatedandnothingremainedbutanemptyshelldidthedoorofthetombopen.
Withholloweyes,helookedupatthepersonstandingagainstthelight.nsteadofcoldeyesgleamingwithstrangeheatandafaceasfrigidasforgedsteel,hesawaslenderfacegonepalewithshock.
Awomanwithdarkhairandpaleeyesstretchedoutherarmstowardhim.hinfingerstouchedhiscrackedcheek.Yethefeltnothingbutthefaintestpressure.
hathand,whichmighthavebeensalvation,ledhimoutofthegrave.
heicysunlightpouredintohispupils.
Anunnaturallypalelandscapefilledhisvision.
Beforelong,herealizedthateverythinghesawhadanash-grayhue.
Afadedworldwithoutcolororscent.
tfeltasthoughtheentireworldmightcrumbleintoashesatanymoment.
o.
Perhapsitwashehimselfwhohadbecomeash.
eslowlyliftedhiseyelids.
Foramoment,hecouldnotrecognizewherehewas.
nlyafterseveralsecondsdidtheshadowedceilingofatentcomeintoview.
eslowlyraisedhisarm.
otthebonyhandofachild,butthehandofagrownman,veinsandtendonsstandingoutbeneaththeskin.
Asthoughconfirmingsomething,heranhisfingersoveritwhenasoundlikethecryofabeastreachedhisears.
arkasrosemechanically.
Almostatthesametime,asoldierburstintothetent.
"SirSiorcan!Direwolveshaveappeared!"
eimmediatelyswunghislegsoffthebed.
rabbingthehalberdrestingbesidehishead,hestrodeoutsidewhileattendantswaitingnearbyrushedforwardandfastenedalightbreastplateoverhisbody.
Shakingofftheirbothersomehands,heswiftlysurveyedthechaoticcamp.
Paledawnlightfaintlyilluminatedtherowsoforderlytentsandthesoldiersfranticallyrunningbetweenthem.
Beforelong,hefoundit.
Apitch-blackbeastnearlyeightcrevetslong,roughlytwohundredandfortycentimetersfromnosetotail.
hemonsterseemedtonoticehimaswell.
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,somewhatfrivolousvoicecamefrombehindhim.
"Quitethelivelywelcomeonyourveryfirstdaybackhome."
urninghishead,hesawamanwearingnothingbutaloosecoatdrapedoverhisbareupperbody.
AwarrioroftheBarakantribe.
Drivingtheaxe-spearinhishandintotheground,themangesturedtowardtheforestwithhischin.
"Shallsendthemenafterthem?"
"Wecan'tdivideourforcesrightnow.Securethecampandstrengthenthewatchfirst."
"here'sbarelyanydamageworthmentioning.heyonlycarriedoffonepackhorse."
Massagingthebackofhisneckwithonehand,themanrepliedabsentmindedly.
"negreenhornwhojustcompletedhiscoming-of-ageceremonygotinjured,butthankfullynoonedied."
arkasstraightened.
hesunhadalreadyrisenfully,illuminatingeverycorneroftheruinedcamp.
Aftercalmlylookingaroundtoestimatethedamagemoreaccurately,heturnedhiseyesbacktotheman.
"Cleanupthecamp.Wemovebeforemorebeastsaredrawnbythesmellofblood."
"Asyoucommand."
hemanturnedawaywithleisurelysteps,andarkasheadedtowardthecenterofthecamp.
xcitedhorsesbeingcalmedbysoldiersandservantsclearingawaybrokententspassedbeforehiseyes.
Walkingpastthem,hestoppedbeforeawaterskinplacedbesidethelargecommandtent.
ntheclearrainwatercollectedthepreviousday,aghostlypalereflectionappeared.
estaredatitforamomentbeforescoopingupwaterandwashingthebloodfromhisface.
helukewarmtouchofthewaterprovidedafaintstimulationagainsthisskin.
Afterroughlywipingit◆оvеlіgһt◆(nlyonоvеlіgһt)away,hebroughthishandtohisnoseandinhaled.
hemetallicscentofbloodhadfaded,replacedbythefaintsmellofwater.
ecouldnottellwhichscentwaspreferable.
Smellhadbeenthefirstsensetoreturn.
Yetevennow,hecouldnotconnectthestimulireachinghisbrainwithemotion.
ecoulddistinguishdifferentscentsandtheirintensity,buttheyneverbecamesomethingpleasantorunpleasant.emerelydifferentiated,throughlearning,betweenwhatgaveothersafavorableimpressionandwhatdidnot.
Andaccordingtoeverythinghehadlearned,thesmellofbloodespeciallymadepeopleuncomfortable.
estrippedoffthestainedarmorandtosseditcarelesslyontothegroundbeforecheckinghisshirt.
Fortunately,nobloodstainswerevisible.
Butperhapssomeotherunpleasantsmell,onehehimselfcouldnotrecognize,hadseepedintoit.
eturnedtowardhistenttochangeclothes.
henhenoticedaquarter-dwarfwomananxiouslypacingbeforeatentinthecenterofthecamp.
Withouthesitation,arkaswalkedstraighttowardher.
"Whatisit?"
ventohisownears,hisvoicesoundedroughandforeign.
hewomanalsojumpedinsurpriseandlookedathimwithfrightenedeyes.
"M-Milord,theyoungladyhasbeenmissingsinceearlier..."
Atthatinstant,asharpringingechoedinsidehisears.