Disaster: Undesired Fate

"Lenia, fire. Now."

"What? You're helping them?"

"Of course, I have to. Those soldiers—they're from Rodrian, my kingdom."

"There's something off about them. Look closer. Their commander? He doesn't even care if his men drop dead right there."

"...That's..." I hesitate, glancing back at the field. She's right. The commander barked orders for them to dive into the fray, not pull back or bait the serpent out.

But none of that changes what I feel. I can't ignore them. Soldiers or not, they're still human.

"Fine. Do whatever you want. [Pyro]." Flames coil around my blade, alive, eager. With one nod, I charge into the chaos, joining the fray.

"Swordsmen, flank it from the sides!" the commander shouts. He doesn't even mask his surprise when I leap in beside them.

"Let me help!"

He gives a curt nod, then barks another command.

The serpent lashes its tail, sweeping soldiers away like leaves in a storm. Those who aren't fast enough… well, the lucky ones only lose their footing.

This is wrong. All of it.

Sweat beads on my temple as I fight to keep up. The soldiers… they're trembling. Thin, gaunt figures in battered armor. From a distance, it's hard to tell. But up close? Their fear seeps into the air like poison.

I've never been on the battlefield much, but this… This isn't normal fear.

The serpent strikes again, faster than the eye can follow. One soldier vanishes into its maw, swallowed whole. Its scales ripple with motion, and for a brief moment, I see it—spiraling winds wrapping its form, a deadly armor of air.

"Anemo..." I mutter, realization sinking in like a blade.

Another soldier falls. Another. Soon, only twenty remain.

"Keep attacking! Don't let it rest for even a second!" the commander roars, but I can see it. We're breaking. No, we're already broken.

My blade scrapes uselessly against its scaled hide. Even Neronium—one of the strongest metals—barely leaves a scratch. And every time the soldiers' swords or arrows find a mark, the winds deflect them.

There's no way this ends well.

I grit my teeth, glaring at the serpent as it coils again, its movements faster than I can react. I need a plan. A real one. Random slashes won't do anything but get us killed.

"Pyro Mage! Focus your flames on the winds surrounding it!"

But before I can move, the serpent rears its head, venom pooling in its mouth, then lunges—straight at me.

"Ken! [Hydro]!" Lenia's voice cuts through the chaos. The flames surrounding my blade fizzle out, replaced by a torrent of water.

"[Water Barrier]!"

My blade carves through the air, summoning a shield of water just in time to block the venom. But the impact sends me skidding back, my arms trembling under the force.

Crack.

Pain flares in my left arm. My vision blurs.

"Ken!" Lenia screams as the serpent closes in, venom dripping from its fangs.

"S-shit..." My breath hitches as my hand turns crimson, veins pulsing with the spread of the poison.

Soldiers pull me back, dragging me away from the fight. Their hands are firm, desperate, as they tighten a tourniquet around my arm.

"Don't let it spread! Quickly!"

Lenia rushes to me, her face pale, her hands glowing as she works to heal the wound.

But the serpent isn't done. It surges forward, roaring, as flames from the Pyro Mage engulf it. For a second, hope flares in my chest.

Then the winds return, snuffing out the fire like it was nothing.

"It's… useless..." I whisper, my voice hoarse.

In the distance, a low rumble echoes. The serpent isn't just surviving—it's thriving. Feeding. Every soldier it kills adds to its strength, draining them of their life force.

"Let me handle this!" Lenia's voice was sharp, cutting through the chaos. She drew a Hydro rune from her pouch, the sigil glowing faintly in her hands. Without hesitation, she activated it, the cool energy surging to life as she began tending to my wounds.

And in the midst of the carnage, a single thought pierces through my haze of pain:

This isn't a fight. It's a massacre.

Elsewhere, Redan was herding his flock, a slow rhythm of hooves and quiet bleats filling the air. The sun hung heavy in the sky, and sweat clung to his brow.

"Fuuuh... What a day," he muttered, wiping his forehead. "Almost time to head back, I think."

His flock was mostly sheep—familiar creatures to anyone—but here and there were beasts unlike anything Earth had ever borne. Strange, alien shapes moved among them, reminders of this world's otherness.

"Brotheeeerr!"

A shrill voice cut through the calm. Redan turned to see his little sister, Rania, sprinting toward him, her braids bouncing as she ran.

"Rania?" he called, brows furrowing. "What are you doing here?"

"You haven't eaten lunch, right? Mom told me to bring this to you!" She held up a cloth-wrapped bundle, grinning proudly.

"Hoo, but you're late. I've been waiting forever, you know."

Unwrapping the bundle, he let the savory aroma waft over him. His stomach growled in protest.

"Want some?" he offered, holding out a piece.

"No thanks," she said, shaking her head. "I already ate"

As he ate, they talked, the casual warmth of siblings sharing a rare moment together.

"You've got the Guardian Exam tomorrow," she reminded him, her tone tinged with worry. "Shouldn't you be resting today?"

"And leave the flock to fend for themselves? Who's going to take care of them if I laze around? Mom's already busy, and Dad's off with the royal army. Someone has to keep things running here."

"I guess... But you have to pass tomorrow, okay?"

"Of course I will. You're looking at a future Guardian, remember?" He grinned, ruffling her hair.

Suddenly, a blood-curdling scream tore through the air.

"AAAAKKKHHH!"

Redan froze, the food in his hand forgotten.

"Rania, go home. Now."

"But I just got here!"

"Go!" he snapped, his voice sharper this time. Reluctantly, she turned and began heading back toward the village.

From the direction of the scream, three figures stumbled into view. One of them—a woman—was leading the way, her eyes scanning the area with practiced caution. Two men followed, one of them limping heavily, his arm slung over the other's shoulder.

"Ah, great. Sheep. Just what we need," the woman muttered under her breath, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

"Who are you?" Redan called, stepping forward cautiously.

The woman's head snapped toward him, her expression a mix of irritation and urgency.

"Hey, kid! Get out of here. Now!"

But Redan only stared, confused and rooted to the spot.

I caught a glimpse of two figures not far from where I had appeared. Pain radiated from my arm, forcing me to lean heavily on the commander as we ran.

"Hey! Who are you?!"

"Huh? Hey, you! Get out of here!" Lenia barked the moment she heard one of them shout, her voice sharp with urgency. She was worried the Queen of Naja Sputatrix might still be hunting us.

The terrain worked against us, slick and treacherous, making every step a challenge.

Without realizing it, Lenia dropped the [Teleport] rune she had been holding. She hadn't had the chance to stash it away, her focus still on purging the venom from my arm.

Curiosity got the better of Redan, who had been watching us. Concerned by the earlier scream, he headed toward the flock to begin herding the animals back to safety.

"What's this?" he muttered, spotting the rune lying on the ground. Picking it up, he turned it over in his hands, examining the strange markings.

"Brother! Watch out!"

Rania's shout tore through the air. Redan's head whipped around just in time to see the Queen of Naja Sputatrix descending from the hill, its massive form slithering closer.

Shoving the rune into his pocket, Redan sprang into action, herding his animals away from danger.

"Rania, run! Now!"

Without hesitation, Rania sprinted toward the village. Redan, however, remained, frantically rounding up the rest of his flock.

But luck wasn't on his side. Some of the animals scattered in the wrong direction, fleeing toward the woods instead of the village. The snake was closing in fast.

"Damn it."

Redan made a snap decision, abandoning the animals and running for his life. The flock was everything his family had—but what use were possessions if he didn't live to keep them?

The Queen of Naja Sputatrix struck, devouring several of the sheep in one gulp while others disappeared into the forest. Its bloated belly swayed with each movement, a grim reminder that it had likely feasted on nearly all the soldiers from before.

Redan ran as fast as he could, stumbling over rocks and roots in his path. He found Rania on a narrow trail, clutching her leg in pain.

"Rania!" he shouted, rushing to her side. Without hesitation, he helped her up, throwing her arm over his shoulder to support her weight.

Meanwhile, Lenia had managed to purge the venom from my arm, and now she worked quickly to seal the wound.

The three of us were nearing Tarnet village, just a little farther before we'd reach safety. After that, we planned to head for Flaur, the heart of the Rodrian Kingdom.

---

Ken's memories ended there, fragmented and incomplete. He had no idea what became of Tarnet village or its people after the attack.

"W-was it you I saw in that meadow?"

The distance between us that day hadn't been far, but what stuck in my mind most vividly was Redan's hair—always tied back in that distinct way.

Without answering, Redan charged again.

Swung!

His spear sliced through the air but missed its mark. Instead, a trace of venom from the blade grazed my skin.

This is bad. If that venom reaches an open wound, I'm done for.

Clang!

Our weapons clashed—his spear against my dagger. Sparks flew as the tip of his spear shattered, its blade cleaved clean.

"What? You're not even using Shu…" Redan muttered in disbelief.