Few more chapters left until we end up this arc and begin the real story.

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Chapter 31 – Around Them.

I began to enjoy my life to the fullest. I had a beautiful wife, nice mother and means to provide them good life. Mariette told me to help out elder people of the village by providing financial aid to them without hurting their pride. Once in a month, I was going to Mayumana city to purchase flour, sugar, rice and dried tea leafs in bulk. Mariette was packaging them into equal amounts into 50 bags and at night we were putting those bags in front of the doors of those who were in need of basic products. As a result of Halim’s social and economic policies old ways such as treating elders, supporting parents when they older were part of history now. Mariette was the only right choice what I had made in my life until I married her. We were well off but her thoughts were always with the people. Sometimes I thought she didn’t have an ego.

The second most important part of my old life was 19th of Mut, 1514. Spring was taking back lands from winter’s hands. That day Mariette was feeling weak and had a headache. She threw up whatever she ate. I thought she got flu but my mother told me that she seemed to be pregnant. We checked with Hitomi and she confirmed saying she felt a new life inside her. My happiness couldn’t be bound to skies, mountains. Nothing could contain it.

As spring came the lands got green again. It was time to take herd to uphill to Kastiff Mountain range. I would take them myself and come back around few steps before winter would. I had Ulfberht with me and took skinned wolf with me just in case if I get attacked. More than 4 months of travel time had passed and I knew I had to get back. I could identify Mount Swizz which meant we had come a long way. It took around 3 months to get back to Mount Retnus as we didn’t lag for herd to feed more than it should. Close to Mount Retnus’s range I met Aban. He was an old tribesman who I admired. A man of honor. His clothes were burned down, he seemed too weak to walk, was just lying on ground as if to welcome his death. I was worried. I tried to help to him but he stopped me…

[Aban]: As…lan…

I gave him water to sip a bit…His heartbeat was getting slower.

[Aban]: terrifying. It was terrifying…

[Me]: Uncle Aban what has happened?

[Aban]: A…atta…

He died on my hands. I was in shock.

[Me]: What happened? Answer me!!!!!!

I stood up. Calmed myself and concentrated. I teleported to front part of shaman Hitomi’s hut. I couldn’t believe my eyes. There were smokes coming out of village. It was burnt down to dust. Nothing was left of it. I went to my house. Nothing, not a single thing was there to prove that it was a house once upon a time. Burnt and smoked bricks were all what remained. I ran to village center, there were few survivors of whatever had happened.

I was told that around 6 months ago a black dragon emerged somewhere in land of Tat’s. It flew towards west destroying everything what was in sight. Mehn City was razed to nothing in less than a day’s time. After that it had attacked 3rd bridge. Later on changing its direction to north and west again. A month ago it had attacked our village, burning it down to nothing in a matter of hour by blazing fires all around. It flew to south afterwards. My mother and Mariette hadn’t survived. The kid which I never got to have died. I was in anger. All what was left of the village of the Great Kali were few survivors. I concentrated all my thoughts on fort close to 1st bridge. I teleported there. It was snowing and large smokes were coming out of fort. The clouds were in dark black color and white snow was pouring down to earth.

Dragon had passed through here too. I felt weak. I hadn’t teleported to long distances at all, my mana had diminished while using it to teleport and I had fatigue because of instant long distance travel. Few surviving warriors came by me. They gave me food and water. We stayed there overnight and in the morning left to southlands. They were real warriors. They wouldn’t ran away but fight until the end even if it cost their lives. We used horses to travel. In a month travel time whatever we passed by was burnt down to ashes.

I could sense few but very powerful presences in a distance. It was a month that we had departed 1st bridge. What I saw disturbed my mind. Corpses of demons of different tribes all around. Burnt but not as bad as in human lands. I could see Kimbra in distance, there were 2 more demons with her. I couldn’t recognize them as it was a long distance and vision got blurry. I was aware and sure of one thing. The Black Dragon. It was running around them.

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P.S: The picture was taken from HERE. I cropped it into style which I liked and put focus on his eyes and everything else in the picture is blurred. I liked the eyes and rest of the MC is left to your imagination.

Next: Chapter 32 - Motionless.