It was just another day, a little cold with humidity in the air. There were birds chirping before the village of Greyhollow. The animals were running around, and it felt like new life was blooming everywhere.
That day David was going back to the village. He wanted to meet Garrett once again. He wanted to see him once more before he set off on an adventure. He had brought some medicine for Violet and was walking with a puffed chest of excitement.
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David's PoV
I don't know what I will do when I see him.
Should I be thankful? Of course, I didn't say my thanks because we were summoned the next day. I didn't even check up on him well; those injuries were grave, and yet I ran off.
But if I don't say my goodbyes, maybe I'll add this to my long list of regrets. I was just around the village, and then I started contemplating what I should say to him.
What should I say to his daughter?
What should I say to his wife?
Maybe an apology for the start. If only I was strong enough, I could've protected him.
Still, he protected everyone at an irreplaceable cost.
This time I would at least pay my gratitude well—
I was about to enter the village when a deep, sharp stench twisted my guts. I threw up on the snow. I knew this stench…
The stench of rotting flesh.
I ran into the village, but there was no one. An eerie silence stirred with the most vile smell. It wasn't from one direction but everywhere.
Then I saw crows entering windows with dogs barking, and the caws twisted against each other. I ran toward the cottage where the stench was strongest—but it came from everywhere. I ran up to the cottage and found bloated, rotting corpses.
I threw up again and ran out. I cried out the names of villagers with whom I had lived for months, sharing the same dread of the Winterbeasts.
I went up to another cottage—another body.
Next home, more bodies. Every door I opened, every room I went in, was nothing more than an open grave.
I don't understand… We definitely saved the village that day.
"Garrett, you saved them that night… you did!" I cried out and then ran toward Garrett's home.
When I reached his home, I saw only faint tracks of a sleigh.
I went inside, and everything was covered in dust and dirt.
I walked around, and my gut felt like it was falling into an endless void.
"What happened? Garrett, was your sacrifice in vain? Who did this to you? Where are you?
Garrett, Violet… you said you would protect your daughter's brother. Tell me you did…"
Then I saw a black figure covered in robes and masks. They were the dogs of dukes.
"What are you doing here—"
"Have you seen a woman with black hair, green eyes, and round glasses? Or a child with violet eyes around here?" the man spoke before I could finish.
My eyes gaped in fear and disbelief. I looked at the man as he slowly walked toward me.
"Even if I did, I wouldn't tell you—" I pulled out my sword, but then for some reason I lost the feeling in my hands, and my vision got distorted. It felt like my head was in the air, but the feeling in my body was gone.
Like… my head was…
---
The words didn't even leave David's mouth before his head flew, severed from his body. It dropped to the ground with the last blink.
"Guess they really died here…" The masked man slowly walked away, then vanished to continue his search.
---
Far away, Violet was picking up some berries outside the cave. The white raven helped her, telling her which were edible and which were not.
The sky was warm, a light mixture of deep blues, purples, pinks, oranges, and reds.
A twilight sky all the time. It felt like winter was a dream here.
"How do you know so much about plants, Mister Raven?" Violet looked at the raven, who was pecking at the fruits high on the trees.
"What do you think I eat when I'm hungry, Princess? I don't drink blood from others…" the raven spoke.
Violet spread a rag and then put every fruit and berry on it before going inside the cave.
Luciel was still out hunting. Violet washed the fruits and berries. Mr. Raven landed in front of her and started cleaning his feathers. Violet then extended her hand, offering the berries and fruits to the raven.
"What's this? Are you not hungry?" The raven tilted his head in confusion.
"No, but you should eat first…" Violet looked at the raven, and her selflessness made him question the rules of the world he had survived.
Luciel walked in, his shirt and face bloodied. Violet stood up and rushed to him. She tore a part of her skirt and started looking for any injury that needed attention.
"What happened to you? Does it hurt? Are you okay? Are you going to die?" Violet's eyes teared up in concern.
Luciel slowly pushed her away and shook his head.
"It's not my blood." Luciel's stare was cold, and then he went for a bath.
The raven sat on Luciel's head and started pecking it.
"You could at least say, 'Thank you for your concern,' to her, you cold-hearted bastard!"
Luciel tried to catch the raven, but he flew away.
"I swear, the moment I reclaim my land, you'll be the first to be punished!" Luciel clenched his fist in anger.
"Is that how you treat your savior?" the raven cackled.
"Your land?" Violet tilted her head in confusion. "Are you rich, Luciel?"
The raven and Luciel looked at each other, realizing they had spoken too much.
"Well, I am kind of, but that doesn't concern you…" Luciel said and started unbuttoning his shirt.
Then he realized a curious gaze on him. "Do you mind?" he asked Violet.
"Mind what?" Violet still had those innocent eyes that didn't know what he was talking about.
He sighed, and then the raven sat on Violet's head.
"Princess, you should act like a maiden. For example, if a pervert strips in front of you, you should scream and throw the biggest rock you can find at him."
"Who are you calling a pervert, you talking chicken!" Luciel yelled at him.
Violet laughed, and chuckles filled the cave. It somehow pacified Luciel's anger.
He scoffed and went to bathe. When he turned his back to Violet, she saw something that made her heart hurt.
There were many scars on his body, different in shape and depth. They told a horrifying story Violet knew he may never narrate, nor could she bear to hear.
"Don't ask about them. It's for your own good.
He didn't ask about your past, did he? So please don't ask about his," the raven said, then flew away.
Violet looked away and picked up the berries and fruits she had thrown aside without realizing.
She washed them again and started eating while thinking about what the past really is.
Time slowly went by like this—few instances, few quarrels, few moments, but many revelations came out. All of these became irreplaceable memories for all three of them.
Following this routine, three and a half years passed. Violet turned eighteen, and Luciel was twenty.
The raven acted like their guardian and mediator many times. He created balance, ensuring they helped each other without asking much.
One thing that didn't change was Luciel's cold heart. He was convinced that the moment he opened it to anyone, they would betray him.
These days with Violet were just another chapter in his book that could be skipped or forgotten—until one day he realized it was far from the truth.
One day, on a monotonous evening, Luciel was training deep within the cave. Violet was roasting meat he had hunted for her in exchange for her creating bedding and keeping his clothes clean.
"Mr. Raven! These horns on these rabbits—they're broken! Can't you just ask Luciel to stop being so rough on them?" Violet sighed. She had picked up some of Luciel's temper, though hers was more reasonable.
"I'll ask him, Princess…" The raven looked tired. The cave was cold and silent as usual until the sound of footsteps started getting louder by the second.
"Are you sure that brat is here?" a voice echoed in the cave again. Violet jumped up, startled.
"Mr. Raven! What's going on? Someone's coming here!" The raven's head turned toward the direction of the sound.
"Well, can't run away forever… Princess, go to the place I told you and hide!" The raven spread his wings and flew away.
"Mr. Raven!" Violet wanted to fight. She had learned how to fight—a few spells—but they were weak.
"I will not run away! This time I'll protect you!" Violet clenched her fist and picked up her bow and arrow. She climbed up onto a crack and hid close to the opening where the sound came from.
She waited and focused on the approaching steps.
It was the first time she'd seen other people besides Raven and Luciel, but when they came into the torchlight, her eyes widened in horror.
Two large men with tall, massive bodies—one with red skin, the other green. They had horns sticking out of their skulls with mane-like hair, dressed neatly in uniform. They weren't like Luciel or Violet…
"Who are they…" She started shaking in fear.
She hid, making sure she didn't appear in their sight. For a few moments, she thought they would go away.
Her face and palms were drenched in sweat. Her heart was pounding out of her chest.
She slowly peeked to check whether they were gone or not, but when she looked, she saw their eyes locked with hers.
"And here I thought—where was that stench of human coming from?" Their mouths stretched into a grin…