Prayer for the Souls
What was happening around Maki and Chiharu?
"What is this…"
Aeris was speechless.
"I have never seen anything like it. The monsters are gathering tightly around Maki and Chiharu."
To be exact, they were gathered so tightly around them, that along with the monsters in the sky, it looked like Maki and Chiharu were surrounded by half a sphere.
"We have to save them from the monsters! The life will be sucked out of them!"
"But if we attack from the outside, it might affect them on the inside!"
Edwy hesitated. The soldiers and Adventurers also did not know what to do.
"They"ll have the life sucked out of them if we do nothing as well. Besides, it"s good for us that the monsters are all gathered together. Let"s kill them while they are distracted!"
"Kaider… Very well. Spread out and attack!"
And so the soldiers faced the monsters. However, the monsters did not look at the soldiers. And neither did they resist.
The strangeness of this dampened the excitement of the soldiers and Adventurers. Some of them stopped swinging their swords as the cl.u.s.ter of monsters grew smaller.
"What are you doing!"
"But, we can"t kill defenseless beings…"
"They are monsters! We"re the ones that will die if they turn around with their fangs!"
"Yes!"
And just as the soldiers tried to face the monsters again…
Clink. Clink.
"What"s that sound?"
"Clink. Clink. Clank.
It was coming from the center of the group of monsters. Everyone started to listen.
Clink. Clink.
"I can see now! I can see them inside! Maki and Chiharu are there! Grudo is supporting them!"
A birdman"s voice echoed.
"So Grudo is with them…"
Aeris muttered. He was right between them!
Clink, clank.
"There! Maki! Chiharu!"
Maki and Chiharu could now be seen from the ground through the monsters as well. However, their hands were reaching towards the monsters. Edwy shouted.
"Stop!"
Clink.
"It disappeared?"
Clink.
"Maki?"
Clink.
"Chiharu!"
Clink.
There was no mistaking it. The reason that the number of monsters was rapidly falling was because Maki and Chiharu were erasing them.
And then he saw something shining fall from their heads. Clink.
"It"s the Saintess!"
"The Saintesses."
"They are here."
Soon everyone was whispering it. Clink. There were only a few monsters left now. Maki touched one. It disappeared. Clink. Chiharu touched one. It disappeared. Clink.
"You"re the last ones now.
The gazer shook with pleasure.
"Goodbye."
"Farewell."
Maki and Chiharu raised their hands to the sky. Clink. Clink. Clank.
The stones glimmered as they fell from their heads. Now there was not a single monster around them. All that was left were magic stones that were so numerous they covered their feet.
"Maki? Chiharu?"
Grudo called them. But the two stayed still.
"Maki…Chiharu…"
Grudo wailed.
"No, this can"t be. Not this."
"Kaider."
"Why have they fallen?"
"Kaider!"
"I won"t accept this! I won"t!"
"Kaider."
"I"m taking them back."
"Where?"
"Where? Anywhere. Away from here. Where they can rest."
"There is no such place."
Aeris said as Kaider and Nyran became frantic.
"No Saintess has ever returned. Oh, Maki. Chiharu."
Aeris knelt down by the fallen Saintesses.
"If I knew this was going to happen, I would have locked you up in the castle. So you would never suffer. You would be safe."
"Aeris."
"Edwy."
Edwy stood next to Aeris and put a hand on his shoulder.
"Maki and Chiharu would not have been able to stay in a cage like a bird. They would have escaped."
"And disguised themselves again."
"Making us worry."
"But as long as they were safe, that would have been fine."
Edwy also knelt by Maki and Chiharu.
Kaider and Nyran as well. And the soldiers and Adventurers also knelt. They were praying for their souls. For the two Saintesses who gave their lives to stop the monsters.
"Hey."
Flap.
"Hey, Edwy."
Flap-flap.
"Hey."
"What is it, Sauro!"
Edwy held back his tears and glared at the birdman through swollen eyes.
"Shouldn"t you put Maki and Chiharu in bed?"
"Sauro. Let us pray first. Pray that their souls can rest in peace."
"Hey."
"What, Sauro!"
"If you don"t hurry, they might catch a cold."
"Huh?"
"Humans are weak. They will catch a cold if they sleep on the ground."
"But these two are…"
"They are in a deep sleep."
"What? Sleep?"
"Yes, sleep."
On closer inspection, their backs were slowly moving up and down. Edwy put his hands over their mouths. It was warm.
"They"re alive! Maki and Chiharu are alive!"
The soldiers raised their faces. Kaider and Nyran jumped to their feet.
"I"ll carry them."
"No, I will."
Grudo sighed.
"You two. This is no time for that. Someone, bring a stretcher!"
"I will."
"I"ll do it."
"You are probably very tired from being in the dungeons. The last thing we need is for you two to drop them. Now, we must go to the mayor"s house."
And like that, Maki and Chiharu were carried back to the house they had tried so hard to escape.