The crimson sky bled out across the horizon. What was once fruitful and beautiful began to wither in the spreading darkness, like a rabid plague across the great land. Light, peace, hope… all such beliefs would be viciously torn away. Even the bravest men and women would succumb, for fear, itself, can be more deadly than that which disturbs the harmony.
Upon the peak of a mountain, there perched a young woman. The black cloak she was wearing shielded any distinct features of her face from being seen. Standing in stillness, her eyes stared coldly at the dying land. A faint, icy mountain breeze wisped across her face but she did not shudder. The more she stared into the distance, the more her very soul seemed to split apart. She slumped onto the rocks and, for many hours, sat there in deep thought. Perhaps, she was more in a state of shock. Her eyes continued to scan the horizon. The only image she saw was one of death and destruction. While the destruction continued to move on, she remained on the mountain, alone.
In time, the cloaked woman could hear the murmur of voices coming from behind her, but she did not betray her stillness.
“Hey, someone is over here!” one of the men yelled to his companion. “Are you alright?” he questioned, cautiously, as he approached her. The young woman did not reply. She did not even turn around to signify that she still had life flowing within her. The man’s companion, a young soldier, approached him and the cloaked woman. His golden eyes and hair glistened against the setting, blood red sun. The young soldier motioned to the other to step away from the woman. He crouched down next to her and gently put his hand on her shoulder.
“I thought you were dead. Anyone in that situation would have been killed… or are you just too stubborn to die?” the soldier joked half-heartedly, but with a noticeable quiver in his voice. The cloaked woman did not say anything, but turned to look at him. When her distant gaze met the soldier’s, it pierced his heart.
“I… I…,” whispered the cloaked woman. She could hardly force the words from her mouth. For a moment, the soldier looked at her in sorrow. Then, he slowly helped her to her feet. The three of them gradually made their way down the rugged mountain. This mountain, in particular, was not very forgiving – the terrain was treacherous, with steep, rocky slopes and deep crevices. It was known to have claimed many lives. Mount Shi was its name. Some believed it to be cursed.
Nearing the foot of Mount Shi, a dead oak forest awaited them. All that was left were stumps, a few scattered leafless trees, and what used to be a majestic oak that was as old as time itself. It was now a charred shadow of its former glory. They made their way through the dead forest and down into a gorge, navigating through the shadowy, rocky terrain until they came upon a small, hidden encampment.
The camp appeared to serve as both a military enclave and a place where survivors had sought refuge from the destruction. The rocky, barren valley protected the makeshift settlement and its inhabitants between massive stones that seemed to tower up to the heavens. Hidden in the terrain, armed scouts watched restlessly for any sign of attack. The air was tense. The young soldier and his companion swiftly escorted the woman around a group of stone-eyed refugees, and were allowed to pass through a heavily-guarded entrance into a logged-in barracks.
Nightfall came swiftly. As darkness settled over the valley, the cool breeze that was the woman's only companion earlier in the day transformed into a howling shriek as it descended from the mountaintops. The cloaked woman sat silently in front of a campfire within the military centre of the camp. She listened attentively to the crackling sounds of the burning wood. Her dark eyes were hypnotized by the dance-like movement of the flames as the cold air threatened to extinguish them. The young soldier with the golden eyes and hair came and sat down next to her.
“Are you feeling any better?” he asked.
“Who was that man with you when I was found?” the cloaked woman asked in a quiet voice.
“Nobody special… we are just short on troops right now. We couldn’t spare many men to look for survivors." The young soldier looked down, guiltily. "Our hands were full, rounding up the refugees and organizing them here. That man, earlier today, temporarily volunteered his service to the...army,” the young soldier explained. The fire continued to crackle and dance in the wind.
“It would seem, then, that his service will prove fruitless... never did I imagine that it would end this way,” the cloaked woman whispered, softly and sadly, as she gazed up at the millions of stars and the majestic blue and red moons.