Ashes and Kingdoms

The woman's name is, like, Evening Wind.

She was a woman with a soft waist, reminiscent of the soft wind, blowing from the gentle vine-colored sky of twilight.

Luckily my husband, Blue Mist, loved her smile so much. Every day, it is not bitter if you think that setting traps for capturing fish and wild rabbits, or collecting boiled firewood, is to see that smile. Since the hand was clever at the beginning, various finishes were applied at the end of the work.

Slowly slipping silver hair. A shovel to be inserted into braided hair. I also carved little statues of the gods in hopes of growing up my children.

"I'm the only one in the village with so much fine work."

The evening breeze laughed at the difficulty of packing when traveling because of it, but the fruit did not appear to be in any trouble. Because she also loved the numerous pieces produced from her husband's hands. Blue Mist knew that during her daily chores she was merciful with each and every one of them in her hand.

Such an evening breeze was somewhat modest and very manly in nature, but the body was sturdy. I had three children safely, and even though I was a little sick, I didn't follow through with sleeping. Even walking around without rest for a whole day looking for nuts, he was also so healthy as to be bare.

- So I overconfident.

Rarely had long rains followed that spring, and the disease was spreading in the village. Many were old men and toddlers, afflicted by diarrhea and fever, and children of blue fog and evening breeze were unable to get out of the floor for days.

There are many healers familiar with the use of medicinal herbs, but no matter how powerful they are, someone new falls asleep, or flips around again. Fewer and fewer herbs were being preserved, finally poking at the bottom.

When the rain finally stopped and the sun started shooting, it was only here that the healthy would go out to collect food and herbs.

"Look, folks, needless to say, watch your step. I can't remember how long it rained. Don't think the usual path is the same. Then, definitely two or more of us, keep an eye on each other."

With the attention of the chief, two or three of them come together and walk out to the place where they each feel.

The soil is muddy, the wet grass slips your feet. When you put your foot on the thought of having a solid stone, that stone collapses with every surrounding soil. The path I was accustomed to walking had disappeared.

It was the rain that had stopped, but there was a thin cave between the trees. Vision smokes like white, so much so that just walking makes my hair wet and Shizuku fall off.

The blue fog, with the evening breeze, was walking a few people together. Leading the way is one of the healers who has been looking closely at the availability of medicinal herbs from day to day. But he also had difficulty finding the herb he was looking for because of the long rain, which made the growth of grass trees different from usual years.

"Oh, there."

Evening wind raised his voice and pointed. Blue fog looks at you, too, and admits it does. Until where it is growing, however, the amniotic teeth and shrubs are flourishing and the feet are not visible.

"That's dangerous. I'll pick it up. Just watch it here."

"Be careful."

Evening winds nod obediently. When the blue fog looked around and made sure the other companions were nearby, he stepped off the road and into the woods.

Though I'm about to slip a few times, I get to where I'm looking safely. The herbs I wanted were lush together.

"There are a lot of them, this is amazing"

Blue fog raises a voice of joy and looks back at the evening breeze, that's a handful. Remaining on the road, she also slapped her hand with joy.

"Good. Can I go that way, too?

"I don't know...... no, I can't do it a little bit. There's no place you two could possibly stand together."

After checking the area, Blue Mist shook his head. There is an empty place where you can stand safely if you are alone, but the dirt is just around the corner and there is a build-up of water downstairs.

"Come and pick it up when you're done picking it up and back that way."

"Okay."

Evening wind smiles and nods. Blue fog also lowered his mouth, waved gently, then took it to collect.

There are a lot of sick people, so I want to pick as many as I can and go home. That's what he thinks, he keeps his hands moving at all costs. When he noticed the strange tranquility, he raised his face and stretched his hips, stifling. Looks like it took longer than I thought.

Looking back at the road, there was no shadow.

"... Evening breeze?

I tried calling and haven't heard back. The companions nearby were also invisible.

"Are they all there? Hey!"

Raise your voice. And I said slightly, "Is that blue fog?" I heard a voice listening back. He was horrified, holding the herbs together, and went back the way he came. My hands are blocked, so walking on the slopes makes my body feel dizzy.

"Wow!"

Shit, my leg slipped. Unable to cope because of the deception of dropping the herb, he falls on the side. Fortunately, I was spared the slip, but I stuck it in my whole body properly.

"Hey, you okay!?

A fellow I noticed rushed in to help me, so Blue Mist handed me half the herb and managed to get back to the road.

"Uh, you defiled it flashy"

The man who helped me laughs bitterly. Blue fog looked down at her muddy half and sighed with pity. And look around again.

"Didn't you see the evening wind? Has everyone gone first?"

"Yeah? No, you didn't see me. What, they'll all be around here. Why don't you go back to the village?"

The man looked at the blue mist and frowned. The blue mist that followed that gaze himself smiled, "Shit." He caught it with a pointed branch or some thorn. My sleeve was heavily torn and there was blood in my muddy arms. Even if you want to wash it, there's no river or spring water near here.

"At a time like this..."

Tongue punching, blue fog can't contain anxiety and temper again. The man also searched for a fellow figure with him, then slapped him gently on the blue fog shoulder.

"I'll tell the evening breeze. Anyway, go back to the village once and give me a hand. If that's done and we can get out again, maybe we're still around here."

"Right. Excuse me, please."

"What, take this home with you at last"

The harvest for the man is also given, and the blue fog packs it together in a cage with a bitter smile. When he held it in the hands of those who were safe, the blue fog looked back and went back to the village.

In the end, as it were, the blue mist could not leave the village. The wound on his arm was deeper than I thought, and his ankle hurt a little. Normally, even if I could walk, I couldn't go up and down the dangerously wet slopes.

He grumbled and waited for everyone to come home.

As the sun hidden in thin clouds moved from directly above to west, the clouds gradually thickened again. So that they may be driven away by it, the villagers shall return.

Some time after the light rain began to shine from the gray sky, finally, a group of people with blue fog came back.

- You should be there, except for one.

"Evening breeze is"

To the blue mist they asked in blue, they looked at each other and shook their heads with an analgesic look.

"I knew you weren't back..."

"Nobody's watching."

"Sorry, Blue Mist"

The blue mist could not understand what had been told in few words.

"Stupid."

My lips trembled. Such an idiot. I told you to watch, didn't the Evening Wind laugh and nod? Without saying anything, you can't go anywhere on your own.

"Eh."

Nothing to think about, he was running out. Towards the path we both followed this morning.

"Stop it, blue fog! Go back!"

"The rain will get worse soon, I'll be wrecked to you!

My buddies yell at each other and reach out to stop them. Blue fog shook it off and ran.

"I'll be right back!!

Yeah, I'll be right back.

Blue fog repeated in my mind.

It's about the evening breeze, so I guess I searched that vicinity for something to pick up while I waited. So I must have lost track of time, like myself.

By now, you should be home in a hurry, realizing everyone's not here. It's raining out, and I'm holding this all over my hands, and I think I'm getting thinner. I have to pick him up.

"Evening breeze! Evening breeze!! Can you hear me, hey!!

Blue fog raised his voice as he lost to the gradual intensifying rain sound.

"Evening Wind!!

Goo, and the trees scream out in a noise. Far lightning roars dull and large grains of rain beat him to wear the ground.

"... Evening Wind"

I can't see the front in the rain. Everything is going to be anointed with gray...

The next time the rain stopped, the villagers split up and searched for the evening breeze, but she was not found. The rain washes away all traces and doesn't even grab a clue.

Maybe he was swallowed up by the darkness.

"I went back to the mountains."

Poor thing, but I can't help it. The villagers whispered so, but the blue fog firmly refused to acknowledge it.

"I'm not giving up! That evening breeze will kill you easily!

Ignoring the whisper, he kept searching for one, the evening breeze.

At first I came back to the village properly every day, but as I searched all the way back and forth in one day, I gradually stopped returning. I leave the care of the three children to everyone in the village, in addition, of course, to hunting and so on. The numerous traps he once set were abandoned and decayed even what his prey had taken.

The weather will be as usual at some point, the sun will dazzle every day and the greenery of the trees will thicken. But the dwellings of blue mist bore shadows as if they were conflicting, and the fine works that were once merciful were left dusty and unclean.

"Come on, man!

Finally, the woman who was looking after the child grabbed the blue mist and scolded her.

"The kids are hungry even while you're trapped in the memories of the evening breeze! You have to feed him properly! You're not the only one who's sad, even those kids are hiding and crying. You must be the father! Stay with me!

"Memories?"

Blue fog inquired in a swordswallowing voice. Falling eyes host a different light in his skinny face because he hasn't eaten properly.

"Don't let the evening breeze be a thing of the past on your own. I haven't given up yet. I haven't given up hope. Even the kids would have decided it was best for the evening breeze to come home!

"Blue fog, you..."

"Don't interrupt me!!

And he cried out so that he could roar, and the blue mist pushed the woman away, and went out again into the mountains.

He's still alive, I'm sure he's alive.

'Cause I guess so, we haven't found any carcasses, and there's nothing even to indicate the traces she was there. Somewhere in this mountain, she's waiting for me... I don't know how to get home and I'm on my way. I have to pick him up...

He kept crushing like every wow, unaware of himself.

"It's okay, I'm sure you'll find it, we'll all go back to normal"

Like before, it will allow families to get together and laugh at each other. When I get back to the village, there's an evening breeze, and he greets me with that usual smile.

"It's okay..."

If you don't even give up. I'm sure, surely, the joy of the past will return.

Don't give up hope.

All the time, the season was in the middle of summer. Under strong sunlight, a black shadow is falling.

Where he was walking, one day Fu and Blue Mist noticed him standing in a familiar spot.

"This place..."

Evening breeze is gone, that's the place. When did you come back like this, near the village?

He looked around blindly, then, not finding anything, but dividing into the woods with his feet facing.

After a short walk, he suddenly shrugged. One step ahead, the ground is no longer abrupt and the steep slope continues all the way down. There's probably a thin spiral at the bottom. I can't see the grass growing, but I smelled slight noise and water.

As whispered by something, he slowly, dropped his eyes at his feet.

Covering black, wet soil, blue and lush grass leaves. The roots of a secretly exuberant tree hide like the trap he sets.

That, in the gap.

"... ugh!

The grass and soil had a different colour, but only a few, peeps.

From the mouth of the blue mist, a severely disturbed breath leaked. He crouches on the spot, soils with his hands, and digs it out.

The only thing that showed up was one shoe.

――――

Without a voice, the blue fog stared at the bottom of the valley with vain eyes, keeping it surrounded in his hands.

Something I couldn't possibly see, I felt I could see. The evening wind walks in picking grass from behind, stumbling against the roots of a tree in front of him, dancing through the universe and falling.

Dotha, and I thought I heard a heavy noise, was it the continuation of hallucinations or the sound of hopelessness? Or, finally, with his chest, the sound of reality positioning and calming down?

"... is..."

My breath spills. His vision cleared and he understood abruptly.

There was no such thing as hope.

To my original life, I can never go back. Never, never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever

All that was left of me was despair, -.

Loosely, he dropped his eyes on the shoes in his hand. Something hot fills up as soon as possible, and tears overflow.

(Evening wind,... Evening wind,)

Leaking a whimper, he called his beloved name with his heart many times. What followed, naturally, was remorse.

(I'm sorry, I've been... leaving you alone)

She's been here the whole time. I've been waiting here for a long time while the blue fog keeps searching for me with less hope. Yet he didn't even realize it and didn't even cry for her.

Because I believed he was alive. Because I was trying to guess.

If you cried, you would admit despair, and you would kill her - conversely, because you were forced to believe that she was alive unless you did.

(Forgive me, Evening Wind)

He folded his body in two and cried as he lay down on the ground.

It took a long time before the tears dried up. But compared to the days I've spent so far, it would be slight.

At last, when the tears were exhausted and the voice was silenced, the blue mist slowly looked up at the tree's periphery as it sat down. Through deep green leaves, a dazzling light descends. He often meditated on his eyes and took it to his face. Until you think you're satisfied already, sufficiently.

Then he stood up and carefully went down the slope.

He was unconscious, understanding, yet unconscious about where he was going.

I didn't want to find the wreckage, or fall asleep with myself, or anything. Now that the hopes that have dominated and driven him over the past few months have been lost, there was no “hope” left in him as one.

He just smiled slightly, realizing he was a lot worse on his way down the slope as he curled. The body is lean and thin while the old man at death, with no strength in his hands or feet. The idea that I wouldn't be able to crawl up this slope again blurred my back of my brain, but I didn't get any emotions.

Step on the grass and head to the valley bottom. As he went around the edge of the rock shelf sticking out on top of the spiral and into its shadow, a thick darkness stirred.

He steps into it without hesitation, guided by an invisible hand. I felt softly enveloped in both arms of darkness.

(Oh -)

He took a deep breath. I can see relief filling my chest and relaxing my spirit. I've never been so calm since that day.

In my head, my voice whispered. Like a breeze blowing in the thin sky, serene.

Lost all hope, can you accept me?

(Acceptable)

He nodded silently.

Let's take it, everything. Despair, life, death, giving up. Even the brutal reality that remains.

Live with me.

"Let's Live"

Speaking out and answering, I felt a deep darkness infiltrate me. It was a calm force, fearful but painless and painless.

Let's live. Hold the darkness of despair in your chest.

"As long as we have life, together..."

The blue mist that said so was smiling slightly.

Over the years, he faded his memory before becoming a dragon marquis.

(I didn't know you'd remember that by now)

With a bitter smile, he looks at the young man standing beside him. Bright, clear and beautiful light, young Tenryu Hou, Phineas.

Phineas, who noticed his gaze, looks back and tilts his ankle to ask what, what. Blue fog said in a gentle tone.

"Your light is dazzling."

"Excuse me."

Phineas hastily apologizes and gives the power of the Tenryu a cover of consciousness. Blue fog shook his head small and indicated that he did not care, turning his eyes to the tree stand.

Now in front of this Tenryu glow, I can see that the “hope” that I once held was a distorted and perverted one.

But I don't think I made a mistake. At the time I received the news in the village, I held it at that moment, because it was a pitiful and pitiful thing, but it was certainly pure hope.

In the end, the hope was of no use, only to confuse him and make him lose sight of everything. When he entered the darkness, he was able to reclaim himself.

Even if the pure power brought about by the Tenryu, the light of hope would still blink and dazzle people's eyes.

Blue fog told him to whisper as he stared between the trees.

"There are not many human beings who are not confused by light. Take care of him."

"Yes."

The reply is short and the power of will is strong. Blue fog smiled. Perhaps this young man really understands what advice means now. And you'll probably live without knowing it from now on. He himself never knows the essence of despair, even if he sees a man's heart in the eyes of a dragon and wonders if that's what it is. Because he is the Tenryu Hou.

(At best, I'll watch)

Remind Tenryu and Dragon Marquis of the existence of darkness as they fly through the light. Extend your dark arms to those who suffer from the bright light.

Because people are not strong enough to live without despair no matter what.

And it is only in the dark that light can show its position as certain.

Behind the gentle eyes of the blue mist, the darkness gently spread its wings. Quiet everywhere, far and deep, gently enveloping the world.

(Final)