Dawn- An Age Of Darkness

The soldiers dropped their weapons, the people were in shock and so were everyone else. 

Wait, they're going to give up that easily? Really?

"Neira, what do you want to do next?" I asked. 

That girl was the reason I was here.

"W-What?" The girl stuttered. 

"I came here to rescue your mother. I don't want to get involved with the country but I already am. And so are you. What do you want to do? Run from here or-"

Her head was down, she was in deep thought. 

We didn't have all day, but I didn't press her. 

This was a once-in-a-lifetime decision. 

Run for forever, or-

She glared at us. "No lord, no war and no revolts." She parroted back my words. 

Wow, didn't think she had the guts. 

And I sure didn't think she'd be able to say that in front of the people and all that too. 

I grinned. "You heard her."

The lord shook, his breath- restless. "You can't possibly? The emperor would not-" I sliced his head off. 

"I'd like to see him try."

His head rolled on the floor; blood spilled everywhere. 

I gave it a taste. 

For someone so disgusting, his blood tasted okay. Maybe a bit too sugary, but still, okay. 

I didn't let the torso go, and dug in. 

With blood painted on my face and fangs, I stared at the soldiers. "Who wants to be next?"

My armor and clothes were tainted, tainted with blood. 

There was no going back.

This whole thing served as a method to get my point across- that being, I was coming for the emperor.

The soldiers, they were shaking, with rage? No, with fear?

Terror.

They were quivering.

"Well?" I said.

One of them fell on the floor, on his knees. The rest followed suit. 

"We-we give up." 

When I heard the term demons, the first thing that always came to my mind was, 'hate.' I hated those things. The next thing, fear: I feared them. And I knew they were ruthless and scary. 

But now, what the hell was this?

How were these things different from typical selfish, self-preserving people?

I snorted. "You!" I pointed at Neira. "Tell me how I can reach the capital quickly and be quick about it."

'The longer I spend here, the more I'll end up treating them-'

Demons were evil, humans were good. I was taught that the first time I came to this world. 

And for the majority of my life, I believed as much. 

After all, demons were always just out seeking our death and-

But, now that I was here, now that I was staring at the frightened people, at the quivering soldiers, now I understood: everyone was just trying to live. 

'Then how are we different?'

Humans killed to live. 

Demons killed to live.

Goblins killed to live. 

Everyone, everything was just trying to live. To survive. 

"That's it? You're leaving just like that?"

"I told you, didn't I?" I made a fist. "I have to get to the capital as fast as possible. 

'I have to kill that thing as fast as possible.'

And end all this. 

***

I wanted to leave immediately and I was going to too. But Neira explained that there was a faster way and she was going to show it to me, after securing the lord's residence. 

She didn't need my help. 

Everyone just gave up now that the lord was dead. 

On that note, I was somewhat of a local hero for killing the guy. Turns out, he was blackmailing the soldiers by taking their families hostage. No one really wanted to fight since this was a backwater town with little military might and even fewer rations to go about. 

But the lord was rather greedy.

Which was why no one really tried to attack me to their best. 

Oh well. 

"Everything is complete," Neira headed my way. 

She had her cousin with her. The poor kid probably hated me. 

I was just in front of the lord's mansion, in the garden. 

There were others here: soldiers, general people. 

"That's great, but you do realize, I don't have time to waste, right?" I just stared. 

I wanted to get out of here before I ended up treating humans and demons the same way. Before I changed…. My mind. 

"Right, right!" She nodded. "To get to the capital we have to get on a caravan. That'd be the fastest and the safest. Though I don't think you'd have to worry about security with your strength. No caravans leave from this city, but one does leave often just west from here."

"Pretty sure, I can go faster than a caravan if I knew the route and had a ride."

"That's the rookie mistake everyone makes," Her cousin said. "If you underestimate the desert, they'll be hell to pay."

Funny, the geezer had once said the same. 

Brought back memories. 

"There's a desert?"

"Yes, the great desert of Trobas. It is said that it's the largest desert of this continent."

"That's great I guess." Just the perfect thing I needed. Even just traveling with the shadows in daytime was taxing enough but now, I had to deal with the full brunt of the sun? For days? Really? Amazing! "So that's why you're suggesting the caravan?"

"Yes."

"Makes sense. When's the next one leaving?"

"Tomorrow before dawn. And it would stop by the grasslands we'd passed. So, we should be able to catch up."

"I see." Then I had to travel tonight, I guess. "How's your mother?"

I had my fill of blood from that lord. So, I was pretty much on full stamina. 

"She hasn't woken up but her condition seems to have become stable."

"Alright then. I guess this is goodbye." I turned around. 

"Wait!" She stood in front of me. "It'll be faster if we were to go together. Besides, you still needed information, remember? And do you even know where the caravan would be or how to get on?"

"Well, I could get information from basically anyone. I'm not looking for anything that secret anyway. And I could always just offer my services as a guard or threaten them, either works fine."

She grimaced. "Too straightforward. But I think it'd be best for you to let me lead you there. And besides-" She became a bit quiet.. "I want to repay you."