Chapter 24: Against the Nightmares
Ankas left early in the morning for work. At first, he didn't even want to go out at all—he wanted to stay with his family, fearing that his premonition would come true.
But a messenger was sent to fetch him on his boss's orders. With no choice but to leave, he warned Malina and Raiwan, though he felt it was unnecessary. Malina was already terrified, and as for Raiwan... well, he couldn't quite tell what Raiwan was feeling or what he planned to do.
Manika, Raiwan, and Malina gathered in the parlor. Not long after, Abril and Sulail joined them. Raiwan repeated what Ankas had told him that morning.
Their parents had also warned them about the situation, though none of them knew about Mayfrin's death.
They were not really sad like Malina,
So Raiwan was relieved that he didn't have to deal with them the way he had with Malina.
And even so, he caught them frequently glancing at the windows, their eyes filled with unease. Though the curtains were drawn, they acted as if something might barge in at any moment.
"You can all relax," Raiwan said, breaking the silence. "I asked Dad, and he said the beasts are just Nightmares—nothing to worry about."
The entire room turned toward him in stunned disbelief. Eyes widened, breath hitched, and Abril even choked on his own saliva. Manika pricked herself with her sewing needle without even noticing.
"What!?" Abril gasped. "You're calling Nightmares 'nothing to worry about'?"
Oh great, this is all Mom's fault. She had corrupted me. Raiwan thought bitterly.
"I mean…" he started, but his words trailed off as he suddenly shushed them.
At first, there was silence. Then, faintly, they heard it—distant screams of men, followed by chilling shrieks of beasts. The sounds grew louder by the second.
"Everyone, upstairs! Now!" Manika ordered urgently.
Malina and Sulail sat frozen in place, paralyzed by fear, until Abril tapped them back to reality.
Then, another shriek rang out—this time much louder, and just outside their house.
That was all the motivation they needed. In an instant, they sprinted upstairs at a speed they never knew they had.
But Raiwan didn't follow.
Instead, he hurried toward the window. The curtains blocked his view, so he shifted them slightly and peeked outside.
What he saw sent a chill down his spine.
Fourteen soldiers were locked in combat with massive, hairy beasts. Eight more lay motionless on the ground, blood pooling from the gruesome wounds on their bodies. They were unmistakably dead.
Raiwan studied the scene carefully. There were nine of the creatures, each as large as a horse. Their bodies were entirely covered in black hair—hair that was as flexible as rubber yet hard as steel.
Every time a sword struck them, a sharp clang echoed. Their fur acted as both armor and weapon, shifting fluidly as they moved, either walking or rolling. Raiwan also knew something peculiar—the beasts lacked eyes, noses, or ears. Their hair seemed to substitute for all of those functions.
He exhaled in relief.
"The Hairy Beamixes… I can't believe they're struggling against these weak creatures," Raiwan muttered, shaking his head. If Mom were here, she'd kill you, not the beasts, for being so pathetic.
His gaze then fell on the pile of clothes Manika had been sewing. He considered something but quickly dismissed it.
Instead, he made his way to the kitchen. His eyes scanned the room until they landed on a container of oil Manika used for cooking. "There," he murmured.
Grabbing the oil, he also picked up the towel used for drying dishes and soaked it thoroughly.
Next, he found a small steel rod—about a meter long and as thick as a finger. Without hesitation, he headed outside through the kitchen door.
Right outside was a stack of firewood Manika had gathered from the forest. Raiwan crouched down and carefully examined the pile without touching it. Eventually, he picked up a solid piece, weighed it in his hand, and swung it a few times to test its balance. Satisfied, he wrapped the oil-soaked towel around it.
Returning to the kitchen, then to the parlor, Raiwan moved calmly, as though he wasn't even aware of the chaos outside.
He reached the front door, opened it silently, and stepped out, closing it behind him.
Without hesitation, he struck the steel rod against the wall. Sparks flew, and the tip ignited into a small flame. He pressed it against the towel, and a crimson flame roared to life.
Then, with a flick of his wrist, he extinguished the flame on the rod and slipped it into his pocket. A dark smile formed on his lips.
Stepping onto the street, he walked toward the battlefield.
The soldiers were still fighting, their numbers dwindling. Their desperate attempts to hold the line were failing—they couldn't even retreat.
Raiwan dashed forward, entering the fray just as a beast prepared to finish off another soldier. Without hesitation, he swung the burning torch at the creature.
The reaction was immediate. The beast recoiled violently, letting out a guttural shriek as it scrambled backward.
For the first time since the battle had begun, a beast had been pushed back.
Raiwan rolled across the ground, grabbing a fallen soldier's sword. In one fluid motion, he pointed the flame at the beast. Its fur recoiled instinctively, retreating from the heat and revealing it's bare body,
Raiwan immediately used that moment of vulnerability—
,