I awoke from a dreamless slumber in a warm embrace. I was lying in my bed, in the tavern with Kona by my side. What had happened? I was in the cave, wasn't I? Kona's mother transformed into a demon right in front of my eyes, so why am I here? How did I get here? As I lay, looking up to the ceiling, I felt Kona shift next to me as she awoke.
"Ahh, fuck my head… Morning." She groaned as she leaned up and planted a kiss on my cheek. I wrapped an arm around her and gently stroked her hair. "I think I drank too much last night."
"What happened last night?"
"You get that wasted? We celebrated your victory with the town, then you and I celebrated it together." She smirked up at me; she had joked about trying to make children the day before. But I left for the cave while she went to find her mother. Haralda, no Dilindala, she was in the cave, waiting.
"I don't remember much after you went to find your mother."
"Oh, well, I couldn't find her, and you came from… somewhere with Nigel and L. Those two took some whores for the night, and you walked right up to me in the tavern and… well."
I looked down at her as she blushed. Is this what she meant by a good dream? She brainwashed us to… go have sex? She said it was her way of thanking us though, so… I suppose that makes sense? I don't really understand how she did all that in the cave. I suppose I may never understand it; it was nothing more than magic. If we got out of the cave, then that's that. We can leave.
After some time lounging in bed and cuddling, I finally managed to escape Kona's relentless grip. She normally wasn't this clingy in the mornings. Perhaps she's in a good mood from last night. I wish I were able to remember what happened, how many times we did it, but from the look on her face and the subtle aching in my groin, it must have been a lot.
She stayed in bed while I put on some basic clothes and left the room. I went across the hall to L's room to knock on the door. I knocked a few more times before remembering Kona said he and Nigel picked up some whores. It's more likely that they were at the brothel than here. As I turned to leave, the door opened. L was peering out with his white mask on and no shirt. I was glad I couldn't see his lower half behind the door.
"L, what happened in the cave?"
"I don't know, I just woke up and there's a woman in my bed. I have no idea how I got here."
"Please tell me you're wearing pants."
"I am."
"Good, I'm coming in."
I made sure the girl was still sleeping before telling L what Kona told me. About the state we were in when we came back from the cave. I told him about what happened in the cave, about Haralda proclaiming herself as the sin of lust, about the urn, about how she controlled him and Nigel. After I was finished, he sat there, staring at me.
"Well… It's clear what happened here was far beyond the scope of what we suspected."
"What did we expect?"
"I explained that to you quite thoroughly on the ride here. Either way, I need to return and report this. I don't like the idea of a literal demon wandering around somewhere. You and Kona can stay behind and keep an eye out for Lust."
"Okay."
"Good, now get out. I need to get ready to leave. Nigel can stay too. I would give him the option to come with me, but I already know his answer."
I left the room and went over to Nigels, knocking on his door to make sure he was okay. There was no response. I knocked again and again, still nothing. He definitely must be at the brothel.
Kona and I went downstairs and had breakfast. As we ate, we saw L walk through the tavern and leave. By around midday, Nigel finally appeared, boasting about how he woke in a bed with six women around him; he seemed overly pleased with himself. As we settled in for dinner that night with just the three of us, I noticed a strange smell in the air. It was… metallic and cold. It was familiar, but I couldn't quite place it.
A week passed, two, three. There was no work yet from L ordering us to return to the city. Haralda had gone missing, though of course, only I knew the truth. In her absence, Kona was made the leader of the village, a role that's more spiritual than political. As such, the two of us moved into the Godi house in this village. It was large, much larger than my old home by at least three or four times the size. It was well furnished, warm and inviting.
More days passed, and I noticed another change: Kona's belly began to grow. She was pregnant. The moment we both realised we were nervous, unsure how to react. I felt I was too young, but at the same time, with our day-to-day life as it is now, it might not be the worst thing to happen. Though I could never quite get the strange smell out of my nose. Regardless of when or where.
It was surprising how peaceful things were; it seemed almost too good to be true. After so many years of suffering, I finally had a moment of peace and happiness. I felt free, I had a home in a quiet, peaceful small town, a loving wife with a child on the way, A friend who's so infamous at the brothels that they don't even bother charging him anymore. I could get used to this life. To think I was a slave, a criminal and a mercenary, who stopped a civil war, that I went through that horrible thing with Kona… what was that? I don't even remember anymore. But… it was something important, right? I feel like I saw her get hurt. But she's fine, there's nothing wrong with her at all, she's perfect.
I couldn't get that lingering thought out of my head that night as I lay with her. There was something wrong with her, but what was it? An arm? No, those are both there, big and strong. Her leg? No, I would notice those with the amount of time I spend touching them. What was it? As I lay in my bed, staring at the ceiling, that same smell washed over me again, stronger and more potent.
I get this strange feeling that I'm being watched. I close my eyes, trying to ignore it, but rather I get that uncomfortable feeling you get when you have prolonged eye contact with someone you don't quite get along with, or a stranger? I see a faint glow in the dark behind my eyelids, a red glow. Of course, how could I forget about you? Wrath.
"Wake up."
My eyes shot open. I was sitting at the counter of the bar in the tavern. I have a half-empty bottle of liquor in my hand. It's quiet, dead quiet. I can tell it's the middle of the day. As I look down at the bottle, I notice my hand, stained deep red, blood. Lots of blood. My head snapped, facing forward, looking away from it. What had happened? How did I get here? Why do I feel that warm, wet feeling over my whole body?
I held up my other hand, it was also red. The blood soaked my whole arm, up to the shoulder. My clothes were soaked through, front and back. My hair was wet, and I felt it on my face as well. I lifted the drink to my lips and took in a mouthful. Some called alcohol 'liquid courage', and I feel that I would need all I can muster just to turn my head.
I felt it behind me, a crushing sense of guilt. I had done something, was it like Saltfort? Was it like on the boat? I thought Wrath said I couldn't do that again? But even still, I felt it behind me. The raging souls of the dead.
"AKAME!" I heard a voice yell. It to me a moment to recognise the voice. It was L. Why was he here? Shouldn't he be in the city? "Akame, say something or I pull this fucking trigger!"
"Why are you here? You left for the city a month and a half ago."
"What!? What are you talking about?"
"After the cave, you went back to the city to report. That was over a month ago."
"Shinya." A second voice called out, Nigel. "We went into the cave last night."
Last night? Ah.. I get it. That was all a dream. She gave me a dream where I was free, not beholden to anyone or anything I didn't choose. That was the good dream, I guess you have to wake up eventually, even though I would rather go back to dreaming.
"Guys… what did I do?"
There was a silence for a moment, then their distant footsteps came closer. I heard boots on wood, the occasional wet squelch that sent a shiver down my spine.
"Guys, what did I do?'
"Turn around. See for yourself." L walked closer, and I could feel his presence behind me.
"I… I'm scared." I felt my body trembling. A hand landed on my shoulder firmly, giving it a light squeeze. I knew I had to turn around, to face whatever was behind me. I didn't want to, I thought about closing my eyes, about just sitting here forever, no. I had to move.
I turned my head and saw it. The tavern's floor, walls, and ceiling were coated in deep crimson, bodies and entrails strewn over the room, piling up high in some places. Counting the dead was an impossible feat. "How… how many?"
L shook his head as he hooked his arm under mine, lifting me to my feet. "There's nobody in the city. Everyone was here for the celebration."
As we stepped forward, over the mountains of corpses, I realised what he said. Everyone was here, the whole town was here. At least a hundred people, maybe two hundred. Women, children, we stepped over their bodies one by one as we neared the exit. As we left the tavern, there was even more, double the amount inside; the snow itself had been stained red. It was a slaughter.
As we walked out, Nigel was standing with his hand on the grip of his blade, watching me. I shook my head at him, and he let it go. He was offering me a release for this, but I rejected his offer, even though I'm the one who told him to do it.
"That can't be everyone. Some had to have survived… please tell me some survived."
"Of course, there are probably a few locked inside their homes. Mostly younger children, I imagine."
"Kona?"
"We don't know where she is." Nigel stepped closer to me.
I looked up once again towards Nigel, behind him in the distance. Kona. She was standing just having rounded a corner, frozen in shock at the sight. I, covered in the blood of the town and the slaughter behind my back. There was horror in her eyes, something I had never seen before. I stumbled down into my very soul, seeing that and seeing her stomach, flat.
"Kona," I called out. Tears ran down her face as she shook her head. "KONA!" I pleaded, I wanted her to say something to me, anything. But she didn't, she turned and ran. Disappearing into the treeline, running north.