In a World without God

Chapter 9

Young Bosha ran through the back streets of Kaldura. In his hands, he clutched moldy bits of bread and maggot-infested bones. Chasing after him were the merchants of Kaldura.

"I'm going to kill you tonight, you miserable redhead!"

Bosha was puzzled. He hadn't stolen anything, he just rummaged through the trash. Why were they after her? After repeatedly searching through garbage piles and evading capture, he came to a conclusion. They were enemies. He was born the enemy of all humans. They cannot tolerate him being alive. To live, he must fight them. He must hurt them.

"No." Ygraine always said." You must forgive. You must love. Only then will the world change for Captain Bosha."

It was difficult to understand, even after hearing it a thousand times. Some things never change. Some things are unforgivable. Just looking at that scenario.. all Aruru did was rummage through a trash can, and he killed him like it was a joke!

At that moment, Edulis's magick flared up like a bonfire. The magic stones attached to his mold tried to pull it in, but Edulis's magick could not be drawn. At the center of the burning magic was something like a candle wick.

It was Ygraine's magick. A small, slender magick, like a thread. It was the only part of Ygraine's magick that Edulis could move freely.

Perhaps because it was the goddess's magick, but to Edulis, that thin stem felt as unyielding as an iron pillar. It didn't waver against magic stones and didn't melt in Edulis's burning magic. It was as if Ygraine's magic itself was Ygraine herself.

The fiery magic swirled around Edulis' body. The nails that pierced his hands and feet fell limply to the floor.

Edulis picked up a random branch from the ground. His magick wrapped around the branch, and its energy became as sharp as a whetted sword.

"Love your enemies, embrace your enemies. Captain Bosha is a man who can do that."

Ygraine's voice echoed in Edulis's head but Edulis shook his head.

"Die."

Edulis lunged for Yug.

***

Raghad was puzzled.

"I didn't see it at all..."

Raghad thought something was off, looking at Edulis's expression as he faced Yug. It resembled the expression of a wolf who had lost its cub and attacked recklessly, without caring about the consequences. While he was having that thought, Yug's arm rolled on the ground. It seemed as if a single scene with Edulis cutting Yug's arm cleanly and falling away..

"This... this...!"

Yug fumbled for the hammer on his back. Normally, Yug used a hammer as long as he was tall as a weapon. But now that he had lost his right arm, he couldn't even reach the hammer on his back.

The sight of Edulis glaring at him with a vicious glare made his mind race. Yug swung his left arm behind his back, but then he lost his balance and fell flat on his face.

"Tsk! Brother Raghad! Sister Zina! Get him...!"

Yug was on the ground, flailing about for help, looking like a dragonfly with one wing clipped off or an upturned scarab. t was a sight unbefitting of a member of the Fey family.

As Edulis swung a branch at Yug's throat, Raghad stepped forward. He drew his sword from his waistband and parried Edulis' attack.

No matter how unworthy Yug might be, he shared the same bloodline. Raghad couldn't let a member of the Fey family be killed.