Mimicry

Prologue

Thud, thud, thud. Their footsteps was getting louder. The young boy holds on tight to his best friend, who was trembling in fear. The two were separated from the girl's parents, lost in the debris of the fallen houses of their tiny village. The children were hiding behind the wreckage of the girl's house, the door hanging uselessly from its frame.

Since many of the houses were like huts, they toppled easily, with nothing to support the buildings.

Thud, thud. Soon, the black sludge-like creature appears through what used to be a window, now just a giant hole in the wall with shattered glass stained red with blood on the ground. The Vile sniffs the air, and the two cowered into the corner, the young boy occasional peeking at the creature.

The Vile's tiny eyes scanned the area cautiously, obviously on the prowl. Not a single soul was in sight, the setting sun casting an orange glow on the monster. The Vile roared; it came out like a loud screech which hurt the children's ears.

Suddenly, just as the sun could no longer be seen, a figure calmly approached the Vile. Dressed in dark clothing, the stranger smiled as the Vile charged towards him.

Electricity poured out of the figure's hands in strong waves of lighting, illuminating the skeletons of the fallen houses. The lightning struck the Vile in between its two beady eyes, causing it to howl in pain.

Suddenly, more creatures poured from the surrounding forest, all taking on different forms. Some took the form of a giant reptillian-like bird, while a couple transformed into wolves with massive elongated claws.

However, despite being outnumbered, the stranger still had that creepy smile on his face, no doubt a senile look in his eyes. Launching more lightning at multiple Viles at once, the stranger was by no means weak.

But if the children had learnt one thing during Vile attacks, was that together, one can overcome anything. Now, the stranger had no one to back him up. Someone had to help.

As the young boy watched on, focused on the way the man use his ability, he felt wetness on his hand. The boy looks back at his friend, tears streaming down her face. "Ash...I'm scared." She cried, sniffing. Ash, the young boy, pats her comfortingly on her back, trying his best to force a smile on his face to calm his friend down.

The girl cuddles closer to Ash, burying her head onto his shoulder. He continued to watch the man, slowly analyzing the man's actions, the way he breathed before he used lightning, and the way his stance changed ever so slightly so that the man could put in more power into his attacks.

But the Viles were never ending. Or it felt like that. From within the folds of his clothes, the man withdraws two shiny black pistols, directing his electricity into the guns.

The bullets, infused with electricity, exploded instantly as soon as they touched the Viles' slimy skin. Ash, after observing the man for a while, could almost predict what the stranger would do, imagining the actions in his head.

No sooner had the man took down a single Vile, two or more would take its place. "Fern!" came a desperate voice, attracting the attention of the Viles and the man.

Fern's parents, Gale and Joseph, with a wooden stick in his hands, came from behind the Viles, desperately calling out their beloved daughter's name. Ash, abandoned by both his parents, had been living with Fern and her parents, but he knew they didn't love him, and only treated him equally because of Fern's insistence on the matter.

"Get back!" the man shouted at them, before the Viles in turn charged at them. Gale screamed in terror, before falling to her knees. Joseph swung the wooden stick at an uncoming Vile, but it disintegrated into a powder-like substance when it came in contact with the Vile's skin.

Roaring in anger, the wolf Vile slashed down violently with his claws. If it weren't for the man, Fern's parents would've been goners. The man had put up a hasty electric barrier around them, wincing every time a Vile tackled the barrier.

"Fern, I'm gonna step out for a while. Stay here and don't move." With that warning in the poor girl's mind, Ash steps out of hiding, putting the Viles between the man, Gale and Joseph, and Ash.

Picking the easy prey, the Viles switches targets, charhing towards Ash. Replaying the way the man fought and wielded his lightning, Ash followed the stranger's actions perfectly. Closing his eyes, Ash inhaled deeply, gathered all of his energy to his right hand, and discharged it in one blast.

Light blinded him, causing Ash to cover his eyes. When the bright light faded, Ash opens his eyes slowly, taking in his new surroundings in awe.

The Viles had disintegrated into black powder, their remains floating in the wind. Thanks to the electricity barrier, the man and Fern's parents were still alive. Suddenlg worried, Ash dashes to where Fern was hiding.

Upon reaching the hiding spot, the three adults trailing closely behind him, Ash witnessed a sight he'd never thought he would ever see.

His best friend was gone, black ashes flying away in the breeze.

***

"Monster!" cried Gale, fresh tears rolling down her dirt-covered skin. Ash winced at that term, slightly insulted by the way Gale threw the word around. Especially after what'd happened.

Joseph grabbed Ash by the shoulders, shaking the poor boy and demanding him to bring back their beloved daughter. But Ash knew she was gone. There wasn't anything he could do but mourn his best friend.

The man was just a few steps away, obviously communicating his clients or whatever. Ash was on his own. Joseph, with an angry expression on his face, raised his hand to hit Ash. The boy cringed, bracing himself for the hit, but a swoosh of a cloak drew his attention.

The stranger stood in front of Ash, his hand straining against Joseph's. "Get this monster away!" Joseph shouts at the man, who's face betrayed no emotions.

Ash straightened himself and started to walk away. He could hear shuffling sounds behind him as Joseph forcefully snatches his hand away from the stranger's, muttering vulgar words under his breath.

"You okay?" the man's voice came from behind Ash. He almost jumped; he didn't hear the man coming from behind him. Ash didn't answer, instead kept walking.

The evacuated villagers from Ash's village stared at him; some with pitiful eyes, some with disbelieving expressions on their faces. Earlier that day, when the village sounded the alert signal, many villagers had fled the first chance they get, to a nearby town.

"I'm not talking to the wall am I, boy?" the man huffed. "No. Just a monster," replied Ash dully, looking at the ground. "Well, seems you're not wanted. I've got a perfect place in mind for you," the man winked, then trudged ahead of Ash.

Without a backward glance, Ash followed the man, leaving the remnants of his village behind.