Felarya's Nightmare

Chapter 15 - "I need a hero"

Upon waking up, Richard is greeted by Vigara with a breakfast that consisted of a mug of coffee with milk, next to it had bread and jam, very simple. As Richard gets up to feed, Vigara sits next to him on the bed and says:

"you know, I wish it would stop... All this suffering... I wish it would stop and we finally have a chance for that to happen, someone powerful like you can change the course of our world, so this training that Nixa gives you, it's not to make you give up, but to strengthen you, she did the same thing with everyone here, she's like our coach, very tough and direct. I think she liked you"

Richard (mouth full): And why do you think that?

Vigara: Well, she got too hard on you, I imagine that's because she sees a lot of responsibility in you, so she's already preparing you for that.

Richard: It makes sense, but it's ok, I know how this cliché of "emotional and physical training" works, I'm just worried that she might be disappointed, you never know what can happen in 5 seconds, right?

Footsteps are heard running quickly and the door is flung open by Idril who has his eyes wide open, as if he has seen an ghost. Richard automatically jumps out of bed and tries to calm him down - "Hey, calm down, what's wrong? Speak slowly" "A... The city... It's on fire... A giant Naga of... fire .... is attacking the city, everyone is retreating to the walls in the center, WE HAVE TO GO NOW!!"

Richard quickly takes Vigara's hand as Idril follows them out of hiding. Arriving at the cellar of the house, Lis, Nixa and Pita are packing some bags and rushing Idril to pack his things.

Richard: "What's going on? How did a giant Naga get into the city??"

Nixa: "No one knows, she just appeared in the middle of the city and started to attack and devour everything and everyone, she is very powerful and there is no way you can face her, you would only be snack, so let's back off for now, your training is not It's complete!"

Richard: "MY TRAINING? PEOPLE ARE BEING DEVOURED AND KILLED AND YOU ARE CONCERNED ABOUT MY TRAINING?"

Nixa: "IF YOU DON'T TRAIN, MORE PEOPLE WILL HAVE THE SAME FATE, SACRIFICES ARE NECESSARY..." says Nixa as she lets some tears escape her eyes, wiping them quickly continues - "no fuss, let's take what we got and get out of here, she's getting closer, the weapons from the inner walls will keep her away, so let's go"

Richard helps Vigara pack her things and notices that she is shaking too much and is staring at her bags and clothes, as if her thoughts are not there and she is very scared, so Richard takes both her hands and joins them with his of him, so Vigara recovers looking him in the eyes, while Richard looked at her with a smile saying: "It's okay! Everything will be fine, let's finish packing and get out of here, I'll protect you"

Viagra smiles and says: Let's go!

When everyone is ready, they hear several explosions, screams and falling rocks so they walk out the front door and a scene of pure chaos, destruction, suffering, pain and blood is right in front of them, people crushed with arms and legs that are left on the street. Children crying with hands crushed what could have been their parents or relatives, some others trying to escape with half their body destroyed, parts of various races scattered on the ground and in the background they see the giant naga, who smiled while breathing fire from his hands. and crushed everything in its path.

Nixa: "Shit....she's already close, LET'S GO!"

Everyone starts to run and then Richard feels a tug on his arm, it was Vigara who was totally paralyzed to see the child holding a crushed hand and the giant Naga in the background, Richard understood and in a moment of pure courage (or idiocy) said: Hey! Go with them, I'll save everyone I can, I won't leave anyone behind, now... GO"

Vigara comes back and starts crawling (or walking) to where the group was running and she is interrogated by Nixa: Where is Richard??

She points in the opposite direction and Nixa is furious - "THAT DESPICABLE KID, I'm going to get him and give a li-" Nixa is cut off sharply by Vigara saying: "THIS IS MY FAULT!! He wanted to save the people who couldn't escape because I was scared... I can go there, I caused this and I can fix it"

Nixa: "No, it can't, we must go there now to get him out of there" and when everyone was returning, an entire house flies towards them, but luckily, it doesn't hit them, it just blocks the only path that would lead to Richard, so they are forced to abandon him, while Richard is now aware that Vigara and the others are safe, he can do what he can to protect the others, he then starts with the crying child, approaches her saying as he picks it up the child's hands, causing her to release the crushed hand: Hey! Hey! Look at me, just me, you're safe, it's okay, I want you to be okay, be strong okay?

The little girl who looked to be about 5 or 6 years old Neko, nods her head stating Richard's question - "ok then, go to that bend right there and wait for me, I'll come back, I promise you! When you feel scared, count to 10, if you're still scared, count to 10 again" then Richard leaves her at the bend and goes to rescue the other people, in that he manages to find naga, elves, humans and other races, all very injured, then he finds a neko woman , who does not appear to be hurt, but cries in despair as she is holding a crushed hand, contemplates the heavens: WHY IS HE AND MY DAUGHTER? WHY NOT ME?? So he runs there and says: Hey, calm down, daughter? Is she a neko who appears to be 5 to 6 years old, with blonde hair and blue eyes who wears a long blue shirt enough to cover her entire body?

Woman: YES! You saw her?

Richard: Yes, she's safe, I'll take you all there

Arriving there, the woman and the girl look at each other and run towards each other, hugging each other very tightly, when someone among the people shouts: MY SON, WHERE IS HE? WHERE IS HE??

It was a desperate lizardman with his wife by his side, while they were looking, Richard comes to them and asks: where did you see him last time?

The lizard-man: He was there where we were gathered and we ran out here, he let go of my hand but I thought he would be with my wife who arrived later, but he wasn't.

Richard: All right, I'll get your son. Stay here and tend to the other wounded.

Richard saw that it was no use denying a father's determination to save his son, so they went until they to the last place of reunion and they could see a small lizard hand in the rubble, but it was still moving and the lizard man screamed in fury as he lifted a concrete column: "MY SON, HOLD IT, FATHER IS COMING!!!" and so Richard takes the opportunity and pulls the child out of the rubble and then the father drops the column, causing it to be destroyed. He hugs his son and Richard says: "Go back there now and take care of your son, your wife and the wounded, you will be a great help to them, keep them calm, I think I saw someone else here"

The lizard man puts his hand on Richard's shoulder and says, "Thank you very much, I will do that and what is your name?" with a direct look and Richard replies, "Richard, Richard Anthony, what about yours?" and the lizard man says, "Saknesh. Good luck Richard"

The two then separate, Saknesh goes back to meet the refugee group and Richard looks for the last survivor who was a human child, who was holding hands with someone else and removes the wreckage as quickly as possible, so when he sees that one is a human child and the other was a teenager, probably sisters, they were breathing but very slowly, he feels a gigantic and terrifying presence and when he looks up, the naga is looking at him and smiling at them and then she says:

"There you are...."