Ashes of Love and War - TodoMomo

||Chapter 35 ~ Part 1||

Two hours earlier

Shouto and the merchant, Jin, rushed down the mountain trail, their sandals sliding along the frozen ground.

The morning was cold and still. Above them, the moon had dulled with the rising sun; however, the sky was still gray and gloomy. And shadows crept amongst the rocks and under the pine trees that grew along the slopped ridges.

Shouto's gaze darted down the dimly lit path, trying to spot the empusa. But he couldn't see anything. Even when he strained, the only sound that echoed through the white-dusted pines was the crunch of snow compacting underneath his and the merchant's sandals. He couldn't sense any magic.

He frowned and glanced back down at the trodden path, speckled with blood and indented with human and empusa prints.

It was strange. There was just enough blood along the trail. And the footsteps were a bit too clear, too evenly dispersed. The scene felt like something from a play, almost methodical.

Suspicion swelled in Shouto's mind, building like an itch stuck in the back of his throat. Had Jin really run all this way with his son?

A tree to Shouto's left caught his attention. A symbol had been carved into the trunk, similar to the evil eye protecting the cabin, but different. It looked like it had been crossed out.

"We're almost there," the rough voice of the merchant called out through panting, uneven breaths.

Shouto tore his gaze away from the tree to glance over his shoulder. "Alright."

He slowed his pace to match steps with the merchant. "When we get there, keep close. I'll stand guard; you check for your wife."

Jin made a sound of consent low in his throat. Shouto ignored him as the trees suddenly thinned, and they came to a plateau on the mountainside.

Shouto unsheathed Endeavor and dashed forward.

A cart had been overturned; its contents spilled out across the frozen, rocky ground. At the front, an ox, torn in half, was still attached to its reins. Its blood was thick and coagulated.

The animal had been there for a while.

Shouto shifted. His gaze scanned the pine trees as he carefully circled the cart.

The top of the mountain was silent, as if all the birds and animals had fled. It was a cold morning, but not bitter enough for all the animals, even the scavengers, to have disappeared.

The empusa was close.

Shouto drew in a slow breath and flexed his hand before readjusting his grip upon Endeavor. His fingers were moist.

Something about the clearing seemed familiar, unsettling, as though he'd been there before. The feeling tugged at the back of Shouto's thoughts, but he couldn't remember.

"We can't stay here," Shouto said in a low, even voice, trying to hide his uneasiness. "Did you find your wife? Any clues?"

Warm breath tickled the back of Shouto's neck.

"Why don't you ask me yourself?"

Shouto jerked forward and spun around, bringing Endeavor up. The sword met empty air as a woman with a donkey's leg jumped back with acrobatic ease.

"Ouch! Almost got poor Toga," the empusa's high-pitched voice whined as she twirled backwards in the direction of the merchant.

"Get back!" Shouto shouted. "Jin!"

But the older man didn't move. The merchant looked up; his dark eyes met Shouto's gaze. And it was as though Shouto was staring at a completely different person as Jin smiled, his expression almost giddy.