Gods of Destruction

Chapter 4 HINA

As Nasser Reza left the mountain ravine and continued on his journey, he lost track of how much time had passed. He forged ahead, cutting through thickets, eating whatever he could find in the wild, and eventually, the forest began to thin out. The terrain became increasingly flat, and as far as the eye could see, there was a vast expanse of desolate land with no end in sight.Just as the sky grew darker, thick clouds rolled in, and thunder rumbled ominously. In an instant, torrential rain poured down, turning the earth into flowing streams and enveloping everything in mist.Nasser Reza was drenched in seconds, with no shelter in sight to escape the downpour. The rain hitting his skin brought a biting chill, and his hunger only added to his discomfort, leaving him cold and miserable.With no other option, Nasser Reza curled his body up as tightly as possible, crouching on the ground to minimize his exposure to the rain. He buried his head between his legs, eyes half-closed, lost in thought.Time passed, but the rain showed no signs of stopping. The cold seeped into Nasser Reza's bones, and his consciousness began to blur as the chill took hold.Suddenly, Nasser Reza noticed that the rain was no longer hitting his body. Could the rain have stopped? he wondered, opening his eyes and lifting his head. The heavy rain still poured down, accompanied by flashes of lightning and claps of thunder, leaving him puzzled.He looked up again and saw a young girl in a green robe standing beside him, holding an umbrella. The girl seemed to be a few years older than Nasser Reza, with long hair cascading down to her waist. She was tall and slender, with fair skin that was as delicate as a peach blossom, yet her expression was cold and detached, showing a trace of world-weariness unusual for someone her age."Come with me," the girl said coldly.Her voice seemed to carry a strange power that compelled Nasser Reza to stand up without thinking. Together, they walked under the umbrella, disappearing into the misty rain.After walking for about half an hour, they reached a small hill. The girl led Nasser Reza toward it, and as they got closer, he noticed an entrance to a cave.The cave was slightly dim, with winding passages. After turning a few corners, the space suddenly opened up, brightly lit by candlelight, revealing a spacious area about ten meters wide."Hina, you're back," a rather loud voice called out. A young man emerged from behind a pile of miscellaneous items. He appeared slightly older than the girl, with short black hair and a handsome face, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth."Hina... So her name is Hina. What a nice name," Nasser Reza thought to himself as he looked at the girl."Oh, you brought someone back with you," the young man noticed Nasser Reza standing beside Hina and commented."Yes, I saw him alone, soaked in the rain, so I brought him back. Consider it another companion," Hina replied, her voice still cold.The young man looked at Nasser Reza, his lips curling into a smile, his eyes narrowing into slits as he said, "Hello, little brother. My name is Abbas. What's yours?"As he spoke, Abbas extended his hand to Nasser Reza, unexpectedly pulling Nasser Reza's hand into his own."Nasser Reza," he introduced himself."Oh, that's a nice name," Abbas remarked. "There are some clothes over there; go ahead and change into something dry."Nasser Reza nodded in acknowledgment and walked in the direction Abbas pointed. He found several garments, dried himself off, and put them on.Inside the cave, the fire blazed brightly, casting a warm red glow on the cave walls. The three of them sat around the fire, enjoying its warmth as they ate their dinner."By the way, Nasser Reza, how did you end up here?" Abbas asked.Hearing Abbas's question, Nasser Reza recounted how his village had been slaughtered, how he had crossed the Mount Damavand alone, and finally arrived at this place.The two of them sighed with emotion, and their expressions toward Nasser Reza subtly changed. Mount Damavand was more than a hundred miles away, filled with thorns and roaming beasts. The difficulties of such a journey were beyond words."Both Hina and I are orphans as well. The war between nations destroyed our homeland and took our parents," Abbas said, a hint of pain flickering in his eyes as he seemed to recall the past.As Nasser Reza ate his dry rations and drank his broth, he noticed out of the corner of his eye a mountain of food piled not far away."Wow, that's amazing. How do you have so much food?" Nasser Reza exclaimed, amazed at the sight of provisions that could feed the three of them for a year."Oh, that? If you plan on staying here, you'll have to figure out a way to bring some food back too," Abbas said, half-leaning against a nearby chest."Right," Nasser Reza nodded. Considering their ages, acquiring that much food wasn't an easy task, so he couldn't just take advantage of their hospitality."But how do we go about getting food?" Nasser Reza asked."Just steal it," Abbas replied casually."Steal? That doesn't seem right," Nasser Reza said. In Nasser's village, if someone lacked food or clothing, they only needed to mention it, and others would provide what was needed. Stealing was unheard of."How naive. Do you really think someone will just give you food for free? In times like these, if you want to survive, you have to rely on yourself. Enough with the self-righteous talk.""Self-righteous..." Nasser Reza murmured."Whether it's stealing, robbing, or whatever other means, if you don't act, you're just waiting to die. Do you understand?" Abbas finished, seeming a bit tired as he stretched."I understand," Nasser Reza muttered softly."Alright, get some rest. Tomorrow, we need to find more food," Abbas said with a long yawn, then closed his eyes.Hina also lay down, her eyes slightly closed. Even in sleep, her cold, stunning beauty remained unchanged.Nasser Reza hugged his knees, Abbas's words echoing in his mind."In times like these, if you want to survive, you have to rely on yourself. Enough with the self-righteous talk."The next morning, in Pingcheng, at a steamed bun stall:"Uncle, could you please give us something to eat?"A young man and woman stood in front of the stall, their voices tinged with desperation."Get out of here! Do you think this is a charity? Move along!" The shop owner, who had been smiling as he served customers, suddenly turned grim, scolding harshly."Just a little, please, just a little," the girl pleaded, her eyes welling up with tears.The owner stepped forward, his large hand pushing the two away. "Scram! If you don't leave now, don't blame me for getting rough!"At that moment, a shadow swiftly moved toward the bamboo steamer, quickly lifting the lid and snatching several steaming buns. The figure tucked them into their coat and swiftly disappeared.These three were Nasser Reza, Abbas, and Hina.They had set out from the cave early in the morning, walking for hours before reaching the nearest town. Following Abbas's plan, they stole food, with Nasser Reza and Hina distracting the vendor while Abbas took on the risky task of stealing the buns.Nasser Reza finally understood Abbas's words from the night before. Despite their pitiful pleas, neither he nor Hina received any sympathy from anyone, not even a little.However, even though no one showed them any pity, the three managed to acquire a good amount of food.Abbas divided the stolen buns among Hina, Nasser Reza, and himself, and they all showed faint smiles.After enjoying the warm buns, the trio resumed their activities. Once again, Nasser Reza and Hina were responsible for drawing attention, while Abbas took on the task of stealing.Approaching noon, the three had gathered a substantial amount of food: vegetables, fruits, and meats, all in plenty.Nasser Reza and Hina arrived at a fish stall, planning to make this last acquisition before leaving."Sir, could you spare us something to eat?" Hina pleaded, putting on a pitiful expression.The response was almost the same as before."Just a little bit, please."Hina persisted, but at that moment, Abbas had already reached the fish display. With a sly smile, he picked up a hefty fish and turned to leave.However, as Abbas turned to leave, he bumped into something. Looking up, he saw a middle-aged man with his hands on his hips, watching him with a mocking expression.