A Good Man Awakens

Chapter 15: Moss Side

As I came to, a thick haze surrounded me. It was impossible to see more than a few feet ahead. The air was heavy with ash, the remnants of what had once been a thriving town. I staggered to my feet, my legs shaky and unsteady, still struggling to make sense of the devastation around me. The intense power I'd felt before was gone, leaving only a sense of terrible loss—so much loss.

"Lieutenant! There's somebody over there, amongst the ash... I think... I think it's a child."

The voices sounded distant, muffled by the haze. Tears streamed from my eyes, mixing with the ash on my cheeks, turning into a paste that smeared my vision. I wiped at my face, but it only made things worse. I stood in the centre of what had been Moss Side—once a busy, bustling town, now reduced to a desolate, smoldering wasteland. The ground beneath my feet was blanketed in warm ash, and the wind kicked it up in thick clouds that stung my eyes and throat. It clung to my skin, covering my naked body like a second layer, making me look more beast than man.

All my possessions were gone, blown away in the blast, my clothes shredded. If it was not for Light Binding I would have been dead

The air was suffocating, each breath a struggle as the ash-laden smoke clogged my lungs. My mind raced, trying to grasp where I was, what had happened. Why was it so hard to breathe?

"It's a boy!" another voice called out, closer this time. "No older than my nephew, Reece. Barely ten winters. Boy! Are you alright?"

"I think he's in shock, Lieutenant. Shall I inform Lord Balos?"

"No, get my horse. This poor lad's been through enough. Look at the state of him. I'm not letting Balos get his hands on him. I'll take him to Ged's for a few days while we carry on here."

The air grew thicker with each breath, choking me. There was something else beneath the acrid smell of ash—something sweet, hot, and sickly that tickled the back of my throat. My fingers tingled, the smell growing stronger, more familiar. What was it?

"Alright, son, I'm going to pick you up now. Nothing to fear. Let's get you out of here, cleaned up. You're safe now."

The sensation in my fingers faded as a blanket was thrown over my shoulders, and I was lifted off the ground. Straps were wrapped around my waist, securing me to the horse. I felt the jolt of movement as we rode through the heavy ash, the rider's pace quick but steady. I could barely comprehend what was happening, but I remember being grateful for the blanket—something warm, something comforting.

I don't know how long we rode, but I'll never forget the moment when the air finally cleared. Fresh, clean air filled my lungs, and for the briefest moment, it felt like salvation. I took a deep breath, relishing the taste of life returning to my body—only for it to turn to a violent fit of coughing as the blackened filth in my lungs fought its way out.

"Alright, son, not far now. Hang on. It's better if we don't stop."

The coughing worsened, each breath more painful than the last. My head pounded as if a hammer was slamming against the anvil of my mind. The world spun, and then everything went dark.

I woke up sometime later, lying on a soft straw bed. The sweet scent of spices and simmering vegetables filled the air, a soothing contrast to the acrid taste of ash that still lingered in the back of my throat. I lay still, listening to the faint crackling of a fire and the quiet murmur of voices nearby.

"What?"

"Just for a few days, Ged. A span at most. I couldn't leave him there... The whole town's gone. Burnt down to the foundations. There's nothing left but ash and dust, as far as the eye can see. Everyone's gone—dead. It's like a colourless nightmare."