Chương 27: Chosen by Death

Mireia felt as though she were in the middle of a nightmare. But that was nothing new. Having been born into a world that was nearing its end, she had always had to adjust to whatever happened around her. And it was never anything good. She was still just a child, so she could not work the hard, dry soil. Her pastime, or rather, her job, was to search the ruins of ancient civilizations for useful objects for the village.

Those civilizations had built buildings that reached the sky and vehicles that traversed vast expanses of water that had existed in ancient times, waters they called oceans. Now nothing remained of their cities but ruins, dust, and the monstrous creatures that inhabited them. But there was no helping it. If you could not work the land, then you had to contribute some other way, and because she had no parents, Mireia was sent to explore the ruins. Many like her never returned.

For a while, though, it had seemed as if her ordeal had finally come to an end. One night, a blinding light enveloped the makeshift huts that formed her village, and all its inhabitants were transported to a paradise. The land was green and filled with flowering fields, the waters were crystal clear, the trees were lush, and the air was fresh and delicious. It was a gift from the heavens! They, the descendants of a people abandoned by the gods, had finally been forgiven! Or so it seemed...

The illusion did not take long to shatter. This land was inhabited by countless monsters and dangerous creatures whose diet had just expanded to include them. The tragedy came soon enough when they were discovered by a horde of giant reptiles with sharp blades at the tips of their tails. They had survived until now only because those creatures liked to cut them into pieces and eat them bit by bit.

If it had been a quick death, Mireia would have already thrown herself into the jaws of one of those beasts, but the spectacle before her, and the screams of pain of those who fell as they were torn apart and devoured, kept her from doing so. But even if she did not want to surrender herself willingly, her time had finally come. She could not run anymore. Her small, bony legs tangled together, and the little girl fell onto the grass while the rest of the villagers kept running for their lives.

Mireia sat on the grass, trembling. She knew it was the end. She did not want to look, but she could not stop herself from turning her head. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Her fears came true: the reptile's drooling snout was only inches from her. The beast's fetid breath lashed at her face and made the black strands of her long bangs flutter.

The reptile seemed to savor her fear for a few seconds before lifting its head and unleashing a rending roar. The next instant, the blade came hurtling toward her. Mireia closed her eyes, full of terror. Clank! But the pain never came. All she heard was the metallic clang of a heavy impact. When she opened her eyes, the blade was indeed right in front of her, but it had pierced through a shield and stopped only inches from her face. When Mireia looked up, she had to cover her mouth to keep from screaming.

It was a skeleton! A skeleton had saved her! And it was not alone. The reptile, still struggling with its tail caught in the shield, was struck by a slash that severed its head from its body. Another skeleton had come to rescue her. And before long, the whole field was filled with more of them. The army of skeletons that had risen from the depths of the earth soon surrounded the horde of reptiles, and the creatures did not last long beneath thousands of arrows, swords, and spears.

Mireia and the rest of the villagers were left petrified, unable to move so much as a single muscle. When the army of death finished off those now-pitiful creatures, they all turned toward the villagers, who quickly dropped to their knees, many of them wetting themselves on the spot.

"Bah! I knew those lizards wouldn't last long..."

"Lizards... Cerys, when have you ever seen lizards that big...? If you don't want to call them reptiles, at least call them dinosaurs or something..."

"What's a dinosaur?" she asked....

"You know what? Never mind." From beyond the wall of skeletons came two voices that seemed distant, far away, almost otherworldly. Soon the army of skeletons formed orderly ranks, rendering honors to two figures who advanced toward Mireia. One was a beautiful red-haired girl whose sparkling orange eyes looked capable of setting fire to anything they rested on. The other was a handsome young man with long silver hair and a deep golden gaze that seemed to hold the universe itself.

The two figures stopped in front of Mireia, who had no idea how to react to those divine beings who seemed to have stepped out of legends even older than the ruins of her world's civilization.

Before Nerez and Cerys stood a girl no older than about eleven, though she looked far thinner and frailer than other children her age. But after looking over the humans who had prostrated themselves before him, Nerez could tell they were all in much the same condition.

"Are you all right, little one? Can you stand?" Nerez asked, kneeling so he would be at her height.

"Nereziel, the god of death, is speaking to you, mortal," Cerys declared, crossing her arms.

"Did that lizard eat your tongue...? Agh!" The moment she finished speaking, one of the skeletons under Nerez's control gave her a chop on the head.

"The god of death!"

"Look at all those corpses..."

"The god of death has come for us..."

"This is the end!" Unfortunately for Nerez, the damage had already been done, and the humans began whispering among themselves almost at once. Still, a single glance from Nerez was enough to silence them.

"I did not come for you. This was just a coincidence..." he said with a tired sigh before turning back to the girl.

"Tell me, little one, what is your name?"

"Mire... Mireia, sir..."

"Tell me, Mireia, are you all right? Can you stand?"

"I think... I think so." Nerez held out his hand and tried to put on a practiced, reassuring smile, though smiling had never been his strong suit. Mireia kept staring at him as though he were some kind of mythological creature, while a strange sense of reverence grew within her. Gathering all her strength, the little girl took Nerez's hand by the fingers in the most respectful way she could. [Apostle Acquired!] [Skill Bestowing Acquired!] [Which skill would you like to share?]