Chapter 44
----------------------------------------------------------------- Translator: Diva Chapter: 44 Chapter Title: Fallen and Forgotten -----------------------------------------------------------------
Pushing through the soldiers floundering about with weapons in hand, Talia spotted several mangled corpses amid the collapsed tents.
Terror clenched her stomach in agony. But the thought that Barkas might end up like that made it impossible for her to stop.
She raced recklessly across the campsite littered with debris, trying to catch up to Barkas, who was already far ahead.
Then, a heavy thud echoed through the air.
Talia whipped her head toward the sound, her face draining of color. Not far away, a wyvern had just landed and was swallowing a soldier whole.
With every movement of its massive jaws, blood overflowed, soaking its black maw.
The scene was so surreal that she couldn't even feel fear. Trembling on unsteady legs, Talia backed away. Then, amid the soldiers charging with spears, she spotted Barkas and shouted at the top of her lungs.
"Barkas! Barkas!"
Like a child spotting her parents in a crowded market, she bolted toward him. Barkas, who had been issuing orders to the knights, turned to look at her.
The moment their eyes met, his widened slightly before narrowing again. He seemed furious that she'd ignored his orders and rushed out.
His sharpening gaze sent a chill down her spine for a moment, but Talia didn't stop. She pressed on toward him, her mind filled with the single thought that they needed to get to safety together.
Don't fight. Leave that to your men. You need to stay by my side.
Such selfish thoughts tangled chaotically in her ragged breaths.
There was no way he could have heard her amid the chaos, yet Barkas strode toward her as if he had. Talia reached out for him.
At that instant, a faint scream pierced the air from somewhere nearby.
"Barkas!"
Barkas's head snapped around immediately.
Following his gaze, Talia spotted Aila standing alone in the middle of the mayhem, her eyes widening. Separated from her guards in the confusion, Aila was stumbling about when a dark shadow loomed over her head. Without hesitation, Barkas launched himself toward her.
Watching him speed away from her in an instant, Talia gaped in stunned silence. A wretched plea escaped her constricted throat.
Don't go.
Don't go to that woman.
Lava-hot sobs burned their way up her throat.
He swept Aila into his arms and rolled away precariously.
The monster, having missed its prey right in front of it, raked its black talons furiously across the ground and unleashed a savage roar.
Barkas drew his sword, shoving Aila behind him as if to shield her from the enraged beast. But the creature showed no lingering interest in a target it had already failed to catch once. After sniffing around with its head swinging side to side, it suddenly turned its eyes toward Talia.
Frozen in place, she stared into its gleaming pair of red eyes. Excited by the discovery of fresh prey, the wyvern's pupils dilated massively. In the next moment, its massive body slithered across the ground like a snake on water, lunging straight at her.
Its movement was so swift she didn't even have time to scream. Talia's body snagged on its hook-like talons, and she was hoisted into the air.
Gazing down at the rapidly receding ground, she frantically rolled her eyes. She could see the soldiers milling in panic below. Even that shrank to the size of her palm in the blink of an eye.
A powerful sense of crisis overwhelmed her, and Talia flailed her limbs desperately. But the grip crushing her chest only tightened. It felt like those sharp talons would pierce her flesh and tear her apart at any second.
Looking up at the monster holding her with terror-filled eyes, Talia cried out loudly.
"H-Help...! Somebody, please...!"
But even to her own ears, her voice sounded far too faint.
She gasped for air roughly, then forced her mouth open again with effort.
At that moment, a flash like lightning cut through the bluish darkness, followed by a blast of scorching wind that whipped across her face. Talia screamed. The wyvern clutching her bellowed in pain and began thrashing violently.
The force squeezing her waist felt like it would snap her in two, and her vision went white for an instant. Overcome by intense vertigo, she let her limbs go limp. Moments later, her body floated free into the air before plummeting toward the ground.
How many seconds passed like that? A heavy impact slammed through her entire body, and everything sank into darkness.
She couldn't tell if she was conscious or unconscious. Maybe she was even dead. But that thought was quickly refuted as excruciating pain came crashing in.
Talia gasped and groaned like livestock moments from the slaughterhouse.
It hurt. It hurt so much. Yet she couldn't pinpoint exactly where.
"Hic... sob..."
Crawling instinctively to escape whatever was pinning her down, Talia collapsed onto the cold dirt as the pain grew more unbearable. Then, catching a acrid stench stinging her nose, she lifted her head with effort.
Her eyes, adjusted to the dark, caught sight of the wyvern's limp body. Letting out terrified whimpers, Talia blinked in confusion upon realizing the monster was dead.
Its wings were half-charred and shriveled as if engulfed in flames, and embers still sizzled on the thick hind legs where scales had peeled away.
She stared blankly at the sight before propping herself up on her palms and struggling to raise her upper body.
That's when she saw the massive boulder and pile of earth crushing one of her legs. It seemed she'd tumbled down a slope during the fall.
I have to get out...
Twisting desperately to free her lower body from the rubble, Talia couldn't endure the agony and slumped again. Not just her pinned leg—her chest, shoulder, and arms ached everywhere.
Maybe all her bones were broken.
It wouldn't be surprising. In fact, she couldn't comprehend how she was still alive. Or perhaps she was dying right now.
With fear-clouded eyes, she scanned her surroundings.
By now, thick darkness had settled in. Was this what it felt like to be buried alive? Breathing was growing harder by the minute.
She wished she could pass out, but strangely, her awareness only sharpened. Unable to bear the intensifying pain, Talia clawed at the ground with her mangled nails. Tears streamed endlessly down her face.
"It hurts... It hurts so much... Barkas..."
She had no idea why she was murmuring his name. The image of him turning his back to her and rushing toward Aila flashed in her mind.
She could never be important to Barkas. The only ones he had to protect at all costs were Aila and Gares.
Hot tears soaked her cheeks.
"No... Still... He'll come looking for me."
She muttered to convince herself. She was the emperor's daughter, after all. A man of strong sense of duty—he'd surely come for her body at least. He wouldn't abandon her like this.
Clinging desperately to that thought, she peered piercingly into the deepening darkness.
Soon even the embers flickering on the monster's hide died out, plunging the world into total blackness.
No one came no matter how long she waited, so she squeezed her parched, cracking throat and murmured a bit louder.
"It's okay. It's okay. He'll come soon. Soon..."
But that voice was soon swallowed by the sobs bursting forth.
Talia bit her lip and clamped a trembling hand over her mouth. She didn't want to cry.
Crying means admitting it. That no one will come for me...
She forced the bitter wail of pain and despair back down into her gut. Then she murmured again, repeating it like a mantra.
Just wait a little longer, and Barkas would surely come. Just like he'd pulled her from the mud before, he'd save her this time too.
He definitely would. Definitely...