A thin man makes his way lethargically through the forest, his body driven by purpose he has somewhere important to be and he’s already running late.

He appeared to be a rather strange man with his long locks of unkempt brown hair and red trench coat, he stood out in a crowd.  He had been journeying for a long while and was at last on the verge of reaching his destination.

 

                                                         “I’m starving I hope the festival isn’t over yet.”

 

Before too long the man had arrived at the village and where he had expected food and the laughter of people, only the smell of death raised to greet him filling his nose with its rancid stench.  The man surveyed the devastation with quiet horror.

 

The faces of dead children half decayed, their eyes still wide with fear and anguish, vultures feasting on their organs, the man felt a rage stir inside him once again: he had missed the chance to prevent tragedy.  

 

“Looks like I missed the party again, shit.”

“Hey is anyone here still alive?”

 

 Mari hadn’t moved for days, lying still among the bisected bodies of those she had once cared for.   

“Oh, that’s sickening.” the man thought, his eyes greeting the grotesque sight of Shinobu’s lacerated putrefying body

 

The man caressed Shinobu’s caved in cheek with lament in his heart he pried the spikes from her small frail hands and placed her body upon the stage of the village. He would dig graves for all in the village before venturing again.

 

“Poor girl.”

 

 

Mari sat up like a surge of electricity pulsed through her body, shocking her back into consciousness.

a searing headache and dry throat plagued Mari like the worst hangover in the world all her muscles felt like they were cramping all at once.

 

“So there was one clinging to life among the dead.”

 

The unknown voice caught Mari off guard as she leapt to her aching feet, her eyes darting around the village it was dusk now.  “Who said that show yourself!” Mari demanded.

 

 Mari heard footsteps approaching from behind her and a hand rested itself casually on her shoulder, Mari turned around striking the hand away preparing herself to fight the mysterious person.

“Wait I mean you no harm.”

“Are you from the church or the military, huh bastard?”

“Do I look like I work for the church?"

 

Mari got a better look at the man with his untidy hair and eyes like violets Mari knew not to take anything or anyone at face value….

” Shinobu, where is she?”  

Flashes of that terrible night ran before Mari’s eyes like a horror movie endlessly replaying on a loop.

She could still hear those ear splitting cries and the bloodstained face of her lover.  Mari took the man by the collar of his jacket and rocked him.

 

“Where is she?”

“Who?”

“Shinobu, ”

“Whose that.”

“A beautiful woman with raven hair she was….she was….”

“Crucified to a tree?”

“Yes.”

“I took her down, you will find her on the stage but don’t get your hopes…”  

“Hey!”

 

Mari took off sprinting with all the energy she had regained towards the stage she needed to see her no matter what even if it was hopeless she had to see her again. Mari climbed onto the stage, stumbling and smashing her knees.  

 

There she laid Shinobu’s body battered, bloody and a mess as Mari parted her long luscious hair and sigh of her beloved broke Mari. Her face was caved in her, her shattered jaw hung by a few strands of muscle tissue and they had crushed her eye sockets.  

 

“Hang on Shi, I know it’ll hurt but.”

“Oh, mother, grant us your blessings and seal the wounds of this maimed soul, Hygeia.” Mari said, placing her hands over Shinobu.”

 

 

Nothing happened the ballum ignored Mari’s request though Mari had expected this result she would not give up not on Shinobu not after everything after all they had places to go and dreams to accomplish together.

 

“Hygeia.” Mari tried again.

 

Tears poured from Mari’s eyes she had sought to maintain her composure but the storm of emotions was too much for her.   

 

                          “Heal now!”

                         

                         “Hygeia, Hygeia, Hygeia, Hygeia, Hygeia, Hygeia, Hygeia, Hygeia, Hygeia, Hygeia, Hygeia, Hygeia Hygeia, Hygeia, Hygeia, Hygeia, Hygeia, Hygeia Hygeia, Hygeia, Hygeia, Hygeia, Hygeia, Hygeia Hygeia, Hygeia, Hygeia, Hygeia, Hygeia, Hygeia Hygeia, Hygeia, Hygeia, Hygeia, Hygeia, Hygeia Hygeia, Hygeia, Hygeia, Hygeia, Hygeia, Hygeia Hygeia, Hygeia, Hygeia, Hygeia, Hygeia, Hygeia Hygeia, Hygeia, Hygeia, Hygeia, Hygeia, Hygeia Hygeia, Hygeia, Hygeia, Hygeia, Hygeia, Hygeia Hygeia, Hygeia, Hygeia, Hygeia, Hygeia, Hygeia Hygeia, Hygeia, Hygeia, Hygeia, Hygeia, HYGEIA!”

 

“Magic cares only for the living, not the dead.”

“She’s not dead, She’s alive, She’s alive goddamn it.”

“I am sorry for your loss truly, but you must accept reality.”

“No, I don’t want too, I won’t.”

“She’s dead.”

“Shut up.”

“You’ve suffered a significant loss but…”

“What the fuck would you know about loss.”

“Look at me.”

Mari stopped crying long enough to turn her gaze to the mysterious man as he removed his jacket and revealed his right arm, which was little more than a stump cut above his elbow.  

“I’m not telling you not to grieve, girl.”

“But you must accept the reality of the situation.”

“I’ll give you some time to say your goodbyes than come find me by the campfire.”

“Why would I do that?”

“Because you’re starving and I have questions for you and I assume you have questions for me.”

“Take your time.”

 

 

Please Shi don’t leave me all alone we still have so much to do together, let’s leave this godforsaken country and explore till our heart’s content. Settle down and open a cafe, build a home for ourselves and start a family. I can’t do this without you. I Can’t…

 

                               “Mari?”

 Mari hesitated then turned around chewing on her trembling lips she fell to her knees as gut wrenching sobs tore through her chest like a hail of gunfire. Once the first tear had pried its way free the rest followed in an endless stream.