-Hollow  be Thy Grave-
 
"Run!", I shout as I desperately squeeze her hand. "You have to run faster!". The young Holstaurus simply nods as her burning lungs plea for air. I should be terrified, I know. Right now, there are murderers behind me and they are clearly able to track us, given that they were able to follow them this far. And though she's strong, this tiny girl has both been fleeing all day and is just a child. Her stamina has to be reaching its limit. But all I can do is look forward.
 
I have to think quickly.
 
"We're going back to my house for now", I say as casually as I can while breathing heavily. "It's not the fanciest place in the world, but, well, it's home!", I say as I turn to give a cheeky smile over my own labored breaths. I've got to do something, and if keeping her calm is all I can do then that's what I'll do. The last thing I need right now is for her to get scared and just refuse to do anything. My house isn't much further, we're just about to clear the woods, then it should be a straight shot through the fields. I'm worried, though. I can hear the men behind us. They aren't taking their time anymore; they're out for blood.
 
As we burst through the brush, we're struck with a scene that brings us both to a stop. The mountain air is cool as it rains down from the north bringing with it the smell of pine - which is unusal as the air typically flows the other directing, most often blowing the wondering aroma the other direction. The moon is full and paints triumphantly upon the night's sky its brilliant light, illuminating the mountains, and making the aging wheat appear to sparkle like golden water. The fireflies are just beginning to stir from their daily slumbers, and curiously enough, they seem to be shining their lights directly upon the path to my home, just like back then. Like heavenly spheres that instill courage in the hearts of men, it's as if they're telling us to move forward.
 
That's when I feel the hairs on the back of my neck stand tall and I feel my hands tighten around the child's and it all sinks in; when I finally - truly - understand just what's going on. I'm probably going to die, now. On this beautiful moonlit night, I may finally meet my end. I never really thought about it before, the thought of dying. Every since my mother passed away, I simply lived from day to day and time had no meaning. It wasn't really a good or a bad thing, it's just that without time, there really isn't any need for life or death, just persistence.
 
"Persistence, huh?", I happen to say to myself out loud. It somewhat reminds me of where I am as I casually look down to the source of the tiny, shaking hand. The exhausted child is staring at me, terrified. But courageously, she keeps hold of my hand and just looks to me. Her eyes are innocent and pure, and they speak directly to my soul. It's not even a plea for life that they're giving me, it's just simple trust. They're simply scared and finding comfort in my visage. I wonder what I look like right now? What about me could be compelling this child to keep going on, despite everything that's happened? I reach to our coupled hands with my extra hand and lay it upon it. Then I see just what it is that gives her comfort; just what it is that she sees in me that quells her fear. I smile gently.
 
"I guess.. I'm a man now, huh?", I rhetorically ask the young girl as I look at my large hand dwarfing her own. "I guess it's not like before... Time really has been passing, after all...", I trail off, my heart aching with a lovely nostalgia.
 
"Um...", the girl timidly calls out to me. "Are you okay...?", she asks as she places her own free hand on my own. How could such a small hand feel so warm?
 
Once again, I can't help but smile again as she brings me back from my dreams. This time though, the smile is a little different. How long has it been since I even touched another human... Well, I guess she's not... But she doesn't feel any different! She feels like something that's living, breathing, something that's warm... Something that's shaking with fear; something that just wants to live.
My smile comes because I have decided just what needs to be done.
 
"Follow the fireflies...", I say as I release her tiny hands from my grasp and point to the brilliant insects. "You know what this is, right? It's your mama. You know she could use magic, right? It may not be like the kind you hear in stories performed by heroes, but I've seen it before, it's really powerful! I need you to follow them though for it to work, okay?", I ask her with both kindness and directness. She knows full well the only answer she's allowed to give.
 
"But... I...", she stammers for a moment, unsure, but the sound of a voice from the wilds tells her that it's time and she begins to walk backward, looking at me to share some final words before departing. "I'll be waiting...", she says timidly through a lump in her throat while staring at the ground. I guess even children aren't entirely ignorant.
 
I'm trying to act cool here, but really this isn't even my idea. Long ago, while I was still a child and my mother owned this ranch, some men came. They were vile, and wreaked of unwashed bodies and alcohol. It was obvious that they had just murdered someone - likely some caravaners - and were looking for resupplies and to lay low for a bit and mabe more from my mother, given their disposition. It was late, and just like then, the fireflies were just waking. My mother told me to, "follow the fireflies".
I know very little of my mother or her past, but from what I found her her memoirs before I was born, it would seem she was part of an esteemed family and christened as a knight on top of that. Unbeknownst to most, women can become knights, however social code all but forbids it. My mother earned her sword with her own skills, beyond that though I know nothing. From what I gathered, there was a massive incident with a "Queen Playing Lord", which is how she described this individual whenever she wrote of her. Other lines were "Monster" and "Demon", but she writes in such a prophetic manner that it's very difficult to understand unless you already know. I guess that's the point, but maybe I'm just too uneducated for my own good.  I found these memoirs only not long ago after I finally decided to change her room, so I never got the chance to ask her.
 
I don't know exactly what happened, as I was terrified at the time. I was simply hiding; wanting to live. It's funny, I never actually worried about my mother. It's not that I didn't care, but it was a thought like... she'll always be there. Yes, that's it. It's not that I thought she was invincible, I just didn't think it was possible for anything to happen. The simple fact just didn't exist for me.
 
But, like with everything else, she simply walked back inside. She had no wounds, she was not scared and there were no robbers or remains within eyesight. Whatever she did, it worked.
 
"Haha", I laugh to myself. "I'm starting to regret not asking how you did it, mama!", I shout aloud; the loudest I've been for ten years. Ah, this must be it. That feeling of life; of knowing that something is coming to challenge my right to breathe and that I will have to earn it. "I wonder what these people are thinking? Do they feel the same way?", I ask myself candidly as I hear them approaching. "Maybe I'll just ask".
 
I don't have to wait long.
 
The men emerge from the brush with absurd amounts of energy; some are yelling, some are sprinting, some are cheering their leader. Why in the world would they be so happy? It doesn't last long, though, because they stop when they see me.
 
Most are wrapped in simple cloaks to protect from the cold, wielding torches and various farming equipment. Some have packs containing food or water, others have nothing and seem to just be along for the ride, while others look like they want to freaking eat me right here and now.
 
"Who are you?", a man with a coarse voice asks, presumably their rag-tag leader. I can't really see him under his cloak, but he's a normal sized man with a long beard.
 
"Y-you...", ah hell, I'm choking on my words. I have to calm down or they will walk all over me. "You have some courage to be asking the owner of a farm who he is on his own land", I say as curtly as possible while crossing my arms. Intimidation is my only chance!
 
"Ah, sorry friend", he says as he motions the others to lower their tools. "We were a bit carried away from before, we didn't expect to find any humans. Hell, we didn't even know there was a farm up here otherwise we would have requested trades with you long ago!", he says with a hearty laugh.
 
"Hm...", I shrug it off with a simple response without changing expression; I want them to feel unwelcome.
 
"Not very friendly, are you?", he says, slightly confused. Wait, that's it!
 
"Yeah, I guess not. I don't like anything on my land. It's very precious to me, so it would be nice if you would leave".
 
"Eh...", he seems taken aback. Turning to his comrades, he takes a moment to discuss some things with them. "I'm sorry to impose on you, friend. Like I said, we didn't even know this land was owned. You might be interested to know though, that you've got a little monster freeloading here. You did have a bigger one but, heh, that problem took care of itself. She was still warm, too, if you get what I mean!", he says trying to lighten the mood between us.
 
I feel my whole body twitch.
 
"Do you have any idea...", my knuckles turn white as the skin tightens around them, and my nails dig blood from my palms. "Just what that... means...?", I can't even focus my eyes on anything right now, simple staring at the ground, words flow freely from my heart. I grit my teeth so hard that I can almost feel them crack my skull.
 
"Uh...", the dumbfounded man takes a small step backwards and gives a small signal to his friends as they step back wearily, readying themselves.
 
And then, a strange calmness hits me; like the eye of a hurricane. Thinking about it, it really doesn't surprise me. They already took her life and mocked her. I guess... They just couldn't be any further beneath me.
 
"I guess you wouldn't, huh?", I say apathetically as I walk over to the wheat and grab the pitch fork that was laying there; the sole reason I truly picked this location. I don't know if I can fight worth a damn, but I figured it would come to this. At least I tried to just get them to leave without this. "After all, some dead monster in the wild makes a better human than you clowns". I point my weapon towards their confused faces. "I don't care anymore, if you won't leave, just die".
 
After a moment of shock, their leader speaks, "I don't know why you're so angry, friend. We're just following the teachings of Ilias. She revealed to the hero of our village a mission to have us drive out and kill all the monsters residing in the area. He told us she said their filth was corrupting us!", he spits out passionately.
 
"Ilias...", there's that name I've come to detest. "How hypocritical", I spit.
 
"What...?".
 
"Your hero is a fool and your God is a liar and a coward", I say as I stare directly into his eyes, doing my best to look intimidating. "You don't even realize that you killed an innocent soul - a mother - for your 'protection'? That's pathetic! She's pathetic! You're worse!".
 
"How dare you!", one of the men in the group says as he raises his scythe and charges me with a zealous fury.
 
His sudden charge catches me off guard, I've never been in a position like this. Attempting to step back to avoid the slash instinctively, I trip over a small rock and fall flat on my back, easily getting all the wind knocked out of me. By some miracle though, it causes the man to miss, giving me the chance to clumsily regrip my tool-turned-weapon and thrust directly into his exposed rib cage, easily gutting the defenseless man.
 
"Guh...", he coughs blood onto my heaving chest. "You... bastard...", he says his final words as he falls upon the ground with a heavy thud. "Ilias...".
 
That one action set us down a path that cannot be averted. There are five of them left. Only two of them have weapons with equal reach to mine, the other three have a mix of torches and sickles. I'm not really sure how that affects me, to be honest, but I quickly stumble to my feet and take the closest thing to a ready position that I can, since I don't actually know what I'm doing here.
 
The thought that I have just killed a man does not really hit me right away. The only thing I see is what's directly in front of me. It's strange, but for the first time my heart is beating furiously. I often run across the plains and my heart beats from that, but this isn't the same... This is... new.
The man begins to writhe, catching my attention and reminding me that this is real. This is not the part you read about in adventure tales. No, they never mention just what it's like to take a life; to watch a life slowly fade from this world by your hand. You want to reach out and say 'I told you! I'll make it stop so just don't do that anymore!', but you can't. This is a step that will not be averted, and he will die, and I will watch. This vision will forever define, at least partially, who I am for the rest of my life.
 
"W-wha...?!", I stutter out loud as slowly I wake from my stupor and my widening eyes wander to the blood dripping from my weapon and then to the twitching corpse before me. "D-did I just... k-kill that guy?! Why? I didn't want this! Why couldn't you just leave?!", I shout to the dying man as I turn my gaze upon the 'leader'. "T-this is your fault, you know!?".
 
"Shut up, Monster Lover!", one of the guys shouts as he hits me worth a torch in the face from the side. I guess he managed to sneak past my peripherals while I wasn't paying attention. Fire... really hurts...
Slowly, my consciousness fades into darkness. The men approach me and stomp and spit on my future corpse.
 
I don't really know what's going to happen next, and odds are, I probably never will.
 
I'm sorry, little Holstaurus. I truly, truly tried.
 
*
 
I awaken in a tomb filled with flowers. Scattered about, like little worshipers, they gather around me upon the cold, stony ground; white roses with thornless stems. They give off an inhuman glow that seems to invigorate me, yet I can't move. I try to speak, but not a sound escapes my throat.
 
"What... is this place...?", I think to myself as I sort through my hazy mind. "Why can't I remember...", anything at all? My memories are there, I can feel them, but in this place they feel like staring through fogged glass. I can see the figures but I cannot comprehend them, their sounds and visage muffled and distorted just out of reach. Every time I try to recall, it simply hurts.
 
As I begin to enter a mild panic, I see something moving among the flowers; it is the ghostly silhouette of something very like human, but not entirely. It's strange, I can see her clearly, but I can't comprehend her form. It's as if I see her through an old memory. She is however, adorned in priceless jewelry and clothing. Beautiful hair flows freely through the dank air and sparkles as the moon does within the white light of these roses. Though nondescript I know, her face is absolutely beautiful, as if the angels themselves conspired with the greatest demons of seduction to sculpt her. Her skin is a light, wonderful shade of other humanly color and her eyes pierce the loneliness of this eternal resting place with a simple gaze.
 
Though with those eyes upon me now, it doesn't feel as if she's looking at me directly.
 
"What a lonely place...", she whispers as she gently caresses a rose. "And what a lonely life, this one", she says as she leans closer to the rose. "I don't much like loneliness, do you?", she rhetorically asks the wilting flower. "I personally find it boring. No, you are a rare breed of flower. Though your light dims, it shines with a different color", as she says that, a golden light begins to reflect from her velvet skin. "That's it, hero. Your light hasn't burned out yet. I've seen it before, and so I know... just when one of you truly outshine the rest. You don't need power to be strong. I know your kind; stubborn. You're just too damn stubborn to to wilt", she says with a smile as my vision fades. As my conscience goes white, I feel I recall her calling out a name as if caressing him with her words, though the memory quickly fades.
 
*
 
"That... Wasn't Ilias...", I absent mindedly stutter as my groggy eyes open. I'm instantly assailed with a sharp pain on the left side of my face before I can even try to retain my 'dream'. Though the pain is overwhelming, it is not so much to prevent me from focusing on my confusion, where am I? My memories are hazy and I feel like I'm in a different place.
 
The gruff voices pull me from my stupor.
 
"Hey, that kid's still alive!", a voice says as I hear footsteps come towards me. I remember now, the holstaurus! I was trying to protect her! But how am I-
 
The man grabs me by my collar and lifts me up in anger as I think. "What the hell are ya', boy?!", he exclaims, spitting on me as he puts emphasis on 'boy'. "You oughtta be dead or somethin'! At least not awake! Are ya one o' them damnedable monsters, too?!".
 
"Put him down!", a tiny, familiar voice calls from behind the man out of my view. The tiny holstaurus has come to my rescue, it seems, totally defeating the purpose of me having to get smacked in the face by a damn torch. Now we're both going to-
 
I'm cut off in my own amazement; she's holding a damned tree trunk! The thing must weigh at least half a ton! The strength of these creatures is astounding, what good am I?
 
The man quickly does as she says, though less out of obedience and more out of blind fear. However, giving nothing but a furrowed brow for him listening, she swiftly brings the large piece of wood upon him, shattering both it and his skull in a shower of pink mist, covering my upper body with a coat of red.
 
"Rolf!", the leader exclaims. "KILL THEM! Focus on the monster!".
 
Shit.
 
This isn't good. She's still just a tiny body that can be pierced by their weapons, now with no weapon of her own. Not to mention she's clearly no fighter, just a really, REALLY strong little girl. Acting on instinct, I quickly grab my make-shift weapon and stand between the mob and the child. My body moves with a swiftness it formerly lacked, which is astounding considering I just got knocked the hell out.
"Stop, now!", I command, pointing the death-dealing point of my pitch fork upon them. "You idiots have caused enough death today, just...", I begin to choke up a bit as I think back on all the lost lives that have resulted from this, and just how much they've taken from this girl. "Just go away!", I shout in a shaken-yet-fierce voice. My heart is quickly calmed by her gently grabbing my hand.
 
"I'm sorry", she says meekly. "I'm so sorry for everything...".
 
"No, I'm sorry", I absentmindedly say as I focus my mind on the future. Sorry that you're about to witness some stuff no child should have to see, not that you haven't already...
 
I'm tired of this. Tired of everything. I've learned a lot about myself, today. One, I have very little patience. And two, I always thought that living was the most important thing, but I never took into account just what it might take to live one day. I always thought it would be simple; just live and let life take care of itself. But it just doesn't work like that, does it? Life can't just live itself, we have to move forward in order for life to continue. But sometimes, roads cross, and in order to keep moving forward, you need to remove the obstacle before you. It's not out of hate or malice, nor is it about ending life or anything else that's absurd or deep. It's only about moving forward. It's not that I've never witnessed conflict, I guess I just chose not to see it, and pretend that life would always be easy, and that maybe I had already paid my dues for life.
 
I guess I never took into account that my life might not be the only one I care about one day.
 
"We're moving forward!", I say as I clench my fist, point it forward and look down to the child with a playful, confident grin. "Straight through the competition!".
 
I don't know how well she understands, but she returns my grin and nods with ferocity.
 
I suppose, this is my first step forward in a really, really long time.
 
---------------------
 
As he said it himself, our hero takes his first true step forward in life since his mother-now-gone was in this world! Let's just hope that they aren't his last!