The God of Jesters
Chapter 105 - 2.28.4 True past.

Chapter 105: 2.28.4 True past.

Bleeding from head to toe, with one eye leaking and countless claw marks all over her body.

The young and weak Remira, with a tick in hand, was fighting against the beasts that came to claim her mother’s body.

Whether it was a dream or not, she didn’t know anymore. No, it would be more appropriate to say, she didn’t care about it at all.

Even with a young body that was too weak to wield a sword, with a stick that would shatter with a simple impact, she flayed around, dodging the bites and swipes of wolves, some of whom used to be her family.

But no matter how hard she tried, how hard she danced among the attacks, the beasts of winter were too much for a small girl like her. Even with the boost that the blood of Radiant gave to her, letting her experience her peak. She was still too weak to fight against the monsters.

As as tired she was and feeling fatigued she was asking her to just close her eyes and accept her fate. She kept on fighting.

Her thin branch would sometimes shatter the head of a wolf, while the claw of the werewolf that was hidden among the pack would throw her off to the side with a single kick.

Which left a piece of ice where she was hit, showing the nature of these wolves.

Which gave the wolves enough time to start tearing at her mother’s body, which was left undefended.

"STOP!" She cried, bursting with energy as she jumped again, But was met with more attacks by wolves, who were relentless in their attacks.

A wolf never hunts in alone and even though the Werebeast that walked among them looked alien, they were still part of the pack who hunted together for the prize that was Remira.

With a beastly fervor, she dragged her body and entered another bout, throwing off the beasts to the sigh with her might alone.

It was then, a voice entered her ears. "Do you wish to save your mother?"

A voice filled with love and care that seemed to be a question of a mother to a child. A voice that distracted Remira and threw her away from the body of her mother once again.

"But even in this blizzard, Remira got up. Ignoring the voice as she rushed toward the beasts again. In her mind, nothing was left besides saving her mother.

"I presume this is your answer and I respect that."

With that, the snowstorm increased in intensity, as the bodies of the wolves and the werewolves that hid among them also turned to snow and then dissipated with the blizzard.

Which confused Remira, making her wonder if it was another trick by these wolves.

But then she froze in her place, unable to move.

"Let me show you what actually happened." The voice, which Remira had ignored till now reverberated in her ears, bringing her back to clarity. "Who are you?" She asked, but there was no answer in return, instead, she saw a familiar scene in the third person, as her mother led the young Remira in her bosom and fell down after lots of bleeding.

"No... please don’t." Remira understood what this being was making her watch, so she pleaded for it to stop. But there was no response from the other side at all. All that remained in front of her was a scene that she dreaded.

Her being forced to leave in fear as the body of her mother was left in the snow for one purpose alone. Which was to feed the wolves hunting her, which might buy time for her daughter. Then as she watched her little figure move away while her eyes stayed on her mother who was unable to move at all.

Remira understood the scene that might appear after this. A scene that had haunted her throughout her life. A fear that was ingrained deep in her heart.

Which had caused the birth of her guilt that she hadn’t been able to move on forever.

Though none of her begging went to the other side, she saw some giant humanoid wolves walking on all fours rushing toward her mother.

It was her family as she noticed before. But unlike the previous wolves, they were rotten and ugly. A musk of decay exuded in the air as they came closer and closer to her mother. Their mouths dripping with the blood of their previous kill and unable to see the frozen Remira that remained in front of them.

"No no... " She tried closing her eyes, but her eyelids didn’t move. No matter what happens, whatever was causing her to see this vision didn’t wish to forget the scene that was to be followed.

Though, before these beastly undeads can bite into the body of Remira’s mother, a wolf’s howl echoed in the blizzard.

Followed by multiple other howls that caused these beasts to pause.

"??" It was much different than what Remira had expected, way more different than the fantasies she had built in her mind throughout the years.

As the wolves, which her family used to hunt and kill during winter slowly walked out of the blizzard, their shadows slowly materialized into a physical form, surrounding the rotten beats that were planning to feast on her mother’s body.

And then, they broke into a fight. A fight with no victor as the two sides ripped each other to shreds. There were pieces of blood and guts all over the place.

The dismembered remains covered the whole snow-filled area while crying and owls of wolves were blanketed by the blizzard.

In the end, only a few wolves survived.

"What is happening?" Remira on the other side was confused to see all of this. While a wolf on the side turned its head and opened its mouth and said. "The reality that happened, not the falsehoods that were formed in your head."

"Who are you? And where are you taking her?"

Remira asked as she noticed how some other wolves still grabbed her mother by her clothes and then started to drag her deeper into the snow, away from the carnage.

Showing that all they were here for was her mother.

"Child, they are taking her to safety. It’s the least I can do after failing to protect your family." The wolf sounded apologetic. Which confused Remira for a while, but that was only for an instant, before she asked. "My mother... My mother is alive?"

"Although not a blood of mine like you, yes she is alive, I did what I could to make sure she survived. But you on the other hand, not very much." The wolf said, sitting down among the gore which was frozen with time as more snow accumulated over the area.

When Remira heard the fact that her mother in fact was alive, a part of her guilt in her heart started to loosen, while she felt a huge burden over her heart slowly dissipate.

But the rest of what she heard was also not kind. She understood what the wolf in front of her meant. None of this was real, to begin with, it was a mere memory, a dream conjured up by her mind.

So is the wolf also the same? Remira wondered. But the wolf, as if expecting this, just said. "No, I am not a part of your mind, I am me, the ancestor of your people."

"Then what is your name?"

"I am the Totem of these lands, The foreigners used to call me the Beast of Winter, the gods named me Wint’ry Rot, and the mages called me Eyeless Enigma."

"But your ancestors only called me by one name. And it was Mother."

"And I am here today to save you from a predicament, the influence of the Drinker of Curses might have prevented you from awakening your true talent. But with me now, there is no need to worry."

"A gift that was your right, it’s yours now. You have proven yourself worthy of it. So use that gift to save yourself. And then come to us, your mother is waiting."

Then the wolf smiled a kind smile that gave peace to Remira before it spoke. "Both your mothers are waiting."

*****

Far away from Durum, under the hidden headquarters of Radiant church. A place forgotten by time, and inside a deep cavern.

A corpse floated above.

A dried corpse that exudes darkness all around the place came alive and danced in the air. Showing the incredibility of the being, who was able to harness so much curse that a well had formed under his feet.

A well of potent curses, whose mere visage might cause madness among the mages.

A well-formed by the blood of the dried corpse, which bled from his hollow chest.

"Hmm, a small pup dares to steal from me?" The man’s name had been forgotten in time. But he was called the first Radiant Knight.

A monster born when the curses ran rampant and were on the verge of devouring the whole world with it.

A man that sacrificed his everything to become the vessel for all the curses in the world and gave birth to the Radiant Knights.

Infamously known among gods by his Moniker of Drinker of Curses.

"Though it seems I stole from it first." The corpse hanging above the well spoke, before slowly smiling. As if he felt something.

"Oh, this is interesting. There are countless of those insects that have started to awaken one by one... "

"I guess, the time is close."

"I need to move as well."