District 42-Chapter 313: Without hope

Ari was just arriving at the improvised base that people did a while ago to support the wounded warriors and citizens.

He delayed a bit to bring everyone from the city that he was before. Most people were severely intoxicated with the gas that got spread through that place and were suffering the consequences. He needed to go back and forth several times to carry people himself because he didn’t have too many warriors in condition to do so.

’It’s not that hard to absorb anymore. Everything just happened, it’s a matter of fact now. However, it’s just painful to think that our home wasn’t untouchable just as we thought that it was. Somehow, I fell kind of... kind of helpless.’ long as he didn’t inhale it anymore, but that was not the case. It infected the body and kept destroying the person inside out until they got unable even to move.

’Thanks to Casper, the casualties due to that toxic green gas are minimal by now. Most people could make it to this support base and get the proper treatment. However, their state is just stabilized. After all, the healers still don’t have any clue about what kind of gas it is...’

He was walking with short steps through that place. He was looking to all those tents and beds set outdoors, people lying on the ground, resources, and supplies.. all the time. He never thought that such a thing would happen with the Castle’s folk.

’It’s not that hard to absorb anymore. Everything just happened, it’s a matter of fact now. However, it’s just painful to think that our home wasn’t untouchable just as we thought that it was. Somehow, I fell kind of... kind of helpless.’ He never thought that such a thing would happen with the Castle’s folk.

While looking to that miserable scene of people harmed, crying, or looking in the distance as if trying to find any hope, Ari’s vision began to get blurrier. He couldn’t notice at first, but he was stumbling each time harder.

Unintentionally, a healer passed hurriedly by Ari, bumping onto him, but not noticing it and continuing walking forward.

The Aesir showed no signal of resistance and just began to fall to the side. His mind wasn’t in a good state, so he couldn’t even put his hands in front of his face to protect himself.

His head hit hard the ground. He felt a warm liquid flowing out of his head, wetting his ear, but it wasn’t too much.

’Am I bleeding? Was this fall so dangerous like this? Did I really fall? I am kind of surprised. I didn’t think that my body was on the verge already. I mean, I am an Aesir. I needed to pass through a lot to have the mental and physical condition I have nowadays. Was that gas so powerful like this?’ He wondered. His thoughts seemed like shouts inside an empty room, echoing through his mind.

New sensations began to spread across his body. Firstly, he felt his fingers of both hands and feet get numb all of a sudden. His throat began to close and his diaphragm contracted, preventing him from breathing properly. Foam was coming out of his mouth, but it was slightly green. A burning sensation was felt in his veins as well as if his blood was boiling inside his body.

Ari began to pass out, and he thanked the goods for this. He didn’t want to get any more seconds of suffering.

’So, that’s how those people I saved... No, the people that Casper saved felt, right?’ He thought as his mind was being turned off.

’I wanted to make my job just right, but I think I lost that battle... When I and Loki began to exchange blows, he got me with that knife. I think it had some kind of poison on it. I must have known that he would use such a technique. After all, it fits his way of fighting. In the end, I let him escape after poisoning me. I completely lost that battle. I am just glad that I could get that gas out of the city...’

The Punctual Aesir couldn’t be more ashamed of his loss. He knew that exploding that dome and getting that gas out of the city was something essential for both Ridires and citizens to stay alive. Nonetheless, not killing that man got a bitter taste in his mouth.

’It wasn’t even an intense fight. We both were exhausted. He just hit me, so easily like that. Just one hit and I ended up like this.’

The Aesir coughed a mouthful of blood and foam before his consciousness faded away and everything went black.

Rurik appeared out of nowhere after this. He was just walking casually through the support base, helping as many people as possible. Meanwhile, he was trying to find the Aesirs that arrived there.

He knew that Ari would be at the support base since the citizens of the city that he was guarding were coming numerously.

"I knew that the Aesirs would try to save people before thinking on themselves. After all, we swore our soul and life to the Royal Family, and our very duty is to keep these people alive and safe." He looked at that Aesir on the verge of dying, muttering those words to himself.

"It’s sad to look at the situation in this perspective, but we are just like puppets, aren’t we? We are sandbags that need to get hit, walls that need to get bombarded, shields that must stay stronger until we shatter completely. We are this kind of people, right?"

The Immortal Aesir looked to the imponent Castle that was some kilometers far away from them, but visible regardless.

"However, it wasn’t enough. We couldn’t accomplish our very purpose of life."

Rurik took him in his hands and began to walk towards a tent that was set specially for the Aesirs.

"That’s the second one to lose. Will we have any more?"