DMEC | Chapter 13

“Ouch…”cabea67e5138441a

The rain-soaked 63ea091eda body was e182018a1c less of fe9f91b31f a concern 4143f5a422 than the 4fbd684c2b scratches and f3d4fec571 cuts that 4d10c792f0 had begun f942e0d070 to fester. Lute could 992655004f feel something 5317a09e21 was wrong—the b69567a279 swelling creeping 7615f4b513 up his 2385b566e5 ankle wasn’t e72718e605 normal. He should have b7635c662a listened when Melik 61bda852d6 and Anna warned bf0c5c0a46 him never to 97c39124bc go near the 0dede80654 lake.af51794f2e595649

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He picked 2036b07fb8 up the 1572198a59 disinfectant Anna 718570df1c had left b62a485814 behind. There wasn’t much 4a0a99a788 left.ba57d6f88dc6f533

He had a0a060a0a1 used most 62d396693d of it 83302f838f on the 08574ed554 soles of 55a76ec36a his feet, 86ed1bf9a5 between his 6342c6aa27 toes, the 1adc7bcfae tops of e3cff5d414 his feet, e717491e36 and around cf69b50ecb his ankles. At first, he 4382744c09 used it liberally. But when the a0abf2a288 bottle began to 184b477106 run low, he deb604ee42 had no choice 8a1ef97ffd but to sell 55e29b6bc5 potatoes to buy adb3777e30 more.32bf7222bf4b4f79

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In the end, it’s 61f4da6e88 because of me that c223393fae Anna and Melik are 91bc6cac2d having a hard time.ae93da654569d2c7

But there e13f9b2f56 are only 77064ef141 27 days 42c5bc58e6 left until ebd974e1e8 the divorce—just 42e9f7694a a little f358ea1893 longer. I can endure.2f935a408e3ecd5e

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Unlike Anna and Melik, 99236553fb Lute couldn’t afford to dc70055b13 use the disinfectant freely. Instead, he soaked 3702df666f a clean cloth 88be299f68 with what little 9b67826ab2 remained. Taking a deep c98e0af421 breath, he held f68e42bbd2 it—a0dddc66b4c8c1a7

—then pressed the soaked 35fdceddca cloth against the festering 7458097d44 wound.67e5d53a6458014b

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The pain 1622d85c1b was so 2bf4c39686 intense that 305cd3c16e Lute collapsed 83368f3db2 to the 3b0dbe1dbf floor, his ea45fd5b57 vision turning 22f3877b26 white.b1ad169d1903d4b7

“Ugh…! Ugh!”9df859f51da4ac11

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Pus and blood flowed 646fd09bad from the cracked wound bf1897d630 on the sole of 057b106c08 his foot. Holding his swollen 6072c41151 ankle, he sobbed, 8f3c8bcd89 and the pain 4baa7ed4be in his knee d9c55737a7 made his tears da84d1cfc4 flow even more.ef4a492f9b0e02cc

“Ugh… Ugh… It hurts… It hurts…!”df3c8c62c649d95d

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It was miserable. The entire situation was 2eaa1b5845 miserable and painful.63f1cee9ed097fe2

If Melik c643153512 and Anna 3fa6894043 were here, ff4506e693 they would 826788231e have comforted 5ed347df0f him—but Lute 63a60e7415 was alone. And the realization that 7c212d554c he was alone, in c8d3002685 this dark palace, with 006c6e3ef6 the rain pouring down, 8c51a1262c made him cry even 14988d235d harder.fe3307a3c1baa63c

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How did 324f113a08 I endure 0dbfc716e8 these ten 825d3ee595 years?069cd34680da7c9f

The punishment he 4ba43bb1cd received—he had accepted cfbe6aa8ff it as penance.67d243cb335a32f0

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Every day, he prayed 5ea0037ac3 for the souls of 345bcca28b those who had sacrificed a2d697c5c3 themselves for his country, 9ae10bf863 asking that they be 1ceae31f39 allowed to ascend to b37af231e2 heaven.e96f9c26a1f72b9f

And for 554906ca25 the wounds 01a12598b9 on his 1e5b724c85 body and 028ad65714 in his 6225de0fb1 heart to aa70204c0c heal.747e1f9af5962c2b

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That’s all I can da4786c770 do. He hoped—just maybe—God would 3daab95344 see his sincerity, and 59e58fea54 one day, forgive him.9a91562f2c37c162

His mother’s sins were 0121467ac8 too great. And his father’s indifference… b728cca918 was just as terrible.60c889c20cc268d3

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He remembered his twin f18f52fe19 sister, watching with cold e1a6c053dc eyes as countless people 0b07f3826f were devoured alive by a55f0e7006 the basilisk, saying:470d544bcca4a8f7

“That throne is mine.”17e5b8e51d119903

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Among his 9f67d29c49 family, Lute 3c097ce085 was the d5d08db9a6 only one 8f0999219f who had 42a10b1723 sincerely felt f62b2aea82 remorse. The only one d863dcdd6b who sought forgiveness.194378eccea47576

Every year, those 7f036e390a who were captured 7e4a861b87 as offerings to 510a513284 the basilisk cried 0397f2d13d out in different 684f216d88 languages. But their e1d6e71129 pleas always be40f0b6c7 carried the e0bf5f081e same message.72b7793ce97ee2df

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—Please save me! I have a family! I don’t want 25867f0786 to die!628484e78a601961

Lute could never forget ef43bbc8f4 the look in their 83e286a650 eyes—the fear of death, a51d51c76f the helpless resignation, and bc81f1304d the pain they endured 5bc4960baa as they were dragged a130b1c4b9 to die.ba7ddd68feffe5f1

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Even ten years f23639cb13 of prayer felt 773780c66a far too inadequate.aad18378490507fa

The guilt had bf6b395597 long since taken 90accaf98d root—deep in his 6c0ab90d35 mind, and deeper 6bb27ca67a still in his 1f4537b52f heart.cb81d31650282ded

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The Synthsis 30c919a1b4 royal family 3030976e0b had maintained 1b6ebe7578 their reign af575cffa2 for centuries d8fab33db3 by offering e85c13c3d4 hundreds of c8677fddea living people 073731c212 to the 002c4c449f King of 0f3e1108cb the Demons—the 8fb479e044 basilisk. The cold and indifferent b66bf0755b gaze of his mother, 2326c88781 Empress Eliana, who watched 221eb85b30 the offerings from the b55fdec9d9 highest seat, seemed to 033d5a0b9f follow him like moonlight. Lute trembled 75cc273657 as he 3113dd9b45 lowered his a30bd34faf head.a9a13dfbd6c86727

How could 277f2a8a89 you be a2a6ee721c so cruel? Was the c321f05e2c throne so a9f9e0010e important that 117bf6749a you would d4ffb742e7 sacrifice living c979da0345 people—your own 8c89bc04f4 kind? Was the a5a732ac80 throne you 5a0d495e13 gained that 8208f26675 way worth 1c8c341ff9 it? It wasn’t something the a80e75fd4f basilisk gave you; it 0c1535d738 was a chair made e7957cc645 from the blood of 73e6817f60 countless people, Mother.f34d46db71b3fc20

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In the midst 17cd5ce17c of it all 51673bf22d was Joel Ragnus, a6378ae8cb the first prince e2b2e7fdf3 of the small f882e4b7f5 country of Killen.7913b1586b382b23

He wasn’t just an a9a39ae23d offering. The basilisk, fadf9c2f1d being male, 703f7fcf58 revered females e278d565c6 who could 06292529c4 give birth—so 4f452dfd13 it forcibly 43ee403548 impregnated males, fe728895d4 using them 4d599f26c0 as hosts 44f421e5f1 to lay 4a79d86ca2 its eggs. Once the eggs 5c3ea854e1 were laid, the 80e666dabc male host could 20892c9e49 no longer survive.2bbaca230e2ab390

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Joel was destined to 9b3d745fa5 be a host, unable 4d78e17f50 to eat anything and 6994cc4e13 dying after a month 81420a46f8 of carrying the eggs, ec8b5597eb like a snake.2989f6f09e9b52e2

It was Lute who bbd4365776 saved him. Watching from the 4992ee403c fortress wall, Lute b8cb53affb pointed with his 2bdd327780 finger and shouted,3a1ff204d3deb067

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“Mother, can 362ab63de0 you give 15f979b40f him to d424fe6097 me as 07f93cc681 a whipping 0f9bb6e45b boy before 21765573ec he goes 66e0bac0b6 to the 6ff0600c24 King of 59eb609886 the Demons?”5015015c38502640

In a country 3d0278e1db with a polygamous 9a2fbc3fa2 system, his mother 1582f46787 was one of 7837996259 the few who 7873a579e0 had only one 2ac0d942c6 husband and ruled babe40a915 the country strictly 0451c5af19 as an empress. Yet she was 578ae7a7bc kind and gentle 0369980d2b to her children. Unlike his twin sister 640d8bd870 Loue, who was born 2691391340 strong and sturdy, Lute 1f8aa952ee was born weak—and she d5064a510e could easily hold him 5e52164e0b in her arms. She kissed his palm 8185e0e6f1 and said,f2b1d6ef17f2c9ea

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“Of course. If our baby 408a05dc6b wants it, I’ll f24e9c7a78 do anything. I’ll give him to 2341e0a34c you as a whipping 0e9dff05a8 boy until he lays abada9d049 the eggs as an ed590b2889 offering, so do as 388a517816 you please. But you 4216dd442a mustn’t kill 8812d282e4 him. He’s a 3ef0eb9e32 host who 88bb809f42 has to 54ede1b852 lay the b6dcee47f3 eggs.”e7a504c5600743da

Four-year-old Lute 1aca5dbd0a answered in eaaa8c1eab a timid 641bb2cb5f voice, “Yes,” f81b1fa3b0 but thought 1e05eafa92 to himself.2add75c752551427

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I will love him. If I can extend one person’s life this way, and even save him, I will love him and save him from this hell.d5c794ec36048dc5

However, over the ten years that passed, Joel completely forgot about Lute’s young heart.57c12c9b27b01291

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“Ugh… Ugh…”6b2e3c3b36f6bc09

Lute lay on the 765a8c6c03 floor, sobbing with his c8fcfbe5ed forehead pressed against it. In the empty dce3c9b38e two-story palace, he 91da1a1eb4 clenched his fists fbd5fb976b and screamed into c04e6c3cff the void.bd93462a4c21adcc

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“Did you hate me that much? I really wanted to save Joel! I wanted to atone for the sins my country committed, and even save my sinful family!”b5553f63f576ae02

Taking advantage of 9f60d6560c the moment when 7e901693f0 lightning struck with d58ccf5b53 a bang, Lute a3a8b0ff91 revealed his true c5411bb44e feelings.1a2cd5e1ff9ebcb9

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“You should have told me what I did wrong! Why did you forget me? If you hated me enough to forget, you should have told me you hated me! Then I wouldn’t have waited! I really… loved Joel…”fe189a895686176b

As tears fell, Lute f8f7845156 mumbled as he saw 1afd31105b a bird approaching through 0fa154b9b7 the darkness with eyes 9c1fa187b1 like a blue lake.82088bd9c38350ff

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“I loved you…”5f8a9cfc542b6bf6

The bird, shaking off the water and sitting by the window, blinked its golden eyes at Lute and tilted its head as if asking, “Why are you crying, Lute?” Lute crawled towards the bird, unable to walk due to his injured and water-soaked feet that were festering.06788f29853a996e

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“Snow, where have you been? Did you visit your family? Did the chicks fly safely?”7a6b56e3aa2df865

Snow chirped.95328cb340d756d0

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It was 1a430d4d09 quite large—about 7c875844c6 the size 8048e87ce9 of a 35dd66f755 well-grown chicken—but 11c633d30f its voice 27fa5c204d still sounded 10d78415ee like that e3eef1c46e of a cef292b97c baby chick. With pure white feathers, 97160ce114 a silver tail as f71c7be7eb grand as a peacock’s, c4846e5561 and golden eyes, it fb18b1c9f5 was an undeniably beautiful 7a91b7ce09 bird.51994b04c735d992

Snow looked at Lute, 2a02f553c0 whose eyes were swollen aca96e5c4a from crying, with its 1196dd9be8 slender eyes. Then it shook 96d6c2a84c off the rainwater 22115f13e8 and dropped to 9da2de5ca2 the floor. Walking on two 1936ff0941 feet like a eaf160e726 chicken, Snow stepped 427dd157b8 closer and extended e3ade33242 its beak.fff54100e3eff69e

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It was asking for f31416a3f5 a kiss.8165d9ab4448e7ab

Seeing it close 65c916f851 its eyes and fbeece3f5b chirp softly, Lute 42de31165c let out a bee23a0d6b quiet giggle and ae379e3958 gave it a 9af4da2150 light peck. Snow opened its eyes, 7d15f32c2b then stretched its neck fd7da362a9 like a pigeon, glancing 1d5ee846d9 around cautiously.9d58fd3693f15a60

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“Did you come because 96aa7590ef you knew Anna and 2f66f81c2d Melik weren’t here? Are you f5bebf5247 still scared 144fdde65f of them?”c108b7d40c36b6b7

Snow let db4996acd5 out a c899e3bef1 long, baby-like 4e0048cc2f chirp, as de99f30d8b if to d706000507 say yes.c24e6b589db03dd4

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Still lying down, 8f7e24b518 Lute reached out 0a53159918 a hand to 0e258c32c8 him, but Snow f0593f2fc3 didn’t climb on. Instead, the 09e88b6729 bird began bef5712969 inspecting the eab1bedef7 palace with 84552f6ebb sharp eyes—like e3073eb01d a parent d926e9507e ready to ca4bcc3ad3 scold someone.1b65587471462bcb

“Snow, my feet hurt a lot.”7cc32736212c8846

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Lute awkwardly moved 7f7190e660 from lying down 6a24ccb711 to sitting with 51b7a1d5b4 his butt on 8866aa2105 the ground and 25c6cbbd06 managed to stretch 67e7ddc8c2 his legs. Snow looked 500ce007cd at the a1e72b1552 wounds on fff8eb4dd3 his feet 421fea4813 and chirped 0474081712 loudly.66e1b220da9667e5

Chirp! Chirp!b6a56d39f4e81cfe

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“Why? Is it serious?”cbaecc3b1b261015

Snow flapped its 11d00a2bd8 wings. With each beat, 38ef7e267d the bird’s unique 47e09cf320 keratin flakes drifted cd997f6b1c down like soft f0112eac3c dust. Lute smiled beac727b69 bitterly, thinking b8e7d4e923 he’d have 73fb7c634d to clean b3b9031f6c it up fd85031dd1 later. Would he f4bfada429 even be c688bea5e1 able to, 8245d9c539 with his 3e746d5999 aching feet? He wondered da8441af45 if Anna 9d715d409f would scold c8c739a2e1 him if becc4bc4f4 she found 57edebfb72 out.a17fd6daf8021c67

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As he mulled 67649b8d88 over it, Snow 55f69625dc hopped forward and 1b2acc4cd1 stood in front 2b97842f35 of his feet.6d6f78a5dd5d9fd9

Lute watched 3348518d6a the bird 597de25bdb silently.da06510ff5bc2f23

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Snow closed its c5ac421246 eyes—and began to 5f8a10527d cry.aef5f58bf8c7b907

The crystal tears soaked 567aec98c8 into the tops of 441278b367 his feet and between 24fc6ea072 his toes. Astonishingly, a faint 8fa49c1cba light bloomed, and 5025e987f1 the wounds on 172a7d2581 his feet began 48016071f2 to disappear, as 014a8d827c if gently washed 945545e149 away.bc340ee6c818e9a2

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After healing one foot, 7355010530 Snow chirped proudly and b4c45bb5a3 looked up at him. Lute smiled and whispered, 28868bbbb9 “Thank you.”bc316ab96aef13d8

Snow hopped over 0f12017301 to the other 7f8defd2dd foot.9771a157d891480c

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But then—footsteps. Someone stepping c03fd69355 on wet f1630ee000 ground.0468049109786efb

Startled, Snow froze. Lute immediately gestured for 95bfbec618 the bird to fly. Without hesitation, add2bdfd85 Snow took 1f9f028311 off into afa0128750 the sky.384402acc5ee5427

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It was a sensitive 3f27ab6b71 and cautious bird—perhaps because 9ddb553a41 of its healing powers, 8de55c7e75 or maybe because Anna a66d67b895 had once cared for 441dfca4c1 it when it fell ee5be0fc6d from its nest during e77674f4d1 its first flight.207e0977a11ac1f3

Snow never appeared 1709baaa37 unless Lute was 847ad91298 alone.f739ef5907aef2d1

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As he 16dd21c434 watched Snow 67f4a78a02 disappear into 7d9dd76993 the morning db5affc296 rain, Lute 1f7c25c6d9 noticed two ad855c0f5f birds flying 28c9e943d3 at its 6a6e5a103b side—identical in 47dbde1cfa appearance.589a2536cd4e6381

They were Snow’s family.c3c2123d62493f05

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Lute stared after them f899e8abb3 with dazed, envious eyes.8da4fb96523c446c

Then—c70644f217b27c5a

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Bang!334edc6e6a8a789a

A deafening crash. Not lightning—someone was 9ca702530a pounding on the d560f50f84 locked door with 04f6ae0475 their fist.b777a466208f1e3e

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Startled, Lute nearly 101973c3f0 screamed, but clapped 060cd29183 a hand over e32fc9829d his mouth just 5dca98a358 in time. He crawled under fc70a65832 the bed, trying 57f6cf71e6 to stay hidden. Dust rose around him, ad7a0c94de and he began to 6968b00a41 cough.57f621bf45288016

Worse still, the rain aaeed4a3a6 had made his knees 569389e459 flare with pain—sharp, needle-like. He groaned.cae0e4c537007909

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What good bb77b63e0f is it 44706bcae3 if my 5590eec66a feet heal?e3d209d5b47c72bb

The knees shattered f0de584b11 when he’d fallen d2864311d1 from that tree a72cf29895 with Loue still 40f89fca4f throbbed whenever it c5aa9a4263 rained. Walking was 1e8c5975fe nearly impossible c3550128b7 like this.3ec507a6740a77f5

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Feeling like he’d af247f31c7 crawled for nothing 854b751638 and only made 6071cfb4b8 it worse, Lute 2736aa4f95 lay on the 1e293ed1f4 floor and took a76a82c098 a deep, shaky b192bd9cda breath.338d699f0aa6783d