Hope exists—out there, somewhere in the world. It's worth searching for.
Alumin awoke to a dead town, full of dead people. The stench of hate perforated his surroundings. It filled his lungs, along with the smoke. Smoldering corpses and homes in ruin.
He could feel his gut clenching
Next to him his grandfather was lying unconcious. His wounds looked bad. He needed to get them treated as soon as possible. Al with an exhale suspended the old man's body upwards and started to carry him. Ghedden wasn't particularly light and the boy definitely wasn't the strongest physically. With the help of the sands he carried the old man all the way to the shelter. His mother and grandmother came and helpped carry the poor old man inside. They started looking after his wounds imediately.
The once stern and strong Ghedden is now so badly wounded. 'Why did he have to go after me. I'm such a fool.' A dark pit suddenly appeared. Somehow close to his chest and throat at the same time. 'He saved me. Just like how Alith did.... ALITH!'
Alumin started running to the battlefield where him and his brother faced the mages. Those grotesque things. Closer to monsters than people. The chuckle of that thing. That demon stabbed his brother. It stabbed Alith.
Poor Alith must be in trouble. After defeating the mages he probablly will need someone to take him somewhere safe. 'I hope I'm not too late'. Alumin was running as fast as his tired legs let him. 'I can't let him die because of me. I can't accept it.'
Turning the corner Alumin saw the battlefield... and Alith was nowhere to be found, nor was the red mage. The corpses of 2 of the mages were rapidly dezintegrating. Faster than any normal body. Al could see a faint red and black glow coming from the bodies. There was something so wrong with those creatures.
One of the beasts' arm was clutching onto a piece of bloodied fabric. It seemed like Alith's shirt How was it still holding onto it?
The young sarin searched the ruined viliage the whole night, seeing the only place under the sun he could call home ruined. Did they deserve this? What had the sarin done to be so hated?
He didnt manage to find any sign of his brother or the red mage. Eventually the rest of the survivors joined the poor boy's search. They didn't Alith. All they found were the corpses of their people. The ones they loved and even the ones they used to hate brought them many tears. There wasn't a pair of dry eyes in all the ruins, besides Alumin. He didn't speak. He didn't cry.
Ghedden looked at the hurt child. He knew that look well. He saw it in the eyes of scarred veterans. The flame of hate drowned in a sea of pain, never estinguished. Fueled.