Chapter 32. Chaos

An anger that only Ash and God himself knew flowed out from within. He screamed and yelled, pulling on his dreads so hard he thought they would fly off his head.

Memories of the bandits killing people, them robbing the village's food and resources, and there were more than a couple occasions where women and little boys went missing. Travelers and tamers would act superior in the village, throwing their weight around casually. Ash's village was akin to live stock.

Because their village was situated by a forest that they could hardly gain resources from, it became destitute. The location of sites nearby that held resources was protected by fearsome monsters that even small clans were wary of.

The neighboring villages had better locations surrounding the forest and monopolies on the things inside. The closest city was ruled by the underworld and any "help" they received was with steep stipulations. The beasts nearby were too powerful for the warriors of the village. Three of the overlords within the expanse of trees had caused a second, smaller beast wave killing dozens of residents and further depleting numbers a couple of years back.

Nothing seemed to go right, his village had at one point been prosperous, but that was before his birth when his parents settled there.

Originally the first beast wave occurred when the village was steadily transforming into a city. His parents survived but many died, in body and spirit. The remains of the surviving people from the village fractured, with clusters of people flocking to work for clans. Traitors of the previous village then started the surrounding villages with support from these clans.

People from all walks of life used to come to the village because of its sense of community and a fresh start. Currently it couldn't be more backwards, the kidnapping and murder slowed down only because the number of people and children was so low. People were wary of one another as man's intentions were hard to pinpoint.

Ash wanted an answer to his question and asked the angel what Milan's mother asked him. "When will justice be served, nobody has paid for their crimes."

The angel kneeled to Ash as he said, "The world is waiting on YOU child. God has never left you, evil will always be present in this world, but it takes strong men to stand up and fight against the powers that be. I will ask again, what have you gained from all of the struggles you have been through til' now?"

Ash tried to calm down and think. What had all the chaos in his life been for? As he wrestled with this question, a glowing white fire burned at the depths of his soul.

A bit of sludge was in the fire but some of it was dissipating. The angel smiled as he looked at the future king. He touched Ash's forehead as he disappeared once more.

Absolutely no time had passed in the real world as Ash and Grim went through enlightenment. Time may seem frozen but the cogs of change were turning in the little bird and young man.