-Break-

  Φ Sitting by a table right o his almost finished sculpture the man called Bricriu looks with joy at his pyre right across from himself, and smiles.

  Then from the sky the beastkin who looks like a bat; Liam drops down, and in that moment Bricriu says, “Liam how is it looking over there?”

  “It is going just like normal; all of the pyres have bee and the rest of our people are perf their prayers to ward off the dead.”

  “What about the humans.”

  “They have eadividually started to walk back, and just as you have requested they are not being guarded.”

  “That’s wonderful.”

  Sensing that Liam is a bit stiff, Bricriu says, “Liam is something wrong.”

  With sweat running down, his face Liam asks Bricriu, “Isn’t this dangerous, we are simply letting the sves run free without dire what if they try to escape?”

  fused Bricriu responds, “It’s Samhain isn’t it?”

  “This is my first full year here, so I don’t know if I missed something but isn’t Samhain just a myth.”

  Giggling a bit, Bricriu says, “Liam if my memory serves me right, you’re from a family of peasants that live on the border of Victoria and Terrafide, if I am correct.”

  Bowing his head low, Liam says, “Yes.”

  “Then it would make sense you wouldn’t know since Samhain is really only observed in the upper parts of Victoria.”

  “Let me tell you a story. Little boy Brandon son of Darragh the plenty, during one Samhain snuck out to py and disobeyed his parents.

  He was a horse beastkin, one of the swiftest among us so he had no fear of ever getting into any trouble because he could just simply outrun it. But the very m, his parents awoke to find his body a mere 5 meters away from the nd.

  Sh used his fortuo find out what happeo his son, but after further iion, we found out Brandon’s body was pletely untouched. No wounds had been inflicted or poison-giving, not even a sign of a curse was anywhere near his body, and there was no form of struggle, It was as if his soul had been removed and his body just remained.

  You see Darragh the plenty was a man whose house had made a great fortuh the blood of tless sves, but also his own people. So tless people would want revenge on his family even beyond the grave. Do you get what I am saying?”

  With more sweat falling down his face, Liam says, “But how is that possible?”

  Laughing Bricriu says, “Who knows, it is really only a phenomenon observed in Victoria. But isn’t it amazing, the idea that death physical death fall on someohout any physical interference is just a wonder isn’t it? I am sure some bodies which have experiehat to help me finish my sculptures.”

  With his heartbeat increasing, Liam asks, “But wouldn’t that mean for us-.”

  “Be assured we are targets as well, there are tless spirits who I am sure hate us both and would e for us in a heartbeat. So defend yourself by clutg the fire from the pyres tight, and remain the spirits that your flesh and blood are strohan anything else.”

  “Yes, my lord.”

  Standing up, Bricriu says, “Make sure t me some bodies who have experienced a one-of-a-kih for my sculptures.”

  “Yes, my lord.”

  Getting up in Liam's face, Bricriu says, “That’s two times now, what did I say about referring to me as lord!?”

  “Sorry.”

  Laughing, Bricriu sps Liam on the bad says, “Greater beastkin like yourself should be less self-scious, you are the future we all aim for.”

  “Yes.”

  With his bat wings, Liam flies off to the sky.

  Bricriu grabs a sties from his pyre and waves it as he sits down in his chair. Then looking forward he says, “It’s strange how you ghastly fellows are pletely rebelled by the burning off a bit of wood. You deliver death to the living but ’t beat a bit of fmes, truly ical.”

  Taking a sip of his drink, Bricriu looks towards the spirits in front of him and says, “Could you guys please dance around a bit, if yoing to be my pany for the evening it would be nice if you could at least be a little eaining.”

  -Break-

  Φ As I walk through the pins, I see it the bodies of all my loved ones scatted about. Cudia's eyes, sitting atop my mother’s torso, Vul's rge arms trying to protect Liln's small legs, Aurelius fingers stuffed in my father's mouth.

  The blood from all of them smeared into the grass, the trees, and the sky, and even poured down on me like rain.

  But in front of me, I see something more disgusting than anything else, the images of me hitting Charles. Not just the st time, but also the first time I did it.

  Suddenly I see the image of Charles telling me his beating hurt less in front of me.

  Seeing this causes me to ugh a little. “Did I actually think just because I did that little thing I could help him, did I actually think I could save him? All I have done was hurt him, I have barely made him do less work than he did before, and iain cases, I have made him do more.”

  “Trash, that is all I am. Whether in the past or present, I fail time and time again. I have lived for thirteen years, yet I haven’t grown at all, why was I even born.”

  Looking up, I see them, all of them in front of me. Every single one I have betrayed, all of those I have failed. I don’t deserve to be on this side while the rest of you lie oher side, I will e over to join you.

  Seeing them wave at me I walk forward, one foot after another, but then I hear a somewhat familiar voice. “Is that truly how you want your life to end?”

  “A spear that ’t pierce its target is worthless.”

  “What a pathetic thought.”

  “That’s simply who I am patheti every single way one could imagine. I fail my family, I fail my friends, I even fail myself, and if I tio live my failures will bring ruin to those around me.”

  “Is that truly what you believe?”

  “Yes.”

  “You’re a fool then.”

  “OF COURSE, I AM DO YOU NOT UAND WHAT I HAVE BEEN SAYING!”

  “WHAT KIND OF FOOL TRUST’S THE JUDGEMENT OF A FOOL THEN!”

  “JUST FUCK OFF. I simply ’t do this anymore.”

  “You are right, you’re a fool. Not because you have failed once, or twice or even a huimes, but for the fact that you ran. You have decided that your life is now over because of a few failures, that is what makes you a fool.”

  “WHAT DO YOU EVEN KNOW ABOUT FAILURE!”

  “The first time I fought a beast, I was 17 years old. It was a wolf, I failed to hit it with my again and again, theually it bit me so mutil I passed out.”

  Hearing his words, I whisper, “Have I heard this voice before?”

  “The embarrassment I felt was unending, especially given my position in my . I felt hopeless, I felt as if life had ended, I wao give up, but I knew ohing; that I was just an insignifit fool, and that to put the fate of my life in the feelings of a fool such as myself. So, I tried again.

  I challehat wolf 968 times, over three years, and on the 968 time I killed it. It I had 967 losses and one win, but that’s all I needed, I took that singur win and used it to bee the best version of myself, one who o longer be called a fool.

  The reason you’re a fool is because you trust the words of ohe reason you’re a coward is because you choose the f lie of death, rather than the reality of yourself, and the reason that you’re pathetic is the fact that you protect that lie even moments right before your life is about to end.”

  Feeling rage well up inside me, I shout, “WHAT THE HELL DO YOU EVEN KNOW ABOUT ME? So what if it worked for you, I am not the same this feeling within me is something you could never know, nor experience, don’t think you could ever feel this despair that currently clouds my soul.”

  “Of course it makes sehe son of a fool is destio be one as well. The son of a man who lost his head is as brainless as him. But maybe this is simply justice, that the people who knew su idiot will all vanish from the earth.”

  In a blind rage, I shout, “WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT MY FATHER? HE WAS THE MOST CEOUS WONDERFUL HAPPY PERSON TO EVER EXIST, IT IS ONLY THANKS TO HIM THAT I TIO LIVE. HE WOULD KNOW THE AO EVERYTHING I WOULD BE ABLE TO APLISH ANYTHING WITHOUT EFFORT, SO DON’T YOU EVER SPEAK OF HIM AGAIN.”

  I turn around and shout, “DO YOU UA-.” But I stop in shock as I see my father behind me.

  Walking up to me, my father says, “Then trust in my words son, because the blood of this great man runs in your veins as well.”

  With tears falling from my weak body, I say, “Father.”

  “You’re one and only. Now look what you were about to do your mother would have cried for the rest of her days if she found out.”

  “I am so, so sorry.”

  “What do you have to apologize for, I was the one who failed you.”

  “But all the dreams.”

  “I don’t know what you're talking about, this is the first time I have seen you since my head when flying. Were you trusting a fool's judgement again?”

  “Father, I don’t know what to do, I keep making mistakes aing everyone down.”

  “YOU FOOL! Didn’t you listen to a single word I said, you really struggle to listen, I guess you ied everything from me and not your mother. You said a spear that ’t pierce its target is worthless, but if you were to sharpen that spear I am sure it , and my son you are one of the most blunt spears in the world, so you are the one who sharpen the most.”

  “But what if I fail, what if I ’t do what you asked of me?”

  “Then try again, and even through despair remember there is a reason that all those you care about love you too. My son you were born to win in all your battles.”

  Feeling a warm feeling welling up in my chest, I say, “Dad, I missed you.”

  Walking past me my father says, “I missed you too, now go my son.”

  Suddenly in front of me, all of the images I was seeing were clear, and all that remained was the green pin. Turning around to see where I was going to walk, I see a river.

  If I fell into it in my current state, I would have no doubt drowned. In the distance past the ke, I see people a horde of people whom I remember being me closer, but there are a few exceptions whiclude my father and Vul.

  So, I look at them and say, “There is no pce I feel like I should be right now thahere, but sorry I am an idiot so I probably shouldn’t do that.”

  Turning around I walk forward with my weak body, and in the distance, I see Charles approag me, and as he es close he freezes with a sad expression, and says, “I am sor-.”

  Stopping him with a hug, I say, “Charles I am sorry. I promise from this moment on I will never allow you to know sadness. So please if you want to trust in me agai’s go home.”

  Without hesitation, he says, “OK.”

  I would have missed that tasteless expression. With a smile, I say, “I really am an idiot!”