赤裸裸的滑稽故事

They stared out into the dark sea of shuffling shadows.

“Do we really need to kill them all?” Caleb asked quietly.

Ashleigh swallowed.

‘Leshy meant what it said,’ Lily whispered. ‘Though some of these wolves are not far enough gone that they couldn’t be saved… if they are still here when the dawn breaks… Leshy has the power to destroy all of the wolves, good or bad.’

Ashleigh sighed.

“Lily says… the Leshy will kill us all if we don’t.”

Caleb lowered his head, clenching his jaw.

He was a warrior, a leader… but now he was being asked to be an executioner.

“We don’t have a choice Caleb,” Ashleigh whispered. “I don’t like it either, but we don’t have a choice.”

Caleb sighed and pulled her close, kissing the top of her head.

“I know, Ash.”

They stayed together for the first hour, fighting their every instinct to complete the task they were given. Then, when the sound of the hybrid rang out from the forest, Caleb was the one that chased after it.

Ashleigh felt a deep and painful grip on her heart as she watched the wolves before her fall without so much as a hand brought up in defense.

***

Ashleigh fell to her knees. The wolf before her let out a soft, wet gurgle as a red line of liquid appeared on his throat. He fell to his knees and then forward to the ground, the blood pooling beneath him.

She closed her eyes, huffing as she tried to catch her breath.

Caleb had already called her through their link. He had searched the forest. He found the hybrid they had seen transform and two others.

He had killed them all and found a small pack of the fae monsters. He was returning to the Moonguard settlement as soon as they were dispatched.

Through her closed lids, Ashleigh saw the warm light. The sun was rising.

Ashleigh opened her eyes, lifting them up toward the sky. The glow through trees looked like a fire burning the forest\'s heart.

She sighed.

Had they gotten them all?

Was it worth it?

“You pity them,” a soft voice called from behind her.

Ashleigh turned, and a small boy stood behind her. But his expression was the same quizzical look of the girl from the night before.

“Leshy…” Ashleigh whispered. She lightly bowed her head.

“Why do you pity them?” it asked.

Ashleigh looked around at the hundreds of bodies that lay around her. She took a deep breath.

“We could have helped them,” she sighed. “They weren’t monsters, not these ones. Some wouldn’t have turned if we got them the cure.”

The Leshy looked around at the bodies.

“Do you know them?” it asked without looking at her.

Ashleigh shook her head.

“I never met anyone from Moonguard…. They were very isolated. They preferred to be left alone.”

“But you care about their lives?” Leshy asked, tilting its head as it looked at her.

“All life has value,” Ashleigh replied. “I don’t feel good about what happened tonight, so please… tell me it was worth it… tell me… it was enough to convince you.”

The boy stepped forward and squatted before her, so their eyes met.

“I will not destroy the wolf,” it whispered.

Ashleigh closed her eyes and let out a sigh of relief.

She felt a deep emptiness in her stomach, a pit filled with anguish and regret. She knew they didn’t have a choice, but it didn’t wipe away all the guilt of having destroyed an entire pack in one night.

“Still, you mourn,” the Leshy said, observing Ashleigh carefully. “I have promised the safety of your species, and yet still you shed tears.”

Ashleigh sniffled and wiped the tears away. Then, she took a deep breath.

“I am thankful for your mercy, Leshy,” she said. “But that doesn’t bring back the innocent people I killed tonight, those who still had a chance to be cured.”

“You could not have cured them,” the Leshy stated.

Ashleigh looked up, her brows furrowed in a questioning glance.

“Maybe not all of them,” she said. “But you said some of them weren’t even infected until yesterday. So they could have been saved by the cure.”

The boy looked away.

“These wolves, the rot inside of them began long ago,” it continued. “The infection only gave them a physical manifestation of the rot that already made a home in their hearts.”

“What do you mean by that?” Ashleigh asked.

The boy turned back to Ashleigh.

“Ask your fae, that Queen’s child, what she heard as you quelled their numbers.”

Ashleigh furrowed her brows.

‘I thought it was strange,’ Lily whispered. ‘When they died… they weren’t relieved. They were angry. But not about losing their lives… it was like a defeat. The anger of an enemy bested.’

“I don’t understand,” Ashleigh shook her head.

“These wolves were not forced to become monsters. Instead, it was their reward.”

“What?” Ashleigh asked in disbelief, shaking her head. “No, no, I heard them crying when we arrived.”

“Transformation is not easy and rarely painless,” The Leshy replied.

Ashleigh looked out at hundreds of bodies strewn all over the settlement. She clenched her jaw and looked away.

“You still mourn them,” it whispered, narrowing the small boy’s eyes at Ashleigh. “I do not understand. These wolves chose to become monsters. They knew the goal of annihilating the wolf and then the humans. So they spread the dark corruption from their souls, yet you mourn them.”

Ashleigh scoffed.

“I can’t choose to stop caring about life,” she said. “They stood there as I cut them down, unguarded and defenseless.”

She paused, swallowing and licking her lips.

“Even my enemy deserves a fighting chance.”

The boy tilted his head. Then, he raised his hand and snapped his fingers.

In the distance, there was a loud rumbling sound, and for just a moment, the earth around them shook. Ashleigh tried to steady herself, then looked up at the boy with wide eyes.

“What was that?” she asked.

The boy lifted his chin.

“The tomb of the Queen has been infested with monsters for years. Recently, even more of these have taken residence there. But they are mindless.

“They walk in circles, and they do nothing without command. If you enter her tomb, they will allow you to pass undisturbed until you reach the center. Then they will all turn on you.”

The boy looked away as if bored.

“The fastest and most efficient method to destroy the tomb was to destroy the monsters while they are unguarded and defenseless,” it said. “But you seem uncomfortable with this.”

Ashleigh was surprised by what she heard.

“Since you have cleared the rot from this land, I can do this small favor for you,” The Leshy replied without looking at her.

Ashleigh lifted her brows in surprise.

“You destroy the mound? The connection to the ley line?” she asked.

The Leshy shrugged its small shoulders.

‘It’s true,’ Lily whispered. ‘I could feel the raw energy of the ley lines before, but it’s gone now. The Leshy severed this connection.’

“Thank you,” Ashleigh whispered. “I truly appreciate your help.”

The Leshy smirked.

“Remember to leave me a gift of bread and salt from time to time to show your appreciation,” it said, “I am returning to my slumber.”

The boy began to walk away.

“Wait!” Ashleigh called to him.

The Leshy turned with curious eyes.

“There are still three more connections to the ley lines. We don’t know their locations. With your help, we could–“

“No,” it stated simply.

“No?” Ashleigh asked.

“No,” it repeated, shaking its head. “I will not aid you any further.”

“But… why not?” Ashleigh asked.

The boy grinned.

“I am allowing the wolves to hunt,” it replied with a soft laugh.

Ashleigh sighed.

“Besides,” The Leshy continued, “I have already been awake too long and used too much of my power. If I stay longer, my presence will wake others. Much grumpier others.”

Ashleigh wanted to argue, to convince this powerful being to help. But again, Lily reached her through a sense of foreboding and dread.

“I believe in you, little wolf,” The Leshy said, “You will clear the rot from this world… if not….”

The Leshy smiled and shrugged its small shoulders. With that, it turned and began to walk away. As it got further away, Ashleigh noticed something strange.

All around her, the bodies of the fallen wolves were changing. Aging, rotting, and decaying until they were returned to the earth through the natural process. She looked back to where she had last seen the boy, but he was gone.