....
The light of the full moon illuminated the surface of the fast-flowing river. The reflection of the white light danced on the pitch-black water. The surroundings were dead silent. Only the sound of the flowing water crashing against wet rocks and the chirping of crickets from behind the bushes could be heard. The air felt incredibly cold and damp. A thin mist crept slowly over the water's surface and the muddy ground.
On the dirt path by the river, a wooden horse cart passed by alone. The sound of its wooden wheels creaking softly broke the silence. The brown horse pulling the cart occasionally snorted, exhaling thin white steam from its nostrils.
The envoy from the Viortta Kingdom sat alone on the wooden driver's seat. He wore a thick, long, dark gray cloak. The man pulled the reins, halting his horse's pace.
He fell silent, staring up at the full moon and the expanse of stars. His eyes looked reddish and wet.
"Damn it."
The man lowered his head. "I am a dead man," he said weakly.
His chest rose and fell. "Bastard king. Tominus is a bastard," he muttered softly.
"Fuck off, he said?"
The man bit his lower lip hard. He clenched both his fists tightly until his knuckles turned white. "Even though we only asked for wheat and bread. I already promised His Majesty."
His breathing sounded heavy. "Uh."
"I cannot go home like this." The man gripped the fabric of the cloak above his knees. "They are waiting for good news. My people want to eat."
The man jumped down from his wooden cart. He landed on the muddy ground. He raised both his hands forward. A glowing red magic circle appeared in front of his palms. He summoned bright fireballs and shot them rapidly toward the dark forest in front of him.
"Bastard!"
The fireballs struck the branches of the cypress trees.
"Bastard!"
"Bastard. Tominus is a bastard. Bastard kingdom!!!"
The trees in front of him started to burn. The red flames blazed brightly, radiating a heat that stung the skin.
The man lost his balance and fell face-first onto the ground.
"Bastard."
He repeatedly pounded the wet muddy ground with both his palms.
"Damn it!!"
"Damn it!!"
Thud. Thud. Thud.
He kept pounding the ground endlessly. Brown mud stained his palms.
"Ahjjghhhhhhghhhhhhh!!!!!!!!" The man tilted his face up and screamed as loud as he could toward the night sky.
The fire in front of him grew larger. The sound of burning wood crackled loudly, breaking the silence of the night and spreading gray smoke into the air.
The man then lowered his head. His chest rose and fell rapidly, regulating his panting breaths. He looked around, staring at the blazing fire spreading and consuming the dry leaves.
"Oh my god," the man said with a hoarse voice. His eyes widened.
"What have I done," he said with a regretful expression.
He zoned out again for a few seconds. His gaze was empty, staring at the flames ahead.
He then let out a long sigh and forced his body to stand up. "I have to leave immediately."
He looked down, seeing the silver ring encircling his right ring finger. The man rubbed the ring slowly.
The man walked closer to his cart. He climbed up and sat back down on the driver's seat. His expression now looked slightly calmer. He held the reins, getting ready to spur his horse again.
BANG.
The envoy's head shattered into pieces in a single second. Fresh blood sprayed heavily in all directions. Splatters of thick, dark red blood and fragments of skull bone stained the mane of the brown horse in front of him.
The headless man's body did not fall. His corpse remained sitting upright on the wooden driver's seat. Blood kept gushing out from the hole in his neck, soaking the dark gray cloak he wore.
The brown horse stood perfectly still. The animal did not neigh in panic or run in fear, as if it could neither see the bloody incident nor hear the loud bang that had just happened.
From behind the shadow of a large tree by the river, a man stepped out and approached the horse cart. His white shoes moved casually past puddles of blood and mud.
The figure had very long, straight blonde hair. His eyes emitted a bright golden glow. Two thick horns curved upward from the sides of his head. He wore layered, completely pristine white clothes decorated with eastern-style gold embroidery.
He was Villavia Ragnazikri.
Villavia slowly walked closer to the front of the cart. He raised his right hand and gently stroked the brown horse's snout. A faint smile formed on his lips.
"On this beautiful night, the Viortta envoy goes home smoothly escorted by a horse," he muttered in a calm and gentle tone.
Villavia slowly patted the horse's neck.
The brown horse began to move forward. The wooden wheels creaked as they rolled over the muddy ground. The horse walked away along the dirt path, carrying the headless body of the Viortta envoy still sitting upright while blood continuously dripped down.
After the horse cart disappeared behind the night mist, droplets of rain began to fall from the sky. Rain soaked the earth. The water showered the blazing fire in the forest, extinguishing it little by little until only thick white smoke remained.
Villavia stood still in his place. He looked up at the rainy night sky and casually muttered again,
"The forest fire stopped due to the rain. Not a single creature died from this fire."