Ellie spread the fabric across her back, ensuring it was nice and flat.
Next, she pinched and gathered one tail at her shoulder as evenly as possible before doing the same for the other side. Then, she tied them into a slip knot before loosening the fabric, creating enough space for the small bundle.
Ray—the name she had given the baby—gazed up at her, red eyes bright with curiosity as she picked him up. Carefully, she slipped him in, tucking the bottom rail underneath and between her and him. Ray's tiny fingers curled into the sling. After making sure the fabric went knee to knee, she pulled the top rail up to Ray's neck and then tightened the slack so that the sling was nice and snug.
"This should be good enough."
Ellie moved around, testing the sling.
"It would have been better if I had a ring lying around."
Though she had spent more time than she wanted to admit, cursing herself for not paying attention to Miss Opoler's class during the process. In the end, she had managed to fashion a proper sling.
At least now, with her hands having more freedom, Ellie could somewhat protect Ray if another encounter with the cannibals happened, without having to put him down on the cold ground, vulnerable and helpless.
She knew it was reckless, but the floating islands were the only clue she had to escape the Promise's trial and reunite with her mom.
'Ironic. I risked my life escaping a floating island only to do the same to get on another one.'
She recalled the vision of cities with strong walls, turning away people that she had initially dismissed, thinking they were unrelated fragments of her past life.
However, she later learned from the fragmented memory of her past life, that these cities would later rise above into the sky, with water cascading down. This water didn't freeze and provided those below with water to drink.
Rising cities. Rising castles. This was the same world Ellie lived in. She was currently reliving history. The thought was so simple that she didn't even think about it. That meant winter had arrived—when only the dark sun lingered in the sky, and the bright sun disappeared to the east. A period lasting five years, occurring only when no one challenged for the throne.
But if that was true, then Ellie had far worse things to worry about than just cannibals. When winter came, the sea froze. And from beyond came horrible creatures that ravaged villages, leaving nothing but ruin in their wake.
Ellie tightened her grip on the sling one last time before walking toward the exit of the ruined building.
The cloth she and Ray were using came from one of them. Her past life had belonged to a group of hunters who tracked and hunted these creatures, trading their remains with the people in the cities above. Recently cast out, he had been making his way back to one of the lakes below the floating islands but was instead ambushed by cannibals and never made it.
'And I will be making the same journey as him.'
Stepping into the cold snow, Ellie looked westward.
***
Ellie and Ray walked across an open field where white colored as far as the eyes could see. Above them, the dark sun hovered in the clear sky, an unfeeling witness to the suffering below.
'How the hell did I manage to run away this far?'
Ellie didn't know whether it was because of the adrenaline or the divinity in her blood, perhaps the developing character Corpse Eater. But the distance she made escaping the cannibals was nothing short of impressive, especially from this withered body.
Yet, no matter how long she walked. There was nothing but snow in her path. That was to be expected. With the lack of sunlight and rain, it would have been strange if trees were able to survive in such an environment.
All the snags were collected as firewood's demand skyrocketed. Granted, people didn't harvest all of them. Instead, in what used to be great lush forests, they were used as hiding spots against beasts. Still, as the winter stretched on, even those sanctuaries became thinner and thinner, causing many to be banished into the white hell.
'That explained the absence of tracks.'
Ellie found herself gripping Ray, who was smudging against her neck, just a little tighter.
The cannibals that had ambushed Ellie in her past life. After finishing their meal, they must have decided to give chase after her and Ray. But that was their worst mistake.
Examining the devastating sight before her, men lying in the reddened snow, all were missing eyes, ears, and tongues, Ellie couldn't help but feel strange feelings. At first, relief stirred in her chest, faint but undeniable, knowing that those pursuing her were no longer a threat. But that relief was short-lived. Because something else had killed them and whatever it was... was still out there.
'If only I was allowed in hunting class then I would have recognized which beasts this is.'
Since Ellie's purpose was to create ties with the Thunderspine Clan, House Gennan saw no reason for her to attend training to become an adventurer. That privilege was reserved only for Methild.
And the memory from her past life wasn't of much help either as if there were a barrier, a filter only allowing certain memory to pass through.
'There is no point in dwelling about that now.'
There was also another feeling Ellie had toward the corpses on the ground.
'To think that not so long ago I freaked out so much after having seen the dying guard of House Gennan.'
Ellie blamed Corpse Eater for making her feel such thoughts toward these foul fresh.
Luckily, it wasn't as much of a pull as drinking her own blood. With an unknown predator lurking about, this was no time to be spent on feasting. She considered taking one of the corpses with her for later but ultimately decided against it after having considered the hindrance that might come with doing so.
'It would not only slow me down but may also attract unwanted interest.'
Ellie looked down at Ray, who gazed up at Ellie with bright red eyes.
'I am counting on you, buddy. Make sure to bring Mama? ...Or is it Dada? ...Anyway, I am counting on you to bring me back from divine madness.'
The snow beneath her flickered just for a moment causing Ray to stir in the sling. Only then did Ellie realize his red eyes weren't on her.
She glanced up to find high above, a shape drifted through the sky. And it was coming down.
'Speak of the devil.'
A fight wouldn't be ideal, but she wasn't about to go down like prey. Ellie braced herself, shifting her stance.
Squinting her eyes, she tried to make out the details against the bleak sky. And then she did. The tiny dot in the sky descended in a sharp drop, slowly getting bigger and bigger, revealing a giant beast with tattered wings. The edges frayed like aged parchment, somehow still strong enough to keep its massive form aloft.
Its head hung low beneath its body, a neck craning unnaturally downward as though the weight of its own existence was unbearable.
Nestled into the ridges of its skull, a collection of eyes, their movements frantic and erratic—some bloodshot, others clouded in death, a few still fresh, their pupils shrinking against the dim light. Strips of ears and tongues woven together, dangling from the slits beneath the stolen orbs.
'Haa...'
The sight was too much. The creature was still far away and yet able to instill fear in Ellie with its grotesquely stretched form.
Ellie's resolve shattered like thin ice.
Her legs—her traitorous, self-preserving legs—turned her around before she could even think.
'Nope nope.'
And she ran. She had been a fool for thinking that if she planted her feet, clenched her fists, and willed herself strong, it would be enough. But strength didn't come from will alone. Strength needed time.
A blade didn't become sharp just because you wanted it to. It took hours, days, and years of careful work before it could cut through flesh and bone. She hadn't even started that process, yet here she was, thinking she could throw herself against something that had spent its entire existence hunting.
What did she expect? That her resolve would be enough to bridge the gap between prey and predator? That her self-defense class might somehow help her deal with such an abomination?
How pathetic. She gritted her teeth.
'Who cares? One day, one day, I'd be the blade that had seen fire, that had been hammered into shape, sharpened until I could cut through the world itself.'
A thunderous boom shattered the silence, followed by the soft patter of falling snow. Hearing this, Ellie quickened her pace, her footsteps left heavy imprints in the snow. But suddenly, she fell forward, knees slamming into the frozen ground, a sharp pain coursed through one arm as it caught her fall.
Her parental instinct had helped her other arm to react in time and cupped Ray's head in its palm. Ray let out a startled noise before crying, but she barely heard it.
Hundreds of visions crashed into her mind at once. Eyes watching her. Eyes staring at the gray sky. Eyes turning toward each other, unblinking, reflecting back countless more in an infinite loop. And yet, for all the visions forced into her skull, she didn't find hers among them.
Ellie saw her past life's body. His hands and legs weren't working together, causing him to stagger trying to stand up. It was too difficult to control the body while under such a maddening experience.
'Calm down. Breath.'
In one of the beast's visions, she could see the body's back rise and fall as she breathed in.
'Compared to that, this is nothing.'
Ellie steadied herself, bracing for what was to come. Then, a sharp sting spread across the inside of her cheek.
***
The beast used its strong hind legs and long-span wings to drag its massive frame through the snow. As if knowing none could escape the madness it had inflicted, it took its time.
Then it stopped. The figure before it had already stood up, turning around, looking at it. The man's expression was something the beast had never seen before. His mouth closed and curved upward. Squinting eyes that didn't carry the fear that it was so used to.
The beast did not understand it. But it hated it.
That expression stirred something deep within its core, making it want to gouge out those eyes, to rip off that tongue, to tear those ears from his head more. And so, for the first time in a very long time—it hurried.
Standing close, it lowered its head. Its many pupils focused on the man who was still wearing that irritating face. Then, the man spat something into one of its vision, from which, a bright golden flame erupted and quickly spread out.
Straggled, the beast surged into the air, a response against pain that was long forgotten. But with the smoke filling all of its vision, it soon came crashing down. It tried to snuff out the spreading flame by thrashing its eyes into the snow, causing many to burst under the force. It took the beast numerous tries but luckily, the fire was gone.
However, the hatred ignited by the flame was burning stronger than ever. Blood dripped down into the white snow as it held its head high, the few remaining eyes searching for the culprit. There, still standing in the same spot, the man gazed back at it. His red pupils showed no sign of fear.
***
'It worked.' Ellie screamed in her heart. Behind her, Ray was still crying.
She didn't understand how the creature had managed to do such voodoo magic. But remembering the feeling of divine madness forcing all her senses, all her thoughts to focus solely on drinking her own blood, she decided to use such a method to break free of the beast's enchantment before being pulled back to sanity by Ray. She waited for the right moment to strike, struck in an endless circle of clarity and madness. And it was every bit worth it.
Now, standing tall, she held her head high, meeting the beast's gaze. Three-fourths of its eerie orbs were gone, the rest were damaged in some way. Seeing its pitiful state, she didn't feel as frightened being stared at by it.