A rotten armor

The guard looked at his hand covered in blood, then back at the pale corpse laying on the ground eyes widened. He was trembling with fear before he looked at the kids and approached them steadily, stretching his arm towards them. Rōjū inched back covering Kohana with his left arm and picked the bloody knife that was stuck on the floor, quickly pointing it towards this unnamed man. The guard raised both his arms in surrender, showing off that one of his hands was cut clean. Rōjū until now thought he saw a ghost, and one couldn't blame him for thinking that after what just happened, after he easily trusted the reality showed to him and just as easily it was turned upside down. The guard tried to calm him down, spitting out things like "It's ok.." and "I am here now" but Rōjū was sticking to Kohana as if his life depended on it, as if Kohana was the one and only thing he loved. However, love this early in life is flexible. Hanonai suddenly came out from under some furniture, god knows why he was hiding during all of this, but now seemingly showing off its determination to protect these kids jumped at the guard starting to bite at his neck, nibbling painfully with its two sharp and long teeth. The guard panted in pain, not screaming out of fear of making the animal move more wildly. But Rōjū stepped up and grabbed Hanonai, petting it gently to calm him down, succeeding.

After a bit of time the guard settles down by sitting on the floor next to the runaway trio, if Hanonai even counts for that. He looks at them and sits in silence, wind passing through the chilly room. The guard looks down at his feet and back at them before opening his mouth "So I am named Gaarek...sorry for the scene..." said Gaarek now looking to the wall away from their faces. Rōjū looked at him while tilting his head "Gaarek?" he questioned looking with more intensity at what Gaarek was wearing, torn down clothes with sharp and straight lines showing leather armor under his normal clothes. Gaarek rubbed his forearm with his only hand as if feeling embarrassed before he looked at Rōjū, expecting more talk out of him, for some reason. Rōjū obliviously looked at Gaarek tilting his head more before Gaarek realized what he was trying to do and sighed defeated looking down. After a while Gaarek buried the body and cleaned as much of the blood as he could have, but little stains of red in the floor reminded him of his sin. Before opening his mouth to talk again Kohana spoke up surprisingly "Thanks.." she said with awkward silence followed by Gaarek's response "No p-problem, just tried to keep you guys safe.." and with that, the room was filled with silence again for a while. At some point the kids stood up and wandered around the building to search for food, not going into the closet that stank with foul odor, when passing next to it, though, Hanonai covered its tiny nose with its tiny hands while resting on Rōjū's shoulder. The kids searched the classrooms, their bedrooms, and even the playground. Every time they entered a room, memories of Toha forced themselves inside their heads. However, this brought them a feeling of distrust and fear of people they do not know. The trio walked around until finally they found a room they have not seen before. With caution, Rōjū grabbed the handle of the door leading to this unknown room, slowly opening this wooden door, the beating of his heart quickened. All the other doors were thin, sliding doors made from paper, except from this one and the one from the foul closet. Rōjū finally opened the door, inviting another foul scent to punch their faces. The kids quickly covered their mouths with the clothing they had, while Hanonai used his little hands once again. The three proceeded to enter this new room, with Rōjū leading them in. The room's floor was covered with large green bags, maybe two times their own side. All of them seemed to be full, and some even had red stains dripping out. The kids carefully traversed the room, reaching the other side where they spotted a fragile wooden desk, with some cooking pots, one filled with uncooked rice, as well as a few small metal cans, barely any left untouched. The kids grabbed the pot filled with rice and a few of the cans before heading back to the kitchen, where they left the guard alone with his thoughts to cage him where he was. Once Rōjū entered the room the guard glanced at him bringing a large metal pot. Rōjū put the pot on top of the table before grabbing a handful of raw rice and sharing it with Hanonai and Kohana, while looking at Gaarek with some caution. The trio began eating this raw rice before Gaarek noticed the state in which it was being eating. Quickly Gaarek snatched the pot and the rice they had from them, swiftly positioning it on top of a stove. Rōjū quickly gripped Gaarek's leg trying to pull him away from the food they were about to eat. Gaarek spoke up suddenly "Guys! You can't eat this!" he said, making Rōjū shout a response "Why not?! We are hungry and you are stealing our food! You probably just gave us more bread in that cage to eat us later!" This froze Gaarek, leaving him open for Rōjū to finally make him trip by pulling on his leg. "Were you planning to eat us now?!" asked Rōjū, interrogating Gaarek while sitting on his stomach, Gaarek was totally capable of getting Rōjū off, but he did not consider it once, using force was not his way of doing things "N-No I would never! The lady that lived here was crazy! All of the guards told the story about the ghost of teacher that went crazy and ate everyone that entered the school." "Lies! We did not see a ghost!" Said Rōjū, forcing himself to not believe Gaarek. "Just let me prepare your food, I swear I will not steal it, if I do you can hit me and throw me all you want" said Gaarek. Rōjū hesitantly agreed before watching the guard cook their food. The kids began to yawn when Gaarek finally set the table, with plates and everything. The kids began eating with silverware that was found by Gaarek, before Rōjū suddenly asked "So...I am not saying that I believe you... But to see if you are lying... Can you tell me the story?" Gaarek then replied jokingly "Sure, just don't go hitting me while I tell you" "Sorry.." Apologized Rōjū "It is fine, no hard feelings" Gaarek reassured him.

"Ever since the war started, all schools had been slowly decaying, this one managed to somehow survive, which made it popular. Not long after, an enemy squadron from an enemy camp raided it to steal all food and children, to use as resources. They killed everyone working in there but one teacher whom had hid herself in a secret basement. I think that when she left her hiding spot she saw all the bodies of the friends and workers, and went mad. We had a deal with this school, that we would protect it if it provided us with a group of men to recruit. That is why it lasted so long, however, when we got there only one sound could be heard, the one of grief-filled screaming and groaning. I...I was in the group that was sent to help this school, everyone was scared of what they heard all over the halls. They said no one could have survived such an attack, so they said there was a ghost tormenting us for not protecting the school. Some left because they were afraid, most actually, leaving my friend Sarka and I alone to search for any leftover objects and even food they might have missed. After a while we found an open closet filled with food and tools, it seemed too obvious to have been left there. I told Sarka it was definitely a trap, but he insisted that it was worth the risk, he wanted to earn his pay. I let him enter reluctantly and kept a watch standing by the door. Before I could even look around the place I heard his faint scream quickly drowned, and turned around to see this, crazy...thing... cutting his throat open with a kitchen knife. She suddenly turned her head towards me and began sprinting towards me, I did not even think and started running away, her screams filling the halls. When I finally got outside it hit me, my friend, had just...died... I wanted to go back inside but... I was afraid. This lady was not a ghost, but she was definitely a monster. Once I looked around to make sure I was safe a drop of blood hit my forehead, and I looked up seeing the rest of the squad hanging and squirming for my help, barbed wire was set outside the school to catch anyone that tried to enter. Everyone was begging for me to help them but once again I heard her, sprinting from the building onto the playground following me perfectly. I began running away, the screams of my...brothers...filling me. When I got back I told the general what happened, and he immediately told me to go back and bring my squad mates back, it had to be serious since he actually decided to send others with me. We took off towards the school, but when we reached it there was no one hanging from the trees, and they started to blame me of lying. I told them that we should then search inside, to a least get the food. I knew begging them to help and insisting I was not lying would not work on these men. They agreed and once we stepped foot inside we saw the floors painted with red trails all over, on the entrance and throughout all over the halls. At this point they started to get freaked out and blaming me of trying to play a trick on them. But then she came again, she began screaming but it sounded muffled, as if she was eating. I was told to go investigate ahead, and I was in no position to decline, giving how I was the one that asked for this. They followed a few steps behind, and we kept walking for what felt over an hour when we finally reached an open door where the groans seemed to be the strongest. When we entered, some of the guards vomited. We saw her, eating from green bags that obviously were filled with the people she worked with, and then I saw him again. Sarka's head was being eaten. Some of the guards ran away once again, and others tried to stop them realizing that my story was true, and so the fact that there were traps could be too. 4 guards stayed with me, they seemed to form a square around me, as if to protect me. We guards are not the best people that exist, we rob and use kids as tools. But we had a code of protecting each other, one that even though I broke they tried to maintain. Even our general, actually cares about us. He is very strict, demanding and punishing. But as you can see, this world is even worse than him. He does not harm us, in any way. He makes an example of animals and threatens to cut our heads. He has never done it, and he, most than anyone was worried about us here. It was no surprise he barged in from the solid wall of the room, debris of wood and nails flew through the room, managing to hit that...beast. He saw who she was eating and was filled with rage, he told us to run away, and so we did. I looked back at him however, his body had cuts all over it, and he obviously was in no good shape. When we made it out we looked around, people were receiving first aid from apparently being victim to the traps. One of the guards that took me out of the room with them asked what happened, and one of the field medics responded. They said that the general came running here once he heard the screaming again, that he saw all of these guards becoming prey of the traps and quickly used his sword to climb the trees and cut the barbed wire. Another medic then added that when they finally arrived, a whole lot later than when the general did, they saw that he was sprinting towards the building while being full of cuts all over, they told him to wait and he refused and busted through a wall. Apparently, they found the sword of the general throw in the ground, and broken in half. He must had broke it while cutting some of the wire, thus why his body was so damaged. He released all of the guards after the sword broke by using his arms and legs to get them free, he even climbed these trees full of barbed wire around them, that seemingly were put there to prevent the victims from being rescued. Suddenly, we heard loud moaning from that thing again, it sounded like screams of pain however, which became fainter by the second. We stared at the hole in the wall for a while and finally saw the general come out, barely able to walk. The medics noticed and went to help, but when the tried to help him walk he refused. He stopped in his tracks and took a deep breath, straightening his body and puffing his chest out slightly before walking normally towards us. He must have been in a lot of pain during that, he came out with more cuts than when he busted through the wall... After that we left this place alone, we had too many losses.. When we arrived at our camp the general received medical care, even if he complained and assured he did not need it. After that, the general was more strict with us and even more harsh. And...Yeah.. that is it"

Rōjū felt his heart aching, guilt consumed his chest after hearing this story. "Sorry..." He apologized. Gaarek once again told him it was fine, but Rōjū still felt bad. Rōjū suddenly hugged Gaarek, making him tear up a little from this affection showed towards him, before petting Rōjū's head softly and with care. Gaarek smiled and looked towards the other two, who were sleeping, then back at Rōjū who also fell into deep slumber. Gaarek took the sleepy trio and put them on a carriage he took from the camp, he had planned to get these kids out and to take them somewhere. He covered them entirely with a blanket to hide them as well, before taking off away from this cursed place. The sun started peeking from the horizon as the night ended, a new hope had been brought to this world.