a/n: Yo! I'm trying to bounce back from AToS so I wrote this story. Unlike A Throne of Swords, I want this story to be light and pleasant. I was inspired to write this when I watched the Grimgar anime. I actually read the first three volumes of the Light Novel too 'cause it got me intrigued. This story was written out of pure intention to entertain myself and will be irregularly updated so don't expect anything.

disclaimer: I don't own anything. This is the only disclaimer I will write but it applies to the entirety of this story. Anything and everything that pertains to F/sn and Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash do not belong to me. I earn no form of profit from writing this except entertainment and improving my skills as an author.

A FATE OF FANTASY AND ASH

Chapter I: Under the Blood Moon

It was a distinct feeling, dying I mean. There was just pain while your life flashes before your eyes and coldness seeps deep into your bones, and then nothing.

The flashes of my past was vague, and I barely even remember glimpses of it, but I knew there was something I wanted to do—someone I aspire to be. Even suspended in the darkness of the void, that particular ambition of my past existence nagged at the back of my head and inspired regret from the deepest recesses of my being. What was it ?

I didn't want to die yet. I promised. I promised something to someone. Dull and lifeless eyes and a solemn smile—a face I couldn't quite remember on a silhouette sitting on a patio as the stars lit the sky in ambient sadness. I want to fulfill that promise. I want to keep living…

Awaken…

The voice resonated in my soul—silent, gentle, and compassionate. It called something inside of me as it painted the blackness of the void with green streaks of soothing lights. And then, I breathed.

My eyes opened to a dark sight. It was blurry at first, but when I finally adjusted to the dark, I found that it was different from the void. The darkness wasn't as black, as if there was a bit of light leaching somewhere but it was miniscule and dim. I was lying flat on my back on a cold stone floor. Gingerly sitting up, I raised my hand to my face and ran it through my hair. Thinking it was but a dream, I pinched myself, and it hurt. Not a dream, then. I am alive. I'm still alive! Why? How?

I distinctly remember the pain when something long and sharp pierced my heart as it thirsted for my blood. I remember the cold, and then the subsequent darkness. How am I alive? What am I doing here? I swept my eyes on my current location. I couldn't see anything beyond my arm's reach but the small fire from lit candles on the walls illuminated a few portions of the room. There were more candles evenly distanced lining the wall which continued on a tunnel-like passage. The walls were rough stone, as if those of a cave. Come to think of it, my back and bum felt sore, a testament that, indeed, sleeping on cave floors was never comfortable. Where is here?

There was no one inside this gloomy room besides me. I could tell because I could hear no other sound except my own breath and heartbeat.

Dazedly, I stood up, my hand reaching out to a wall. I quelled the panic that bubbled in my gut and decided to follow the lit candles. Wherever it may lead, it was better than sitting idly here while waiting for someone to find me. I didn't know how far I've walked, where the candles started nor where it will end, but I've walked and walked and walked, until I finally saw a brighter light.

Feeling a little hope, I picked up my pace to reach the light, steps lighter and heart on my mouth. I later found that the light was not exactly a direct way out but instead a lantern. On the far wall, the lights the lantern gave touched a gate. Hesitating a bit, I pushed the gate and it creaked open, displaying a set of stairs that lead up a moldy-smelling corridor and another stone staircase. There were no candles but light was filtering from somewhere above so it might finally be my way out of this dingy place. There was another gate at the top, but unlike the one at the bottom, this one refused to budge no matter how much I pound or push it. It was locked from the other side.

"Hello!" I called loudly, hoping someone could hear me. "Anyone there? Help me! Please open this gate!"

There was a shuffling at the other side of the door so I backed away slightly as it finally swung open.

The room that greeted me was one built from stone. There was no window, only oil lamps that kept the room brightly lit. The room itself smelled musty and looked almost primitive. There was a few chairs and a table lying on a corner and another set of stairs that I hope lead out of this hellhole. But what really piqued my interest was the two guards that opened the door. The clothes they wore… were those armor?

The men even have helmets and sheathed swords… It all looked so realistic. How odd. What do they recon the day and age today?

One of the guards pulled something like a lever from the wall and then the whole room seemed to tremble before a portion of the wall shaped like rectangle sunk to the floor. The cold night breeze flitted inside the room, confirming that it was indeed finally my way out.

"Out," the guard told me with a sharp nod towards the door.

Tentatively, I decided to heed the order from the armored guard. I wouldn't want to be on the pointed end of his unsheathed sword if I ever caused them ire.

"Wait," the other guard called to me when I was almost outside. I looked at him expectantly. "Are there more of you down there?" he asked.

More? Does it mean I'm not the first nor the only one to emerge from that place? The longer time passed since the moment I awoke, the more confused I got. I can't remember anything. Where was I from? My family… family, it seemed wrong for me to think that I had a family, but even so I couldn't recall a face or a name that corresponds with that word. I couldn't remember anything before I opened my eyes in that underground cave. It's as if significant parts of my memories were ripped apart and left only a gaping, empty whole. No, more like it was there, just at the back of my head, but it seemed to escape from my grasp every time I tried to recall it—like scooping water with your fingers spread apart.

Shaking my head from the thoughts, I answered, "No, I don't think so. I was the only one there."

The guards gave each other a look I couldn't quite describe, and then they dismissed me with a wave towards the exit.

When I stepped out of the stone room, the sight that welcomed me outside astounded me. A million stars lit the night sky endlessly in every direction. I was standing atop a hill, and the horizon seemed just too far away. I could not make out anything clearly because of the darkness, but there seemed to be civilization not far from where I was. A huge, thick wall surrounded the city and the burning torches kept it decently well lit. I don't recognize it, I doubt I would, what with my elusive memory.

Feeling lonely and indecisive, I glanced back where I came from. A looming tower stood behind me. I barely even caught a glimpse of the closing stone door, which made me realize that I had been in there this whole time. Or maybe more precisely, underneath it. When the door finally clicked shut, I couldn't even tell where the entrance was, molding with the rest of the walls of the tower perfectly.

"What am I supposed to do now?" I asked to no one in particular.

I stared forlornly at the sky. It was very beautiful. The twinkling stars were uncountable and they each shined so brilliantly. The moon looked odd though. It was crimson in color. I don't recall where I was from, but I knew that the moon there was not red. Am I in a different world? Another dimension? A parallel universe?

"Ooh, found you finally! Eh, there's only one of you! How peculiar! Ehehehehe!" the voice grated on my ears. It was shrill and high-pitched, unmistakably a girl's. "Hmmm hummmhhmm… Chalalala, lalala, chalalalan~"

Who was that?

"Helloooo! Hiyyyaaa! How are you? Were you lonely? No friends, huh. How lonelyyyy!"

I looked around and saw a girl with her hair tied in bunches poke her head from behind the tower. Jumping out in front of me, she curtsied with a flourish, her grin irritatingly bombastic.

"Welcome to Grimgar, lonely newcomer! My name is Hiyomu and I'm your guide! Nice to meet you, too? Pleased to meet you! Kyaaapeeee—!"

She was quite enthusiastic. It seemed to tire me out just listening to her.

"You're so quiet! Why so quiet? Hiyomu don't like quiet! Don't be sad, don't be mad, just smile, and skip away! Lalala, cha-lalala!" She kept singing.

I raised an eyebrow at her, but what she said kept me from tearing my hair out. "You said you finally found me, does that mean you were looking specifically for me?"

"Ayyeee! So you talk! Yuuuppp, yuuupppp! My name is Hiyomu and I'm your guide. Come follow me. If you don't, I'll leave you behind!" she sang again.

Her hair swayed from side to side as she started to skip away, her steps rhythmically bouncing. I followed her through the well-trodden path that lead down the hill. Grass lined the blackened road on either side and a great number of white rocks were scattered all over the grassland that lay beyond. As the darkness waned and I started to see the scenery more clearly, I found the numerous rocks meant more than that. They were organized neatly and have been positioned with intention.

"Gravestones," I let out with a breath.

There were so many of them. Some of the stones even have flowers on them. They were graves. This whole hill was a graveyard.

"Ehehehe," Hiyomu giggled. "No worries! Don't worry, newcomer! You're new! You won't need a stone just yet! We'll see, we'll see! Today, tomorrow, soon definitely! Ehehehe!"

Her words were disturbing and it made me involuntarily shudder. What did she mean by that? Suddenly, following her didn't seem like a rational idea. But I did anyway. It's not like I have a choice.

Hiyomu led me towards the city. The last remnants of dawn was beginning to fade, introducing me to a very strange sight. The city was built with a mixture of stones and wood, appearing organized and civilized but primitive. The white cobblestone streets have so many twists and turns that I'll probably easily lose my way in there. The early morning residents gave me strange looks, as if I'm an alien from another planet. I certainly feel alien. Their clothes looked less complex and shabby than the ones I wore. The whole city seemed to have been suspended in medieval era.

What kind of country is this? Country? Come to think of it, what country am I from? I search my brain for an answer. Nothing. Nothing comes back to me. How frustrating.

Hiyomu and I kept going until we came in front of a two-storey stone building. A white flag embedded with a red, crescent moon was raised above the building; a barely legible signboard had the same symbol suspended above the structure's door. Most of the words had faded and a few letters had fallen off.

"Here we are!" Hiyomu declared ceremoniously, gesturing at the building. "This is the Altana Frontier Army's Reserve Force, Crimson Moon's Headquarters! Come in, come on! No time to waste!"

"Army?" I asked, a bit astonished.

Hiyomu went inside the building without answering my blurted inquiry. I doubt she even heard it with all the enthusiasm she had slammed the door open. I followed her inside and came into a spacious room. There was a few chairs and tables organized inside and a counter at the back. Hiyomu did not even pause and walked straight to the lone occupant of the room idly sitting behind the counter.

"Hiya, Bri-boo! How are you?" she greeted the man. "There is another one here I found! Could you please repeat your usual spiel for our misplaced newcomer?"

"Sure thing," the man answered, dismissing the girl with a shooing gesture.

"Then my job here is done! Bye-bye!"

With that, Hiyomu was gone out the door, leaving me alone with this strange man.

The man, for his part, gave me an unnerving once over—for my sake, I quite hope the hunger in his eyes I saw was but a trick of the light. Strange was not enough to describe the man, he was outright creepy. For one, his hair was dyed a bright green. His eyes were two pools of clear crystal blue engraved on a make-up caked face and his lips were painted black. The smile on his lips was coy but the glint in his eyes was malevolent. The stare he kept giving me made my forehead sweat with anxiety.

"Hmmm… you've got potential," he said, his tongue darting out to lick his lips. Definitely disturbing.

"Welcome to Grimgar, my little green kitten," he continued with a drawl. "I am Brittany, the head of Crimson Moon, Altana Frontier Army's Reserve Force. You can call me 'Bri' or 'commander'—whichever pleases you, but you had better make sure to use it with passion and affection, like a child to a mother, understood?"

I quietly listened to his introduction, completely trying to ignore how queasy I felt under his scrutiny.

"Altana? It doesn't sound familiar to me. And Reserve Force? You want me to volunteer as a soldier?"

"Oohh! I really do like my kittens smart!" Bri said with a laugh. "What's your name, sweetie?"

Name? Oh. "Shirou. My name is Shirou," I told him. It was all I could remember, all I have. I clung to it as if a lifeline. It was all I could define myself.

"Well then, Shi-chan, I'll explain for you, since you seem like a very nice kitty." He inclines on his seat and props his feet on the table. "I'm offering you a choice to enlist as a member of Altana Frontier Army's Reserve Force, Crimson Moon. You'll be a trainee at first, but you'll eventually climb up the proverbial ladder and become a self-sufficient soldier. Since you are obviously given the right to choose, you could take the offer or leave it. But," Bri then sits upright and leans forward on the table, "if you'll take my advice, I'll advice you to take my offer."

"Why? What would happen if I decide to refuse?"

"Oh, nothing. I told you, it is your choice. I'll take no responsibility if you decide to refuse and leave," Bri answered. "However, if you do accept to enlist, you'll receive ten silvers from me. That'll be enough to provide you for a while. In some cases, it's more than enough. You, on the other hand, came alone. You'll have a harder time than most—that is certain—but it'll be even harder without the benefits of becoming a trainee. It'll be a shame if you die so soon," Bri added.

I furrowed my brows while watching the queer man with calculating eyes. What did he mean by that? I definitely see the benefits of acquiring some currency, but telling me that the extreme of refusing to enlist was to die seemed excessive.

"Is Altana teeming with criminals? Is that why the army needs manpower that much?" I asked, suddenly wide-eyed.

It was the only conclusion I could think of. It didn't seem like that when Hiyomu was leading me into the city, but at the realization of innocent and helpless civilians being oppressed by delinquents lit a fire in my soul. No, it was not just a fire, it was an inferno. It's not right. I have to do something to help.

My inner turmoil was shattered when Bri let out a laugh. "No, no, you got it wrong," he said, waving his hand in front of his face with a chuckle. "Here in the frontier, we humans clash with other races—monsters, if you will, and I assure you that there are plenty of them out there. It is the frontier army's job to kill those monsters and defend our borders. It's not an easy work, to be honest. That's why they have us. The reserve force is different from the army because we operate individually in small numbers of three to six, but we are a part of it."

"What kind of monsters?"

"Oh, no need to be hasty to get to know the fiends, you'll meet one eventually," Bri said good-naturedly. He stood up from his seat, opened a drawer to take out a string pouch and a red coin engraved with a red, crescent moon and laid the objects on top of the counter. "So, would you take the offer? In truth, there are other available jobs in Altana other than being a reservist soldier, but your probability of being employed to one of them is low and the wage you'll get is so miniscule that it'll hardly keep you living. You'll also start of as a slave-boy to your new master."

Slave-boy? Like an errand boy or something? I wouldn't mind being one if all I have to do was household chores. After all, I think I quite liked cooking and cleaning. But the way Bri had said 'slave-boy', I think he was referring to another kind of service. Something I wouldn't have the stomach to do.

Steeling my resolve, I took both the pouch and the red coin. Even without telling me the last part, I've already decided that I wanted to be a volunteer soldier. For some reason, the thought of people constantly being harassed by monsters did not sit well with me. If being a trainee—and later a reservist soldier would help me protect them, then I'd take the opportunity. It seemed just the kind of person I am.

"Very good," Bri praised, his hands clasping on his chest with a pleased smile on his face. If he believed it made him look cute, he was gravely mistaken. But it's not like I would say it out loud on his face. No matter how bizarre and laid back Bri appeared, I knew instinctively that he was dangerous. "That," he said pointing at the red coin on my hand, "is the only proof that you're a trainee, so don't lose it. When you have means to finally purchase your contract for twenty silvers, then you'll become a full-fledged member of the Altana Frontier Army's Reserve Force, Crimson Moon with all related privileges and distinctions."

My eyebrow rose at that. I have to pay twice what he'd given me to become an official member? So that means I still need to find a way to get funds because I wouldn't get a stable salary from him or the organization. What?

"What is it exactly a trainee does?" I asked, feeling like I've been misled.

Bri smirked at me. "You'll just have to figure it out on your own, Shi-chan~"