Three days before Diego and Momon's confrontation, a little girl, barely age ten was sitting on a cart alongside her father.
They had just returned from the farm and were transporting some farm produce and their farming equipment.
The girl was clad in dingy rags resembling old children's pajamas. While the lower hems were heavy and saturated with fresh mud, the fabric covering her chest bore only the crusty, lingering stains of dirt long-since dried.
The girl was inside the wooden cart tending to the things they brought from the farm while her father was seating on the horse, he was steering the horse in the right direction while also keeping his eyes on the road.
He wore a dirt-stained blue shirt, a knicker that resembled beach shorts, a muddy white hat that looked like a small animal, possibly a rat, heavily gnawed the brim, he wore brown boots and he handed a pair of brown shoes to his daughter.
There was a drawing of white flowers on the knicker, surprisingly the knicker was the only piece of clothing that looked neat on his body. The father and daughter also had distinctly long, pointy ears; they were elves.
As they rode the cart at sunset, something unexpected happened. A skeleton was lying on the road, so the father halted the cart and proceeded to inspect the corpse.
However, before he could move closer to the corpse, the corpse stood up from the ground to face him, saying:
[Instruct your Queen to surrender those she calls 'Light of God'. Let three days pass, and we shall dye her throne-room red with the blood of her subjects.]
The man looked confused, because he couldn't hear what the skeleton was saying since he just sounded like bones scraping on bones, so Diego came forward from the shadows and repeated what the skeleton had said.
The man now had an horrified expression on his face when he heard the message. He remained quiet for a while, looking around at the once empty road that was now filled with skeletons, he watched his cart and saw one of the skeleton's placing a hand on the shoulder of his shivering daughter.
The man complied and the skeletons retreated into the shadows as if they had never existed, the man returned to cart, he urged his daughter to ride with him on the horse to which his daughter complied.
Immediately the man got to the village he dropped his cart at the side of the road, and immediately grabbed his daughter's hand firmly as they sprinted to the palace of the queen.
After hearing their statement, the queen offered a reassuring smile and urged them to believe that all would be alright, seeing the queen smile made the man and his daughter somewhat relieved as they left the palace.
However immediately they left the palace, the queen beaming smile had been changed to a frown, she had a grim expression as she ordered a meeting with the "Lights of God".
***
Momon remembered receiving the queen's summons . He felt it was strange she summoned him to her palace because, ever since she had given him the title 'Light of God,' he had been living a life no different from the famous aristocrats he knew.
He had his own home, jewelry, other ornaments, and precious clothing materials; best of all, people respected him.
Momon entered the palace feeling a weight of insecurity, haunted by the fear that the Queen intended to strip him of his title.
However, upon seeing the other Lights of God gathered there, his worries shifted. He realized the only reason for such a gathering was an imminent danger; immediately, his face hardened into a mask of gravity, chasing his doubts away.
The meeting ended shortly after Momon arrived with him being giving the hardest responsibility of all: he was chosen to kill the soul beings that was going attack the village.
Momon protested, asking why he was the only one chosen for the task. The Queen and the other Lights of God replied that his ability was best suited for the grave peril they faced.
Furthermore, the soul beings attacking this time were not as numerous as those they had faced in the past; and lastly, he was the second most skilled after Hope.
Although they all gave valid points, Momon couldn't shake the feeling that they were just looking for someone to sacrifice to the soul beings.
Momon resolved not to be a sacrifice to the soul beings as he prepared for the upcoming battle. The two days before his confrontation passed in a blur; however, when the time came, he walked straight to the forest. He hoped to engage them there, as his ability was best suited for the rich soil of the forest floor.
Momon felt feelings of nostalgia when he met the apprentice soul vampire along with a few skeletons at the forest, however he still gave a short prayer to the Goddess of Life before he attacked.
Momon wore a dark grey assassin's suit, featuring blackened copper plates meticulously inlaid along his forearms and hands. These plates were expertly strung over a leather base, a motif that extended to his custom-fitted boots and utility belt.
For vital protection, hardened metal plates reinforced his chest, back, and torso, while a simple leather hood served both to mask his identity and dampen environmental noise.
To maintain agility, his joints were layered with silver mesh; though not intended to stop a blade, the weave allowed for fluid movement while providing just enough support to minimize fractures during combat.
Lastly, Momon was equipped with a glossy black scimitar, it had a raven black handle and a sharp shining tip. He looked prepared and expressionless as he moved casually, maintaining a battle stance against the dark figure of Diego.
***
Diego's wistful expression deepened as the dark figure approached. Despite the murderous intent simmering beneath his gaze, he allowed himself a moment of appreciation for the attire. "That style," he murmured, his voice laced with cold respect, "almost makes me hate what I have to do."