Bal stood still, seeing the human holding a lantern ran, along with the flying metallic being. His instinct told him to do the same, to fled with those being, to save his life. To survive was every being's first choice, but not Bal. His urge to protect weaker being has overridden his primitive instinct. And after him was a sea of small spirits. Most of them fled when they first see the monster coming out from the lake. But they weren't fast enough compared to the monster speed. And some stood there, doing nothing. It seems that they are gazing in something inevitable. To be eaten by larger being. And so will Bal be, if he doesn't run before it is too late.

That thought keeps circling in Bal's mind, rewinding like such thing is going to happen. His instinct urges him to run, or the result will similar to those remaining in the Horned Guard's mouth. Bal's hand started to be shaken without control. The outcome of him staying is too large for any being to bear. 

Looking at both of his hand, Bal can see how it changes, how he had changed. Image of how he used to start to rewind in his head. Before he changed, he was weak and vulnerable. Fear was his only emotions. He used to be similar to those little spirits that are fleeing, looking for cover. But that incident changed him. But it came with a price. How many of his kin had died instead of him? How many bloods had spilled in order to make that sacrifice? 

Bal didn't know what is the answer to those question, but he knew what he had to do. Fear of being eaten was gone, replaced by something else, something abstract. It is maybe futile to hope to defeat such monster, but maybe Bal could buy enough time for those small spirits to run. So Bal ran toward the monster, leaving behind a word in his position. The word was unrecognizable, but Bal knew what it meant. It meant "duty."

[@Holy Soldier]