Chapter 6: Ch6 - Monster!
Zirakus quickly adjusted to the surprise attack. He didn’t know how many attackers were here, and he couldn’t risk his life to bring his dead friends body away.
There was only one way out for him: he sprinted, dashing through the forest, weaving between trees, stepping over broken branches and casting spells as he went. But sadly, the earth armour he casted on himself made him much slower.
"Murus!"
A 4-meter-tall, earth wall rose behind him. Milliseconds later an earth dart slammed into the wall.
He kept running.
"Sephera!" He shouted, sending a ball of hardened rock at the assailant who had just passed the wall.
He kept running.
But the assailant was still pursuing, he could hear its footsteps, they were light, agile.
"Sephera" Zirakus cried out, summoning another ball of hardened rock at the creature.
The ball flew way past the creature, into a tree.
A tree that held a clueless human.
Ryan clung to the shaking branches of his tree, heart pounding in his chest as the force of the impact threatened to dislodge him. Splinters of wood flew in all directions, and Ryan ducked, narrowly avoiding being hit.
As the chaos subsided, Ryan peered cautiously over the edge of the branch, trying to make sense of what had just happened. Below, he saw Zirakus, the elf mage, running frantically through the forest, casting spells in every direction.
"What’s going on?" Ryan muttered to himself, bewildered by the sudden turn of events.
There was a figure chasing the elf. A hooded person, much shorter in height to the elf.
The hooded figure cast a spell. Ryan didn’t catch the word he said, but he witnessed what the spell did.
A massive explosion of earth erupted beneath the elf, shattering the earth barrier and turning him into a broken mess.
"Holy shit, that guy... he’s dead," Ryan spluttered out.
The hooded figure turned, staring towards Ryan’s tree.
Instantaneously, Ryan tried to hide behind the trunk and branches of the tree.
"I know you are there... why are you hiding?" Said a gruff voice.
How can I understand him? Does he speak English? Maybe this is part of the powers given to me by the Spirit? Who cares Ryan! a man just died infront of me and im next...
Ryan, realising he was caught, climbed down the tree.
"Don’t kill me, I can dance if you want! I can do other things too!"
Now that the hooded man was closer, Ryan could make out his features. He had black hair, hazelnut eyes, a crooked nose, and a scar plastered across his right cheek.
The hooded man, now very confused, asked: "Why would I kill you?"
Ryan turned, his eyes locked onto the mess and the elf with a hole in his head. A bloody smell of death now emanated from them.
The hooded figure followed his gaze. "Them? They are elves, they were going to enslave you.... Were you their slave?" Now the hooded figure was looking at his costume, confused.
Should I tell him that I’m a hero?
"No, I only just came to this world!" Said Ryan.
"Are you cra-You-You’re a hero?"
"Ye-s?" Ryan said, worried.
"We have a hero?" A smile crept up the hooded figure’s face.
"Follow me, we need to go to the HQ!" continued the man.
HQ? Wheres the HQ?" Asked Ryan.
"The HQ is the headquarters of our rebel group, it’s not far away, I’ll explain everything about this world while we go, but firstly, call me Toris."
"Ryan," replied Ryan, extending his hand.
Toris nodded, seeming to accept Ryan’s handshake gesture, though he did not shake his hand, puzzled by the custom.
"Come with me, Ryan," Toris said, gesturing for Ryan to follow him deeper into the forest.
Ryan hesitated for a moment, glancing back at the broken remains of the elf and the ground where the explosion had occurred. He felt a shiver of unease run down his spine, prickling the hairs on the back of his neck.
With a deep breath, Ryan tore his gaze away from the scene and focused on Toris. "Lead the way," he said, his voice steady despite the lingering unease.
As they walked, Toris explained the situation in more detail. Mostly focusing on the constantly souring relationship between the humans and other races.
"Why oppress us and try to enslave you? You are probably asking yourself, it’s because we humans are neither physically strong, nor magically proficient. Those elves you saw are magically proficient, one of them was just a single magic tier lower than the me, even though they are about half my age. They think they are better than us."
Toris described how humans in this country, were once free but now enslaved or driven into hiding, forced to eke out a meagre existence in the shadows.
"But some of us who managed to evade capture have attempted to fight back, though our efforts have had little effect... It has been around 30 years since all the other races suddenly decided that we were "inferior" after living with and around us for so long."
"However, there are some human kingdoms where, of course, humans aren’t enslaved," Continued Toris.
Ryan listened intently, his mind racing with questions. He wanted to know more about this world, about its history, and its people. He wanted to understand his role in all of this, as a newcomer thrust into a conflict that seemed irredeemable.
As they walked, Toris led Ryan through the dense forest, navigating with ease despite the tangled undergrowth and looming trees. Ryan did his best to keep up, his eyes darting nervously from side to side as he scanned the surroundings for any sign of danger.
After what felt like hours of walking, they finally arrived at their destination: a towering cliff face part of a large hill.
"Why have you stopped?" Asked Ryan.
"Mors omnibus oppressoribus nostris" said Toris, moving his hand in a circular motion.
A section of the cliff side disappeared, it was an illusion, revealing a large double door, 12 feet tall and 6 feet wide.