"How much further?"
"I don't know! Just keep running."
Luno and Mira exchanged words exhaling strong breaths. Right now, we in a forest running away from a huge troll whose intention is to kill us. Thankfully, Maneuvering through the forest was simple because the path we're on is cleared of most obstacles due to the broken trees, wheel tracks and footprints twice my own size.
I, Yusof Harim am also running through the forest carrying a green haired woman on my back.
She was a victim of a troll attack and her cart was dragged along with her into the depths of the forest, causing her to sustain severe injuries. Luckily for her, Luno and Mira arrived just in time to heal her.
"Is it catching up to us?" I asked. I didn't look back and I couldn't detect anything, but I still need to know.
"I can't see it, so it probably isn't."
"Just keep running, we're not done until we're out of the forest."
Mira and Luno who were right behind me replied to my question. I gulped my saliva to moisten my dry throat, I still couldn't see the exit of this forest, our job isn't done just yet.
"HAAAAAAAAARGH"
The trolls' scream echoed throughout the forest. I glanced behind to see how far the troll was from our location - it was catching up on us.
It wobbled as it moved due to the injury I inflicted on both of its legs. The troll clearly has lags in its movement but because we're small and couldn't cover much distance in a short time, even the slow injured movements from the troll was enough to match us.
"We have to slow it down! It's catching up with us!" I said.
"No need, the damage you caused on it made it significantly slower than normally is!" Luno replied as she glanced behind.
"And if it does catch up, leave it to us!" Mira added.
*BREAK*
What was that?
Curious hearing a loud sound of something snapping, I turned my head behind. I saw the troll breaking a large tree close to it and lifting it's broken body horizontally with both of its arms.
Crap!
"HAAAAAARGGH"
The troll roared and tossed the tree towards us. The sounds of leaves rustling became louder and louder as it came closer to its impact destination - us.
"Watch out! Mira! Luno!"
This is bad! Really bad! I can't do anything but evade. My movements are hindered from carrying the woman on my back but I still can - however before I was about to move, I could see both of Mira's arms had blue glowing veins, she held her staff and pointed to the sky.
"WATER FORM : RELEASE -"
The light blue head of Mira's staff glowed an ocean blue and water burst out of it towards the sky. Mira's staff gushed out amazing volumes of water. As of this moment, the volume was as much as a large pond, which made me awe at the sight.
The water crashed at the tree coming at us. However, it was unaffected by the water, still falling towards us at great speed following its trajectory unchanged.
"Gah!"
Mira let out a scream as she released the last of the water from her staff. When all the water released into the air crashed into the tree, Mira's staff glowed an icy blue.
"-FREEZE"
The water starting from the last drop Mira released started to freeze. All the water froze almost instantly, it happened so brief that if I blink I was sure I would miss it. The frozen water brought the momentum of both the tree and the water to a halt, stopping its fall course onto us completely. The massive object which can only be explained as an iceberg fell towards our side.
"Amazing." I said under my breath as I moved my vision towards Mira for a brief moment. She already started following me and Luno running away from the troll.
knowing that the tree is no longer falling towards us we continued our sprint towards the outside of the forest.
The troll continues to pursue us. Often stopping to break more trees to throw, but we managed to evade them from sidestepping and Mira's techniques.
Even with the troll's reduced speed from the injury I inflicted on it and the troll occasionally stopping every once in a while, it was still able to match our speed. We've been running for so long and the distance between us and the troll remains the same.
After a while, I was able to see the piercing light out of the forest.
"Hold on! I can see the end!"
I encouraged them, who were like me, already sweating buckets and breathing heavily from prolonged sprinting.
"HUAAAAAAAAARGH"
The troll screamed and I heard another sound of a tree being tossed. This is the 7th tree.
"Luno!"
I heard Mira's sudden voice and abruptly stopped running to see what happened.
I stopped running forcefully causing my entire body to vibrate. My legs almost twisting from the force. I shook my head to regain myself on the matter at hand. I turned around and focused my eyesight on what happened that made Mira stop.
Luno, who was at the utmost back of us three, turned her body facing the troll. She held her longsword that was slightly bigger than mine with both her hands. She gripped her sword with both her hands and lifted it above her head.. As she did so, brown glowing veins become visible from her arms and hands - this caused dirt and dust to accumulate on her sword, seemingly preparing it for a strike.
The veins became brighter on the end of her arms and her hands as the earth continued to accumulate on her sword.
"Stay back!"
She swung her sword with the accumulated earth downwards, releasing a shockwave consisting of earth towards the sky - or more precisely, towards the tree getting tossed at us.
The shockwave sliced the tree in half.
The dust and dirt that followed the shockwave hit various parts across the rest of the tree. The bits of earth that hit the tree same speed and power as the shockwave nullified the tree's force in a perfect collision.
"Amazing."
I caught myself in awe observing their power again. If I were to ever fight Luno or Mira they would wipe the floor and windows with my face.
I looked towards Luno whose arms were shaking from that attack.
Both of her hands and her sword are still glowing brown.
She lowered her sword and arms towards the ground to rest and gradually regain strength.
Huh?
I caught a glimpse of her veins altering color from brown to light green before quickly turning brown again and disappearing.
It was too subtle, so I disregarded it thinking it's probably a hallucination. Well, I don't know how Magic Flow works. I'll assume that the veins that appeared on Luno and Mira's arms, which is the Magic Flow, could freely change color.
"Let's go." Mira said to a panting Luno and me who stood in front of them.
"You both.. go ahead. I'll hold it off." Luno replied saying something surprising. I widened my eyes and tried to stop her.
"Luno yo-"
"Huh? What are you saying?"
But before I could say even two words, Mira spoke in an angry tone that completely invalidated my voice. I couldn't see her expressions clearly but I can tell that she was distressed at hearing what Luno said.
"The troll... clearly won't stop chasing us.. if it follows us until the cart.. who knows what would happen.. we'd just be putting Aner and this woman's husband in danger." Luno replied calmly as she recovered herself from the attack earlier
She re-entered her battle stance, with her sword held horizontally at a height a little above her head - showing that she isn't backing down from the decision she made.
"Well you can't just stay here!"
"Someone has to hold it off.. and it's best if it's me."
Mira's increasing anger towards Luno isn't fazing her at all, instead she insists on staying behind. Mira continued to berate her.
"No! I won't let you do it alone! It's too dangerous!"
"Mira, you need to help Yusof if there is anything ahead. I can hold against it myself."
I gritted my teeth in that statement. I don't want to be protected like a damsel but she is right.
If I were to encounter any enemies like this alone on my way, I'd die because of my inability to fight. Moreover, with me carrying a woman on my back, it will bring me to a larger disadvantage than I already am to begin with.
However Mira still berates Luno trying to convince her to come along.
"No, You can't! Look at yourself! You used too much mana from that attack earlier!"
"I'm fine Mira, I can still fight it, don't worry, I don't have the slightest intention of letting it get to you."
"No! You ca-"
"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH"
The troll roared. It came into our sight, running at a great speed. Although it ran wobbling from the injuries from its legs, the troll was covering the distance between us.
We stopped running since Luno sliced the tree tossed at us in half, and now Mira is still rebuking Luno. Giving the troll enough time to catch up to us.
"Go! Mira! Yusof!"
"Let's go Mira! We don't have much time!"
Luno and Me, who knew what is the most important thing right now, tried to convince Mira to escape while Luno held the troll off herself.
"Hng.. You better not die! Promise!"
"Come back safely, Luno. We're all waiting for you."
Mira said in her shaking voice while I calmly spoke to Luno. Mira, though reluctant, followed me ahead to leave Luno. I turned my body to the front to begin running.
Huh?
I caught a glimpse of something passing by. It immediately disappeared as I spotted it but I could tell that something was wearing a brown hood.
"Yusof! What are you standing around for! Let's go!" Mira scolded me for standing around.
"Y-yes!" I replied, stuttering a little as I began to move my legs, leaving Luno.
"HAAAAAAARGGH"
The troll roared, but I didn't let it faze me. Me and Mira both ran ahead, towards the light at the end of the forest that grows brighter every step we take.
However, that short glimpse of that something occupied my mind for the entirety of our escape.
It looked strangely familiar.
________
I stood there as Mira and Yusof ran away.
I focused my Magic in both my arms and gripped my longsword. I locked my eyes on the troll who approached with leaping steps.
-You better not die! Promise!
Those few words made all the worries in my heart go away.
A promise. A beautiful word.
A wonderful promise that drove me forward in this unfair and miserable world.
-We'll work hard, we'll get paid and we'll build a good place for us.
I will do anything to fulfill that promise.
I will do it with my own power. I will fulfill it with nothing but myself.
Though given trouble by people all the time.
-Fucking Scums, monopolizing everything! Can't have anything with people like you!
-What if you get hurt? What do I care? Just use your magic and fix it or something.
Those excuses for human beings can just die. They all can just go to hell.
- Don't worry, it will all be okay.
I gritted my teeth remembering the voice of that person. It was so long ago, but the experience still ached my heart.
-Forcing young girls to do YOUR work?! You're the lowest of the low.
The person who took care of me where I would've died, wronged by the same people who manipulated us. Hypocrites, all of them.
I couldn't do anything back then.
But now I can kill them all if I wanted to.
And I will.
I will.....
-Come back safely, Luno. We're all waiting for you.
Another voice rang inside my head. Purging all dark thoughts that followed.
Another person, who I also thought was a monster.
It all started with me just being kind. I tried to help him, with the end goal for him to go on his own one day. Leaving us to us.
But then.
He stood up to the sleazy man, the party with the fat leader, and was even stupid enough to talk back to the head of the Union.
I smiled to myself. My heart softened.
When was the last time someone did that for people like 'us'?
It seems not all of them are monsters.
Some of them... Are good people.
"HAAAAARGH!"
The troll closed the distance step by step. With each step closer, the ground trembled and our size difference became more and more clear.
I lifted the sword above my head and the Magic Energy flowed into the sword for an attack.
I'll kill you, so you won't follow us anymore.
After all, our promised future still has a long way to go.
________
"We're almost there Mira!"
I, Yusof Harim, said to Mira, who was running right behind me. My body is drenched with sweat from the prolonged running and my legs felt like they would give out at any time.
But I kept pushing forward because I know we are getting closer.
The end of the forest was close. It's piercing light made me barely fail to grasp it.
The light only grows brighter with each step we take forward.
Until.
"We made it!"
The roads, we exited through the path we came from, where the broken trees and the wheel tracks started.
The sky is barely shining, clouds cover most of the sunlight leaving only enough for vision from the sky.
"haaargh."
The roars of the troll lost most of it's volume because it's locked in the location deep in the forest. Luno is defending against it by herself.
The troll was persistent, it followed us until the near end of the forest. Luno stayed back because she didn't want to risk the troll following us until the cart, which would make defense and escape even harder.
"Let's go! Quick!"
Mira ordered me as she ran to our right, leaving me behind.
"Wait up!"
I fixed my position carrying the woman and started to move. But the fatigue is catching up to me causing my legs to shake. Even taking even a single step is difficult.
Mira turned around and made an angry expression.
"Stop messing around! We've got to go help Luno!"
I tried to move but nearly fell over again.
"I can't-"
"I don't want to hear it! Let's go!"
She didn't let me speak, her face got even more annoyed at my excuses.
Sweat dropped down my cheeks. I gritted my teeth in frustration and unconsciously screamed back at Mira.
"You're not the one carrying an unconscious person behind your back! Let me rest for a moment!"
"The longer we stay here the more Luno is in danger! Make yourself useful for once!"
She rebuked me for my attitude that I'd say is justifiable.
No.
I hate myself for thinking that.
Luno is in danger from defending against that troll and I'm here dying from my weakness thinking I'm more important?
I gritted my teeth at the thought and forced myself to step forward again, my legs shaking and my spine hurting. I couldn't. The weight of the woman and my current condition made it near impossible for me to move.
"I'm sorry... I can't"
I'm defeated by my fatigue.
I'm too weak.
I can't accomplish anything at this rate.
Mira has been seeing this pathetic side of me since we left the forest. She scratched her hair in frustration
"Gah! Fine!"
"I'm sorry.." I spoke in an apologetic tone. She replied in an apologetic tone as well.
"No.. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have lashed out like that."
"Your concerns are in the right place. I'm just too weak."
There was a silence between. I took this time to rest but the accumulated fatigue from sprinting that long was too much.
After a while, Mira sighed as she placed her left hand inside her robe.
"Well... I never thought I'd have to use this now."
Her words intrigued me, making me want to know what she had under there. I stared at Mira's hand movements, she had her entire forearm into her robe.
"Aha!"
She fished out a vial with some sort of yellow sparkling liquid inside it. The vial had some sort of paper label, which Mira observed before handing the vial over to me.
"Here, drink this. I made this myself."
I extended my hand to receive the vial. I turned the vial around to read the label.
'Enerji'
What joke is this?
I cringed as I read the label that misspelled 'Energy' as 'Enerji'. I lifted my face to see Mira who is clearly proud of her creation, puffing up her chest while placing her hands on her waists.
I made a confused face trying my best to hide the disgust and asked.
"What is this?"
"It's a little bit of the results I got last night. An Energy Potion!"
What results? Last night? So this is what you're doing. You skipped sleep making this and then spelled it wrong?
Upon further examination, this vial looked extremely suspicious. She's asking me to drink this? I may hate myself sometimes but I still want to stay alive.
"Don't worry, you won't die. I already tested it."
She took the words right out of my mouth.
But I need to learn more about this is a dangerous hobby of hers.
"On who?"
"Oh? On a grasshopper that was on my window."
"What happened to it?"
"I think.. ah I remember! It jumped around like crazy, like it became hyperactive."
"That's great!"
So it really does give energy! This is a life saver!
"Then it died."
"...."
Nevermind.
"Probably from a heart attack, I don't really know. I haven't gotten much into testing it, ehehe."
She said nonchalantly with a cheeky laugh. Does Mikra know his daughter is becoming a mad scientist? Testing her suspicious concoctions on living things, next thing we know she's transmuting monsters.
"Now hurry up! We don't have much time." Mira said, turning her body towards the direction of the cart and started moving.
"Why don't you drink it first?"
She stopped moving as she heard that and looked at me with an energetic expression.
"Eh? I'm not tired."
She tried to act like she isn't. Which is futile.
"Liar."
"W-what? No I'm not."
"You're sweating just as much as I am. I saw the clothes under your robe drenched in sweat."
I said that with a proud face, thinking I can corner her to drink the concoction. Then instead of making a face of defeat or a shocked face, she looked at me like I'm some kind of lowlife.
"You're peeking at what's under my robe? ...Pervert...."
"Don't go misunderstanding things!"
Where did that come from! I was definitely not!
"Ehem! Anyway-"
I coughed as I tried to evade this topic. It's not important right now and I'm not getting myself into more of this.
"-Lets drink it together, that way it's fair if we both suffer."
"Hng.. sure whatever! We have to save Luno quick!."
She reluctantly agreed. She fished out another vial similar to the one she gave me and opened its lid - I did the same.
I adjusted the woman's position on my back to make it easier for me to consume the drink. However she released a soft breath in my ear again.
I'm starting to think she isn't unconscious at all.
But I ignored it so I wouldn't cause any possible misunderstandings.
We both held the opened vials in front of our mouths. None of us daring to take the first sip
I knew this was too suspicious.
I sighed and straightened my face. I glared at Mira as I opened my mouth to speak.
"In the count of three-"
She nodded and gulped down her saliva.
"One."
The more I stared at the potion the more afraid I became. I closed my eyes so I won't have to.
"Two"
I hesitated, but I have no choice if I want to go back and help Luno.
"Three."
As soon as I said three, Mira and me simultaneously gulped down the concoction inside the vial.
Please don't die - Me.
At first, I didn't feel anything.
Did it not work?
After a few seconds.
Oh...
OOOOOOOOOH
The accumulated fatigue melted away in an instant. My legs that were shaking immediately became strong and my body temperature lowered, no longer causing me to sweat.
I opened my eyes and saw that the effects also applied to Mira. She is looking way more energetic than she was before and now we're set.
"I feel amazing! It was a success!"
She jumped up in glee knowing that her suspicious concoction actually worked. The joy from that childish smile reminded me that she is still 13 years old.
Mira rarely showed any of this side of her since we met.
It puts a smile on my face.
She celebrated her success then suddenly her voice and expression became sullen.
"Yeah.. it worked now.. only now.. I did it.. If only.."
"Mira?"
"Ah.. Y-Yusof.. uh.. sorry about that. Forget that it happened. Let's go!"
I called her name and she snapped out of it, immediately dropping what she was doing and proceeded to move on. I looked at her as she walked ahead.
"Hurry! Luno is waiting!"
That sudden change in behavior is concerning.
____________
We ran towards the cart to see Aner, Luno's boar, still sleeping. The man who must've heard us running towards his direction stuck out his head from the cart, he had recovered a bit since I placed him there.
"Oh! Shenre! She's safe! Thank you! Thank you!"
He became overjoyed as he saw his wife, which is the woman I carried on my back, arriving safely.
"Ahh!"
He tried to stand up to get her but only resulted in him falling over again.
"Sir! Don't move yet!"
"Ah.. Hahaha. Sorry.."
"It's okay. Can you make space? We have to place her on the cart."
"Ah.. yes, yes.
He moved to the side as I walked towards the back of the cart to place the woman whose name is Shenre, on the cart.
However, just as I was about to climb on the cart.
"Thank you. That's enough." A mature woman's voice is heard.
"Shenre?"
"Miss?"
"Uh... Miss?"
The man, Mira and me spoke in confusion as we heard her voice.
Me in particular, her seductive voice pierced through my eardrums, awakening something that I didn't know existed inside me. I let out a breath of relief after confirming that I'm still a normal healthy man and at the same time troubled knowing what happened.
"Can you let me down, sweetie?"
"Ah.. Y-yes."
She spoke into my ears, once again causing my eardrums to go to heaven. I obliged to her request and crouched down until her legs touched the ground.
"Thank you." She let out a laugh as she thanked me. All I did to reply was give a light nod. She stood up and climbed on the cart herself. She saw her husbands near unbelievable wounds covering his whole arm. "Oh! Dariyes, you're injured. You used too much of your powers right? You must take care of yourself. You know you have a weak body right? you used your powers without your gloves right? I told you, you can't."
"I'm sorry.. I forgot them at home, a-and I-I wanted to save you."
She held his arm and caressed it. Her husband, whose face looking like he is about to cry, rested his head on her shoulder.
"Shenre.. I'm so glad you're safe."
"It's okay, I'm safe now. These brave kids saved me. You tried to help me. They... helped me." She replied with a smile as she patted the head of her husband, but I can't help but feel like her the last sentence she spoke sounded a bit sad.
"You're right.. huh? Where's the other young woman?"
The man turned from being clingy to somewhat looking like responsible adult worrying where Luno is. To which Shenre replied to him.
"She is holding back the troll that chased after us. That's why we mustn't talk more, they must go and save her."
"Yes! We can't waste time! We have to save Luno!"
Mira interjected in a strong voice. She was being patient, but now she can finally rush back to aid Luno. However, the man whose name was Dariyes stopped us.
"No. Wait."
"What it is now!?"
"Sorry.. but I wanted to tell you that when you were all in the forest, something happened."
Dariyes' face became serious as he spoke.
"There was a hooded man that asked me where you are all."
A hooded man.
That sentence made me shake. I caught a glimpse of a hooded man just when we left Luno.
"Hooded man?"
Mira was confused, it seems the word hooded man doesn't really ring a bell to her.
But it did to me.
I have to confirm one more thing.
"Anything else you remember about him besides that?"
"Uh.. He was wearing blue clothes and.. oh! He had silver hair! I saw it under his hood."
Blue clothes.
Silver hair.
So it really is him.
Jeyson Arostarea.
What is he doing here?
"So what did you tell him?"
I looked at him with a straight face and asked, and he replied making a guilty expression.
"He almost hit me. I panicked so I told you where you all were, I'm sorry."
"Don't be, as long as you're safe."
"Thank you."
His wife gave him another head pat.
Lucky bastard.
After she finished comforting her husband, Shenre looked at me and Mira with a serious face. Her expression alone caused the normal atmosphere to change grave.
"You both must be careful. I have a feeling that this hooded man might pose a threat to you."
She warned us in a dire tone.
I really want to say Jeyson isn't. Mikra trusts him, that's enough reason for me to say he won't hurt us. But I don't know him well enough to say he isn't a threat, especially with how he was around me last night.
"Are you done! Let's go!"
Mira, who had gotten impatient, screamed at me. She already ran off herself.
"We'll be careful. Thank you." I thanked Shenre to which she replied with a nod and a smile.
I started to run in a hurry to catch up to Mira.
"Mira! Wait up!"
She didn't reply nor listen to me and continued sprinting.
•
I'm sorry
I broke my promise, Mikra.
I couldn't stop them from doing all these dangerous things.
But I promise you now.
I'll get them both back safely.
•