The old people were lined up in an orderly fashion. Those who could no longer walk were imprisoned in a cell that was carried by a wagon. They all appeared worn out, with shabby clothing that was already comparable to rags. There was also a foul stench coming from them, as if they hadn't bathed in years.
"Come walk!" An angry bulky man screamed which frightened the old people even more. But it was not only the bulky man that surrounded the old people, plenty of the same bulky man wearing the same type of silver armour were surrounding them. They all carry different kinds of weapons.
"Ah damn. Why of all things we have to deal with these kind of slaves, not only are they slow..." One of the men lashed out the whip he was holding on the ground, which sent fear to those old people who were near the impact of the whip.
"Calm yourself down. The buyer this time is rather a peculiar person. Requesting old people instead of the young ones." Another one of the guards said.
*Boogsh!*
One of the old men who was walking, couldn't afford moving anymore. He dropped on the ground with heavy panting.
"Tch. Another one again." The guard, who had a whip, gestured to his other subordinates. "Bring him to the cell!"
Two of the guards adhered to his words, and grabbed the poor old man roughly in his arms. They opened the cell of the carriage and shoved the old man inside.
"Hah. If this keeps going on, even if I can see the city fortress already, it will take us until the end of the day, before we can reach it."
All of the sudden, the ground started rumbling. Sending panic to everyone in the place. Behind them, a smoke was visibly coming. One of the guards, who maintained his composure, eyes widened when he caught sight of what was coming to them.
Beasts. Beasts of different sizes were running towards them.
"What in the world?!" All the guards also caught sight of what was coming towards them. If it was just a single beast or two or three, they could easily defend themselves. However, this was a complete stampede. And it won't take for a single person to realize that if they got caught in it, they would be crushed to their deaths.
Out of fear, the guards ran for their lives, leaving the captive old people, who could only tremble at the incoming doom awaiting them.
Some fell on their knees with their metal chains that were hung in their necks and chained in their ankles, creating cold sinister sounds. Some stared blankly, already accepting the fact that they would die. It was not like they had a long time to live either. So it didn't matter to them now.
1 km of impact, they all resided on their fate while the others cried silently.
{Wind!}
It all had happened in a quick of an eye. They heard a strong voice of someone, echoed through the whole place. They covered their faces with their arms, as a strong wind surrounded them.
The beasts continued to run on rampage, but they completely evaded the wind that was surrounding the old people. The stampede was divided into two groups in an instant. As the old people looked up, they saw someone hovering in the air.
'Are we saved?'
'I am still alive.'
The elderly people looked at the person in the sky. Whoever that individual was, they knew too well that their lives depended on him or her now.
But that individual was no other than Ether. She looked at the beasts that were continuously running in one direction.
Then back at the Town of Rhoda that she was intending to visit. "If they fall into the ditch of the fortress, it would all stop them from going to the town. But they are not the real problem."
Ether dropped to the ground where the elderly people gathered. It doesn't take for her to realize what these people were, seeing the metallic collars and chains that were binding them.
'They are even making slaves of elderly people. But seeing that it was just one group of the same age, there is a possibility that they had already sold out. And their buyer,' her gaze went to the fortress that was still a distance from them. 'Just how corrupt this land that I am going to foresee has become?'
"Who-who are you?" One of the brave old women stood up in front of her other comrades. Her long white hair was dishevelled and aside from her already ragged dress, there were wounds in her arms and blisters on her feet. However it seemed she still had enough strength to continue moving. Or probably she was one of the strongest elderly people in the group, seeing how she stood in her place, looking with wariness at Ether.
"I will bring you myself to the ones who bought you."
A flashed of anger flashed through the old woman's eyes. But aside from that she couldn't really do anything with their condition right now. And if this new and unknown individual was the one who created the wind surrounding them, she was a mage. A strong person that they couldn't hope to defeat nor escape. It was even a miracle that they survived the stampede.
However, was it really different from the life that was awaiting in them to the one who bought them?
The ground continued to shake. The old woman didn't say anything, and Ether didn't either say any words to follow up. But she flicked her hands, and light green particles rained down towards the elderly. Their eyes widened, when the pain they were feeling all over their body started to dissipate. The pain on their wounds and blisters they had, also vanished. Though the marks of those wounds and blisters remained.
Only the pain they were feeling was completely gone. They looked at Ether in disbelief.
However Ether didn't show a single expression as she flew again in the sky. 'The cause of the stampede...'
A giant crimson plant was approaching their direction. It was crawling rapidly with its vines and roots that were emerging in and out in the rocky fields. From its size, it was the size of half of the town of Rhoda already.
'A man-eating flower, corpse flower or the cursed flower in my previous world. I didn't know that I would see another kind of flower in this world.' A grin formed in her lips.
"Ruth, I wonder if this if everything that is happening right now is a coincidence, or something, you have a plan for me." She raised her right hand in the air, and a small ball of black flames started to emerge. It grew bigger and bigger.
"But it's not like I hated this either." Her grin grew wider. "At least this will keep me entertain for some time. Even if this land are filled with misfortune," with a strong joust, she tossed the ball of dark flames to the huge man-eating flower. "With the great me, I can just rebuild this place with my own hands and make it the most prosperous land this world has ever seen!"
*Boom!* A loud explosion echoed through the land. It was followed by the sinister and eccentric laughter of Ether.