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Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.
( Exodus 20 : 17 )
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The Arzen Empire, which was ruled by mages and knights, was once a peaceful realm. However, this peace was hard-won by Reagan Hall, the Archwizard, and Ryker Flameheart, the Swordmaster.
Before their rebellion, the empire was plagued by the pain, suffering, and cries of its people. They endured the tyranny of an emperor who had succumbed to the temptations of hellish devils. In pursuit of his desires, he sacrificed the lives of his citizens, summoning great demons from the depths of hell to unleash upon his enemies.
Chaos engulfed the empire as the demons ravaged the mortal plane without discrimination, hunting and corrupting elves, orcs, dwarves, and other mythical beings. The corrupt claimed numerous lives, staining the land red with blood and causing rivers of crimson to flow through the empire.
Amidst these troubling times, heroes arose to protect the people from despair. They fought valiantly against the demons and the corrupted, uniting forces to push back the onslaught of evil. Their strength became a beacon in the battle against darkness.
Many individuals supported and joined them on their journey to vanquish this evil. All races that inhabited the mortal plane united their forces and marched towards the heart of the chaos. After a hard-fought battle, they managed to vanquish the devil by destroying its vessel.
The allied races then went their separate ways, leaving the humans to handle their own problems as their own races were also on the brink of extinction. The elves retreated into the forests, the dwarves settled in the mountains, the orcs relocated to the wildlands, and other beings returned to their lands, only occasionally appearing.
The heroes from the human faction diligently worked to rebuild the empire. However, instead of reinstating a hierarchy, they decided to form a council to govern the empire. Nonetheless, the council became divided between the wizards and the knights. Even the families that had fought side by side created factions that controlled lands surrounding them.
Time flowed, and twenty years passed. Eventually, peace returned to the empire, but the darkness that lurked beneath the surface still remained. The followers of the devil continued to linger in the shadows, awaiting an opportune moment to strike.
...
Ze managed to find the rough direction to Hula's village using the ten questions and answers. From the details he obtained, he deduced that the village was located on a plain between the mountains. By using the time it took for Hula to reach the lava pit, Ze calculated its distance.
Ze was dragging the horned bear behind him. He didn't forget to bring his rock; it was tied to the bear using a rope made from monster fiber.
They needed to reach the outer circle of the mountain range to get to the village. Ze had no problem walking for miles.
Hula sat on the dead-horned bear and navigated using his instinct. He indicated if the land felt familiar, feeling carefree as he traveled with Ze.
"Hula, why were you in the mountains?" Ze asked. He had forgotten to ask why Hula ended up in the mountains while trying to find the human settlement.
"To hunt animals," Hula answered.
"To hunt? You seem young to hunt on your own," Ze asked.
"I used to hunt with my father; he taught me how to hunt animals," Hula replied gloomily.
"But why did you come to hu-" Ze stopped, pausing mid-sentence.
Ze's eyes focused on the distance. Hula looked at the silent Ze, stood up, and followed his gaze. He could see his village in the distance. Hula's face brightened at the thought of returning home.
"Hula, hold on tight," Ze said before starting to sprint at full speed.
Hula, who was not prepared, fell back, but he managed to grab the bear's fur. Ze sprinted like a madman toward the village, smashing through obstacles like a bulldozer.
Ze reached the plains within minutes, getting a better view of the village. It was protected by walls made of wooden spikes, with two guards at the exit. Security seemed lacking, probably due to the mountain walls.
Ze ran toward the village at full speed, leaving a trail of dust as he dragged the bear. Hula swung like a kite in the wind.
The guard at the gate noticed the dust cloud and became alert as they saw something running toward them. One of the guards took out his bow. They didn't feel threatened, as they were among the strongest individuals in the village.
The guard drew his bow and aimed at the running target, releasing the arrow.
Ze saw the guard drawing his bow but didn't want to stop. The guard released the arrow, cutting through the air. It was aimed at Ze's legs.
Noticing where the arrow was aimed, he moved slightly to the side, avoiding the arrow.
The guard who saw the arrow missed drew another one. Ze took a deep breath, and his stomach bloated.
"STOP," Ze roared.
His roar shook the air as it traveled, louder than a lion's roar, echoing off the mountains. The guard's bodies froze in place as the roar shook them, an instinctive fear overwhelming them.
While the guards were dazed, Ze closed the distance between them. He stopped before the guards, his fur-covered body becoming visible to them. Hula, who had a roller coaster ride as Ze ran, tumbled forward toward the guards. He managed to steady himself and looked at them.
"Hello, Uncle Ben, Uncle David," Hula greeted.
The guards, still in a daze, snapped out of it upon hearing Hula's greeting. They looked down and noticed Hula standing in front of them, their eyes widening.
The guards gripped their spears and pointed them at both of them.
"Who are you?" Guard Ben asked.
"It's me, Hula," Hula replied. He was taken aback by the guards' behaviour; he didn't understand why they would act like this. He had known them since he was young.
But Ze understood their caution. They were on guard, thinking that they might be mimic monsters. Mimics mimic a person they killed to fool their opponents, and with Ze's appearance resembling a monster, it added to their suspicion.
Ze moved his hand and removed the fur that was covering his face.
"We are not monsters," Ze said.
The guards' eyes widened. They looked at each other and nodded. Guard Ben reached into his pouch, took out something like salt, and threw it on both Ze and Hula.
"If you are a monster, your skin will burn," Guard Ben explained.
"What are we, some evil spirits?" Ze joked.
"Ugh," Hula coughed as some of it got in his mouth.
The guards waited for a few seconds.
"Okay, both of you are not monsters," the guard confirmed.
"No sh*t, Sherlock," Ze said.
"Sorry, we were just checking. Normal monsters would just attack, thinking they wouldn't be discovered," Guard David explained.
"It's okay, Uncle David," Hula said in relief.
"But Hula, where did you go? Your mother was worried. The hunting team departed this morning to search for you," Guard Ben said.
"But we didn't meet anyone on our way here."
"Who is this you brought?" Guard David questioned.
"Oh, this is Brother Zeru. He found me when I was lost and brought me to the village," Hula explained.
The guards looked at young Zeru, and Ze simply nodded in reply. The guards also noticed the horned bear behind Ze.
"What were yo-"
"What happened?"
Guard David got cut off by a man who was running towards the gates with a weapon in his hand, and many were following him. The guards had a complicated expression as they looked at them.
"I am sorry," Ze apologized.
The villagers should have become alert due to Ze's roar. They were coming prepared for a battle. Guard Ben stepped forward and stopped the charging crowd.
The crowd calmed as they noticed Guard Ben walking towards them. He spoke with them, but his words were inaudible.
Guard David looked at Hula.
"Hula, go meet your mother. She should be worried."
"Okay."
Hula walked into the village, and Ze followed, dragging the horned bear with him. Guard David looked at Ze but didn't stop him.
Ze attracted attention as he dragged the horned bear through the village. Many children came to look at the dead beast.
Hula arrived at his house and knocked. A middle-aged woman opened the door.
"Mom, I am home," Hula said awkwardly.
When she noticed Hula standing there, she hugged him tightly as tears flowed down her face.
"Where did you go? I was worried sick," she cried.
"Sorry," Hula sobbed.
Both of them cried in each other's arms. Ze couldn't do anything but watch.
Guard Ben came back after explaining to the crowd.
"Phew, they finally left. It was hard to convince them," he said.
"Well, I will go and inform the Chief," Guard David said.
"Oh, okay."
David left his post and entered the village. He was greeted by people as he walked by. He arrived at a small wooden house.
*Knock* *Knock*
He knocked on the door, waiting for someone to answer. However, no one responded. He lifted his hand to knock again.
"David, what happened?" a voice came from behind.
He turned and noticed a man in leathered gear, with a touch of grey in his hair.
"Chief," David called.
"Yes, what was the commotion earlier? I assume it's not an emergency since you're here," the Chief said.
"Yes, I'm here to report," David replied.
"Okay, let's go inside. I geared up to fight, but it seems I don't need to," the Chief said, smiling.
The Chief moved to open the door, and they both entered the house.
"So, what happened?" the Chief asked once they were in his office.
David began to explain. "Hula returned with a peculiar boy. The noise earlier was made by him to stop us from attacking, but the effect it had was similar to the fear caused by a monster. We both froze in our spots when we heard it."
The Chief had a complicated expression as he listened to David's explanation.
"It's good that Hula returned safely, but did you confirm if the boy was human? He might be some monster with the ability to mimic," the Chief said.
"Based on my speculation, he doesn't seem like any kind of monster. However, he was strange nonetheless. He was covered in monster fur and was dragging a horned bear with him," David explained.
"A horned bear!" the Chief exclaimed, surprised.
"Yes, a fully-grown one. It was dead, but it didn't have any signs of being killed," David added.
As soon as he said that, a spark of realization flashed between them, and David's eyes widened.
"Don't tell me... he came here to attack," David said.
There was a possibility that Ze could be a highly intelligent monster capable of changing its form, sent by a dark organisation to attack the village. Since their village was located in the middle of nowhere, nobody would notice if they disappeared.
"It may not be the case, but it's better to investigate. How old was he?" the Chief asked, rising from his seat.
"He was about 13-14, small frame, tanned skin, and blue eyes," David described.
They both left the house and headed towards Hula's house. They walked cautiously to avoid causing a commotion.
"But how did a boy his age survive in a land filled with monsters?" the Chief questioned.
They arrived at Hula's house, and the Chief knocked on the door.
"Mary, the Chief has come to see you," David called.
There was no answer to their call, and both feared the worst.
"Let's go around to the back," the Chief suggested.
David nodded in response and followed the Chief. They reached the back of the house and froze in place as they witnessed a gruesome scene.
The ground was covered in blood, and in the midst stood a boy. His hands were drenched in blood, and he slowly turned to look at them. Both of them felt a chilling sensation as his gaze met theirs.
He smiled.
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