No sooner than the word left Elliot's lips, clouds filled the sky and blocked out the sun with the crowds cheering fading from the sight. The execution's axe swing was stopped by a lightning strike hitting him square in the chest.
'Very good Elliot.' The voice from before returned and in his one good eye he saw the clouds form in a figure overhead, 'My champion has finally picked the true path for themselves.' All eyes were locked on the cloudy figure looming over them, her buxom frame offering any thoughts as bolts of lightning formed into yellow piercing eyes looking down to Elliot.
"He's a true traitor, slay him." Baren Keive yelled out, with the guards behind Elliot moving towards him with his back to them.
'Allow me your body to ensure you are not killed here.' Elliot could tell this was a request by her and he nodded, giving her his consent. The guard, sword drawn pulled back and ready when a red glow formed around Elliot much to his confusion. Elliot's body vanished from sight the instant the sword touched his skin and threw the guard off, looking around with his partner standing next to him with his own sword in hand.
"I knew I should have ended him last night." He said sweat running down his face when his right hand was jerked back and was forced to his knees, pain wenched across his face looking back to see Elliot, one eye glowing and his right stump put near the now sword-free hand.
"Perfect." The voice leaving Elliot's mouth wasn't his own, being more slick and smooth yet oily at the same time, "Come with me." The glow grew brighter and brighter when the other guard readied his sword and charged at him, only the freeze at the sight of Elliot's eye staring at him with a look of disdain that forced a gulp down his throat. Then, they were both gone from the stage as the crowd panicked with Baren Keive fuming.
"Find him and take his head, now." He said through gritted teeth, looking at the guard standing on stage and then to his captain, "Grant, calm everyone so there isn't any riot."
"Sir." Grant said walking towards the crowd, the looming figure still towering over the city staring down with many not having the nerve to look her in the eyes.
Elliot reappeared with the guard in hand looking down at the struggling guard as black trindles emerged from his stump and damaged eye.
"W-what you doing?" The guard asked trembling from where he was, his body shaking from the fear filling his heart.
"Payback for what you did." The oily voice spoke and was followed by the guard waling from the tendrils sinking into his hand, flesh, muscles, and bone ripping along with blood polling around them. Yet it wasn't over with just his hand as smaller trindles slowly wormed around his eye, and he slowly watched his nerves being cut and then plucked out from his socket. The shock was too much and Elliot released him, dropping him like a bag as the tendrils placed the hand over the stump and eye over his damaged socket. And was soon repaired with a grin on his face, looking at his new hand through his new eye.
"There he is." A guard yelled at Elliot turning to see a guard with a crossbow aiming at him. With a smirk, Elliot turned and charged the window, bolts whizzing by taking one step on the window ledge and leaped into the air. The figure looming over the city finally move with a quickness like wind, grabbing the falling Elliot in hand, and then the figure vanished in the clouds with Elliot in hand.
"Follow him." Baren Keive said through gritted teeth as the crowd continued to panic with Grant not being able to keep them quiet. Through his anger, he noticed a single figure standing in the crowd, not panicking like the others and when they noticed him looking, a smile spread across her wrinkled face. "Hey, guards. Capture that woman." Keive barked yet they vanished from sight, angering him even more with how this happened.
The cloud whooshed through the air, Elliot firmly in hand until finally slowly coming to a stop and placing him on the ground.
"Oh, I hurt so much." Elliot groaned, blinking a few times when it hit him and he placed his hand over his new eyes, wincing instantly, and then looked at his new hand, a large scar appearing around his wrist, colored black with the old burn stump still noticeable where it was replaced.
"Careful." The cloud figure said shrinking in size until finally standing before him, "Your body needs to heal properly."
"Why can you just wave your hand and do it?" Elliot asked looking up at her, wincing throughout.
"I am very weak in this area, chained down by the God of Order." She explained, "I used what little I could muster hear to replace you're limps and get you away from them."
"So, I picked the side of a goddess that has no real power in this realm." Elliot shook his head, a faint chuckle escaping him thinking it over.
"I was very powerful, being one that helped build the world." Nymix began, "Though through the years, I have grown weaker do to little to no followers in this world to keep my memory alive."
"So, what could you possibly need me to do?" Elliot asked on wobbly knees with how he was standing, "As you saw last time, I was broken down trying to stop the slaughter."
"Yes, Prince Bradly and his party are very powerful, a head-on fight would just kill you and I can't save you if that happens." Nymix stopped with the clouds making her body seeable her though started to seep towards the sky, "My magic is weak. i won't have long before I can't stay in this world."
"Wait, I need to know what more about the Great Raising," Elliot said reaching towards her, only to wince and hold his hand.
"You will learn the truth when you meet my last follower in the realm, Clathcia." Nymix slowly floated into the air with a smile on her face with her hand out, a glint of something in her hand caught Elliot's eyes and he took her hand in place, wincing from feeling something wrap around his right ring finger and then Nymix was gone. Looking at his hand, Elliot's eyes shot open, and saw a golden ring with crystal blue swirls around it, looking to be a lost language.
"Huh, I wonder what does this do?" Elliot said staring at the ring for a few moments when a sound from behind him caught his attention, "Who goes there?" Elliot looked to the bushes wondering who it could be, worried the guards had caught up and knowing he was dead if they were, "Come out now!"
"P-please, n-no more." A small voice called out and Elliot slowly lowered his guard with the figure stepping out the bushes, revealing a small female goblin with messy lime green hair, cuts and bruises whittled her small green frame, and soft grass green eyes stared at him scared for her young life.
"No more what?" Elliot choked out, the memory of what had happened last time he was outside and the scream haunted him.
"D-death." She spoke with Elliot noting how scared she was and put it together quickly, she was the sole survivor of the goblin slaughter by the party he was part of, the one he couldn't stop and was nearly killed for it twice.
"Don't worry, I won't hurt you," Elliot said reaching out his hand, watching her and she slowly stepped closer, staring at the scars covering his arm and face to see if he would hurt her. Gently, she placed her frail hand into his and Elliot smiled, feeling warmth in his heart for the first time in a while, sparking him to ask, "What's your name?"
"F-Flan," She spoke slowly, still staring at him, "Flan Grabgrass."
"Elliot." Elliot said smiling, "Nice to meet you Flan, it's new seeing a goblin speak Hoomian."
"Hoomain? The cock of Flan's head told Elliot that she was not speaking in his language, yet he heard her plain as day. For the first time since meeting her, his eyes fell on the right hand that she was holding and he could see the blue language on his ring was glowing
"Oh, never mind." Elliot felt like explaining something he wasn't sure himself worked and released her hand, looking about before turning back to her, "We should get moving, I'll keep you safe but others will be coming soon." The fear spreading through her eyes said Elliot should have thought it through and turned to her, wincing again, nearly falling over with his hand on his chest, "Damn, my body is still damaged."
"H-hurt?" She asked and he nodded, scared she looked around and took his hand, pulling him with Elliot wincing to force his body to move and followed, the thick forest making moving through it difficult while he was careful not to do anything other than walk. It felt like hours with how his body felt, but soon Flan came to a stop at a large tree, one towering over them and she pointed to it, telling him they were at their destination. Confused, Elliot slowly stepped closer to the tree, staring in aw at it's size only for Flan to pull him closer to look at her. Doing so greeted Elliot with a large rock seemingly resting on the tree and then watch Flan slip behind it. Following her gave Elliot a view of a small cave that was built into the large root system of the tree hidden by the rock and a bush next to it.
"Huh, this could work for a rest spot." Elliot said crawling into the cave, wincing the whole time, and finding a cramped space with Flan moving things around on her knees. Smiling, he moved and rested his back on the end of the cave, "No wonder you won't caught with this hideout." Flan's point ear flicked hearing this and her slumping shoulders said he crossed the line there.
"Mom gave map and pushed through hole." She said turning to you, paper in one hand and a jar in the other, "I-I don't know if go back or wait for her." Elliot bit his tongue, knowing the fate of her mother, and sighed, the memory of the past still rolling thought his mind like a painting.
"It's not safe." Elliot said slowly figuring his words carefully, "I will help you find a safer place to be, alright?"
"B-but mom...." Flan said, sorrow painting her face, "won't find me if leave."
"It's to keep you safe, your mom will understand." He said and gently rubbed her head, gaining a tiny smile from her, and Elliot fought the wince with his hand, something she noticed.
"Drink." She shoved the jar in Elliot face, he looked at the brown mush inside and his stomach turned just by sight, "Feel better." Flan went on and Elliot gulped, taking it in his left hand and sniffing it. Elliot instantly regretted that, the smell of rotting roots and herbs filled his nose, making his stomach want to release itself yet again. He looked at FLan, smiling at him, waiting for him to down it.
"Alright." He said with a sigh and put the jar to his lips, gulping down the rancid-smelling stuff and was joined by a matching taste, taking every ounce of will he had to not throw it back up, Elliot handed it back to her and placed his head against one of the roots. Having been through a lot, his eyes slowly won their battle and closed, making him nod off with Flan watching him while small black tendrils peaked out from his right hand.