Luke's heart pounded as he watched the three Ewwgas rushing toward him. The forest seemed to close in around him, the monsters' snarling faces growing larger with each passing second. He raised the gong one last time, but his hands trembled, and he stopped hitting it. The Ewwgas were mere feet away, ready to pounce.
Just as the Ewwgas were about to leap onto Luke, a hissing sound filled the air. It was sharp, insistent, and unnatural in the forest's usual cacophony. The Ewwgas froze mid-leap, their eyes widening in confusion. They looked around, startled and alarmed, their aggression momentarily halted.
Luke's plan was working. He had dropped his sandals halfway through his run, and inside one of them, carefully placed, was his phone. It was playing a snake hissing sound at full volume, reverberating through the forest and striking fear into the hearts of the Ewwgas. Luke had read online that monkeys were afraid of snakes, and he had gambled that these monstrous, monkey-like creatures would react similarly.
The Ewwgas, their snarling replaced by uneasy growls, continued to search for the source of the hissing. They were disturbed, and their focus shattered. This was the moment Luke had been hoping for.
"Now!" Sir Carrick's voice cut through the tension, a command as clear as a battle cry. Gareth and Sir Carrick sprang into action, their movements swift and precise.
One of the Ewwgas, distracted and vulnerable, was immediately stabbed through the heart. It let out a choked roar before collapsing to the ground, its body twitching in the throes of death. The creature's size was imposing, but Gareth and Sir Carrick, using their swords with deadly efficiency, managed to reach its heart.
The remaining two Ewwgas reacted with a mixture of fury and fear. They turned toward their fallen comrade, but the hissing sound continued to unsettle them. Their heads snapped back and forth, unable to locate the source of their distress.
Gareth and Sir Carrick seized the moment. With the first kill achieved, they moved in sync, their blades flashing in the dim light. One more Ewwga fell, a clean stab to the heart, and it crumpled to the ground with a final, pitiful snarl.
The last Ewwga, now the sole survivor, roared in defiance. It bared its gnarly teeth, eyes wide with a mixture of anger and fear. For a moment, it seemed ready to fight to the death, but the constant hissing sound drove it to panic. It turned tail and fled, crashing through the underbrush, desperate to escape the unseen snake.
The three men stood in the clearing, their breaths coming in ragged gasps. They had survived the impossible. The bodies of the fallen Ewwgas lay at their feet, monstrous and still. The hissing sound finally stopped as Luke's phone battery died, leaving the forest eerily silent.
Luke immediately rushed to retrieve his phone, which was safely cushioned by his sandals to prevent any damage from the drop. He quickly stopped the hissing sound and turned the volume back down to normal. With a sigh of relief, he slipped the phone back into his pouch, feeling a wave of exhaustion wash over him.
Gareth approached him, a look of admiration and gratitude on his face.
"Luke, that was incredible. You saved us."
Luke managed a weak smile.
"Just doing what I could."
However, behind Gareth, Sir Carrick's expression was a mix of shock and suspicion. The knight's eyes bore into Luke, his mind working through the implications of what he'd just witnessed. Luke had been careful to hide his true identity, knowing that the people of this world might think him a mage, just as Gareth had initially thought.
While Gareth had come to understand that Luke's "magic" was something entirely different, Sir Carrick was not privy to this information. Luke had managed to keep the children in the city believing in their Noirist faith, which held that people sent by God would come to aid them. He had done this out of respect for their beliefs, and to maintain their hope. Now, Sir Carrick, who also held the same belief, had seen Luke perform what seemed to be a magical feat.
Sir Carrick stepped forward, his gaze unwavering.
"Luke, what you did... no ordinary man could do that. Are you... are you one of the said people?"
Luke swallowed hard, glancing at Gareth for support. Gareth nodded slightly, urging him to explain.
"I know, you're going to say that this is magic. But it's not magic," Luke said carefully. "Where I come from, we have... devices, tools that can do things like make sounds or show images. It's not magic, just technology."
Sir Carrick's expression hardened.
"Technology? I know what technology is, Luke. I'm from the Empire of Virencia. We have achieved travelling the sea. But nothing like that."
"Empire of Virencia?" Luke blinked, surprised by this revelation.
"Yes, the most powerful and technologically advanced nation," Sir Carrick repeated. "But we have nothing that can do what your device did. Pulling out a sound like that, without any visible mechanism? That's magic, not technology."
"No, it's not!" Luke insisted, his frustration growing. "Where I come from, we have devices that can store and play sounds. It's all based on principles of science and engineering."
"I'm not convinced. There's no way something that small can hold and bring out the sound. It has to be a magic item," Sir Carrick shook his head. "I've seen Saint Cynthia perform magic as well. And it is just as shocking as yours."
Luke sighed, realizing he wasn't getting through.
"Look, I'm not a mage. I don't have magical powers. This device, my phone, it's just technology from my world. It's not magic."
"Sir Carrick, I've seen Luke use his phone before. It's not like the magic we know. It's different. And he's used it to help us, not harm us," Gareth, sensing the tension, stepped in.
"You already knew about this, Gareth?" Sir Carrick frowned, clearly still sceptical. "Even if it is some kind of advanced technology, it's beyond anything we have here. That makes it dangerous, like what we learnt. And if people find out, they'll want to know how it works. They might even think you're a threat, Luke."
"I get that," Luke said quietly. "But I'm not here to cause trouble. I'm just trying to survive, same as you."
"Very well. For now, I'll accept your explanation. But you need to be careful. The Empire, and others, will want to know about this... technology. And they won't be as understanding as I am," Sir Carrick regarded him for a long moment, then sighed.
"I understand. And please, Sir Carrick, don't tell anyone about this," Luke begged, anxious.
"Let's get back to the city. We need to help the wounded and report what happened here," Gareth clapped a hand on Luke's shoulder.
As they began their journey back, Luke couldn't shake the feeling that this incident had changed things. His secret was out, at least partially, and he would need to navigate the consequences carefully. But for now, they were alive, and that was enough.
The three men walked in silence for a while, each lost in their thoughts. Gareth kept a watchful eye on their surroundings, ensuring they wouldn't be ambushed by any more Ewwgas. Sir Carrick's expression remained serious, his mind likely grappling with the implications of Luke's revelation.
Luke, meanwhile, felt a mixture of relief and anxiety. He had managed to convince Sir Carrick, at least temporarily, but he knew that his presence and the technology he carried could cause significant upheaval in this world. He had to be cautious, not just for his own sake, but for the safety of those around him.
Finally, Gareth broke the silence.
"We need to get the injured back to the city as quickly as possible. They need medical attention, and we need to report to the Captain."
"Agreed. Let's move quickly but carefully," Sir Carrick nodded.
As they quickened their pace, Luke couldn't help but glance at Sir Carrick. He knew the knight's suspicion hadn't entirely dissipated, and he would have to tread carefully from now on. The Empire of Virencia sounded like a formidable place, and the last thing Luke needed was to attract their attention.
But for now, he focused on the task at hand: getting everyone back to safety. There would be time to deal with the larger issues later. For now, survival was all that mattered.
As they neared the city, a group of knights rode out to meet them, alerted by Gareth's signal. They moved swiftly and efficiently, splitting into teams to search for the injured and fallen. With their help, Gareth, Sir Carrick, and Luke managed to bring the wounded back to the city.
The sun was setting as they entered the gates, the sky painted with hues of orange and pink, casting a sombre light on the weary and bloodied group. The city's doctors and citizens rushed to assist, ushering the injured to the infirmary. As the chaos of triage and treatment ensued, Luke, Gareth, and Sir Carrick exchanged glances, knowing they had faced and survived something far greater than any of them had anticipated.