The central lands of Zeroth were among the most bizarre places in the world. They had the thickest humidity and the most rainfall of any natural land mass. Along with the central lands, they are also known as the wetlands, with the largest swamp in the world, and the most expansive marshlands.
So as the citizens of Krome exited their city guided by the city's officials, they came across the infamous vast marshlands. Rapl and the soldiers quickly met up with the group, and with one of the soldiers of Krome closing the gates of the city, it gave them time to plan their escape, "W-what the?" Leena expressed her disbelief as she could see the wet horizon, "How are we going to get pa-"
But as if everyone could hear her, the citizens of Krome began to navigate the lands with supreme mobility, "How could they do that? Alex expressed as one of the red scars began to bandage her up.
A high-class soldier of Krome came up to Rico as he began to explain, "We've lived most our lives here, almost seventy percent of the citizens you see here work in these marshlands." As the soldier was talking, Rapl, who had finally regained his sight, thought of something as he looked at how some citizens were finding difficulty in walking through the marshlands.
"EVERYONE!!" Rapl yelled in a loud voice, alerting most of the soldiers near him, "Rico is part swamp lurker, he can move very fast in the marsh, I was thinking of creating wooden boat-like sleds to tie on Rico's tail to help out some of the struggling civilians." As if Rapl's suggestion was a command, the soldiers nodded as they began to find wood and quickly create a makeshift raft and tie it to Rico's tail.
But as they had made three, the backdoor of the city walls finally broke, and soon Huldian pirates began to emerge, but they weren't flooding out like the soldiers had expected. One of the leaders of Krome prepared his blade as he began to charge, "GIVE THEM TIME!!" He commanded his soldiers, and with no hesitation, they followed the command.
To offer them strength, the swordsaint, and some red scars also went back to battle, "Continue, we can distract them," the swordsaint remarked as he led the charge. Seeing that there was a timer, the working soldiers quickened their pace, and even some civilians who hadn't gone to the marsh yet offered some aid.
In under five minutes, using magic and strength, the working force of one hundred soldiers and civilians created fifteen rafts, all tied to each other. Rico entered the marsh as the rafts followed, each with an injured soldier on them, "ALL WHO CAN'T PASS THE MARSH!! RIDE ON!!" The injured soldiers began to yell, some rode due to exhaustion, but most offered their children, the elderly, and those who couldn't move in the marsh.
Almost a thousand traveled by rafts, all carried by Rico, "Hey, you okay buddy?" Rapl asked as he heard Rico huffing, but as to respond, Rico snorted, leading Rapl to chuckle, "You're a champion y'know?" Rico followed the waterways, assisted by Rapl and his amazing vision.
Back behind the city of Krome, realizing that they were outnumbered, the Huldians began to retreat to the city. Seeing this as an opportunity, the soldiers began to tail the civilians as they entered the marshlands. More than fifty thousand people began to walk through the wet and muddy terrain, walking through mud that consumed half their shins, and traversing deep waterways.
Due to the raft system, most of the civilians walking were experts, but there were still some people who couldn't traverse the harsh terrain, and because the rafts were filled, they couldn't just cruise past.
And there, in that brutal area, Rapl saw something his master always told him he loved about the Zanian people. 'No matter how brutal and impossible the situation is, the people of Zan always walk forward, and carry those who can't walk anymore.'
Rapl saw civilians carrying children and elderly on their backs or shoulders. Some laid out some sheets of cloth with two people at the back and front lifting it up, making a small island for the weak to stay. Some races with bigger bodies and taller frames lifted smaller races on their hands and back instead of running ahead. As Rapl watched, he was reminded of the people he fought for, and he began to curse himself for his hesitation during his battle with Dyrin.
Although there were still a lot of questions he wanted answered, he looked back at Krome with conviction in his eyes. Rapl had lost his first fight with a Son of Elios, but the next time they battled, he vowed to earn victory.
But back at Krome, as the Huldian pirates explained the situation to the other pirates, the sound of steel breaking steel rang throughout the entire city. A broken blade flew twenty feet away from its hilt, landing on the floor with a loud clang; its master, Krome's very own mayor, Malvoza, gritted her teeth as blood poured from them. A blade had stabbed her stomach, and the purple knife of Dyrin stayed lodged in her guts as Dyrin stared into her eyes, no smile located on his face.
Across his left eye, Dyrin had a gash, but his right eye showed his true emotion, "You have fought well, warrior," he praised as he removed his knife from Malvoza's stomach. A river of blood began to pour out as Malvoza fell on the floor, clutching her wound; Dyrin shook the fist he used to break Malvoza's blade only to feel it was dislocated.
The mayor had been defeated, her strength so little she couldn't even grip her blade. Malvoza began to hyperventilate as she began to feel a terrifying cold, one that she knew would come eventually, but it was something she didn't realize would be this terrifying; the coldness of death.
But suddenly, her body began to warm up, and her breathing went back to normal. As her eyes lifted she could see Dyrin, using a spell on her; it was warm and relaxing, like a fireplace on a snowy day. Dyrin stared at Malvoza with a melancholic stare, no matter how many warriors he faced, he never got used to seeing them die.
"I know the coldness of death, I felt it once before… although I hate Zanians who subjugate people like higher officials such as you, I will still treat a fellow Child of Elios like that they are, a Child of Elios." Dyrin walked closer towards Malvoza, kneeling next to her, his yellow eyes staring deep within her being, "In my culture," he began, "We have an idea that the death of the body is not true death, no, true death comes from when no one remembers your name, and you are forgotten in the world… so that is why before any fight, to power our spirits, we Huldians shout out, fight, or die." As Dyrin saw the life start to leave Malvoza's eyes, he finished, "And you have fought, and by that, you shall never die."
All the memories of Malvoza started to flash one last time; be it the death of her father, the wars to protect the central lands, and the Lich himself appointing her as mayor of Krome. Malvoza Yirikalis, lived as a Child of Elios for thirty years, half of it as an innocent daughter of a blacksmith, another half as a warrior, five as a mayor of Krome, and all thirty, as a servant of Zan. And with one last breath, Malvoza went.
Dyrin saw her body go limp, and with a sigh, he stopped his warming spell, "Rest well." He stood up, snapping his dislocated hand back in place as he tried to meet back with his soldiers. Over the hill of broken down houses, he saw his pirates discussing while some were being treated, "What happened?" He asked in a commanding tone.
One of the pirates approached him, "Dyrin, they made their way to the marshlands and are moving fast, we cannot follow them for we suspect we'll lose if we fight in the mud." At this, Dyrin nodded as he weighed his options; shooting the soldiers with arrows can be an option, but some of those arrows might hit the civilians so that's out of the picture.
But after remembering the lands, he knew beyond the marshlands was a deep swamp, one he could move his boats through, "Alright, everyone gather around." The pirates heard their leader's command as they followed, "They are probably retreating towards the port city of Magri, but going there they will have to pass a swamp where we can catch them off guard, GET ALL THE RESOURCES YOU CAN FIND IN THE CITY!! AND IN HALF AN HOUR WE GO BACK TO THE SHIPS!!"
At Dyrin's command, everyone nodded. The able-bodied soldiers pillaged the city, and mages began to heal the injured warriors. Some soldiers started to carry the supplies back to the ships. Dyrin, who was observing the whole thing, decided that he would meet up with his other captains who had just arrived, so he also began to make his way towards the ships.
But as he left the walls, he saw Ja'Klei there healing Verti. The halfling was bandaged and laid down by the orc, "Hey guys!" Dyrin greeted with a smile as the orc's eyebrows curled.
"YOU GOT YOURSELF HURT AGAIN!!" He yelled as he finished healing Verti. Dyrin awkwardly laughed as he scratched the back of his head, "Sit down, let me heal you." But as Ja'Klei laid a hand over Dyrin's shoulder to force him to sit, the pirate leader calmly took it off.
"No need, use your mana on Frieda and Tuck, I saw they were injured during their battle," Dyrin commanded, walking past Ja'Klei as he waved them off, "I'm out to meet the main fleet, don't take too long cause I want all the captains to know the plan." And just like that, Dyrin disappeared into the crowd of the returning Huldians.
"He really can't stand still can he?" Verti playfully commented as Ja'Klei began to pick her up. Due to their size difference, the orc picked up Verti only using one hand; Ja'Klei then ordered a few men to pick up Verti's blade.
As they began to walk, trying to find Tuck and Frieda, Ja'Klei decided to be a bit playful with Verti, "So~ the battle's done, aren't you going to tell Dyrin something?" He asked, turning his head to see the halfling's cheek produce the slightest hue of redness.
"No," she quickly replied, "Not yet anyways, I haven't gotten enough achievements to even stand on the same level as Dyrin." Although Ja'Klei didn't agree with her statement, he decided to agree to encourage her to do more.
"I mean yeah, to be honest, none of us can even equal Dyrin's achievements. No support from a royal yet still leading an army of more than ten thousand men while just being in his mid twenties." Ja'Klei, Dyrin's right-hand man ever since they first met, had seen the young boy turn into a fearless leader every step of the way, and it was something that made him so proud to serve Dyrin.
"Yup, he really is amazing."
"Although~" Ja'Klei added to his monologue, "I still kinda find it funny how you have these feelings for him but years ago you were about to kill him." Verti scoffed at what Ja'Klei pointed out.
It was true, the first time they had all met was during a war in western Fabarol. Verti, a halfling supporting one of the many tribes of Gelwin, went to war as a soldier against Hulda. All her life, Verti thought the battle was the most beautiful thing of all, but during that war, as she was about to go face to face with Ja'Klei, she saw him. A boy with a blade lodged in his shoulder, pale as if death had already taken him, but laughing as if he had won the victory of life. And that sight was the most magnificent thing she had ever witnessed.
"Heh, ironic." The two eventually met up with Frieda and Tuck, with the warrior being partly healed up by a mage.
Tuck greeted Ja'Klei with a wide smile, "Hey, glad to see you guys are alright." As Ja'Klei laid Verti down, he began to heal the wind mage. From his wounds, it looked like Tuck took moderate amounts of damage, but Ja'Klei was someone who knew mana more than anyone in Dyrin's army, and he knew full well the true damage Tuck took in his battle.
"Tuck… you pushed yourself too much," Ja'Klei warned, his voice stern but also concerned. Trying to brush it off, Tuck scoffed with a smile, "No don't joke about this," the orc's tone of voice became more serious, one that got rid of Tuck's nonchalant attitude, "Tuck… a few more minutes of you using your mana, you would've died."
As if to support Ja'Klei's claims, blood drooped down Tuck's nose, but quickly it was wiped off, "It doesn't matter?" He retorted, his voice uncharacteristically emotionless, "I just need to win, doesn't matter if I die or live," he whispered, almost to himself.
But even though it was silent, someone heard it, "I thought I told you not to say that again," Frieda remarked, although her eyes were closed as she was trying to rest, her ears were still perked.
Verti didn't know what Tuck said, but judging from Frieda's reaction, she already knew what it was about, "I thought you two were going to start a family soon?" Verti casually commented, widening Tuck's eyes as he was reminded.
Feeling a bit guilty about returning to his old self, Tuck brightly smiled again, "Yeah, I guess I did say that," he uttered, slowly wiping off small tears from his eyes. Ja'Klei couldn't help but smile as he saw this, he turned to Verti and gave her a pat on the shoulder.
"We have to return to the main fleet soon, I heard Dyrin has a plan for us," Ja'Klei stated, trying to return to his more serious self, "Judging from where the people of Krome are heading, I think Dyrin would want us to chase them down."
Hearing this, Tuck decided to put his own two cents into the situation, "When we were sailing around, I saw a port city while sightseeing; I reckon the citizens of Krome are going there, but judging the distance… it would probably take a whole day's worth of travel."
Verti listened, trying to figure out the plan, but then a question entered her mind, "Wait, we'll probably not have recovered all of our strength by then? Who's going to fight their champions, especially the red scars, and that swordsaint."
Immediately Ja'Klei answered, "Well, isn't it obvious, the rest of the captains of course."