"Soo when was the 78 division deployed" Zach asked but no answer.
The princess kept walking, he boot crunching on the rocky soil as she did.
"At least can I know your name?" Zach asked..
The red haired princess looked at him...
" Keal " she said and continued power walking, Zach struggled to follow her.
He sighed... *where is this woman taking me ?* he thought, as the passed by the cave what Zach slept.
They walked until the night came, around the glowing boulder now illuminated the area as the sun had fully disappeared, Turing the bright sky to a black empty void.
Keal stopped, making Zach halt, "what's wrong?" he asked and Keal silently gestured for him to remain silent.
Zach was stunned, Keal then pointed to a boat in the distance, it seemed to be woven together using vines wood and some clay.
With a cold voice she spoke, "were going to the pyramid".
Zach looked in the distance, to see a large silhouette, but that didn't fool him, the pyramid was at least a few kilometers out .
He Gulped.
"If I may ask why are we going to the pyramid".
She smiled.. "to meet the others"
Zach blinked..
" Others ?l"
"Are there other people in this hellish place?" Zach asked.
And Keal nodded..
He had no choice and they both entered the small creation, surprisingly it held up Zach and Keal quite nicely.
They began sailing.
The surrounding waters were as silent and calm as a grave yard, the water rippled as Zach and Keal drifted through the currents, Zach looked at Keal which seemed to be deep in thought, she didn't speak, just looked out of the small boat towards the expanse of water.
Zach looked at the boat, the boat moved slowly, drifting towards the pyramid by itself, Zach turned to see a stick woven to a leaf to form a paddle, he grabbed it, and was about to stick it in the water.
Don't try it" Keal's sharp voice reached him as he flinched..
"Why not?, it'll help us go faster" Zach retorted.
If it was that easy we would have reached the pyramid by now, she said lowering her voice and signalling Zach to do the same.
What's going on?" Zach whispered, keal replied by grabbing the paddle, and throwing it a Ross the calm expanse of water.
Immediately the stick made contact with the water, a giant tentacle, as tall as a tower erupted fron the still water grabbing the paddle, crushing it.
Zach looked in shock as the tentacles retreated into the water, soon enough the water became calm...
"That's why I didn't paddle" Keal said crossing her arms, Zach nodded in agreement, the duo drifted across the calm sea.
Zach coul sight the rocky shores getting further and further
It's too late to turn back now " he sighed...
They drifted for quite some time...
Zach was contemplating, the possibilities could he really have been transported to 5 years into the future or was Keal the one who was transported into the past?, could it be that the Phoenix breaking the sky was what made him appear here?.
*If the Phoenix could actually slash through time, then it would be at least a Divine rank threat. That would be disastrous * he thought..
But there was one more theory, one he has refused to look at all this time, maybe, just maybe he's was somehow lying on those rocky shores dead for 5 years, the astryx mentioned something about the rune of rebirth, he doesn't even remember how he obtained it it was confusing.
He looked at his palm, a dormant drive was within him, he didn't know if it was there before but he felt as if he had a goal to achieve, something great, he feels that he could remember it..
Zach coughed...and spat out a mouth full of blood.
Zach's and Keal's eyes widened, Zach touched his mouth, blood was on his fingers .
<[Do not try to remember]>
A voice echoed in his head, his eyes widened, the astryx itself?. He indeed forgot about something, but what...
Again his mouth began to bleed, as his vision blurred a bit... he immediately stopped thinking about what could've happened..
Are you okay? He heard Keal voice as a glint of confusion was revealed in her cold gaze.
"Nah I'm fine, I've survived death so a little bleeding won't hurt me" he grinned.
But just then a huge shadow flew over Zach, Keal looked above.
Black scales that seemed to reflect the light around them like a mirror, razor sharp talons, and black blood shot eyes lock onto them, it was a raven, a giant raven.
Zach unsheathed the sword, the blade was half broken, but he couldn't just leave it with the millepede.
The bird immediately began driving.
"Tch this isn't good Keal gritted her teeth, Zach mouth widened, "what?!" Looking irritated Keal asked him, Zach was just a bit confident a second ago but now his confidence has diminished.
...For the 7th princess to be this agitated to fight a foe, he knew he was cooked..
Zach gritted his teeth as he got into a stance.
The giant bird turned into a torrent of black smoke and crashed head first into the boat shattering it to many fragments.
At that last second Keal jumped off the boat and Zach was just too slow to react, he crashed into the water sending waves and wood fragments all around.
Keal was quick immediately landing on her feet she jumped into the rising raven, currently her and the raven were batting in the skies as Zach was in the water.
*Boom*
The water immediately erupted and several swirling tentacles wrapped around him,
"Damm it!" Zach eyes widened..
It was so fast, the tentacles immediately pulled him into the depths, his eyes widened as he looked above the water, Keal was still struggling in the air to battle the raven, the water reach Zach's eyes..
The realization dawned on him *am I going to die, again!.. after everything I've been through?*
He clenched his teeth as water seeped in, this was the second time he was drowning.
<[requirements to activate the marine rune has been meet you have 60 to breath]>
Zach eyes widened... a breath of fresh air entered his lungs.
He was still plunging down at a great speed.. he wasn't going to let this opportunity slide.
[Authors note: Took me some time 🫠]