Chapter 3 - Xerxes Pursuit

When the noise had died down, Pato pushed the door open and scanned the hallway before signalling Gillian to come with him.

They both stepped out and walked towards the exit to run out when a sound stopped them.

"Running somewhere?."

They turned swiftly to see a man standing before them. "Xerxes the terrible," Gillian whispered.

A wicked smile curled up Xerxes face as he glared at Gillian. "You have something I want. Let's make it simple without wasting each other's time."

"What do you want, Xerxes?," Gillian questioned as he balled his hand into a tight fist, his fingers digging into his flesh.

Pato held Gillian's arms but Gillian shrugged his hands off.

"You give me the system and we'll all go our separate ways. Pretending none of this ever happened."

Gillian's eyes glazed in anger. "You wish, that will not be happening anytime soon."

"Then you leave me no choice," Xerxes spat.

Immediately, an arrow wheezed past Gillian's ear, barely touching it. And hit the wall behind them. Then a torrent of arrows fell from the upper part of the building, quickly, Gillian and Pato took cover. Hiding behind a door.

Gillian's heart pounded hard against his chest as he started running out of a building. As they got out, some of the men ran after them.

Suddenly, Gillian felt a zapping energy coursed through his vein and a low hum filled his ear.

System Status: Loading in 4..3..2..1..

Something powerful took charge of his body and he turned towards the men who stopped the moment they saw a glint of hostility in his eyes.

One of the men charged towards him and Gillian held him tight on his neck, almost choking him. Then he collected the dagger from his hand and stabbed the man in his neck. Before pushing him away.

An arrow was shot in his direction but before it could penetrate his body, he held the arrow in his hand and snapped it in two.

The remaining men rushed him and Pato fought some of the men. And Gillian struck a powerful punch on one of the men's faces. In no time, he defeated all of them and the others ran away.

"We need to hurry, more are coming," Pato warned.

And quickly, they took a narrow path and ran as fast as they could. Gillian felt more stronger as the night air rushed past his face as he ran.

Then they burst into a hidden entrance, shutting the door close behind them. Gillian rested on the wall panting.

"Welcome to the sanctuary, Gillian," Pato said.

He was surprised to see the underground settlement bursting with activities. His eyes widened as he took in the makeshift homes and busy market place.

"Where is this place?," Gillian asked in surprise.

"Refugees from Xerxes tyranny. They'll help us but we must be cautious."

As they walked through the settlement, Pato spotted Klarissa, her eyes scanning the crowd.

"Klarissa," Gillian called out.

She turned, relief flickering across her face as she walked close to them. "Pato, Gillian, I was worried."

Pato's voice interrupted. "We need to speak with Felix now."

When they got to a corner, they saw a man in deep discussion with some armed men. He turned swiftly when he heard their footsteps.

He greeted them with a measured gaze. "Pato, you bring trouble with you."

Pato's jaw clenched. "Xerxes men are closing in. We need your help."

Felix's expression softened. "Fine, I will grant you sanctuary. But Xerxes won't stop until he gets the artifact."

Pato's determination surged. "I won't let him."

Klarissa's hand brushed against his. "We will stop him together."

They sat down around a table and strategized on ways to stop him. Gillian felt an uneasy feeling wrapping it's hand around him. When he looked up, he saw a hooded figure lurking in the shadows.

"Who is that?"

Pato's eyes narrowed. "One of Felix's advisors. Keep your guard up, lad."

The hooded figure vanished into the crowd, leaving Gillian with a sense of uneasiness.

"Xerxes is not the only one searching for the artifact. There are internal enemies who would stop at nothing to get it," Pato explained.

Gillian's face hardened with determination. "I am ready to do what it takes. I am ready." His grip on his dagger tightened.

"Good, we need to rest. We have a long day tomorrow."

When he slept, he was haunted by visions of some men dressed in black on a round table..the Selitial Council. He could barely hear what they were discussing.

He felt someone shaking him vigorously and he opened his eyes and rubbed it, still feeling groggy from sleep. The morning light streaked into the room.

"It's morning, Gillian. Rise."

Gillian stood up, he felt refreshed. "Good morning."

Pato nodded. "There is a new development."

Just then Klarissa walked into the room. "Whatever it is, just know that you can count on me."

Gillian felt a sense of relief as he smiled at Klarissa. "What is the new development?"

"Felix has agreed to help you. In exchange for something."

Gillian's heart skipped a bit.He became alert as he gazed at Pato. "What could that be?"

"You'll use your new found powers to protect the people in this settlement."

He let out a breath of relief. "Just that?"

"Yes, for now."

Gillian scratched his neck. "So there will be more requests from him in the future. Wow, great," he rolled his eyes. "Just yesterday, I was just an ordinary blacksmith. Now my life has taken a new path."

"And you need to be strong. The weight of the world now lies on your shoulder," Pato stated.

The door burst open and Felix ran in. "Xerxes men have breached the settlement's perimeter!," he shouted.

Klarissa took her sword from the table. "I will go with the scouts to gather intel on Xerxes men."

Felix's eyes shone with appreciation. "Very well then, we better get going." They ran outside as the settlement's alarm rang.

"We have to join them. They need my help," Gillian said in a loud voice.

"Hold on,Gillian. There's something you need to know," Pato said.

"And what could that be?"