ã€ŠThe Adventures of an Otherworldly Man.ã€‹


 Chapter 1: Arrival.

    ¡°We¡¯re going live in three¡­two¡­.one¡­!¡±

    With a slight hand gesture, the director gave the signal to the rest of the staff currently in the studio. The host of the show as well as today¡¯s guest wore their headphones and leaned closer to their microphones.

    ¡°Hello ladies and gentlemen! Welcome back to your favourite podcast! My name is Jason Voorhees and today we have another guest¡­. Coming straight from his lab in New York, everyone give it up for our brilliant science guy¡­ Ian Smith!¡±

    After that short and energetic intro coming from the familiar host of the show another man started talking with soft chuckle and a voice clearly deeper and more sophisticated than that of the previous speaker.

    ¡°Thanks for that intro Jason, I am really happy to be able to finally appear on your podcast.¡±

    ¡°I believe we are all Ian, including our listeners of course! So what sort of scientific magic will you be talking about today?¡±

    ¡°In case you didn¡¯t know, over the past few months there have been a bunch of new reports and theories circulating around a rather odd topic that we scientists can¡¯t properly give an answer to.¡±

    ¡°Does this have to do with some age-old question like ¡®Why do we exist?¡¯ or ¡®How the universe came to be?¡¯ ¡°

    ¡°I¡¯d say it¡¯s like ¡®How many universes came to be?¡¯ ¡°

    Kilometers away, at another part of the city, a young man listening to the podcast and wearing a pair of earbuds was opening a door. Behind it there was his everyday routine. A few months ago, he had finished school and was currently working part time at a fast food restaurant trying to save up some money in order to not run out of funds during his college years.

    -Better turn this thing off¡­.The boss wouldn¡¯t be too happy with me using my phone while working. Bummer¡­.I really like that podcast.-

    After finishing his inner monologue, the young adult donned the orange and white suit all employees were expected to wear during their shift. He walked out of the changing room looking at the rest of the staff who were currently scrubbing the counter and checking if all the fizzy drink dispensers were full. Adjusting his hat on his jet-black hair and pinning his name tag on the left side of his chest he saw a young woman, his supervisor, she walked with a springy step checking everyone out before stopping in front of him.

    ¡°Morning Aiden! I hope you¡¯re ready to serve all those hungry customers!¡±

    ¡°You sure are excited, even though it¡¯s still 8 in the morning.¡±

    Not the slightest bit of enthusiasm could be heard in his still slow talking voice and his sleepy dark brown eyes.

    ¡°Of course, I am! Supervising everyone is really fun, you should try it out when you get promoted.¡±

    Aiden pushed the counter door open and took a few steps outside staring at the tables before turning his head to stare at his colleague.

    ¡°Like they¡¯re going to promote a part timer. Anyway, it¡¯s no good being pessimistic so early in the morning. I¡¯m gonna go grab some coffee and come back to help open the restaurant.¡±

    Having said that he walked to the staff room. It was a medium sized, square room with a few chairs, a black couch, a wooden table with some essential coffee making ingredients, white walls with some orange stripes and two doors: one for the bathroom and an entrance that doubled as the exit.

    Aiden grabbed a cup poured some sugar in it, placed a capsule inside the coffee machine and started it up. The hot beverage soon dripped inside the waiting cup and filled the air with its aroma. A few seconds later the employee pulled the mug towards him and stirred the liquid with a teaspoon. It was then that he noticed a very peculiar sighting. Under the table he was currently standing in front of there was a patch of fresh, green and wild looking grass.

    -What the fuck? Is this artificial? It was definitely not here yesterday! -

    He could not think of any possible way that an all-natural patch of grass just popped up inside his workplace. Aiden let his mug on the table and crouched, crawling under the table and touching the mysterious grass all over, not finding any sign that it was man made or placed there using a carpet.

    Suddenly he felt a strong vibration moving up his arms. Panicking a bit, he saw that the patch of grass was getting smaller and smaller, being replaced once again with the beige colored floor tiles decorating the rest of the room.

    -I have to get a picture of this! -

    With one hand holding on to the grass and the other on shuffling around his pocket the vibrations stopped and the ground under him vanished. For a moment his whole body felt like it was floating in space, he couldn¡¯t feel anything what so ever. After that split second of, what can only be described as, the empty void Aiden felt ground under his feet once again. His eyes took a moment to adjust to the light now shining on his face.

    ¡°Where am I? Thi-This is not right!¡±

    His mind was racing as he stood up from the crawling position and looked around, frantically moving his head from side to side to gaze upon the area he had just landed on. The young man was now standing in the middle of a valley. The wild, green, cool grass was now swaying all around him as he felt a breeze hitting his face. The valley had some red and yellow flowers growing here and there as well as some weird plants he had never seen before.

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand¡­.It sure is pretty¡­but¡­What the hell is happening?!¡±

    At this point he was talking to himself, but there was a more important matter at hand. Behind him he heard a few pairs of hooves running away, that caused him to turn around and look towards what seemed to be a rich and thick pine forest a few kilometers away. Behind the tall, pointy tree tops he could see hills, mountains, snowy peaks and the sun that was slowly dropping behind the mountains. Looking around the place he noticed something. It was a village, not too small, not too big and since it was closer to him than anything else, he decided to check it out.

    Placing his smartphone back inside his pocket Aiden started walking towards civilization. Unevenly stumbling around on the ground, he stepped on a path made of stone, it was clear that it led inside the small town. Getting closer many different smells got to him from all angles. The smell of fireplaces burning from inside the wooden houses, the stench of manure and animals that were running around the place and a slight aroma of food and alcohol coming from inside an inn, located right after the village¡¯s entrance.

    -This is a proper medieval town! -

    He was still confused at everything that was going on around him, he believed that the only logical thing to do at this point, is to ask the first person he sees for help. That person just so happened to be a guard, currently patrolling near the open gate leading inside the village. As Aiden was about to go through it the man looked at him from inside his full-face helmet and reached out with his arm gesturing him to stop walking.

    ¡°Halt right there! Who are you and what business do you have in the village of Pinewood?¡±

    -Fuck¡­I truly have no idea where I am. With the clothes I have on there aren¡¯t many things I could be doing around these parts. -

    ¡°My name is¡­Aiden Read. I am a travelling jester from a faraway western village. I came here hoping to entertain the person who¡¯s in charge of this place!¡±

    ¡°A jester? Hmmm, I suppose we could use someone like you, times are quite dark indeed. Your outfit though¡­. I¡¯ve never seen such a garment before.¡±

    The guard reached out and grabbed Aiden¡¯s shirt, he was rubbing it between his fingers trying to identify the kind of clothing it was made off. He then noticed his name tag hanging from his chest.

    ¡°What is this tiny sign? ¡®Hello, my name is Aiden Read, and I am happy to serve you.¡¯ You didn¡¯t mention that you were a waiter.¡±

    The man let out a slow suspicious hum and looked at Aiden straight in the face.

    -If I panic now, I am fucked. -

    ¡°Well yeah¡­I was one in the previous town I passed by, but I ended up leaving. The working conditions were awful.¡±

    -Are working conditions even a thing here? I hope I still have my head by the end of this. -

    ¡°It¡¯s not part of our tradition to turn down visitors. Especially the ones looking for work. But I will keep my eye on you Jester.¡±

    Read just nodded at the guard speaking to him. He couldn¡¯t help but be impressed by his iron helmet, leather gloves, sharp arming sword hanging from his belt, chainmail armour and shield with the symbol of a pine tree hanging from his left arm.

    -If this is some kind of joke¡­they have nailed the aesthetic and costumes. -

    He removed the hat from his head and held it in his right hand while walking inside the village. The young man was, truly, clueless of what he was supposed to do. He had no idea of any of these people¡¯s customs or ideals.

    -I hope walking around and doing nothing is not considered rude here. -

    After a few steps he glared at a wooden sign hanging from relatively large building, compared to the others. ¡®Pinewood Inn¡¯ that was carved on the sign with two mugs filled with alcohol, they were apparently in the middle of a toast.

    -Better check this place out, there could be someone I can work with in there. -

    Trying to give himself hope Aiden walked up a couple of stairs outside the building, pushed open the door and took a few steps inside. He was greeted with a long rectangular room, there were tables pushed against the walls to keep the middle of the room empty, a small stage with no one currently on it, a large fire pit being used as a light source and as a cooking fire for the spit that was hanging above it. The rest of the place was lit with torches and lanterns. The smell was much stronger inside, the meat sizzling on the spit made him realize how much his stomach was rumbling.

    -Well, it¡¯s not like I have any money on me, so I guess I just have to endure it. Hmmm¡­. I guess I should just go to the inn keep and request some info. -

    Moving closer to the counter he tried to ignore all the looks he was getting. Being a new guy with some stupid clothes on was a great way to attract attention.

    ¡°Excuse me? My name is Aiden Read, and I¡¯d like to ask a few questions.¡±

    The man standing behind the counter seemed to be roughly in his 40s, his hair had only a few grey spots and he was rocking a short full beard. He raised his head and cleared his throat before speaking to Aiden.

    ¡°I am Conrad, the innkeep. Hmmm... I haven¡¯t seen you around before¡­where are you from?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a jester from a faraway land in the west!¡±

    ¡°I want a name. What is the land called?¡±The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°¡­.um¡­.California?¡±

    Conrad let out a chuckle and stroke his short beard.

    ¡°If you think I am a fool you should go back to where you came from. Whatever that place is actually called.¡±

    -This guy has never heard of California? Where am I exactly? What kind of place is this? I don¡¯t suppose I¡­¡­No no no, that¡¯s too crazy to be true. Right? -

    ¡°¡­To be honest¡­. I have no idea how I got here. I was hoping I could get some information about this place.¡±

    ¡°You could very well be a spy sent to collect information, before disappearing. I can¡¯t tell you anything since I don¡¯t have proof of who you are. Although Lord Lloyd can help with your odd case. His household is located at the other side of the village. It¡¯s a large building, hard to miss.¡±

    ¡°Thanks for telling me, I¡¯ll be sure to check it out. I¡¯ll probably come back some other time¡­when I actually have money to spend.¡±

    ¡°My pleasure. Off you go now, I have customers to tend to.¡±

    -Please don¡¯t let the Lord be an asshole. -

    Waving goodbye Aiden walked out of the inn and looked around to see where he was supposed to go. He started moving, following the innkeep¡¯s instructions. There were children running around and playing with wooden swords and shields. One of them was holding a wooden cane and chanting something.

    -What?! Is there magic in this place?! No way¡­. there can¡¯t be something like that, it¡¯s probably just the imagination of a child¡­no need to be impressed¡­ or worried. -

    As he was passing through various houses and stores Aiden was trying to think of what he was going to do after his meeting with the Lord. His choices were not many. Should he just bail on the whole thing and try his luck elsewhere? Accept his fate and possibly get accused of being a spy?

    -I suppose talking to Lloyd is the best option. Learning more about this place is my top priority at the moment. -

    The newcomer strode along the main stretch of road. He was still getting weird looks from the townspeople around him. Needless to say, he didn¡¯t want to explore any other parts of the village before learning some vital information about this place, like the crime rate.

    Aiden was now closer to the second main gate of the village, around it there was a not so tall pointy, wooden fence.

    -That¡¯s weird¡­. the other gate didn¡¯t have any fencing around it. Well..I suppose there is a possibility I just missed it.-

    With a slight shrug Aiden glanced over at a building around the same size as the inn, slightly bigger even. There was a deep-green banner hung right outside the front door. It was placedon a tall pole and was practically still due to the wind being almost nonexistent. There were two rather fabulous, blue Ls drawn on it.

    -¡®L. L.¡¯ That has to stand for Lord Lloyd.-

    And with that thought the young man pushed open the door stepping inside the structure.

    The place did not have any particularly strong smell like the inn or the main road. Aiden glanced around the new area quickly. In the middle of the hall there was a long dining table, on its one end there was a throne. Looking up he saw the upper part of the household. The second floor of the building consisted only of a wooden deck supported by some pillars that creeped around the room surrounding the dining table while letting the area above it empty so that the full height of the building could be seen. Two chandeliers were hung from the wooden ceiling and reached down low, they were almost at the same height as the deck, their light was seeping through the empty space in the middle of the second floor and lit the bottom floor with the help of a few torches.

    The new comer took a few steps closer to the dining table. Sitting on the chairs surrounding the table there was a selection of individuals. All of them looking straight at him. The one closer to him was a muscular man with rich, dark blonde facial hair and a bald head, he was wearing some leather armor lined with brown fur and resting on the side of his chair there was a familiar great sword: the claymore. A bit further away and on the opposite side there was a gentle and slender figure. A woman with pale skin, jet-black, long, straight hair and grey pupils. She had taken her eyes off a book she was reading and was now staring at Aiden. The young man almost let out a gasp as he noticed her pointy ears peaking from under her hair.

    -Is that an elf?!-

    He was lost in thought for a second but quickly fell back into the real world when he saw two sharp spears form an X in front of him. Turning his head from side to side he finally noticed two guards standing next to him, they wore the same outfit as the one patrolling near the gate.

    Aiden centered his gaze once again and focused on the two people sitting the furthest away. The first one was wearing a normal garment and looked older than the rest, he thought the man could be more than 50 years old. Next to him a younger and stronger looking lad was leaning closer to examine the new guy. He looked like he wasn¡¯t past his 30s and was wearing clothing that clearly showed his higher status. Also¡­he was the one sitting on the throne.

    -That must be Lloyd. Everything will be okay¡­. I, simply, musn¡¯t say anything that could fuck up my chances with this dude.-

    ¡°I¡­I would like to speak with the one in charge...¡±

    Lloyd moved his auburn hair out of the way so he could take a better look at the stranger.

    ¡°I need to know your name and the reason behind your request.¡±

    ¡°I am Aiden Read, and I have come here to ask for your help.¡±

    ¡°Requesting help from a lord¡­¡­It must be terribly urgent, otherwise you are just wasting my time.¡±

    -I guess he can tell I am a no one because of my clothes¡­or probably the fact that he hears my name for the first time.¡±

    ¡°It truly is important my lord. Shall I tell you what the problem is?¡±

    ¡°Go ahead and I hope you don¡¯t mind my friends listening as well. They are my most trustworthy companions.¡±

    The guards lowered their arms and Aiden took a few steps closer to the table. Lloyd gestured him to take a seat and so he did. He felt that the two guards standing behind him were ready to attack if they saw him doing something that could endanger the lord¡¯s life. Before speaking Aiden cleared his throat.

    ¡°So¡­ A few minutes ago, I was transported into this place. I have no idea where I am or what year it is. I asked the innkeep for help but he was too cautious to give me any information so he said that you are the only one that can help me with this issue.¡±

    Lloyd as well as everyone else sitting around the table looked at the newcomer with a very examining look. They were trying to see if he was lying.

    ¡°Transported you say¡­. Do you remember where you came from?¡±

    ¡°I came from¡­a big city filled with concrete, horseless carts, electricity that lit our homes and huge buildings that pierced the sky. I was working at a restaurant.¡±

    Aiden was not sure how to describe the place he lived. It was the first time he had to do something like this. His mind was racing once again¡­after speaking with the locals the idea that he was in another universe was growing into him more and more. It was an uneasy feeling but at the same time he couldn¡¯t help but feel excited about the all new experiences he was hoping to have.

    The elf, the warrior, the older man and the lord all exchanged some looks before slightly nodding to each other.

    ¡°Your claims are very intriguing. Is there anything that can prove your words?¡±

    Lloyd¡¯s question made Aiden think for a few seconds.

    -So my clothes aren¡¯t enough¡­.Oh! I know!.-

    ¡°Allow me to pull something out of my pocket.¡±

    The lord nodded and Aiden grabbed his smartphone and untangled the earbuds before showing it to everybody.

    ¡°This is called a smartphone. It¡¯s a multipurposed device that can help with information gathering, communication, entertainment and much more. Unfortunately, there is a limit to how much time it can stay active before needing to recharge and, from what I¡¯ve seen so far, this place lacks the necessary items to charge it, as well as use it properly.¡±

    The four individuals passed the phone around while exchanging looks. It was really hard for Aiden to make out what they were ¡®saying¡¯ to each other.

    ¡°Lloyd, I cannot sense any form of magic in this artifact.¡±

    The elf spoke. Her voice was softer than that of most humans and her accent clearly implied that this wasn¡¯t her mother tongue. Someone could describe her way of speech as kind of melodic.

    It was then that Aiden noticed the elf¡¯s eyes. Her grey pupils were now surrounded by a weird, visible, silver aura. As she took her eyes off the phone they returned to normal and passed the device to Lloyd¡¯s hand. The lord examined the item carefully and then placed it down in front of him before looking up at Aiden.

    ¡°So, it is true. You have come from somewhere outside of our world.¡±

    The newcomer was currently trying to suppress his awe. He just learned that not only he is in another world, but this world has magic and races other than humans.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t do it on purpose though. Is there a way to help me get back or at least contact my family?¡±

    The older man spoke first.

    ¡°I believe Lin is the only one that can provide what you need.¡±

    He stared at the elf for a moment before she responded with a nod.

    ¡°As the top wizard of this town I will assist you¡­Unfortunately I know not of a way to send you back. The only help I am able to provide is all the information we have on that matter. Please, follow me.¡±

    Aiden nodded, picked up his phone and stood up shortly after the elf. With Lin leading the way they went up the stairs and walked on the wooden deck above the others who started discussing something, Aiden couldn¡¯t make out what the conversation was about, but he had a strong feeling it was about him.

    The elf and the newcomer walked past a few doors before stopping in front of one with a sign hanging on it. It read ¡®Zaelinia Trenzalore, Elven Witch¡¯.

    -So, this is her full name. It definitely sounds non-human. -

    ¡°I will get some books that may prove helpful in solving your case. Do you mind waiting in my study room? It¡¯s the door right next to this one, I won¡¯t take long.¡±

    Saying that she retreated into her room while Aiden nodded in agreement and went inside her study area. After he closed the door behind him the curious young man took a good look around. The room was well lit and had a few desks as well as book shelves all over the place. One desk was way tidier compared to the others and had some materials and items necessary for writing and drawing, the rest were covered in books, both open and closed, maps, papyruses, scrolls and notes, apparently taken by the elf. He noticed that some of them were written in elvish but since he was too afraid of moving anything, so he just read the notes that were not covered up from a safe distance.

    A couple of minutes passed while Aiden was idly reading random notes¡­..he couldn¡¯t understand much.

    Suddenly the door opened, and the elf clumsily walked inside the room holding two thick books and some note filled papers stacked between them.

    ¡°I apologize for keeping you waiting, it just took some time to find all my notes¡­¡±

    Aiden was not surprised. The elf surely did not seem like the most organized person in the world, despite how she acted while sitting near the Lord.

    ¡°No need to apologize¡­. the least I can do is wait.¡±

    -I wonder how much I¡¯ll owe Lloyd after this. -

    ¡°So, uh¡­ Not that I don¡¯t appreciate it¡­But why did you decide to help me? I was afraid you¡¯d be more hostile towards me and question my claims more.¡±

    Lin placed the books on the table and then turned to Aiden tucking her hair behind her elven ear.

    ¡°I understand why you may find our reaction overly calm, and why you¡¯d think that this device of yours is insufficient proof. Never the less, I have to reassure you that we are no fools or na?ve children.¡±

    She turned her head towards the books she just brought with her and begun turning the pages clearly looking for something specific.

    ¡°You may come closer and take a look traveler, I am sure this will answer quite a few of your questions.¡±

    Aiden took a step closer and leaned over the book. On the top of the left page there was a title: ¡®Peculiar Stories and Events from Around the World¡¯. He then turned his gaze to the right page and read what he believed to be this chapter¡¯s headline: ¡®The Elders from Nowhere¡¯. The entire page was decorated with a drawing of what seemed to be 5 individuals, rather old and wearing what seemed like hoodies and jackets, they also held something in their hands, each one had a phone, much older than the one had.

    ¡°This book was written many a year ago. There are only a few copies left, but they aren¡¯t all that valuable as the book is just a collection of short stories, even though there are a couple exceptions. Naturally, there are some events that have taken place in this very world¡­. This one for example.¡±

    She pointed at the left page and then paused so Aiden could read what was written on it.

    As he was reading the page carefully his mind was racing again. He needed to read each sentence multiple times to make sure nothing was overlooked. When Aiden was done reading, he turned to the Elven Witch and opened his mouth to talk.

    ¡°So¡­. this has happened before? You¡¯ve had another traveler like me come to your world?¡±

    Lin pulled the book towards her and gave it a final glance before turning her gaze on Aiden.

    ¡°Quite right. Although, this happened more than 2000 years ago. I¡¯m afraid I wasn¡¯t alive back then and have no more knowledge on this subject.¡±

    Aiden took some of her handmade notes on the subject and read them. They weren¡¯t of much use. It was mostly a collection of questions she had on the subject and, apparently, she wanted to one day answer them all.

    ¡°2000 years? That¡¯s impossible¡­ The phones portraited in the drawing should only be a couple decades old.¡±

    He started putting two and two together and as Lin was opening her mouth to talk, he interrupted her.

    ¡°Unless, time moves differently from world to world.¡±

    ¡°I have already theorized this. But since you are now saying this, I believe my suspicion was indeed correct.¡±

    Aiden didn¡¯t say anything. He was too taken aback by all the new information and could not notice the excitement that the Elf was trying to hide from the moment she walked inside this room.

    ¡°You seem exhausted. I believe you are now considered our guest. Please, request one of the guards to guide you to your room while I have a conversation with our Lord about your situation.¡±

    Aiden didn¡¯t need to be asked twice. He did exactly like he was told, and he soon was sitting on his new, but temporary, bed.

    He was provided with some casual clothing and after changing, Aiden laid down and tried to put everything in order inside his mind. From what he read, the 5 elders were the ones that introduced the Common Tongue to this world. Of course, he knew that this language was indeed English. Aiden decided there wasn¡¯t much he could do at this point, just like a great wizard once said: ¡®All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.¡¯ Although¡­.the word place is a bit more fitting compared to time, in this particular situation.

    The newcomer soon drifted off to sleep, his hunger was forgotten, and he felt incredibly tired even though it wasn¡¯t really that late.

    Chapter 1: Arrival.

    END

 Chapter 2: Training and dining.

    It was pitch black. Aiden was only holding a flashlight while running away from a monster. There was no sound or shadow behind him, but he knew¡­.he knew that something was trying to get him. He could feel its breath hit his neck and his legs were ready to give out. He kept running and running, sprinting as fast as he could but there was no sign of an exit.

    Aiden was being chased for what felt like a century. Suddenly the light of his flashlight shone upon a wet, stone wall that was in front of him. He stopped sprinting and leaned on the wall turning and shining the light on the creature running behind him. He was sweating, breathing heavily and it was hard to open his eyes and come face to face with the being.

    He gathered all the courage he had and opened his eyes wide to finally see what was about to kill him. The terrifying scream of the monster was heard as the light hit its body ¡®KIKIRIKOUUUUUU¡­..KIKIRIKOUUUUU¡¯. Of course, that was the sound a rooster made every morning. Aiden managed to see the crimson and brown colours of its feathers before that sound was heard again, but now he jumped up a bit and opened his eyes for a second time. This time he was looking at a wooden ceiling and was laying on a wooden bed, covered by some blankets made from animal fur.

    -It was just a dream¡­.It¡¯s a bit sad that what happened yesterday wasn¡¯t.-

    With that thought he got up and stretched as much as he could before rubbing his eyes a bit and grabbing a toothpaste and a toothbrush from the desk next to his bed. The real-life rooster could still be heard outside.

    -I¡¯m surprised they have stuff like that here. Hmm made by an alchemist I suppose. Well, let¡¯s hope my teeth will stay the way they are. ¨C

    After spending a few minutes getting ready he wore the clothes that were given to him and walked down the stairs to greet and thank everyone that was sitting in the main hall.

    Also, Aiden found out that apparently there was a sewage disposal system in place, he thought it was neat.

    The main hall was mostly empty. There was some food on the table but the only one eating was that muscular man he saw yesterday. The warrior was currently taking a big gulp from his ale mug.

    ¡°Morning newblood! I see you¡¯ve finally awakened.¡±

    Aiden took a few steps forwards before speaking.

    ¡°Good morning, sir. I wanted to thank you for letting me stay here, I will make sure to thank everyone else as soon as I see them.¡±

    He was intimidated by the man¡¯s appearance and the claymore that was, once again, leaning against his chair. Aiden had decided that until he knew more about this place¡¯s customs, he ought to be as polite as possible.

    ¡°Sir? Oh, but I¡¯m no knight. I am a warrior! Titles such as this are meaningless to someone like me! Say, Mr. Read, I know your name, but I don¡¯t think you know mine. I am Duran Gradimore, my soldiers call me Steelthunder. I don¡¯t really care what name you decide to use.¡±

    Aiden sat down and gave a slight head bow.

    ¡°It¡¯s good to know your name. You can call me whatever you see fit as well.¡±

    There was slight pause as Duran drank another gulp of his ale.

    ¡°So? Why are you sitting there like a training dummy? Go on then, eat and drink your fill! Something tells me you¡¯ll have a long day in front of you.¡±

    Aiden took that warning and begun eating, as well as drinking. After a few bites and sips he turned to Duran, but the man begun talking before he could gather his thoughts.

    ¡°I truly hope that you are the person you claim to be¡­Aiden.¡±

    His tone was serious, and his eyes were looking straight at the newcomer. Aiden felt uncomfortable. It was a sensation he had never felt before and was certainly hoping he would never have to feel again. Quivering in his seat, he managed to respond to that comment.

    ¡°Mr. Gradimore¡­.I reassure you¡­..I¡¯ve told you the truth¡­.I¡¯m no spy¡­or¡­assassin.¡±

    Steelthunder smirked at Aiden and drank from his stein. At that moment the newcomer felt relieved. He took a deep breath and looked back at Duran waiting for an explanation, what he felt was not something any human could do.

    ¡°Wondering about the magic that I used on you, right?¡±

    Aiden nodded and waited for the answer.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s part of what we call the Aura. A very simple form of mana manipulation that every capable person can use. There are two kinds Auras: the first is called Aura of the Sun and the second Aura of the Moon. I can teach you about the first but for the second you¡¯ll have to consult someone else. I¡¯d recommend Lin.¡±

    It was certain that Aiden would want to learn more about magic and how to use it. He stood up and bowed low, careful not to bump his head on his table.

    ¡°Please teach me! And, I¡¯d appreciate it if you could tell me where Miss Lin is.¡±

    ¡°She is upstairs, checking all of your stuff.¡±

    Aiden straightened his back and looked at Duran with somewhat of a shocked face.

    ¡°Don¡¯t act surprised. As soon as you left your room she snuck in and took all your belongings to make sure you¡¯re not lying. If she doesn¡¯t find anything, you¡¯ll have your stuff back and you¡¯ll be fully accepted as our guest, but if you turn out to be trying to deceive us, I¡¯ll personally cut off your head and send it back where it came from."

    Even though Aiden was not lying, he couldn¡¯t help but feel worried.

    Steelthunder said nothing about becoming Aiden¡¯s mentor, they both decided it would be better to wait until Lin had finished with her investigation.

    After a while they were both quietly drinking some beer while taking a bite or two from their food. Aiden was rather stressed out and could feel Duran¡¯s stare the entire time. Suddenly, a slight creak was heard from the stairs behind Aiden and they both focused their gaze on the elf that had just stepped down from the final step.

    The atmosphere was as tense as ever. Duran wrapped his fingers around his claymore¡¯s handle and waited for Lin to talk.

    ¡°I am delighted to inform the both of you that Aiden¡¯s belongings have no evidence that disprove his claims. There was no trace of any magic and they were all created with techniques, materials and equipment unknown to this world.¡±

    The sigh that escaped Aiden¡¯s mouth was carrying all his worries and stress, at least concerning that matter. Duran, as well, was relieved and pulled his hand away from the grip of his sword.

    ¡°HA! That¡¯s good news! Lin, please come and take a seat, I believe our guest has matters he¡¯d like to discuss with the both of us.¡±

    The elf smiled and the air seemed now considerably lighter. She quickly made her way around the great table and sat on Duran¡¯s side, although not right next to him.

    ¡°As I was saying, Aiden wants to know more about the Sun and Moon Auras. I assume he¡¯d also like to be trained and taught how to use them.¡±

    ¡°A most intriguing statement indeed, Duran. It would be my pleasure to help Aiden by training him.¡±

    Lin was rather happy that Aiden was not a spy, meeting someone from a different world was her childhood dream that she had no hope of accomplishing.

    ¡°Thank you very much for accepting. Although, as you¡¯ve probably guessed already, I have absolutely no clue what the Auras are and how to use them.¡±

    His answer didn¡¯t surprise the elf nor the man. They both looked at him and stood up.

    ¡°Well young man, you may come with us so your training can start. Since you¡¯ll be my apprentice, I¡¯d like you to help the guards if need be, that¡¯s the only payment I need for your sessions.¡±

    That statement made Aiden particularly happy, he had nothing else to offer to his hosts other than his services, limited as they may be.

    -Okay, I have to work hard and prove myself to these people. I can¡¯t let their generous actions go to waste and I certainly can¡¯t let them down. -

    With that thought he drank the last bit of ale that rested in his mug and stood up, with a slight smile, to follow his new teachers.

    They left Lloyd¡¯s household and begun making their way to the east edge of the village, where the barracks were stationed. Duran instructed Aiden and Lin to go in the training yard and wait for him. They, of course, did so. The yard was an open space behind the barracks, the ground was coated with dirt like a colosseum to prevent slipperiness and there was equipment scattered around. A couple of soldiers were using the dummies to better their swordplay and one more was lifting some weights. Zaelinia asked the soldiers, politely, to stop training for now, apparently, she believed they would need the entire yard to be empty.

    -Damn, I hope she doesn¡¯t think I¡¯ll suck so much that I¡¯ll cause an explosion or something like that. -

    In fact, that was exactly what Lin was thinking.

    A couple of minutes passed before Duran finally walked inside the yard. On his back rested a leather bag filled with all different types of weapons a soldier or guard could use.

    ¡°What you see here are some training weapons. They are neither sharp nor pointy enough to cause any real damage, that means they¡¯re perfect for a newbie like you.¡±

    After saying that, Duran placed down the bag and pulled his claymore out of it before gesturing Aiden to grab his own weapon of choice.

    ¡°My trusty blade is the only exception!¡±

    While the trainee was looking through all the different arms Duran gave his claymore a couple of swings before resting it on his pauldron-covered shoulder.

    -Damn¡­. what should I pick? A polearm would probably be the safest choice, right? Hmmm, I could always get a shield and a war hammer or mace¡­. ¨C

    Aiden was trying to think of the safest and easiest choice, but his gaze always wondered over a particular great sword. The weapon in question was larger than Duran¡¯s claymore, although, not by much, its grip seemed comfortable and fairly long, wrapped in some form of black material.

    He was no sword maker nor master, but this design really caught his eye. Aiden stretched his left hand and got a grip on the handle before pulling it out of the bag and holding it in front of him to show Lin and Duran his choice.

    ¡°Ah! The zweihander! What a great choice!¡±

    Steelthunder seemed overjoyed by Aiden¡¯s great sword pick. The trainee himself, was in awe as he stared at the weapon¡¯s blade. Its total length was about the same as his height, and that was no small feat since Aiden was around 1.85m himself! About a hand and a half above the guard there were two parry-hooks, one on each side and the blade below them was even blunter than the part above them, that design choice was common among such great swords because many techniques required the user to hold that part of the blade.

    ¡°I believe I¡¯ve made my choice. I quite like the look of this sword.¡±

    ¡°Let us hope you are capable enough to use it with maximum efficiency!¡±

    Lin seemed to be as excited as Duran although she was trying to hide it behind her elven grace. The last remark made her blush slightly and turn towards Steelthunder.

    ¡°I think, we ought to teach him about the Auras before he wields the sword.¡±

    ¡°Aye, I agree. You better start, I¡¯d bet you can explain it better than I.¡±

    Duran took a few steps back and Lin got closer to Aiden. The trainee turned the blade towards the ground and held it as if it were a staff.

    ¡°I believe you are already familiar with combat that does not involve any type of magic, right?¡±

    ¡®Well, yeah. Only the basics thought, I am no general if that¡¯s what you¡¯re asking me.¡±

    Lin smiled a bit and chuckled.

    ¡°That is what I expected. I believe Duran has already introduced you to the power of the Sun Aura, I felt his intimidating gaze being used while my investigation was still on-going.¡±

    -She doesn¡¯t seem that annoyed by it. I was scared shitless when that happened! ¨C

    ¡°Do not worry, for it is natural to have an intense experience the first time you are introduced to the power of this art. The Aura of the Sun, also known as the Art of Creation, is the ability to summon mana and use it in order to create a plethora of energies and simple items. It can be used to smite your enemies with fire from the pits of hell or to simply repair a girl¡¯s doll. This Aura is around every being and embraces the user¡¯s body, providing protection and strength. Having said that, not everyone has trained enough to be able to properly grow his Aura and make it usable. In order for someone to have mastered the Art of Creation, their Aura should be flexible enough to stretch and cover any weapon they are wielding, making it a true extension of their body and allowing to be infused with the person¡¯s magic. They, also, must have maintained a proper connection with the source of all the Mana in order to draw from it whenever they please, eliminating the need of medication and focus. Finally, it is absolutely necessary that the Aura touching their skin is resistant enough so no type of psychic or mana-manipulative ability can have any effect inside their body and the Aura around their body is able to withstand most of the basic magic attacks.¡±If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

    Zaelinia stopped talking and took a deep breath. She looked at Aiden and waited for him to react. He was rather confused with the whole thing but after a few seconds he nodded so she could continue.

    ¡°The Aura of the Moon also known as the Art of Manipulation is an ability only certain individuals have. Those people are usually referred to as mages. As you may have already realized the Aura of the Sun has a very limited range around the user, a couple of meters at best, maybe slightly more if their weapons are large enough and their Creation Art is flexible. This, of course, is a problem. A satisfying and easy to understand example would be that of the fireball.¡±

    Lin turns the empty yard space and extends one of her hands. Her fingers got embraced by flames and a sphere of fire shot out of her hand. At first the speed seemed slow and the shape as well as movement appeared to be controlled by her, after the ball got about a meter away from her hand it lost all shape and dropped on the ground, going out in the process.

    ¡°That was the result of me trying to cast a spell without using my Moon Aura. As soon as the mana-created energy or item exits my Sun Aura I lose all control over it. An experienced mage is not really in danger when that happens but if I were an amateur that fireball could have been packed with more power than it should and would have exploded as soon as it left my area of control. The Moon Aura works in a similar way with the only difference being that it provides no extra protection and cannot be used to summon Mana. You can only use it to extend the area around you where your magic can still be manipulated. Also, it is worth noting that your magic can only be controlled by you, your opponent will only be able to destroy your spells if they enter their Sun Aura and if they are powerful enough to do so. Do you have any questions you would like me to answer?¡±

    ¡°Uuuh¡­ So, anything that is inside my Sun Aura can be affected by my magic.¡±

    ¡°If you are powerful enough to do it then yes. It is obviously harder to melt iron than to set a pile of straw ablaze. Also, in order to affect any being you need to first overpower their own Sun Aura.¡±

    Aiden had a thoughtful look on his face as he nodded. He slightly frowned before asking the following question.

    ¡°Is it possible for someone to master both Auras as well as some form of close quarters combat?¡±

    ¡°It is unlikely. For someone to do that they would need to have immeasurable talent and skill. Every powerful individual I have met can use the Aura of the Sun although fighters tend to specialize in just one form of magic and their Moon Aura is limited or non-existent. On the other hand, magic users can use both Auras and have a greater collection of spells but have almost no knowledge of weapons and their bodies are not that strong and sturdy. I do believe someone can use and practice many fighting styles, but it is highly improbable that they can master all of them.¡±

    Aiden had understood most of the things Lin talked about. He, personally, wanted to train his Art of Creation and chose to hone his sword fighting skills instead of becoming a proper mage.

    -I know a few people back home that would kill me for this decision. ¨C

    ¡°I have decided to train in the Art of Creation and practice with the sword I¡¯ve chosen.¡±

    The elf and the warrior exchanged a few looks before nodding.

    ¡°Whatever floats your boat, what do you say Lin?¡±

    ¡°A respectable choice. I will now go and find our Lord to inform him about our guest¡¯s training as well as his honesty.¡±

    The witch bided the two men farewell and left them alone is the training yard.

    ¡°So, newblood! Learning how to use the Aura of the Sun is no small task. In fact, you can¡¯t do it at the moment. You must first learn how to use a sword and gain some sparring experience as well as a battle sense before you are able to feel the Aura and its capabilities. Understood?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir! I am ready to learn.¡±

    Steelthunder gave him a wide smile to hype him up and then begun their first ever training session. The lesson consisted of Aiden learning how to properly hold and swing his great sword. A few basic stances and techniques were introduced, and some advanced ones were teased.

    The sun was moving through the sky above the mentor and the student as they both worked up a sweat from practicing their sword play. Towards the end of the training session Steelthunder showed Aiden a few exercises with and without equipment that could help him make his muscles more fitting for sword fighting. Aiden was a pretty fit guy, but he never had to train like a true soldier before, so this was a whole new level of exercising for him.

    The lesson lasted for quite some time, and they could have gone on for a couple more hours if Lin had not come back to inform them that dinner was ready, and they should probably go and clean themselves up before eating.

    ¡°Alright, thanks for the head up.¡±

    ¡°Indeed. Aiden, follow me to the bathhouse and don¡¯t worry about the weapons, the soldiers will take care of them.¡±

    The trainee nodded and left his great sword leaned against a training dummy, he then wiped some sweat from his forehead and followed the chatting Duran and Lin who were walking a couple of meters in front of him.

    ¡°May I ask if your first training session was productive?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d say yes. Well¡­I¡¯ve certainly had worse students. He does know how to hold a sword properly and he¡¯s got the basics somewhat down, but he¡¯ll definitely need more practice with his footwork and the fluidity of his movements before he can survive in any battlefield.¡±

    Aiden was not hurt by the comments, he thought that Duran was an honest man and a great sword wasn¡¯t exactly the easiest sword to use.

    -Huh. Who would have thought that my ¡®training¡¯ with that wooden sword back home would actually prove useful? ¨C

    As they got closer to the Household Duran and Lin parted ways, she went inside while Aiden followed his sword-mentor behind the building were another structure was located. The second building was wooden and quite smaller than the main one, it also had metals pipes around it that got out of the ground and creeped up the walls eventually entering the place through the roof.

    ¡°So, that¡¯s the bathhouse I assume?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it is Lloyd¡¯s bathhouse to be exact. Although, everyone living under his roof can use it. Let¡¯s go in now, I¡¯m getting kind of hungry.¡±

    Aiden nodded and they both entered the building. As they got inside there was a small square hall and four doors, including the one they just used.

    ¡°Left one leads to the changing rooms, right one to the bath and the middle one leads to the showers. I¡¯ll be using the middle one today, if you¡¯re not that hungry you can use the bath since it¡¯s going to take some time to fill it up and all.¡±

    ¡°I think I¡¯ll be taking a shower as well.¡±

    They first went inside the changing rooms. As they entered, they saw around 6 doors, 3 on each side, connected by a narrow hallway.

    ¡°There should be a change of clothes in each one of them, just dump your dirty clothes inside that big basket at the end of the hallway and wear the new ones once we are done.¡±

    ¡°Okay, but who is going to take care of them?¡±

    ¡°Haven¡¯t you seen the maids that live in the household?¡±

    ¡°Uuuh¡­. No?¡±

    ¡°Huh. Well, you did sleep late after all. Anyway, just get naked, grab a towel and head to the showers.¡±

    Duran walked inside one of the changing rooms and begun taking his clothes off. Aiden did the same, but he was extremely uncomfortable.

    -I suppose being naked and showering with other men is normal in my world¡­. If you¡¯re in prison or you crave some of that meat scepter yourself. I should probably not think about it that much: our cultures are quite different after all¡­. I need to fit in, so I¡¯ll just roll with it. ¨C

    Aiden was not homophobic, but he wasn¡¯t gay himself. He grabbed the towel and held it in an angle that covered his junk. A lot of thoughts were going through his mind: what if he got a random and very awkward boner, what if he¡¯s supposed to wear something instead of being butt-naked but hasn¡¯t noticed it yet¡­.

    Eventually he got out of the changing room only to find that Duran was already in the showers, he followed and hang his towel on a towel-rack located in the four-doored hall. Aiden walked inside the showers and noticed that Duran had chosen the 6<sup>th</sup> and final shower at the back of the chamber, he obviously realized Aiden was uncomfortable with this.

    The first few minutes were pretty awkward for Aiden, but eventually he realized there was probably nothing to be worried or nervous about. He started feeling better and his embarrassment died out as he finished his shower. Duran finished a couple of minutes before Aiden and as he exited the room turned to his student.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be going to the table with the others, once you¡¯re done come join us.¡±

    Aiden nodded and kept cleaning himself. Once he was done as well, he slightly opened the door and grabbed his towel. He begun drying himself and then wrapped it around his waist before making his way back to his changing room. There he wore his fresh clothes and dumped the old ones in the basket along with the towel he used to dry himself with. Aiden, then walked closer to a wall-mounted torch and used its heat to completely dry his hair, before going to the table to join the rest.

    Soon Aiden was walking towards the main table where everyone else was sitting and the maids he had heard about were walking around bringing everyone food and drink. There was a total of 2 maids and a butler. Aiden bowed towards the Lord and Lloyd gestured him to sit down with them.

    ¡°Thank you for letting me stay, I am in your debt.¡±

    ¡°You are welcome, and I will keep that in mind. If I¡¯m not mistaken, Lin informed me that you decided to train hoping to become part of our guard force and Duran said that there is potential in you.¡±

    While Lloyd was talking the maids and the butler stopped bringing food and went back inside the kitchen. It was then that Aiden noticed a couple of instrument-carrying people who begun playing an ambient tune in order to entertain the ones eating.

    ¡°It is true that I¡¯m hoping I could be of some help and that I am trying not to disappoint you.¡±

    ¡°My Lord, I believe Aiden will need a second teacher capable of quickly helping him learn about our town as well as the kingdom¡¯s current situation. May I offer myself to be that teacher.¡±

    Lloyd turned his head towards Lin and drank some mead he had previously poured in his goblet.

    ¡°I think you are right, he can¡¯t be going around without knowing some important information. Just be sure to not get carried away, tell him only what he needs to know, there is no need for him to be given access to all of our secrets.¡±

    Aiden nodded in agreement and Lin smiled a bit before placing a cherry-tomato in her mouth and gently chewing it, she was apparently pleased with the answer.

    -Oh boy¡­ I have watched and read some Isekai type of anime and manga before, usually the protagonist is summoned because he is part of some bigger plan or something. Unfortunately, I think that I was either very lucky or unlucky to find myself in this situation. ¨C

    He sighed before taking a bite out of his beefsteak.

    ¡°Aiden, I think we can answer some of your questions right now, so ask away.¡±

    Duran made that statement and both Lloyd and Lin looked at Aiden waiting for him to ask something.

    ¡°Alright, first things first, I need to know how friendly the people in the town are. Are crimes a usual occurrence and will I be murdered as soon as I decide to take a stroll outside this house?¡±

    Lloyd decided to answer this question.

    ¡°My people are friendly and welcoming, I like to think. If you are no threat and you get to know them, I bet they will accept you as a member of our town. Also, crimes do happen, but they are uncommon, this is not a big city, so all the people know each other, surely there are a few quarrels here and there, but we all respect our neighbors and our neighbors¡¯ neighbors¡­outsiders are the only people I believe are capable of committing any actual crime and harm my people.¡±

    ¡°Understood. What about the situation outside your walls? Is there anyone trying to harm this place or any area that I should avoid?¡±

    Lloyd chomped on a chicken leg and Duran jumped in to answer Aiden¡¯s question.

    ¡°You see, this province is currently in a time of peace when it comes to actual warfare. There is however a problem that has troubled all the lords and nobles in the province. Someone is trying to assassinate the King.¡±

    There was short pause and Duran drank some of his beer and wiped some foam from his bushy beard before resuming his talking.

    ¡°There was an assassination attempt last month, luckily it failed. The capital has already contacted the rest of the provinces, but they seem to be denying everything and there is no evidence that hints to it being orchestrated by someone outside our kingdom.¡±

    ¡°And I assume the other Royal Families don¡¯t want to be dragged into this?¡±

    ¡°That is correct, we need to figure everything out by ourselves.¡±

    That was Lloyd talking once again, Lin was quiet but seemed to be mentally following the conversation. Another short paused ensued and Aiden realized a couple of things he previously missed.

    ¡°Excuse me, but I don¡¯t believe I know your full name Lord Lloyd.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, is that so? My name is Lloyd Bellclaire the 3<sup>rd</sup>. Anything else?¡±

    ¡°Actually, yeah. Wasn¡¯t there another person here yesterday? I don¡¯t know his name either.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you must be referring to my steward, William Verolous. He¡¯s gone to another town east of here for some business concerning animal trading, nothing too important.¡±

    ¡°Alright, thanks for the information.¡±

    The dinner continued for about an hour. Aiden was mostly quiet while the other three discussed a plethora of topics. Some were as simple as how much a pouch of seeds should cost or if their bread was too doughy, others were more interesting: apparently there was a goblin nest somewhere in the forest and the lumberjacking business of Pinewood was greatly impaired.

    ¡°My lord, I must say that sending a group of guards or soldiers to investigate would prove terribly insufficient. We need an expert for this kind of job.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Lin, but are you saying that the guards I train aren¡¯t capable of killing some goblins?¡±

    ¡°I do believe that they are more than able to protect Pinewood from a goblin raid, but their nests are rumored to be tricky to navigate through, filled with traps and that an ambush is almost sure to happen. I suggest we hire a monster hunter or an adventurer and have our guards go only if it is necessary.¡±

    ¡°Nonsense! I¡¯ve killed plenty of goblins back in the day! I bet I can lead my men and eliminate them no problem! Free of charge, I may add!¡±

    The conversation seemed pretty heated and Lloyd was obviously annoyed by their quarrel, that was when Aiden decided to jump in and say something.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to express my opinion on the subject, if I¡¯m allowed to.¡±

    They all turned their heads to him and Steelthunder squinted his eyes.

    ¡°Go on then! What do you say?¡±

    ¡°Well, I may not now how dangerous goblins are, or how skilled your guards are at dungeon crawling, but I think you should spare a few coins and get a professional if it means protecting the town. I¡¯m sure your soldiers will get another opportunity to show off their skills.¡±

    ¡°Hmph...! Whatever you say, call your professional, but I¡¯ll be going as well, no matter what!¡±

    Duran grabbed his stein and drank a few rich gulps before placing it back down. Lloyd sighed and stood up since he had finished his meal.

    ¡°I¡¯ll send a message to the capital, hopefully we¡¯ll have an expert coming to our village soon enough. Farewell.¡±

    Having said that he walked up the stairs and retreated to his chamber. The table was quiet, there only was the sound of music and the clanks of mugs being lifted and placed down again. Aiden was not sure if he should have left Lin and Duran settle this by themselves, but then again, he was glad no lives would be put in any unneeded danger.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I said something I shouldn¡¯t. You don¡¯t have to take my word as a vote if you don¡¯t want to.¡±

    Lin looked at Aiden and tucked her hair behind her ear.

    ¡°It is quite alright, you are a guest and a special one at that. Your word is something we cannot ignore and this time your opinion is wise and well spoken.¡±

    ¡°Lad, I can¡¯t say I agree with you entirely, but I do think my men will have more opportunities to prove themselves. In the meantime, if you want to waste money, I will not argue any further.¡±

    They all sipped their drinks at the same time and Aiden stood up before smiling at the other two.

    ¡°Thanks for the food. If I¡¯m allowed to, I¡¯d like to walk around the village a bit, to get to know the place and the peoples.¡±

    ¡°You are free to do so. Also, if you happen to come across Conrad can you ask him if the rhubarb mead he has been brewing for me is ready?¡±

    Aiden nodded at Lin and begun walking towards the door.

    ¡°I¡¯ll see to it right away. Goodbye for now.¡±

    The guest pulled the door open and walked outside being slightly blinded by the bright light of the sun. Aiden was ready to live his new life in this world and was hoping he could live up to his mentors¡¯ expectations.

    Chapter 2: Training and dining.

    END

 Chapter 3: The inn and the maid.

    Aiden just came out of Lloyd¡¯s house and was in a jolly mood. Things were going rather well for him and, frankly, he hoped that wouldn¡¯t change. He placed his hand on his forehead and glanced at the sun for a second to see what time it is. He noticed that the sun had started falling.

    -Hmm. I think I have plenty of time to visit the inn. ¨C

    With a slight smile he began walking down the main road. He still wore his own shoes due to the comfort, they did look kind of out of place, but he didn¡¯t mind.

    The people of Pinewood were still staring at him. It was obvious they were unsure whether they should greet him or just ignore him. Aiden was not about to try and force himself into the society of this village, so he just decided to head for the inn right away and take care of Lin¡¯s rhubarb mead. It took him a couple of minutes to walk down the road and reach the inn¡¯s front door. He stepped up the few stairsteps outside the wooden building and after pushing the door open, he walked inside with a friendly smile on his face.

    This time the people did not stare at him for as long as they did the day before, they simply turned their heads to identify who walked inside and then returned to their conversations and drinking. Aiden walked towards the counter and looked at Conrad who was once again behind it. The innkeep returned the same friendly smile and now knew that the stranger was approved and accepted by his lord.

    ¡°Welcome back stranger, or should I say Aiden Read? Ha! Did you think I would forget your name?¡±

    ¡°Well, I was worried you might have, but apparently you remember it just fine.¡±

    ¡°I see you are in a good mood, certainly better than yesterday and since your head is still on your shoulders, I¡¯d wager that Lord Lloyd has found your claims truthful.¡±

    ¡°That is correct, Miss Lin did an investigation on all of my stuff but couldn¡¯t find any evidence that disproves my case.¡±

    Having said that, Aiden sat down on a tall chair that was located in front of the counter.

    ¡°You can just call her Lin, like everyone else. So, will you be buying anything, or are you broke?¡±

    ¡°Actually, Lin told me that you may have some rhubarb mead ready for her. She didn¡¯t give me any money though.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I do have that for her! And don¡¯t worry about the money, she has already paid in advance.¡±

    Conrad shuffled around under his counter before pulling up a glass bottle. It was filled with a honey-coloured liquid and had a label on it that read ¡®Rhubarb Mead. By Conrad Briarwood, innkeep of the Pinewood Inn.¡¯

    Aiden was handed the bottle and then he looked at it for a few seconds, reading everything.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it a bit ironic that someone called Briarwood owns the Pinewood Inn?¡±

    A sigh escaped Conrad¡¯s mouth as he rubbed his eyes.

    ¡°If you were the only person to point that out. Anyway, since you¡¯re new and broke I¡¯m going to give you something to drink on the house.¡±

    Aiden looked surprised at the innkeep.

    ¡°Uh¡­Are you sure, you don¡¯t have to.¡±

    ¡°Oh, shut up! It¡¯s my inn, if I say you get something for free you have no right to reject it!¡±

    Conrad said that with a smile and filled a deep stein with some brown ale before placing it on the counter for Aiden to drink.

    ¡°Thank you so much for the drink!¡±

    He sipped a bunch of it right away and was left with a somewhat sweet and fruity taste in his mouth, this ale was more flavourful than the one he had back at Lloyd¡¯s house, but it seemed like this one did not contain as much alcohol.

    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it, we ought to leave a good first impression, right?¡±

    Aiden nodded in agreement as two men leaned next to him on the counter. They seemed to be normal villagers, nothing special yet they seemed deeply interested in him.

    ¡°Say stranger, they¡¯re quite a few rumours going around about you! Some say you¡¯re a jester from a faraway land, others think you¡¯re some sort of adventurer hired by Lloyd, there are of course those who think you¡¯re a spy or an assassin.¡±

    ¡°So? Which one is it?¡±

    Aiden sipped his drink once again and turned his head right so he could face the two men.

    ¡°To be honest, all of those rumours are false. In fact, I am a man from a whole different world. I just happened to be transported here, I have no idea how or why.¡±

    The two men seemed puzzled by his answer, even Conrad frowned slightly.

    ¡°Is that so? For some reason I think you¡¯re lying!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I told Lord Lloyd and I told him only the truth. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can go and ask the man who approved my claims.¡±

    Conrad was now wiping some silverware clean while listening to the conversation. The men next to Aiden looked at each other and then back at him.

    ¡°Very well¡­. We are going to assume you¡¯re telling the truth. But, as a friendly reminder, the whole town¡¯s got their eyes on you.¡±

    ¡°I will keep that in mind but worry not for I am telling the truth.¡±

    Suddenly a few people walked inside the inn, two of them Aiden had seen before. They were all holding music instruments and walked up the short, wooden stage that was on the other side of the building. They begun preparing their equipment while the customers cheered at them. Aiden was quiet, but at the same time he interested to see what kind of music they would play.

    ¡°Oi, guys! Let Aiden sing some songs from his homeland!¡±

    That was Conrad yelling, as soon as he heard that Aiden became rather uneasy.

    ¡°But I am no singer! And you wouldn¡¯t like our music!¡±

    ¡°Come on! I bet you have at least one song that can satisfy the audience!¡±

    The townspeople were suspicious of Aiden, but they would never say no to such an intriguing idea, that¡¯s why they all begun cheering louder than before.

    -Fuck! I don¡¯t know what to do¡­I guess I do know a few fitting songs by heart¡­¡±

    Aiden was not saying anything, but Conrad gave him a pat on the back, and he got up from his seat, grabbed his mug of ale and walked towards the stage. The stage itself was a wooden platform that was a few centimetres higher than the rest of the floor. The musicians moved a chair on it so he could sit. Aiden did so and stared at the customers for a moment trying to think of a good song to sing.

    -There aren¡¯t many I can think of¡­¡­but I suppose that I can find a nice but easy song to sing. ¨C

    He cleared his throat and turned to the musicians he quietly gave them a small sample of the song¡¯s basic rhythm so they could follow with clapping and stomping on the ground, since no instrument was required. After that, Aiden sat down and begun tapping his foot on the ground to help the musicians follow his lead, soon he started singing.

    The song he chose to sing was ¡®We Will Rock You¡¯ by Queen. It was everything that Aiden needed, a true classic from his world that had no complex lyrics and other people could follow in as well. Of course, the customers were hyped up and seemed to like it, who doesn¡¯t like Queen? So, Aiden had to sing another song.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    -Alright, what do these people like? I know! Heroes! Of course. ¨C

    Aiden had learnt this song by heart when he was still a small child, but it did check all the criteria. He, once again, sampled the rhythm to the musicians and after tapping his foot a bit he started singing ¡®Zero to Hero¡¯ from Disney¡¯s Hercules. Of course, he did make it sound slightly more epic and fitting for a drinking place, judging by the applause at the end of the song he did pretty well. Unfortunately, he was still not allowed to get off the stage as the people wanted more.

    -I do have one more song I can think of right now. ¨C

    His final song was an old sea chantey: ¡®Fifteen Men¡¯, also know as ¡®Yo Ho Ho and a Bottle of Rum¡¯. That song seemed to interest the customers more than the previous two, they could relate to it a bit more. Most of them now saw him as someone that had a mind full of stories and knowledge that was all new to them, making him fitting to be a storyteller.

    The third song ended and after Aiden took a few breaths the whole inn begun clapping and cheering, they requested more but the singer was already tired out, he wasn¡¯t used to this after all. He politely excused himself and stepped down from the stage with his ale that was now almost empty.

    ¡°And you said you can¡¯t sing!¡±

    ¡°Aye! You did a fine job lad!¡±

    ¡°Pretty good for a first timer!¡±

    Those were the compliments he heard while walking back to his seat at the counter, there Conrad congratulated him as well by refilling his stein.

    ¡°Thank you, I appreciate it.¡±

    ¡°I must thank you as well for providing some entertainment for us! Will you be staying longer?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d like to listen to a few of your own songs, so I¡¯ll be staying for now.¡±

    He raised his mug as a thanks to the innkeep and drank a few gulps before placing it back down. A few moments later the musicians were once again playing a song that Aiden had never heard before. While that was happening a bunch of townspeople were walking over to Aiden, asking him all sorts of questions: where he came from, how he did it, if he can use magic, etc. Most of them got an answer like ¡®I don¡¯t know.¡¯, or ¡®I can¡¯t do that.¡±. There were a few people warning Aiden and threatening him, in case he was some sort of enemy.

    After a few hours and a third free refill from Conrad, due to Aiden¡¯s popularity, the young man was now ready to leave and deliver the mead to Lin. He thanked Conrad once again for giving him free drinks and then he departed with a few pats on the back from the inn¡¯s customers. Aiden was not drunk, just a bit lightheaded from all the ale he just consumed. Exiting the inn, he realised that the sky was now dark and that he was gone for more than intended, but he didn¡¯t mind since he had a good time. Following the main road Aiden went back to Lloyd¡¯s house and stepped inside.

    The dining table was now empty, and, in the hall, there was only one maid sweeping the floor with a wooden broom, her hair was brown, and her eyes had a yellowish tint. Aiden walked closer and she took her eyes from the floor and looked up at him, she had bags under her eyes and Aiden thought she could use some rest.

    ¡°Good day Mr Read. I see you¡¯ve had a good time this afternoon.¡±

    ¡°It was indeed quite fun, did a bit of drinking as well as singing!¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s wonderful, I¡¯m glad you find our town fun!¡±

    ¡°How could I not, the people seem friendly and the Lord is very generous. Anyway, would you like some help, you seem tired?¡±

    He placed the mead bottle on the table and stretched his hand out for the maid to hand him the broom. The maid wasn¡¯t too eager to do that and took a step away from him.

    ¡°I-I don¡¯t think I can do that, I¡¯m the maid and you¡¯re the guest¡­. It¡¯d be extremely rude to let you do my work.¡±

    ¡°But I don¡¯t mind helping you a bit, I am already freeloading here so it would be rude of me to not try and repay your goodwill.¡±

    She seemed to have an inner conflict with herself, but in the end, she handed over her broom reluctantly.

    ¡°Alright, you can sit down if you want, you don¡¯t have to stay up.¡±

    ¡°Th-thank you, but please don¡¯t tell Lord Lloyd!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, this will be our secret.¡±

    The maid sat down and stared at Aiden who was now gathering all the dust together in order to pick it up with the dustpan.

    ¡°Oh, by the way, what¡¯s your name?¡±

    ¡°I am Serena Lander, I¡¯ve been in this household since I was a little kid.¡±

    ¡°Oh really? I¡¯d like you to tell me more about yourself.¡±

    ¡°Uh, okay! But why would you want to know more about a simple maid?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I guess I am a bit curious¡­Since I am in a whole new world and all.¡±

    ¡°Right! I forgot about that, I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re forgiven, it¡¯s no big deal, really. Before you tell me your story, hold on a moment, I have to go throw the dust out.¡±

    Serena nodded and Aiden proceeded to pick up the now full dustpan, carry it to the doorstep and empty it outside before returning to sweep the other side of the hall.

    ¡°Alright, we may resume our talk.¡±

    ¡°Okay¡­ I¡¯ve been in this household since I was a child. My mother was the wife of a guard, but he passed away when I was very young, I was told he was killed during a bandit raid. That was so old ago, I have no memory of him¡­. For many years my mother served Lord Lloyd as one of his maids, a few years ago another Lord from a bigger and more powerful town came over to visit. He stayed here for three days and on the final day he offered to buy my mother and bring her to his own household to serve him. Lord Lloyd refuse but he threatened him, of course, our Lord wasn¡¯t going to endanger the lives of all the people here for a single maid, so he did what he had to do and accepted the other Lord¡¯s offer.¡±

    ¡°Damn, that¡¯s horrible...what was that prick¡¯s name?¡±

    ¡°I was never told, our Lord feared I might go after him or hold a grudge towards his peoples. But I don¡¯t really mind¡­I occasionally get a letter from my mother saying that she¡¯s alright, but those letters are few and far between.¡±

    ¡°Well, at least you do get some news of her.¡±

    Serena smiled a bit at Aiden for hearing her story.

    ¡°I suppose that¡¯s true. It¡¯s normal, after all, for children to be separated by their parents. I¡¯m trying my best to be a good replacement for my mother and be a proper maid.¡±

    ¡°And then I came in and you decided to let me do your job for you.¡±

    Serena seemed to be a bit worried by that comment and was almost ready to jump up and get the broom away from Aiden, but the man just smiled and picked up the filled dustpan once again.

    ¡°Relax, I¡¯m only joking, besides I¡¯m almost done already.¡±

    He repeated the process of dumping the dust outside and then came back.

    ¡°So, did I do a good job?¡±

    Serena stood up and looked over the floor to see if all the dust was gone. She then sat back down and nodded at Aiden.

    ¡°Yes, you did a very good job. Thank you for helping me.¡±

    He let the broom lean against the wall and hanged the dustpan on the broomstick before sitting down next to Serena. Aiden was about to tell something to the maid, but as he sat back, he noticed that Lin was leaning against the second-floor deck and looking at them. Serena looked up as well and when she noticed the elf as well, she jumped up and held both of her hands over her mouth in shock.

    ¡°Oh my god! I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m so very sorry! I shouldn¡¯t have let him do my job! How rude of me!¡±

    ¡°Do not worry Serena, he offered you a helping hand, did he not?¡±

    Both Aiden and Serena nodded while Lin made her way downstairs and smiled at them.

    ¡°It was his choice, we are not going to think badly of you just because you did what our guest asked you to do.¡±

    ¡°Oh, thank you so much!¡±

    Serena seemed like she was about to cry due to the shock. She seemed to be in her late teens, about the same age as Aiden.

    ¡°Oh, Lin. I got your rhubarb mead.¡±

    Aiden picked up the bottle and handed it over to Lin who looked at it for a second and then turned to Aiden while Serena was in sitting back down.

    ¡°Thank you for your service. Here is your reward.¡±

    Lin gave Aiden a small leather pouch filled with coins.

    ¡°Thank you, but you don¡¯t have to!¡±

    ¡°It is alright, they are enough for you to be able to visit the inn from time to time.¡±

    Aiden lowered his head to show his appreciation and then covered his mouth right before a yawn came out.

    ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind me going to sleep, I¡¯m feeling rather tired.¡±

    ¡°You are free to do as you please. Unless, Serena wants you to stay here and chat with her a while longer.¡±

    The maid seemed embarrassed by the comment and shook her head while covering her face with the palm of her hands to hide her blushing.

    ¡°Alright then, I¡¯ll be seeing you tomorrow. Goodnight.¡±

    ¡°I hope you sleep well.¡±

    ¡°G-Goodnight!¡±

    Aiden walked up the stairs and around the deck until he reached a door that now had a sign hanging outside it: ¡®Aiden Read¡¯s Room¡¯. He couldn¡¯t help but smile after seeing that sign. He opened his door and walked inside, removing his shoes and changing to a more comfortable sleeping outfit that he was placed on his bed.

    Soon he dropped on the bed like a rock and covered himself up with his blankets before falling into a dreamless sleep.

    The days kept passing by. Aiden was now part of the village and he made sure to have all the townspeople hear of him at least once. Every day he would wake up, have breakfast with whoever was at the table, go to the barracks, train with Duran and then come back to clean himself and eat dinner with the rest, he would proceed to help the maids and the butler clean everything up, he also learnt that the second maid was named Julie Hearun and that the butler¡¯s name was Samuel Cecyl. After he had helped the servants Aiden would spend the rest of his afternoon entertaining the younger population of Pinewood with stories and legends that were part of his own world¡¯s culture, they could be inspired by books, movies, games and much more. Every day, when the sun was about to hide behind the mountains he would go to the inn, get himself a drink and sometimes he would even sing with the musicians before returning to Lloyd¡¯s household to sleep.

    That became his every day routine and he kept doing it for ten days straight, without missing a training session and without failing to help the maids and the butler. On the tenth day Aiden once again fell asleep, not knowing what the morning had in store for him.

    Chapter 3: The inn and the maid.

    End

 Chapter 4: Through the forest and down a hole.

    The sun was once again rising and Aiden soon woke up, not because he heard the familiar rooster but because there was a thunderous knock at the door. He sat up on his bed and looked at the clock that was now mounted on the wall opposite of his bed, he had learnt those exist here on the fourth day. It was 6:00 in the morning and Aiden groaned, since he was used to waking up at 7:00.

    ¡°Hey! Is there anyone in this house!?¡±

    He heard some guy yelling outside and got up, rubbing his head before quickly going through his morning routine of brushing his teeth, freshening up and getting dressed. Once he was done, he walked towards the stairs only to come across a half-awake Lin that was just stumbling outside her room with a yawn. The elf saw Aiden mid-yawn and quickly placed her hand over her mouth to not seem rude.

    ¡°Good morning Lin, what¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°I have not the slightest clue¡­Oooooh¡­.my head!¡±

    Lin seemed to be going through a really bad morning, she was holding her head while the door banging was continuing. Suddenly a rushing Lloyd came out of his own chamber and stepped down the stairs faster than both Lin and Aiden. While the elf and the young man walked down, they saw Duran already up and staring at the door with his great sword in his grip, Lloyd had already gone to the door and cleared his throat before opening it.

    ¡°God! Finally! Do you usually keep guests waiting at the door like that?¡±

    ¡°Excuse me stranger, but mind telling me who you are and why you are disturbing my household¡¯s morning?¡±

    As soon as the man saw an opening, he stepped inside without asking for permission. Aiden got a good look at him, he was wearing a full body plate armour, had a sheathed bastard sword hanging from his belt, a round buckler strapped on his back and a plate helmet on his one hand. The stranger seemed to be in his early thirties, he was clean shaven and had blonde semi-long hair as well as dark blue eyes. Aiden took his eyes away from him and turned to Duran who had now lifted his sword up and rested it on his shoulder, ready to attack the stranger.

    ¡°Easy there, big guy. You don¡¯t want to wreck your back wielding that sword at your age.¡±

    Lloyd turned around and closed the door, you could tell by his expression that he was pretty pissed off by the stranger¡¯s attitude. The guards were not in their position yet because during the night the household was locked and they were stationed around town in case of a night raid.

    ¡°I¡¯ll ask one last time. Who are you and how did you get passed our guards?¡±

    The stranger turned to face Lloyd and bowed mockingly.

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry my Lord. I didn¡¯t know you¡¯re so rude towards people you¡¯ve hired.¡±

    -Oh my god¡­. please, don¡¯t tell me¡­. ¨C

    The stranger straightened his back and pulled out a wax-sealed envelope before handing it to Lloyd. He opened it and pulled out a piece of paper, it was his own letter requesting someone to help them take care of the Goblins¡¯ nest that was located in the Pine Forest.

    ¡°You are the professional?¡±

    ¡°Indeed, my name is Traynor Kogarah. I came here for some pest control, apparently killing a few Goblins is too dangerous for your brave old man over here.¡±

    Lloyd opened his mouth to respond but Duran answered quicker with an angered voice.

    ¡°Don¡¯t flatter yourself! I¡¯ll be coming with you!¡±

    ¡°Oh please, you¡¯re just going to slow me down. I¡¯ll go in, kill the monsters and come back here for my reward, simple as that.¡±

    ¡°I assure you that with my skills we¡¯ll be done way quicker.¡±

    ¡°What are you going to do huh? Wither away and hope your joint aches will scare the Goblins away? I bet even if you came with the strongest of your guards there would be no difference!¡±

    ¡°Even the weakest of my guards is more than capable of exceling in a Goblin killing quest!¡±

    -I have a really bad feeling about this. -

    ¡°You think so? Then I dare you to bring them with us and see if they come out alive!¡±

    Lin was holding her aching head while Lloyd was rubbing his eyes annoyed by this early-morning fight. There was silence for a moment before Duran turned and stared at Aiden with an outraged glint in his eye.

    ¡°You¡¯ll be coming with us to that fucking nest!¡±

    -Yup, there it is. I should probably try to not get him any angrier. ¨C

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll come as well¡­no need to tell me twice.¡±

    ¡°Good¡­.¡±

    Duran was still filled with anger and Traynor was about to say something, but Lloyd interrupted him.

    ¡°Let us all sit down to have breakfast, you can depart whenever you¡¯d like.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll go as soon as possible!¡±

    That was Steelthunder talking. Aiden sighed and sat in his chair with the rest as the maids and the butler brought the food and drink forward. The table was mostly quiet, the air was heavy, and Duran seemed to be eager for Aiden and Traynor to finish eating so they can leave. Aiden was eating some bacon and sipping some of his mead while Lin was sitting next to him. She still seemed awfully moody and ready to doze off at any moment.

    ¡°Uh, are you alright Lin?¡±

    ¡°MMmhhmmm¡­. Fine¡­¡±

    She was mumbling and soon stood up and carried herself upstairs. Even though she didn¡¯t say anything, everyone was sure she went to get some more sleep. Traynor sighed and mumbled under his breath.

    ¡°Pathetic¡­¡±

    Everyone already hated this guy, but they couldn¡¯t do anything at the moment. They just had to endure him until the Goblins were exterminated. After a short breakfast they got up and Duran immediately left to prepare for their expedition, Aiden did the same and Traynor stayed at the table drinking some more ale while waiting for the two. About fifteen minutes passed before Aiden and Duran returned. The young man was equipped with a gambeson covered in chainmail, hard leather boots and gloves and a black travelling cloak, he was also handed his weapons by Duran, apparently Aiden was going to keep his zweihander, who was identical to his training one, strapped on his back and would be using a metal strap-on shield and an arming sword. Stellthunder was equipped with his own leather armor that covered his torso, forearms and shins while beneath it he wore some clothing to keep him warm and cover up the exposed parts, he also had his claymore on his back, while wielding a hand axe and a wooden centre-grip shield.

    ¡°We¡¯re ready to go. Are you going to stop drinking or should I knock some sense in you?¡±

    Traynor stood up while Duran wrapped himself in his own brown travelling cloak.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go quickly, otherwise time may kill you before the Goblins even touch you.¡±

    With that final remark they all hanged their supply bags from their shoulders, bided Lloyd farewell and departed for the Pine Forest.

    This was Aiden¡¯s first time out of Pinewood, since he got here, so he was excited but at the same time worried. He hoped he wouldn¡¯t have to actually fight with any of the Goblins and that the other two could take care of them.

    ¡°Chin up boy! This is no face for someone ready to slaughter some Goblins!¡±

    Duran seemed to be hyped up by anger as they all strode through the valley towards the woods.

    ¡°Yes sir!¡±

    Aiden had told Duran that ¡®sir¡¯ was commonly used for army officials as well as knights in his own world, so he know was okay with being called that.

    ¡°Old man, I hope you¡¯ve fought Goblins before. If not, I should send a message to my baby sister, maybe she can come and give you a lesson or two!¡±

    ¡°Oh, shut up, you arrogant bastard! Let us reach the nest and I¡¯ll show you what I am capable of!¡±

    Aiden sighed while the two men in front of him argued.

    -I hope they get bored and stop this soon, it¡¯s getting pretty annoying. ¨C

    The walk to the forest lasted about half an hour and the two men never stopped insulting each other. Aiden was now eager to jump into the Goblin nest if that meant they would shut up. Once they reached the first trees that formed the entrance to the forest Traynor turned around to tell Aiden something.

    ¡°I assume you have no experience of tracking down Goblins. It¡¯s not that hard to do so. There are three main signs to look out for when searching for their lair. The first one is inedible animal parts, like bones and hooves. Secondly you should look out for any weird stinking liquids, they can be either Goblin liquor or poison, be careful to not do anything stupid and consume them. Finally, a dead giveaway that you¡¯re in Goblin territory are effigies, if you find any be on your guard because you never know what might be behind you.¡±Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    ¡°Are we clear lad?¡±

    Aiden nodded in agreement and slightly raised his metal kite shield, strapped on his right arm as the group walked into the forest. The Pine Trees were many and close to one another. There was space for people to walk between them, but it wasn¡¯t once or twice that Aiden almost tripped over some root that had grown out of the ground. The light of the sun was able to pass through the many leaves and branches, but most of the forest¡¯s ground was covered in shadow. The young man had recently learnt that the forest went on until it reached the mountains where the mist was plenty, and the cold was unbearable.

    They kept walking without exchanging a word. The only sound they heard was the birds chirping and the wind making the leaves whistle. They all knew that they would probably have to walk for quite some time, but no one mentioned it. Soon, Aiden got bored of the silence and decided to use the singing skills he gad been practising at the inn for the past ten days.

    He began hitting his shield with his knuckles to get the basic rhythm down before coming in with the lyrics. He chose to sing ¡®The Ents¡¯ Marching Song¡¯ from the Lord of the Rings. He thought of it because of all the trees surrounding them and was certain they would probably need a war song to get them hyped up. The other two said nothing but seemed to be welcoming Aiden¡¯s singing as a pleasant and entertaining break from the cold silence of the forest.

    After he sang it for the first time, Traynor started tapping his buckler against his armour to the same rhythm and thus Aiden began singing once again, eventually the other two sang alongside him. They sang the same song six times, each time getting more and more energetic and by the fifth they were practically rushing through the thick forest.

    The last verse ended, and Aiden was ready to start over again before Duran gestured him to be quiet.

    ¡°Shhhh! Come over here.¡±

    Aiden and Traynor walked closer to Duran, who had now stooped and used a pebble to pick up a weird, thick brownish liquid that had formed a tiny puddle on the ground. Lifting it up he brought it to his nose and sniffed it before letting the pebble fall on the ground.

    ¡°Fuck, that stinks! This is definitely of Goblin making!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right, we¡¯re getting closer.¡±

    The singing had stopped while the men were looking around to find more clues. Eventually Traynor found a few animal bones scattered about, they didn¡¯t seem to belong to an animal that died of age or disease, so they decided to keep going forwards and look for more clues. It wasn¡¯t long before Aiden noticed a weird creation hanging from a tree. It was a stick that was decorated with broken bones to look like an upside down, headless corpse.

    ¡°Guys, I think you need to see this.¡±

    The other two took a good look at it and after turning their heads around Duran pulled out his axe and Traynor unsheathed his sword, Aiden, of course, did the same remembering Traynor¡¯s advice.

    ¡°We¡¯re close lad! From now on you must always be ready to fight.¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡±

    Traynor seemed to have figured out where the Goblins were located, so he just began walking forward, sword first while the other two followed him. They didn¡¯t walk for long before reaching an oversized burrow, made from sticks, stones and logs,

    ¡°We¡¯re here. Ready to go in?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m always ready to kill some monster scum! Right, Aiden?¡±

    ¡°Uh, yeah, I guess.¡±

    Traynor went inside first, then followed Duran and finally entered Aiden. The hole was wide enough for them to squeeze through and seemed to continue deep underground where, the two experienced men theorized, there should be a cave or opening for the Goblins to use as a base. They carefully treaded down the Goblin-path. The tunnel was steep enough for them to move slowly and carefully, but not steep enough for the men to slide straight down the hole. Eventually the ground began to level itself and the sunlight was now completely gone, the group lit a lantern that Duran had hanged on his belt before they left the town. The cave tunnel itself became wide enough for them to stand comfortably, although using a great sword was out of the question.

    ¡°Aiden, you need to be as quiet as possible from now on. Goblins have excellent hearing.¡±

    Duran whispered to the young man while they were carefully sneaking through the Goblin-tunnel and using his cloak to hide the lantern and have the light shine, just enough for them to barely see where they were going.

    So far, they hadn¡¯t encountered any Goblins, but Aiden had bumped his head on some tree roots a few times. They kept walking around the underground hideout, in order to find their way into the actual Goblin nest they followed a stench that was so apparent in this poorly made tunnels.

    ¡°The smell has really picked up here. I think we¡¯re getting close.¡±

    That was Traynor whispering, he was the first and was pretty much leading them, even though Duran corrected him a few times when he almost followed the less stinky path.

    -This place is a true labyrinth, let¡¯s hope getting out will be easier than going in. ¨C

    Suddenly, they heard something as they reached a corner in the tunnel. All three of them stood completely still and Duran covered up the entire lantern while they were gripping their weapons harder, trying to listen to that sound again. And soon enough they did. It was a very raspy and strangely pitched voice. The words Aiden was hearing were unknown to him, and with the reek that was now completely surrounding them he felt slightly nauseous.

    -Those are Goblins! I have to be mentally prepared to come face to face with them! ¨C

    He let out a sigh that was, accidentally, louder than he anticipated. Suddenly, the queer talking stopped and Duran turned to Aiden with widened eyes before turning back to face the tunnel. They could hear someone stepping towards them, as soon as the sound came close enough, Traynor dashed around the corner and two hacking noises were heard, followed by two quiet thuds. Duran gestured Aiden to follow Traynor and so they did. Turning around the corner the young man saw two Goblin corpses on the ground with blood pouring out of their sliced necks, the first had beige skin while the second had a more greenish colour, both were covered in mud and blemishes. Their nose and ears were about four times that of an average human, their eyes were small, and their iris and pupil were both black while their sclera was red from the bloodshot. Aiden thought that if they were standing their total height would be slightly higher than his abdomen.

    ¡°Disgusting creatures.¡±

    Aiden mumbled while walking behind Duran. Traynor was a few meters ahead of them and was staring at what seemed to be a hole on the side of the tunnel. They both got closer and peeked to see what was behind the wall. They were hit with the smell of rotting flesh, faeces and burning wood. From the hole they could see a large underground cavern full of crude, but sturdy looking, goblin structures. The place seemed to have an opening on the other end of it, Aiden thought that it probably led to a whole different section of this cavern system. The stone walls were lighted by torches that were scattered around the wooden structures giving the place an orange tint. Aiden pressed his cloak against his nose trying to avoid the vomit inducing smell of this place. He leaned a bit closer to the hole to see what was right bellow them.

    -What the fuck?! ¨C

    Aiden collapsed back horrified and was now ready to throw up, but he held it in. Hooked on the hole, and leading downwards to the actual cavern, was a rusty ladder. Right next to it the Goblins had placed two pool-sized, wooden, tubs. One was filled to the brim with decomposing body parts of creatures that could no longer be identified due to the mucus like substance that was formed and was covering them. The second was not much better, the mix of yellow, green and brown doubled with the nose-numbing stench certainly hinted that this tub was full of the Goblins¡¯ faecal matter.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going down there! There is no way! We need to find some other entrance to the caverns.¡±

    Aiden¡¯s muffled and shaky voice made the other two turn around and look at him. They didn¡¯t to like the smell either, but they were handling it way better than the gagging man they were now facing.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid, lad. We don¡¯t know where the other entrances might be! The longer we waste in these darn tunnels the closer we are to having our skin flayed and our guts ripped apart by Goblin knives!¡±

    ¡°The old man is right, we need to take advantage of this opportunity, otherwise you better tuck your tail between your legs and run away.¡±

    Duran was a bit disappointed by Aiden¡¯s burst of cowardness, but he didn¡¯t make any further comments, he simply put out the now unneeded lantern and followed Traynor down the ladder. Aiden stayed down for a moment trying to cope with the smell and the atmosphere, he then stood up and carefully climbed down the ladder as well.

    The lower he got the more saliva was building up inside his mouth, and not in a good way. Once his feet touched the ground he shuffled around in his back and pulled out a flask containing some strong alcohol. It was supposed to be used as a disinfectant, but he couldn¡¯t care less. Aiden poured some of it on the part of the cloak he was using to cover his nose and then wrapped it around his face, once again. The burning smell of the liquor was enough to ease the reeking of the nearby pools. The other men saw Aiden¡¯s little improvisation and decided to do it as well. Traynor didn¡¯t have a cloak so he took a piece of cloth out of his bag, rinsed it with the alcohol and stuffed it inside his helmet.

    ¡°Smart move lad!¡±

    Whispered Duran and patted Aiden¡¯s back. Aiden nodded at Duran and then took a good look around the place. The crooked, crude and wooden structures seemed to go all around the cavern and partially support it. A system of wooden bridges, ladders and platforms hanging was expanding throughout the entire underground and seemingly continued outside of this chamber as well.

    ¡°It appears we were lucky enough to find the Goblins¡¯ garbage place first!¡±

    Traynor said that in a sarcastic and muffled voice. Duran rolled his eyes and they all proceeded to go to one of the many ladders and climb up the structure.

    -These Goblins must really enjoy climbing¡­. It¡¯s a wonder they decide to live underground. ¨C

    They were soon up the structure and, while sticking close to the wall, they made their way towards the passage leading to the next part of the cavern. As they got closer the smell was getting weaker and weaker, that motivated them to pace through the area quicker than before, reaching the passage in the blink of an eye. Duran then decided to get in front of Traynor and peek into the hole in the wall to see if the area was clear. Behind it there was a better lit and much bigger cavern. It was, of course, full of Goblin buildings, but this time they weren¡¯t just a collection of bridges and ladders. They actually formed houses and shacks, some bigger and fancier than the others. Aiden leaned to get a better look but was pushed down by a crouching Duran. He was about to ask Steelthunder why he did that, but then he heard the voices of two Goblins talking to one another coming from the other side of the hole.

    With a gesture Duran informed Traynor about what was happening and they both pressed their bodies close to the wall so that the Goblins could not see them until they had walked through the passage. After a few tense and quiet moments, they heard the goblins¡¯ footsteps get inside the hole and walk towards them. Aiden kept himself behind Duran, but he jumped up a bit when both men dashed like spring powered machines towards the two monsters. Steelthunder¡¯s axe dug through the Goblin¡¯s skull and reduced it to a twitching carcass while Traynor¡¯s sword slashed into the other Goblin¡¯s neck making it fall flat on its face and bleed out.

    They all stayed still and listened for a moment to make sure no one else was coming. Then as they crept through the passage Aiden whispered something to them.

    ¡°This place seems way bigger than what I had in mind¡­ Are we looking for something specific or are we just going to kill every single Goblin that lives here? Cause, the latter will take some time.¡±

    ¡°We are looking for the leader of this hideout. We¡¯ll kill him and then fight our way out. If we succeed the Goblins will be in total disarray and scatter until they reform some group, possibly far away from here.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll also break down their structures and bring the cavern down on their heads!¡±

    Aiden nodded and kept following them. It was true that the number of Goblins was greatly underestimated, but Duran and Traynor were not disheartened at all, their will to show off their skills was too strong for that.

    Chapter 4: Through the forest and down a hole.

    End

 Chapter 5: Down, down in Goblin Town.

    Aiden, Duran and Traynor crept through the short, tunnel like passage and stepped, quietly, on the wooden structure that expanded throughout the entire cavern forming what can only be described as a Goblin Town.

    They stood still and looked around trying to find any Goblins that may be close to them. The only movement they saw was the twitching of the shadows that hit the stone walls. Traynor did not dare to make any noise until they were sure no one was around them. He simply gestured the men to follow him and they began moving once again. While walking, Aiden had his eyes on a very interesting building. A huge wooden pillar stood erect in the centre of the underground and connected the ceiling with the floor. Every side and level of the Goblin Town was connected to it, either by bridges or ladders. Aiden wanted to ask a few things about the construction, but he was too careful to talk, so he just stared at it while they strode around the Goblin Town.

    A couple of minutes passed, and the wooden road had now led them slightly closer to the pillar, even though they were still sticking close to the walls. Then Aiden noticed something curious. The pillar was hollow! He could see light coming from windows and doors that were located all over the wooden building. The young man also noticed something even more disturbing. Inside the wooden construction there was a great deal of movement, and as they got closer, noise.

    There was no denying it. Most, if not all, of the Goblins had gathered inside the pillar for some unknown reason. Duran clenched his fist, that meant that the group should stop walking. With the creaking wood under their feet now quiet they managed to pick up the sound of music coming from the centre building.

    ¡°They must be celebrating something.¡±

    Aiden whispered to the rest. To him the music seemed most crude but had a weirdly uplifting melody. Duran turned to him and shook his head in disagreement before whispering back.

    ¡°Goblins are predators of the night. They¡¯re living underground most of the day, that means they¡¯re bound to get bored at some point, so they usually do things like that.¡±

    Traynor nodded in agreement since he didn¡¯t have to add anything. Duran then pointed towards the pillar and the men crept their way to one of the many bridges connected to the building before very slowly and carefully passing to the other side. The closer they got the more apparent the music was. Soon, it was loud enough to be able to talk quietly instead of whispering. Then Aiden realised something that surprised him a bit.

    ¡°Wait a minute¡­ This song is being sang in the Common Tongue. How come?¡±

    ¡°Goblins, like most creatures capable of speech, learn both their own language and the Common Tongue. If you think that¡¯s to expand their intellectual horizons, then you¡¯re wrong. There are two reasons behind their choice: songs are usually better when written in the Common tongue, and it¡¯s easier to fight other races if you understand the most widely known language.¡±

    After that small informative exchange between Aiden and Traynor, they kept walking eventually reaching the pillar itself. There the men stuck to the wooden wall of the building and crouched in order to avoid being seen through one of the windows. As they sneaked round the pillar trying to think of a plan, Aiden could hear the song clearly. It was sung by the raspy, awkwardly pitched and saliva squirting voices of the Goblins.

    ¡°Through the forest, down a hole,

    That¡¯s where all Goblins go.

    Beneath the trees and under grass,

    Where no sunlight ever lasts.

    Covered in mud and smell of blood,

    Come now, join the Goblin flood!

    The time is nigh, when the moon is high,

    Beneath the stars of a darkened sky.

    Out the forest, up the hole,

    Give us back what the ancients stole!

    Kill the men with fair skin,

    Pound them up and make them scream!

    Through the forest, down a hole,

    That¡¯s where all Goblins go,

    Where men fail and elves meet foe.

    There dwarves die and halflings cry,

    Where angels fall and demons fly!

    Far from the sun, under the ground,

    Down, below in Goblin Town!¡±

    The song was followed by loud laughter and words that Aiden could not understand. He didn¡¯t think much of it, until he saw the expression on Duran¡¯s face and even though he couldn¡¯t see Traynor¡¯s, his stillness showed that he had the very same expression. Duran was clearly worried, as well as shocked.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did you see anything coming our way?¡±

    Aiden was curious but it took a moment for Duran to answer.

    ¡°Goblins songs always change, that¡¯s because most of the time they don¡¯t write anything down. Few scriptures exist written by their race.¡±

    ¡°So? That doesn¡¯t sound too bad¡­right?¡±

    Duran placed his hand on Aiden¡¯s shoulder and looked at him with a completely professional and serious look.

    ¡°That means Goblin songs usually talk about things that have yet to happen. They don¡¯t give a crap about most of their past.¡±

    The quiet growling of Duran made the inexperienced man think for a second. He repeated the lyrics in his mind for a few seconds before his mouth opened slightly and his eyes widened.

    ¡°No! Don¡¯t tell me!¡±

    His mentor patted his shoulder and turned to Traynor.

    ¡°When is the full moon?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but I think we still have a couple of days.¡±

    ¡°Not good enough, we need to take care of this now!¡±

    ¡°I was hired to clean up a Goblin cave, I don¡¯t mind assassinating the leader and then running out, but I will not fight an entire underground village for a town I don¡¯t even live in!¡±

    ¡°Help us out and I¡¯m going to make sure Lloyd gives you a proper reward for your troubles.¡±

    Traynor lowered his head in thought and then Aiden jumped in, confused about the whole situation.

    ¡°Wait, wait, wait. What are you talking about? I thought we had a plan, w-we don¡¯t need to change it¡­ I mean, we still have a couple of days till the Goblins do their flood or whatever¡­¡±

    Duran was quick to clear up Aiden¡¯s confusion.

    ¡°You see, Goblins may be monsters of lesser intelligent that hate almost every single being that doesn¡¯t belong to their kin, but they¡¯re far from incompetent. Our plan would have worked because the death of a leader would make them fight over the throne, and by the time they were finished they would be weak and probably scattered all around the forest. Now, they already have a plan: wait for the full moon and attack the village, our village! If they¡¯re leader dies, they¡¯ll still carry out the plan and they may execute it even faster out of anger and thirst for revenge!¡±

    That news was grave. Judging by the size of this place and the amount of Goblin voices a raid, even if the village was prepared, would prove extremely dangerous for all the townspeople. Aiden was scared, frightened, worried and nervous¡­but he was not about to give up. To him, giving up at that moment would be the greatest insult to Lloyd, Lin, Serena, Conrad, Duran and everyone else at the village. It would be the ultimate betrayal, something that he wouldn¡¯t be able to live with.

    -If I must throw myself in the fire, I will¡­I don¡¯t want to¡­but that doesn¡¯t matter. I wasn¡¯t the one to save myself from the wilderness, I didn¡¯t give myself a roof to sleep under, I didn¡¯t teach my self how to use a sword and I didn¡¯t equip myself with the information needed to survive. Those people had no obligation to help me, but they did. ¨C

    Aiden¡¯s life was never completely built by him. Be it family, friends or teachers someone always gave him the things he needed to grow into the man he is today. He, of course, knew that. He had helped his close ones many a time¡­but he was never asked to put himself in such a great danger for them. It took some seconds for Aiden to respond. Then, with a deep breath and a sigh he decided.

    ¡°Alright¡­ I¡¯m ready, let¡¯s do what we have to do.¡±

    Traynor, who had already agreed to Duran¡¯s offer, was surprised by Aiden¡¯s decision, and even though his voice sounded shaky and reluctant, he never showed any other sign of lying or backing down. Duran was particularly happy when he heard Aiden¡¯s choice and his smile showed that, in his eyes, Aiden was forgiven for his cowardly talk when they were inside the tunnels.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    ¡°You make me proud lad! Now, let us throw these monsters back into the pits of hell, where they belong!¡±

    Steelthunder was not quiet, at all! He stood up tall and rushed towards the window closer to them. Traynor and Aiden were dumbfounded as they watched the man jump inside the Goblin filled building.

    ¡°What the fuck are you doing?! You¡¯re going to d¡ª¡±

    Traynor was interrupted by two Goblins who had just been launched out of the window and plummeted to their death. Aiden snapped back into reality and followed his mentor, he held his sword tight and his shield high before jumping inside the pillar.

    This floor of the huge structure was full of crudely made tables and chairs as well as a bunch of large barrels containing Goblin liquor. Right now, all that furniture had been thrown around or shattered by a rampaging Steelthunder. His axe was swinging around, as if it was the scythe of death, eagerly reaching out to cut flesh and crack bone. His wooden shield was up, protecting his armour-covered body and even though it had only been a couple of seconds, its wood was coloured red by the blood and had a collection of knives sticking out of it.

    Aiden had no time to lose, as soon as he entered, he placed the shield in front of him and blocked the incoming edge of a Goblin¡¯s knife. The thought of having a group of Goblins cutting him open and playing with his guts filled him with adrenaline. His movements were hectic and shaky, unlike Duran¡¯s, but they worked just fine against the stunned group of ambushed Goblins. Aiden¡¯s first victim was stabbed straight through the neck by his sharp sword, the second was quickly pushed back by his metal shield before being sliced across the chest and having its insides spill out, his third Goblin had its skull cut halfway through by the sword¡¯s edge.

    Behind Aiden, Traynor jumped inside as well, using his buckler to pummel the Goblins¡¯ skulls, while his bastard sword was swift to decapitate any monster that stood in his way.

    The cries of the dying Goblins were heard all over the cavern, their echoes were travelling up the tunnels and died out before reaching the surface. Traynor knew what was about to happen.

    ¡°We¡¯ll soon be swarmed! We have to get out of here and fight them in the open!¡±

    It hadn¡¯t been five seconds from the moment he said that, and Goblins were already climbing inside the room, adding to the already high number of enemies they had to face. Suddenly, Duran threw his shield, hitting a Goblin in the face and allowing Aiden to slice its throat. His axe was soon thrown as well, hacking into the head of a Goblin and making its brain spill out.

    Aiden was unsure of what his mentor was doing, but it didn¡¯t take long for him to find out. Steelthunder grabbed his claymore with his right hand, while using the left one to unstrap it from his back. Soon a long, thick and sharp piece of metal was up in the air, before being swiftly brought down on two Goblins that tried to get him from the front. The moment the sword contacted the Goblins¡¯ skin a loud sound echoed through the underground, it sounded like the thunder right after the lightning strike and a shockwave shot out in the direction of the slice. Its sonic boom made a lot of Goblins cover their ears, while also surprising the hell out of Aiden and Traynor. The shockwave itself blew through the side of the wall Duran was facing and created a large enough hole for the men to escape towards the rest of the structure, making a bunch of Goblins fall to their death in the process.

    ¡°They don¡¯t call me Steelthunder for nothing! HAHA!¡±

    The men now followed Duran, who was running across a wooden bridge away from the pillar. Aiden, before moving too far away from the building, sheathed his sword, picked up a torch that was placed there to illuminate the bridge and chugged it back inside the hollowed pillar. The flaming torch touched the liquor that was splashed all over the place and caused a fire to break out, followed by an explosion that was strong enough to destroy a large part of the structure as well as the bridge the men were currently running on. With a leap Duran and Traynor made it to the other side, unfortunately Aiden was not that lucky.

    Aiden grabbed onto the rope-tied planks as they were falling and swinging towards the stone wall. He soon smashed into it but was able to hold on. Duran and Traynor were already fighting off Goblins trying to protect the hanging Aiden. Every time Steelthunder¡¯s sword sliced through an opponent the shockwave was launched and the thunderous sound was heard. Aiden was trying to climb up while Goblins where falling like rain all around him. He, of course, couldn¡¯t get up because of his shield.

    -There is no time to worry about a piece of metal! ¨C

    Biting into the leather straps he hectically managed to unbuckle them and allow for his kite shield to fall down the cavern followed by another wave of Goblins. Aiden did not dare to waste a single moment. As soon as his shield was off the young man climbed up the destroyed bridge as fast as he could. Once he was close to the edge, Traynor grabbed his arm and helped him up before thrusting his sword into a Goblin¡¯s eye socket. Aiden was now up, standing between the two men while a good number of Goblins were climbing behind him. He quickly unstrapped his zweihander and, placing his left hand near the guard and his right near the pommel, he took it out of its sheath before a delivering a powerful overhead strike that split a climbing Goblin¡¯s skull in half. Duran turned to check if Aiden was alright and then began running down the wooden structure towards the same room they came from.

    ¡°Follow me! We can¡¯t stay still for too long!¡±

    ¡°Copy that!¡±

    ¡°Run ahead old man!¡±

    With Duran cleaning their way with his thunderous shockwaves, Aiden and Traynor were running almost next to each other, keeping the Goblins chasing them at bay. The great, wooden pillar was no almost entirely burning, and it didn¡¯t take long for a few more explosions be ignited, causing the building to break apart and collapse under its own weight. Following the destruction of the pillar, the roof of the cavern started gradually crumbling and the whole cavern begun shaking.

    Steelthunder let out a war-cry while his claymore was striking down group after group of the incoming Goblins, Traynor was swiftly dashing around separating head from body, finally, Aiden was swinging his zweihander towards the Goblin threat, using its size and power to keep the Goblins back. Although his skills were not as honed as the others¡¯, he was still able to get a few kills and help the party.

    While they were getting closer to the same passage they had previously used, a few large boulders were separated from the crumbling ceiling and crashed on the wooden structure making the whole place to become even more instable, to a point where it felt like it could dismantle itself at any moment.

    By the time the men reached the hole in the stone wall, most of the Goblin were now behind them and were trying to escape into the more stable garbage room as well. Fortunately, very few made it. The bottom of the cavern was now full of rocks and corpses, with more being added every second. A final burst of speed was all the three men needed to pass through the hole and barely escape the collapse of the cavern behind them. Aiden felt his arm being scratched as he was the last one to jump into the safe room. He also got hit by a gust of wind carrying dust and pebbles from the now entirely destroyed Goblin Town. Next to them a few Goblins managed to come through as well but were quickly taken care of by Duran and Traynor.

    ¡°Let¡¯s rest for a moment, I can¡¯t¡­continue¡­¡±

    Aiden collapsed on his knees trying to catch a breath and control his sky rocketing heartbeat, while gathering enough energy to carry himself up the ladder and through the tunnels.

    ¡°Sword up lad! We¡¯re not done yet.¡±

    Aiden turned his head to complain but shut his mouth and sprang up on his feet as soon as he saw what was waiting for them in the chamber.

    -Fuck¡­ this couldn¡¯t get any worse! ¨C

    Down from the wooden structure they were on, next to the tubs and the ladder, there was a monster. It was no Goblin, but seemed to be in good terms with them, in fact, it was their leader. Three larger than average Goblins were around it. The monster looked up at the group, it was definitely taller than two and a half metres in height, its body shape was way wider and more muscular than that of a human, it¡¯s face was similar to that of a Goblin, although its ears were smaller, and his hide was thick, pale and hairless. It wielded a large wooden club with long, iron nails sticking out of it and wore some crudely sown animal furs.

    ¡°An ogre! Quickly get down!¡±

    Traynor barked at the group and hastily went to the nearest ladder before sliding towards the ground, the other two followed. Mid way through the ladder the Goblins gathered around it and were waiting for him to get in range for their weapons to reach him, but Traynor surprised his enemies. He jumped off and landed aggressively on one of the Goblins, stabbing it through the chest, while the Ogre used its club to break the structure down and make the men fall. Duran was next, he jumped off as well but, unlike Traynor, he landed on the ground and rushed towards the Ogre. Last, as always, was Aiden who wasn¡¯t ready to jump off, so he just slid down normally while Traynor was fighting both the living Goblins. Then, three different battles broke out.

    Duran challenged the club wielding ogre. The man used his sturdy claymore to redirect the many strikes he received before managing to create an opening and counter attack. The strike that hit the side of his great sword was redirected and it smashed into the ground creating a two second opening. Two seconds were all he needed. The first was enough for him to lift his claymore and the second was more than enough to let him bring it down and hack through the Ogre¡¯s shoulder. Once the blade was deep inside the monster¡¯s body a shockwave was released, creating the same thunderous sound as the Ogre¡¯s scream seized and blood and guts flew everywhere.

    Traynor had one of his Goblins taken away by Aiden, but the second one was still very much alive. The monster was covered in rusty, but strong scale armour that proved more than difficult for the man to cut through. Eventually he raised up his buckler and blocked one of the incoming Goblin-axe attacks, before grabbing the edge of his sword and half-swording it through one of the exposed body parts. The tip of the blade dug deep into the right side of the Goblin¡¯s chest and after a desperate attempt to swing its axe, the monster fell and bled out.

    Aiden managed to draw the attention of a scimitar wielding Goblin that wore no armour, other than clothing. Luckily, his solidly built zweihander proved useful and helped him supplement his diminishing stamina and failing endurance. Unfortunately, his great sword couldn¡¯t block the reek of the tubs. The smell of alcohol was now almost completely washed out by blood and dust, so the foul stench that dwelled in this room was hitting him as hard as ever. It wasn¡¯t long before the breakfast he had was ready to spew out of his mouth.

    - I can¡¯t keep fighting this guy for too long! I can¡¯t keep it down! ¨C

    Duran and Traynor were already done with their foes, but Aiden hadn¡¯t even scratched the attacking Goblin. He was not able to counter attack and the feeling of saliva gathering inside his mouth while his food was climbing up his digestive system was enough to leave him open. The final strike was not properly deflected, and the point of the Goblin¡¯s scimitar cut through Aiden¡¯s gambeson and sliced into his arm. With a cry of pain Aiden kneeled in front of the Goblin and threw up on the floor. His zweihander fell on the ground with a clang and the scimitar was raised over his head. Duran and Traynor rushed to save him, but the sharp edge was already on its way down, going straight for his neck.

    -This is bad! I can¡¯t go out like that! Come on, you¡¯re not vomiting anymore! Roll to the side! DO SOMETHING! I AM GOING TO DIE I AM GOING TO DIE IAMGOINGTODIEIAMGOINGTODIE! ¨C

    Even though he was looking straight at the ground he could feel the Goblin¡¯s scimitar descending towards him. Tears began flowing down his face and drop into the disgusting liquid below him. Then a scream escaped his mouth. The scream sure was that of fear, but it wasn¡¯t that of a coward. It was most likely a mix of fear and desperation, like an animal¡¯s final growl or howl before a hunter strikes it down. Aiden was hoping for that scream to save him, he thought it would scare the monster or knock him out of the way, unfortunately the scream wasn¡¯t going to do anything.

    The last second before the blade made contact with the young man¡¯s skin, a powerful burst of flames embraced both Aiden and the Goblin. The scimitar never reached its destination. Duran and Traynor jumped back slightly to avoid the flaming hell that was unleashed with Aiden at its centre.

    It took a few seconds for the flames to clear up, but when they finally did, Duran and Traynor rushed to aid a now passed out Aiden. The young man had fallen unconscious while being on his knees. Next to him, there was lying the charred Goblin¡¯s carcass. The energy released from the combustion was enough to stop the scimitar half way down and completely burn through the Goblin wielding it.

    Duran and Traynor were very confused by this event but didn¡¯t waste any time on talking. They immediately checked Aiden¡¯s body for any fatal wounds. None were found, so they picked him up and, with the help of some rope, managed to get him up the hole and out of the forest.

    Chapter 5: Down, down in Goblin Town.

    End

 Chapter 6: The Catalyst.

    Aiden opened his eyes and blinked rapidly, adjusting his sight to the light around him. He sat up on his bed and yawned before stretching for a few seconds. He proceeded to get up from his bed and flip a switch turning off the ceiling lamp that was the source of the bright light hurting his eyes. ¡°Feels like I¡¯m still asleep¡­.¡± Aiden groaned as he walked out of his bedroom and through the rest of his house, greeting his parents in the meantime. It wasn¡¯t long before Aiden was done using the bathroom and, now fresh and well rested, headed over to the kitchen for some breakfast.

    ¡°Good morning, mom.¡± Said Aiden and sat down on his chair, while his mother was standing in front of the stove placing a couple of eggs and a few strips of bacon on a plate. ¡°Morning Aiden. Did you sleep well?¡±. Aiden nodded and extended his hand to the other side of the table to grab a couple pieces of bread just in time for his mother to place his plate and cup of coffee in front of him. He began eating, but soon realised that he forgot to get some water. Aiden quickly stood up, opened the fridge and pulled out a nice, cold bottle full of water. He set it on the table only to see something weird: The label in the bottle was a bunch of incomprehensible and random symbols.

    ¡°Uh¡­Mom, mind telling me what this bottle says¡­I can¡¯t see it properly.¡± Aiden felt uncomfortable and stood still for a second worried. -I don¡¯t remember having any problems with my eyesight. - He looked around the kitchen but could not see his mother anywhere. ¡°Mom? Are you here?¡± Then it hit him. -Hold on¡­I don¡¯t live with my parents anymore. What¡¯s going on? ¨C Aiden felt his heart sink when he heard a sound coming from his bedroom. He grabbed a knife from the kitchen counter and quietly crept towards his room, peeking inside when he reached the open door. Inside he saw a man standing in front of his library with his hands crossed in front of him. Aiden took a wide step inside and pointed his knife at him. ¡°Who are you and what do you want here?!¡± The man turned and placed both his hands in his pockets of his pyjamas. ¡°I live here, well at least now I do. Quite the interesting place.¡± The man looked around for a moment ignoring Aiden¡¯s shocked facial expression. ¡°You-You¡¯re me?¡± Aiden stepped back but didn¡¯t lower his knife. He was scanning the man with his eyes, he saw his short, black hair, his fit but not overly muscly body structure, his white skin, shaven facial hair and every other characteristic that was exposed for him to see. Him and the mysterious man where identical, except for the eyes: Aiden¡¯s irises were brown, while the man had blood-red.

    ¡°Done checking me out? It¡¯s not polite staring at someone for that long.¡± The man said and raised his eyebrows while shaking his head from side to side. ¡°And yeah, we do look alike.¡± The man grinned and took a step closer to the library. ¡°But don¡¯t worry! You¡¯re you and I¡¯m me, for now¡­¡± The stranger cleared his throat and picked a book from Aiden¡¯s library, meanwhile, Aiden was astonished by the situation and was trying to think of what the hell happened. ¡°You still haven¡¯t remembered, have you? Oh well, no need to rush things. I¡¯ll just sit here and see some memories of yours.¡± Aiden frowned and stared at the stranger for a second before his expression switched to that of anger. ¡°Who the fuck are you?! I want an answer, right now! Why are we in my childhood house, why are we so similar and what are you saying about memories and stuff like that¡­¡± There was a slight pause and Aiden got closer raising his knife even higher. ¡°Where are my parents?¡± He tried to sound serious and intimidate the man, but it didn¡¯t work, at all.

    The stranger looked up from the book and seemed to be disappointed by Aiden. ¡°For the love of hell¡­¡± He rubbed his lower half of his face and sighed through his hand. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me I picked such a dimwit!¡± The stranger looked up and then back at Aiden with a face of utter disappointment, he then turned the first Lord of the Rings book around, so Aiden could take a good look at it. Aiden looked down at the book and frowned in confusion once again. The page he was looking at had a few random quotes written in actual letters, but where always changing place, creating different sentences all the time, in the middle of both pages there were two videos playing, they were of two very memorable scenes in the movie: Boromir¡¯s death and Gandalf fighting the Balrog on the bridge of Khazad-Dum. Aiden started feeling uneasy even after the stranger had turned the book back to himself. ¡°This book is interesting. Is that why you were so interested in that Goblin killing quest? You had these kinds of things in mind, didn¡¯t you?¡± It took some time for Aiden to understand what was going on, but he had now figured out. ¡°I remember! We¡¯re not supposed to be here! I was going to get killed by that Goblin¡­¡± He looked around and finally lowered his knife as his face changed to that of fear. ¡°D-Did I die down there? Duran and Traynor were not able to save me, were they?¡± The man closed the book and kept looking quietly at Aiden¡¯s sorrow and regret. ¡°This is the purgatory or hell or something! It took the appearance of some of my strongest memories! I have to live here from now on, and you¡¯re probably an angel or something to tell me the bad news!¡± Aiden let his knife fall on the carpeted floor before sitting on his bed and staring at his feet. The stranger couldn¡¯t keep it in anymore and laughed loudly for a good ten seconds. ¡°You¡¯re hilarious! I was correct about choosing you.¡± The man nodded in satisfaction, but before he could continue talking Aiden stood up and barked at him. ¡°Who are you to be laughing at me! You¡¯re no angel, you¡¯re probably a demon or something¡­¡± Aiden pointed his finger at the man and then turned around. ¡°This is hell after all!¡±

    Aiden seemed furious but wasn¡¯t about to get into an afterlife-fight with some supernatural being. He just walked away from the stranger and sat down in the living room couch. The stranger followed him and was now standing up right next to him. ¡°So, you¡¯re just going to ignore me? This is probably not a good idea, you know.¡± There was no response from the frustrated Aiden. ¡°I get it, you¡¯re mad, but I have a surprise for you¡­¡± The stranger extended his arms and smiled before revealing the surprise with a bunch of excitement in his voice, Aiden couldn¡¯t tell if it was ironic. ¡°You, Aiden Read, are ALIVE!¡± The man threw his face up as he yelled the last word. He then placed his left leg behind his right and his right hand on his heart, while keeping his left outstretched, and gave Aiden a deep and long bow. ¡°And I am the one who saved you.¡± The stranger straightened up and leaned on a wall. ¡°You can thank me anytime, I ain¡¯t going away just yet.¡± Aiden stood up and looked at him frowning again. ¡°If I¡¯m alive, then what¡¯s this place?¡± The stranger looked around for a bit. ¡°Well, you said it¡¯s your childhood home. It¡¯s just a memory you have. This place isn¡¯t the purgatory or anything like that, this is your own mind¡­we are inside your head¡­ In a spiritual way, no-not physical.¡± Aiden was tired of this bullshit. ¡°Okay! Just tell me what¡¯s going on. Like, why did you save me and if I¡¯ll be able to go back.¡±

    The stranger smiled for a moment and stood up right walking around the room while talking. ¡°Allow me to introduce myself. I am Thar¡¯gorol, a Demon.¡± Aiden seemed shocked by that comment and was about to say something but Thar¡¯gorol gestured him to stay quiet. ¡°You may call me Thar. As I was saying, I am a Demon, but not a traditional, boring Demon, I am a Parasite! One of the few remaining, in fact I¡¯ve never met anyone else since my parents, they were foolish enough to try and raid a Divine temple, poor bastards. Anyway, my kin are born with no physical form, they¡¯re spirits of sorts, and weak ones at that, but if we are lucky enough to find a host that we deem right, we jump in them and live there for some time, until we¡¯re powerful enough to take control of their body and finally get a physical form.¡± Aiden then barked at Thar. ¡°What do you mean take control of my body?! What will happen to me?!¡± Thar shrugged before answering. ¡°I suppose you¡¯ll die. It¡¯s my first time too, anything can happen!¡± Aiden didn¡¯t like that answer one bit. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t care! Go away now or I¡¯ll do anything in my power to make you fuck off!¡± The Demon scoffed. ¡°Alright then! The only way to get rid of me, is to kill yourself. If you are not willing to do that, I¡¯ll just stay inside you. Don¡¯t bother using magic, I can hide and become almost undetectable, unless you die, I will keep living.¡± Aiden thought about it for a second, but he decided not to do it¡­yet. ¡°Why me? Why, out of all the people there, why did you pick me?¡± Thar sat on the couch and got comfortable. ¡°Well, you are very queer. I had been hiding in Goblin Town for years, many years. When you came, I saw something I¡¯d never seen before: Your Sun Aura was brand new, too new. As if you were born a few days ago... But you seemed like you¡¯ve had a couple of decades in your life. And I was correct! Look at all of that!¡± Thar pointed at almost everything in the house. ¡°I have no idea what most of them are! You are otherworldly, indeed!¡± Aiden sighed, stood up and sat down in one of the two armchairs to get away from Thar. ¡°Alright, but how is this going to work? Am I going to be stuck here until you kill me and take over my body?¡± The Demon shook his head from side to side. ¡°Nope, you can leave if you want to, go back to control your body. I¡¯ll be able to see and hear everything you do, but we¡¯ll only be able to have a chat if you come here. In the meantime, I must learn how to use all these things!¡± The Demon leaned towards the TV and stared at it with widened eyes, like a child seeing something they like for the first time. ¡°Your memories will keep me busy for quite some time.¡±

    Aiden placed both his hands over his face and took some time to think of what he wanted to do. ¡°Well, you know that I may get killed at any moment¡­ I am pretty weak after all.¡± Thar looked at Aiden and tilted his head. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t need you to be powerful. When I first came inside you, you were ready to do anything to save yourself. I took that opportunity and controlled your body for a split second, enough to unleash the powerful fire blast that saved your ass. If you ever find yourself in a difficult situation, I¡¯ll be here ready to take control and save you. After all, dying would be bad for both of us.¡± After that final comment Aiden kept quiet and thought to himself for a bit. -I¡¯ll just use him to get out of tight spots, but I need to find a way to get rid of him before I die. Well, I can¡¯t seem to be able to do something about it now. ¨C He then cleared his throat and sighed once again. ¡°Since I don¡¯t think I have any reason to stay here, I¡¯ll go. See you some other time.¡± Aiden was now placed in a very odd position, but staying in this place wouldn¡¯t solve anything, so he was now ready to wake up and see how things outside of him were going.

    Aiden closed his eyes taking a few deep and controlled breaths. He was trying to focus on getting out of his mind. After a few moments his real body took a deep and hectic breath and began coughing as Aiden was once again behind the driving wheel. His eyes opened wide as he jumped up, sitting upright in a familiar location. Aiden was in Lord Lloyd¡¯s house, sitting on his bed and he had his own clean clothes placed right next to him. Standing up, he took off his night-clothing and noticed that his body had a few bruises, scratches and a deep cut on his arm that was now covered in bandages. Aiden followed his morning routine and got out of his room, making his way down the staircase. He stepped inside the hall and looked at the people sitting in the main table. There was Duran with his right arm placed inside a sling hanging from his shoulder, Traynor was also sitting a few seat away, he seemed to have suffered a few bruises as well and anyone could tell he wasn¡¯t in the best mood. ¡°Good morning guys, are you alright?¡± Asked Aiden and sat down before filling a cup with some mead from a pitcher. ¡°Aye, it¡¯s just a cracked bone, nothing some magic and a bit of resting can¡¯t fix!¡± Duran seemed to be in a good mood, like he was given a great deal of satisfaction. ¡°What about you? You took quite the nap, lad!¡± Aiden drank a bit of mead and responded. ¡°Indeed, I feel like I was in that bed for ages!¡± Meanwhile, Traynor was idly listening while staring at the door.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    Aiden was about to ask what he was doing, but suddenly the door was pushed open with great speed and a well-built, young female walked inside, Aiden had no idea who she was. Her clothes were casual, her blonde hair was tied in a ponytail and her eyes were blue but lighter than Traynor¡¯s. ¡°I swear to the gods! I am going to make your life the embodiment of misery!¡± The girl barked at the men while walking closer, Duran had a delighted expression on his face and Aiden was ready to jump up in case she was a threat, but Traynor stood up way quicker. ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I- I will be more careful next time!¡± Traynor was now walking away from the girl, she was shorter than him, but her eyes burnt with rage. ¡°I¡¯m going to shave your hair and offer them to Steelthunder for forgiveness!¡± She then proceeded to pull out a knife and chase Traynor around the hall before they both stormed outside.

    Duran let out a loud laugh as he drank a bit from his favourite ale. ¡°That bastard! He had it coming!¡± Aiden was confused by the whole situation. Honestly, he was confused for most of his time in this world. ¡°Uh¡­ Who was that? And why is she chasing Traynor around?¡± Duran looked at the door with a smile. ¡°That¡¯s his little sister! I believe her name is Elianor.¡± Duran looked back at Aiden who was ready to ask another question. ¡°Alright, but why is she here, and why is she angry at Traynor¡­?¡± Duran drank some more before answering. ¡°Apparently, they were supposed to come here together, but Traynor left her behind and came alone. That¡¯s not why she¡¯s chasing him around though. They are both from the town of Lakeview, and I¡¯m considered a local hero by the people there.¡± He stopped to chuckle and drink another gulp. ¡°I helped them kill a troll back in the day, but they only know me as Steelthunder, you should have heard how many times he apologised while we were walking back here.¡± Aiden smiled as he realised what had happened. ¡°And now his sister is mad at him for leaving her behind and disrespecting a local hero.¡± Duran nodded and stood up with a smile on his face. ¡°Traynor wasn¡¯t a proper guest and luck has now come around to bite his ass. Although I think I¡¯m forgetting something as well, Kogarah does sound familiar the more I think about it.¡± Aiden drank some of his mead and placed the cup down before standing up as well. ¡°Don¡¯t you think we should do something about Traynor and his sister?¡± Duran was walking towards the staircase so he could go back to his room and rest. ¡°If you want to, you can go. Personally, I wouldn¡¯t mind letting this go on for a few more hours!¡± He then laughed and walked up the stairs heading over to his room. Aiden quickly drank the rest of his mead and walked out of Lloyd¡¯s house.

    Aiden was now walking down the main dirt-road while looking around to see where the siblings had gone. Eventually he heard some steps and turned around, there was Elianor panting still holding the knife. ¡°Where is my stupid brother?! Have you seen him?!¡± Aiden was quite intimidated and shook his head from side to side while taking a step back. ¡°Tch! I guess I¡¯ll have to go around the whole town to find him!¡± She was about to turn around and leave but Aiden reached out to stop her. ¡°There is no need to do that.¡± He gulped and let go of her as soon as she saw her murderous gaze once again. ¡°Duran has forgiven Traynor, you don¡¯t have to go after him.¡± Elianor squinted her eyes and leaned towards Aiden. Her shorter figure had no diminishing effect on her ability to be scary, Aiden couldn¡¯t help but take another step back. ¡°You were sitting in the hall as well, weren¡¯t you? Are you someone acquainted with Steelthunder?¡± Aiden nodded and did his best to put a friendly smile on his face. ¡°I¡¯m Aiden Read, Steelthunder¡¯s prodigy. We have been training together for about ten days now. I was also part of the Goblin expedition!¡± He nodded nervously as he talked. Elianor raised her eyebrows as her expression changed. ¡°Oh! Is that true? Well I¡¯m Elianor, an adventurer in training! Although hoping to learn anything from my brother seems to be a total waste of time.¡± As Elianor changed her look, Aiden felt a weight being lifted from him. - Was she using Intimidation magic? It wasn¡¯t as bad as the last time. ¨C Aiden sighed. ¡°He seemed pretty skilled when facing the Goblins¡­¡± Aiden stopped talking as he noticed that behind Elianor there was Traynor, trying to sneak back inside Lloyd¡¯s house. Once he saw Aiden looking at him, Traynor started quietly begging him not to tell his sister, but Elianor seemed to be suspicious. ¡°What are you looking at? Is there something behind me?¡± She was about to turn around, but Aiden decided to let Traynor escape, they did fight together, as comrades, after all. Aiden grabbed Elianor by her shoulders and looked at her straight in the eye, she didn¡¯t even try to turn around and just frowned before stepping back and slapping Aiden¡¯s hands away. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?!¡± Aiden peeked behind her and noticed that Traynor was now gone, but he now needed to think of something fast. ¡°Uh¡­ I wanted to tell you a very exciting idea! I see that you¡¯re a very capable girl! How about I talk to Duran and have him train you as well?¡± Elianor¡¯s face changed once again and this time she smiled widely at Aiden and her eyes brightened. ¡°Really?! You¡¯d do something like that?!¡± Aiden gulped, he had no idea if he could do something like that. ¡°Well¡­ I can try¡­¡± As soon as he said that Elianor made a high-pitched sound of pure excitement and, with surprising speed, dashed forward and hugged Aiden tightly. ¡°Thank you!!¡± She then let go of Aiden and before he could even respond she looked around. ¡°I have to make sure my equipment is ready!¡± And as she exclaimed that, she began running towards the inn.

    Aiden was left standing in the middle of the road with a few townspeople looking at him. He was ready to head off to Lloyd¡¯s house, but saw Lin coming out of the inn shortly after Elianor entered. She was holding a bottle full of rhubarb mead and had a slightly confused expression on her face, possibly because of the rushing Elianor. She then turned her head towards the road and noticed Aiden who had put on a friendly smile to greet her. ¡°Greetings Lin, I was wondering where you¡¯ve been.¡± He was about to ask her if she was alright, but she took a few large steps towards him and seemed to be worried. ¡°Aiden! Are you alright? Is there a reason you are not in your chamber?¡± He leaned back a bit as Lin got closer to him and glared at his face to see if he was okay. ¡°Well, I woke up a while ago and had a chat with Duran. Then Traynor was being chased by his sister so I decided to help him a bit.¡± The elf didn¡¯t seem particularly happy about this story. ¡°Duran! I thought I specifically instructed him to not let you out of his sight in case you woke up!¡± She seemed to be furious, Aiden hadn¡¯t seen her like that before. ¡°I-it¡¯s alright¡­ I feel fi¡­¡± He was interrupted when Lin placed her cold, from the bottle, hand on his forehead. ¡°Feeling fine is not an acceptable excuse. You were unconscious for more than an entire day!¡± She removed her hand and stepped back. ¡°I still have some business to take care of. Please, go back to the household and rest until I come back to make sure your wounds are being healed properly.¡± Aiden rolled his eyes and nodded. ¡°Alright, fine. I¡¯m going to stay in my room and wait for you.¡± Lin smiled at Aiden¡¯s cooperation and they both said goodbye to each other before walking away.

    Aiden stepped inside the household and looked around to find Traynor and Duran. They weren¡¯t at the table, but he noticed they were standing outside Duran¡¯s room while chatting. He quickly climbed up the stairs and joined their conversation after a short greeting. Apparently, they were talking about the probability of any Goblins surviving and if there is a chance Pinewood should prepare for a raid. The verdict was that the guards would be notified, and security would be tightened, but it is highly improbable that any Goblins attack. Aiden was just listening to them for a few minutes without saying anything. When they were finally done, he cleared his throat and spoke. ¡°Well, it is definitely good news that the Goblins are gone¡­for now at least.¡± His opening was enough to get the attention of both men. ¡°Indeed lad, and you weren¡¯t half bad for your first quest. I can¡¯t wait to see what we can do now that your Sun Aura has been activated!¡± Duran seemed to have remained in a jolly mood. Aiden fidgeted with his hands a bit and cleared his throat once again. ¡°Yeah¡­ about that. I have a favour to ask¡­ and Traynor, you should listen as well.¡± Aiden proceeded to explain to the men what happened outside the inn. Duran frowned in thought and caressed his beard with his uninjured hand. Traynor looked at Aiden and his mentor with a glint in his eyes. ¡°That¡¯s a great idea! I am perfectly fine with having you train my sister!¡± Steelthunder looked at Traynor who had now placed his hand on his shoulder as a friendly gesture. ¡°Besides, I don¡¯t think having her around me is any good. Half the time I¡¯m scared to accept dangerous jobs because of her.¡± After Traynor was done talking, Aiden saw Duran turning to him as if he wanted a second opinion. He shrugged and after a bit of thought Steelthunder finally answered. ¡°I am going to accept,¡± Traynor smiled and was about to thank Duran, but he lifted one of his fingers to prevent him from talking. ¡°but only because I feel bad for an adventurer to have you as their teacher.¡± The final remark hurt Traynor¡¯s pride a bit, it was way worse coming from one of their local heroes. The professional simply nodded and sighed. ¡°I suppose I don¡¯t have much else to do here. Lin said that my injuries are all healed, so I¡¯m good to go.¡± He took a few steps towards one of his guest rooms he was currently using. ¡°I¡¯ll get ready, get a good night¡¯s sleep and head off tomorrow at dawn.¡±

    Aiden and Duran nodded farewell to Traynor before he retreated inside his chamber. As soon as Traynor left Duran let out a massive yawn and took a step inside his room. ¡°I¡¯ll be going now as well. I¡¯ll rest my arm for a day or two and then we¡¯ll resume our training. In the meantime, I suggest you don¡¯t overwork yourself.¡± Aiden nodded in agreement and yawned as well. ¡°Don¡¯t worry sir, I¡¯ll rest as much as I need to.¡± The two men said goodnight to each other and parted.

    Aiden went back inside his room and sat on his bed thinking about his experience in Goblin Town and the Parasite he is unlucky enough to host. He was, honestly, pretty sick of being surrounded by people way more powerful than him. -Maybe, this Demon helps me grow, become a hero or a legendary adventurer! ¨C Aiden shut his eyes tight and then reopened them. He tried to snap some sense into his thoughts. There was no way he would risk using the powers of a Demon that is eager to take control of his body and mind. Although, he was feeling something flaming inside him, as if a wildfire was burning up his soul. -Is that the feeling of magic? ¨C Aiden had never felt something like that before. It was the feeling of having a brand-new world and powers to learn and use. Of course, he was late to get a grasp of his situation, in fact, he felt hopeless¡­ The vastness of this new frontier was intimidating to say the least. He was just trying to go with the flow and follow his days until luck got him out of this situation, but there was something else driving him forward now. Aiden had finally found ambition. He decided to set a goal, a very unrealistic one, something he dreamed of since he was a child. Aiden had a faint smile on his face while thinking of a future where he was someone important, someone strong. A hero that had songs written for him, theatrical plays and stories of his adventures, kings that payed respect to him and enemies that bent their knee in front of him. He wanted that. Aiden already had enough knowledge on subjects that remained the same between dimensions to be on the same level as the people provided with high-end education, so he could focus in growing physically and spiritually. -But¡­ how am I supposed to do that? ¨C Aiden brought himself back to reality to re-evaluate his current position. He thought for a moment and decided to share part of his ambition with his mentor. -Duran was an adventurer I believe, he ought to understand my desire! Tomorrow I¡¯ll talk to him. ¨C With that final thought Aiden laid on his back and stared at the wooden ceiling for a few more minutes. -Lin hasn¡¯t arrived yet¡­ I¡¯m getting tired. ¨C He wasn¡¯t able to have another thought and fell asleep earlier than usual, unsure of what had gotten into him and fuelled his ambition.

    Chapter 6: The Catalyst.

    END

 Chapter 7: Another quest begins.

    Aiden began waking up after a silent and dreamless sleep. He could feel a weird numbness on his forearm, a sensation like many tiny pins came in contact with his skin. The feeling was painless and so it just annoyed Aiden as he moved around in his bed and finally opened his eyes. He pushed down on the bed and sat upright before looking at his arm. The scar caused by the Goblin¡¯s scimitar seemed to have disappeared, in its place there was a golden light that completely faded a couple of moments after Aiden placed his gaze upon it. Confused, as he was, Aiden stretched and noticed something that made him freeze for a second: Even though he had slept with his night clothes, he now only had his underwear on. His eyes quickly panned to the left and then to the right side of the room. Next to the bed, on his right side, there was a wooden chair with a white pillow on it. Sitting on the chair there was Serena with her brown hair tied up in a ponytail and her eyes staring at Aiden in what seemed to be a pretty awkward moment for her. ¡°G-Good morning Aiden! Don¡¯t worry about me¡­ Miss Lin instructed me to stay by your side during the night and help heal your scar!¡± As she said her hands were raised in front of her chest and were gesturing Aiden to calm down and not be alerted. ¡°Uh¡­ Good morning, Serena. Thanks for your help, but staying up all night wasn¡¯t necessary. There is always time to heal such a minor wound.¡± Hearing this Serena was quick to shake her head in disagreement. ¡°I don¡¯t know much, but Lord Lloyd wants to have a talk with you as soon as possible. He said that you need to be fully healed.¡± Aiden seemed thoughtful. ¨C A talk, with me? This seems to be serious. I don¡¯t suppose something has gone wrong. ¨C Aiden nodded and stood up at the same time as Serena. She gave a bow and hurried out of the room without saying another word in order to give him all the privacy he needed to get ready.

    It didn¡¯t take long for him to prepare himself. Including the brushing of his teeth he must have been in his room for about ten minutes before pulling the door open and rushing downstairs. There, in the familiar long, wooden table Duran, William, Lin, Serena and Lloyd were all sitting in their respective spots. Aiden could tell it was fairly early so the other two servants should be still asleep. He tried to say good morning but due to the serious atmosphere of the chamber he was only able to raise his hand as a form of greeting. The other responded with silent eye contact, it didn¡¯t seem hostile, more like a way to tell him it wasn¡¯t the best time to greet each other. Aiden quickly pulled back his usual seat and sat down. Lloyd then turned to look at everyone and opened his mouth. ¡°Greetings Aiden, I would have liked to have a talk with you about your first adventure, but unfortunately we got some grave news. You already know of the assassination attempt that almost took our King¡¯s life. Apparently, the royal guard have found some evidence that has led them to think of the Pinewood Mines as a possible hideout belonging to the assassin and their group.¡± A slight pause was more than enough for Duran to jump into the conversation with a growling voice. ¡°BAH! You can¡¯t be serious! The mines are overrun and crawling with ice elementals. Only a fool would dare to seek refuge there!¡± Duran took a healthy sip of his brown ale and let Lloyd respond and continue his statement. ¡°I am well aware of that Duran, and the Royal Guars are too. But they found a fragment of a blade on the crime scene. A blade made out of Kurlim.¡± Lloyd took a short pause and turned to Aiden who was currently a bit confused. ¡°Aiden, allow me to give you some extra information about Kurlim. Kurlim is a rare metal that can only be found in a small number of mines around the continent. One of those mines belonged to Pinewood and the Lords who came before me made sure to take proper advantage of it. But fate had it that after centuries of extracting Kurlim, the Ice Elementals of the mountain would retaliate and take back their land. This happened when my Grandfather was sitting on this throne and my Father after him tried to retake the mines on numerous occasions. A few months before he stepped down the final group of mercenaries were sent to the mountains. Most of them came back, but they failed their mission.¡± Lloyd took a break and sipped some his mead. Aiden, processed the information and thought of something that created a noticeable hole in the assassins¡¯ plans. ¡°Lloyd, why would the assassins try to kill the king with a blade made out of a rare mineral that can be easily traced back to a handful of mines. Sure, they may have gotten it from a store, but isn¡¯t steel a good enough material to use if you just need someone dead?¡± Aiden looked around at the rest to see if they agreed with him and saw some raised eyebrows. He then turned to Lloyd who also seemed to be in deep thought. ¡°You seem to have a quick mind Aiden. The same question was raised against the Guard, but they had an answer. Kurlim is a powerful mineral, brittle but is easily enchantable and, if a blacksmith is experienced enough, it can be used to create some blades of extreme quality, especially against cloth and flesh.¡± Aiden was only half satisfied with the answer and his look showed that. Lloyd took a deep breath and continued speaking. ¡°Kurlim also has a unique ability. Its nature makes it compatible with many forms of magic, but it is one of the few materials around the world that can be enchanted not to use magic, but to cancel it. Cancelation is powerful but it isn¡¯t used very often.¡± Aiden suddenly placed the pieces together and realized what Lloyd meant. ¡°A king would be protected with more than just his men.¡± Aiden said that while looking at Lloyd. The lord nodded and was now finally able to get to the point of this early-morning meeting. ¡°Duran, now that you know what we¡¯re dealing with, take Aiden, Serena and another man of your choice and go check on the mines. Ideally they should have remained unused.¡± Duran nodded and stood up, pumped for a new adventure. ¡°Aiden! Any questions you have I¡¯ll answer on the way there. Serena! Gather supplies and make sure you healing is ready to be used at any moment. I¡¯ll go find another pair of arms to join us!¡± Aiden stood up and took a few steps towards the stairs while Serena was moving to the back of the household and Duran, with exceptionally large and fast pacing made his way to the door. As he got near the exit, the door got pushed open and the speed of it, surprised Duran as he got hit by the wind the heavy, wooden door blew. Through the morning light a figure walked inside the considerably darker hall. A pair of strong and bright blue eyes stared at Duran as Elianor made her way inside the building. Aiden stared at her from some meters away and was shocked by her sudden entrance. Before anyone could say anything, the girl spoke loudly and clearly while maintain eye contact with Duran. ¡°I heard everything! I want to come as well!¡± Duran was visibly taken aback by the event and so was Lloyd. Aiden on the other hand was quickly to speak fearing that he would take the blame for letting her stay here and get trained by Duran. ¡°Elianor are you crazy! You can¡¯t just eavesdrop like that. This is an important meeting! What if you get executed because of this!¡± Aiden only got one response from Elianor: a sigh and a hand movement gesturing that he was overacting. Aiden frowned as he got more worried, then Lloyd cleared his throat. ¡°Your brother did as a great service, but I can¡¯t overlook the fact that you came uninvited to such a vital council. Tell me why I should let Duran take you with him. If I¡¯m not satisfied, you should get ready for a lengthy stay in the Pinewood dungeons.¡± Elianor took a few steps outside the building and everyone followed her to see what she was up to. Outside the household there was a wooden cart with a bunch of barrels on it. No horse was yet tied to it, but it seemed extremely heavy. The girl took the leather binds and tied them around her waist, chest and arms. She then waved goodbye and with a kick on the ground both her and the loaded cart were off with respectable speed, for a humanoid. Everyone seemed rightfully impressed by her strength, Elianor simply took a tight turn and returned, then unbound herself. ¡°See? I can help!¡± Lloyd listened to Elianor¡¯s words and looked at Duran who was currently flabbergasted by the realization that a young girl was stronger than him. Lloyd sighed. ¡°Very well. You can go as well. But keep in mind, if there is the slightest suspicion that you are up to no good, Duran will make quick work of you.¡± Elianor cracked a wide smile, similar to the one she gave Aiden the day before. ¡°Worry not Lloyd! Steelthunder¡¯s allies are my allies! He is my mentor after all.¡± With that last statement she turned to Duran who had now switched from having an open mouth to stroking his bushy beard. Without a word he gestured her to go and get ready for the expedition. Aiden was watching all of this unfold and realized how weak he was compared to everyone else. He wondered why they would waste time and make him go to the Mines as well, but decided to ask that on their way there. He simply followed the rest inside and moved on to do what he had been instructed to do.

    Aiden took a moment to appreciate his new armour, since his old one was ripped and had the horrific stench of decomposing bodies and goblin faeces. The new armour was better suited for his way of approaching certain situations. Two plate bracers allowed his forearms to be used as a way to block incoming blades. His new black gambeson was covered by a hard leather jerkin offering decent protection against cuts, stabs and bludgeoning hits. Two plate pauldrons covered his shoulders and his padded pants were protecting his knees, while his boots and plate greaves shielded his shins. Finally, he strapped his now clean zweihander on his back and hanged his travelling bag diagonally on his body before double checking his possessions and heading downstairs. This time his phone was to stay with Lin in fear of breaking it. Soon he had made his way down and saw Duran already waiting for him. He too was wearing a set of new armour, similar to the previous but with way more prominent fur and padded clothing to protect him from the cold of the mountains. Aiden¡¯s armour was mostly black with some red accents on the hard leather and laces of his clothes. Duran on the other hand cared little for his colours, his plain brown and beige outfit clearly showed that. ¡°You¡¯re finally ready lad! Now, lets go pick that friend of yours up.¡± Duran said and both men bid farewell to Lloyd and Lin before heading outside. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I¡¯d call her my friend. I mean, I¡¯ve known her for¡­ not even two days.¡± Aiden said to Duran while they were walking down the road, towards the inn. The rising sun was now almost entirely over the trees of the nearby forest. ¡°I advise you to get to know her better during this trip of ours. Ice elementals are no joke. It¡¯s always better to have friends around the place you fall.¡± Aiden was surprised by Duran¡¯s pessimistic talk, usually he wasn¡¯t like that. They were soon pretty close to the inn and Duran turned to Aiden one last time. ¡°For an old man, friends are few but apprentices are plenty. I trust you Aiden, if destiny allows for one of us to come back, don¡¯t try to stop me¡­¡± Duran stared Aiden dead in the eye. Aiden opened his mouth but Duran continued before he could utter a word. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure, Lloyd sees your face again.¡± Aiden kept silent and Duran gave him a few pats in the arm before resuming their walking.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    Duran pushed the inn door open. Aiden followed him inside. A dim fire was burning in the centred pit while the table surrounding were occupied by a handful of tired looking men. Judging from what they were drinking they were trying to get rid of a hangover. Further in the back, behind a wooden counter Conrad was cleaning a glass with a white piece of cloth. ¡°Morning gentlemen! I see you¡¯re off to somewhere!¡± His loud voice made some of the men growl in complain, but Conrad only snickered. ¡°The girls are upstairs, allow me to give them a yell.¡± As soon as he said that all the hangover men turned to him and tried to groan in order to stop him, but to no avail. ¡°Serena! Elianor! The boys are here!¡± Duran smiled at Conrad calling him a boy and would have responded if Elianor hadn¡¯t made such a noisy run down the stairs. In front of them appeared a backpack wearing, fully covered in plate armour Elianor, only her head was exposed, with her plate helmet hanging from her backpack. Strapped on her back, over the backpack, there was a metal, considerably thick, kite shield. Hanging from her hip there was a heavy looking, steel mace. Her metal was clean but an experienced eye could still tell that it was well worn and used for quite some time. Behind the steel behemoth appeared Serena, she seemed slightly worried about going to such dangerous journey. Her clothes were all black but didn¡¯t seem to have any noticeable armour, she was no fighter after all. Apart from the mandatory dagger that all of them were carrying, the only actual weapon was a light crossbow tied on the outside of her shoulder bag, with a bolt pouch hanging from her belt. Aiden and Duran took a moment to imagine the weight Elianor was carrying around with ease. Serena seemed to have already made that assumption. ¡°Now that we¡¯re all here, what are we waiting for? Let¡¯s begin our adventure!¡± More groans were heard from the hangover but they didn¡¯t stop Conrad from wishing a safe journey to the group and seeing them out of the inn.

    The first few minutes of walking down the road, away from Pinewood, were quiet. Duran and Serena in the front while Aiden and Elianor kept a close distance from the back. ¡°Rumour has it, you¡¯re a decent singer.¡± Aiden heard talking from his left. He turned to her and nodded in agreement. ¡°Can¡¯t say you¡¯re right, but I won¡¯t disagree with the rumours.¡± Elianor smiled, most pleased with the answer. ¡°Come on then! Sing us a song! We have a long way ahead of us.¡± Aiden turned his head to face the road and took a moment to think. ¡°It¡¯s still too early for a song. I say we enjoy the noises of nature for now.¡± To Aiden such noises were uncommon. His life in a busy city had taken up most of his time, it was the first time he experienced such a pure wilderness. They kept walking quietly on the stone-paved path while the dawn passed over them and was now hanging high above their heads. Northward of the town no forest could be found, only some tall, sparsely planted trees that provided some cover from the scorching rays of the sun. Luckily after the first day there would be no need of shielding against the high temperatures, the cold air of the northern valley would take good care of that.

    Pinewood was now completely hidden behind the many turns, hills and foliage the group had already journeyed through. Mostly silent they were, only speaking to each other about unimportant subjects, like what berries are good to eat and what sort of bird sounds like a dying toad, at least that¡¯s how Elianor put it. A slow rumbling made its way through Duran¡¯s leather armour signalling everyone it was about time they eat something except that hastily consumed breakfast they had before they departed. After settling under the leaves of a great oak tree, Elianor untied a cast iron pot that was bound on the side of her backpack. Serena was carrying some basic food supplies, mainly sausages and bacon as they would need the fats and protein they contained. Duran unsheathed his Claymore and used it to hack some sticks and twigs down from the oak before making a simple, but effective, campfire. Aiden was tasked with lighting the fire. His newfound abilities should be exercised as often as possible after all. With a bit of concentration and with his left hand close to the twigs he imagined a raging flame appear inside his palm and shoot towards the waiting sticks. Duran knew the wood wasn¡¯t not perfectly suited for a fire, but he too wanted to give Aiden a bit of a challenge. After a few seconds of stillness, the first few embers appeared between his fingers and steadily grew. A couple more seconds passed and finally a small fire was crackling and dancing inside Aiden¡¯s grasp, without hurting him of course. Serena seemed to have a very cheery look on her face, obviously supporting and trying to fill him with confidence. Duran seemed to be satisfied by the fact that Aiden could still use his magic, still he was slightly disappointed by the difference in power between this flame and the one that erupted in the depths of the Goblin Town. Of course, that was to be expected. Elianor seemed to have reassured herself that she was by far the better of the two apprentices, still that didn¡¯t stop her from giving Aiden a pat on the back when his flame finally sprouted out. It didn¡¯t take long for the campfire to start burning below the pot and for Serena to finally begin cooking.

    The first few sausages rolled on their plates and they all begun eating before Elianor raised a question. ¡°Aiden, I don¡¯t know you for too long, but I can tell you are not from around these parts.¡± Hearing this Aiden looked over and quietly munched in his meat while waiting for the climax of the question. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to be digging into others¡¯ pasts or anything, but considered me intrigued. Mind telling me where you¡¯re from?¡± Elianor finished her question and proceeded to eat some of her own food. Duran and Serena, both knowing the answer waited to hear Aiden¡¯s response. ¡°No, I don¡¯t mind at all. I am simply worried that you won¡¯t believe me even if I told you.¡± Aiden said that and smiled at Elianor who had just swallowed her sausage piece. ¡°Try me.¡± Aiden raised his eyebrows and cleared his throat. ¡°Fine. I come from another world, one that is totally different from yours and, before you ask me, I have no idea how I got here or why.¡± Aiden took another bite while Elianor had widened her eyes in disbelief. She turned to Duran and Serena only to see them nodding, sort of approving the legitimacy of Aiden¡¯s claims. ¡°Told you it would be hard to believe me.¡± Aiden kept eating allowing Elianor to decide whether or not his story was truthful. ¡°Steelthunder seems to believe you¡­ Serena as well. Truth is, your claim is a very outrageous one, but I have no reason to not believe it.¡± There was a short pause while everyone exchanged some looks. ¡°But if you¡¯re making a fool out of me to get a cheap laugh, I¡¯ll make sure to make you pay!¡± Elianor threatened Aiden whose smile turned into a slightly worried one and after raising his hands in front of his chest he reassured her. ¡°No, no I swear I¡¯m telling you the truth.¡± Elianor squinted her eyes in disbelief and took a sip from her waterskin. ¡°I¡¯ll take your word for it¡­¡± After that short conversation they resumed their lunch, only stopping to discuss about where they would find themselves in the upcoming days. Apparently, they should reach the Mossy Bridge, a structure that helped travellers pass over a rather cold and unforgiving stream that flowed down from the Mountains. Also, the bridge was a way to tell where the Pinewood sphere of influence ended. After the mines where taken over Bandits saw the now less used roads that stretched towards the Mountains so they decided to settle in the land around them, posing a grave danger for travellers and merchants that pass through that route.

    After their food was eaten, they stood up, gathered their items and continued their long trip to the Mines. The rest of the day went by without any important information shared, or shocking evets happening. The most noteworthy part was when a couple wild foxes stopped by Serena and allowed her to pet them, making her visibly happy as she loved their soft and fluffy fur. The weather was also kind, no rain found them and the heat was not that hard to deal with especially after the sun got covered by a large, white cloud. The sun was now on the lower part of the western sky and Aiden could feel his legs beginning to seek a few moments of rest. They stopped for a short while Serena made sure to use her restoration powers on their bodies, granting them enough relief to keep walking until it was time to sleep. And soon enough, it was that time. Their calculations were spot on, the place they decided to use for a temporary campsite was a few hundred metres away from the Mossy Bridge, so everything was going according to plan. They had only brought two tents with them so they would carry less stuff. They set them up next to each other and then thought of how they would end up sleeping. Duran and Serena had no problem sharing the same tent as it wasn¡¯t the first time they¡¯ve travelled together for quests around the town, so Aiden and Elianor were to share the second tent. They all slid inside their tents and then slithered inside their bedrolls. For a while there was now sounds coming from both tents and after they had all gotten comfortable Elianor turned towards Aiden who currently had his back looking at her. ¡°Aiden? Are you asleep?¡± She spoke quietly so she doesn¡¯t disturb Steelthunder and Serena. ¡°Not yet.¡± Answered Aiden and turned in his bedroll too, his face was now turned towards Elianor¡¯s. ¡°Why? Do you need anything?¡± Elianor seemed to not be too keen on having discussions with other people, her eyes kept darting around trying to avoid eye contact. ¡°I¡­. It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve travelled with anyone else other than my brother, and I¡¯ve never been asked to go on such a mission with strangers.¡± Aiden wasn¡¯t sure about what he should say, but he tried to do the obvious and comfort her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you trust Duran, don¡¯t you? He¡¯ll take good care of the both us. Also didn¡¯t Traynor leave you alone before going to kill the Goblins, maybe he thinks it¡¯d be best for you to travel with other people for a while.¡± Elianor made temporary eye contact with Aiden and then looked down. ¡°I suppose you¡¯re right. Also, I wasn¡¯t alone. He left with a group of merchants that passed through Pinewood while you were sleeping.¡± After finishing that sentence Elianor opened her mouth to say something but quickly closed it and turned around. ¡°Goodnight Aiden, also you can call me Eli¡­¡± Aiden nodded and turned around as well. ¡°Goodnight Eli¡­¡±

    Chapter 7: Another quest begins.

    End.

 Chapter 8: Aidens Rush.

    The sound of voices and metals pieces banging against each other disturbed Aiden in his quiet sleep. After blinking a few times, he opened his eyes and looked around to see that the tent was gone. He quickly shuffled out of his bedroll and with his mind still foggy Aiden sprang up. ¡°Have we been robbed?! Where are the bandits?!¡± A splash of water met Aiden¡¯s face as he was speaking. ¡°Good morning lad. Don¡¯t alert yourself, you¡¯re such a heavy sleeper that we took care of the tent and most of your stuff.¡± Duran pointed at Aiden¡¯s backpack that was secured and seemed ready for the journey. ¡°Now lad, get ready because we need to go as soon as possible. Also, I advise you to keep your sword ready at all times.¡± Aiden nodded at Duran and looked at the girls that were waiting for them on the dirt road. Elianor wore her armour and equipment, this time though her kite shield was strapped on her back while she held it with her left arm using a grip located in the upper part of the shield. Serena was next to her and seemed to have a loaded light crossbow hanging from her thigh instead of an empty one like yesterday. Duran himself was using his claymore as a walking stick. Aiden decided that it was probably the best thing to do with a sheathed greatsword, so after wearing his armour and gathering his night clothes and bedroll, as well as brushing his teeth, they were all ready to go.

    The sun shyly peaked over the hills and trees right of the group as they made their way towards the Moss filled bridge. They stepped on the stone, arched bridged as the stream below them rushed towards the south-eastern side of the valley. As they walked up the stone structure, they noticed two things at the sight of the route they should follow: the stone-paved road was now simple dirt and the trees, that were sparsely grown before the bridge, now were much more prominent. ¡°From now on, keep an eye out for any movement on trees or behind bushes. Small animals aren¡¯t the only beings roaming this part of the land.¡± Duran took a moment to warn them, especially Elianor and Aiden, before they passed the Mossy Bridge and kept up their pace. Aiden turned his head and stared Northwards, a cluster of mountains were standing tall, their white peaks ripping through the dawn-coloured sky. ¨C That¡¯s where we¡¯re going. It is strange¡­ A mountain that we have to climb¡­ a road we must follow¡­ and no cars, tar or newly made shortcuts.¡± The two weeks Aiden had spent around these parts were by no means enough to overwrite the strong connection his mind had with his previous world. In fact, a few days ago, the sky went dark and it began raining. As he made his way back to the inn he got surprised by the purity of the water, some of it managed to drip into his lips, and it had no bitter or unpleasant taste.

    Aiden turned his widened eyes around only to see Elianor staring at him. She quickly switched her gaze, but he could tell: a look of disbelief and somewhat awe. He paid no mind and focused on the path in front of them.

    Once again, the hours passed with few words and with nothing dangerous happening to them. Aiden couldn¡¯t help but think that they must have been lucky enough to pass through the area with no interaction with outlaws, and so thought the rest. Still, even with such optimistic thoughts they didn¡¯t drop their guard and kept to the road instead of trying their luck with a faster, but less secure way. As the sun followed its usual path to the highest part of the sky, Aiden¡¯s mind was starting to adopt a more paranoid approach on their good luck. -What if they¡¯re watching us, and they wait¡­ wait for the moment we relax, maybe for our lunch? Should I ask Duran? Will I sound stupid if I do so...? ¨C Aiden decided he would only bring it up when they are all ready to find a location for a break. Until then, he should walk, and watch his back. It wasn¡¯t long before Duran suggested a few spots for them to sit and have lunch at. After a few suggestions they all settled on an open space with no twigs or bushes right next to the road. As they removed their backpacks Aiden got closer to Duran and spoke with a low voice. ¡°How can we be sure that there is no ambush nearby or any bandits watching us right now.¡± Duran rested his bag on a tree and tossed a vial of oil at Serena who was helping Elianor with setting up the fire, it was their turn this time. Duran then turned to Aiden and spoke in an equally low voice. ¡°We can never be sure. But Serena and I are fully alert and haven¡¯t picked anything up yet.¡± Duran shrug and placed his greatsword down as well. ¡°No reason being paranoid lad, bandits aren¡¯t stupid enough to attack a group of wanderers armed to the teeth. They usually go for weaker prey.¡± After Duran stopped talking, Aiden gave a quick look towards the girls. Elianor had removed a couple of pieces from her armour allowing her to sit more comfortably while Serena had just managed to get a fire going. Elianor looked at Aiden for a moment as she sat down, but realising he was also looking at her, she quickly switched her gaze to the cooking pot Serena had filled with oil. ¡°I suppose you¡¯re right¡­I¡¯ll make sure to be on the lookout as well.¡± Aiden turned to Duran and gave him a reassuring smile, but Duran didn¡¯t smile nor nod back. ¡°Remember what I told you lad.¡± He spoke in a voice low enough so Aiden would be the only to hear what he just said. Duran¡¯s eyes darted and pointed at Elianor and Aiden understood what his mentor meant. He nodded at Duran and took a few steps towards the campfire before sitting next to Elianor.

    For the next hour and a half, they all sat around a fire and after Serena swiftly prepared their meal they ate, and talked, and laughed. After they had finished eating Serena and Duran retreated a few steps further away so they could speak about various more serious subject that Aiden and Elianor had no reason to involve themselves with. Since they were now alone next to the bonfire Aiden turned to Elianor and tried to think of something that would break the ice. ¡°So, Elianor¡­ Um, how did you and your brother become adventurers for hire? Was it a childhood dream or something like that?¡± Elianor looked over, she was a bit caught off guard by that question, and after making momentary eye contact with Aiden, she turned away. ¡°Traynor always had a fascination with monsters and we both seek to become more powerful, so we figured it would be easier to go adventuring together¡­ That is if he actually takes me with him.¡± Aiden could tell that she didn¡¯t really seem that excited or interested when it came to talking with him, or anyone, about anything that had to do with her and her brother. She simply answered the question and kept looking away. ¡°Oh¡­ I¡¯m also trying to get stronger. Although, you seem to be ahead of me.¡± Aiden smiled a bit to seem more friendly. Elianor didn¡¯t respond with words and just nodded. Aiden could not tell if Elianor was bored or wasn¡¯t comfortable enough with talking to him about her past. -What could I possibly say to her¡­ She doesn¡¯t seem to be in the mood to have a chit chat right now. I wonder if I should ask her about her knowledge on demons¡­ No, I should let her rest. ¨C Aiden made up his mind and stared at her for one last time. She seemed to be daydreaming, or thinking about something. Her eyes were fixed on the dancing flamed, slowly fading on the pile of twigs that laid in front of them. ¡°Eli, if you¡¯re tired you can take off your armour and go lie down for a few minutes. I¡¯ll make sure no harm comes to you or your belongings.¡± Hearing this, Elianor looked at Aiden and nodded. She then stood up in front of him and begun taking off her armour piece by piece. In the end she was left with her normal tunic and pants that she wore under her gambeson and plate. ¡°Thank you.¡± She said quietly as she laid down using her bedroll as a pillow. Aiden waited for her to settle down and then stood up, picking up his sheathed greatsword in the process. He walked to a nearby tree and leaned on its trunk looking over Elianor¡¯s stuff as she napped. His gaze wandering off from time to time.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    A few moments passed and Aiden got a weird, menacing feeling. Something inside of him was grabbing his heart, sinking it and then speeding it up. Aiden felt like his instincts were being forced to activate. He begun breathing quicker as the hair on the back of his neck were rising, his eyes focusing on the spot where Elianor was resting. -What is this? Am I going mad? ¨C Aiden begun looking all over the place. His movements slow, not too draw any unnecessary attention by his fellow travellers. He quietly pulled his zweihander out of its sheath and suddenly he felt a rush greater than before overcoming him. His eyes were now staring on the foliage that was located behind him. Aiden turned around and held his sword with both hands, entering a relaxed, low guard. ¡°Thar, if that¡¯s you. Why are you doing this? Is something wrong or are you trying to take control of my body?¡± Aiden whispered it so he could barely hear it. Then his senses calmed a bit, but not entirely. He looked around with just his eyes and once he gazed upwards his instincts went crazy. His whole body wanted to do something, act in some way. Aiden resisted it for a second but the feeling was simply too strong and his mind rushed to many things that could go wrong. -If I act¡­ will the demon gain control¡­or is there something dangerous on the tree above me? ¨C Aiden, no longer able to hold back, swung his sword upwards hitting many leaves, branches and something else. As soon as his blade was brought down, he noticed a thick, red liquid on its edge. From the tree above him there was a groan of pain and surprise as the sound of a crossbow being fired and a bolt flying through the air was heard. The bolt landed about half a meter above Elianor¡¯s head and got stuck on the tree next to her. She immediately sprung up to her feet and looked straight at Aiden who was currently pointing the tip of his sword at a man that was lying on the grass in front of him while leaves were falling from the tree over their heads. Elianor quickly grabbed her shield and mace just a second before Duran and Serena rushed inside the campsite with weapons drawn out. Steelthunder quickly made his way towards Aiden and pushed him aside. With a swift and fluid motion his claymore was imbedded into the ground right next of the bandit¡¯s neck. The bandit, wearing green and brown leather armour with a hood and scarf covering his face, was rightfully terrified. Blood flowing out of a wound on the upper part of his left leg. Duran turned to Aiden and shut his eyes. ¡°Close your eyes Aiden!¡± Serena had just finished telling Elianor the shame thing and then Aiden heard her cry out in a loud and clear voice. ¡°Flash!¡±

    Aiden had his eyes shut, but could still see the bright light through his eyelids. As soon as the light faded, he opened them and saw the bandit on the ground rubbing his eyes while Duran was standing over him with his claymore resting on his shoulder. Aiden then heard another crossbow being fired. This time it was Serena. Her small crossbow was aimed at some bushes that provided cover for another bandit, he was armed with a dagger and shortsword, and now, his right shoulder had a small crossbow bolt buried inside of it. By the time Aiden looked back at Serena she already had another bolt loaded and ready to fire. ¡°Please, don¡¯t make me fire another one.¡± The bandit heard her request, or threat, and dropped his weapons while groaning in pain. Elianor and Aiden darted their eyes all over the area, but they couldn¡¯t see or hear anything. Also, that funny feeling Aiden had was now gone, but he himself was not completely calm.

    Duran held his sword ready to strike and stared at the wounded bandit beneath him. ¡°We are people of importance. Warriors send by the Lord of Pinewood with a mission from the Royal Guard. If you dare to get in our way you shall answer to them yourself. If you survive that is.¡± Both the bandits seemed both intimidated and displeased by Duran¡¯s words. They carefully stood up, leaving their weapons behind, and ran away, disappearing behind the bushes and trees of the forest. ¡°Why did you let them go?¡± Asked a surprised Aiden. ¡°We should have learned where their camp is located!¡± As Aiden finished his sentence, Duran turned around and shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s not that simple lad. Bandits are afraid of their captains, and would prefer to die than to get on their black list.¡± Duran paused and looked back to make sure the rest were fine. Serena was currently asking Elianor if she was hurt while she was donning her armour. Duran then turned back to Aiden. ¡°A failed ¡®hunt¡¯ their captains will accept. Ratting them out is another story.¡± Duran finished and grabbed Aiden¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You did well Aiden. I¡¯m glad to see that you¡¯re growing.¡± He then turned his back and walked away, leaving Aiden to sheath his zweihander and get ready to resume their journey.

    Their walk resumed and once again Aiden found himself pacing next to Elianor. He was feeling kind of guilty for the fact that she was unprepared, so he made up his mind and turned to her. ¡°Elianor, I¡¯m sorry. If I had known better, I wouldn¡¯t have egged you on to rest. I knew it was a dangerous area and¡­¡± Elianor placed her hand over Aiden¡¯s mouth for a moment, just enough to make him stop talking. ¡°There is no reason you should apologise. You¡¯re the person that saved me after all. You managed to get that bandit before he shot his bolt straight through my head.¡± Elianor smiled after making that last, pretty grim, statement and then turned her head back to the road. The trip continued and there were no more bandits or weird instinct rushes for Aiden. It took them two day, in total, to pass through the woods and get a clear view of the mountains again. The temperatures were now lower and that was considerably true during night time. But, even though the rest of the party would comment on it, Aiden could barely feel a difference. In fact, on the third night after they had crossed the Mossy Bridge, Aiden woke up to Elianor having pretty much climbed on him while they slept. When she woke up, apart from being too embarrassed to talk about it, she simply said that he had some much-needed warmth. During the first week of the trip, Serena and Aiden hadn¡¯t really spoken too much. They were always exchanging words and had a few conversations, but compared to Duran, who was his mentor, and Elianor, who Aiden was trying to befriend, Serena was on the bottom of the list in terms of time they spent together.

    Not that it mattered much, they were friends anyway and now that they were on the first day of climbing up the mountain, there would be no more potential attacks from bandits or wandering monsters. For at least a couple of days, they would have the time to talk about more than just what route they should follow next, or if that bush moved because of a fox or a rogue goblin.

    Chapter 8: Aiden''s Rush.

    End.

 Chapter 9: The Ice Elementals.

    Their first night at the foot of the mountain was a long one. Aiden could not sleep and so he decided to sit on a rock, next to the campfire. He was still very close to the tents and took it upon itself to feed the flame and keep it bright and warm throughout the night. As the cold had already set in and dug deeper, gnawing on the bones of his comrades, Aiden was fine. He could feel a difference from the considerably warmer weather of Pinewood, but he wasn¡¯t feeling any cold, even when it would be abnormal to be warm. Aiden was certain that it had something to do with Thar¡¯gorol, the demon that lived inside of him, like a spiritual parasite. The demon had already played a big role in awaking Aiden¡¯s Sun Aura and had already found a way to communicate with him when Aiden was conscious, albeit a limited form of communication.

    All this time Aiden was sitting completely still. His eyes fixated in the flames, moving unpredictably, consuming the wood that was being given as fuel. The only other light, apart from the flickering fire, was the silver light of the Moon that showered the short and rough grass that surrounded their campsite. Occasionally there would be a bush bearing red, edible berries and a more common sighting would be that of white and blue flowers that Serena would look out for and collect. She claimed they gave the tea a pleasantly sweet aroma that was especially effective against the frost of the mountain. Aiden heard a pair of feet step on the ground and took his eyes off the fire, turning towards the tent Duran and Serena used. He noticed the latter, wearing her travel boots on top of thick, woollen socks while her body was wrapped in her cloak, covering the rest of her clothes. ¡°I noticed you weren¡¯t sleeping. And¡­and I thought you would get lonely out here.¡± Serena said as she took a few steps closer to Aiden. Aiden smiled as she got closer to him. ¡°Oh no, don¡¯t worry about me. I just can¡¯t sleep, that¡¯s all.¡± Serena ignored Aiden and took a seat on a log next to him. ¡°Are you feeling alright? If there is a problem, please let me know. I will do my best to help you.¡± Serena said and leaned slightly closer to Aiden, examining him and trying to estimate his wellbeing. Aiden shook his head. ¡°I told you, I¡¯m perfectly fine. Just a bit worried about, you know, the Ice Elementals, the Mines, those assassins. Stuff like that were not something I¡¯d have to deal with back in my world.¡± Aiden turned back at the fire and Serena used her breath to warm her hands up. ¡°Mr Aid¡­ I mean, Aiden, I believe you need to think of yourself as part of this world now. I don¡¯t want to tell you what to do, but since you¡¯re here now, I see you as a member of our company.¡± Serena responded as she turned to the fire shortly after Aiden. He thought for a moment, and decided to ask a question he had since the very beginning of this journey. ¡°Say Serena, do you know why Lord Lloyd picked me to come with you? Was Duran the one who requested it, or was every other guard and soldier busy?¡± Serena didn¡¯t respond right away. She looked at Aiden with a look slightly more serious than usual. ¡°Neither. Lord Lloyd sees you as a very interesting man and a valuable aspect. Not every soldier is able to burn a hobgoblin down to a crisp without any training. And more importantly, your pyromancy can help us against the Elementals.¡± Serena paused to grab his hand and rub it between her fingers. ¡°We¡¯re in the middle of a freezing night¡­and you¡¯re warm. You may not realise it, but great power flows through you. It¡¯s just a matter of time, when you¡¯ll learn to control it.¡± She paused again as she let his hand go. Aiden was about to say something, but Serena didn¡¯t notice it and resumed. ¡°A few days ago, when you attacked that bandit on the tree. Were you scared?¡± Aiden looked at her, surprised by her tone, and the question. ¡°Yes¡­ I was. But not because of the Bandit himself. After I hit him, I was worried that I took his life. Luckily, it was not but a flesh wound.¡± She looked at him with her yellow eyes shining under the moonlight. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid Aiden. We¡­I¡­will be there for you. Even when you decide to take a life.¡± Serena stopped talking and there was silence. Aiden was shocked by the severity of the conversation. To him Serena was the sweet and innocent maid that worked for Lloyd, this was totally unexpected. ¡°You mean that you¡¯ve killed before¡­?¡± Aiden broke the silence and after a still moment, Serena nodded. She immediately let her cloak drop just below her chest, she then proceeded to spread the neck-opening of her top to show Aiden a generous part of her chest, of course her breasts were still mostly covered. ¡°What?!¡± Aiden was ready to look away but on the last second, he noticed something. On the centre of her chest, slightly above her breasts there was a rough, deformed part of skin. A scar of sorts, it looked like a deep and painful burn. Serena let Aiden look at it for a moment and then she covered herself up, shielding her bare skin from the low temperatures.

    Aiden was not really sure what he was supposed to say in a situation like this. Luckily, Serena spoke first. ¡°Aiden, I am a maid. I live to serve the household belonging to the Lord of Pinewood. But in this world, even I don¡¯t always have quiet and calm days. There are times where you will be forced to make a decision, stand your ground¡­kill someone.¡± She brought her hand over her chest and held it. ¡°This scar always reminds me:  This world can be cruel, sometimes too cruel. We both have dreams, goals¡­something we need to have dangling in front of us, so we can continue running. I don¡¯t know what yours is, but you must never forget that there will be obstacles you need to overcome¡­and there are moments when the only option available is as cruel as the world itself.¡± Serena stopped talking and turned back to the fire that burnt in front of them. Aiden seemed sceptical, trying to think of a proper response. He didn¡¯t want to disagree with Serena, after all there weren¡¯t many things he knew about this place. ¡°Serena, I get your point, but also I¡¯ve learnt many things from my world. Violence and cruelty, realistically, can¡¯t be avoided. But they can be greatly limited and postponed.¡± Serena looked at Aiden waiting for him to finish. ¡°I hope, one day, I find my way back home. But there are things I must do in this world first, things I will be forced to face somehow. When the time comes, I¡¯ll be ready to both stand my ground and fight for my myself and for others, although I hope to kill only when there truly is no other way¡­when the sins I will commit are fewer than the sins I will prevent.¡±

    Serena listened carefully to Aiden and then looked at him with a familiar smile. ¡°You¡¯re a good man Aiden, I am sure you¡¯ll make the right choice when¡­I mean¡­ if you¡¯re ever forced to face more than a nest of goblins.¡± She then stood up and yawned, quickly covering her mouth with her hands. ¡°I¡¯m very glad we talked. Goodnight Aiden!¡± Serena said happily and walked over to her tent, crawling inside of it and inside her bedroll. Aiden remained outside, tenting to the fire. After the bandits attacked, his mind often wandered to the situation with Thar¡¯gorol. He was told that every moment the demon is inside of him, he grows stronger, eventually he will be strong enough to take his over his body. It¡¯s unclear what will happen to him, but the most likely outcome is that he will die. Aiden looked up in the sky, the night sky was something he found incredibly beautiful, at least in this world. The lack of light provided not only a clear of view of countless stars and the moon, but also the blueish and purplish colours of the galaxy. Everyone else thought the sky was pretty, but they were used to it. For a modern city dweller that was Aiden, such a sky was a rare and cherished sight. He sighed, since there was nothing he could do about the demon and was not sure whether or not he would be speeding up his demise if he told anyone. Slowly feeling his eyelids getting heavier, he too crawled inside his tent and fell asleep.

    The second day of climbing went by relatively quickly as they followed the old and barely used paths that swirled and turned, creeping up the mountain side. They reached a point where the cold was numbing both during the day and the night. The second night was considerably harder to sleep through for everyone, except for Aiden. The morning of the third day and Serena woke up a bit earlier than the rest. She carefully, and reluctantly, woke up Aiden as well so he could lend a hand in getting the fire going strong before Duran and Elianor got up. Aiden was happy to do so and after using his pyromancy to create his kindling flame, a skill that he had plenty of opportunities to train during this trip, the flames grew once again. While Aiden wore his armour, Serena boiled some tea made from the mountain herbs she had been gathering and they all enjoyed a hot cup of it before they set out on their journey once again. After they drank it, they all seemed to cope with the cold slightly better, even Aiden, who wasn¡¯t affected by the cold as much as the rest, felt like a strain he never noticed before was now gone.

    The sun was, now, way past its highest point on the sky and had started slowly dipping towards the horizon. Aiden paced next to Elianor, as usual, while Serena and Duran, who knew the way better than them, walked in front. Unfortunately, the cold but kind, so far, weather decided to make the journey even more challenging for them as a reasonably powerful blizzard broke out. Since they were fairly careful with their steps the blizzard was not enough to pose a great danger to them, although it did limit their visibility range by a significant amount. It was then that they took some rope and tied it on Duran¡¯s belt, while the rest held it tightly with one hand, using the remaining arm to protect their face from the incoming snow. The snow was now up to their shins as they made their way higher and higher. Suddenly Serena felt the rope become still as she faintly saw Duran stopping dead in his tracks, the others saw Serena stop as well and got closer to them to find out what was going on. Through the howling of the wind they heard a strange, eerie humming sound. It was never stopping, but due to its frequency and volume it was not as annoying as someone would expect, definitely a sound Aiden heard for the first time and judging by her reaction, so did Elianor. After they all stood next to each other the blizzard begun to calm down around them and the humming got clearer and clearer. After a few seconds the blizzard, even though it was still going strong further away, had completely died out in the area around them. They all wiped as much of the snow as they could off of their clothes and then looked around to spot the cause of this sudden and peculiar incident. ¡°Aiden, Elianor! Ready your weapons!¡± Duran instructed them and immediately, all four of them, had their respective weapons ready to strike. In front of them stood two ice statues, their bodies had the shape of natural point crystals, not entirely random but not perfectly symmetrical. On the side their bodies there were attached pieces of hard ice connected with a light blue light, they had the rough shape of human arms, but instead of five fingers they only had three large ones. Their legs were thick and similar to their arms when it came to how they were held together, they of course looked differently than their arms. A blueish light appeared on the top of their bodies forming two eyes and a wide mouth, the humming continued but this time it seemed to be slightly more aggressive as the elementals walked closer to them. They seemed slow but Aiden could clearly see that they even dwarfed Duran, the biggest person in their group. The creature made from ice stopped moving a couple of meters away from them. Aiden had no experience with this type of foe, but a quick glance towards Duran showed him an expression of worry, he could tell that they were leagues above that ogre that Duran had to fight in the Goblin Town. Duran was gritting his teeth and looking at them with eyes of absolute focus, he held his sword up and assumed the wrath guard. The humming noise of one of the elementals got distorted and formed into words they could understand. ¡°What business do you have on this mountain, humans?¡± The left elemental asked with a voice that seemed to have multiple soft echoes following it. Duran tightened his grip around his sword and answered with a loud and clear voice. ¡°Let us pass! We are sent here by the Lord of Pinewood and the Royal Guard!¡± The humming became even more aggressive and threatening. The right one talked this time. ¡°Pinewood? You are sent here by the same people that drove us away and built their hot mines in OUR mountain!¡± The left one continued. ¡°Your posture and weaponry show your intentions. We will give you the option to turn back, but if you refuse, we have to protect our land.¡± The elemental finished his sentence and everyone stood still for a second. -So, if we go forward, we¡¯ll engage with the elementals, but we can¡¯t go back¡­ Should we risk it? No, I¡¯m not ready to take on enemies that their very presence can seal out a blizzard. ¨C Duran gripped his sword and was a moment away from attacking the elementals, then a thud was heard behind him. The two elementals as well as Duran. Serena and Elianor quickly turned to Aiden who had just dropped his zweihander on the snow next to his feet. Obviously, Duran seemed confused and shocked, such a reckless action could easily lead to their death. Aiden didn¡¯t say anything and unsheathed his dagger before letting it drop as well. Duran was about to talk but Aiden raised his hand and gestured him to keep quiet. Needless to say, Duran was once again surprised by Aiden¡¯s action, but he decided to let him speak, in case he had a plan. Aiden took a few steps forward and got near the two elementals who were not attacking him just yet. ¡°We have absolutely no intention of turning hostile, unless we have to. We are also not here because of an old and abandoned mine, our goal is not to steal your land from you, we are after some answers, it¡¯s that simple.¡± The humming was toned down and now it was less aggressive than before. ¡°What answers do you seek, human?¡± The elementals asked and Aiden looked back at the group. Serena and Elianor let their weapons down and Duran, even though he was reluctant, he did so with a sigh. Aiden then turned back to the elementals. ¡°Please, call me Aiden.¡± The elementals looked at the weapons that now rested on the snow. ¡°Very well, Aiden-human.¡± Aiden pulled off his friendly smile and continued talking. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re interested in the affairs of us, humans, but a group of assassins tried to take the life of the current King. We believe the mines may hold the answer to who did it, if you¡¯d be kind enough to take us to your leader. If you have one, of course.¡± A few seconds passed after Aiden finished speaking. The elementals seemed to be considering his statements. Then, both of them took a few steps closer to the group and grabbed the weapons laying on the ground. They then turned around and began walking higher up the mountain. ¡°Follow us, humans.¡±

    The group of four accompanied by the two ice elementals walked up the snowy and rocky terrain for a few more minutes before they reached what seemed to be a small town made from igloos and a couple of swallow crevices carved into the side of the mountain, that still rose higher, but its summit was hidden by the blizzard surrounding the place. There they saw more of the natives of the mountain. Most of them looked at the group with suspicion and their humming was clearly not a friendly one. But since they were being guarded and had no weapons the rest of the elementals did not interfere. They continued their walk until they reached a crevice larger than all the rest. The outside was closed with a wall of hard ice that cracked to reveal an entrance at the presence of the two elementals. As soon as they all walked inside the entranced closed itself and the wall became solid again. Inside the place had no furniture. The ground had some piles of snow while the whole place was lit by a blueish light that flowed inside the ice that layered the floor, walls and ceiling. On the far end stood another elemental, bigger than the other two and with a more complex light burning inside his icy head. This one had a multitude of colours: green, yellow, blue, red, purple and the list went on and on. Aiden found himself captivated by the sight. ¡°Aurora Borealis¡­¡± He muttered to himself, but at the cold silence of this home his voice reached the ears of all those who were inside of it. ¡°Indeed, I am. I was not expecting a human to know the name of this tribe¡¯s leader, but then again, we never were on good enough terms to banter.¡± The colourful elemental spoke with a deeper hum as it moved and walked closer to them. He hummed something in their own language and the other two left quickly through another temporary hole in the ice wall. ¡°No need to repeat your story humans. I already know. The hums of my peoples travel a long way. You seem to have come to terms with the way of nature. I respect your decision to not try and reclaim my mountain.¡± The elemental said and Duran raised his voice, not being able to stay quiet any longer. ¡°Don¡¯t think too highly of yourself! We are here for answers but if you keep reminding us of who is the rightful Lord of the Mountain you will bring great ruin upon your tribe of walking snowmen.¡± The leader hummed in a weird way as a response. It almost sounded like a laugh. ¡°Very well. I will not continue talking about that subject. Now, ask your questions so you can rid us of your presence.¡± The leader paused and let them decide who would speak for them. Duran took a long step and whispered to Aiden¡¯s ear. ¡°How the hell did you know his name?¡± His tone was not very hostile but it was charged enough to make Aiden worry. ¡°I had no idea! Aurora Borealis is the name of a rare phenomenon in my world. The northern sky lights up with the same colours as the energy that he has inside his body.¡± Duran nodded and pulled back patting Aiden on the shoulder. ¡°You speak.¡± He then went behind Aiden while the latter presented himself in front of Aurora Borealis. Aiden took a moment to think of what he should say and then began talking. ¡°My name is Aiden Read, although you probably know that already. Just to be clear I come from a place very far away and there, Aurora Borealis is the name of an event when the sky is lit up by colours similar to yours. I had no knowledge that you had the same name.¡± The elemental hummed with notes of agreement. ¡°You seem to be telling the truth. It is a large world after all.¡± Aiden nodded at the statement and continued. ¡°Are you going to let us see the mine? I mean you already know that we want to check for any clues that may help us find the whereabouts of the King¡¯s assassins. We would very much appreciate it if you didn¡¯t delay us any longer.¡± Aiden finished talking and the leader responded without skipping a bit. ¡°No humans have been allowed to enter the mine in the past years. You are wasting your time. You may go back and report to that Lord of yours.¡± With such a straightforward answer Aiden was not sure whether that would suffice. He glanced quickly at Duran who shook his head in disapproval. ¡°We really need to take a look. We have no weapons and we can be escorted in and out of the mine by your guards. We will be an inconvenience to you only for slightly longer.¡± Aiden said as he turned back towards Aurora Borealis. ¡°I refuse. Now leave.¡± Said the elemental. Aiden knew Duran was about to burst, and that would be bad for everyone, so he decided to try and solve this by bursting himself. ¡°Look, Aurora Borealis, you really have no idea what you¡¯re doing to you and your people by refusing our pleas.¡± The elemental picked up Aiden¡¯s threatening tone. ¡°Are you trying to intimidate me? Inside my own home? Surrounded by MY tribe?¡± The elemental laughed once again. Aiden looked at him and said nothing until he stopped. ¡°If you¡¯re so confident about your powers then kill us. Right here, right now. But there is a slight problem with that. When I said I come from far way, I meant it. I¡¯m a former resident of another world. A world where humans rule over nature, to such a degree that they destroy it. They bring disasters upon themselves and our Earth, but their rule has been etched so deeply into the ways of nature that they¡¯re changing the very climate of the planet. Machines all over the world, spitting smoke and fire, increasing the temperatures, going higher and higher every year with little hope of fixing the desolation we¡¯re causing. Forests are burning, the ice all over the globe is melting, the water levels are rising, drowning more and more organisms as they go.¡± The elemental seemed to be greatly upset by Aiden¡¯s claims. ¡°Stop trying to scare me human! I know you speak the truth, but the terrible glimpse of your world will die with you!¡± The elemental¡¯s hum became menacing and aggressive. The whole group except Aiden got scared and thought they were done for, until Aiden spoke. ¡°That¡¯s where you¡¯re wrong! Since you can tell if I¡¯m lying, listen to this: Right now, back in Pinewood, there is a small device that I brought from my world. If I don¡¯t return there is an elf capable of opening it and gaining access to a whole bunch of information that could very well be the first step in turning this world into an uninhabitable wasteland for your kind. Kill us now and all the otherworldly knowledge will be released and change this earth forever!¡± Aiden spread his arms apart ready to take the strike that Aurora Borealis did not deliver. The hum was still hostile, but not as aggressive. ¡°Curse you and your burning world. Is this what all of you are? Beings that wreak havoc whenever they are given the chance?¡± The elemental was furious and was left with no other choice, but before he gave the order to have them escorted into the mine Aiden turned to him once more. ¡°I never said I wanted this world to be changed in the way mine was. I will try to only bring harmless changes, if I bring any. I would say I warned you, not threatened you.¡± Once again, Aiden was not lying. And with the elemental now slightly calmer they were escorted to the entrance of the mine. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    The entrance was not far. As they got closer the mountain had a deep wound carved on its side. The hole continued deep inside of the stone and was supported by old, dirty, but sturdy wooden beams that were some of the very few signs that seemed to reveal the presence of humans in this, otherwise, all-natural scene. They all began looking around the ground and inspecting the outer stone walls of the mineshaft. It didn¡¯t take too long to realise that this placed seemed to have hosted no humans for many years. Three of them grouped together and walked to the entrance, only to see Aurora Borealis standing silent in front of them. His massive body was enough to block them from entering. Duran¡¯s anger seemed to brew inside of him once again. ¡°What is this nonsense? Let us Pass!¡± He said in a loud voice. The elemental did not speak, his guards had already left the site and he stood alone, still too powerful to be defeated by four unarmed adventurers. Aiden was listening to everything going on but he trusted Aurora Borealis, he wouldn¡¯t dare to kill them and Duran wouldn¡¯t attack him in this state. Although his behaviour was still odd. All this time Aiden was crouched down and was digging around the snow because he thought he caught a glimpse of something black with the edge of his eyes, but nothing was found. Duran was trying to get the elemental to talk, but since he could only shout at him there was no response. Suddenly, as Aiden scooped up a bit of snow, he saw that some of it had a black and dark grey colour, bringing it up to his nose he realised that he was clearly smelling some ash that had blended in with the snow, possibly due to the blizzard. Aiden swiftly sprung up to his feet and looked at the rest with a dreadful face. He felt the same rush he had experienced before return, this time there was no clear urge to look at one specific direction but his eyes focused intently and his hearing was amplified by the adrenaline that was pumping throughout his whole body. After a split second he heard the sound of moving snow, the ground was still kept steady by the elemental so someone was there and apparently the demon inside of him thought so too.

    Aiden kicked the ground next to him, much to the surprise of everyone, he launched himself towards the right and as his head snapped to look at that direction, he saw a man standing a bit shorter than him, a couple of meters away, on his hands was a dane axe. Even if the opponent held a strong weapon and wore what seemed to be hard leather over a bunch of thick gambesons, Aiden¡¯s speed, while he felt like this, was shocking, especially for someone that was supposed to be surprised. The attacker tried to respond but before his axe had any real momentum, Aiden was already holding onto it and could get a good look at his headgear. It was a plain mask, it was supposed to be a simple and generic face, the material seemed like painted wood, but Aiden didn¡¯t have the time to make sure. The two engaged in a battle of strength while more masked people rose from the snow. The rest immediately ignored Aurora Borealis and engaged in a fight with their opponent. Serena stayed in the back while Elianor and Duran tried to take on the four masked men that held a number of weapons: two of them bastard swords, one had a warhammer and the last a rapier. Elianor was trying to stand in front of the sword wielding ones in hope that she would be able to tank their hits and avoid engaging with the warhammer one, thankfully Duran was there and had brawled more than he could count. ¡°I held heavier hammers when I was twelve! Come hither if you dare! Run away if you value your skins!¡± Serena seemed to be the most scared and worried of them all, failing to hide it like the rest. She was reluctant, but when the rapier wielding opponent attempted to find an opening and get behind Duran, she raised her hand. ¡°Flash!¡± She exclaimed, Duran and Elianor closed their eyes as soon as they saw the hand up in the air. The enemies got blinded by the powerful light and one of the sword wielders felt a fist coated in steel plate armour hit his mask. The mask cracked and splintered under the force of Elianor¡¯s punch and after getting launched a little more than a meter away, he laid there motionless. The remaining one lost no time, running closer to Elianor and attempting to throw her on the floor, he seemed to know what he was doing and thus the both of them kept moving closer and closer to the edge of the mountain. Duran was trying to wrestle the warhammer out of the attacker¡¯s hand while blocking punches from the buckler he held on his left hand. The man with the rapier had advanced and was now facing off against Serena, his rapier had a purple light shine around the blade, a quick jab towards her released a powerful purple beam that effectively extended the range of the rapier by a few meters. Serena had no option but to dodge. A couple of purple beams were not hard to get around from, since Serena was pretty nimble, but the third one seemed to be right on the mark, until the powerful swing of a large axe cut the rapier¡¯s blade in half and surprised the wielder so much that the force was enough to throw the rest of it on the ground. The masked man turned to see Aiden standing tall in front of him, a bit of blood on his bottom lip, as he held the axe behind his head ready for another hit, this time on the man himself. Behind Aiden there was the first of the enemies that revealed themselves, he was on the ground, he hurried to stand up but his attention was brought to the edge of the mountain as a man screamed. Duran had just managed to get the hammer for himself and ignored the scream, pounding on the man in front of him until his face was a mangled flesh soup with pieces of wood mixed in. Aiden hesitant to deliver the final strike he looked at the edge and saw Elianor¡¯s fingers having penetrated the snow and holding onto the stone while the grunting of the scared man was still heard, he was hanging from her leg.

    Aiden was quick to turn his attention to the man standing in front of him. Thankfully, he was able to see an incoming attack from the man who had just picked up the hilt half of his broken rapier. Aiden grabbed the incoming arm and even though the tip of the broken blade penetrated some of his gambeson, it was still far from getting to his skin. The man was now so close to Aiden that he had no space to swing his axe and the man seemed to try and keep that way while some magic still flowed through the rapier and was slowly charging up a purple beam that could deal a fatal wound to Aiden. To the surprise of both men, Serena swiftly picked up the top half of the broken rapier and drove it through the masked man¡¯s neck. Aiden wasted no time in pushing the dying man away and running towards Elianor while Duran attacked and finished off the original owner of the axe. As he got closer, Aiden, let go of the axe and fell on his knees grabbing Elianor and preventing her hand from slipping. Unfortunately, the hanging man was not about to let himself fall and as soon as Elianor tried to climb he jumped up on her back, so he could get closer to Aiden, and pulled a small dagger from his belt. The man was about to leap on the edge and stab Aiden while Elianor fell down the mountain, but a few golden sparks ignited around her armour. Aiden was hit by a painful electrical current, he couldn¡¯t help letting go of Elianor just as the same current reached the masked man who had a more violent reaction to it and jolted off Elianor, missing both Aiden and the mountain¡¯s edge. As both of them plummeted to their death a platform made from hard snow erected from the mountain and cut Elianor¡¯s fall short while the attacker disappeared as the blizzard below swallowed him.

    Aiden turned around shocked and saw that the silent elemental had lifted his right arm and with a move of his three fingers the platform slid up the mountain side, placing the shaken up Elianor on stable ground. ¡°You fought valiantly.¡± Hummed the elemental as Aiden used his flame to warm Elianor¡¯s freezing armour. Duran gripped the warhammer tightly and with a dash brought it down on Aurora Borealis¡¯ head only to be stopped by the elemental¡¯s powerful hand. ¡°Do not make me fight you. I am willing to talk, but if you provoke me further, I will not take into account Aiden-human¡¯s warning.¡± The elemental said and let go of Duran¡¯s arm. He immediately pulled the warhammer back and replied with an understandably aggressive and angry tone. ¡°What in Gods¡¯ names was that? You drove us straight into a trap!¡± Duran held onto his weapons and seemed to be in a fighting stance, ready for any other ambush. ¡°I apologise for tricking you, but I had to. We are allied with a group of people¡­perhaps, I should say ¡®were¡¯ allied with a group of people that gave us information in exchange for some Kurlim from the mine. They said you were preparing for an attack, a raid to exterminate our tribe and reclaim the mountain.¡± Aurora Borealis paused and Duran commented on his words. ¡°Nonsense, we were preparing for no such thing! And even if we were, no low lives would know of it!¡± The elemental hummed in agreement and continued. ¡°After listening to Aiden-human¡¯s words I was worried and doubtful, but my magical ice was unable to detect any lies from both parties. In the end I decided to let you battle and the winner would get to have a discussion with me.¡± Aurora Borealis stopped talking and Aiden looked at him intensely, trying to think of the best course of action he could follow. ¡°As much as I¡¯d like to partake in a discussion, can we talk here while two of us go inside and investigate the mine?¡± Aiden said as he removed his heated hands from Elianor. The elemental nodded and allowed Serena and Elianor to go through the entrance while Duran and Aiden remained outside. The discussion went surprisingly well, Aurora Borealis was open and honest while Duran seemed to slowly shape a better opinion about him and his people. After the two girls came out of the mine all four of the members compared their information. Apparently, the assassins had lied to the elementals to gain access to the mine and extract a small quantity of Kurlim before sending it off to another location, so it can be used and leaving these five masked men behind to monitor the mine and tribe in case they needed them again in the future. From a journal they found it was clear that these five thought their statements were legitimate and so the ice couldn¡¯t detect any lies from them. After they went back to Aurora¡¯s hall, they thought of a deal that could benefit both parties greatly. The people of Pinewood would make a settlement at the foot of the mountain and, with the help of the elementals, go to the mine and extract as much Kurlim as they wanted as long as their smelters and all other heat-based machinery was moved to the main town or to the settlement below. Since winter was cold and unforgiving in these parts the elementals would allow them to heat up their housing and also protect them from the horrible weather, but if their tribe was ever in danger Pinewood should dispatch as many soldiers and guards as necessary to assist in its protection. Duran and Serena seemed thoughtful, Aiden was happy with the terms and voted for the peace treaty while Elianor remained indifferent since she wasn¡¯t a citizen of Pinewood. In the end all three of them agreed and Lord Lloyd would be instructed to meet up with Aurora and make sure no loose ends or loopholes were present in the deal. They remained on the mountain until the morning hours and then with the heat of the sun on their backs they departed for the journey back home.

    Chapter 9: The Ice Elementals.

    END.

 Chapter 10: The Masked Family.

    It¡¯s been a couple of days since the deal was struck between the Ice Elementals and the people of Pinewood. Aiden, Elianor, Duran and Serena had all gone to sleep after walking for hours towards their destination. They still had a long journey ahead before sharing another meal with Lloyd, but they were in a good enough mood to gladly walk double the distance if it meant bringing the great news back to the town.

    Aiden had begun waking up after feeling like he was in a deep slumber for longer than he should while out on the road. Without opening his eyes Aiden wiggled his body around in the blanket that he had spread on the dirt floor. -This dirt is much harder compared to the other nights. I guess it¡¯s a good thing I won¡¯t be able to waste any more time sleeping¡­- After finding it impossible to get comfortable again, Aiden took a deep breath and sat upright blinking a few times before opening his eyes fully. In an instant he felt his senses being overwhelmed, the adrenaline shooting all the way up and his reflexes making him jump on his feet before he¡¯s able to tell what was going on. Cold and grey stone was everywhere around him. The biggest part of the dungeon, he was currently in, was closed off by metal bars that also separated his cell with the ones on either side of him. The area was lit well enough with torches, but Aiden cared not for what was in front of him, because on his right cell a familiar face was laying on a blanket much like his own. ¡°Elianor! Wake up!¡± He yelled and kneeled next to the metal bars reaching out with his hand, his arm being long enough to barely give her a couple of nudges. Elianor though, needed just that to immediately come to her senses and stand up with surprising speed. ¡°What¡¯s going on?! Aiden, where are we?!¡± She spoke loudly and turned towards him with her blue eyes wide and her whole face tense, as it should be in this kind of situation. ¡°I have no idea, last thing I remember was us sleeping while Duran was guarding our camp!¡± Elianor was worried by that answer and even though she didn¡¯t say anything, Aiden could tell she also knew nothing. Unlike him though she was quicker to take action into her own hands, literally. Elianor grabbed the metal bars of her cell and gritted her teeth while her muscles flexed and even some of her veins popped on her neck and arms, parts that were not covered by the short-sleeved shirt she was wearing. Aiden was almost too amazed when the metal bars actually bent under her monstrous strength and the gap got big enough for her to slip through. In fact, he was taken aback from her abilities from the very first moment he met her. Elianor¡¯s fair and quite beautiful appearance made it easy for people to shrug her off as a waitress, sometimes a dancer and, if she tried a bit, some noble¡¯s daughter.

    Once again, she grabbed the bars of Aiden¡¯s cell and bent them apart allowing him to get out. As they were about to proceed forwards, the sound of multiple footsteps rushing down the stone staircase echoed through the dungeon. From the doorway at the other side of the room two armoured guards holding bastard swords walked inside the room, followed by an individual that wore a black cloak and had a birchwood mask on their face. Upon seeing each other the two parties prepared for combat, even though Aiden and Elianor where at a clear disadvantage. ¡°Who are you and where are we?¡± Asked Aiden not expecting to get a proper answer. The wooden mask worn by the cloaked person was identical to the ones used by the assassins that ambushed them on the mountain. ¡°Please, brothers, lower your weapons. On behalf of our Family we apologise for the rude¡­invitation to our home. You are not bound because we believe you don¡¯t deserve to be, not yet at least.¡± The cloaked figure spoke with a female voice slightly altered by the wooden mask. ¡°Get to the point wench!¡± Roared Elianor only for the masked woman to giggle. ¡°Your abilities have peaked our Father¡¯s interest. He would like to have an audience with you, but please, don¡¯t be so crude when conversing with him.¡± Elianor was reluctant, but since there was no way for them to win, she lowered her fists and walked closer to the guards who also sheathed their weapons. Aiden did the same but stayed behind not sure if he should go back into his cell and wait for Elianor to come back. ¡°You too Mister Aiden Read.¡± Said the woman and that made his heartbeat skyrocket. -Could it be¡­that this Father knows my secret? - He felt his stomach turn and the uneasiness of hosting a vile demon in his own body grew with every step he took towards the guards and up the staircase.

    While being escorted by the woman and the guards, Elianor and Aiden had time to realise that they were in no castle or palace. This was some sort of underground cavern system, built by humans this time, and used as a base for, apparently, the organisation responsible for the attempt on the King¡¯s life. The walls were covered with stone bricks and the place was well lit, mostly with torches. While walking they saw a few more members wearing cloaks and oak masks. The woman made sure to tell them that this was not their usual attire and they only used it in their ¡®home¡¯ when ¡®guests¡¯ were present. After a couple of minutes, they had made their way across the base and entered a door slightly bigger than the others. Inside they saw five chairs, four had people wearing the same birchwood masks sitting on them. The guards left and the woman sat down on the right of the middle chair, the latter being slightly bigger and more decorated than the rest. ¡°Our Family welcomes you. Since you are simply our guests for now, you can call me Father.¡± Said the man sitting in the middle. ¡°There is no need for you to introduce yourselves. We already know who you are Aiden and Elianor.¡± Father made this comment after realising from the look on their faces that they were in no mood to have a lengthy talk with him and the rest of the Family. In fact, the two guests said nothing at all, forcing Father to speak once again. ¡°For now, the details of your invitation will be spared, but the reason will be revealed.¡± He made a short pause and continued. ¡°I think you two will perfectly fit into our family and we decided to take initiative and attempt to recruit you.¡± Aiden and Elianor exchanged looks for a moment and had a bit of a thoughtful expression. ¡°If you want us to join you then why did you attack us on the mountain?¡± Asked Aiden, crossing his arms in front of his chest. ¡°That was but a bit of cleansing. Those members who were sent to carry out the ambush had no true reason to be in our Family. They were promised an easy journey to the mountains and a large sum of money. Our Family is not a gold making past time¡­we are a bond of beliefs and ideals, many souls cuddling one next to the other and moving closer to a brighter future.¡± Father ended his sentence and pulled out a book from inside his cloak. The cover was made out of beige leather and in the middle of both sides there was the stamp of a hand, marked with black ink. Inside the palm a white coloured flame was drawn. ¡°We are the Black Hand and we are humbly requesting you to join our Family and cause, not for money or freedom, but because you truly wish to change the future.¡± He opened the book and revealed that each page had the bloody print of a right hand and a name written under it. Elianor then frowned and shouted at him. ¡°Do you really think we are going to join a cult like yours without knowing what you seek and what you believe in! Tell us! What is all this nonsense about changing the future?¡± Aiden nodded in agreement and from the two no one moved closer to the book. Even though some unpleased groaning was heard from the four members upon hearing the word ¡®cult¡¯, Father closed the book and sighed. ¡°I do suppose you are right: you do need to know who we are before accepting or rejecting us. The Family of the Black Hand has been around for years, more than a decade to be exact. At the beginning we were a small group of people that was helping the poor citizens of our kingdom, through any means necessary. After a while we began growing in members and our, then, ¡®Father¡¯ was struck down in account of murder.¡± The man paused and seemed to avert his gaze, as if he remembered a painful and shameful memory. ¡°From then on, we realised that terms such as Gods, luck and fortune, mean nothing. From the moment we are born until the day we die our future is being dictated by kings and the rest of the filthy royalty. They are not strong, they don¡¯t know how it is to live beneath them and yet, they choose to be cruel and unjust. Why is trash like that controlling our existence? Answer me.¡± Aiden responded without missing a heartbeat. ¡°Did your previous Father commit the murder?¡± Father seemed to be looking intensely at Aiden from behind his mask. ¡°He was innocent. Someone died by his blade, but can you blame him for killing a lowlife nobleman. A drunk and a rapist he was! Do you believe that such a person should be allowed to live?¡± Father was talking in a monotone voice not showing much emotion. ¡°If what you¡¯re saying is true, and I were the one to run into him in the act, then I can¡¯t say for sure where my blade would end up. I can understand your Father.¡± Aiden paused for a second and thought about the offer. Joining to fight against an oppressive leader sounded like a cause he could support, but what about the city of Pinewood? Lloyd, Lin, Duran and Serena they all seem sensible, generous and good hearted. If the king is so unjust why do they support him? ¡°Tell me, Father. You talk about changing the future, how would you do that?¡± Father looked at Aiden and with a lively voice he spoke. ¡°Metamorphosis! Such a beautiful word. But how do you achieve such a feat. Just like an insect larva you need to pause time, hide inside your cocoon, create chaos, feed off of it and then use it to grow under the guidance of the order that remains.¡± Aiden looked around the room as soon as Father stopped talking. ¡°This is the cocoon you¡¯re talking about?¡± He asked the father and was already trying to guess what the other two meant. ¡°This is but a brewing pot buried deep inside the guts of the larva. Here is where the chaos will sprout from and cover the soon to be butterfly.¡± Elianor joined the conversation with a loud voice. ¡°The cocoon is the city, isn¡¯t it! The larvae are its people! Why will chaos cover them?!¡± A muffled chuckle was heard from beneath the Father¡¯s mask. ¡°Our kingdom doesn¡¯t have a large army. What will happen if suddenly citizens, not only the poor but the rest as well stormed the palace, destroyed some inns and taverns, burned houses. Will the disoriented soldiers be able to tell the difference between the ones who are seeking shelter and those who are causing harm? I doubt it. Only when the king is dead and the people rise will the old order, the wrong order fall! And from the ashes the leader of the people, the one who has fostered them like a father, will rise to be the new monarch and he will ascend them into the heavens of justice, like the wings on a butterfly after its metamorphosis.¡± Father stood up and opened the book moving closer to Aiden and Elianor. She wanted to back away, but Aiden did not move. She started feeling pressure and just as the book was extended in front of them Aiden¡¯s fist flew into the air landing on the book and launching it into the ground. Father took a step back and looked surprised at Aiden. ¡°You dare claim that you want to change the future? Fight for what¡¯s right and banish the unfair and oppressive royalty? Don¡¯t make me laugh, you delusional madman.¡± The other four members instantly jumped on their feet but Father raised his hand and they sat back down in their chairs. ¡°Laugh? You think that this is a jest?¡± Asked Father in a very serious and monotone voice. ¡°No, changing the future is not a joke. You and your order are though. And not a funny one at that. Do you realise how many people¡¯s lives will be destroyed or end during your disgusting plan? You can achieve this goal by not risking any other lives except those of your members who have agreed to follow your selfish path to power and control.¡± Upon saying that Father growled under his mask. ¡°You¡­dare to insult me?! In my own home?!¡± Aiden exhaled as if he had smelled something rotten and looked at the people sitting behind him. ¡°Home? All I see is a farm full of dumb animals who are going to be slaughtered so you can gain money and influence. You probably already know I¡¯m from another world, right? That¡¯s my big secret, that you know.¡± Aiden never broke his gaze as Father called for the guards to come in. ¡°Well in my world there are many people who have changed the world for the better and never did something as cruel as sacrificing the lives of innocents for their own gain! You are just feeding lies to the people around you to get them to believe in something that is sacred, something that is above them, an anonymous power that is worth fighting and dying for.¡± The guards were now grabbing both Elianor and Aiden, pulling them out of the room. ¡°There, most monsters like you choose religion or race as a blanket to cover up their atrocious acts of violence! You choose justice and blame the royalty! Same story different pen!¡± The guards finally succeeded in closing Aiden¡¯s mouth with their gauntlets before slipping some handcuffs on both him and Elianor. Soon they were back inside two locked cells in the base¡¯s dungeon.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

    Elianor was staring at Aiden, her hands inside a pair of handcuffs that, instead of a simple chain, they had a solid hunk of iron to keep them together. ¡°You really fucked us over, didn¡¯t you?¡± Said Elianor after they were both silent for a while. ¡°You never rejected them properly, if you want to join them then you can go right ahead. I think you still have a chance.¡± Aiden sighed and sat down with his back on the stone wall behind him. Elianor repositioned herself to get closer to the bars separating them. ¡°Who said I wanted to join them? They¡¯re all completely out of their minds. I was just hoping you could smooth talk your way out of it, like you did in the mountains.¡± Elianor seemed a bit disappointed, but at the same surprised at how Aiden reacted. ¡°Eli, I don¡¯t have the patience to talk with people like Father. The Elementals are called monsters, but they only wish to protect their tribe, harming others is not a priority. These people decided to send their members to a suicide mission just because they didn¡¯t have the same blind trust for their leader. Do you really think they would let us go if we said ¡®no¡¯?¡± Elianor nodded at Aiden and looked at the dungeon¡¯s entrance that was closed. ¡°You¡¯re right¡­I guess you¡¯ve made up your mind then.¡± She looked back at Aiden hoping he had a plan to escape. ¡°I will not join them and neither pretend that I want to be a part of them. Whatever the case I prefer dying than supporting such madness, hoping I would be able to leave at some point.¡± Aiden felt a slight, momentary headache as he said those words -Maybe it¡¯ll be for the better¡­- Elianor looked at him again after a moment of silence. ¡°I can¡¯t die here Aiden. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Aiden knew that Elianor was not obliged to follow him so he simply smiled. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t die here. It wouldn¡¯t be right.¡± After Aiden said that Elianor hummed in agreement and looked at the ground, probably thinking whether or not they had any chance of escaping.

    A few minutes passed and the silence broke as the dungeon¡¯s door opened and closed behind a cloaked figure who wore the birchwood mask. Both Aiden and Elianor stayed quiet while the person walked towards Aiden¡¯s cell. ¡°Are you going to join the Family?¡± Asked the girl behind the mask. Her voice was different and clearly belonged to a younger woman. ¡°I will not.¡± Responded Aiden trying to hide his fear. ¡°Then you may rest in peace.¡± The cloak moved and from within a sword came out. The blade was curved, almost like a grin, the point was perfectly aligned with the grip, despite the blade¡¯s shape, so both thrusting and slashing could be used to great effect. The guard had three quillons protruding from it, one pointed upwards, resembling a hook and was placed on the back, the second was longer and was located in the front, curving downwards, protecting the hand like a cutlass, the third one was thicker and shorter, coming out from the right side, it could save the wielder¡¯s hand if the opponent¡¯s sword happened to slide down during a block or parry. Upon seeing the sword Aiden¡¯s headache grew and he could already feel his Rush pushing him to jump up and attack the girl who was currently inside the cell and was preparing to execute him with a swift strike. ¡°Father told us about you. He said you¡¯re not from this place, that you come from a wiser and more civilised realm. You were expected to help us achieve our goal, make this world more like your own! Yet you say such vile things about us, you insulted us! And now, that you¡¯re facing death because of it, you simply sit there and accept it? What can you possibly achieve by doing this?¡± The executioner said holding her sword up, aiming at Aiden¡¯s neck. ¡°I came here accidentally. I had no idea where I was and how to get back. Yet the people of Pinewood helped me and I did my best to pay them back, I even trained with Duran and almost got killed in some dirty goblin nest. You¡¯re asking me to betray those who assisted me in a time of need and partake in a plan that will kill dozens, possibly hundreds of people? Even if the king deserved to die and your Father is honest, I still would never support a coward like him. And from what I¡¯ve learnt back home, that¡¯s the wiser and more civilised choice.¡± While speaking, Aiden could feel his whole body begging to savagely assault the person in front of him, but he knew there was no way to overpower her while being at such a decisive disadvantage. The executioner brought down her sword and the edge of the blade missed Aiden¡¯s neck for a couple centimetres. Elianor immediately jumped towards the bars and held onto them. ¡°Aiden, you really are willing to die for your beliefs¡­civilised and wise, Father was not lying about you.¡± The girl sheathed her blade and dropped to one knee, investigating Aiden¡¯s expression who seemed to be shocked and scared, but still attempted to remain calm. ¡°I was a child when our previous Father was murdered. It was then, that this one took control of the Family, he claimed royalty was to blame and that our actions have been for naught. If we wished to save the less fortunate, we had to change, we had to become loyal to our cause and only that. ¡®Always be honest to me, the same way that I¡¯m honest to you, and through your loyalty this kingdom will awaken anew.¡¯ That¡¯s what he said, and for the longest time I believed it, no questions asked¡­but now I realize that I was merely a scared kitten, too afraid to talk about what I saw.¡± She sighed beneath her mask and stood up. ¡°I know it¡¯ll be hard for you to trust me, but my name is Kaneko¡­I know it¡¯s weird but we can discuss it some other time¡­¡± She quietly commented after revealing her name and noticing Elianor¡¯s expression. Apparently, that name was not a common one. Since they couldn¡¯t hope to escape any other way, they accepted Kaneko¡¯s help and were soon free of their cuffs and cells, dressed in the same black, loose cloaks and birchwood masks that were worn by the Five Fingers. They were told to follow behind her without drawing any attention to themselves and hopefully they would reach the stables and steal some horses. They made sure to put out all the torches inside the dungeon and then casually walked outside. Kaneko had commanded all the guards to prepare for their burial so no one was there to make sure their execution was carried out. After following her through the stone caverns, they eventually began walking uphill towards a pair of gates that were built to open like a slightly angled trapdoor. It had become obvious to them that only the five high ranking members wore white masks and all others were made from dark brown wood.

    Climbing out of the trapdoors they realised they were in a forest far away from Pinewood, the one that was relatively close to the town had less trees, both in number and kind. Aiden had no idea where the forest was located, but Elianor was confident she could find her way out if given some time and a horse. Of course, that was their plan. They kept following Kaneko and eventually saw a bunch of guards digging behind some trees, they were the ones preparing the graves but fortunately the distance and foliage kept them out of their view. It wasn¡¯t long before they run into a wooden fence, encircling an enclosure that was filled with, about a dozen, horses. The guards that were assigned to take care of them stood in front of the gates wearing their masks. Kaneko walked in front of them and took off her own Aiden and Elianor were unable to see her face. ¡°I¡¯m here to grab three horses, I have been informed that a suspicious looking group is creeping around the forest. Father wants us to go and investigate.¡± The guards looked at each other for a moment. ¡°Don¡¯t you think your sister would be better suited for this, besides, three of the Fingers going for a simple investigation is a bit much¡­¡± The guards didn¡¯t seem to be suspicious about them, they simply genuinely believed what they were saying. Kaneko wore her mask and looked back at Aiden and Elianor. ¡°Fine, we¡¯ll be going back to Father, but if the importance of this mission is underestimated and he gets angry, we have no responsibility.¡± Kaneko said with a serious tone and took a few steps away from the guards before they laughed nervously. ¡°Oh, we were simply joking! Obviously, Father knows what he is doing. Please take as many horses as you need.¡± They stepped aside and hastily let them through. After choosing and saddling three horses, the group was ready to ride off.

    They were casually trotting back towards a path located about a hundred metres away from the trapdoors, trying not to seem too guilty, but as they went passed them a loud and thunderous sound was heard. The wooden entrance burst open and the area surrounding it got covered by a purple mist. ¡°Ride quickly!¡± Screamed Kaneko and immediately all three began going as fast as they could to get away from the mysterious fog, unfortunately the thick forest greatly reduced their speed. Aiden looked around and as they rode through the mist two shadows appeared to fade in and out of existence, moving incredibly fast around them. Suddenly the neck of his horse twisted violently and after a horribly morbid crackling sound both Aiden and the lifeless body of the steed fell to the ground. ¡°I¡¯m down!¡± He yelled in fear towards the others only to find out that the mist had hidden them from sight. At that moment Aiden realised that his Rush was already in effect, although it could simply be his terrified body pumping adrenaline into him, hoping he was going to survive. Aiden without thinking started sprinting towards the direction that he was going before his mount met an unfortunate fate. This time instead of ignoring the requests of the demon, he obeyed them without fail. Firstly, it was a crossbow bolt that he managed to dodge by side stepping in the last possible moment, secondly a blast of purple lightning that hit the ground next to him and made him lose his balance and tumble down a couple of metres later. Finally, a curved blade, cut through the mist and missed Aiden only by a hair. ¡°This execution won¡¯t be as merciful.¡± The masked woman said as she, now, stood in front of him holding a sword terribly similar to the one wielded by Kaneko. Her cloak was now gone, but Aiden didn¡¯t have much time to pay attention to her appearance as she was about to swing her sword one more time. Aiden knew a dodge at this range was impossible and he was ready to die trying to prove himself otherwise. Kaneko though, broke through the mist with her horse galloping and blocked the woman¡¯s weapon with her own using her right hand while the left helped Aiden up the same saddle. The horse¡¯s full speed was enough to carry them out of the fog in a matter of seconds and Aiden was relieved to see that, not only had they made it to the path, but Elianor was a few metres in front of them going as fast as her mount would take her.

    Chapter 10: The Masked Family.

    END.

 Chapter 11: Chaos in Lindheimr.

    Aiden, Elianor and Kaneko where on their horses cantering through the forest, away from the Black Hand¡¯s headquarters. Elianor was now riding behind the horse Kaneko and Aiden shared, following the more experienced individual towards the Capital of the Northern Kingdom: Lindheimr. They were too afraid of halting and resting until they reached their destination, thus they still wore their cloaks, but had taken off the masks. Kaneko¡¯s face was still not visible to them, since she was in front.

    Eventually they managed to get out of the woods, although their speed had dropped due to the horses getting more and more tired while riding at full speed. Even though there was no indication someone was chasing after them, they decided to keep going and have the horses rest once they reached the city. Which they did, not too long after. A couple of hours after their escape, the horses where happily munching on some hay, inside the city¡¯s stables while the three of them frantically run towards the King¡¯s palace. This was Aiden¡¯s first time in such a big medieval city and, frankly, he would prefer it if he were to come here under different circumstances. For now, he had to focus on his task. They run enough for their legs to ache and the insults they got from people to be more than the stairs they had to painfully climb before finally stopping in front of two guards standing outside the palace. ¡°Please let us pass¡­¡± Said Aiden while catching his breath. ¡°We need to speak to the King, it¡¯s urgent!¡± Added Elianor who seemed to be in a better condition, but tired nonetheless. ¡°You can say everything you want now and we¡¯ll make sure the King hears about it.¡± The guards seemed to not understand, or believe Aiden¡¯s plea. Kaneko seemed pretty nervous about speaking to them, but she had no choice. ¡°We can¡¯t tell you, it¡¯s for the king¡¯s ears only.¡± She turned the hilt of her sword towards the guards and offered it to them. ¡°This is the only weapon we have, please let us pass.¡± It was the first time Aiden and Elianor got a good look of her face. Her hair was short and messy, it seemed to be mostly light brown, but the sides of her head had two dark blonde patches of hair that gave it a somewhat layered look. Her skin was white, but of a darker tone and her eyes dark green, but the irises were not round like a human¡¯s, they were slit-shaped, like a cat¡¯s. Her cheeks also had three marks each, resembling what looked like whiskers. Finally, they noticed that her ears were covered in fur and were also shaped as if they belonged to a cat, when not moving they could easily blend in with her hair. Elianor seemed to be surprised by her appearance, but Aiden was outright shocked. On the contrary the guards were not surprised at all and casually picked up the sword and proceeded to touch the three of them all over trying to find any other weapons. When they realized no other dangerous item was on them, they were let inside.

    The group did not even wait for the gates to open entirely as they run in. They were given instructions on how to get to the king and so they completely ignored all the other guards, simply running past them. They went up a flight of stairs and through the corridors before reaching a door with a sign nailed to the wall over it, reading: ¡®Meeting Room¡¯. Aiden rotated the pommel and pushed the door open with his body while Elianor and Kaneko entered the room behind him. Inside there was a round table with papers and some silverware with leftovers and goblets half-filled with mead. On the far side they saw an older man, many wrinkles rested on his face and his body seemed slim, but he still looked like he had strength in him and was clearly far from weak or sick. ¡°Who dares interrupt a royal meeting!¡± Exclaimed the man as he now grabbed a golden, gemstone covered crown that was laying on the table and placed it on his silver-grey hair. Before the group could respond, the rest of the people sitting around the table reacted as if they were struck by lightning, Elianor and Aiden widened their eyes, realizing their companions from Pinewood where here. Duran¡¯s chair fell to the ground as he dashed towards Aiden grabbing his shoulder with both his hands. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it¡¯s you lad! Are you alright?!¡± Lin followed and tried to get between the two. ¡°Please be careful Duran! He may have suffered injuries!¡± She said and after managing to pull Duran¡¯s hands off Aiden, she began frantically searching for any wounds or scars. Elianor was a bit jealous that Duran went to Aiden first, but was relieved when he turned to her and held on to her in a very similar way, almost resuming his talk from before. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for letting you get taken away. You need to share your tale over some ale! Let¡¯s go to a tavern right now!¡± While Duran and Lin where obsessing over Elianor and Aiden coming back alive, Lloyd informed the King about the situation and made him calm down a bit. ¡°I request silence! All those who just arrived may take a seat.¡± Lin was reluctant to stop inspecting Elianor and Aiden, but as she saw Duran sitting down with a disappointed sigh, she did the same. The three newcomers joined the meeting and finally saw Serena who was sitting quietly next to Duran, almost disappearing behind him. Lloyd took the opportunity of this momentary silence and spoke. ¡°We are relieved to see you¡¯re safe and sound. Also, I see you brought someone with you that we¡¯ve never seen before. Maybe, you could introduce¡­¡± Before he was able to end his sentence, Aiden responded with haste. ¡°Her name is Kaneko and I¡¯m sorry for interrupting but we have some dire news that may save your life!¡± He said while intensely looking at the king who was taken aback by his words, but didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°There is a cult, some sort of organization hidden in the forest near the city. They plan on attacking the place dressed up as civilians and throw the whole kingdom into chaos. Their plan is to commit regicide and have their leader gain control.¡± Aiden finished talking and was met with silence. Kaneko realised that drops of cold sweat were beginning to slide down her forehead. ¡°This cult you speak of must be responsible for the assassination attempt as well.¡± Aiden nodded and the king continued. ¡°How did you learn about all of this?¡± Aiden, took it upon himself to tell the story of their temporary imprisonment and their escape, as well as revealing who Kaneko was, a reveal that shocked them greatly. Duran explained how the night he was supposed to guard the camp, he fell asleep and the two were taken. He also added that Serena was left injured and only managed to wake him up the next morning, as if he was under a spell. Kaneko was also asked to reveal her reason for betraying the Family. ¡°I was made a Finger only because my sister was one¡­my actual sister, not a member of the Family. I was groomed to replace her if she was to have something happen to her. Every time I would train as hard as possible, but I could never surpass her. She put her soul, mind and strength into the Family and¡­one day¡­long ago, I tried to talk to her about what I saw the day that noble was killed. Even though it was our previous Father who was executed, the one who committed the murder was Baernon, our current Father.¡± Kaneko was nervous while talking, sometimes messing up the words and breathing faster than she should. ¡°When she heard it, she got very angry, I thought she was going to leave the cult, but instead she slapped me and told me to not spread lies about our Father. My sister¡­Kioko, believed he was the most honest man on earth, but I knew what I saw from behind the tavern¡¯s window. For years I was too afraid to leave or reveal the truth, even if I tried a few times before becoming a Finger. Every time no one believed me and, in the end, I just followed my sister, hoping she knew better and eventually I, too, supported Baernon. I thought his lie and framing of our old Father would all be for good. That¡¯s why when Aiden was presented as this wiser person, someone who came from a land similar to what Baernon envisioned, I was so shocked by how he treated us. How he reacted to our cause and how he viewed us. But deep down, I agree with him and that¡¯s why I want to save this kingdom. I am not going to lie and say that I agree with everything this kingdom stands for¡­but I hope I¡¯m doing the right thing by betraying Baernon.¡°

    The meeting went on for a while. Kaneko was sure that the cult was going to attack as quickly as possible through secret tunnels that spread below the city. They were practically ready to do so and just waited after learning about Aiden, under the impression he was going to join them. They were trying to figure out a way to counter their attack, but suddenly the door swung open and a guard rushed inside. ¡°Your majesty! The people are rebelling! They are burning the city and attacking the palace!¡± Everyone inside the room immediately stood up. ¡°Inform all guards to not kill the rebels, try to neutralize them any other way!¡± The guard nodded and frantically run away. The king looked at Lloyd, almost panicking. ¡°Lloyd! What are we going to do!¡± The lord of Pinewood looked around the room and then responded. ¡°I suggest Duran, Lin and Elianor stay here with us and protect you. Aiden and Kaneko can go and search the city for the Fingers while trying to calm the rest of the citizens down. They¡¯ll also need some support; Serena go with them.¡± The king let Lloyd command his subordinates and so Aiden, Kaneko and Serena, after equipping themselves with some weapons and gambeson coats, left the palace through a lesser known backdoor and began making their way towards the city¡¯s square. Aiden knew that Lloyd was counting on him to think of a way to calm the people down before they unwillingly join the Family in their madness and chaos.

    They spend the next few minutes running through the city. Most civilians where on the run, trying to enter their houses or make their way to the palace and the square seeking for shelter. Some amongst them seemed to be more deliberate with their actions, pushing them around, screaming profanities and throwing torches around from time to time. Although a number of houses had gone up in flames some selfless individuals tried to contain the flames using magic, they were mostly successful but while Kaneko ran past one of those mages, a person that, no doubt, was part of the Family held a dagger in his hand and leaped towards him. Kaneko was quick to reveal her blade from beneath the cloak and slice through the attacker¡¯s leg making him fall onto the ground in pain. Resuming their sprint both Serena and Aiden were surprised by her accuracy and speed.

    Upon reaching the square they were met with blood, fire and screaming. Guards and citizens were fighting each other without any real distinction between who was trying to attack and protect themselves. ¡°Quickly! Kaneko, go around the place and try to pinpoint any Fingers or members of the Family. Aiden, follow me up this watchtower and I¡¯ll amplify your voice to have everyone listen to you!¡± Serena said out of the blue and grabbed Aiden, running towards the stone tower, which was empty since all the guards where either fighting or running towards the palace. Kaneko followed Serena¡¯s orders and, with plenty of speed and agility, climbed on a rooftop and sprinted around the square trying to find any familiar faces. Once they reached the top Aiden stared from the tower¡¯s crenels and saw all the violence that was caused by this one madman. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to say Serena. I need more time and I still won¡¯t be able to guarantee our success.¡± He stepped away from the battlement and was slapped by Serena as soon as he turned around. ¡°You are the main reason the Ice Elementals and the folk of Pinewood are now allied. We never believed it was possible to do something like that, but you proved us wrong. The same way we put faith in you back then, I put faith in you right now. I¡¯ll make your voice loud enough so that everyone listens to it. Stone and steel will quake under the power of your words. You will save this kingdom and I¡¯ll be here¡­ by your side.¡± She smiled and held Aiden¡¯s hand for a while calming him down. Aiden took a deep breath and with his eyes filled with determination as he got close to the crenel once again. Aiden fidgeted the grip of the zweihander given to him by the king and took a few deep breaths to limit his Rush, that was activated due to the violence and imminent danger that surrounded him, as well as clear his mind. His Rush was an ability he was getting better at using, by limiting it to only increase his reflexes and physical abilities he was able to better control his urges and reduce his tunnel vision. After a moment he had finally gathered his thoughts and decided on what to say. ¡°Serena is my voice ready?¡± He asked while turning around to check on Serena, only to see a crossbow bolt flying towards him. Aiden¡¯s muscles instantly reacted, almost on their own and he was able to bring the flat of the blade in front of the projectile and redirect it into the stone, only scratching his face with some shrapnel from the now broken bolt. Aiden widened his eyes in shock as he saw Serena standing a bit further away, aiming her unloaded crossbow at him. She seemed surprised as well, but not because of her actions. ¡°What are you doing?!¡± He asked confused, but instead of an answer, Serena let her weapon fall and attacked Aiden with her shortsword. ¡°Stop this!¡± He kept blocking her attacks, pushing her away with the base of the blade so he doesn¡¯t have to hurt her. ¡°You are such a disappointment! I thought I could trust you Aiden!¡± Serena barked at him. ¡°How dare you turn your back at our Family, we could help you grow, you could help us rebuild this city and the entire world¡­you could help me put my mother¡¯s soul to rest!¡± She screamed at him while pounding at his greatsword with her blade. Aiden was confused and lost for words as he stepped back more and more, finally feeling his back touch one of the merlons. ¡°What are you talking about?!¡± He screamed back at her but she only stretched her hand in front of him and showed him her palm. ¡°Flash!¡± Serena screamed and Aiden got blinded, but instead of sitting there he swiftly jumped towards her, grabbing her extended hand before she was able to pull it down. While his vision was coming back Aiden tried multiple times to grapple her and missed, but finally managed to get a hold of her second arm. Both of them pulled and pushed at each other for a while, the shortsword and the zweihander on the ground next to them. Serena¡¯s clothing was ripped and started falling off her chest, revealing the horrible scar that marked the skin between her breasts. To Aiden¡¯s surprise, the scar was gone and in its place the symbol of a white flame inside the palm of a black hand could be seen. In that moment, Serena kicked Aiden¡¯s groin and tackled him to the ground, getting on top of him and grabbing her shortsword. She aimed for his neck, but Aiden reached out, grabbing her left hand and creating a flame inside his grip. Serena screeched in pain as her forearm got burned, she was not successful at stabbing him and Aiden responded by kicking her off. He got back to his feet and quickly grabbed his zweihander while Serena turned the palm of her scorched arm at him. ¡°Flash!¡± Aiden¡¯s vision went away by the powerful white light. Panicked, he swung his zweihander with as much might as he could muster in an attempt to hinder Serena¡¯s attack and possibly frighten her. After his powerful strike, he took a large step backwards, almost falling off the tower as his body pressed on the side of a merlon. It took a couple of seconds for his vision to clear. Aiden let go of his zweihander and fell to his knees. In front of him, Serena¡¯s body was laying on the cold stone, a deep, diagonal cut had struck her left shoulder and cleaved its way through her heart. Serena was looking at him, she said nothing as she closed her eyes, never to open them again.

    Aiden was kneeled and on the verge of throwing up. He was so confused at what happened, he couldn¡¯t even clear his head enough to cry or apologize, or say anything. The sound of screaming and weapons hitting each other was still coming from below the tower, stronger than ever before. His vision was getting blurrier and blurrier, closing his eyes he began shaking with anger and disgust. Aiden felt a hand touch his back, his eyes opened and there he was: Thar¡¯Gorol, the demon living inside of him. ¡°I saw everything through the TV.¡± Thar informed Aiden. They were both in the living room of his old childhood home. ¡°Shut up.¡± Aiden responded and pushed Thar away. ¡°It¡¯s my fault for trying to be supportive!¡± Said the demon. ¡°I said shut up!¡± Aiden yelled and even Thar jumped a bit. He didn¡¯t say anything back, leaving Aiden to furiously inhale and exhale for a few seconds. He then raised his head and looked at Thar. ¡°What do you want?¡± Asked the demon. ¡°End this¡­but first save the people.¡± Responded Aiden and after he made sure to have Thar memorize his message, he gave his body away.

    Aiden¡¯s physical body opened its eyes again. The irises had a deep crimson colour, as if the pupils where swimming in blood. Kaneko was now standing next to him. ¡°What happened?¡± She asked worried while Thar was standing back up and stretching. ¡°She attacked me. Serena was part of the Family. Now close your ears.¡± Kaneko was in awe but still nodded and followed Thar¡¯s instructions. He got up on one of the crenels and looked below at the absolute chaos: luckily no one had died, the guards wanted to keep the situation from escalating and so they were holding back, but it could get worse at any moment. ¡°PEOPLE OF LINDHEIMR! THIS CHAOS MUST STOP! IF DON¡¯T WANT TO BE A PART OF THIS STOP EVERYTHING YOU¡¯RE DOING AND KNEEL ON THE GROUND WITH YOUR HANDS BEHIND YOUR HEAD! GUARDS STOP ATTACKING ANYONE WHO IS IN THAT POSITION!¡± Thar¡¯s booming voice was louder than the sounds of battle. For a second Kaneko thought her eardrums would explode, but as the ringing disappeared from her ears, she got close to Thar and looked down. The fighting had stopped and many of the citizens had already fallen to their knees. Thar stepped off the tower and began falling to the ground with his zweihander in hand. Kaneko was shocked and for a second her heart skipped a bit thinking that Aiden had committed suicide, only to see him land unharmed in front of everyone. Thar¡¯s presence was so pressuring that many of the citizens averted their gaze and curled up as he walked through them. Kaneko climbed down the tower after him and walked by his side. She pointed at two of the people. ¡°These are the two fingers responsible for this.¡±  These two men stood up and held their weapons. ¡°P-People! Don¡¯t be scared! It¡¯s our time to kill the king and bring the power to the people!¡± The citizens didn¡¯t move at first but some begun shuffling around and whispering, members of the Family that were in disguise, trying to get everyone to become hostile. With one swing so fast it was almost invisible, Thar sliced the right¡¯s man head off and let his twitching corpse fall down with a thud, immediately silencing everyone and making the guards stand still with widened eyes. ¡°Where is Father?¡± Asked Thar with his eyes locked on the second man. ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t know¡­¡± He responded scared and ready to kneel back down. Thar placed his hand on his shoulder and the man began screaming in pain. His flesh was sizzling under Thar¡¯s palm and when it turned into a brown the demon peeled off a piece and grossly consumed it in front of him and the terrified spectators. ¡°Where is Father?¡± He asked again. ¡°Stop, please! I don¡¯t know! He left the hideout when we initiated the attack!¡± As soon as the man finished talking his head was separated from his shoulders and rolled on the floor next to his body. ¡°Kaneko, do you have any idea where Baernon could be?¡± In the meantime, the guards worked quickly to remove the bodies, they couldn¡¯t arrest Thar since his clothes had the King¡¯s brooch, a symbol that his actions were approved by his majesty. ¡°I don¡¯t think he would choose a place I know of. Also, I know Serena¡¯s death must have hit you hard¡­but you¡¯re acting very unlike yourself.¡± Kaneko took a step back and examined Thar carefully, she could tell something was off. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, I feel perfectly fine.¡± During their chatting a guard walked up to them and presented a key, it was found on the body of the man Thar killed first. The key seemed sizeable and old, on the back it had a tiny engraving, the symbol of a tree and an axe. ¡°That¡¯s from an old lumber mill. It¡¯s in the forest, deeper than the hideout but still within reach!¡± Exclaimed Kaneko as she inspected the key. She was living in that forest for more than a decade. It is natural for a demi human like her to have discovered some places without others knowing about it. ¡°Let¡¯s go kill that bastard.¡± Said Thar and took the key before being stopped by Kaneko. ¡°Wait Aiden! My sister will be with him¡­I can¡¯t kill her too.¡± Kaneko still loved her sister and was hoping that they could save her and simply arrest her. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of your sis, you just make sure Father doesn¡¯t escape.¡± Thar sprinted towards the stables without giving Kaneko much time to say anything back. His speed was much greater that Aiden¡¯s, to such a degree that Kaneko could keep up, but with significantly more effort. It only took them a few minutes to reach the stables and soon enough they rode again towards the woods. Kaneko was riding in front of Thar and she was certain that Aiden had changed in those few brief moments. She couldn¡¯t put her finger on it, but she thought it would be best to focus on the task at hand while keeping an eye out for any action that would be suspicious.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    The key to the lumber mill was hanging from Kaneko¡¯s neck while they rode through the forest, moving deeper and deeper inside the sea of trees and bushes. The only sounds they could hear were birds chirping and various wild animals running away and hiding from them. It was Thar¡¯s first time controlling a physical body to such an extent, but he could still perform most actions instinctively even if there was a noticeable difference between his spiritual form and his current one. Their ride would last for more than one hour and Kaneko informed him that they would also need to walk for a while if it meant reaching their destination undetected.

    Back in the city, Elianor was following Duran and Lin while they were making their way out of the palace. The king and Lloyd where left in a secure room deep inside the castle¡¯s dungeon while waiting for the storm to end. Upon opening the gates, they were met with a crowd of normal folk swarming the castle and a sizable group of guards pushing them away from the stairs. It seemed as if the mob itself was not in harmony or agreement with each other. Some of the people tried to simply talk to the guards but their voice was unable to be heard over the yelling and screaming, as well as the hits the guards were forced to endure due to the king¡¯s orders. The Family had planned for the guards to be more hostile and kill or hurt some of the rioters, but since that wasn¡¯t happening, they just needed to keep provoking them until someone broke. Duran and Elianor had gone to the base of the stairs supporting them while Lin healed any injuries she could spot. Suddenly they noticed some of the people gathering in the middle and using spears or other polearms to push the civilians aside and create a lane, splitting the crowd in half all the way up to the guards. From the back of the courtyard four riders appeared. Their black cloaks moving with the wind and their dark brown masks hiding their face. The first rider¡¯s horse rose up in its hind legs and neighed, capturing the attention of everyone. The riders pulled the masks off their faces and dropped them to the ground. ¡°People of Lindheimr! The King will not hide in his castle while waiting for us to obey as if we were mere sheep. Rise and take all that belong to you!¡± The crowd seemed to stay quiet for a moment but some started cheering for the riders and soon more followed their yelling. The riders in the front readied their lances while the two in the back gripped their maces and began galloping through the lane towards the scared guards.

    Elianor was quick to push them aside and throw her weapon on the ground, holding her shield up with both her arms. The two riders aimed their lances at her and the impact was powerful. So powerful, in fact, that their weapons bent and snapped on the all-metal shield wielded by her. The riders themselves were flung off their steeds and halted the ones galloping behind them. Both of the horses ran past Elianor but suddenly their bodies felt stiff and their muscles could no longer move. Lin had gone up a few steps and her eyes were surrounded by a grey, mystical aura. Both her arms extended towards the beasts and her fists firmly gripping the air as if she was holding their massive bodies in place. The guards got a hold of the horses¡¯ leads and tried to calm them. Lin relaxed her grip and from her expression they could tell she had done something that required a lot of energy. Elianor herself was in pain and her arms felt bruised beneath the armour, but she had no time to think about it, as all the riders were now off their horses and advancing on her with their maces and daggers. She took a few steps back and hid behind her shield while trying to find an opening to grab her weapon. Suddenly, she was pulled back on the stairs by one of the guards and Duran took her place holding his claymore low ready to defeat his opponents. The foolish Family members thought they could match his combat ability and attacked him. Duran took a step towards the first attacker and swung his sword upwards. The blade connected with the man¡¯s arms as they were being brought down and cut them clean off right below the elbow. Duran moved past the disarmed attacker and while his claymore was still high up, another swing downwards was enough to claim one more life. Without messing up his flow, a powerful thrust split the chainmail rings under the third member¡¯s cloak and pierced his lungs, but to his surprise the man was still alive enough to move into the blade and grab Duran¡¯s hands not allowing him to pull his claymore out. The final member quickly moved behind Duran and lifted up his dagger, just when a mace, that was previously laying on the ground, hit his head, cracking his skull and mangling his flesh right above his ear. Lin was telekinetically controlling the rogue weapon and slowly moved it towards Elianor, who grabbed it thanking her.

    Even though they had won this fight, the damage was already done and whispers of unfairness and rebellion were already being spread amongst the city folk that were now a brewing recipe for disaster. Just when their actions seemed to be irreversible the gates opened once again and, to everyone¡¯s surprise, the King and Lloyd came out of the palace with a group of guards escorting them. Sensing the swift death that could be brought upon the king, Elianor held her shield up in front of him together with the rest of the guards while Lin moved back ready to use her magical abilities if need be. Duran stayed in front of the shields, brave and bold, but also vigilant and perfectly alert. The king ordered Lin to augment his voice and, using a crate from inside the palace, he raised himself above the others around him. ¡°SUCH CHAOS HAS SHALLOWED OUR PROUD CITY. IT HURTS ME¡­BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY IT HURTS YOU!¡± The king took off his crown and handed it over to one of the guards. ¡°I, ALFREID GAINSBOROUGH, ABANDON THE THRONE AND HUMBLY REQUEST FOR THIS CHAOS TO END!¡± Alfreid ended his speech and retreated back into the castle before the members of the Family could do anything to stop him. Besides, he wasn¡¯t the king anymore. This shocking turn of events was not what the Family expected and thus they had no plan to counter this and keep the crowd riled up. The only thing they could do is let the mob and guards to calm down while returning to their hideout in search of their Father.

    Deep inside the forest, Kaneko and Thar had dismounted their horses and moved through the thickets quickly but silently. Most of the time they had spent outside of Lindheimr was wordless and Thar could tell Kaneko was always keeping an eye out for him, probably more so than she did for any rogue members patrolling the forest. Eventually, through the many trees, a structure covered with weathered red paint could be seen. It was similar to a barn but with an extra room on the outside of it. Moving closer they noticed the room contained a large, round saw head that went halfway through the wooden floor and was connected to a mechanism that moved all the way to the ceiling and ended with an old chain hanging down. The smaller side-room was similar to a garage, but the main building only had three locked possible entrances: The main door, a smaller back door and a side door that connected the building and the lone room. Only the last door was locked from the outside and upon closer inspection of the lock it was clear that their key fitted perfectly. Kaneko pushed the key inside and turned it while holding her sword in her right hand. They opened the door carefully and readied their weapons. They didn¡¯t even get to open the door fully when Baernon¡¯s purple mist began pouring out of the room. Thar grabbed Kaneko and pulled her back slamming the door closed. ¡°That bastard was ready¡­¡± He wasn¡¯t able to finish his sentence as he had to dodge a curved blade that almost took his head off. ¡°Please don¡¯t refer to Father with such rough words.¡± Kioko was now standing in front of Thar, having switched places with Kaneko in that split second it took for Thar to close the door. Inside the large and empty warehouse Kaneko had her vision obscured by the thick, purple fog that surrounded her and Baernon. ¡°It pains me to see someone like you betray me Kaneko.¡± Father¡¯s voice was heard from somewhere in the mist. ¡°I¡¯m only doing something I should have done long ago.¡± Responded Kaneko while her eyes darted around the room. ¡°I will leave this place with my sister and you in chains. I suggest you give up now.¡± Kaneko¡¯s threat was met with laughter. ¡°You and Aiden can never hope to beat someone like me and Kioko. You¡¯ll both meet your final fate in this place.¡± A magenta light flashed in the mist and Kaneko was barely able to dodge the blast of energy that came from Baernon¡¯s hand. Baernon¡¯s magic had the ability to crystalize and form tiny projectiles that slowly dissolved inside the wound making the victim feel a horrible and lingering pain, hindering their ability to fight. She moved in to slice him with her sword, but he had already moved.

    Thar¡¯s and Kioko¡¯s blades came into contact, one sliding off the other. The swift assassin was amazed at Thar¡¯s ability to match her speed and deflect most of her cuts without breaking a sweat. ¡°Oh my¡­I had no idea you were such a capable fighter.¡± She purred after nearly getting hit by one of his thrusts. Her demeanour seemed to have changed as her voice quivered with bloodlust. ¡°Underestimating your opponent is no good. Especially if you¡¯re up against a strong and handsome individual such as myself.¡± Thar smirked at his own boasting and got, suddenly, cut by a pair of sharp claws that managed to reach his skin. ¡°Tch¡­You act as if you¡¯re a different person.¡± Added Kioko as she pulled back her blood covered hand. Thar said nothing, seemingly unphased by the pain he dashed forwards swinging his zweihander. Although his aim was true, his target was able to move incredibly fast and get behind him. Before she could kill him, a bright flame appeared on his back and flared towards her. Kioko dodged away and watched as Thar turned to stare at her with his blood-red eyes. The flames on his back had turned into embers that burned on his armour and face causing him no harm. Kioko¡¯s eyes widened and she gritted her teeth, worrying about the outcome of this fight. She had no choice but to face him, Baernon needed her to kill this man. They were on the verge of greatness, she only needed to overcome this one, final, obstacle and have the work of a lifetime pay off. Kioko launched herself onto Thar only for her body to blink out of existence. The ethereal remnants of her magic had a deep, indigo colour and followed her as she reappeared right above him, ready to thrust her sword into his skull. The fire grew wild as Thar instantly reacted to her attack, matching the tip of her blade with the flat of his own. He turned his body and greatsword while blocking, throwing Kioko off balance and making her land awkwardly next to him. She tried to resume her attacking, but could only stare in fear while Thar¡¯s punch flew towards her abdomen burning with embers that upon impact burst into a raging explosion of flames. Kioko got thrown into the air and landed on the rusty saw head, the edges penetrating her back and digging deep into her body. ¡°No, please!¡± She screamed in agony as Thar grabbed the chain with his left hand and pulled it down with all of his power. Kioko¡¯s screams ended as the saw rotated, viciously ripping into her insides.

    While Kioko and Thar were exchanging blows, Kaneko had to use everything in her disposal to avoid the projectiles Baernon shot at her. She was sprinting around the room, side stepping, climbing walls with her claws and using loose ropes or chains, hanging from the roof, as a way to manoeuvre while in mid-air. The entirety of the warehouse was filled with Baernon¡¯s mist and Kaneko had no real way to tell where he was, since he seemed to be able to move through the fog as if he were a part of it, smooth and unnoticed. Kaneko had only been fighting him for a few seconds, but she already knew some of his abilities and could see patterns in the way he fought. Baernon¡¯s mist didn¡¯t enhance his speed, it could only reduce the speed of other beings if their Sun Aura had been broken, something that Kaneko was trying hard to avoid. She had also realised that he was unable to fire any worthwhile projectiles while running around so he had to be still and aim properly, especially for the longer shots which usually consisted of a single, larger crystal that blew up into shrapnel when Baernon gave the command. It didn¡¯t take much for Kaneko to realise her speed would only keep her safe temporarily, after all, she wasn¡¯t able to move as fast as her sister. She momentarily slowed down while on the floor, baiting an attack from him. This crystal was whole at first and exploded when it got close to Kaneko. Most fragments missed but a couple found their mark. She ignored the searing pain and tried to bait one more attack. This time Baernon shot her with multiple smaller crystals, revealing that he was closer. Some of them penetrated the skin of her arm, adding to her ache. She gasped and curled her body around her right arm while switching her weapon to the left. Through the mist Baernon grinned with satisfaction while preparing to cast his final spell. A bolt of purple energy started forming in his hand, this magic was slower but more devastating that his crystals, if he were to hit her, she would die instantly. Kaneko saw the dim flash of light and with an extraordinary burst of speed, she threw a knife at Baernon with her right hand. The blade span around, making the fog it touched disappear. She had calculated the throw to meet with Baernon¡¯s beam and, to his surprise, the knife split it in half. Unfortunately, the beam didn¡¯t stop. Kaneko was hit by Baernon¡¯s powerful magic and the knockback was enough to send her flying. She went straight through the old, wooden side door and landed in front of Thar who had just put an end to her sister¡¯s life. He kneeled over her, startled, and quickly came to the realisation that she was unconscious. ¡°Is it necessary to have someone fall unconscious every time I¡¯m in control?¡± He sighed and complained to no one in particular, before going inside the warehouse with his zweihander ready.

    Inside, the mist had mostly gone away, on the floor he found Baernon¡¯s body with Kaneko¡¯s peculiar knife sticking out of his neck. Thar pulled the knife out, but it broke inside his hand. ¡°It¡¯s all made out of Kurlim¡­Enchanted with cancellation magic as well¡­¡± He picked up the remaining shards and, for good measure, stabbed Father right through the heart. After throwing his body out, Thar carefully dragged Kaneko inside and sat down with his back against the wall. He then closed his eyes and prepared to return the body to its rightful owner, feeling very alive after his first real fight.

    Chapter 11: Chaos in Lindheimr.

    END.