“Hmm, this is good.” I took another bite of a deathstalker meat.
Earlier, several deathstalkers managed to get out before the mine shut, only to be killed by Green Bits’ arrows and rocks I threw. The Green Bits roasted one for today’s lunch while the rest were cut and preserved for our next meal. We were all in a clearing, eating beside the closed exit. This place was large enough for Brock to play his football match if it weren’t for the scattered tree stumps and ponds that got in the way.
“Are you sure you don’t want some?” Miranda glanced at Brock, Katie, Marseille, her companions, and the Green Bit recruits. They were munching a different meal that didn’t have more than four legs.
“Nah, we’re good.” Katie was grossed out at the giant scorpion roasting over the fire pit.
“You sure?” Miranda had been coaxing them to try except for Raja and Li. “They were actually good. Tastes like chicken.”
“Almost every meat we caught tasted like chicken,”
Once our visions became clear to see the dark, we saw the thing that was dragging him. It was a leafless tree, smaller than the common ones here. However, its branches were alive, hundreds of them; vine-like, slithering, coiling on its own like snakes. I didn’t know what that thing was, but Brock was definitely in danger. I was about to leap to save him when dozens of them were coming at us. Plucking a thick branch off from a nearby tree to fashion myself a club, I swatted the vines away before any of them could touch us both. “Katie, stay back.” “What about you?” “Don’t worry about me,” I said. “I can handle this.” Reluctantly, Katie paced backward about eight steps and watched as six large vines were about to flank me. I lunged forward and rolled before they slammed into each other. Back to my feet, I twirled around, and with one downward swing of my club, the vines were smashed like smooshed pasta. The monstrous tree emitted a screeching s
“We’re home, dear,” Mary said, to which Abraham smilingly nodded. After two weeks, we finally reached the northeastern part of the continent, at the border between the flat wasteland and the forest where the bulge-shaped tree line stretched kilometers upon kilometers. In the middle, we gazed at the only landmark around. The Mayflower Guild’s Blue Zone was called Rockflower. With a small blue sky above, Rockflower was a ring wall of jagged rocks about the size of a stadium and had, what appeared to be, a large wrought iron door. “Looks ominous,” Li said about its appearance. “It’s to keep the monsters away, dearie,” Mary explained. “We’ve got all the comfort inside that would make city folks feel right at home.” “Good, I could use a real bath,” Katie groaned. “Me too.” Brock sniffed his collar. “I can’t believe this forest is so huge, and we still haven’t found a single river.” “Didn’t you check our map yesterday?” Miranda asked.
After we left Marseille and her companions at their lodge, we arrived at a two-storied log house. Raja and Zeki were staying with us for the time being. The first floor had a living room, a dining and kitchen area, a chimney, and stairs leading to the second floor. The decors were like any typical hunting lodge found from outdoor movies; furs, trophy heads, and wood carvings. “We’ll send you something to eat in an hour,” Joseph said. “Our guildhall is that big one in the middle.” After he left, we went to the second floor. It had two bedrooms, with each having six beds and a bathroom. Therefore, one room would be for the boys, and the other was for the girls. We were unpacking our bags in our room when Katie burst in. “They got showers and flushable toilets. And hot water too.” “Huh, I thought they have something of an outhouse here,” Wilt commented. “Guess we don’t have to go business behind the bush anymore.” That was also what we did for the past t
“W-we’re Wilt Wallace’s party, actually. My leader is….” I pointed at Wilt, not wanting to perceive the guilds here that I was the leader since people kept saying that we were the Raid Breaker Party. “He’s right,” Wilt said. “I’m the one who founded our party, though we will be temporarily calling by that name from now on.” He crossed his arms as he glanced at the leaders and representatives. “Judging from the guilds in this hall, I’m guessing the number of raiders has increased. And you were all driven out of your homes, am I correct?” “Indeed, sir,” the Grendel Representative replied. He was wearing knight armor and had shoulder-length brown hair styled like from a medieval era. “Aside from the Equatorian monsters, there was a second wave of outlaws. The Sleeping King is now festering with them. From here in the northeast, to Sweet Haven, and the southwest.” “I see, and you are…?” “Ah, pardon for my late introduction,” he introduced himself. “I am J
The next day, it was mid-afternoon. The counter-raiding party was now raised to eighty-one braves, which included my entire party. Most of us were from Green Bits and Grendels. It was decided that Sir Chandos would be the leader while the two Green Bit chiefs agreed to be his temporary commanders. To everyone’s relief, Marseille, her companions, Zeki, and Raja were also joining. Once the town’s gate opened, we began our fifty-kilometer journey to Hammerhorn. Of course, we were outnumbered, and they got a mountain brave on their side. There were risks if we faced them head-on, but doing nothing and waiting for them was not an option for us either. That was why everyone in the hall yesterday agreed we launched a surprise attack. Right now, our journey through the night-like forest was fast yet silent and secretive. We needed to get to Hammerhorn until nightfall. Any delay for a day or two, the enemies might grow in numbers. The Green Bits took the lead as our guides an
As he kept growing, the ground under his enormous feet started to sink. The rumbling caused the battle to stop. Immediately, everyone noticed the living mountain. “Sam, phase four!” Wilt cried, which meant that I had to deal with Mount Fort by myself. “Retreat! Retreat!” He and the others scurried toward the broken gate. The raiders were also evacuated as if they were running for their lives. I understood why because as the mountain brave continued to grow, a quarter of the hill collapsed under his weight, bringing down a quarter of the fort as well. I leaped away to avoid the quakes. Once Mount Fort stopped growing, he was twice the hill’s height. His face resembled a crudely carved rock sculptor; hollow eyes, flat nose, thick brows, and bulging lips. At first, the mountain brave was glancing at me. Upon shifting toward Raja and Wilt’s group, they were at the gate. He locked onto Sir Chandos’s group. They were about to reach the hilltop until they tilted the
After several strikes from the magical hammer, Mount Fort still wouldn’t go down. The mountain brave regenerated the damage and his missing fingers. He began his counterattack by shooting a barrage of rocks out of his hands. Marseille threw thunderbolts to intercept. It was an epic battle. The land shook while the night sky crackled with thunder. My mouth hung open for the entire five minutes. “What’s the point of me fighting him?” Well, I was a bit relieved about that, but very much disappointed. I was looking forward to our epic showdown. “Why didn’t everyone just ask her from the start?” “Because Lady Marseille is from a big shot guild,” Zeki explained. “Asking her is like asking a favor from Dragonheart. In this world, not everything is free to give, Mr. Roche.” My shoulder sank from that statement. “But, for her and Mister Raja to offer their help without any compensation proves that heroes are still alive and well.” That brighten
Hammerhorn was ours. We all stood at its peak and watched the raiders scattered throughout the forest. That mysterious voice must’ve gotten away too. It was a miracle that all the members of the counter-raiding party survived, especially from that earthquake attack caused by Mount Fort. Afterward, we rested through the remainder of the night. By morning, we discussed what to do with Hammerhorn. It still had a strategic value to be left alone. The big shots or the raiders might return to take it back, but neither of those who were on their guild’s behalf wanted one of them to claim it as their territory. Marseille stepped in and proposed that all of them could rule jointly. It would be like a mini-Sweet Haven. Everyone agreed. Zeki’s guild also got a shared ownership since he participated in the battle. Raja declined the offer since he was a nonmember now. What about our party? We still hadn’t yet established a guild or even a flag. We waited for Wilt to speak