5 Chapter 4

An arrow sailed past Lydan's head, missing him by few inches and finding abode in a tree. Lydan trembled like a leaf in the northern wind, being forced to come to a stop. His life had never been threatened nor had his safety been jeopardised, so this feeling was new to him.

Lydan turned back, facing his attackers and his heart escaped through his mouth. His blood started flowing extremely faster than normal, even faster than someone who just fought a battle, his heart was slamming hard against his chest, struggling to come out of his rib cage. He was terrified because of his attackers' appearance. He had never seen a creature like this.

Black face, as if it was charred, three noses in an abnormally twisted appearance, as if it has been shifted by a solid punch, were arranged in a triangular fashion, two long, curved fangs hung from its mouth.

Grotesque face like someone suffering from an incurable ailment and then disfigured head as if beaten by a battering ram. It's hair was loose, some parts hairy, some parts bald and some parts scarred.

This is a real creature of darkness, something that shouldn't be let loose in the human world.

The uzurk pointed a pin sharpened arrow at Lydan, making Lydan forget the option of escaping.

"Come here boy" the creature hissed, spittle pouring from its mouth like an animal salivating, its voice synonymous to a man struggling to speak a foreign language.

Lydan couldn't control his body again. His legs moved on its own accord due to fear. He found himself walking towards the creature.

I have to run away.

Surviving kept ringing in his head like a tower bell. He knew he had to run away. He knew he couldn't stay here anymore. He knew the longer he stays here, the more his time is being delayed. He had to find a way to escape. He had to free himself from this creature and make it towards the Neverless.

Just great. Exactly just what I need to happen right now. He cursed sarcastically.

All hopes of escaping were dashed as two more of these creatures joined the previous one. They all wore black armor, making their appearance like midnight. Their armor battered and beaten as if it's experienced many battles, dusty and rusty like a sword exposed to climate. The swords  fastened to their waist gleamed gleefully in the purple sunlight, giving a menacing look to anyone that cared to look.

"Who's this" the bigger of the creatures asked.

Lydan couldn't pinpoint the one who talked as they all seem to open their mouths at same time.

"Just one of the lowlifes."

"He's trying to escape?" the bigger one scowled at Lydan.

"Aye sire." the one being questioned replied "but I have him cornered"

"Come on boy." the bigger one spat. His size made him more domineering than the others. Lydan needed no further instruction as he went to meet them, his hands on his head, staff on the floor.

Lydan was led where the villagers were being herded, all were seated on the floor in the center of the village. Their eyes were glassy with tears and hopelessness. Nobody tried to resist capture, but they were still surrounded by soldiers. The villagers were seated to face the west, where the ocean lie in its imperial majesty.

The greenish blue waters flow in streamline with the prevailing wind, its waves crashing against one another. The body of water travelled far, beyond the stars and some said it joined other rivers at the Tears. Since nobody has left the village before, Tears became a myth to them. They rumored it as where waters across the lands meet. They say it's the home to a legendary sea dragon and also some mystical creatures none has seen before. Lydan has always wished to journey across the seas, far away, to the land beyond.

As Lydan was being made to join his people, he did catch a glimpse of their ship, just one ship- a patrol ship. Since it is just a patrol ship, the enemies' number would be approximately fifty. He saw the commander of the ship coming ashore, leading the remaining empire soldiers.

Babies and children wailing, mothers crying, fathers brooding and men dejected. They were all rounded up like animals, awaiting the arrival of the commander.

I still have to make it to the Neverless. Lydan brooded, he panicked. He has never encountered an empire soldier all his life but today, he seems today would be his first. He thought of what the strange woman told him. He must find a way out of here by all means. He can't stay here any longer.

He assumed the strange lady that visited him must be a goddess. How did she know that they would be attacked. He reminded himself that she vanished, into the air, making him confirm that she's a god.

The fear of being made a slave even increased his determination to escape.

Minutes soared, the commander made his appearance, flanked by ten more soldiers.

His armor was a little bit more intricately designed than his minions'. With a face like the uzurks but a feet taller than the rest of the uzurks, his barrel like chest makes his semblance to that of a veteran warrior who had undergone various forms of body development exercises and his size makes him look like an immovable boulder, making him more terrific than the rest. His sun-reflecting silver armor was adorned with six skulls, belonging to different creatures, but two were definitely humans'. Lydan was sure of that.

"Are they all here?"  commander Bai thundered. Nothing specific about his voice except that his minions cowered in fear when they heard it.

"Aye sire." one responded, going nearer to the commander. He was the bigger of the ones that captured Lydan. He seems to be the second in command.

The cries and murmuring of the villagers seems to piss him off.

"Shut up!" he screamed at them spittle flying in different directions. Surprisingly enough, they all quieted down. Murmurings and wailing ceased to exist. The clearing went silent like a gravesite, the only sounds that were audible were those of the passing breeze and the swaying leaves, the chirping insects and the singing birds- all distant.

In the quiet, a child cried out unexpectedly, startling everyone, it cries were clearly due to discomfort with a tip of hunger. The mother tried vehemently to shush the child but it wouldn't listen.

"Hand me the child!" the commander thundered, clearly pissed off.

The child's mother held her baby tightly,  not willing to let go.

"P- please n-no" she cried, her eyes pleading, hoping for a scent of humanity in the monster.

Despite the pleas and sobs of the mother, the minions wrestled the child out of its mother's bosom and handed it to the commander.

He scowled at the child.

"Shut up or I'll fling you away" the commander spoke to the baby. His expression was dark. It isn't an empty threat.

The baby continued to wail. The mother continued to sob.

Having taken enough of the child's display, the commander bounced it on his huge palm, meaning to hurl it towards the sea but was stopped as a hand held fast to his feet.

"P-please don't" a frail voice cried out. If belonged to the village chief. The most outspoken and respected man in the village. He is so old that his skin seem to fall off. One couldn't differentiate between his hair and his white robe. He is the oldest and by far the wisest man in the village. Everyone goes to him for counsel.

There he was, flat on the ground,  pleading for his villager's life. Lydan has never seen anyone so white with fear till today.

"H-he's just a child" the mother cried, her lips quivering.

The commander scowled at the man beneath him, disgust towards the earthling was boldly carved on his forehead. His eyes red with rage and contempt, his mouth curved in disdain.

The chief latch unto the foot of  commander Bai,  urging him to free the child. He shed tears in pity.

"How dare you touch me... " he screamed in disgust, his eyes widened as if he just caught a disease. "...W-with your filthy hands? You mean to stab me? Treason?"

Having said that, he drew his sword and stabbed the chief on his back,  impaling him to the ground. Blood graced the chief's robe, his skin pale and eyes widened in shock.

Lydan stared in disbelief. He just witnessed murder for the first time.  Murder for no reason. He stared at the chief, pain hovered around his eyes, cloud of tears formed. Lydan so wished he could do something, he willed for something to happen, maybe lightening from the clear skies to strike the evil commander. Even though he really wished it, nothing happened.

Adding oil into the burning fire,  the commander hurled the baby towards the sea.

"Oh... No" The mother screamed in tears. She was broken. No mother would ever want her child to be killed right in her presence. Being able to do nothing is also devastating.

"G-give me b-back m-my s-son" The mother cried, blinded by rage. Since her only source of joy was taken away from her, her existence has become meaningless. She jumped at the commander,  scratching his face with her nails, mumbling words that became muffled in her tears.

The commander held her neck at arm's length,  smiling devilishly. His minions made a move to bind her but he stopped them with a wave.

"She's mine" he laughed manically at the earthling gasping for breath, struggling to free herself of the hand clasped around her neck.

In one swift motion,  he swung his sword.

At first,  Lydan didn't know what had happened until he heard the woman cry out in pain. The commander has slashed her stomach,  making sure to miss her vitals, hoping to make her his plaything by torturing her to death.

Lydan could take no more. This commander is evil and needs to be wiped out. He is an obvious threat to humanity, a beast that derives joy in killing. This time,  he willed more for something to happen. He pleaded with the heavens to do something. The cries of the mother could be heard again as the commander slashed her again. This made Lydan plead desperately with whatever god that was watching.

He stared at the purple sun. He swore he could see a face smiling down at him. Or is he also running mad? Is the light playing tricks on his mind? He stared at the remaining villagers,  they cowered with fear, hiding behind each other. He was dejected.

The third cry of the woman made him search his surrounding for something he didn't know. Maybe a weapon or anything to free this woman of her pain. Then he saw his staff besides him.

I thought I left it behind. He was sure he dropped his staff when he was captured. He couldn't have carried it along, but here it is,  lying beside him- as if waiting to be used by him.

Lydan's staff was made out of a wood he didn't know about. He saw it on a particular day he went to hunt. It was lying on the path,  maybe someone dropped it. He had picked it up,  instantly falling in love with the brown and hard wood. He had trained with it,  beating imagined enemies and saving fantasized cities. He was the champion in his fantasy world. He also learnt how to throw spears since the staff has a pointed tip. He could hit a makeshift target miles away with precise accuracy. Throwing became part of him.

Lydan instinctively picked his staff, in a swift motion,  hurled it at the commander. He was blinded by tears and didn't take aim.  

The cry came again, more painful and more heartbreaking than the last two. The only difference is that the cry belonged to a male entity.

Lydan blinked his eyes and looked. The staff was hanging on the commander's neck, protruding from the other side. His eyes were red with pain and disbelief, color ran out of his face, leaving it white like snow. Bai obviously had not expected any resistance from them, but his ignorance had cost him his life. He dropped his prey and looked right at Lydan, his hands clutching his bleeding neck, holding fast to the spear. He gasped for breath, unable to say anything.

Then he fell to the floor, pale.

Did I just kill a person? With my hands?

Lydan felt his stomach turn- not because of the soldiers coming angrily at him for killing their commander, but for the fact that he just killed. He just killed a person. He felt queasy, seemed his insides want to burst open, headache came upon him,  cold sweats ran down his spine.

He couldn't do anything but watch as the first minion came upon him. He felt weak. A wave of nausea came upon him, but he didn't throw up. He closed his eyes, expecting to be killed. He should run away,  but he felt too weak to drag his feet.

He waited for the impact of metal piercing his body but he was surprised that it didn't come. Instead, he heard something crash to the ground. He opened his eyes to see three of the minions on the ground. Dead. Arrows protruding from their heads.

The villagers were surprised, so were the soldiers as nobody knows where the arrows came from.

Another soldier fell.