Part 50

3 patreon subscriptions = 10 bonus chapters

200 gems = bonus chapter

Fully support the story at:

patreon.com/FanFictionPremium

***

A lunge of his hand and a new layer of earth clears the passage. Dropping the sweat that had accumulated on his forehead, Yuu pulled back the collar of his shirt, letting the fresh air flow over his sweaty body. Now it was clear why all the tribesmen wore rags or almost naked. The constant travelling through the caves did not make them want to wear tight clothing.

Yui's actions were not without comment from the captive. Watching closely every movement of the boy, the savage tried to annoy or provoke his escort on any occasion. The bound man slowly followed the teenager, shuffling his feet. Disgruntled snorts and chuckles became eternal companions in these empty and endless caverns.

Clapping his hands together, Yuu pulled the savage to him and closed the passage behind him. According to the interrogator's explanation, there was a simple system in the tunnels to determine who passed through. All the inhabitants of Baru knew to close the passages with a certain thickness. Small gaps had to be closed off one to one, or the next group that passed through the dungeon would raise the alarm.

Not taking any chances, Yu followed the instructions without fail, even though it took a lot of effort. Unlike the locals who travelled in the company of at least three conquerors, he had to do all the work alone. Though, even if his captor possessed magic, the orphan would never have trusted a bound man.

The first condition for his solitary foray, set by Yeoman Con, was that the prisoner be kept in chains at all times. The enemy was to be fed once a day and not fed at all. At first Yu thought of breaking these rules and taking pity on the prisoner, but as soon as he removed the gag, the savage tried to bite his teeth into his face.

A small mishap convinced the young man of the correctness of the elder's words, and the forest dweller spent the whole further journey in stone blocks and chains. Tying his hands behind his back, the youth warned that Sun Tse's life was more important to him, so if the prisoner slowed down the way, he would be disposed of.

The moment he uttered these words, Yu startled even himself, but thank Agni, he managed not to give away his inner emotions. Tense and tired to the extreme, he spoke in a cold and emotionless voice, leaving no doubt in his interlocutor's mind.

For the second day they stubbornly went forward, turning at the right turns and opening hidden passages that were known only to regular tunnel travellers.

A short transition and the pair found themselves at a fork in the road again. The straight corridor looked more manicured, while the neighbouring one looked more like a natural cave. Without asking a question, Yu looked at his captive, who shook his head in the direction of the crooked and uncut tunnel as if expecting it.

With a dubious grin, Yu pulled out his halberd and took a torch in his other hand. He only had a couple of them left, and if they didn't reach the tribe's camp today, he would have to make his way to the surface.

As he took the first step he felt a strange hesitation and with a nod of his head he ordered his captive to go first. Rolling his eyes, the savage strode confidently into the tunnel. Often stumbling and almost falling, the prisoner continued to walk forward without giving any sign of uneasiness.

When a light loomed in the distance, Yuu struggled to keep himself in place. Putting out the torch and hiding it behind his back, he overtook the prisoner, blocking his path with his halberd. Grabbing the savage by the shoulder and placing the blade against his back, the teenager walked slowly towards the light, trying to look round more often. There was no need to miss a side tunnel or magical influence on the last leg of their journey.

Their path ended at the surface, and at the end the road took a sharp upward curve, bringing the travellers into the bright sunlight that illuminated the paradise of the eerie forest.

A quiet and peaceful pond was surrounded by knee-high grass. Normal trees, not grotesque, liana-covered jungle trees, grew along the water, keeping the pond cool. A few birds and lemurs hopped along the branches, vying for fruit and nuts. The only danger in this peaceful place was a large white snake that squinted its eyes lazily and watched the new guests of the clearing. Curled up in rings on the largest branch, the cold-blooded one was immediately conspicuous for its size. A body as thick as a grown man's thigh caused a little apprehension, but seeing that the animal showed no hostility, Yu pushed the captive forward.

As soon as the savage took a step, he turned on his heel and grinned maliciously, which was visible even through the gag. The next second his body was engulfed in earth up to his neck, and from all sides began to appear the conquering savages. Covered with white paint on their chests and arms, they were clad only in skirts of hay and leaves. A multitude of bone jewellery glittered on their necks and arms, and their bare feet sank ankle-deep into the ground.

The mages' synchronised movements were mesmerising, if only they weren't directed against Yui. With a click of her heels, the teen pushed herself upwards, knocking back the stones that had been thrown in flight. Spinning and twirling his glaive, he landed in the middle of his opponents, engaging in combat. Unlike all the shrews he had encountered before, however, these warriors tended to avoid close contact, relying entirely on ground manipulation.

Dodging his first blows, the mages hid underground, popping up behind the backs of their comrades, but this Yuu could no longer see. Surrounded on all sides and with no enemies at hand, he set himself up, giving the conquerors new opportunities to attack. As the projectiles pelted him non-stop, he noticed the amazing synchronicity of the enemy mages. If he managed to dodge a boulder, the projectile would be met on the other side of the circle and launched back at him. He dodged and dodged rocks and volleys of rubble, trying to waste as little energy as possible.

This dance lasted for a couple of minutes, and feeling that he would not last long at this pace, Yu tried to get closer to the conquerors again. Rushing forward, he ran into a large young man. A bell hung around his neck and a necklace of large fangs dangled from his chest. His loose hair fluttered in the wind, but there was some sort of jewellery on the top of his head. His few clothes had seen better days, and his arms were covered with many scars and marks.

Rushing towards the orphan, the unknown mage engaged Yui in a confrontation. A mixture of magic and hand-to-hand combat rained down on the tired arms of the teenager. The larger opponent smiled happily and playfully taunted the young man as he was about to retreat. With a successful feint, Yu threw his enemy's hands up and wanted to punch the savage in the throat, but the snake that flickered from his opponent's waist was faster.

Clawing at his collarbone, the vile creature began to coil around his neck. Only at this moment Yu noticed that the strange bracelets on the unknown man's arms were white snakes, and there were a couple of other snakes wrapped around his waist. Falling to his knees, the orphan felt faint. His head became dizzy and his arms felt leaden. Numbness swept through his body, and nausea began to rise to his throat.

His opponent tsked disappointedly and headed for the slumping body. Picking it up from near the ground, the savage removed the snake, which had become lukewarm from scratching, and returned it to its place. Shouting something in the direction of his men, he laid Yu down on the ground. The last thing the young man saw before fainting was the apologetic smile of his enemy.

Waking up was unpleasant and painful. The right side of his chest was burning with fire, and the air was filled with the vile scent of a mixture of herbs. After twitching his nose a couple of times, Yuu clearly caught the smell of urine or faeces that pierced his breath, forcing the young man to cough. Pulling himself up to a sitting position, he covered his eyes in disgust at the pungent cutting odour and smoke that lingered in the air.

Wiping his face, the teen caught his chest with the edge of his elbow and felt something disgusting. The slimy sound of something being smeared across his body was real. Scratching his collarbone with his fingers, he brought the strange substance to his nose and nearly spat out his insides.

Coughing, the teenager heard a ringing, infectious laugh. Kind and unobtrusive, it came from the corner of the room, which was filled with acrid smoke. Yui could hardly open his eyes and saw his opponent sitting in the lotus posture, mixing various herbs, while his snakes, coiled around his powerful body, were sleeping peacefully, occasionally moving their tongues.

-Glad to see you awake so soon. You have a great spirit in you, since Marienkali's poison only knocked you down for a couple of days.

-Who? Wait, what?! A couple of days?

Trying to get up from the bed, Yu nearly fell to the ground, but his companion was there to hold him back from further injury. Insistently laying the boy back on the skins, the warrior went back to his business, not taking his cheerful glance from the lying man.

-Who are you, young warrior? Mother Earth has blessed you with a great gift. By Fatuarieli, you are a true mole-badger in battle!

-Fatu... I'm sorry, I don't understand. Why mole badger?

The new incomprehensible names were hard to grasp in Yui's mind. Carefully following the movements of his doctor and warden, the teenager tried to probe his magic, prolonging the conversation.

-The Crow Badgers are the great children of the earth, they know this magic better than anyone else. In our tribe, being compared to these noble creatures is the greatest praise for a warrior.

-I see.

-Don't move and don't try to call out to the earth,' the piercing gaze of brown eyes fixed on Yui's face, 'I understand how you feel, but trust me. You are safe now. For your bravery and strength, you will be granted life.

-Who are you? Why are you helping me?

-The right questions at last,' the man nodded patronisingly and stood to his full height, 'and I will gladly give you the answers.

Opening his arms and allowing the snakes to come into motion, the warrior closed his eyes, inhaling the vile scent with his full chest.

-I am Mulu, great prince and wizard of the forests. When my bell rings, my enemies flee in fear.

-I've never heard that before.

In the silence that hung, Yui wanted to laugh at Mulu's incredulous look. The man's distraught face darted from one snake to another that stared at its master in the same perplexed manner. Unable to stand the pantomime, the teenager giggled a couple of times, drawing the attention of the man and his pets. A satisfied smile spread across the prince's face and, sitting back down, he ruffled his hair.

-Yes, I know. It's a good thing I didn't hear, it means I'm doing the right thing.

-I don't understand-

Taking some fruit in his hands, Mulu began to peel it methodically, sharing the slices with the snakes. The strange animals were actively devouring the fruit, occasionally glancing at Yui.

-My family has lived in this forest since ancient times. Our small community has always been dedicated to protecting Baru and its inhabitants. Helping humans and beasts interact with the spirits, we have kept the peace from outside enemies for centuries.

Exhaling tiredly, the man peeled another fruit and used the snake to pass it to Yuu. Reaching out, the cold-blooded one placed the ripe fruit in the teenager's palm and returned to its master's hand, coiling around it.

-We used to protect the inhabitants of Baru from the inhabitants of Taku City-.

-It's a city of the Earth Kingdom!

-Yes, it is. Before the torches came, we fought them and their claim to our lands. Now we fight against you. Time passes, and the enemies simply change the colour of their banners.

Mulu's weary gaze expressed incredible sadness. Immersed in his thoughts, he continued to peel the fruit, giving Yui time to digest the information.

-Why do you need me?

-Heh, glad you asked, little mole badger.