Ch.38

Although Rozalia had warned Evander that there might be people more dangerous than the beast, he hadn't thought he might encounter such a group so soon. His instincts told him that something wasn't right about the situation, but he needed more information before he could do anything.

"If there's another village," said Rozalia, turning to look in the direction of the beast. "I believe we should let our guards down now."

Evander blinked, taking the time to clear his thoughts before responding. "We're not going back to the other one? That may‌—may not‌—have been safe."

The elf didn't realize why he felt that way‌—after all, he had managed to survive without any further danger‌—but he could feel something inside him that made him question the situation. And even though the idea of returning to the other place would have been easier, it also made sense for them to avoid the beast.

"True," said Rozalia, looking over her shoulder again as she continued to march along the path. "But I believe this is better‌—for us at least. We need to stop by the camp ahead, and see if they really brought anything more."

The half-elf hesitated, wondering what the creature wanted with the other group of men. Why were the orcs there‌—and why had they traveled so far? If the dark elf could talk to these people, maybe he could learn more about how to defend himself from the beast.

Of course, he couldn't use any magic either. So if the creatures wanted to hunt him, they'd have to find another way to kill him. But Evander still considered it worth a try, especially since Rozalia seemed convinced of the safety of their situation.

After a brief moment of indecision, Evander turned toward the woods, then began following the path. Although he wished he could ask Rozalia what she thought, the decision was up to her. The dark elf assumed that if they encountered something, he'd be able to deal with whatever situation presented itself.

And within a few minutes, he caught sight of the dark, bloody marks on the creature's skin. And although the man's lips moved soundlessly, the silence only heightened his instinct to run away.

Because Evander had tried to flee before‌—

But before he could move, the creature noticed the movement. "Be quiet."

The man had stopped in place, letting the creature lead the way again. It held a spear out in front of him, seemingly ready to strike.

For a moment, Rozalia looked at the dark elf, not moving or making any noise herself. Then, after a second, she nodded her head, reaching for the spear.

Evander let out a sigh of relief‌…

"Come this way," said Rozalia, taking a step forward while the beast moved up behind her. At the same time, the elf noticed the creature watching him carefully, its eyes darting back and forth, never missing a single detail.

Although he continued walking, Evander could feel the tension in the air. That seemed strange. Why would the creature be concerned about his presence? And why did it care about Rozalia? The dark elf wasn't sure if he should say something, but Rozalia didn't seem to be bothered by what he might do.

Eventually, the two came upon a small clearing. Rozalia stopped where the path led between two trees, taking the opportunity to move a little closer to the creature. Evander couldn't tell what the creature thought about this, as he didn't dare look directly at it. So instead, the dark elf shifted his gaze to the ground‌—where he found a pair of boots and a pair of trousers, neatly arranged beside a long stick.

As soon as Evander realized what he was looking at, a horrible feeling spread throughout his body. He almost started running away, only for Rozalia to call out to him.

"Keep walking," she whispered. "I believe our enemies are near."

Evander obeyed, staring at the dirt while the others talked. Then, when Rozalia beckoned for them to wait, he heard several of the orcs approaching from the direction of the camp.

"They're coming," said Rozalia, watching the creatures, her hands still on the spear. She turned around and started walking deeper into the woods, toward a large tree that had been uprooted. Once she reached it, the half-elf turned around and waited for the rest of the group to get there.

On the other side of the forest, the orcs noticed the humans and began approaching them. They wore different kinds of armor than before‌—most were armed with swords and shields, although some carried spears as well. At least, the ones who Evander could see seemed to be carrying weapons. The others, however, looked as if they'd arrived without any kind of protection.

Once all the orcs were standing around the fallen tree, Rozalia started talking. But Evander couldn't understand anything she was saying. At least, not right away. As time went on, though, the half-elf recognized parts of each sentence, like when she referred to the first group of people.

And so he used the noise to his advantage, turning his back to the rest of the party and slipping deeper into the forest‌—heading in the opposite direction that Rozalia wanted him to go.

What is she doing here?

Although the dark elf didn't know what was going on, he doubted Rozalia would have allowed a bunch of orcs to capture him. And if it was just the beasts and themselves, Evander figured she could handle most of them on her own.

That wasn't the problem. If the orc with the bow hadn't shot at him when he was by himself, then Rozalia would probably be dead now. Without any magic, Evander didn't know how she was surviving. Maybe the half-elf did have a weapon, but he needed time to figure out whether he could use it.

By now, it had become clear that the orcs knew what they were doing. Although several of the men were armed with short swords, they weren't giving Rozalia much trouble‌—at least, not until the others moved in to help. Then the situation got out of hand.

The half-orc woman didn't have to worry about Evander, since he was already gone by the time the orcs spotted him. He paused once more, this time to hide behind a thick trunk of the uprooted tree.

The dark elf moved farther into the forest, trying to make sure no one could spot him. Before long, he saw the orcs beginning to form a circle around Rozalia, holding their weapons tight. Rozalia had the spear, while the orc with the bow walked beside her, watching both of them carefully.

And yet, that wasn't all they were watching. Because Evander could tell as soon as he stepped from behind the tree that something else was inside the clearing. Something with red eyes and spiny skin.

The beast came out from between the trees, staring down the orcs while they tried to stay back. The creature took another step toward Rozalia‌—who stood perfectly still, barely flinching‌—and lowered its head.

The orcs stayed quiet, keeping their swords in hand as they watched the beast move slowly forward. But at that point, there was nothing they could do. The creatures had made the decision to leave the camp and face the dark elf. They seemed confident of their chances, even though Evander was unsure if Rozalia could actually fight all three of them by herself.

Of course, with only her magic to protect her, the situation seemed hopeless.