Chapter I: The Wanderer

Zilong knew the legends well. They said that long ago, the great dragons descended upon the earth. The beasts were so massive that they split the mountains and shook the continents. Out of their tracks, rivers were born. Zilong could only imagine the awe to witness such creatures.

Days had passed since he decided follow the river downstream, but all the villages he had passed through were abandoned. With limited supplies it was wiser to stick by the river. If only he had taken the road, his journey would be quicker - but the presence of orcs and bandits made it more dangerous. At least here, he could get a good night's sleep.

The past nights have been peaceful but this one was certainly different. Something alerted him in his sleep - a change in the environment. A movement out of the ordinary, more than the water crashing through the rocks. He quickly stood up and summoned a spear in his hand. He looked around; nothing. But he cannot let his guard down. Zilong noticed a figure in the river, white and gold between the dark rocks. He saw her.

"Hey!" he called out. She didn't answer. Her body moved a little and Zilong waded through the chest-deep water. The current was strong, but he knew he can withstand it. With every bit of his strength he swam to where the woman was. For a moment he wondered if her wasted his time to reach a dead body, but upon seeing her he was relieved. Alive. Zilong carried her to the river bank.

She was breathing. Zilong checked her pulse and it seemed normal. He laid her gently to the ground then scanned the area, ready to summon his spear any moment of attack. No bandits arrived, no one pelted him with arrows, no noise but the water beside him. He looked back at the woman before him; she hardly wore anything and weapons seemed impossible to conceal… he looked away, ashamed of himself and coughed.

He saw no wounds or bruises yet her clothes had traces of blood. Something was sticking out her back. Bones? Zilong flinched. He looked closer and saw that they were cut clean. Whatever they are, they seem to be a part of her body. Definitely not her ribs. Weird. He had a lot to learn about this world.

Zilong laid her by the fire and wrapped her with his only blanket. He sat down opposite of her and crossed his legs - his spear close to his body. Who knows if she wakes up in the middle of the night and robs him? Not that he carried anything with monetary value but… what if she knew about his mission? Better to be safe.

"Who are you?" She didn't seemed to be someone who lived in this region. He was sure this was the land near the elven territories. The woman looked human but… something else he can't describe. Zilong yawned and slumped. He gazed at her one more. She was mesmerizing - her hair shining like gold because of the firelight. She didn't look like she was in pain or discomfort and that was good enough for him. Perhaps tomorrow he can look for a village where she can be safe.

Zilong closed his eyes and took a long, deep breath. If this woman was being used to distract him, she's doing a good job.

He grabbed his spear as soon as he opened his eyes. A movement woke Zilong and instinct kicked in. Across him was the woman standing. Her eyes were wide with confusion and her knees shaking.

"Hey," he greeted and lowered his spear back to the ground. "Are you okay?" Her expression didn't change and her posture was defensive, ready to run. Zilong extended his arms showing himself unarmed. "I'm just here to help," he spoke to her gently. He walked forward but it did nothing to ease her. In a blink of an eye she disappeared.

Zilong quickly scanned the environment and picked up his spear. Not too far, the woman appeared near the jungle. She looked back in fear and and ran inside it."Wait," Zilong chased after her. He cleared the thick vines with his spear. For some reason he can't keep up. Odd. He's definitely a faster runner, but perhaps his estimates were wrong because of the foliage? Zilong hastened his pursuit and swang his spear more aggressively. He cannot lose sight of her-

Something around him shifted again, a clearing, and Zilong summoned his armor. In front of him was a little elf woman with a giant hammer. "Get away from her!" She effortlessly lifted her hammer off the ground.

"Wait-"

The weapon crashed on the earth with a shockwave; the grass was leveled and the vines disintegrated. Everything around him became a blur and Zilong's body felt heavy. He struggled to move his feet forward, charging towards the elf. In close combat he was sure he could win.

He crashed head-on to a large shield. "Take that you pervert!" The little elf taunted as Zilong groaned.

Zilong backed away a little,his armor vibrating from the impact. "What?" He quickly deduced the unfortunate implication and shook his head, "Whatever you're thinking, you're completely wrong!"

She stuck out her tongue then grinned. If he could get past her...

Arrows. Zilong evaded the rain above him. The projectiles fell inside a limited area to his advantage. He barely escaped the onslaught when the hammer slammed on him. The force threw him back and he felt dizzy. No time to rest- another set of arrows came from his left and he used his spear to repel them. One. Two. Too easy, now he can find a means to escape. While fighting to death would be honorable, it wouldn't be logical at this situation.

Zilong yelped in pain as an arrow stuck his thigh. How? "Dammit…" He was pretty sure that was just one arrow. Did the arrow just split into two? The warrior struggled to stand on his feet, perhaps this was a fight for life after all. The barrage stopped and another woman stepped out from the trees. She had cloaked herself in some kind of magic and blended into the environment.

"What a shame, handsome but lecherous." the marksman spoke as she became more visible- long white hair tied up and pointy ears. Her gaze was piercing, "Now, what to do with you…" She turned to her companion, "what do you think Lolita?"

"I don't know Miya, pretty sure he has a lot to tell us." The smaller elf moved beside her companion.

These were not killers, Zilong thought. Their body language revealed much, even if Miya was pointing her bow at him, there was a the lack of bloodlust in her eyes. Ah. Perhaps he did fell to a trap after all. "I applaud your diversionary tactic with your friend, but unfortunately I don't have anything of value. Even my armor would be useless if I'm dead."

'We're not thieves," Miya hissed.

"Then what do you want?" Zilong spat back. These were no assassins or spies either. Were they really just playing heroines and saving a damsel in distress? Wait. Where was she now?

Miya and Lolita looked at each other. The situation seemed to be "Let's go ask the lady." Lolita suggested, her tone unsure. "Hey miss? You're safe now, you can come out."

"Miss golden hair?" Miya raised her voice. Nothing replied except the usual sounds of the jungle.

"You two are idiots," Zilong said, nonchalantly. The two women frowned at him but seemed concerned. He expected better, and it turned out there was no elaborate plan to bait him into their trap but rather just a big misunderstanding. He stood up, ignoring the pain. The tip of the arrow didn't pierce deep, enough for him to safely pull it out. He held back a whimper of pain as he stood upright. There was no time. "I don't know Miss Golden Hair but I found her injured and in shock. She ran away from me before I could calm her down. Then the two of you attacked me before you even know what happened. You let her run half-naked and defenceless in the jungle all alone!"

"Okay, okay we got it." Miya replied, offended and her cheeks red. "Don't worry too much. We know this forest very well. Isn't that right, Lolita?"

Lolita nodded but her face lacked confidence. "I last saw her go through there," she pointed to a patch of tall grass.

Zilong sighed, "how do we find her?"

Miya opened her mouth to answer when roar reverberated through the jungle. "A reaper," they said in unison and scampered towards the direction of the noise.