Danger (5)

Anna, wide-eyed and filled with a mixture of fear and awe, understood. Each step felt like an eternity as they sprinted through the dense underbrush, branches whipping at their faces. But fate seemed to have a cruel sense of timing. As they pushed forward, Anna's foot caught on a root, causing her to trip and tumble to the ground with a cry of pain. 

"Darian!" She called out, her voice laced with panic and anguish.

Darian skidded to a stop, his heart sinking as he turned back to see Anna sprawled on the forest floor, clutching her ankle as the goblins drew in close at every passing second.

Running out of the dense foliage, the goblin with curved blade jumped at Anna with its weapon mid-swing. Time seemed to slow down at that moment as Darian made eye contact with Anna. 

Memories of his past life resurfaced – he was reminded of his sister. The pain of that loss surged through him, fueling his determination to protect Anna at all cost. With gritted teeth, Darian clenched his fists, his mind racing to devise a plan. He didn't have any spells that would be fast enough nor lethal enough for him to stop it. But as he glanced at Anna, fear written all over her face, he knew he couldn't afford to hesitate. He had to act. 

Drawing upon the depths of his magical abilities, Darian channelled what little he had trained and knew of wind magic; strong gusts of winds began surrounding him instantly. His mana surged through his veins, an intense black energy pulsated within him, something he had never felt before. Black shadow-like tendrils seemed to attach themselves to the wind, but Darian decided to ignore it. Whatever this was, it was powerful. 

In that moment, a new spell took shape in his mind—a spell born out of desperation and a fierce desire to protect. 

"RAHHHHHHHHHH" He shouted at the top of lungs with an unwavering desperation.

In an instant, the tempestuous wind that was revolving around him condensed into a razor-sharp blade, shimmering with an ethereal light as it thrust itself towards the goblin at an unimaginable speed slicing it in half.

The goblin, caught off guard by Darian's sudden display of power, fell to the ground in lifeless halves, its grotesque form severed into two by the spell. The other goblin that was following its peer from afar ran away in fear, leaving the two children to themselves.

Darian's heart pounded in his chest as he rushed to Anna's side, his body trembling from exhaustion and adrenaline. He was barely able to keep himself up as he helped the little girl off the ground.

"Anna…" Darian said faintly. "Are you alright?"

Anna's necklace was pulsating a green glow under her clothes. 

"I'm fine, Darian. Let's go." She said, clutching the necklace in her hands.

"Okay…" He replied, barely able to keep himself conscious. 

The two children leaned and limped on each other as they made their way back into town as best they could.

***

Screams could be heard in town as townspeople fled from the mobs of orcs and goblins attacking en masse. Mr. Heidor, the guildmaster for Lumen, was assessing the situation along with Magistrate Freid, the man in charge of the Town Hall.

Freid, wearing a worried expression, turned to Mr. Heidor. "This is unlike anything we've ever seen before."

Heidor nodded with a sombre expression. "You're right. It's strange, especially considering the security measures we've put in place. Goblins, let alone orcs, shouldn't have been able to come into town unnoticed."

"I'm mobilising all of the town's security to secure the Town Hall, they should already know what to do in case of emergency. I'd like your guild members to secure the town itself, Heidor." Freid said.

"Already on it," Mr. Heidor replied, though he couldn't help but notice that one of the green pendants on his bracelet was flashing, telling him his niece had been hurt.

Leaving through the Town Hall's door in a hurry, Heidor ran off in search of her.

***

As the two children approached Lumen, chaos was apparent everywhere. Goblins, orcs, and even some of the townsmen were laying dead everywhere. The smell of blood, guts, and the looming feeling of despair enveloped the town.

"Darian, look!" Anna, pointed with a worried expression. "We have to go to the Guild, it's probably safe there." 

"I'll take you to your grandfather, but we have to be sneaky, okay?"

"But my brother–!"

"Anna! I– He'll be fine. We have to go." Darian interrupted her, dragging her hand along. The boy knew he didn't have enough strength left to help two people, let alone Anna. He was already doing his best just to stay conscious.

In that moment, Anna understood just how serious the situation was, this went beyond just some goblin attack in the woods. The gravity of the situation had become painfully clear to her the moment Darian raised his voice, a stark contrast to the way he would usually act. 

As the two crept around through the alleyways on the outskirts of Lumen, slowly making their way to the Town Hall, a single orc, busy feasting on the hapless remains of a woman, blocked the street. Greasy, matted hair clung to its bald pate, and crude, bone and tooth ornaments dangled from its grotesque ears. The creature was large, towering even on the biggest of men. 

As the monstrous creature continued to gnaw upon the gruesome remnants of its recent victim, its malevolent eyes gleamed with a sinister intelligence, sending shivers down Darian's spine as he observed the horrifying sight from their concealed location.

'Disgusting' was the only word Darian could think of to describe what he'd just witnessed.

Signalling for Anna to quietly hide behind a wooden crate in the alley, he assessed the situation. He knew that they couldn't afford to make a sound or even the slightest mistake if they attempted to sneak past it. Sweat trickled down his forehead, and he held his breath, fearing that any noise might alert it to their presence, but they had to go, it was the only way they would get to the town hall quick eno

Anna huddled close to him, her eyes wide with fear, her small fingers gripping the frayed edges of her dress. The smell of death and decay hung in the air, making her feel nauseous, but she remained as quiet as a mouse.

"We're going to have to sneak past it. Do you trust me?" Darian turned to ask Anna.

There was a hint of apprehension in the little girl's eyes but she trusted him, now more than ever. Nodding her head up and down, she let out a curt: "Mmm."

"Ok…" He sighed, turning to look around the corner of the alley.

The orc had finished its gruesome feast, wiping bloodstained hands on its tattered clothing. It let out a guttural snarl and began to patrol the area with its heavy wooden club in search of its next victim.

Just as the two children had begun making their move with its back turned, the orc suddenly halted, its keen senses detecting something amiss. It turned its grotesque head in their direction, its beady eyes locking onto them.

Darian and Anna froze, their hearts in their throats, as the orc took a menacing step towards them. With a swift and deadly movement, it swung its enormous wooden club vertically in their direction.

The air whooshed with the impending threat, and Darian instinctively pushed Anna out of harm's way, narrowly avoiding the crushing blow.

'HOLY SH**' The boy screamed internally.

But their respite was short-lived. The orc raised its club for another swing, and this time there was no escape. Darian braced himself for the inevitable impact, but just as the club was about to descend, multiple spikes made of earth had pierced it from head to toe.

The orc had died on the spot, its club clattering to the ground. Darian and Anna watched in amazement as the creature that had almost killed them was taken out so swiftly. The source of the unexpected assistance revealed itself as Lady Emily, the town's mage, who had cast the earthy spikes as soon as she spotted the two.

With the orc out of the way, she approached the children, her presence calming their nerves. "Are you two all right?" she asked with a soft, reassuring voice.

The two kids nodded, their gratitude evident in their eyes.

"You saved us." Anna said, her voice filled with immense relief.

The mage offered a warm smile. "I could stand by and let that little monster harm you. Are you hurt anywhere?" She asked, casting a healing spell without chanting.

A green glow enveloped the two children, making them both feel rejuvenated.

"Now, let's get you to safety."

She gestured for them to follow her, holding their little hands in hers. They continued their journey to the Town Hall in complete safety. 

***

Having arrived at the Town Hall, Darian couldn't help but notice a sense of normalcy. People were bustling about, and the atmosphere was far from the chaos that was transpiring outside. He turned to Lady Emily, his curiosity piqued.

"Is the town alright?" He asked tentatively, trying to process the fact that they had just escaped a menacing orc, and that most of all that the woman before him had killed it in a single spell.

Lady Emily nodded, her expression calm. "The town has managed to hold its ground, thanks to the efforts of many brave people. You have nothing to worry about, child."

Noticing Darian from afar, his parents rushed out to meet the trio. His mother's eyes brimmed with tears as she embraced him tightly, and his father gave him a firm, relieved pat on the back.

"Darian, we were so worried!" His mother exclaimed, her voice trembling.

"I'm ok, Mom." He tried assuring her. "Lady Emily here saved us."

Lady Emily nodded in acknowledgment, humbly downplaying her heroic act. "Your son showed how brave he was, protecting young Anna."

Anna, feeling a little left out, tugged at Darian's sleeve. "She's right, he was so cool!"

Darian blushed, not used to receiving compliments, especially in front of his parents. 

As they stood there, basking in the reunion, Anna's grandfather, Mr. Heidor approached with his grandson and a few other children in tow.

Anna rushed forward to embrace her younger brother, tears of joy streaming down her face as she held him close.

A few hours later, Lumen was bathed in the soft, reassuring glow of safety. The streets were devoid of the monstrous threat that had recently loomed over them. Thanks to the swift response of both town halls, there were very few victims, and the town had managed to emerge relatively unscathed. However, in the quiet moments when he was alone, Darian found himself wrestling with his own inner demons.

'I thought I had made progress, but I'll have to train harder…' Darian muttered to himself, a hint of disappointment and anger clouding his voice.

***