Chapter 12 - New allies

"I'm Jens and I'm from Tree Hill."

The tall person in front of him looked surprised.

"Tree Hill? No one escapes from Tree Hill. They have that place locked down." Someone said angrily.

The person in front of Jens stared at him.

"I didn't say I escaped from there. You asked me where I'm from. I came here to check up on my parents." Jens said deviant.

He noticed how the person in front tof him was looking him up and down.

"You're carrying an enemy sword."

Jens looked surprised. "That is true. We stole it."

"We?"

He knew he had messed up. What to do now?

"I was at the battle of the Green River. We were overrun and fled. Just like everybody else." He added quickly. He noticed the man frown.

"We lost our gear. On the way we stumbled on a farm. The owners had been killed. We fought with the soldiers there and took their stuff."

"It's a long way from Green River to here. There are lots of occupied towns and blockades along the way."

"I know. Ive been to Stonebridge."

"Stonebridge? How did you pass that?"

"I have my ways."

The person raised an eyebrow questionably.

"You said we, where are your friends?"

"They're safe. Not here. It are my parents that are living in Tree Hill. I came here alone."

"Where did you get your training and from whom?"

"I was at the 21th company. We were trained by Commander Lawson." He quickly responded.

The person looked surprised and looked behind him at someone at the fire.

Jens also looked hopefully towards a person who was looking surprised. It was a man with a cloth hanging over one of his eyes. He obviously had been wounded there. That person walked forward towards them. Jens thought he looked familiar.

Suddenly the man seemed to recognize him.

"Are you the one without an element?" He asked surprised.

Jens looked stunned. He recognized that voice. "Commander?"

They both looked stunned at each other.

"Release him." The tall person said.

Jens was surprised but also relieved. He was indeed with allies. He relaxed for a moment when his hands were unbound. He rubbed the spots on his wrists where the robe had been.

"Come, sit." The tall person said as he urged him towards the fire.

"Please, tell us everything from the fight at Green River."

Jens noticed that every person was looking at him. He told his story truthfully. Except about the ravine and being to able cast a portal. He left that part out and rushed the story towards meeting this place.

"Your lucky." Someone said. Jens noticed that there were two persons staring at him. He started to doubt if they believed his story. The tall person stood up.

"Come with me."

Jens stood up and noticed someone else did as well. The three of them walked away towards a tent. Inside the tent, the tall person sat on the ground. Jens did as well, as did the other person.

"I'm Yra. He is Jarus. I'll be honest with you. We are both 100-man Commanders. After having suffered many casualties we met and grouped up. This is all that is left of the army in this region. We are treated as rebels now. We are planning to free the people in this region, but as you must've seen, it is not easy. There are a lot of enemy soldiers there."

Jens believed him telling the truth.

"We have heard rumors about Green River. Your story matches those rumors. The problem is that your story has holes in it. Please trust us and share your complete story."

Jens looked at them both. He thought he could trust them. They were on the same side. He had recognized Commander Lawson earlier. He was a fair person. If he would follow these two then he might be able to trust them as well.

"You're right." Jens said while looking at the ground. "There is a part I haven't told you. But that is only to protect me and my friends." He was looking at Yra and Jarus now.

They were leaning forward a little, anxious to hear his secret.

"The truth is I am able to cast now. I seem to have a very rare element."

"What element could that be?" Jarus said surprised.

"Space."

That single word changed their appearance to disbelief.

"That's impossible." Jarus said. "That element is extinct. Prove it." He demanded.

Jens noticed that Yra looked curiously at him.

He casted a portal beside him. Both Yra and Jarus looked flabbergasted. He stood up and entered the portal.

Yra rushed forward to try to stop Jens, but he was to late.

"Do you believe me now?" He asked from behind them.

They both looked shocked.

"You…" Jarus said in shock.

"You… wow." Yra responded. He looked shocked as well.

Jens smiled. He felt good, being able to shock these veteran soldiers.

Jarus got to his senses first. "Your friends are somewhere safe, right?"

Yra looked surprised at Jarus and then back at Jens. "Is he right? Can you travel other people through a portal?"

"I can. And not only my friends. I've already saved my parents and everyone who was captive at their farm?"

"You what?" Yra looked at Jarus who was speechless. "You're saying you saved those villagers on a whim, while we have been planning this for days?"

"Prove it." Jarus taunted him.

"Okay, but you should know that I am not sure if we can return here."

"How so?" Jarus asked seriously.

"I don't know for sure. I can create a portal within line of sight easily. But for the greater distances, I can only travel to some place far away. The portal ends up on a platform. From there I have only once traveled to a ravine somewhere." He confessed.

Yra and Jarus looked at each other. "You go with him." Yra said.

"No you go. I'll keep the men safe until you return."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, go."

Jens looked at them. They were obviously close friends that trusted each other.

"Let's go." Yra said while he walked towards Jens."

Jens focused on his casting. It took him more effort to cast this portal. He noticed how his mana was being drained considerately.

"After you." He said politely. He noticed that Jarus looked worried.

"He'll be okay. I'll bring him back safely. Even if I have to travel the entire kingdom again." Jens said and stepped through the portal.

"What do you mean…" but Jens was already gone.

Jens almost bumped into Yra.

"Don't do that. Keep walking."

"Sorry, I didn't know. You really were telling the truth."

"Of course I was. If you didn't believe me, why did you come?"

"No, I do believe you. Bur it is hard to understand how someone as young as you is capable to do all this." Yra said while he pointed behind him.

Jens only now noticed that there was a rough building where their shelter used to be. People were sitting around some fires as well.

He smiled uncomfortably. "That's not my doing. My friends are responsible for that."

Yra looked at Jens. "I think I want to meet them."

Jens smiled. "We can arrange that. Let's go." He said and he walked away.

Yra looked at the moon and stars high in the sky. He looked puzzled, before he followed Jens.

"Jens! Jens! What took you so long?"

"Jens! You're here!"

Jens smiled uncomfortable. He recognized his parents.

His mother came running towards him with his father close behind here.

Other people were also standing up and walk towards him:

Did his mother had tears? He couldn't see clearly in the darkness. She hugged him.

She was indeed crying.

"Where were you? We were worried sick about you."

"Mom, it's okay. Nothing happened."

His father hugged both him and his mother. "I'm glad you are safe. We're all safe now."

He tried to get out of the hug. Everybody was watching now. He felt awkward standing there in the middle of the attention.

Eventually his mother released him. Yra and Rock stepped forward. "I'm glad you're back." Rock said when they clasped hands.

"We could've used a heads up for what was going happen."

Jens looked apologetic. "I'm sorry. I decided it suddenly. I had just found out my parents were trapped. I had to get them to safety and I couldn't leave the rest of them."

"We understand." Siem said. "You did get a lot of supplies as well. And we can use the extra hands."

"That's true. We will have to adept for the night. Tomorrow we will put everybody at work and make something good of this place." Rock said. "Who is that?"

Jens turned around and noticed Yra, who was standing close to him now.

"Oh, sorry. He is Yra. He is a Commander who is still fighting back."

"Nice to meet you. I'm 100-men Commander Yra Moore. What Jens said is true. We are hiding in the mountains and are making plans to liberate the area."

"Let's talk about that later. Let me introduce my friend. This is Siem and Rock. They are the friends I talked about."

"Ive heard good things about you two." Yra said while he shook hands with them. He then addressed his parents. "I'm very impressed with you son. He is really special."

Jens noticed his parents looking speechless. "Let go and talk." He said and walked off towards the fires.

People he didn't know thanked him when he passed them. He felt very uncomfortable.