Stranger From The Wilds

Everything has just went to the absolute worst, everyone else seems like they have lost their spirit and know that our death is inevitable. We had fought against the relentless tide of mires, but our strength was waning, our hope dwindling with each passing moment. They were relentless, these creatures, their numbers seemingly endless, their hunger insatiable.. Even when they lost so much of their numbers it did not matter as they could reproduce more in days, the only reason the rest of us are not dead yet is because they prefer to eat a fresh kill. 

'I wonder how Kaiser and Elise feels right now'. As I surveyed the grim scene, my thoughts turned to my companions, Kaiser and Elise. Taking a look, the former was silence with not a inch of movement while the latter had cried her self to sleep. They lay silent and still, their spirits broken by the horrors that surrounded us. My heart ached for them, for the burden they bore, for the loss they had suffered.' While I had friends die with me before, I cannot say the same for a sibling of blood'. 

Asta's desperate bid for freedom had ended in tragedy, his valiant efforts crushed by the merciless hand of fate as he tried to escape only to be brought back later with his skull crushed. I had hoped that Merlon, with his quick wit and cunning mind, would find a way to escape this hellish nightmare. But even the most cunning of plans could falter in the face of such overwhelming odds.

'I just need a little opportunity'. After a while of struggling, I had got my hands loose of the rope. 'If one of them comes close I'm sure I could break its neck, but I need one with a sharp weapon then I co...!?!!?!'. 

Watching ahead of the route the guard was taking I was planning my actions until something came into the view from between the bushes that were barely hiding its presence, something or someone was staring right at me. It seemed fate had other plans for us, as a strange presence emerged from the shadows, its gaze fixed upon me with an intensity that sent shivers down my spine.

'What is that!!'. Not expecting the presence I involuntarily jumped back. 

Seeing that they were noticed, the person had put a finger over their lip signaling to me to be quiet. My actions did not go unnoticed by the guard thou as the mire had its club in hand coming towards me to hit me as it did to us before, then with a swift movement the person in the shadows covered the guards mouth and slit its throat as it was dragged into the brush. 

'Wait could it be someone from town?, its the only settlement that is not far from here'. They had already disappeared back into the dark when I looked again. 

Searching around the camp I soon found them creeping out of the brush and took out the other guard at the edge. Seeing as the rest were asleep he slowly made his way to one around the fire pit as he finished it. As he did I saw movement of the last one holding the sword of my dead friend as it creeped towards the person. 

'Oh no!'. Thinking quickly I grabbed the club that was dropped near me as I threw it. " HHEEEYYYY!!!". With a quick moment to aim I threw it at the mire.

Hearing the sudden shouting they quickly turned around and saw the mire jumping at him to be then surprised at the club hit it in the back of its head. Wasting no time, they brought the dagger down into the mires chest to end it. 

 "Mai what's going on!". Kaiser had become active again after hearing the commotion.

" Did something happen?!!". Merlon said as he got up, "Guys what's happening!, are they gonna eat one of us again!". While Elise said in fear. 

"Everyone calm down!, there is someone here to save us now". As I pointed towards the figure around the fire.

I removed my helmet and relaxed on my back as our worries were for now gone, our so I had hoped. 

"Hey Mai,.…I think we have a new problem now.... with that person". Kaiser said with some hesitation. 

"Kaiser they just saved us from the mires?". Sitting up to face our rescuer. "We should be thankful to TH-!!". At that moment I lost my voice to continue speaking. 

The person that stood before me had caught me by surprise as they were not a Zeno like us, but he was a human. It is not like any of us haven't seen another type of race before since visitors, travelers or traders of different nations would appear in town and city. However a human being here is almost unbelievable as their home country is half way around the world but there is also the fact that as far I know, their way of travel is currently cut off. He was quite tall with Long yellow hair and blue eyes and had a good looking appearance but he was just staring at us with a confused expression. 

"Do any you guys dabble in the human language by chance?". With a wryly smile Merlon asked. 

"Um guys". Elise spoke up to get our attention." He has started going through our stuff now". 

Looking over we could see that he had already emptied many of our stuff on the ground but interestingly he did not take anything of high value yet, he was looking for something specific. For a moment I thought of moving but soon after I realized that he had started walking towards us with something in his hand along with a dagger I had in my bag. 

'If I do anything wrong here I might get us all killed!'. I thought as my heart beating faster.

After taking a good look at each of us he noticed that my hands were un-tied, he squatted down and placed what turned out to be our map in front of me as he tapped it with the weapon. By the gestures he was making trying to communicate he did not understand our language neither, really hard to ask for directions when that's the case.

'Has he gotten himself lost?, all the way out here?'. I wondered how he ended all the way up here anyway.

Remembering the route we took and the valleys stream nearby it was easy to pin point where we are now. Having gotten what was needed, he quickly made his way back to our stuff where this time he took a cloak, a mask and some clothes which he placed in a purple sack. As he began to leave, he threw my dagger at my feet as he waved at us to say goodbye and we watched as he slowly disappeared into the dark. 

"Well since that's over". After confirming that the human male had left I got to work with the knife.

Wasting no time I cut away the ropes that were confining my legs and everyone's as well too to free ourselves at last. With this whole mess seeming to come to an end, we agreed to get some rest before deciding what should be done next. 

----MC---- 

After leaving behind the camp of the other-worldly looking people behind, I could finally feel my stress leaving my body. Trying to kill those black things were easy as I could just imagine them as brainless animals that would kill me at any moment . Then I almost died when I had my back turned, it could have ended badly if that person did not help. 

"Speaking of those four people, I hope they do not come after me for taking their stuff". "Thinking back they weren't all that scary looking, But I wonder how many different races of people there is currently living here".

Taking the opportunity to collect my *reward* for helping them, I took some clothes to replace the rags that I was wearing, a mask as to not have unwanted attention and what looked to be a map of the area I was currently in. Naturally I could not understand the words that were written with its cryptic symbols but with the help of the purple-hued woman I was able to figure out where I currently was at the moment. Following back the path I came and going the other way will eventually lead me to a huge city since its the largest of places drawn on the map. 

"It would be best if I continue in the morning, I would not want to meet something unknown in this pitch black darkness". Slowly walking I made my way back to my little camp by the stream.

Coming out of the densely packed forest of trees I was met with the greeting of the night air that enveloped on my body with a soothing feeling. Being able to see the night sky again I found something that was contradicting to what I had seen in my memory, there is the one white moon that I knew. It could be a possibility that what I saw of the blue and purple moon was only a side effect of having partial damages to my brain. Not wanting to continue pondering over what was real and what wasn't I made my way the hollowed tree to be ready for the next day to come.

===========

Waking up early to the morning sunrise I made my plans for the day as I would make my way towards a smaller town before the large city which could put me on the right path.

"I need to reach that place where I can get some supplies and more importantly information". listening outside for a while longer, I made sure nothing was nearby." I do not plan to be sleeping in strange lands forever while I am stuck here".

Putting away the map in the bag, I cleaned my self one last time before making my way down the clearing in the field.