Chapter Eight

We are the ones

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"Get closer " One soldier whispered to another as two hundred more soldiers matched in the woods silently. The woods had thick fog hanging in the air which made it difficult for the soldiers to see clearly as they bumped into each other.

Uluthando looked deep into the woods as more soldiers matched into it. He had on his finest armour made of a fine thick leather and on his head was a round orb with a long feather. Uluthando smile to himself as he recalled his achievements, killing his father and getting rid of Shaka and now he was going to conquer the two kingdoms and maybe extend his empire.

Just when Uluthando thought he was getting at himself, he heard a shout from the distance "Get down...down! "

Uluthando quickly took off to the direction from which the sound came from but before he could get there, arrows came raining on him. He quickly blocked them with his shield and began panting. As the arrows continued raining, he heard shrieks in the air showing that soldiers were falling.

"It's a TRAP!" A soldier shouted and from the distance and gasps were heard.

"What should we do your majesty?" A soldier got closer to Uluthando as he was also lost in his thoughts. He could not decipher what was going on. How his plan was not working perfectly?

"Your majesty" The soldier poked Uluthando with his sphere, bringing him pulling him out of his thoughts.

ONE MONTH EARLIER

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"No!" Joel screamed as he kept running. He looked back and panicked again when he saw monsters made of trees running after him. The clear woods now became dark and frost begun to fall.

"YOU CANNOT ESCAPE ME BOY!" The monster voice caused the earth to shake, making Joel stumble, but he regained stamina and kept running. Crows from nowhere exactly appeared and started circling the air, making unnecessary sounds of no sort.

Joel looked up at the birds and the moment he did, he lost focus and tripped over a root but when he thought he was going to fall hard face flat on the floor, he looked and was stunned by what he saw.

"No..." The terror in Joel's voice as he screamed made him more scared than he was. The pit in which he was falling turned completely pitch black blinding him on the spot. Joel tried to find light from anywhere in the pit but something grabbed his legs and eyes with red illuminating from it looked at Joel making him gasp in shock.

"Told you cannot run from me". The monster's voice made Joel tremble in fear.

The monster's eyes got closer to Joel and he closed his eyes. He waited for what was to come at him but nothing happen. Joel slowly opened his eyes and he found himself in his bedroom. And it was so quiet that he could even hear a pin drop. He slowly crossed the room to the door and opened it.

"Roar!" A lion jumped at him and he gave out a terrified shriek.

"Wake up". Joel opened his eyes to the female voice. The sun blinded him and he had to cover his face with his hands till he could see.

"It is okay, you are safe here". Joel tilted his head to look at the girl, who spoke and was flabbergasted.

"Anele?" His voice was full of surprise as he mentioned the name. "But I don't understand.."

"Hash!" It is alright. I had to quickly drag you from where you fell away from the guards" Anele stopped to look at a direction and continued, but this time, she did not look Joel in the eyes. "You have been out for two days and I had to take care of you. Now tell me what you saw in your dreams ". Anele turned to look at Joel.

"It doesn't matter. I have to get out from this cursed woods. " Joel looked around and realized he was still in the woods but in a small tent made with leaves. There was a small bonfire made in front of it and the atmosphere promised safety.

"This direction" Anele and Joel heard a voice coming from the woods. They both looked at each other and when Joel was about to speak, Anele covered his mouth with her hand.

"Quiet before you get chased into only God knows where " Anele whispered.

Joel thought at this point that there was nothing he could do to go back home. To escape wherever he thought he found himself in. Wherever he goes, he was being hated, captured and tortured if that was to happen in the future. The only option he thought he had was to go back to where the portal first disposed him to but how was he going to do it when he has been entangled in a realm?

As Joel was still in his thoughts, he inhaled the smoke from the bonfire and absentmindedly sneezed, which echoed in the woods.

"Over there". Joel and Anele heard footsteps running in their direction.

"What do we do now?" Joel asked impatiently, and he hurriedly stood up, followed by Anele.

"We run" Anele said as she took off into the wood. Joel stood there for a moment trying to survey the woods, but the guards were closing in on him so he run after Anele, trying to catch up. Anele navigated her way through the woods like she had lived her entire like in it. The whole woods looked like it had no species in it and it stretched to an extent. Joel thought there was no end to it.

"We are almost there "Anele shouted to Joel without looking back.

"Where?" Joel asked, as he was still running after her. He looked back and saw the guard have now turned into soldiers and there were lots of them he could not make a count. Now they were in an open for any unexpected attack.

Joel began to loose breath as he felt the pain in his arm where the arrow had pierced. "I think I will not make it with you Anele" Joel's voice was horse but Anele did not respond to him.

"Anele wait up please" Joel forced this time to speak louder and Anele slowed her pace.

Anele leveled up with Joel and took his arm gently and they both run together. As they continued to run, Joel heard something like water crushing. "Is that..."

"Yes, it is the waterfall" Anele interrupted Joel and before he could say anything, they both got to the bank of the waterfall. Joel collapsed on the floor to catch his breath as Anele looked behind them for any sign of the soldiers.

"You know that the only way to survive this is to jump into the water?" Joel said looking up at Anele.

"And that is exactly what we are going to do. " Anele walked back into the woods but this time, she came out with a full sprint and jumped into the water.

"This, I will call suicide" Joel said and stood up. He did exactly what Anele did and walked back into the woods, but before he could get there, one soldier emerged from it and Joel froze. He looked at the soldier who had his eyes on him and he looked back at the waterfall, then back at the soldier again who was ready to attack.

"I have found him," the soldier said, taking Joel by surprise. Joel looked back and the water and before the soldier could make a move, he dashed off with his breath held and when he was about to get to the bank, he jumped.