Chapter 76

"The evil factions."

"Killers, Marauders, Thieves, the list goes on, but what separates them from the rest of them is that they do everything in the names of their gods."

"Elven scouts who return after years of information gathering, tell tales of the aftermaths of these factions."

Taeral turned to Alex as she spoke this last bit.

"If their gods asked for it, that town back their could be razed to the ground within a moment."

"Is that why they were there? Do you think I stand a chance against them?"

"No and no." Ospret answered.

"They were looking for someone or something. When someone didn't answer right away they would pull them away."

'Maybe they were looking for me. Did they notice my magic? If they did, then I'll find out if they follow us.' Alex thought before breaking off into a sprint.

"Let's go, I don't want to be an old man before I get back home."

'They're waiting, for someone to take the first steps, and if I don't take them then who will.'

"Hey wait up!"

"Nope, this time I'm taking the lead." Alex chirped as a light surrounded him.

Intersecting lines appeared on his uniform as his speed further increased.

"There are some small creatures creeping up on us." Alex whispered as he sat up.

Seeing that the other two were still fast asleep, he waited as the small creatures came closer.

A projectile flew as one of the creatures held a tube to its mouth, and a thump was heard as the projectile found its way back to the creature.

More soft thumps were heard.

Three leapt towards the sleeping elves as the other remaining two leapt towards Alex.

Screams were heard as they found themselves stabbing and attacking each other. The screams stopping as the two elves woke up and quickly dispatched of them.

"We should get going Alex, we have probably alerted everything around us."

"We will be fine, I cut off the sound. Although I guess I should've done so around them as well, so that you wouldn't have to get up."

"You don't expect us to bel.." Taeral started but was stopped by Ospret.

"How does that work?"

"Sound travels through everything, but the more, rigid or dense something is, the more energy the sound expends before fading. My invisible power can create a muffle for sound in many ways." He said while picking up a branch near him.

He snapped it and not a sound was heard.

"That's a relief. You can help us bury the bodies before more are drawn here."

"What are those things?"

"?????, a mixed breed of goblins and humans." Taeral answered as she dug a small hole.

"I can't understand what you called them."

"That doesn't surprise me, humans refuse to acknowledge their existence, so they have no translated name other than half breed."

"They did that a lot on earth with mixed races." Alex said while looking.

"They did?" Ospret asked.

"Did what?" Alex asked back as he snapped back to reality.

"You said people from your world refused to acknowledge, mixed races."

"I guess that's true, they have their reasons for it, even if half of them don't make sense."

"Like what?"

"Well, my dads side of the family comes from a place filled where the leadership has fallen apart, and there is a lot of killing, thievery, and marauding. Even if he didn't take part in it and was searching for a safe place to live, most people from where I now live, don't know for certain that he is like them." He paused for a moment.

"So they treat me and other like me differently, even if we grew up exactly like everyone else did." He continued while a chunk of dirt pried itself from the ground.

"So you are like me." She said as she put a hand on his shoulder.

"There are different races among elves?"

She nodded. "Blue hair doesn't exist among the elves on land, I was born in the ocean with my mother, but I ended up leaving to live where my dad did. Ecknat was the reason I was allowed to stay."

"A sea elf. That's pretty cool, I kinda wish my dad came from a place where humans live under the sea. I mean, there are lots of stories about people living down there, but they're just stories."

"Can you breathe water?"

——————

Alex sat up as a bird chirped and woke him up.

'She still insists to sleep near me, saying I cry in my sleep. If it weren't for the dry feeling on by sides of my eyes when waking up, I would believe that she was lying just to get close to me.'

"We have to be getting close now." Taeral said as she watched Alex sit up.

"We have had a lot less encounters during the night, and meeting with a few hunters last night, I would say that we will be running into at least a road or two soon." Alex said as he yawned.

"I can't believe I survived an entire month eating those rations, we have got to get a big meal to commemorate reaching a town."

"You probably wouldn't have lasted long if Ospret didn't share her food with you. You really cut into our supply of fruit."

"I tried offer some of the rations, but you said that you didn't want to know what gym socks taste like. Next time I'll do some buying and you won't have a choice but to ask for some of my food." He said while standing and dusting himself off.

"Doubtful."

"Yeah you're right, even I didn't believe it when I said it. Your taste buds are too particular." He said before turning to Ospret who had just gotten up.

"Now that we are all up, why don't we go ahead and finish this up? While washing up in a stream is fun and all, a good shower would be nice."

Seeing the two nod, Alex pulled out his compass, turned a bit and started moving the same direction they had been since they left the last town.

After a while of walking Alex slowed down.

"What is it?"

"A road, and people on both sides just watching the road. I think these are bandits that you told me about."

"Sounds like it." Taeral responded before asking the question on all of their minds.

"Do we just go around or do we just follow the road?"

"We need to know if we are close or not. Even if they might not live in the town nearby, they should know of its existence." Alex said as he stepped through a portal.

"Heyo, I've got some questions." Alex asked as he appeared behind the only bandit that had a decent weapon.

The bandit turned around and held the weapon that was at his side in one swift movement.

"What are you all waiting for, get him!" He yelled as he saw that Alex hadn't been charged by his men.

After a moment he turned around to find that they were all held in place by dark bands of energy.

'This isn't right! When did my affinity grow this strong?' Alex thought as he easily summoned enough energy to hold every bandit in place.

He calmed himself as he spoke again. "Are we near Borktraiclis."

"Brorkshriyahclie? Yes, yes, just down the road. Sorry about what I said earlier, times have been tough and we are just looking to make a living."

Alex didn't even bother questioning his reasoning and continued on, following the two elves who exited his portal,and kept walking as they saw that he had everything under control.

The bandits fell to the ground coughing as they left the area. "Sir, should we go after them? I mean look at the two bea…" he was cut of as he fell to the ground holding clutching his head.

"Does that answer your question dumbass?"

"Yes sir, sorry sir."

"There it is. It's a lot bigger than the last one."

"Indeed, the temple is hard to miss, as it's in the center of the town square." Taeral said as she looked at the map of the town.

"I guess eating can wait, I doubt the god of portals and transportation would know about what a rift is."

"Whatever you say." Taeral responded and followed Alex as he entered the town.

"Is that it, the big statue on the circular platform?"

"Looks to be." Ospret answered.

Alex noticed a look of uneasiness in her eyes.

"I'll be quick, I just hope I don't accidentally anger this god." He said before walking up to a robed man standing on the steps up to the platform.

"Where to?" The robed man asked.

"I'm, not here for transportation, I'm here, uh, to seek council." Alex said as he walked up to the priest.

"With me?" The robed man asked in confusion.

"Of course not, council from above." Alex said while pointing to the statue that towered above him.

"Right, forgive me, your the first to seek council in ages, so it's natural that I am surprised. For council it will be three gold."

'Pretty steep to just talk, I hope using this transportation system isn't too steep.' Alex thought before pulling out three gold coins.

"Good, follow me."

He lead Alex up the steps and instructed him to sit down as he began singing.

'Singing? It's sounds similar to chanting, do these gods have their own language?'

"I've made a connection, you have twenty minutes before that connection fades. Good luck."

After sitting down cross legged and getting a strange look from the priest who was walking back down the steps, Alex spoke up.

"Hello."

"Hey."

"Portal man."

"Transportation guy." Alex sighed.

"Bus driver."

Five minutes passed as Alex talked to himself.

"Well I guess you leave me no choice, thirty seconds before I destroy your precious statue."

The priest who was just below Alex laughed at the thought of Alex attempting to break the statue.

Alex slowly counted down, and as he reached zero the air became stuffy and the priest fell to one knee.

The podium beneath Alex creaked as the pressure increased the load on it.

Alex retrieved his domain as cracks spread across the rock platform beneath him.

And nearly lost hold of his bowels as he looked at the statue whose shadow now loomed over him.

It's eyes glowing and anger visible on its face. 'Holy shit. Holy? Yeah that is right, holy shit. All of them not only one but every holy feces in existence.'

The statue look changed from anger to confusion to curiosity. "Who are you?" A voice rang out from inside Alex's head.

"Alex."

"And what do you want… Alex."

"I've come to seek council."

"Yes, I know that much."

'Then why did you ask?'

"Recently, I accidentally entered a strange portal, and was stranded on this planet. I was hoping that you may have some way to get me back."

"Which planet are you from?"

"Earth."

"That is not a planet I am familiar with."

"I figured as much, from what I know, I was pulled through some type of bridge between realities. You wouldn't happen to know what a rift is would you?"

"I know of all types of portals and one that crosses realities is not one of them. If you are going to continue to waste my…" the voice paused for a moment.

Alex looked up as he watched the statue stare off into nowhere before nodding.

"Listen, I will forgive the desecration of my temple this once and guide your next destination free of cost. Just no more breaking my stuff alright, I paid good money for that." The voice said as the statue returned to its previous position and the cracks below Alex faded.

A token appeared in Alex's hand and the priests eyes widened in surprise as he saw it. He walked up to Alex before asking him, "Your excellency, will you be using that token any time soon?"

"Probably." Alex almost started sweating as he felt the greed in the priest's eyes, boil over what he first felt possible.

"You wouldn't mind treating me and my friends to a good dinner before we part would you?"

"Of course not, anything for a dear friend of my god."

'Figured you would. It seems like your going to get something good just for collecting it.'

'Might as well try and get my values worth out of it then.'