As you can see, I was kidding when I wrote 'The end' in the end of chapter 2. It was just to make some tension.


The Path of the Loner

Chapter 3: A safe path

Yurick didn't know how long he had been under the surface. He was focusing on his miserable fate and upcoming death but now he woke up to that somebody was yanking his arm.

Not deeper in the quagmire but up towards the surface.

Zombies didn't release their grip from Yurick but a hand yanking Yurick's arm was as stubborn as zombies. Soon Yurick felt more hands grabbing his arm and yanking him even more determined towards the surface. Finally zombies lost their grip and Yurick was dragged on the surface.


Yurick gasped when he was dragged back on the land. For a moment he did nothing else but lay on the ground and coughed some swamp water. Then somebody shook his shoulder and asked with worried tone: "Yurick! Are you alright? Can you hear me?"

"That voice..." Yurick thought with clashing feelings. He was going to stand up but Yurick got worried when he noticed that his body wasn't moving at all. Soon he heard more familiar voices.

"Oy, boy! Are you alive?" a voice of woman demanded.

"I'm afraid that... we came too late..." a man with lazy tone said worriedly.

"No. He coughed just a moment ago. In addition he was not under the surface even ten minutes," an another voice of man said with serious tone.

"Help him to sit," a quiet but determined voice of woman asked.

Hands grabbed on Yurick and changed him position, so he was sitting while being supported and then he saw them.

Zael and Mirania supported Yurick. Dagran, Lowell and Syrenne stood next to them. All five of them stared worriedly at Yurick. Zombies who had chased Yurick earlier were laying on the ground and didn't move.

"Yurick? Are you alright?" Zael asked again.

"Y-yes..." Yurick answered with hoarse voice and coughed.

Just when Yurick was going to ask what were they doing here, they heard Syrenne's voice: "Guys, we have a problem. Actually quite many problems. Many dead and smelly problems."

Everybodies attention turned on the direction of Syrenne's voice. Yurick managed to turn his gaze as well and he screamed in horror when he saw zombies.

Dagran was first in action. He took his sword out of the scabbart and started to share commandments: "Mirania, take care for Yurick. Zael, protect both of them. Syrenne and Lowell, let's return those zombies back to the Afterlife!"

Syrenne and Lowell took their weapons out and positioned themselves next to Dagran. Mirania wrapped her arms protectively around Yurick when Zael stood up and took his sword, ready to protect his friends.


Very soon the quiet swamp wasn't quiet anymore when the fight began. Dagran, Syrenne and Lowell beat zombies as fast as they can and if any of zombies managed to pass them, Zael beat it. Mirania examined Yurick in case of that Yurick would been hurt more than he looked but she was also ready to use her healing magic on her friends if need be.

Zombies were not very dangerous or strong, only a few had a rusty dagger or something else as weapon but when one was destroyed, more came either from underground or from quagmires.


Finally the fight was all over for the convenience of everybody – especially for Yurick – when no more zombies rose from underground or from quagmires and zombies laying on the ground didn't move anymore.

"Yurick, what are you doing in the Grave Swamp? Had you not heard that those who had died here have started to move at nights and attack on living people?" Dagran asked from Yurick when he put his sword back in the scabbart.

Yurick's face turned pale when he heard this and faltered: "Th-the Grave Swamp? I-I didn't know..."

"It was a quite coincidence that we got a mission to get rid of those zombies. If we had not come here, you would had join the group of aliving deads," Lowell said with teasing tone but his face turned serious when he saw Yurick's scared face.

"Are you badly injured?" Zael asked when he knelt next to Yurick and studied him with worried look.

"He is paralyzed," Mirania answered with serious tone to Zael's question: "Judging by the size of the bite mark, Yurick has been bitten by a paoazad. Their poison is paralysing."

When he heard this, Zael turned to face Dagran and said: "Dagran, we can't leave Yurick like this. We must help him!"

"Well," Dagran said with serious tone while crossing his arms: "It's depends on whether Yurick wants us to help him."

"Dagran!" Mirania exclaimed with shock. Zael, Syrenne and Lowell looked quite shocked as well.

Dagran ignored them and asked from Yurick: "What do you say? Do you want us to help you? Or would you rather try survive on your own? The decision is yours. Nobody is going to force you accept our help."

Yurick swallowed nervously. Only on this day he had decided to leave the team but now mage was paralyzed and the same team had rescued him from death. It was needless to say that Yurick's pride had got a bad hit. Just now Yurick didn't see anything else but only one option. Yurick hung his head, feeling himself helpless and humiliated, and answered with barely audible voice: "H-help me... please..."

Dagran nodded calmly and turned to face other members of the team: "Lowell, I want you carry Yurick during the time we are walking." Just then Yurick sneezed, making Dagran glanced at him over his shoulder.

When he saw that young mage was shivering from the cold, Dagran turned to face Zael: "Zael, could you give him your jacket? His clothes are wet and he will feel worse if he doesn't get dry clothes."

"Understood," Zael answered, took quickly off his jacket and put it on to Yurick.

Lowell knelt in front of Yurick and wrapped his arms around Yurick's thighs when Mirania and Syrenne helped young man on Lowell's back. Syrenne slipped the mage's dagger, that she had found during the fight with zombies, into the pocket of jacket that Yurick was wearing now. When Yurick was firmly on Lowell's back, Lowell stood carefully up, so he wouldn't drop Yurick.


Without saying anything else the group left the creepy Grave Swamp. Before the group directed to the town, they went to Yurick's camp to get mage's bag.

Yurick closed his eye while resting his head against Lowell's neck and sighed quietly. For the first time during the day, Yurick felt safe.


Yurick is now safe and the whole group is on their way to the town. But how is the bond between Yurick and the rest of group? Will Yurick still continue his lonesome path?

To be continue...