The Long Way Back
Chapter 5
Unnecessary Provocations
Walking came easy to Henry. It's such a simple, low-energy activity. Plus, Sir Lukas seemed to know that Henry and the villagers were not used to marching long distances at a fast pace. So, while he urged them to make haste, he also did not push them past their limits. Henry was grateful. Only a few days of farm labor was not enough to whip his skinny form into the shape necessary to walk a marathon a day without being exhausted.
Still, after a solid hour of marching, Henry had to admit his calves burned a little bit. Maybe it was the bag on his back weighing him down a little more, or maybe it was trying to keep pace with Alm, Lukas, and the others? Whatever the reason, Henry knew that after a couple more hours, he'd be feeling it. His legs would be sore tonight.
Keep your complaints to yourself. Henry reminded himself as he shifted his bag on his shoulder. Alm and the others have enough to worry about.
Thankfully, he still had his shoes from home. While Alm and the others wore rudimentary leather or steel boots, Henry still had a decent pair of Asics on his feet. Plenty of cushion in the soles still, and they were breathable. That saved his feet, for now.
Henry shifted his bag again, hoping to save his shoulders a little bit by distributing the weight a bit better. So far, the march had been silent, except for some small bickering between Tobin and Gray that was quelled by a stern look from Alm. He wanted to give a good impression to Lukas, and Henry could understand that. After all, Lukas took a small risk accepting people as young as they were into the ranks of the Deliverance.
Speaking of Lukas, Henry's curiosity grew by the minute in regards to him. The Knight didn't speak much. Then again, none of them did. There was a sober silence to their march that made Henry a little uncomfortable. It was like they were marching to a disaster, and it made Henry nervous.
Alm, Tobin, Gray, were all trained to fight, and they were not relaxed by the march. Lukas's gait was stiff, but that was due to his training if Henry were to take a guess. Military men tended to move a little stiffer in his experience.
Slowly, Henry caught up to Lukas. He walked alongside the taller knight in silence for a few moments. Eventually, his curiosity got the better of him.
"So, Lukas, uh… what's being a knight like?"
Henry cringed. What kind of question was that?
Lukas, thankfully, took the question in stride, offering Henry a small smile before speaking.
"It is a great honor, really. To be able to serve the people of Zofia with my body and sword is a privilege that few ever receive."
Henry tilted his head. "Aren't we about to do the same thing, though?"
Lukas chuckled a little. "In a way, you are. But, you may be some of the few who are fighting for Zofia and her people, not for money or any other selfish reason. It's nice to see."
"Well…" Henry uttered a small, sheepish laugh. "Um, I'm just trying to find my way home, honestly. Fighting a war was never on my list of things to do."
"Then why did you agree to come?"
The pointed question caught Henry off guard. And it was a damn good question. At first, Henry rationalized his decision to join a military force as a way for him to get to Castle Zofia. After all, Sir Mycen said that was where he could find information about a way home. That was the ultimate goal, and he would not hide that from anyone.
So… why did he effectively join the military again? How would that help him achieve his goal of getting home to Charlotte? After all, they weren't going to Castle Zofia right away. Not unless he missed something?
"So, where are we going?" Henry asked.
"You didn't answer my question," Lukas replied, catching Henry off balance. "Answer mine and I shall answer yours."
Henry pursed his lips. "Well… I guess because I think your army is my best way home."
"And your home?"
Henry raised a hand. "Two can play this game. I answered yours."
Lukas's mouth fell open. "Ah, yes. Good catch." He shrugged. "We are going to where Sir Clive has set up our base. It's out of the way from most main roads. Keeps Chancellor Desaix and the Rigelians from finding us easily."
Henry grimaced. "And, how bad would it be if they found you guys… us?"
Lukas gave Henry a grave look. That was all the explanation Henry needed. A pit yawned wide in Henry's gut. What exactly had he gotten himself into?
"May I ask you another question, Henry?" Lukas said, being far more polite than Henry expected him to be.
Henry shrugged. "I don't see why not."
"Where is your home?"
Henry snorted. "That's the million-dollar question, huh?" Lukas gave him a puzzled look. It took Henry a second to realize why, but when he did, he smacked his forehead. "Right, right, dollars don't exist here. Much less a million of them. Um, that means it was a good question. Idioms and all that fun stuff."
"Ah, then you are certainly a foreigner."
"Bingo." Henry nodded, his right hand gripping his bow as it remained slung over his shoulder.
"And your homeland?"
"Charlotte. Big city," Henry replied, deciding to keep it simple. He doubted Lukas would understand his ramblings about the I-77 and the traffic that's on it, or Bank of America Stadium and how huge it is. He certainly wouldn't understand talk about skyscrapers, suburbs, or Henry's favorite pizza place. The less details, the better. "It's in a land called the United States of America."
Lukas furrowed his brow, a hum rumbling from his lungs. "I don't believe I have heard of such a place."
"I'd be surprised if you had. Sir Mycen never heard of it."
"And you're hoping the Deliverance can provide you the information you need to find your way back to Charlotte? Information you could not gather from anyone in Ram?"
Again, Henry nodded. Lukas pursed his lips.
"Well, I was educated in Zofia Castle. I can tell you this: I'm not sure how fortunate you will be in your search. I knew the library in the capital well, and I do not recall any texts mentioning your homeland."
A crestfallen expression washed over Henry's face. However, Lukas quickly followed his ill news with a comment that kept hope alive in his heart.
"I'm not a mage though. Research is not my specialty. So, who knows. You may find something. But, the only way you will is if we can enter Castle Zofia again."
"That requires us defeating whoever Chancellor Desaix is along with the Rigelians?"
"An accurate statement," Lukas nodded.
Henry pursed his lips. He knew nothing about war. He did not grow up a military kid back in Charlotte. The closest he ever came to anything related to the United States Military was when a recruiter visited his High School not so long ago. That, and the occasional flyover that happened whenever the Panthers played a home game. Those B-2 bombers and helicopters always made the windows on his home rattle.
So, he wasn't sure what was going to happen next. The only wars Henry knew about he studied in school. Every time he studied them, he recalled them being horrible affairs. Bloody conflicts that took an immeasurable toll on the people fighting them. Of course, that was modern warfare. World War Two was the one he was the most familiar with since that was the most studied one in school. He didn't know much about medieval conflicts. Were they more devastating? More dangerous? He wasn't sure. But, he had a feeling he would learn soon.
I'm not looking forward to it.
The road ahead of the group began to wind and grow wilder. The brush and trees grew thicker along the edges of the road, overwhelming the dirt and gravel path with fallen leaves, branches, and roots. Vines with blooming violets crawled along the road as well, muffling Henry's footsteps as he stepped over them. It would have been a picturesque trail to walk if it also didn't feel so dangerous at the same time.
The further away from Ram they ventured, the more anxious Alm, Tobin, Gray, Kliff, and Faye appeared. Lukas remained vigilant but still carried himself with a relaxed posture, one hand resting on the pommel of his blade as he walked. Henry wasn't sure which he should believe: his suddenly timid friends, or the knight guiding them on a new adventure. However, when Lukas raised a hand bringing them all to a halt, Henry found himself in his friends' anxious camp.
"The road grows wilder from here," Lukas informed them. "The wilder it becomes, the more dangerous as well. We will need to tread carefully, and with advance information about what lies ahead." He glanced back at the group of young adults. "Are any of you experienced outdoorsmen?"
Kliff and Faye glanced at each other, unsure what exactly Lukas meant. Alm furrowed his brow, puzzled as well. Henry crept behind Gray and Tobin. Thankfully, before Lukas could notice Henry trying to avoid Lukas' gaze, those two stepped forward with wide smiles and bursting confidence. Their attempt to appear brave despite their fears about leaving home for the first time.
"We did a little bit of trapping around the village. Right, Tobin?" Gray said, an easy grin on his lips.
"Rabbits, yeah. What does that have to do with what Sir Lukas is asking?" Tobin asked.
"Hunting can be similar to scouting terrain," Lukas answered. "You must be vigilant, aware of every strange movement or sound. Details cannot slip past you. If I sent you ahead to scout the road, would you be able to accomplish that task?"
Tobin gave Gray an uncertain look. Before he could answer, Gray spoke up, jabbing a thumb at his chest as his confident smile widened.
"You bet, Sir!"
"Gray!" Tobin cried.
"Excellent," Lukas gestured at the road ahead. "Go ahead, but not too far. Remain within at least ear-shot. That way, if anything happens, you can hear us, and vice versa. Understood?"
"Don't worry so much, Sir," Gray patted Lukas's armored shoulder, causing Tobin's jaw to drop and Alm to roll his eyes as he chuckled. "We've got it taken care of. Right, Tobin?"
"I swear to the Earth Mother if I die because of you Gray-"
"Oh, quit your whining."
Henry watched as they both picked their pace, moving faster up the road before disappearing around a bend in the path. Once they were gone, and their bickering faded to muffled voices, then to nothing as the sounds of the forest consumed their arguing, Lukas chuckled and glanced at Alm.
"You have interesting friends."
Alm scratched the back of his head, a sheepish smile cracking his lips. "Yeah, well, that's one way to describe Gray and Tobin."
"I'll make sure to tell them you said that," Kliff remarked, a bemused look on his face when Alm's expression fell.
"You know that means Gray will probably try to fight me again."
"What can I say? It's amusing to see him get beaten every time he tries," Kliff remarked.
"At least he tries though. That's what is important," Faye piped up. "I'm sure Gray will make a fine warrior, like Alm, eventually."
"I hope so too," Lukas nodded, glancing up the road. "We need eager souls like him. They will be able to weather the coming storm much more easily, I think."
Henry could not help but notice the graveness in Lukas' tone. The distant look in his eyes spoke of a young man who had already seen a lot. Alm must've noticed as well because he strode faster to be beside Lukas.
"Have you seen a battle yet?" The green-haired boy asked.
Lukas's gaze became even more distant. "Just one. When the Rigelians took Castle Zofia… I was there." He paused for a moment, as if remembering every detail that occurred on the day he was talking about. Then, he blinked and shook his head. "Don't concern yourself with that. For now, we should focus on reaching Sir Clive's hideout."
That look in Lukas's eyes when Alm asked his question terrified Henry. That look told Henry more than any textbook or lecture could about medieval warfare. It was as bad, if not worse, than what he learned about in class, and he had signed up to be in the thick of it.
What was I thinking!?
A few more hours passed on the road. No stopping, no water or lunch breaks. To say Henry's feet hurt would have been an understatement. The aches in his arches, ankles, and toes caused him to lag behind the others as he trudged along, feet barely rising above the road with each step he took. Even though he was only walking, his breaths went in and out of his lungs in heavy, labored pants.
God, he had never walked for this long before. When were they going to stop and take a break? He got it already! Lukas, Alm, Kliff, Faye all had superhuman stamina. Congratulations to them; he did not. More than once, he opened his mouth to ask them to slow down, or even stop. And, more than once, he held his tongue.
Don't complain, Henry. His bow started to slip down his arm, forcing him to shrug it back into place for what felt like the millionth time. Don't complain. Think about something else.
What else was there to think about though? He was thirsty, hungry, tired, and in pain. All four made for a terrible concoction of misery that made him long for the farm work back in Ram. At least there, he could sit down if he needed to. If he sat down on the road, he would lose sight of the others and be forced to wander the woods on his own. Henry knew that would not go well. He remembered all too well what happened the last time he tried to travel through the forest beyond Ram on his own.
So, onward he marched, through the aches and pains. He had no idea how the hell Gray and Tobin managed to stay so far ahead of them. Did they have that much energy pent up in them? It would not surprise Henry. They seemed to be the kind of people who would treat scouting ahead as a competition of who could go the furthest the fastest.
Still, the endurance of everyone in the group boggled his mind. It was even more awe-inspiring with Alm and Lukas, who were both in full plate armor. That could not be easy to march in.
Henry had become so wrapped up in his musings of misery and marching that he hadn't noticed Faye grind to a stop in front of him. He bumped into her, nearly knocking her over.
"Oh God, I'm so sorry," Henry said with a nervous look. Faye simply took a few steps ahead of him then gave him a small smile. One that set his heart at ease.
"It's alright. Being around boys all my life made me used to getting knocked over."
"Fighting with us, you mean?" Kliff remarked.
Faye uttered a shy giggle. "Yeah, well, that too. Alm said he'd teach me, so I accepted. It's not a big deal."
"You were one of the only girls who knew how to fight in Ram, Faye. Wear that with pride," Alm commented as he continued marching alongside Lukas.
"Y-yeah, but," A light blush came over Faye's cheeks, "It's not like I"m as good as you, Alm."
Henry did not miss Kliff rolling his eyes. The blonde shook his head at Henry. Somehow, Faye did not seem to notice. Perhaps she was too captured by Alm's dashing smile.
"You could be as good as me, someday. With enough practice of course," Alm encouraged.
Faye's blush darkened, and now it was Henry's turn to roll his eyes. A slight look of disappointment formed on Faye's face when Alm didn't notice her blush. Instead, he turned to make some small talk with Lukas. Something about Sir Clive and what the leader of the Deliverance was like as a leader. The green-haired villager had no idea that Faye clearly had a massive crush on him. Henry would have wondered how Alm could be so dense, but he had a feeling he might be the same way. Romance never came easy to him.
The sound of brush rustling and leaves crunching caused Lukas to halt. The knight raised a hand, signaling the others to stop as well. Alm's hand immediately drifted to his sword. Kliff and Faye gave their surroundings an apprehensive look. Henry found himself creeping towards the center of the group, his grip on his bow tightening as he noticed the serious expression that had washed over Lukas's face.
"Think that's Gray and Tobin?" Alm asked.
"I-"
Right before Lukas could even start speaking, a thicket burst open. Alm ripped his sword free, pointing the tip at whoever charged through the brush.
"Whoa, Alm! Take it easy with that thing, geez!" Gray exclaimed, raising his hands as the tip of Alm's sword hovered in front of his face. "When did you get so jumpy?"
"We're all that jumpy outside of the village!" Faye exclaimed as she wrung her hands. "Or did you forget that little tidbit of information, Gray!?"
Gray gave Faye a sheepish look. "I might've?"
Alm exhaled and lowered his sword. "At the very least don't sneak up on us like that."
"Lukas doesn't seem as upset," Gray protested.
"I'm not upset because I was never threatened," Lukas commented, his expression neutral.
Gray narrowed his eyes at Lukas. "You saying I'm not threatening?"
"He's saying he could kick your ass, Gray, whether you were threatening or not," Kliff deadpanned.
"Shh!" Alm raised a hand this time, silencing Gray and Kliff.
Henry furrowed his brow. Alm appeared to be listening for something. Then, on the wind, Henry heard it too.
A faint, shrill sound shot through the woods, gaining in intensity with each second till it reverberated through his ears as a scream. The sound made Henry's hair stand on end. It almost sounded too high-pitched to be human, but at the same time, it was. It was a scream of pure terror. Not a fake one either, like those made on TV shows or the movies. This was true, primal fear, and it set him on edge.
"Gray, where is Tobin?"
Gray blinked. "Oh, right. We found something and I ran back to get you. Tobin is keeping his eye on things. We think someone's in trouble."
"The trouble can sort itself out," Lukas said, a hint of warning in his voice. "We do not have time to become side-tracked."
"That was a woman's scream," Alm protested, spinning around to face the taller knight. "If someone is in trouble, then isn't it our obligation as warriors of the Deliverance to help them?" He shook his head. "I will not leave someone at the mercy of a dastardly fate."
Alm spun back around and nodded to Gray, silently ordering him to lead the way through the forest. The pair took off into the thickets. Leaving Lukas to shake his head, Kliff to frown, and Henry to panic alongside Faye. Although, Faye panicked much louder than Henry.
"G-Gray! Alm! Where do you- Oh by the Earth Mother."
She took off after them, startling Kliff.
"Faye, Sir Lukas said we couldn't get side… tracked… great."
With a huff, Kliff raced after Faye. Henry gaped after them as they disappeared into the forest, the rustling leaves from their footfalls fading with each second. A heavy breath puffed from Lukas's lips as he put his hands on his hips and shook his head.
"Eager, aren't they?"
Henry glanced at Lukas. Was that rhetorical? He wasn't sure.
"They're our comrades though." Lukas placed his hand on his sword's grip then stepped off the road. "Come along, Henry. We may have use of your bow."
Henry remained rooted in place, watching Lukas's red armor fade into the brush. They needed his bow? Didn't they know that he had just learned to use this thing? He couldn't hit the broad side of a barn, much less whatever animal or, God forbid, person, attacking a woman in distress.
But, Lukas was right. Alm, Gray, Tobin, Faye, Kliff were his comrades and friends at this point. The only ones he had in this weird world he found himself in. They would have rushed off with him if he wanted to save someone like Alm did.
A long, strained groan left Henry's lips. "I just want to go home." He sighed and hung his head. "Baby steps, Henry. Consider this a baby step."
He unslung his bow and dashed after Lukas, hoping he would catch up to the knight sooner rather than later.
This was the absolute worst-case scenario. A pit formed in Henry's gut, swallowing any courage he had and replacing it with plenty of fear and apprehension.
He found the others near a clearing in the forest. Tobin had found a suitable hiding spot behind some wild blackberry bushes, thick and green. Beyond those bushes, Henry and the others spotted the source of the scream.
A group of bandits had surrounded a panicked, terrified woman. Her dress was torn and tattered both by branches still clinging to the fabric and other actions that Henry did not want to think about. All of the bandits slowly approached her, laughing and hooting. A pair of them had blades drawn. A way of deterring the woman from fighting back. Three more had their gazes leering at her.
Alm shook with fury from their hiding spot as they watched the woman backpedal away before bumping into a tree. His teeth were clenched, and his hand tightened around his sword.
"Bastards," He seethed.
"Alm," Lukas warned. "We-"
Lukas never got the chance to say another word. Alm uttered a war cry and charged into the thicket, startling everyone, including the woman and the bandits.
"Alm, you- goddess, why does he do this?" Tobin groaned before drawing his sword and racing after Alm.
"Because it's fun, of course," Gray smirked, chasing after Tobin and quickly engaging one of the bandits moving to cut off Alm.
Lukas held out an arm, keeping both Kliff and Faye back from the fray. "You two watch our rear in case any bandits are hiding out. Henry, pick any of them off if you can."
Henry's eyes bugged from his skull. Sir Lukas wanted him to do what!? Again, did he not realize that he barely knew how to use his weapon? Henry opened his mouth to tell Sir Lukas that when the knight drew his blade and silently strode into the fray.
What Henry saw next was awe-inspiring. He thought Alm, Gray, and Tobin were skilled fighters. Sir Lukas swept into the fray with all the grace of a dancer performing a ballet. He ducked beneath a wild ax-swipe, sliding his blade through the attacking bandit's abdomen with practiced ease. Immediately after, he blocked an overhand slash from another bandit before drawing a dagger from his belt and slipping the point into the poor sod's armpit, severing a major artery.
Not a single wasted movement. Henry thought, jaw on the floor.
"Alm, watch out!" Faye cried.
Henry's gaze snapped to the green-haired warrior. Alm had moved towards the terrified woman, but his path was blocked by two bandits. A third bandit emerged from the brush, moving to strike Alm from behind. A dirty sneak attack that would devastate the swordsman.
Tobin and Gray were busy with their own enemies. Sir Lukas was taking down another across the clearing from Alm and the woman. Kliff and Faye wouldn't get to him fast enough, and Henry was not a close combat fighter.
But he had his bow.
Henry sucked in a sharp breath as he fumbled with an arrow from his quiver. He grabbed a pair, accidentally dropping one. A curse slipped from his lips as he almost dropped the second arrow.
After managing to nock the arrow, Henry aimed. Right as he aimed, he locked eyes with the large bandit sneaking up on Alm. All of the color drained from the bandit's face.
And fire!
The arrow left the bowstring… and sank into the earth a few feet in front of Henry.
Henry blinked at the arrow, glanced at the bandit, then gulped. The bandit stalked towards him now, blade hefted, ready to kill him. Henry stumbled back, reaching out with his free hand for either Kliff or Faye. However, neither was with him. His stomach dropped when he realized that they moved to help Alm while he fumbled with his arrows.
I have rotten luck.
The bandit yelled. Henry turned tail and ran, circling around the clearing while the skirmish raged in the center. He heard steel whistle behind his ears, shaving the hairs on the back of his head. That only made him scream, then run faster.
The bandit's rumbling, snarl hit ears as he came too close for comfort.
"Get over here ya little-"
His words were cut off by a gagging gurgle. Henry stole a glance behind him. His stomach flipped as he saw the bandit's head rolling along the ground, coming to a stop near his feet. Lukas stood over the bandit's falling body, bloody sword stretched out to his side. With a sigh, Lukas sheathed his blade.
"That's taken care of," The Zofian knight muttered.
"Yeah, Henry!" Gray cheered from across the clearing, a teasing grin on his face. "Way to distract 'em for us. Made it easy for Kliff and Faye to help Alm."
A sheepish look flashed over Henry's face. But, he mostly felt embarrassed. He wasn't any help at all. He couldn't even shoot an arrow across the clearing and he almost got himself killed.
Thank God for Lukas.
"They still got away with the lady though," Alm seethed near Gray, blood dripping from his blade as he gave the dead bandits a hateful look. "Lukas, do you know of any possible hideouts nearby?"
"Only one," Lukas remarked, his tone undisturbed by the carnage in the clearing. "There's a shrine nearby. The bandits may be using that as a base, since it's difficult to get to, hard to find, and is well located within the forest, not too far from the road."
"Then that's where they'll be taking the woman," Alm growled. "So, that's where we are going."
Going? No, no, no! Henry had enough of fighting. Silently, he prayed for Lukas to retake command.
But, Tobin, Gray, Kliff, and Faye were Alm's friends before they were Sir Lukas's subordinates. Whatever Alm was going to do, they would follow him in doing it. Sir Lukas had little choice in the matter. The knight watched with Henry as the four villagers turned warriors marched further into the woods, in the direction Lukas indicated the shrine lay.
Lukas sighed. "Those four… I don't know whether to be inspired or to be furious they're ignoring me."
Henry glanced at Lukas. "I know how I feel."
"Oh?"
Henry shook his head, then marched after Alm and the others.
"I feel like I'm completely in over my head."
And chapter! Thank you to Aidanator800 for commissioning this chapter on Fiverr! If you're interested in having your fanfiction, story, or one-shot written, message me on Fiverr! Username: thebobcat18
This was another fun chapter for this story. The cast of characters in Echoes are a real treat to write. I'm having a blast, and I hope you all are too! Let me know what you all think of this chapter. As always, I hope you all enjoyed it! Have a nice day!
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