The ship tossed and turned. The lack of experience was proven by the difficulties they faced trying to stay afloat. However, in the end they made it to their destination which was an unexplored land. With the use of the maps that Keith had found they had finally reached the shore.
They saw the shore and followed the map that would reach them to an abandon ship yard. There were no ships present and the dock itself was barely intact which suggested that human activity was present. However, they were still grateful for their feet to be planted on the dry land. The queasy ocean was unbearable for some who were regretting taking part in the journey. Ways away from the ship yard was a destroyed boat. This gave them some hope that Lana was somewhere nearby.
The map indicated that they had arrived on the western side of the continent. The dock itself suggested that a town would be nearby. It was a unanimous decision to set forth and see where they were. As the made their way down the path there was something strange about this place. There were no buildings, only rubble. The lack of buildings also indicated the lack of people. They followed up the road a little further and came to an opening that had nothing but a bunch of piles of rubble.
"I don't think anyone is around here," Keith stated looking around.
"Yeah think, you numb nuts," Nicholas replied smacking Keith on the back of the head. "Come on let's keep moving."
Keith started to come up with some ideas as he kept flipping through the book. If they had reached a dock then there should be people. If there were no people around then something must have happened to them.
"That other boat back there, are we sure it was her," Keith began. Everyone stopped to look at him to hear what else he had to say.
"We can't say that for sure," Nicholas replied.
"Ok then what makes you so sure that she would be here?"
"I just know she is."
"Come on Nick you can't be serious. You and I both know that she is not here. Let's just face it. She is gone!"
Nicholas went to swing at Keith out of anger but was stopped by Lucas. He held onto Nicholas' arm and sternly glared at him.
"I don't want to see you two fighting alright? Let's go gather some food and make camp for tonight. In the morning we can decide where we go from there."
Nicholas walked off with Jack in search for some food as Keith and Lucas went in the opposite direction. The others stayed behind and set up a camp for their short duration with what supplies they had. It was colder where they were. Snow was lightly on the ground revealing any tracks of any creature that may had passed through.
The group was able to gather a few berries and nuts that were still good. Keith and Lucas were able to capture a couple of rabbits for them to cook up. They needed all the protein that they could get their hands on for the journey that was laid out before them. Times were proven to be difficult and their current situation had left them with very little to eat.
Everyone remained quiet throughout the night. No one had much to say about where they were or why they were there. Keith especially kept himself away from Nicholas and Jack. He curled up in his blanket and awaited for the next day.
When everyone was up and rearing to go it was decided that they would explore the area and at least found a village or town. That way they would be able to pick up any supplies and gather any information that they could. Afterwards it would determine their next step and how they should proceed with their search.
They followed down the rough unkempt path deeper into the strange new land. All had seemed well. They continued their travels for a few days taking their time and finding it very strange how they had yet to come across any signs of human life. It began to creep some of the younger members of their group. They began to fantasize what could have happened to the people. A few run down places were on their path indicating that people were there at some point. The path itself was manmade which suggested that the path was frequented. The eeriness of the abandon places and lack of people was enough to send shivers up anyone's spine. It was something out of a novel and was hard for anyone to believe.
"I really think we should turn back. It has been almost five days and there has been signs of nothing. Not even a single traveller or town, something is not right about this place," Keith cried out in his moment of uncertainty.
However, no matter what he said, there was no convincing the stubbornness that was Nicholas. He was very determined to find Lana, if not then some sort of clue of her whereabouts. Keith agreed that he wanted her back with them more than anything, but like the rest of the group they had finally come to terms that she would no longer be with them. It was even unknown on if she was even alive or not.
They continued down the path and decided to rest for a bit. Keith pulled out a book he had taken with them. It was about one of the greatest mysteries that had come to Rhea aside from the disappearance of the titans.
In recent stories, there had been word of mindless creatures that had appeared in Marley. They resembled humans but had no sign of intelligence. Some of them were distorted and had some form of disfigurement to their bodies. The very same creatures were reported a few times before back in their homeland. It was something completely unnatural and spooky. They had come out of nowhere with no signs of their origins and disappeared just as quickly as they had arrived. The stories told of a few people who had quickly killed off these creatures. They remained anonymous to everyone and disappeared without a trace. However, there were a few things that they were able to say. They referred to the creatures as Unwanted Titans, titans that had succumbed to their powers and lost all of their humanity. The only way to destroy these creatures was to sever the back of their neck which would cause them to disappear.
"What are you reading?" Lucas asked as he noticed how intrigued Keith was in the book of mysteries.
"Just something of Lana's that she left behind. It really is interesting. Have you parents ever told you of the Unwanted Beings?"
"Of course, almost everyone has heard of the legend of Rhea."
"Huh?"
"They said that when King LeBlanc took over the kingdom he had the power of titans on his side. However, there were a few of those titans that weren't normal. They called them Unwanted Titans. They were either killed or sent away."
"Creepy. This book also talks about the Howlers, a group of large wolf like creatures."
"I've seen one!" Lucas proclaimed.
"No you have it."
"Yes I have. I was just a wee lad and a Howler came right up to me. It ran off because I scared it away with my loud yell."
"I somehow doubt that, that actually happened."
Keith continued to flip through the pages reading mystery after mystery and legend after legend. Within the book itself, it talked about the mysterious powers of the titans. They were beings who had once claimed the land of Rhea itself until travellers from another land had appeared. The two beings started living together in peace and harmony with barely any problems. It eventually had become evident that the travellers were fearful of the titans and their powers. Those of the royal line possessed the capability of mind manipulation to some level. Only direct descendants were capable of obtaining this ability. The ability itself started diminishing and has become ineffective to certain bloodlines who were around the royal family the most. This was believed to be the start of the overthrow of titans themselves.
Within the book, it talked about the different powers a titan has. From various forms of hardening and armor, to keen senses and increased muscle strength. Aside from their growth, they were capable of doing extraordinary things as a titan that amazed and scared the travellers. Keith felt a bit of a connection to Lana as he read. He was sure that she was out there somewhere. He just wished that she was well.
As the day went on they continued down the path. It was all quite as everyone was enjoying the moment the best that they could. All was well until something strange was nearby. Keith stopped dead in his tracks as he felt something was wrong. When the others took notice they too stopped to look at the concerned Keith. He stared hard at the ground tying to picture it, and then that was when it was coming together. He was hearing footsteps. They weren't just any footsteps, they were large ones and they were getting louder. The footsteps had become loud enough for the others to take notice. Everyone was frantically looking around to see what the cause was.
The creature had come into their view out of the trees. Keith stood before it with a horrified look on his face. Walking towards them was a five foot tall human like creature. Although it did mostly resemble a human, the body was distorted. Its arms were almost too long for its body as they were almost being dragged. It waddled over to them as it took notice to the large amount of people on the path. The pace grew faster as the group remained frozen in fear.
"WHAT IS THAT!?" Lucas yelled.
"Whatever it is it's coming for us. We need to get out of here and fast!" Nicholas replied turning around and pulling people to make a run for it.
Keith was almost mesmerized by the creature. He watched it stumble towards them as he had no fear.
"Unwanted," he whispered under his breath.
"KEITH COME ON!" Lucas yelled in the distance.
Keith snapped out of it and ran at full speed to catch up with the others. Once he had reached them he turned back to see how far away from it they were. The distance between themselves and the creature was getting smaller. It has become apparent that there was going to be no way from them to be able to out run it.
"This thing! What is?" Nicholas shouted as he turned back to see it getting closer.
"I think I know. I just read something like this in one of Lana's books," Keith replied trying to control his breath.
"Come on out with it!"
"This thing is called an Unwanted. It's kind of like what Lana is, only worse. This thing has no intelligence and is only after humans."
"OH GREAT!" Lucas shouted.
"Keith is correct. That creation is an Unwanted Titan, a creature forced to live here due to unfortunate circumstances," Caroline shouted.
"Ok then how do we get rid of this thing?" Nicholas asked as he watched Madame Nina starting to fall behind the rest of the group.
"We kill it by taking out the nape of its neck I'm pretty sure. Sever the connection from the brain and the body shouldn't regenerate like Lana's," Keith called out.
"The spinal column is the key source, take it out at the nape and you take it out entirely," Caroline confirmed.
"You're pretty sure! OH GREAT WE ARE SO SCREWED!" Lucas shouted picking up Madame Nina.
Nicholas began looking around at the area. "Quick over there. Let's take cover and hide within the trees if we can."
The group immediately responded as they made their way to a little forested area. The Unwanted was close on their heels. Panic was greatly affecting them as the impending doom was fast approaching. Luckily they were able to make it to the trees before the Unwanted was able to get to them.
"Lucas I need you to throw me up to this branch," Nicholas demanded pointing above him.
"You can't be serious!"
"JUST DO IT!"
Without further questioning, Nicholas placed his foot in Lucas' hand. Quickly he threw Nicholas up into the air as he was able to grab a hold of the branch. Everyone continued to run into the forest as Nicholas had demanded. Keith stayed behind to make sure that no one was left out. Little to his knowledge the Unwanted had its eyes set on him. He turned around to face the gruesome creature as it bent down to pick him up. Nicholas was concealing himself behind the tree trunk waiting for a good moment. Keith saw the glimmer of the double edged sword in his hand and followed through. He stammered away from the creature as it got closer. He pulled out his own sword and charged underneath it. Keith managed to get behind the Unwanted and use his sword against it. With a large thrust, he was able to lodge the sword into the back of the Unwanted's heel. It knelt down as Keith went for the other one. Just as he expected, by injuring the legs, it would leave an open spot for Nicholas to strike. Once the Unwanted had collapsed to the ground, Nicholas leapt through the air. With his sword held high, he aimed for a strike at the neck. He planted the sword within the creature and ripped it across severing any connections within it. A vast amount of steam appeared from the Unwanted as it was motionless.
Nicholas jumped down and walked over to Keith.
"Are you hurt?" he asked him.
"No I'm fine you?" Keith replied.
"Fine. We should head back to the others."
"Right."
The two took off away from the being. Keith couldn't help but to look back at the large amount of steam that was coming from the Unwanted's body as it began to disintegrate. Never before had he believed that he would see something like this, let alone believe that this would exist. He was sure that there would be more out there in this land. At least they knew how to kill it. The problem would be achieving the kill.
As they caught up with the others, most were shaken up. Nicholas proclaimed that the creature was dead and that they were safe. However, they were unsure of where the creature came from or how many others were out there. They were to remain vigilant from now on.
They continued to travel down the path without contacting another one of the unwanted creatures throughout the rest of the day. When they decided to rest and make a camp for the night, most were reluctant to fall asleep. Keith was wide awake staring at the stars above wondering what else could be out there. He was amazed at the concept that these creatures even existed to begin with. He wondered what could have happened if they were unable to kill it. He remembered that he wasn't the only one who knew what to do. He sprung up from his blanket and saw that Caroline was still wide awake.
"Caroline…how did you know?"
"It's surprising that someone of the Crovus Clan is unaware of things that go on around them especially after all of these years," she said with a slight smile.
Shocked by her comment, he looked at her.
"I knew the entire time?" he stammered clutching onto his shoulder that bore the mark. "Who are you?" he began to question her.
"I am Caroline Rogers, a descendant of Doctor Cornelius Rogers and Madeline Sidonia. My family was part of the research team that were developing super soldiers for the Royal Army. My father was loyal to the King until one day he did something that caused him to get kicked out. Next thing, he is dealing with the Crovus Clan continuing his research to create the perfect soldier. When he died, it was my duty to take up his research and complete it. The creature that we saw today was a result of a semi successful serum that was created long ago. Although the serum itself was stolen, it was the job of my family to recreate what was lost. We were never successful and could hardly come close to what we had achieved long ago. It's amazing to be able to see the results myself, even if it was only a theory. It was always a false hope among the family. But to actually see what could have been accomplished."
"What are you saying?"
"I'm saying that these creatures are humans affected by a serum that someone out there had managed to create, based off of finding from my ancestors." She turned to him as she watched his horror stricken face, "But nobody will believe you," she stated with a smile. "Besides, what's the point in continuing my research when it is clear that someone is well beyond what I know? Blasted father couldn't get anything done right. And who are the Corvus Clan to tell me what to do. They are the ones who want the serum and who will provide it to them, me. Like I was going to give it to them anyways. But even if I wanted to I can't anymore, so what's the point. What is the point in anything?"
She walked away and crawled underneath her blanket. Keith couldn't comprehend what he had just heard. The woman among them was a member of the scientific family that dominated and influenced many things within the kingdom. She was a medical scientist who had knowledge of the titan serum that the Crovus Clan had wanted. He wasn't even sure if what he had heard was even the truth or not. Regardless, his perspective of her had completely changed.
The following days had warmed up allowing the snow to melt. They had not come into contact with another one of the creatures for some time as they ventured around various different paths. It was a good sign to them that there was no signs of trouble. When they finally did come across another Unwanted, they were in a bit of trouble. There was no way that they were capable of reaching the creature's neck without taking it down first. With the help of Jack and Lucas, they were capable of coming up with a strategy.
They used Keith's method of taking out the legs first. Once down they were able to keep the creature from seeing by stabbing out its eyes. However, they were not fast enough to kill it. When Nicholas went to land the final blow, he messed up. The sword did not go down deep enough to kill it. Keith watched as the wounds on the back of the legs began to regenerate. Nicholas believed that the steam emitting from the unwanted was due to the fact that it was killed. He got off the creature without any realization and began to walk towards its head to meet with the others. Keith stood from behind and watched the creature move. He immediately climbed up onto its back and ran towards the neck. Just as he had reached the neck the creature was ready to lurch forward at Nicholas. He stood nonchalantly wondering what Keith was doing. The Unwanted started to move just as Keith swung his sword. His cut was deep enough to do the job. He peered over the steam that had started forming and glared at Nicholas for his incompetence. Nicholas stood before him dumbfounded at what had happened as he believed that he had conducted a rookie mistake.
"You need to be more precise with your cuts," Keith angrily said.
Nicholas was unsure as to how to respond. He was grateful that Keith had saved his life if not saved the lives of the others as well. He was also grateful of Keith's vigilance and observations at his lack of accuracy.
"If you want to get the job done, you do it right. You do it right the first time especially when it comes to something like this."
Nicholas was caught off guard by the behaviour Keith was putting out. Since their time within the new land, Keith had grown up. He was a lot more mature and was very mindful as to what was going on around him. However, when things had quietened down he was still carefree and cheerful when he can be.
Another day had gone by with no troubles. The group had grown exhausted from the lack of food and the travelling they had done. They were sluggish in their movements, but remained careful as to what else was out there with them. Due to their large group and older members they were unable to move at a faster rate.
As they were resting, Caroline noticed something in the distance. A large Unwanted was making its way to the group. They all prepared themselves for what was going to happen to them. As they ran, the Unwanted began running after them. It was fast and was able to catch up to them quickly. Everyone ran as fast as they could but it was no use. Caroline fell victim to the clutches of the titan. It lifted her high up into the air and into its gapping mouth. As they kept running, Keith turned to watch as the teeth came clamping down on her. He could almost make out a smile on her face as they continued. As if to her it was her final moment of bliss. In the end, there was no way for Keith to know what Caroline was trying to plan, especially alongside Madame Nina.
They headed for cover and found that the titan was no longer after them. The sacrifice of Caroline was enough for them to get away. In Keith's mind, she purposely sacrificed herself in order to evade any further confrontation in regards to the serum. It was almost as if she was taking the easy way out of things.
Keith was at the front of the group as he had begun to notice something large in the distance. It was dark and he couldn't quite make out what it was. He pointed it out to the others which enabled everyone to quicken their pace. They were all eager to see what it was in front of them. As they got closer they had come to realize that it was a manmade structure, a large stone wall.
They were all eager to get closer to the wall to investigate it. Once they had finally approached it, the large vastness that it was, was almost overwhelming. It was a breath taking sight to behold and almost unbelievable.
"Listen, do you hear that," Madame Nina said shushing the group.
They all fell silent and listened closely. The sound of people could be heard on the other side of the wall. Everyone became overwhelmed with excitement at the thought that they had finally reached people at last.
"Wait, we shouldn't be celebrating just yet," Keith stated, "Just think about it. If these people are living within these walls, there must be a reason for it. After all we didn't see any other people outside of the walls."
"They must be hiding from those large creatures," Jack proclaimed. "Which means that they are a defensive type of people. That may also mean that they may not welcome outsiders very well."
"So what you guys are saying is that it probably isn't a good idea to just barge right in?" Lucas asked.
"Exactly. Besides, I don't see any opening so I don't see how we could just waltz right in anyways. There is a gate, but I don't think they would be eager to let us in." Jack said gazing at the wall.
"Ok, so no entry point, possible hostile people. Great let's figure out how to do this," Nicholas shouted.
They began to devise a plan to enter the wall. Seeing how they were unable to get in through a gate or other entry point, they needed to climb up and over the wall. They also needed to do that unnoticed. They managed to tie all of the rope that they had together to form a chain that would be long enough to go over the wall. They used bits a pieces of clips and knives to form a grappling hook to tie onto the rope. The plan was to try and go over the wall when night fell to allow them to be less visible and therefore less likely to get caught. They were highly unsure as to what the situation was like inside the walls, let alone what type of people were in them. The place could have been filled with thieves and thugs or knights and noblemen. Either way, they were foreigners to this new place.
When they threw the grappling hook they realized that the rope they had was not enough length for them. The hook hit the side of the wall and fell to the ground. With disappointment, they had to rethink the plan. Everyone stood around each other as Nicholas held onto the grappling hook trying to devise a plan. The only person who was not a part of the group was Jack. He watched the wall and assessed the situation on his own. Without saying a word, he walked over to Nicholas and snatched the hook and rope out of his hands.
"Hey what do you think you're doing?" Nicholas cried out.
Jack ignored him as he continued to yell at him. Jack swung the hook around and launched it high up into the air. As he threw it, he made sure that he was not holding onto the rope at all. This enable to the hook to soar up above to the wall. It hooked itself to the ledge as the rope dangled down below. Nobody said a word to each other as they all stared at the dangling rope.
"Is someone going to give me a lift or what?" Jack called out with a bit of annoyance in his voice.
Lucas hurried over to him and lowered his hands down. Once positioned nicely, he lifted Jack up high. He kept lifting him high above his head until Jack was able to reach the rope. He gave a tug on it to ensure that it was secured and not about to fall off. Once determined that it was safe enough to climb, he began to pull himself up the wall with minimal effort. Everyone followed behind Jack as Lucas began lifting one person up after another.
Keith was right behind Jack as he reached the ledge. He met with Jack's hand as he helped him up over.
"I'll go look for some more rope or something to help Lucas," Jack stated.
Keith nodded as he began to help everyone else up and over the wall. Jack was quick to come back with the rope and tied it to the end of the hook. Once everyone was off of it, he untied the grappling hook and tied on the extra rope. With a bunch of them holding onto it, they were able to lift Lucas over the edge of the wall.
What was on top was something interesting. The top of the wall had various large cannons and supplies. There were things in crates such as ropes and cannon balls. It was then that they confirmed that the wall was designed to protect the people inside from what was outside. How long they have lived like this was unknown to them but what was clear was that they were at risk getting caught up there.
Jack quickly tied the grappling hook back onto the rope and hooked it onto the other side of the wall. He lowered the rope below and made sure that there was no one nearby that would see them. Jack went first once again as the others were not far behind him. Keith was the last one up top, making sure that everyone was getting down ok. He was about to climb over the ledge when he heard voice.
"HEY, YOU THERE! STOP!"
He looked over to see two men running towards them. They were wearing matching clothes that appeared to be uniforms. Keith looked passed that and noticed the weapons that were strung at their sides. He had not seen anything quite like it before, but he was not prepared to see it up close just yet. He looked down as he watched everyone nearing the ground. Not wanting to get the others caught he made the decision to sacrifice himself for the others. He grabbed the grappling hook and threw it over the edge once no one was on it. The others watched in shock as Keith remained up top. He began to run along the wall with the men after him. He pulled his hood over his face and ran at full speed. He glanced out at the city that was within the walls, and watched the lights dancing in the darkness. As he continued to run he could hear the men draw their swords. He began to panic knowing that there was no way he could escape them. It decided to make a decision he may regret but one that Keith was willing to take. He looked down below and for the best opportunity that he could have. It was his intentions to jump down below for the quickest getaway. Down below was a large hay pile near a stable. He ran closer to the edge and made a leap of faith. He could hear the men grovel as he was falling from the wall. He landed within the hay pile breaking his shoulder in the process.
Keith turned onto his back and saw the men peer over the edge down at him. It was only a matter of time before they came down from the wall to his location. He was unsure of how easy it was for them to crawl down but he didn't want to waste any time. With his broken shoulder he winced in pain and got up.
Meanwhile everyone else had realized the situation that Keith was placed in. They ran away from the wall and further into town. It was in their best interest to split up into three groups. Nicholas and Madame Nina ran off in one direction, Lucas and few others ran off in another, and Jack and those remaining ran straight ahead. It was agreed that they would try to find each other in the morning when they can assess things a little better.
As Keith ran away from the wall, he began to feel the pain in his shoulder lessen as he had hoped for. It still hurt, but it was bearable for him especially in the current situation. He ran into the city and through the streets. He ducked around corners and came across a small alley. He ran into it to catch his breath and figure out what was going on. Keith peered out of the corner and made sure that no one was nearby. He pulled off the cloak he was wearing knowing that the men would recognize it. There was a barrel nearby which was empty. He threw the cloak inside and began to walk out holding onto his arm.
There weren't very many people walking around at that hour of night. It was quiet and peaceful with a bit of a chill in the air. Keith wrapped his arms around himself as he walked through the streets. There was something about the buildings that almost made him feel like he was in a completely different world. It was almost like a place out of time for him. It wasn't long before he heard a voice he recognized. It was Madame Nina hiding behind a couple of crates. Keith quickly ran over to her and saw Nicholas.
"Are you alright sweetie?" she asked him. She pulled her red cloak off and draped it around him. "I can tell that you were running pretty hard, the sweat and heat from your body is actually creating steam in this cold air."
"Are you guys alright? Are those guys after you too? Where are the others?" Keith lurched forward towards them and winced a bit in pain from his shoulder.
"Relax, we are fine. The others should be fine. We split up to make it less obvious. Let me look at your shoulder," Nicholas replied.
Keith pulled back from him, "I'll be fine."
"Nonsense, let me look at it," Nicholas stated pulling the cloak aside. He saw the swelling of Keith's shoulder and gave a little examination on it. "Well it doesn't appear to be too bad. I think if we put your arm in a sling, you'll be fine." He reached under his own cloak and tore off a bit of his sleeve. He reached over and started tying off the sling around Keith's neck. Keith remained on high alert watching the streets as Nicholas tended to him. With his arm now in a sling, he would be unable to fight and defend himself. He had to rely on the others for protection.
"Now that, that is taken care of, let's find a place to rest for the night."
"I have some gold, I'm sure these people value the concept of gold at least. We should be able to find a place to rest," Madame Nina stated revealing the bag tucked in her sleeve of her dress.
The three of them began to wander the streets in search of a place to stay. Most of the places nearby were residential homes. It was hard to determine where they should go to be able to find a place. However, they were able to come across something. There was a building that labelled itself as a bed and breakfast with a large wooden sign over the door. They walked in and were greeted by a large gentlemen at a desk. He was a stern business fellow who wore a serious expression on his face as they approached. He seemed to be the unfriendly type which may be harder for them to be able to get a room.
"Excuse me sir, we wish to use a room for the night," Madame Nina said with a smile.
"Sorry, can't do it."
"Why not?" she asked kindly.
"You aren't from around here are you?"
"No we are travellers you see and we just arrived to your town."
"Is that so?"
"So if you may, we are very tired, and my son here is injured," she gestured to Keith.
"Injured huh. This is your kid?"
"Adopted yes."
"And I see no ring on your finger or anything."
"I'm a widow actually. My husband died long ago in a horrible attack."
"I can't say no to a widowed mother." He reached down a pulled a key from the under the desk. "No funny business alright. It's going to be the last door on the right."
"Thank you for your kindness sir," Madame Nina replied grabbing the key and nodding her head in respect.
They walked into the room and were welcomed by a musky smell. The place hadn't been cleaned in sometime, but it still was a place to sleep. The room was lit up with oil lamps, something that they were not used to seeing in a building. Although they used lamps when they were in their tents, building back in Rhea were a lot different than the buildings here. Nobody even questioned as to why the man didn't want to give them the room to begin with, but what mattered was that they had a place to rest for the night.