It felt like I got maybe ten minutes of sleep before a voice awoke me.
"Hey bloodboy, Get up." A masculine voice ordered with a light tap on the head. I groaned and blinked a few times not really knowing what to do until the memories of yesterday came flooding back. I looked down to my clothes and realized where the man had gotten the name from. You'd think I would've thrown up but for one reason or another, I didn't. Maybe I was getting use to the fact that they deserved what they got but it still unnerved me that I didn't have a violent reaction to the rather ludicrous amount of dried blood on my clothes. And considering I had flown through a rain storm earlier, I wondered how much I had been covered in before. I then realized I was being watched and I turned to see a man staring at me. It don't think it was meant to be malicious but it still unnerved me.
"Yeah?" I asked rubbing my eyes.
"Lyra wants to talk to you." The man said leaving the room. I sighed and picked myself up from the surprisingly comfortable chair and made my way out of the room. Before that however, I looked over to see the girl from the village wrapped up in about three different blankets and sleeping in the same bed I had seen her put on.
Seeing the woman again, I realized she was actually fairly good looking. Maybe mid to late thirties and garbed in what looked like a slightly different colored version of the tavern clothes from YGGDRASIL which consisted of a white top, and green pants. Couple that with almost blood red hair, emerald like eyes, and a rather exceptional chest, and I wouldn't put it past you to say she was a welcomed sight after yesterday.
"Sleep well kid?" She asked, sitting down at an empty table.
"Not really." I replied honestly. I looked over to the table and saw a pair of tankards sitting on top. I didn't usually drink back at home. But not too long ago I had killed maybe a dozen people so I was definitely going to have one now. I sat down opposite of her and immediately had a drink. Whatever the hell it was, it was strong, burning my throat as I gulped it down. That didn't matter to me though cause soon I had finished and placed the now empty tankard back on the table. Lyra seemed slightly impressed and grew a slight smile.
"I didn't take you for a heavy drinker."
"I'm not usually." I replied staving off a pretty nasty after taste. "How is she?"
"There wasn't a lot of physical damage thankfully but I'm worried about what she might've been through mentally. Where's her family?" Lyra asked. I looked at her trying to convey what I had seen without having to say a word. She seemed to get it and a look of sadness spread across her face. Not long after she gulped down her own drink.
"Damn it…!" She growled trying to block some tears by slamming her tankard on the table shaking violently. "H…How?" She asked.
"They were…They were murdered." I said really hoping I would get a refill."Her mother, father, sister, and every other person in the village."
My prayers were answered when she pulled out a bottle from under the table and poured a second drink into each of our tankards. Her expression didn't change but her voice seemed to grow angrier when I told her.
"Who?" She asked taking another drink.
"I…..I don't know." I replied trying to explain. " Some knights I guess. They called it a damn holy calling." I ended the last part with no small amount anger. If I compiled a list of things that I hated more than anything else, People who committed atrocities in the name of higher powers would definitely be near the top.
Her eyes widened at my wording and her face went red with rage.
"The fucking Theocracy." She growled with even more anger than before. " Should've known."
"Theocracy?" I asked. She didn't reply initially, her face shifting back and forth from anger and grief. After maybe a minute or two she responded.
"It's a country to the south of us claiming to be humanity's natural born leaders meant to rule the world. I didn't want to pay attention to them for a while. But after this and Carne Vilage….." Her voice trailed off before her gaze returned to me with a new found interest. "How did you survive?"
I blinked at the question, thinking it was rather obvious. "I killed them." I replied with a lot less effort than I thought would be required. " She was the only survivor by the time I got there."
She raised an eyebrow. "A kid like you?" She asked skeptically taking another drink
"That so hard to believe?" I asked back mimicking her action. "And you do realize, I'm twenty two right?"
She laughed as she finished. "If you're younger than I am, I get to call you kid. Kid." She replied putting her again empty tankard back on the table.
I smiled and decided to use some of my old charm. "Well, judging by your looks, you can't be that much older than me." I replied. She got a good laugh out of that.
"Smooth kid." She replied reaching over and grabbing my own drink. Probably for the best seeing as how I didn't know how well I could hold my liquor. "You still haven't answered my question though."
"Yes I did." I replied, before repeating. " I. Killed. Them." Emphasizing each word. She looked at me probably trying to see a giveaway proving that I was a liar. When she didn't find one, her look changed from humor to worry.
"You're serious."
"Really?" I asked back, annoyed. "News to me."
Her worried gaze shifted to my still bloody clothes. "I thought for sure the blood on your shirt was the other villagers but now….. How many of them were there?" She asked.
"Somewhere between twelve and twenty maybe." I replied trying to count them
"Any of them mages?" She asked.
I shook my head. "I don't think so. It looked like they were all swordsmen." I replied just realizing that there probably a whole mage population in this world.
She nodded, seemingly finding that a little more believable. "I had heard that the group from Carne village had sent out some of their men as scouting parties. Guess I know what happened to them." She sighed, looking over to my rapiers that rested a few feet away. "I guess those swords were more than just for show huh?"
I gave a swift nod. "Yeah. Don't suppose I can have them back?" I asked, trying not to sound rude or pushy. "Along with my knives."
She nodded and gave another smile. " Don't worry, your knives are behind the counter." She pointed to a nearby shelf of various drinks. "Along with your cloak."
I was surprised with how honest she seemed. "Thanks." I smiled. "Ms...?
"Name's Lyra Pembrook." She said extending her hand. "You?"
I thought briefly about giving my real name but I did always like Haon better so I decided not to break character.
"Haon. Haon the Handsome." I replied shaking her hand.
She chuckled at the add on. "Now that is a nickname."
I returned the gesture before chuckling myself. "Too on the nose?"
She shook her head. "No. I like it." She said surprisingly genuine. "The world could use more heroes with names like that who don't turn out to be assholes."
That certainly boosted my ego. So I decided to give a theatrical bow. " In that case, Haon the Handsome, at your service madam."
"Ok. Now you're pushing it. I'm sure as hell no madam." She replied stifling a laugh. I smiled towards her before remembering the girl back in the other room.
"What was her name? Kyla?" I asked half remembering what she had said last night.
"Yeah….." Lyra said also turning towards the room. "Kyla Pembrook, she's my niece."
"Oh…" I said now really feeling for the woman. "I'm sorry."
"I told them…I fucking told them over and over to move….." She said once again sounding like she was fighting back the urge to cry. "Stupid."
"You're sure no one else survived?" She asked back to me. I wanted to lie. I wanted to tell her I saw several others escape into from the village but I couldn't. I shook my head fearing what I might say. Her face cracked for a split second with a breath letting a tear to two form around her eyes before wiping them away. Once she regained her composure, she turned her gaze back to me.
"I uh….Thank you." She said once again calmed.
"I just wish I could've done more." I replied fighting back the urge to grieve with her.
"Will she be safe here?" I asked wondering if this Theocracy would somehow find it's way here.
"Definitely." She replied. "Harex may have been on the border but my inn's is firmly on Re-Estize land. Coming this far with an organized army would be proclaiming outright war. And anything less than that, Maurice, Troy and I can handle." She said gesturing over to the staff I remembered her using last night making it obvious she was a mage. I also took in every word about geography.
"Re-Estize." I said repeatedly in my head. It sounded strange to me but then I remembered the circumstances that I was in and figure did I really count complain. "In that case, I don't think I should impose." I said moving over to my rapiers.
She stood up quickly at my action. "Are you kidding me? You saved Kyla's life." She reminded me with crossed arms. "As far as I'm concerned you live here now."
I was rather surprised by the generosity so much so that I thought I heard her wrong. "What?"
"Did I stutter?" She asked back. " I've got plenty of room here and there's always extra work to do. Plus with so many villages being attacked….."
"There's more out there?" I interrupted.
She looked like she regretted what she said but continued. "Harex wasn't the only village to get attacked by the Slane Theocracy. Carne was attacked a little over a week ago. I heard that someone managed to drive them off but….I can't say if it's been permanent or not. A few others closer to the border. It's a dangerous time."
"And nobody's trying to stop these guys?!" I practically yelled. She gave me a look like I was naïve for asking that.
"Re-Estize isn't really concerned the the Theocracy when it has it's hands full with Bahruth Empire. Even if it means the loss of a border village here and there." She said looking down and tightening her fist like she was disgusted with saying it. I myself really wasn't that much better off.
"So that's it, there isn't going to be any response?!" I asked standing up. She shook her head in a doubtful move which only served to piss me off even more. Someone had to make them pay for doing that. Something like that should never be a sight that people get used to. That's when something took over my voice, and I wondered if my character was actually speaking for me. "Fine. I'll do it myself." I said aloud moving towards the counter. She didn't seem to believe me at first until she heard the sound of me gathering my things.
She followed me over with a worried look. "Hold on a sec? How exactly do you plan on doing that? The Theocracy is a whole country with hundreds of thousands of soldiers and mages."
"So I'll get help." I replied still determined even though my mind was sort of worried by the number she just gave. "The person near Carne, think he/she is still there?" I asked, thinking such a person would hopefully have a better idea with what I would be dealing with.
She looked uncertain. "I can't say for sure. Like I said I haven't heard anything." Lyra said as I slipped my coat back on. "But can we please focus back on the fact that you think you can take down a whole nation?"
"They weren't just killed Lyra!" I yelled. The images of burning corpses and dead children coming back to my head. "They were…" I stopped for a second, inwardly debating on whether to actually tell her what I saw. For reasons I'm still not sure of now, I decided I would.
"The people of Harex. Your family. They were taken from their homes, slaughtered and stacked atop each other right in the village center before being set on fire. And were going to do the same to Kyla." I said more in angry than sad. She looked away from me when I finished and when she didn't respond, I continued.
"Look, I'm probably in over my head here, but if I can help stop it, then I think I should try." I said. Despite my confidant words though, my mind was in a far more chaotic state of my mind. When in the hell would I ever actually say that?! Not two days ago, I was working as a waiter, and yet here I am now saying I'm going to try and take down an entire country. None of that made any sense! Before I could even think about retracting that statement, however, she replied.
"If your serious about this, then my guess is that the people who saved Carne village must've been part of the Adventurer's Guild. But I wouldn't make any bets for help unless you have money." She said.
"Right." I said making my way towards the exit. Before I even took my first step outside however, I needed to know exactly where the hell I was going. "Uh…. Don't suppose you have a map and a compass on you?" I asked. She laughed and made her way over to pantry. After shuffling around some stuff she then came back to me and handed me a rolled up piece of parchment and a compass.
"Here. This will get you where your going but It's going to take you a while to get to Carne and even longer to get to the Guild."
"I'll figure it out." I replied, inwardly thinking whatever deity I could for the necklace I still had on. Those thanks quickly became curses when she pulled her arm before I could take them.
"Whoa. Whoa. Hold your horses there kid. I need to see something first."
"Which is?" I asked crossing my arms in a show of annoyance.
"I need to know I'm not letting some kid with death wish just up and leave my house." She said before calling out to the other occupants.. "Troy, you watch Kyla. Maurice, you with me." One of the men nodded while the other quickly stepped up from the table and followed us out through the door. It was probably somwhere between dawn and noon. The storm I flew through had probably followed me here hours later splashing everything in sight with water. When we arrived at a nearby small forest, she turned towards me. "All right, here's the deal. Maurice here, is one of the best fighters I know." If you can beat him, I'll know your serious. If not, you play it smart and just stay here." She said with a smile.
I looked at the man before me and did admittedly feel intimidated. The guy was jacked, tall, and had a strange hair style that reached down through his sideburns and connected to a thick bushy beard. He grunted in agreement with Lyra and immediately put his hands up in a fighting position. For some reason, I remember being excited at the idea of just a plain old brawl so I put tossed my swords to the side and raised my own fists. Neither of us moved for maybe ten seconds before Maurice lunged straight towards me. I sidestepped the jab and continued to when it turned into an all out assault. I don't have any doubt that Maurice was incredibly fast for a man his size nor do I doubt that if I was just some regular kid from this world, that I would've been knocked on my ass by the first punch. The thing was though, I wasn't just some normal kid here. Every punch he threw, I could see coming. Every kick he launched at me, I could dodge. I think he knew this too because not too long into our fight, his previously calm demeanor shifted to a more interested one. His punches became a little harder to dodge and his speed increased a little bit, probably trying to throw me off. Unfortunately, it also presented an opening.
I ducked under his latest jab and threw a strikes into his stomach at my regular strength. He gasped as the air left his body and flew back a few feet. Luckily he was quite nimble so he flipped his body around to land on his feet as he hit three ground. The face me made, I still think about it when I'm feeling down. I laughed and rather cockily, gestured for him come back for more. He wasted no time accepting the offer and, in a sight that I would become all too familiar with, engulfed himself in magic energy. He then shot over to me with renewed purpose and speed as our battle continued. It was interesting, this was a different type of magic than what I remembered YGGDRASIL having. And I also made a note of asking either him or Lyra about it when we were done. After all, if I was going to survive here, I needed to start learning.
A/N: Well I think I'll call it a chapter there. Hope you guys enjoyed but whether you did or didn't let me know your thoughts
See ya later.