Back To Where It Began
The soldiers raided and plundered everything at Reina's mansion, leaving nothing of value behind. They took all the women regardless of their species or age, and killed off all the men serving Reina.
It wasn't because the count preferred women over men, not entirely, but it was because the men were retaliating against them.
Even when they held the women hostage, they wouldn't surrender. Eliminating them was a good call to stop any further insubordination.
"Fufufu!... Now the slave is mine. All mine!"
The count was in ecstasy over getting what he most wanted.
Everyone looked at him as he crouched and took Mariada by the hair to observe her face.
He smiled lustfully at her before shoving her head back to the ground.
"I heard she was powerful, but this is pathetic... Vevil!"
"Yes, my lord."
"You performed wonderfully."
"You honor me with praise, sir."
Vevil also smiles as the count. He was not lustful in any way, but his smile was also unsettling.
They left in triumph on their expedition to subjugate Reina's mansion and took everything of hers.
The mansion was left bare and in ruin at the hands of Count Juliq Herlon.
☆☆☆
I couldn't believe my eyes.
At that moment, I was witnessing cruelty at its worst. One that I'd never seen, and the next minute, I found myself in a foreign land.
I wasn't even given time to catch my thoughts and feelings. Already, I was in such pain and anxious about the ordeal in the Zeus Woods, but it seems like this world still desired to test my patience.
A whole lot of negative emotions were boiling inside of me, and I didn't know how to react.
I arrive at the random location that Mary teleported us to. Since the teleportation was not prepared with connected magic circles, Reina was no longer on my back.
We appeared in the same spot, but she was lying on the ground, and I was on my knees close to her.
Confused and feeling emotions I couldn't explain, I scanned the unfamiliar surroundings. Though it was night, the place was illuminated by fireflies. They just flew around everywhere.
I saw Trees all around me, and the part of the forest where we appeared seemed to be well-groomed and maintained.
In the distance, I spot what looks like a village. I deduced this because of the small light the fireflies made and the crude silhouettes of houses, but I didn't pay that much attention to it.
I was feeling pain, so much pain that every sound registered with a ring in my head.
"Master..."
I crawled to Master Rei, and when I got there, I saw that the ice on the wound was almost fully melted. Now it was dripping with a hint of red color mixed in with the water.
That was a bad sign.
"You're gonna be okay... I promise."
I don't even know what I'm saying. How can she be okay when she's lost a lot of blood, is unconscious, and losing the bit of strength she had left?
Pain had me delusional.
Although I kept telling her that she'd be alright, even though she was not.
My face didn't match my words.
As I was busy tying a sleeve of clothing, I tore off my clothes on her wound to replace the melted ice block, and I felt tears streaming down my face. I had a distorted expression and was feeling unbearable pain, but for some reason, I was smiling.
All hope was lost, but admitting that would mean giving up on the last speck of life in my existence. Master Rei was the only person left in my life; however, if things remained as they were, she would also leave me.
"Why is this happening?"
Now I could feel that the hope in my voice was slowly vanishing, replaced by the tear-stained voice of a teenage boy. I was crying, but I couldn't even gather the courage to scream or make any sound; all I could do was continue talking to an unconscious person.
It was my way of retaining my sanity.
I held her in my arms, staring in the direction of the concentration of fireflies in the distance, thinking, 'Please, someone help us. Anyone'.
It was a desperate thought, which placed all my hopes on a passing stranger, someone who would help another stranger with wounds of battle.
I don't have any medical knowledge, nor can I perform any healing magic. Praying was the last thing left for me.
"Hey, are you okay? I heard you crying for help."
"...Huh?"
A man's voice came from behind us. It was an unfamiliar voice, just like the surroundings were unfamiliar to me, but it didn't matter. What mattered at that moment was whether the person behind the voice was a friend or foe.
I hoped it would be the first.
I turned around to look at the person making that sound. I didn't even wipe the tears from my face.
I was confused. How did he hear me cry out for help when I didn't even utter a word? But that also didn't matter.
The man stared at my face with puzzlement of his own, and continued to speak.
"Hmmm? Ryu. Is that you?!.."
He changed his tone to a familiar tone, talking as if he knew me. This man or boy, it was hard to tell with all the tears in my eyes obstructing my vision. He looked somewhat overjoyed, almost like seeing us was what he had been waiting for his entire life, but I didn't even know this stranger.
"No, wait. You look... different... But it's you!"
He was more enthusiastic about seeing me and kept on talking about a name I didn't even know. All he was doing was reminding me of the incident in the Zeus Woods, where I kept hearing a voice in my head and not knowing what it wanted.
The pain grew stronger; however, there were more pressing matters at hand, like saving master Rei from dying. Besides, my prayer has been answered, and a stranger did come. Now I have to get her the help I couldn't give her myself.
"Please help us. Help my master..." I asked, my voice low and submissive.
I didn't know the person. So I didn't want to be forward with my plea for help. He was my only chance at saving master Rei; screwing up was not an option.
He saw me holding master Reina in my arms, and his demeanor broke. His friendly tone was replaced by a serious and masterful one.
He squatted down, and when he saw her with an arm missing, he immediately got into savior mode.
"Let's take her to my house..."
He led us to his house. Now that I observe him closely, he actually has the build of a teenager about the same age as me.
We arrive at a big house, not a mansion, just a big house, the size of a two-story building.
We go inside and into one of the bedrooms, where he directs me to put master Reina on the bed. This was a truly normal house, with no luxury furniture or accessories, just comfort.
"Please help her."
When we were coming here, he was holding something in his hand, but now he stood bare-handed, examining Reina's body. She was lying on the bed when he pressed her right arm to feel a pulse.
"Her pulse is faint, and she feels cold..."
He put down her arm and looked at me with an expression that gave me hope. He hasn't even spoken, but his face said there was hope.
Now that there was light in the room, I could see this boy clearly. He truly was a teenage boy the same size as me. His face was calm and inviting, and not a hint of any malice could be felt from him either. He was like the sun had come to life.
Even his hair hung low to his shoulders.
If you saw this guy in public, you would think he was some noble child.
"But you can help her, right?"
Although he offered me comfort with only his face, I had to confirm out of nervousness.
"Yes, I can... But it'll take time in her current state."
He answered and shifted his focus to Reina. He seemed knowledgeable in healing magic; maybe that's why he radiates warmth the way he does.
"Give me some time, and I'll get her up and running in no time, okay?"
"Thank you so much!"
I couldn't contain myself from thank him. This was truly helpful to me. Now I could stop worrying, even if for a little bit.
I stepped out of the room and went outside. I found a tree near the house that overlooked a large dam in the middle of the forest. The house was on a plateau. I sat on the base of the tree with my back against its trunk. Now that my eyes were no longer filled with tears and my heart was free from the wave of emotions I was feeling, I was calm enough to take in the scenery of the forest and the dam.
Maybe it was me finally getting to help master Reina and knowing she will be okay soon, or the scenery that calmed me down. I closed my eyes and wore a slight grin on my face to show some appreciation for my prayer being answered.
The reflection of the moon on the water was magnificent. I couldn't hear the water move with the wind, but it was truly something I had never seen before, something so beautiful didn't exist in Vismagia.
I let out a big sigh and sank my back deeper into the trunk of the tree.
