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Return of the Fallen Volume 9 Chapter 13

Zephris’s voice became an echo as he turned around and headed toward the village chief and soldiers.

Chela squeezed her daughter tight and ran away as fast as she could. Pushing past exhaustion, pushing past heavy breaths, she ran and ran while praying for her son and husband.

Zephris reached out and the forest responded. A vine unfurled from a nearby tree and grab his wrist before pulling him high up to get a better view.

He couldn’t see anyone due to all of the vegetation but he could see birds and other animals scattering away, indicating the movement of a large group.

(So they’re over that way.)

Zephris had said he would lead the group away but that was only a half-truth. The number of soldiers was far too many. Once they gained on him a little bit, the more experienced soldiers would recognize that they were trailing only a single individual. At that point, the group would naturally split up and spread the search further out. Zephris could not allow that.

He knew he needed to reduce their numbers. A vicious glare filled his vision as he thought of what he would do. These thoughts were not something that should belong to a normal 8 year old child but Zephris was anything but. Ever since he was 6, his father had been training him in the ways of the sword and his Master had been teaching him, filling his head with knowledge.

His father’s teachings were particularly brutal and he was made to survive. Because of this brutality, he was unafraid of pain and had killed many wolves and bears, and other predators in the Great forest. While his father taught him how to handle a blade, his Master taught him how to use alchemy. In the process, many a time one would need live subjects as ingredients.

Killing things, was not a problem for this child.

(I can’t lead them in circles, the chief is with them, he would realize right away. I need to travel close to a path that seems like it would exit the forest. At the same time, I have to reduce their numbers but how?)

Zephris had no equipment with him nor really anything useful but so what. Pering down into the forest, he quickly figured out what he could do.

(Those plants, and there are fresh tracks in the dirt. I can do this.)

Several ideas popped in Zephris’s head and he moved.

Jumping down from the tree, he landed silently like a leaf. Quickly he ran forward and roughly plucked a red plant. Several of the petals to tear in his grasp but that was fine as he then crushed them into even smaller pieces. He kept running as he did this and stopped for nothing. As he passed a large pile of dung, he scooped a nasty portion up and slathered it all over his exposed flesh. The foul smell was overpowering but he needed it just in case Ogastx remembered his original scent from earlier and eventually caught up. Not only would this shit hide him from Ogastx but it would also ward off many predators.

After the shit, he kept going, Every few seconds he would reach out and pluck this or grab that. Everything was either in his one clean hand or he would stuff it in his mouth and begin to chew. A medicinal scent mixed with shit-filled his nose but he could only deal with it.

At the same time, he called out to the forest as quietly as possible.

“Great forest, please help me.”

The forest responded and followed his will. Hundreds of thick vines, silently snaked across the ground the way Zephris wanted.

(Good, now I just need to find…Yes!)

Zephris found what he was searching for. A strange-looking rock. It was nearly 6 feet tall and round and was vibrating slightly. Zephris steps slowed and he cautiously approached this strange rock. His hand that was covered in the crushed ingredients, with a thought, he lit it on fire. A small fire, not big enough to draw attention, caused the crushed ingredients in his palm to smoke with a red color.

The moment this smoke rose, Zephris carefully poured it into an opening at the top of the strange rock.

*BZZZZZZZ*

The rock started to vibrate violently now and Zephris couldn’t help but swallow hard.

At the same time, he slowly stepped backward before grabbing a large rock from the ground and leaping back up and into a tree. The moment he was high up in the tree, he yelled as loud as possible.

“STAY AWAY FROM ME! DON”T COME HERE!”

He shouted this in the direction of the soldiers in the distance and the moment he did, there was a sudden shift in the forest. Shouts rang out one after another in response.

“Did ya hear that they’re this way!”
“Come on Hurry up!”

“THEY’RE NEARBY DOUBLE TIME!”

A stampede of people came rushing towards Zephris’s shouts and within a few minutes, several hundred people appeared at ground level.

These soldiers and a Mage or two entered a small clearing but they could see no sign of anyone.

While they took note of their surroundings, Zephris was watching them from up above.

(Damn, the chief isn’t with them. He betrayed my family and nearly sent us to become slaves. He will not get away with it.)

Zephris saw two Mages down below. He knew how dangerous magic was and so he targeted them first.

(As long as I kill them before they get their magic off, it shouldn’t be too difficult.)

Zephris communicated with the forest and once more the Forest responded. The thick vines hidden in the grass, all at once, it grabbed at these soldiers and Mages. The moment these Mages were tangled up, Zephris made his move. First, he took the large rock in his hand and threw it down at the strange vibrating rock as hard as he possibly could.

*CRACK!*

The large rock was only a few feet away from these soldiers and the second it broke open, hundreds of grey wasp-like insects flew out and started attacking the soldiers. Every single one of these men and women wore armor so the only place the wasps could enter was the opening on their helemts.

*AHHHH!*

*NOOOOO!*

Cries rang out all over as these wasps stung eyes and faces and entered open mouths like a plague.

While this was happening, Zephris was already upon one of the Mages. He grabbed a fat stick off the ground and swung down with all of his strength on one of them.

*CRACK*

The Mage was still entangled with the vine and had not seen Zephris coming at all. Before he could react, Zephris had already crushed the man’s skull.

Zephris was still unnoticed by most as he was small and the wasps were attacking all over while many vines were tangling people up but the other Mage had seen everything as he was right next to Zephris.

Zephris took a few steps forward and raised the club-like stick once more but the stick broke apart. He had used too much power in his first swing and had destroyed the sitck.

He quickly tossed it aside and looked for another rock or stick but there was nothing nearby. Zephris gave up on a weapon and created a wind blade above his palm. Just as he threw it though, the other Mage had freed himself from the vines and raised his staff.

“Veil of shado

*SCHINK*

The man’s words were cut short as his head was promptly removed from his shoulders. The first Mage, no one but the other Mage had noticed that death but the second one was noticed by quite a few. As soon as they saw it someone shouted.

“ENEMY!”

The soldiers hadn’t noticed it was Zephris and assumed it was an enemy because, of course, they would when someone just attacked them from out of nowhere. Plus, with shit covering him, he was not easily recognizable, not in this hyper confusing situation.

Swords were drawn and many soldiers shut the metal flaps to protect their faces from the wasps. The opening once closed was not big enough for the wasps to enter and so they simply banged on the armor repeatedly as they flew into it.

*Tak tak tak tak*

Once the soldiers drew their weapons and the insects became ineffective, Zephris knew it was time to go. He didn’t wait to turn and rush back into the forest.

*Fwhoosh whoosh whoosh.*

Several arrows were let loose and nearly took his back but he turned a corner around a tree and avoided injury. He had not expected arrows and hadn’t seen bows earlier but at the same time he wasn’t looking out for such things.

(So close!)

His heart was beating like crazy and his hands shook. He had killed many animals before but this was the first time he had taken a person’s life. At the same time, he realized now how difficult killing so many would be. He had just set that plan up and executed it almost flawlessly but he had only personally killed two people. Yes, a few people had fallen to the wasps but at this rate, he would never reduce their number enough to outrun them all.

(I can’t kill them all but do I need to?)

Zephris thought about the wasps and his mind expanded on the idea making it bigger.

(I don’t need to kill them all, others will do it for me.)

“That thing headed this way, give chase!”

Zephris could hear the soldiers heading for him and he once again took off into the forest. A new plan forming in his head.