Return of the Fallen Volume 9 Chapter 14
Zephris had slowed a few hundred and only killed 2 Mages but he was already on the move again, a new plan forming as he went. All the while, he shouted and stomped, drawing thousands of soldiers in his direction.
Zephris led them at a steady pace. Not too fast that they would fall behind and not too slow, this way he was just out of their reach and seemed catchable. He moved in such a way that the soldiers would believe he the mouse and they te cat but what they didn’t know is that it was the complete opposite.
As he moved along, he began gathering more ingredients just as before. As time went by, he soon found himself in a wide-open area. The ground was covered in short grass, dense weeds, and several hundred small burrows and holes. Zephris tore several of these weeds until he had a few handfuls. Afterward, he bundled them together with thin vines before lighting them on fire and tossing them into several of these holes.
After that, he quickly collected several rocks and waited. He knew that the smoke he created would eventually draw the soldiers to him but he had to do this. Without this next part, taking out all of these enemies would be almost impossible.
Zephris called out to the Greta forest to help him once more but the forest denied him. When it came to two different entities that were part of the forest, the forest never took sides. Zephris knew this but he had hoped things would be easier at this time.
More and more smoke-filled came pipping out of the burrows and sure enough, after enough of it, a shrill squeaking noise erupted from all around. Following these strange squeaks, all at once, hundreds of little furry creatures came rushing out of the holes. The animals looked like some type of ferret and were only around a foot long.
As soon as they popped their little heads out of safety, Zephris launched the rocks in his hand, firing them in rapid succession.
*Thwack thud thud Thwack*
Zephris’s accuracy was true and he hit 10 of these small animals directly in the head. Some died instantly, while others were left twitching. Zephris didn’t feel bad for killing them rather he felt it was a waste what he would use them for.
(These would be so tasty but unfortunately, a meal isn’t something I can have at the moment.)
Zephris snatched up the dead creatures and snapped the necks of the ones who still held breath. Once done, with this deed, he tied them to his waist using some vines.
“HE’S OVER HERE!”
Just as he tied the last furry creature to his waist, several soldiers broke through the tree line. Zephris was about to take off into the forest when a large column of ice sprung up from the ground and struck him in the stomach.
*BAM*
The force of the rising ice lifted him from his feet and tossed him into a nearby tree.
Zephris keeled over and grasped his gut in pain. All of the air had been knocked out of him and trying to take a breath caused a sharp pain to shoot upward from his lower stomach and through his chest.
*urgh*
Zephris couldn’t stand nor could he will his magic forth.
“Hurry and surround the little shit!”
“You’re not getting away now!”
As more and more soldiers closed in on him, Zephris knew he was in trouble. He tried to use his magic but the pain in his body stole his focus.
(No no no no no.)
Several soldiers drew their swords and a Mage stood nearby, her staff aiming at Zephris, ready to take him down at a given notice.
“DON’T HURT HIM!”
Just as a few of these soldiers were thinking of doing just that, the chief came into view.
One of the soldiers looked at him with a twisted expression.
“And why shouldn’t we?”
The soldier held his sword up and was about to swing it down atop Zephris when the old chief grabbed the soldier’s wrist from behind and shouted.
“STOP!”
The soldier’s expression worsened and he punched the chief, knocking him to the ground.
“Get your damn hands off me you nasty elf. You filthy forest dweller dare touch me. Your lucky my master has need of you. Otherwise, you and this whole forest would be reduced to ash. Remember your place.”
The soldier turned to Zephris again but before he could do anything the chief shouted again.
“Harming the boy will only cause you to be ending your own life. I don’t care what you say or feel about me but it is you who has forgotten your own status and mission. A lowly soldier actually dares to go against his lord’s words. Lord Ogastx clearly wishes for us to capture Grek and his family alive, that was his orders and you would defy them, defy your master.”
The chief looked at the other soldiers and Mages and called out.
“Everyone stand witness to this man who deems himself above his master’s orders. All witness this man betray his master and sign his own death warrant. Everyone be sure to say exactly how things played out at this moment. I asked him to stop and follow Lord Ogastx’s orders but this man went against it thoroughly!”
The chief wailed these words so that everyone could hear them as clear as day. All the other surrounding soldiers looked over at this soldier and they started to point their blades toward the rogue soldier.
“Is it true, are you betraying our master?”
Another soldier spoke these words calmly but a hint of malice was plain to see. The soldier who was originally going to cut Zephris apart found himself shaking. He could see the outcome of his next words. He promptly lowered his sword and shook his head in denial.
“NEVER! I would never betray our lord. I simply lost myself for a moment, nothing more I swear!”
…
Silence filled the surroundings for a moment before the other soldiers lowered their swords and things calmed down for a brief second. They then turned their attention back to Zephris but to their shock, the boy had vanished.
“HE’S DISAPPEARED!”
All eyes suddenly fell on the village chief and the soldier that had pointed his blade at Zephris and hit the chief found this as an opportunity to redirect everyone’s anger to him. Before he could though, the chief could see right through him and took the initiative first.
“This is all your fault. Had you not tried to kill the boy and ruined the situation, we could have already captured him!”
The soldier was enraged and tried to speak.
“You…you.”
The chief though wouldn’t let up.
“Me what. I’m simply here to guide you all, that is my duty, it is you soldiers who are meant to capture them. Therefore, the one who is fully responsible for letting him escape is you. What do you have to say for yourself?”
The soldier’s eyes widened and he pointed his sword at the old chief.
“You sly elf devil. Trying to turn everyone against me. If it weren’t for you
*Schink!*
*Guh*
A sword pierced through the soldier’s side and up into his heart. The soldier, along with a mouthful of blood could only spit out a weird sound as he felt his lung collapse. Another soldier had stabbed him. Looking around, no one acted against this murder and the soldier felt forsaken.
Falling to the ground, the man cursed in his head before his vision went black and he was dead.
The soldier who stabbed him didn’t even bother looking at the fallen corpse and instead shouted behind him.
“The brats on the move. Master will blame all of us if we don’t take care of this accordingly. Let’s move!”
Everyone ignored the dead soldier and began to mvoe. Before they went too far though the Mage that had hit Zephris with ice stopped.
“Wait!”
Everyone stopped for a moment.
“What is it? We need to leave before the brat increases his lead even further.”
“I find it strange that there was no one but the boy here. Where are the mother and daughter? The boy is obviously tougher than most. I hit him pretty hard with my ice but he left the moment we took our attention away from him. His agility and toughness are understandable but what about the little girl and the wife. We saw how the wife fought, she uses weak magic and could do very little physically during the fight.”
“What are you saying?”
The Mage ignored the soldier and turned to the chief.
“Old man, are the girl and woman strong like the boy?”
The chief shook his head.
“No, they are both pretty normal. Chela can use some gordonian magic but that’s about it. As far as I know, the girl has yet to use any magic ever but why do you ask?”
The Mage went quiet for a moment, causing the soldier to grow impatient. Finally, the Mage spoke.
“We need to split up.”
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