章 9: Chapter 9: Promise
I washed the blood off on a riverside. I even took a mouthful of water and gargled, knowing it's futile. Still, it made me felt a little bit cleaner than before. We made our way back to camp. We followed along the riverbank and soon arrived at the camp where a few trading caravans were parked. If they were a little bit further, I would've already been dead by now. A cute girl, dressed in a white priestess's robe rushed towards me. She looked young, barely over seventeen, with soft features and blonde hair. "Are you injured? Come with me to the tent and let me have a look," she asked with soft, blue eyes that showed genuine concern.
"Ah, a real angel," I thought to myself. The one I had inside of me seemed pretty brash in comparison. Speaking of which, where the hell is she? She had mysteriously gotten quiet since the battle started back there. Meh, who cares right now. She escorted me to the tent and examined my wound. A fractured shoulder, bruised back, some torn flesh, a mild concussion and plenty of shallow cuts. My injuries are worse than I initially thought, the pain only made bearable because of my body's natural painkiller under stress. Which had started to fade once the battle was over. She cleaned my wounds and disinfected them with alcohol, making me flinch. She put her hands on my shoulders and closed her eyes, muttering something. Light started to glow from where her palm touched my shoulders. Nothing happened. She opened her eyes and seemed flustered. She tried the same thing again. Nothing again.
"I'm sorry mister, but I don't understand why it isn't working. This never happened before," she apologized to me, looking sad and sorry. Tears started welling in her eyes.
"Ah, it's okay, I don't understand it either, but it's fine. There's no need to worry!" I forced out a smile and pretended to be fine. She finally managed to calm herself down.
"You should rest now, mister. My name is Liarelle, if there's anything you need, don't hesitate to call for me. Also, you should let me know if you developed any kind of pain afterwards."
"Thanks, Liarelle. I'm Mike. A pleasure to meet you."
She smiled at me and exited the tent, leaving me to rest.
I laid on the makeshift bed and tried to relax. My body and soul tired of the life-threatening tension I've accumulated today. I closed my eyes and abruptly fell asleep.
I woke up, feeling refreshed, grateful for a dreamless sleep. I opened my eyes and found Liarelle sitting beside me, seeming relieved. She told me that I've been asleep for three full days since the incident. She tried waking me up for breakfast on the next morning I slept, but I just wouldn't respond. It seemed that I had undergone a vegetative state during that time. A coma.
I sat up and felt incredibly hungry and weak. But hey, my wounds are healed. It did worked after all. I got out of bed and went out with Liarelle to get lunch.
"You're finally up, boy!" Darius called out to me. "Come join us for lunch!"
I walked towards Darius's party and sat on a stool. He ladle up some stew from the pot and handed it to me with a loaf of bread. "Thanks," I accepted it graciously. I was tempted to wolf it down due to my hunger, but refrained, since I don't want to retch the instant the food hits my stomach. I scooped a spoonful of soup and slowly started eating. I picked up the pace as soon as my stomach adjusted and swiftly devoured it all. I washed it all down with a mug of ale and sat stupidly. A full belly after days of fasting could do that to a man. Even if he's asleep. "Thanks, Darius, the stew was delicious," I complimented.
"It's a family recipe that has been passed down for generations, from my Ma to me. I'm glad you liked it," he grinned pridefully.
"So how'd you end up here? Those clothes aren't from around here," Telara asked.
Of course, it isn't, Elven clothes are either too loose for when they dressed casually or too tight for my taste. In truth, I just don't have the confidence to wear them. It makes me look unattractive compared to them in the same outfit and I don't like that. That's why I had mine custom made. It helps me feel a little more confident about myself.
"These are the clothes of my homeland, a continent called Asia."
"Asia?"
"Yes. I don't think any of you would believe, but the the truth is-" I explained about how I got here.
"Let me get this straight. You teleported from another world, miraculously ended up in a Hidden Elven kingdom, befriended their people and lived there for two years, battled a monster, got possessed, flew and crash-landed here?", Telara asked skeptically.
"Yep, that's right. Couldn't have summed it up better myself," I crossed my arms and nodded in approval. Silence. I observed their reaction in an attempt to read their minds. Telara furrowed her brows, seemingly in deep thought. Liarelle tilted her head with a confused look on her face, purifying my soul a little. Alan, well.. just watches… His face was hidden by a hood.
"Bwahahaha, such an amusing fellow!" Darius bellowed.
"Does that mean that you believe me?" I asked doubtfully.
"Doesn't matter, you jumped in front a wolf that tried to bite off my head. That's more than enough for me. Though you ended up getting pinned after killing it, bwahaha! Anyway, since you're up, it's time we get going."
"Get going where?"
"You see, we're actually a group of adventurers that are hired to guard these caravans on the road to Barissan City. We only happened to be at the forest for a breather before getting back on the road. Then you showed up. Now that you're up, it's time for us get a move on. These merchants had been hot on my ass since yesterday."
We loaded up everything and hit the road. Guarding the caravans on the road to our destination. I decided to tag along for a while. The least I can do is try to repay them for saving my life. Since I have no money, I might as well make up for it with labor. I heard from Liarelle that Telara told them to wrap me up like merchandise and get a move on, but Darius insisted on staying a few days, else he abandon the job. Truly a mother bear in the form of a bearish man.
Now, the next problem at hand. I can't return to Arthuri. Seriously, I literally can't. You see, in the two years I spent there, I neglected studying about the whereabouts of Arthuri at the world map. I thought I wouldn't need to since I wasn't planning to leave in the first place. To be honest, I just don't like geography that much. I've always been directionally retarded since young - frequently getting lost and forgetting the names of places. Who knew it would come biting me back in the ass so quickly, and it's all because of that damned angel. I could've taken my time to prepare before departing with her to wherever the hell it is she said. I could've arranged supplies, maps, even escorts to get us there safely, but nooooo, she had to burst out flying and ran out of juice mid-flight. The thought of that instantly boiled my blood. "Oy, wake you useless bum!" I shouted at her internally.
"Munya... You called?" she yawned satisfyingly.
"Don't you 'munya' me, I know I promised to return you to your homeland. But why the hell did you have to fly us out so soon?"
"I just want to get out of you as soon as I can! Being a tool-"
"Yeah, yeah, being a tool to a mere mortal is the greatest shame and all. I get it. Now tell me where your precious homeland is, so I can get rid of you as soon as possible."
"Heh, you should be honored to be contracted to a great archangel such as myself. Have you no idea how many mortals have tried and failed to summon me in an attempt to bind a pact with me?"
"Millions?" I asked sarcastically.
"Indeed, millions! Understand your place and grovel before my feet!"
I rubbed my glabella and let out a sigh.
"Oh yeah, I forgot to ask you. What the hell was that thing we fought before?" my tone became serious. I previously mentioned the abomination while telling my story, but not even Darius and the rest have ever heard of anything like that before.
"That? Even us angels don't really know much about it. It first started appearing around a few thousand years ago, out of nowhere. It's a creature that grows by consuming other living beings, adding their mass into its own - getting stronger as it assimilates its prey. A void that devours all without discrimination. Hence the name, 'Abyssals'. All we know is that every time it appears, it brings destruction to everything in its path. Because of that, all us angels have the orders to annihilate them on sight, no matter what it takes. The only good thing about it is that it doesn't appear that often," a tinge of fear apparent in her voice.
I contemplated her explanation. In summary, Abyssals are powerful entities driven by pure malice that are capable of growing stronger the more they consume. Hell, if a being as badass as her is afraid of that thing, it'd be best if I am too. Fear exists for a reason, and it's to remind us to be wary of everything that could harm us. Like they say, only fools feel no fear! Uncomfortable of her gloominess after talking about the Abyssals, I decided to change the topic.
"Anyway, tell me where your homeland is so we can finally go our own ways. I still have to fulfill my end of the deal, don't I?"
"Fufufu, tis' but a simple task for me! We angels have the natural ability to know where all the portals are at all times. Let's see, the closest one right now is at… huh? That's weird. Why can't I detect any portals anywhere?"
"Doesn't that mean you're lost?"
"No! I'm not, it's just that... I... have no idea where the portals to home are at the moment..." she uttered bitterly.
"That's the definition of being lost, genius."
"Shut up! I'll know where it is once I recovered some of my powers! Huft, I'm going back to sleep to recover faster, don't call me up anymore!"
She went silent and I felt her presence fade away.
I guess I would've been a goner if it wasn't for her. And not just me, but all the residents of Arthuri too. In some ways, I do kinda owe her.. Still, her attitude makes it hard for me to be sincere. Anyway, a promise is a promise and I will bring her back to her homeland to fulfill my contract with her.
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