The feeling of being completely outmatched

Countdown for the cut: Five hours before the end

“And that’s the plan.” Said Pole, finally taking time to breathe.

He looked at us with such expectation and hope…

If only he wasn’t THIS delusional.

“Pole… do you want to actually survive or not?” I asked, trying not to sound as disappointed as I truly was.

I told him to choose his battles more carefully, and this is what he came up with?

“Of course I want to live. But we both know that is not like I can simply run away from here, can I? You said it yourself, I would survive half a day outside a barrier.” I said, trying to convince her.

The silence around us was deafening. Swerans had already found a safe place for Caspio and returned to help us, but even she looked unconvinced by the whole plan.

“I’m sorry Pole, I just… find hard to believe.” Swerans started, thinking about it all. “I mean, this city is full of crazy people. Making them kill each other would be simple. But destroying what remains of Nochightdad? He was probably just messing with you”

“I know how it sounds but you have to believe me. You have not met this guy. He was completely serious and… I think he may be able to do so.” Pole said, trying to argue his point again.

I didn’t want to distrust him but… Had he even heard himself talk? How could someone like that even exist?

He noticed our growing distrust and swerved the topic away, like a coward.

“Okay, let’s leave that aside for now. We need a way to send a message to… Orphie, right? That’s the name of the city chief?” he said, trying to put his plan in motion.

“Yes, Orphie. That’s him. Regardless, how do you even plan to give him a letter without him capturing you.” Asked Swerans.

“Yeah Pole, how do you even plan to do that?”

I turned around, absolutely unnerved when I heard a chilling voice talking over my shoulder. The sight that greeted me was something I felt should have never set step in my world.

I moved away as fast as I could, light coursing through me with such intensity than in a blink I was already a couple of meters away, ready to fight whoever had appeared there.

“Visitor?” Asked Pole, looking at the monstrous abomination that had appeared out of nowhere.

THIS was the visitor he was talking about?

How blind is he? How did he ever think this thing was human in the first place?

The creature kept watching me, it seemed surprised by my reactions, and it didn’t take long to smile widely as if my fear pleased him.

“You can actually see me. That’s unusual.” said the it. Ignoring both Pole and Swerans.

With an instinctive reaction born out of fear, I lunged at it with my spear. It didn’t even need to dodge with an effort. By the time the spear reached where it was, it was as if he had never been there in the first place, instead a couple of steps back, ready to catch my spear as I passed.

“Now, you are quite an impulsive brat aren’t you?”

I had to abandon my spear and jump away. He didn’t throw his fist, but I knew that if I had stayed there, it would not have hesitated in killing me.

Swerans finally reacted now that the visitor was armed with my spear and prepared herself to fight, brandishing the green knife once more. The visitor simply smiled at her.

“My, what did I do to cause such violent reactions from you two? I only came here to visit my friend Pole.” The monster said, finally turning around and looking at his target.

Pole was apparently shocked by what had happened, but when the visitor referred to him, he finally reacted.

“I actually was thinking how to find you too.” Pole said.

This can’t be. He’s going to try and start his dumb ass plan!

“Hey, before you say anything, I told you that if we saw each other again it probably would not be amenable, and I fear that I was not bluffing back then” Said the visitor, bringing out a strange artifact out from his cloak.

Before I knew what was happening, something had shot from it and Pole had collapsed into the ground.

I saw red. I threw myself to try and tackle the guy, but once again, it was as if he was never there in the first place. He simple smiled at me and casually gave me my spear back.

“Here. If you want to do this then you may as well have your little stick while you do.” The vile imitation of a human said.

Swerans tried to attack him from behind, but she was even slower than I was. In an instant, she had been hit in the right leg, her stomach and her chin, collapsing in the ground just a moment after.

“Now, want to try swinging that stick again?” Said the abomination, raising his artifact towards me.

I saw my life flashing in front of my eyes as I summoned all the light I could to blitz around him. The thing did not even move, but I knew it had not lost sight of me for even a moment.

“You… you are not from here either, are you?” Said the invader, laughing to himself without moving from where he was standing.

Seeing it act so nonchalantly, seeing Pole and Swerans in the ground, I knew that I had messed up. Pole had been right from the start.

This thing could have destroyed the entire city with its own hands if it had wanted to.

Finally, I started to brake, until I stopped right in front of him, at a distance. It looked at me before talking, the artifact now pointing to the ground.

“So, finally decided to stop?”

I looked at it, and then, rose my hands, including the spear, in the air.

“Before we fight, I think there’s something you need to know”

The boogieman raised its fake eyebrow, before giving a twisted smile while speaking:

“You know, I don’t really have to listen to you just because you ask, don’t I?”

Before it could raise its artifact towards me again, I blabbered.

“Pole wants to deceive the chief!” I almost screamed, pulling my arms back down and ready to move again if I saw the artifact lit up again.

After a moment of silence, it did not.

“Deceive Orphie? How?” it asked, its curiosity piqued.

Pole was right. This thing is moved only by its own entertainment. If only I could…

“He is trying to kill him so he won’t sacrifice him. We were trying to find a way to send a message to him to lure him into a trap.” I continued, trying to keep the momentum going.

He seemed to like that.

“And how was he planning to do such a thing?” He inquired, sounding more and more enthusiastic with every word.

“By recruiting me and Swerans, we were going to bargain with him so he would bring Howard and Euryce with him, and then we all would join against him and however many guards they have.” I said, knowing how implausible it sounded.

The monster’s face soured.

“That’s dumb. Does this lamb really not have a brain at all?” it said, looking down at Pole, still in the ground.

I had to grit my teeth not to throw my spear at him.

It looked deep in thought, ignoring my desire to kill it before finally reaching a conclusion.

“You know what? I’ll do you a favor. I’ll send the message for you, hell, I’ll even solve the guards problem for you. In exchange, you have to take Pole to the sacrifice midpoint.”

I felt a chill down my spine when I heard him say that. Did it hear us?

No, it could not be. We would not stand a chance if it did. Maybe he has some other twisted idea in mind?

“And don’t even think about escaping with him. I’ll have my eyes on you. I was thinking of taking him away to use later, so if I have even a suspicion you are deceiving me, I’ll return for him. Is that clear?

I simply nodded, too nervous to speak. He seems satisfied by that.

“If you are not in sacrifice midpoint in an hour, Orphie will be the last of your problems. Do you understand?” it said, pleased with the conclusion it had reached.

“It’s fine, but I… do have another thing to ask” I said, having to force every single word out of my mouth.

“Say it before I regret allowing you to speak.”

“You have to go to Sacrifice midpoint too. Pole wants to talk with you.” I finally spat out, against my will and all the common sense I had left.

Even it looked surprised by that. But at the same time, that only made it enjoy the idea more.

“If he wants to talk with me he first will have to wake up. If he does, I’ll be there.” It agreed, excited by the idea.

I sighed in relief, as in a moment, it was already gone and I was left with Swerans and Pole.

I examined them. Both were still breathing, they both seemed fine, but both were unconscious.

When I dragged them away, after a while, Swerans woke up and could get up to date with the new plan.

We waited, but eventually we figured out the meaning behind the visitor’s words, as time passed and Pole showed no signs of waking up.