Chapter 42: Seeping.

The sound of metal hitting metal overwhelmed the serene sound of the forest and lake.

Hundreds of dark-skin elves wearing heavy armor march into the camp with weapon equip in their hands. Then the knights encircle Neya and her people to close off any escape route.

Neya stands further in front of her people while facing the knights, besides her 'Vizrez' the Cyclops woman with weapons ready in her hands while she glared at the knights.

For Neya everything seems to be slowing down, the knights marching, Vizrez growl, and breathing. Even her own breathing and heartbeat is slowing down as if time itself is turning into a crawl.

Her own gaze went to Grie, he's still on his knee, and mourns the death of his brother. Neya could feel the aching pain in her own heart, no it's her soul that's in pain as the death of Za sink into her head. She was supposed to protect them from harm, but she's the one that brings harm to them. The men that came, they came for her.

It's all her fault again, she always brings pain to the surrounding people around her.

'Nesto, where are you?'

She needs her butler to be here, to tell her that's everything going to be fine, and save her from this situation right now. No, she needs to buy times for Nesto to come, she needs to handle this, and she needs to put her people in harm's way.

She needs to be strong, just like what she promised to Nesto.

"Neya?" Vizrez called, causing her mind to snap back to reality.

"Are you listening?" Vizrez said.

"Yes, I am," Neya said.

"What are we going to do? I can't fight all these soldiers alone. I could try, but it won't be pretty both me and the soldiers," Vizrez said.

"I'm searching..." Neya said.

"Searching for what?" Vizrez ask.

Three beautiful, well-made carriages enter the camp and stop behind the wall of knights. The door to the carriage opens, revealing a handsome, dark-skin elf, wearing a butler uniform. He steps out of the carriage and stands by the door. Then a satyr with slick black hair and quite a tan skin while wearing beautiful, well-made clothes steps out from the carriage.

The Knights split their formations into half to make room for the Satyr to use. He walks forward to the front of the line then stops while staring directly at Neya.

"Are you Neya?" The Satyr ask.

"Opportunity," Neya whisper to herself. "Yes, I am her. May I ask who are you, Sir?"

"Viria, King of Materna," The Satyr answers.

"The king? May I ask, why is such as yourself has come to our humble camp?" Neya said after she curtsies to show her respect to the king.

Vizrez notices Neya curtsy, she lowers her weapons, but still ready herself for anything.

"Cut the formals talk, I'm here because of your mother. She wants you back, So either we did this the hard way or the easy way," Viria said.

She looks around her; the terrified humans, a grieving brother, the loss of a close friend, the broken home, and the gaze of terrified kids. Neya know what she must do, it's the only way and the only way she doesn't want to take.

"I will come with you," Neya said.

Vizrez turn her gaze to the elf girl, surprised by her answer, "Chief! If you go, I don't know what's going to happen to you."

Neya ignores Vizrez words, "But under one condition, let my people live in peace."

There was a moment of silence as the king takes a look around the camp, then turn his gaze back at the elf girl, "You wish is granted, now come. We have a long day ride."

"Let me say my goodbye first," Neya said.

"Fine," Viria says and walk back to his carriage to wait for the elf girl.

"Neya, chief, please if you go. I can't protect you," Vizrez said.

"I have to do this Vizrez, guard the camp for me, and help them rebuild," Neya said.

Neya walks away from Vizrez and towards Grie. Arriving at the grieving man, she braves her heart and places a hand on his shoulders, Grie turns his head to look at the elf girl. Neya saw the pain on his face, the swollen eyes, and the tears that still flowing down.

"Za is... dead," Grie whimper.

"You need to stay strong Grie, there are still people counting on you. I'm leaving and I need you to lead them," Neya said while putting on a brave face.

"Me... I can't..." Grie said her lips tremble.

"You have too, everything is here, the material, the people and the plan. Za would want you too," Neya said retracting her hand and walk toward the carriages.

"Chief..." Grie called.

The humans watch as their leader walk to the carriage, "Chief? Please don't go," some of the humans called.

Neya stops on her tracks, she turns to face her people and said these few words with confidence.

"Stay strong."

Then she continues walking, she boards the carriage and the door close. The carriages begin to move and head toward the broken gate. After the carriage left, the knights continue to march out of the camps leaving the humans alone.

The human look at each other, confuse and scared.

*

Everything was dark.

Then there was light again.

Nesto saw the orange horizon and bright night sky above him. He turns his head, seeing nothing around him except for the vast ocean far below him and the large green patch of land far away from him. Then he finally realizes it that he is in the sky and currently is falling.

The wind begins to fasten and brushing heavily against his body. He turns his body around searching for something, something that can help him right now, and there was nothing except for the wooden staff in his hand.

Then he spots just a few feet away from him, the magic caster, unconscious, and falling just like him. He moves his arms, so his own body would gravitate toward the magic casters. Nesto grabs the caster chest plate and pulls him closer.

He shakes the caster body while yelling "Wake up!"

However, the sound of the wind was too loud that it might have overwhelmed his own voice. He looks behind the elf and saw the approaching body of water below him. He clenches his teeth and closes both of his eyes while hoping for the best.

His left shoulder made a contact with the water first then the rest of his body plunge into it and causing a massive splash of water around him. Nesto let out a grunt when he felt the stinging pain in his shoulder joint as he tried to move his left arm. He held his breath and fights through the pain as he searches for the caster body in the water.

He sees the caster body slowly descent into the depth, Nesto swims toward him, and grab the caster chest plate to pull him closer to him. He tries to swim upward with the caster, but his armor is weighing him down and the pain in his shoulder doesn't help one bit. Nesto sees a dagger sheathed in the caster belt with his hand he pulled it out and cut the strap on the caster armor.

One by one, the armor piece descent deeper into the depth. After all the armor piece have been taken off, Nesto pulls the caster with him until they reach above water where he could take in large air into his lungs.

He looks around him and sees the shore in the distance and with his strength, he drags the caster toward the shore. Upon reaching the shore, a tremendous exhaustion showers him. He spits the salty water onto the sand as he pulls the caster up to the sandy beach then letting him go, he lay on the sand to catch his breath.

However, the aching pain in his left shoulder still bothers him, so he crawls to a large rock and leans his shoulder on the rock then he slams his shoulder on to the rock, pushing the joint in his shoulder back to place. He let out a scream that turns into a grunt, then he leans back on the rock, and closes his eyes.

*

Vel jump from branch to branch as he tries to follow the carriage where Neya is in. Then he stops when he reached the edge of the forest, he looks below and the carriages keep on going toward the direction of the bridge.

Vel kept trying to think of a way to follow Neya without leaving the forest, but he couldn't find any solutions.

He knows what would happen if he leaves the forest.

He looks back into the forest then look back at the carriages. Vel couldn't just leave Neya, she is in danger, and he couldn't live with himself if he let her get hurt. He places his palm on his lips, giving it a kiss then press his palm against the tree branch beside him while closing his eyes.

"Home. My heart."

His eyebrows furrow with determination then he jumps off the branches, and onto the ground below; where he exits the border of the forest, and chase after the carriages with stealth.

*

The campfire warms Nesto's body while keeping the darkness that comes from the night away from him. He pokes the campfire with a wooden stick as he sits near it. The fire let out a crackling sound as the wood burns beautifully. Nesto glances at the tied up caster that is leaning on a large boulder. The caster let out a groans noise as he begins to wake up from his long slumber.

Nesto a cough out the last bit of black tar out of his throat and spit it onto the sand.

The caster let out a grunt, "My... head... hurts."

"Sorry about that," Nesto apologizes as he brings both his hand closer to the fire.

"W-What? Where am I?" The caster said.

"I don't know, you tell me since you the one who brought us here," Nesto said.

"Wait, I know you..." The caster said while staring directly at Nesto with half-open eyes.

"The infamous Silver flame, right before my eyes," The caster laugh.

Nesto dint responds to the caster comments rather he focuses his gaze on the fire in front of him. The caster looks around him, trying to find a way to get out from his binds. The elf looks back at the man sitting near the fire, he eyebrows furrow, and he spits the salty taste out his mouth onto the sand beside him.

"What are you waiting for? End me," The caster said.

"I don't do that anymore," Nesto said.

"Do what? Fighting?" The caster asks.

"Killing, I don't do it anymore," Nesto reply.

"What a world we are living right now, the infamous Silver flame just said to me that he won't kill people anymore," The caster joke.

"You know, my brother died in your hand. The one thousand soldiers you slaughter, one of them is my brother, the only family I had left," The caster said.

"Do you hate me?" Nesto ask.

The wave of water crash into the beach causing a noise so serene that it fit perfectly with the long silence that falls on them both after Nesto ask the questions. The caster looks up to the night sky and lets out a sigh.

"When I was young, yes. But nowadays, I understand that war breed death, it doesn't matter which side you on, there will always be death," the caster said.

"I don't blame you for my brother losing his life. He chooses to sacrifice his life for the kingdom that he loves," The caster said.

The answers catch Nesto off guard, he didn't expect an answer like that because he witnesses how his killing affect people life. The look of pure hatred on Vesstan daughter's face, he still can recall it in his mind as clear as day.

"But I doubt you tied me up just to know about my past," The caster said.

"Your right, I want to know where are you taking Neya to," Nesto asks as his gazes went to the elf.

"You think I will just tell you, I'm loyal to Queen Lucilla, besides you will probably kill me if I told you where we are taking her," The caster said.

"I told you, I won't take away anybody life anymore," Nesto said as he stands up.

He pulls out the wooden staff that is stabbed into the sand and grabs his other stuff. He looks deep into the forest and looks up at the night sky. After he finds a star that shows him where the north is, he starts to walk.

"Wait? Where are you going?" The caster asks.

Nesto stops his tracks and turns his head slightly, "Finding my master, she is probably in danger," Nesto said.

"So are you going to leave me here just like that?" The caster asks.

"Yes, you were trained in the military before, so I know you can get out from those binds on your own," Nesto said.

"You really are telling the truth— Wait, I will tell you where I'm supposed to bring her. If you promised me that you won't lay a single finger on the queen," The caster offers.

"I accept," Nesto said then he drops his stuff onto the sandy beach.