"Colonel Hackett, this is Combat Fire Team-3 "Viking". We reached the dwarf borrian, Vagahm. On route, we encountered wildlife and merchants but received no resistance. However, Sergeant Luther Graham believed he saw a seeker in the distance. We couldn't confirm but agreed that the enemy might have seen us arriving at the borrian.

We escorted the negotiator, Major Smith, and motuia, Political Advisor of the previous royal family of Salva, Varitan Yeldan, who made contact with the dwarf lords. Major Smith informed me that the dwarves refused to allow the civilians to leave the borrian.

The dwarves didn't provide much information, according to Major Smith. The one thing they stated was that because the original family of Salva was no longer alive, the previous agreement was no longer valid. I have no idea what this means, and the negotiator seems to be as clueless. He assumes the dwarves are looking to sweeten the deal, but we are requesting orders." – Captain Isacc Murphy, Viking

March, 12th, 2068 (Military Calendar)

Forest of Rostham, Western Frontier, Yuplenia Mountain Range, Verliance Aristocracy

Nevali Region, Aldrida, Alagore

*****

Seeing the rain clouds mixing with the light night, Mathew Ryder struggled to find shelter for them to take cover. With the previous experiences during the daytime, the last thing he wanted to do was travel through these lands in the dark.

The two had been traveling hard throughout the day since the cave when he felt exhausted. His entire body wanted to collapse, and the only thing that kept him going was sheer will. While the healing potion had done wonders to give his body the boost it needed to make it this far, especially after the melee fight against the Akuma, he knew he was running on empty.

After climbing over a log, which he was sluggish about doing, Ryder helped Assiaya. When he looked at the girl, the Captain saw she was also exhausted. Until now, though, the girl had been a champ in pulling her weight so they could make it this far. While most would say the kid was handicapped, dragging him down from freedom, the truth was that knowing that her life was in his hands helped push him to keep going that extra mile.

Wanting to tell her that she was a champion for tolerating more than most, the only expression that he could muster was a thumbs up. She took his hand with both hands and placed her head on it. A sudden, intense headache overcame him, and his vision slightly faded. Before everything blacked out, a slight ghostly green outline emerged from the colorful horizon.

Hearing a quiet noise, the headache vanished as quickly as it appeared. The voice turned into a light screech with the clouds vibrating like ripples on water. With the sudden screech, the darkness evaporated, and Assiaya reemerged, head resting on his hand.

Ryder shook his head in an attempt to wake up. "I am losing it," he mumbled.

Suddenly hearing a resounding screech, Ryder grabbed Assiaya and lowered her to the ground using the log and a tree, realizing that the noise in his head was not from sleep deprivation. He then carefully looked around and saw nothing until he heard the roar above them.

The rain clouds made it harder to see. Luckily, Tekali lit enough of the sky to see what was making that sound. They saw a small dark red wyvern flying overhead. The beast was moving slowly, which allowed him to see that there were ropes and an oversized saddle on its back. This led him to believe that the flying animal was domesticated.

For a moment, Ryder thought they were discovered as the wyvern flew back overhead. However, another one of these beasts appeared from the clouds and entered formation with the first one. The two flew side by side as they circled. Unlike the first flying beast, this one had black skin, each with two riders. To his surprise, a weapon system shaped like a ballista was connected to the saddle facing the rear.

After a third circle, the two beasts flew away, heading to the mountain range.

"They were not looking for us." Ryder forced himself onto his feet, which was more complicated than he hoped. His body was still soaring from the beating he took from the Akuma, but he had no time to recover. The Captain pulled the girl onto her feet and grabbed her hands, leading her deeper into the forest.

"Fessus sum," Assiaya exhaustedly said. "Quando requiescimus?"

Ryder did not need to know what the girl said to understand that she was tired and wanted to sleep. He had no idea what to do, as he didn't want to risk going to a village just in case more of those militia were there. While searching for a cave was a practical solution, after recent events, going into one terrified him.

Seeing the coast was clear; they began walking through the dense forest, heading west as they followed the Yuplenia mountains.

After what felt like hours, it was almost pitch black as Alagore started facing away from Tekali, being what is known as the dark night. The only illumination source was the stars, but with the rain, even that was limited. This had resulted in Ryder struggling to see. It was showing how accurate the native term "Dark Night" was. It had not been this dark since they first arrived in this world. Fraeya stated that the dark night was less typical than the light night. It was another reminder of how alien this world was.

To his interest, the girl seemed to have a better sense of direction at night than he did. Natural heading toward plant life that had an intense mana glow. That was the other thing the Captain was surprised about; it was not just the people of this world able to utilize magic but some of the plant life and animals. Everything here evolved into what Earth saw as a fantasy setting. While it was hard to see the raw mana with the naked eyes without any trigger, like a mage channeling it, the girl seemed drawn to it naturally.

Seeing a ditch ahead, Ryder positioned himself to lift the girl across. Once the girl was over, he reached the other side to join her. When he got over, he noticed her frozen in place as she stared into the darkness. "Assiaya?"

She remained motionless, never breaking her gaze from that shadowy murk. Ryder joined her in her glare, and the hair of his body began to stand up. Something felt off; something wasn’t right. He slowly touched her shoulder and said, “Get behind me.”

Hearing his voice, she slowly backed away and hid behind him. "Laryenas,” she meekly said.

"What the hell is a larryass?" Ryder asked before he heard a twig break and the sound of laughter, which ended in a high-pitched whine.

That was when he confirmed that they were not alone. "God damn it, why can't I get a break."

Taking a step forward to get the girl to the soul tree so they weren't standing in the dark, he heard the same whine, but this time, he ended up with a growl, so he stopped. Suddenly, Ryder felt something snap at his leg, and he quickly turned around. To his surprise, nothing was there. Whatever it was, it retreated just as soon as it attacked. He heard the same whining laughter, albeit closer and circling them.

He turned around as he felt another bite from behind as Assiaya shrieked. He missed it again as the whining continued. “They’re fucking toying with me.”

He positioned himself defensively while keeping Assiaya behind him.

“Come on! I’m right here. Come get me, you sons of bitches,” Ryder taunted to lure them out.

The whining laughter stopped as Ryder waited. His body tensed as he waited for the strike. But before he could react, something dragged him onto the ground by his ankle, violently shaking his foot. Another came rushing toward him, but he was able to grab and throw him away. He rammed his other boot into the beast, and the wild animal released and leaped away.

Ryder took a deep breath but felt dizzy as he slowly stood up. Assiaya rushed over and frantically helped him to his feet. Hearing the same growl again, the Comanche warrior prepared himself for another attack.

Having only a little green and blue illumination from a nearby glowing tree, Ryder saw figures slowly appearing from the darkness. While it was hard to see the details, he noticed the arenas were about the size of leopards but looked like rats with dark fur around them. Their bodies were slender and slim, but they still had some muscle, showing they were athletic beasts.

Ryder positioned himself in front of Assiaya so that the laryenas would attack him. However, he had no idea what to do. Running would be fruitless in this darkness, but he was too exhausted for another melee fight. Every other option that crossed his mind seemed meaningless against a full-strength wild predator.

Hearing the laugh turn into a growl, the laryenas charged toward them. The Comanche Captain prepared himself by grabbing a rock as a weapon. Knowing there was a ditch behind them, he hoped to hold and drag these animals into it, pinning the beasts down so at least Assiaya could escape.

The laryenas leaped around in a zig-zag formation to confuse him before making their enormous leaps toward Assiaya, as she was the weaker prey. Seeing no choice, he quickly tossed the rock at the predator's trajectory, striking it and forcing it to jump away as the other resumed its attack.

Before the other laryena could strike at Assiaya, Ryder tackled the leopard-size rat, trying to hold it against the ground. The wild animal aggressively squirmed until it broke free, rushing back into the darkness.

The Captain nearly stumbled as he slowly stood up; he felt weaker, and his eyes slowly blurred. Once he could stand, he noticed his legs felt hot; a tingling sensation started to take over as his legs began to feel heavier. His eyes widened as he realized the laryenas probably had some poison to paralyze him.

Fear gripped him as he realized he was staring death in the face, and it was only going to get worse the longer this dragged out. “I can’t die here, I can’t fail her.”

Hearing the laryenas returning, Ryder pushed those thoughts down and refocused. Standing was getting more challenging, but he knew he had to protect her. He saw their eyes in the darkness as one leaped toward him and the other slowly circled around in the shadows.

A loud shot echoed in the forest's darkness, and the predator impacted him. The other let out a quick whine before running off. Ryder fell backward and into the ditch. The laryena shook around before calming. Ryder got on top of the animal and started punching it until he noticed the beast wasn’t moving. That was when he saw blood coming from its side.

The Comanche warrior scaled the muddy wall, feeling the creature's blood covering him. Assiaya grabbed his arm when he got close and helped him out of the ditch.

Ryder crawled onto the ground and looked up. Above him was nothing but the blackness of space with starlight encompassing the sky. There had to be thousands, if not millions, of stars, something he struggled to see at home because of light pollution. As his body sat down, he couldn't help but think the sight was beautiful.

He saw Assiaya above him, looking scared. He turned to what she was pointing, and to his frustration, he saw a humanoid figure standing there, aiming a projectile weapon at him. Another shorter humanoid appeared up beside it. However, he couldn't focus on them to see who they were as his vision blurred.

Feeling that his body was shutting down, he dropped onto the ground and passed out. Only hearing the cries of the girl as she tried to shake his body awake.

*****

When Mathew Ryder's eyes opened, he noticed everything was still blurry. It took a few more blinks for his vision to regain focus.

Looking up, the Captain noticed a wood roof high above him, with many support beams. Among the wooden beams were copper wires that snaked around the ceiling, connecting to what seemed like electric-powered lamps, which were off. The design looked like the farms that he had read about on Earth.

The Comanche Captain lifted himself but fell back onto the soft surface from lack of strength. That was when he realized he was lying in a hay pile, which confirmed that he was inside a barn. When he looked around to gain a better idea of where he was, that was when he was only in his olive-green boxers. To his surprise, his bitten leg was bandaged. Investigating the other wounds, he noticed that all his cuts and multiple burns were wrapped. Someone took care of him.

"Where am I?"

When wondering where he was, images of the Laryenas and Assiaya crying flashed in his memory, and he recalled that she was in danger. Panicky looked around and noticed that the girl was not beside him. A sudden jolt of adrenaline burst through his body as he launched himself off the hay pile, frantically looking around the barn. However, when he got onto his feet, he almost fell forward from his weakened state, only stopping because he grabbed a wood railing.

While his body was still weak, he found some strength emerging throughout his body as the numbness started to wear off – which he believed was from his nap. However, the Captain's last memory was being attacked by a laryenas in the forest before passing out. The more he thought about it, the more he recalled that there were two humanoids in the distance. "They must have taken Assiaya."

Before Ryder could wander around and gain a frame of reference for what was going on, he heard a circiletum lever click. He turned around and saw an Orc aiming the weapon at him.

The Orc was shorter than Ryder, closer to a head shorter. It had long black hair, dark blue skin, and tusks on the opposite side of vampires, the lower mouth. The clothing looked simple, a patchwork of cloth covering the body like a tunic. Most importantly, the Orc seemed to be a young adult rather than a soldier.

Taking a deep breath to build his determination, he asked, "Where is the girl?"

He saw the Orc staring at the Altaerrie man before lowering his weapon. He then dropped his hand to Assiaya's height and said medj which he had no idea what the meaning was.

The dark-blue-skinned humanoid chuckled and waved toward the Altaerrie man before heading to the exit. Seeing no choice, Ryder followed him. However, the young Orc stopped him, which confused the Captain.

The Orc then pointed to a stool with a wood-green and gray cotton shirt and pants. Ryder understood the delay and thanked the humanoid in Latin, hoping that the humanoid understood.

When he changed into the new clothing, he noticed they were slightly baggy and not designed for humans, but he did not complain. Afterwards, he followed the Orc outside and found it still dark night. However, he could see the same millions of bright stars before passing out, so he knew he did not travel far. He could smell the farm animals from the surrounding pines and the chilling breeze wind.

The young Orc then pointed toward another building, a farmhouse. "Org-cack," his hand signaled to the Altaerrie man to follow.

"Well, if they were going to kill me, then they would have already," Ryder thought, deciding to follow the young adult.

Seeing a decent-sized cabin with light from the windows, you Orc entered the front door. Ryder quickly followed, holding his side from the pain as he attempted to maintain the pain and lack of sustenance caused by having had little food since leaving Forlace.

Heading inside, Ryder stopped at the entryway when he saw what seemed like a regular living room. There was furniture and paintings of clan huts, warriors, and battles. There was decorative cloth, bones, weapons, ink-framed pictures, and more on the walls, as well as music from their version of a radio box. While lit candles were scattered throughout the cabin, most of the light came from these crystal lamps with wires hooking toward the ceiling. Based on what he saw outside, the wires probably were connected to the large leaf-like panels on the roof, providing solar energy to the inside lights somehow – being at night, the Captain assumed there must be a power storage unit to maintain the electric flow during night time.

There was a sizeable religious altar with a blue and purple circle at the center, representing Tekali, and six smaller orbiting circles—each of their own color. The kitchen had two fireplaces, one with a standard red fire and the other with a dark fire. A third fireplace with a roaring red flame at the center of the living room provided most of the warmth.

That was when Ryder noticed many other orcs throughout the living room and the kitchen. There were four other children, two boys and two girls, not including the young adult escorting him. The two youngest were drawing something while the oldest daughter was assisting an adult female—probably the mother of this house making a meal. They seemed to be cooking dinner before everyone stopped what they were doing when they noticed him.

Then, an older male stood from his chair. The Comanche Captain knew immediately that this was the family patriarch.

As Ryder stepped into the living room, he suddenly heard the family patriarch's name before he could address him. Looking toward the kitchen, he saw Assiaya rushing out and running toward him. Before he could react, she tackled him with a hug, which knocked him over onto the floor, squeezing him tightly. He quickly wrapped his arms around the girl, thrilled she was alive.

"Ryder, vivis!" Assiaya said.

Leaning back from the hug, Ryder noticed that the girl was also in different clothing. The ruined maid outfit was replaced with a clean but raggy brown and green blouse with a sewn patch of blue cloth. He could also see that her hair was combed, and her face was clean, meaning she was cared for.

Seeing her, Ryder felt an immense weight fall off his shoulders melt off. She was safe, looking well-fed and hydrated, but most importantly, smiling. It was clear that this family was not going to kill them, which was a significant sign of relief. This was the first time since the kitsune village that he could partly let his guard down and rest.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

Hearing the patriarchal Orc, Ryder stared and saw that the male wanted him to sit down.

Assiaya pulled on his clothing to help him back onto his feet with a renewed happy spirit, "Ego te aliquid manducare," She then ran, heading into the kitchen.

At this point, Ryder wished he had a dictionary as he had no idea what the girl had said then. He then headed toward what looked like a dining table and sat down. He assumed the children, being twelve or younger, continued to play or do whatever chores throughout the house. The oldest sat in the corner, holding what looked like a civilian circiletum. Attempting to watch the Altaerrie man, one of his little sisters continued to pester him, showing him her drawings and inquiring about who the Altaerrie man was.

"I see sibling annoyance is a thing here," Ryder thought, recalling fawn and annoying memories with his sister when they were children.

He understood why the young Orc was watching him. It made sense that they would have an armed guard keeping an eye on a stranger, especially when young children were around. They had yet to learn who he was and what they were doing in the wilderness. Assiaya's concern and affection for him probably lowered their concerns of him being a threat as he felt little tension within the family.

The head of the house pointed toward the dining table, and Ryder followed the instruction. The furniture's leggings were made from large bones, while the surface was wood coated in hard wax. The chair padding was a feathered cushion. While not as comfortable as Ryder was used to with the foam padding on Earth, it was still a godsend compared to his recent ordeal.

When at the table, Ryder expected the head of the house to ask him a dozen questions, but all that happened was silence. He assumed one of them would use a translation amulet. Still, none were brought forth, meaning verbal communication would be an issue.

Staring at the head Orc, Ryder saw new details. The male skin was a darker shade of blue than he initially thought. It was not a solid blue, being closer to naval than core. His hair was black and long, and thick bread fell to his shoulders. There was a deep blade scare that went from his ear down his cheek, covering the cheek. The eyes were a light green type that was laser-focused on him, an outsider.

The silence continued until Ryder heard his name again. Assiaya, carrying a plate and cup, rushed from the kitchen to him. Unlike in the forest, where she was fearful and hesitant, there was an aurora sense of excitement, a renewed childish energy.

When Assiaya reached the table, she placed the plate and drink before Ryder. "Ryder, mater mihi ostendit quomodo hoc facerem et hoc tibi feci. Quaeso ede, spero tibi placet!"

Ryder couldn't help but chuckle at the sight before saying, "I cannot understand you." He then looked at the meal, which was steak and eggs. The drink was blue juice, like what he had taken from the Neko corpses a few days ago. He looked back at the girl and nodded. "Gratias tibi."

Assiaya smiled and then spoke again in Latin. To Ryder's confusion, she seemed to be conversing with herself before walking in a slightly dancing manner back into the kitchen. She then grabbed another plate and served it to the children while being friendly to them. "Cute. No wonder the Purple Princess employed her as his slave. She has a servant's heart." He then started eating.

Mathew Ryder then placed his hands together and closed his eyes. "My Lord. Thank you for giving the girl and me the strength to make it this far. I am ignorant of these people's faith and the teaching of their Goddess Mother, Tekali. I also pray that you communicate with their Mother and bless these farmers for their unnecessary kindness. Gracias"

Once Ryder finished his prayer, he grabbed the utensils and started eating. The Comanche warrior found the meal had some flavor from whatever native spices they used. It was nothing like he was used to on Earth, which was understandable. Throughout human history, spices were considered a luxury, so he was impressed that this rural farm had a limited supply, primarily when they used it for a meal for a desperate stranger. Regardless, Ryder found the meal delicious, as he was starving.

Ryder noticed the Orc chuckling. He stopped eating and looked up, seeing a humorous look. That was when the Captain realized he had already consumed half his meal. Not wanting to be disrespectful, he leaned back to calm himself down. "I apologize."

Then, the Orc's wife approached, carrying a plate of food. She placed the meal on the table in front of the male Orc.

Ryder quickly noticed that the patriarch's food was different. The eggs were the same, but the meat was strangely blue, something he had never seen before. It wiggled more like jelly than meat. Dark charcoal was around the edges from being cooked, but it was meat he had never seen on Earth. This only meant this was a new type of meat native to Alagore, which the Comanche Captain didn't find appetizing.

Unlike her husband's skin, she was a lighter shade of brown. Her long, brown hair had small twig-flower braids. Her eyes were dark yellow but focused. When she handed her husband a meal, she waved her figure. She pointed to the Altaerrie man, lecturing the husband about something.

Once the wife left, Ryder couldn't help but chuckle. He saw the husband staring confusedly, so he pointed to himself. Then, with his left hand, the Captain pointed to the wife. With the right, the Altaerrie man lightly patted himself on the head before wagging his figure, hopefully implying that he understood the feeling of nagging from his ex-wife's many lectures.

The husband stared, confused, before laughing loudly, finally understanding what the Altaerrie man meant. The Captain then joined in with the laughter, relating that no matter what world a husband lived in, they were being lectured by their wives regarding something.

The two finished their meals, and Assiaya rushed to take the dirty dishes. As she grabbed the plate, she spoke a lot, telling Ryder a story about something. Once finished, she took them away. The husband then pointed to the girl and then toward him, giving a hugging impression with his arms. Ryder only looked at him with confusion until the Orc pointed to himself and his wife.

Only then did Ryder understand what the Orc was trying to say, implying that the girl was his mate. He quickly shook his head and waved his arms sideways, being as straightforward as possible. He then held his hand out and lowered it, implying that she was too young for him.

While the Orc understood, he had a surprised look. The husband then pointed to Assiaya and toward his children before his palm. Ryder understood what the Orc meant, asking if she was his biological daughter. While it might have been easier to state yes, he knew the patriarch wouldn't believe it because he and they couldn't understand what each other was saying.

Ryder shook his head and then pointed to Assiaya. He struggled through to show how to break chains. Ryder requested a pen and paper to recall the youngest daughter's drawing.

The husband told his daughter to bring paper, and the daughter rushed over, handing him paper and a pencil. Ryder grabbed the pencil and stared at it, trying to recall the last time he used one, probably in grade school.

He drew a small stick figure of Assiaya with chains around her neck before drawing another, showing himself, and then drew a cross over the chains. Making sure that the Orc saw the drawing, the Captain drew a circle of the two stick figures and an arrow heading away.

The husband took the pencil and drew a pointing north arrow with a circle on top. Ryder looked at the symbol and needed clarification on what it met. The Orc took a frustrated breath and held his hands up as if confused.

That was when Ryder understood. The Orc probably wondered why he would free the girl to whom he had no blood connections. Recalling what Natilite said about slavery and motuias, all the Orc knew was that he was a thief who stole property.

Ryder pointed back to the chains in the picture and then toward Assiaya before the orc children. Making sure he had the male Orc's attention, he pointed to himself and crossed his arms, showing that he was protecting her as if she were his own.

The husband Orc understood. He pointed to the same symbol and pointed outside. At this point, Ryder realized that the arrow with a symbol was their version of a question mark and that the man was asking where he came from.

This proved to be a tricky question for Ryder. The family was friendly up to this point; however, he had no idea what the effect would be if he told them they were from another world. They were, after all, still in the Verliance Aristocracy, so he had no idea what their allegiance was. However, the Orc was not dumb, so lying could only lead to a worse result. The other issue is that he needed to learn more about the culture to invent a believable lie, so he didn't see the point.

Glancing toward the Tekali altar, Ryder could tell that this family hadn't converted to the Unity religion, possibly meaning they were sympathetic to the Coalition cause. He decided to tell the truth as every other option seemed worse. Taking the pencil, the Altaerrie man drew a circle with details in the center to represent the Bridge. He stood up and headed to the window, pointing toward the stars.

The husband followed and looked out the window with confusion. He then looked at the drawing again before looking back into the stars. Ryder nodded, confirming that he came from another world. The Captain then lightly patted his chest and pointed west toward the mountain range to convey that he was trying to get home.

The husband stood there, looking outside. He then walked back to the table and sat down, clearly thinking.

Feeling threatened, Ryder returned to the table and waited for the next question. After a moment of silence, the husband drew a cruel sword and pointed to the Altaerrie man. Then the Orc pointed to the Bridge picture and then the sword.

Ryder understood what the Orc was trying to ask. The husband was wondering if he was a soldier from the other world. The Comanche soldier pointed toward the sword and then himself. To his surprise, the Orc pointed to the sword and then himself, maybe implying he was a soldier long ago. With the deep scar on his cheek, it seemed like a reasonable assumption.

The husband then pointed back to the sword and his children before pointing toward the question symbol.

"No," Ryder said aloud, taking a deep breath as this communication style took a toll on him. He understood what the Orc was asking: Who were the Altaerrie fighting, and why were they here? The question needed to be simpler for hand gestures and drawings. The other issue was that maybe this family acted out of kindness; he did not know if they were loyal to the Verliance Aristocracy and would betray them later.

That was when he remembered many conversations he heard while being Kallem's prisoner. While allies, there was no close relationship between the Aristocracy and Unity, or at least behind the scenes. Based on Fraeya's statement regarding The Unity, they forced their rule with an iron fist. Loyalty was based on fear, not honor.

The Captain then drew the Unity symbol, the upper part of a sphere with the sunlight appearing over the horizon. Once finished, he pointed toward the sword and then The Unity. He hoped to utilize the perceived hatred of The Unity and bypass whatever this farm family loyalty was with the Aristocracy.

The Orc male leaned back, touching his chin and lightly rubbing the trim beard the male had. The Orc then grabbed the pencil and then drew a shield. Once finished, he pointed toward the drawing and his children with his free hand.

Ryder understood the point—he did not intend to endanger the farm family. He pointed to Assiaya and himself toward the mountains and said they could leave.

The Orc shook his head. He then held his hand out while pointing to the candlelight above, clearly stating that they should wait until daylight.

While Ryder would prefer to leave as soon as possible but knew he wouldn't survive the night if they left now. Even after the meal, he felt weak. Being pitch black outside, he knew he wouldn't stand a chance. Fraeya explained that there are three days a week on Alagore; however, each day lasts twenty-eight hours, and two days are always in daylight. The third day is all night, mostly light, but the orbit angle allows the moon to enter a dark phase every few weeks.

The Captain agreed and took a deep breath as he felt tired.

The wife appeared with Assiaya behind. The girl was carrying a few bags, blankets, and water pouches. The wife then pointed toward the barn, informing him they slept outside.

"I get it," Ryder said as he stood. "I know when I am not wanted." He then chuckled, showing that he was fine sleeping outside.

Ryder took some of the supplies from Assiaya, and the two-headed outside. The young adult Orc followed with his civilian circiletum with his father close behind.

The young adult opened the barn door and allowed Ryder and Assiaya to enter. The husband then looked inside, saying something to catch the Captain's attention. Then the Orc pointed to the barn light and himself before the western mountains. Ryder understood the meaning that they would escort them away in the morning.

Once inside, Ryder limped to the pile of hay, placed the supplies on the ground, and laid down.

Assiaya also laid her supplies on the floor and approached the Altaerrie man. She then got onto her knees and set a small leather bag next to her before pulling out a green vile and a bottle with an orange paste inside it. She then pointed to his wounded leg and said, "Mihi opus est videre crus."

Ryder reached down and pulled his pants leg up. He saw a cloth around his leg with the color orange besides red bleeding through.

The dual-eyed girl unwrapped the bandage. She then took the orange paste and spread it over the bite marks. As she treated the wounds, Ryder was surprised that the bite was not as deep as he initially expected. He then remembered falling dizzy and struggling to move his body after getting bitten, making him wonder if the laryenas infected him with a position to make him weaker.

Once the paste was spread over the wound, Assiaya rapped the leg in a cloth the orc wife had given him. She then showed the green vile and said, pointing toward the lamp, "Hoc bibe mane."

After placing the vile back into the bag, she handed Ryder a pouch of water, which he took. "Gracias, Assiaya. You better get some rest, as we have a long march tomorrow."

When Assiaya was finished patching Ryder's leg up, she grabbed the two blankets and handed one to the Altaerrie captain. She then lay in the hay and snuggled in. "Gratias tibi ago pro nobis." She said before nodding off.

Ryder looked away, staring up at the lamp. Feeling his body draining, he quickly fell asleep.

*****

Hearing a loud noise, Assiaya was awakened from her sleep. Never having heard such a sound before, she panickedly looked around the barn, fearing that something had snuck in. But at first glance, she could only see shadows and the moonlight coming through one of the roof vents.

Outside the barn, she heard the many farm animals roaming. None matched the sound that awoken her. Then Assiaya heard it again, coming just to her left, behind her. It sounded like a monster stocking its prey, being animal-like.

"I think we are not alone."

"I know," Assiaya replied.

Hearing the snorting sound close by, she slowly turned around. The girl saw Ryder lying on the pile of hay, making a loud snoring sound. The dual-eyed girl stared at him dumbfoundedly, realizing she was panicking because of him.

"You are correct," Assiaya said. "We are not alone. It is just him being really loud."

"If you remember what Ruath said, a loud snorer man is a man at peace."

"I know.... I just never heard of one before. Now I understand what she meant."

Assiaya laid down on the comfortable hay to go back to sleep. Then the loud snore happened again, and her eyes opened wide awake. Feeling frustrated that she couldn't fall asleep, she stood up and headed to the barn door. Unhooking it, she stepped outside to get some air and quietness.

Seeing the farm pens, Assiaya walked over to the fence. In the pin on the right, she saw cattle. The farm animals were dull-colored and had thick manes around their necks and shoulders, down to their lower backs. They looked very muscular and had stout-looking legs. They were known as Olcan, the primary beef on Alagore.

She had seen the creature many times in Kallem's service. The vampires say that olcan blood was a popular substitute for people's blood. However, she had heard many complaints from vampires that the cattle blood was too fatty. Besides vampires, beef was a typical dish for the other species she was forced to serve as a slave.

Hearing a slow oorf from the other pin, Assiaya walked over for a better view. Inside, she saw one of the sons dumping this green paste into a long feeding barrel. These cattle vastly differed from the Olcan, having a jelly-blue slime body frame over the normal skin and fur, four long legs, and five eyes. Some had a long tail, while others had none, all depending on their form.

While Assiaya had never seen one in person, she knew they were called Grazing Slimes. They were one of the many slime types on Alagore. Grazers were the only ones treated like cattle; some were dangerous predators, while others were seen as pets. She had never seen them before because grazers were considered poor people's meat because they tasted horrible even when seasoned. The elites and nobles do not enjoy eating jelly meat.

"What are you doing up this late?" the boy asked. "You should be asleep."

The boy spoke Orc, a tongue Assiaya couldn't talk. "I am sorry, I do not speak your tongue."

The boy looked frustrated from the language barrier as if he didn't know what to do. He then walked to the slime-feeding barrel and dipped his hand into the paste. The boy walked over again and requested her hand.

Feeling nervous at first, the girl slowly extended her right hand. The Orc boy allowed the paste to side off his hand and onto her. The feeling was cold and slimy, with chunk pits mixed within the paste.

"Grosse. This is not fitting for someone of your stature."

"That station was taken away from us long ago," Assiaya thought. "Besides, I do not want to be rude. The family has been kind, and if he wants to play, I see why not."

The boy chuckled as one of the Grazing Slimes walked over. It slowly leaned its head down, tilting it. Its three eyes stared out while the other two looked at the boy. The base of the rounded head slowly formed into a snout as it extended and encompassed her hand, sucking up the paste.

The sucking feeling felt disgusting as the jelly slime swallowed her hand, which felt sticky. Being able to see through most of the gelatin skin, she watched as the past left her hand and slowly went up the snout and into the body.

"Slime meat is considered poor people's food, correct?"

"That is correct," Assiaya mentally replied. Then she realized that the entire family had the jelly meat while Ryder and she was given the tender meat. "They gave us their best meal."

"Giving us and Ryder the Olcan meat was nice of them. That must be their primary source of income."

It had yet to occur to Assiaya that the Olcan beef was their source of income. When making dinner with the family's wife, the beef was cooked on a typical red fire; however, the jelly meat was cooked on a dark fire. According to the wife, when they cooked for the family, the only way of cooking it was with a lower-temperature flame because of how easily jelly meat could burn.

He noted a slight green-yellow glow coming from the farmhouse roof. The giant leaves rose, pointing southeast. That was when Assiaya noticed the dark night was slowly getting brighter.

She had seen the device before, designed by the Noble Elves of the Thali'ean Fiefdom. It consists of giant leaves that absorb solar energy and transfer it to energy capacitors for later use. These devices are not typically found in cities or industrial workshops, as the enemy needed more power than the leaf panels could provide but simple enough for farmers trying to make a living.

Assiaya turned around and noticed the arura Tekali had created when she had risen from her slumber. The dark night was ending, and the light night was beginning, meaning the sunrise would be coming in the next few hours.

"We better go back to bed. We have to leave in the morning."

Seeing that the grazing slime walked away after getting fed, Assiaya walked over to a bucket of water and washed her hands before heading back to the barn.

Once inside, she noticed the Altaerrie man still lying on the pile of hay, sound asleep. The sight made her proud and happy. For the first time in her life, a man had spent so much energy and time protecting and providing for her—something her father never did when he was alive.

"Do you still think this was a mistake?" Assiaya asked.

"Ask me when we get to Salva. But for right now, no. It has been a nice feeling that someone cares about us."

Assiaya walked over and kneeled by Ryder's wounded leg. She helped bandage it. The laryenas' teeth were not sharp enough to cause permanent damage, and the paralyzing poison should have been warned off by now with the medicine the orc wife provided for her.

Still, it would take time for him to heal, and they still have a long way to go to get to Salva. She felt so helpless as he had to do all the work to keep them alive to an extent that she felt guilty. "I do wish I could do more. I am just too weak."

"I do not believe he thinks that. I think he thinks the world of us or is a reason to stay alive."

"Can you say think one more time?" Assiaya pondered.

"..., think."

"You can be so annoying."

She placed her right hand on Ryder's wounded leg to comfort him. Feeling a sudden drain of energy flowing through her hand, she felt sleepy.

When she removed her hand from his leg, she stopped feeling like her body energy was draining. Confused, the dual-eyed girl looked at her palm but saw nothing. "I must be sleepy."

Deciding to try any sleep again, Assiaya crawled into the haystack and laid down. Feeling warmth, she closed her eyes and wondered what tomorrow would bring and what the future in Salva would be like. As vision faded, her eyes opened wide from a loud snore.

*****

After a night of rest, Captain Mathew Ryder followed the two orcs, navigating through the forest. He turned to ensure that Assiaya was still next to him, which she was. They left before sunrise from the farmhouse to take advantage of the night. He did not expect that break would allow him to recover as much as he did.

While he still felt a burning sensation on his chest from the Akuma blade, the gel that Assiaya applied helped cool the stinging sensation. His leg, though, the one the laryenas bit, felt almost as new. There was an itch within the leg and still visible bit scars. However, he thought he could run on it again—nearly as if he had an overnight miracle.

In front of him were the two male orcs. The young adult and the husband sheltered them for the evening. They agreed to help guide them through this patch of forest until they regained their footing.

Once across a tall grass meadow, the four stopped as they heard movement toward the left. In addition to a terrifying creature attempting to murder them, a herd of two-legged bird-like animals the size of horses was passing by. The Captain had seen some domesticated versions at the Kitsune village and Forlace.

When they reached the other side of the meadow, the husband stopped Ryder. Based on the hand gestures, this was to determine whether the two orcs were willing to go.

The Captain looked around and started seeing familiar features on the mountaintops that he had seen from Salva, only from the opposite direction. While they were far from home, figuring out how to cross the mountains was still an issue, but at least he knew they were on the right path. Soon, he would be able to risk activating his radio, hoping any US forces would pick up on his transponder.

He looked toward the older Orc, placed his hand on his chest, and said 'thank you' in Latin.

The Orc patted his chest with his fist. Ryder then turned around and called over his oldest son, who was holding his hand. The son then handed him a spare circiletum.

Ryder looked confused at first. Not because he didn't understand that they wanted him to take the weapon but why. Living alone in a deeply rural region, firearms were vital to survival. Giving one up was equal to one or more of their cattle.

The Captain took the circiletum. After a quick analysis, the weapon was similar but less sturdy than the Aristocracy's version of civilian grade. The base structure was all wood, with a bolt-action lever on the right. The barrel looked slightly rusted, showing its wear and tears. The critical part was the crystal battery.

Only after being given two batteries and three clips did Ryder know that if he ended up in a firefight, he would burn through his supply quickly. Still, it was a fighting chance at survival.

"Thank you." Ryder took the weapon and held it close. He then turned to approach Assiaya.

When Ryder reached her, Assiaya turned to the two orcs and waved goodbye. The Captain looked at the two orcs again before turning back to her. "Hey, brat." He reached into his pocket and pulled out the purse of the coin, tossing it to the girl. "Go give to them."

Assiaya caught the bag and smiled. She ran energetically over to the head orc and handed the coin to him. The Orc looked confused and looked toward Ryder. Captain Ryder saluted him. When the girl returned, the two adventured out into the wild.