The «Zaratan»: an aquatic beast only witnessed at a safe distance in the sky, rumored to have lived in the same era when Swordland had begun its transition into a liveable planet. Ancient texts dating a thousand millennia once thought its flippers were the remnants of a forgotten kingdom filled with riches beyond imagination—only “cursed” to disappear at first sight.
He found a hefty amount of hilarity in that belief, as no kingdom was as big as two Argentinas on each end. Then again, his description of their size wouldn’t make sense for the average folk in this world, but his fondness of Earth’s geography caused him to blurt it out to his lieutenant like a hunter of infinite knowledge. It was worth it.
Nevertheless, Theo prepared to defy oblivion with one foot inching closer to the cliff’s edge. He stood before a high and mighty drop that made «Megalo Reef Sharks» at the bottom look like specs of plankton on a cowardly swim. On the other hand, the «Zaratan» continued to advance, appearing no smaller than it was three minutes ago.
Admittedly, every stroke this wondrous creation from the gods took had covered enough ground to span the entirety of Coelestis five times over. Its shell began to emerge out of the waves, lush with green and some traces of dry, arid brown sprinkled randomly like the map on an atlas textbook. In other words, it was too fast for a turtle.
“This is our chance, Zuriel!” he said, gripping the hilt of his blade. “My father used to say you must make a wish once you spot these magnificent creatures lurking beyond the shores. In that case, I have only one wish: to free it from its foreign masters!”
Zuriel raised an eyebrow, conjuring a few lightning sparks in his fingertips. “Sir, it’s a boss battle. We can’t leave until you kill it fair and square.”
“Oh, right. What a shame. Anyway…” Theo thought plunging onto his target would warrant a fading no from him, but it seemed he was far from alone in this fight, as intended. His screen also didn’t mind enhancing the moment with his favorite melody.
Soul Melody Activated Adventure of a Lifetime - Coldplay
It was a long, long, long fall. Theo reckoned it would take them more than a minute to reach the living continent below, given how he decided to leap like a hare in space merely to indulge in some added flair. But Zuriel wouldn’t have done the same if he was his usual self, never able to keep with the fire in his eyes, longing for the unknown with style—an adventure in every sense of the word.
Their descent culminated in laughter and a brief contest on who could perform the most backflips. With a raised finger, Zuriel beckoned him to watch a fascinating trick he learned from their previous travels, curling himself into a ball of raging thunder. Theo never thought he’d witness a human pinwheel with so much commitment and finesse.
Theo couldn’t help but recall when his lieutenant didn’t know what it had meant to live through one’s heart. Whatever troubled him in his previous life, there was no reason to stay on a pessimistic hill of self-deprecation, especially for a warrior of light.
The lyrics couldn’t have said it better for him. Under this pressure, under this weight, they were diamonds taking shape. He cheered him on with a smile if he hadn’t already. “Excellent form, Zuriel! Now, check this out!” Beneath his armored boots, he conjured a sword that proved broad enough to surf through the air, even looping through a flock of seagulls without touching their feathers once.
“I’ve been thinking, Zuriel,” he continued. “Maybe this Hajime guy isn’t such a bad omen.”
“How would you know, sir?” asked Zuriel.
“Because if you two meet, there’s no knowing who can create storm clouds faster than the other! Isn’t that sad?”
They shared the laughter for a few moments, nearing their destination below as though they were about to arrive in an entirely new world lush with green, as promised.
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Like two meteorites crashing down in a blaze of glory, they managed to land near the center of the turtle’s carapace. The tropical scenery didn’t disappoint, with palm trees protruding from the rock-hard “soil” beneath their feet. However, as Theo quickly realized, not a bird in the canopies sang like no tomorrow, let alone any sound from a «Zaratan’s» unique symbiotic ecosystem.
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Theo couldn’t believe he failed to discern even the mating call of a «Stripejaw» or the roar of dominance from a «Pronghorn Leopard». They moved to another area, hoping to find at least one sign of animal life that wasn’t another fly or spider of the most boring mundanity. It was disappointing enough to notice a few plants shriveling under the baking sun without resistance.
His mind remained dumbfounded by the eerie silence, but it wasn’t out of the question that it might have something to do with the otherworldly goblins. Mother nature had always had issues with invasive species, and it presented them with a damning clue behind a shrub. “Look, there’s footprints!” he pointed.
They followed the tracks without question. To anyone who wasn’t a treader, they had the same shape as children playing without shoes or sandals, but these had the telltale signs of jagged toenails similar to native goblins. Sadly, as they ventured further into the wilderness, his sense of adventure vanished into a heart-pounding nightmare.
Their path began to show streaks of red, staining the rocks and vegetation that smelled of foul, rotting death. There was no doubt about it. An invasive species would never leave anything untouched, but Theo didn’t expect the clues to lead them to a field of pink hibiscus, which never wafted the same scent that would give them restless nights.
If he learned anything from earthly novels of the crime thriller genre, this false sense of security wouldn’t do much for the dark secrets that lay within. “Stand back. There might be a pile of bones underneath,” he said, uprooting a few stems to clear the dirt.
“Yes, of course,” Zuriel nodded. “These new goblins must’ve had quite their fill around the place. I can only imagine how helpless they were against them. How very cruel.”
“I hear you. I heard a ton of noise in the air when those things swam back. What surprised me was that they didn’t return for my head with their new pet until now.”
“Why do you mean, sir?”
“The goblins in our world are naturally timid and only attack when their numbers are great, but these are relentless… like a horde that sees anything as fair game.”
“Tell me about it, sir,” said Zuriel, arms crossed while gazing at the flowers across the field. “I fear that if this goes on, there won’t be a Swordland in the next three years.”
“Right you are, Zuriel,” Theo agreed. “We must uncover their whereabouts in haste lest more would make it to the mainland. There should be—”
A sudden cacophony permeated the air, prompting him to stop digging into the soil. He didn’t want to admit it that day, but what caught his attention were undeniably the growls of a «Pronghorn Leopard», albeit slightly muffled. It also seemed strange that it came from the ground rather than their usual perch among the trees.
“Check it out, Zuriel, but be careful. Their teeth are like knives,” said Theo, standing from his unsuccessful attempt to find a single bone.
He expected no less from Zuriel, who arrived at the source in less than a millisecond. Still, his satisfaction disappeared once he witnessed the lieutenant walking back with his mouth covered, presumably to prevent his breakfast from rushing out of his throat with a burning sting.
“It’s still alive, sir!” Zuriel shouted.
“What?” said Theo, walking closer.
“The poor thing is still breathing. Have a look!”
Theo didn’t know what he could’ve meant by his words, especially when you had to factor in whether the animal was about to cross the other side or still had enough will to go on. Unfortunately, the scene threw all his assumptions out the window in a morbid display of depravity.
The leopard’s head stuck out of the soil like the flowers did, begging for help no matter how he put it. “Quick, Zuriel, use your power. Move everything out the way,” he commanded.
“Yessir.”
Many years ago, Theo was the first to witness Zuriel’s creative mind regarding something as straightforward as controlling electricity. He didn’t fully know the science behind it, but Zuriel had discovered that he could grasp the concept of molecules on par with their top esper, paving the way for telekinesis with extra steps.
Yet, begrudgingly, Theo didn’t think he would lose his satisfaction again. They succeeded in helping the animal, but with one glance at what they couldn’t see beneath the soil, he wished they never did. It turned out that only its face remained unscathed, save for a few chunks of dirt in its fur. The rest of the body, however, was a horrid, meaty rendition of a peeled vegetable left to rot and never consumed.
Theo’s jaw dropped to the planet’s core, wondering how such humanlike sadism could come from a bunch of mob NPCs. Even Swordland goblins had reports of having the decency to leave nothing to waste. He didn’t want to jump to conclusions, but this wasn’t a random act of violence for the sake of it. It was a message.
Immediately after the grueling image that would remain in their memories for eternity, their ears discerned more and more noise beneath the flowers, swaying with the indifferent breeze. Zuriel didn’t think twice before unearthing the field even further in a fit of rage, but the brutality never changed. They were everywhere—in pain, dying, labored in breath—all on a sunny day.
Soul Melody Activated Lacrimosa - Mozart