At the edge of the forest were the children of the light carrying out their plan.
“Even the forest is silent”, Alisa uttered upon noticing no one from the vicinity, not even birds or any animal she would normally find during hunting.
“Don’t let your guard down, they might be watching us right now. We still have an hour or so, we can reach them half an hour before sundown so let’s prioritize being cautious. Stopping that man would only be a dream if we fall for an ambush”, Alvor explained to everyone as they went up the first hill.
It was a clear view but the waterfall was still far; all they saw were men double their number on standby. Swords on their hand, standing like scarecrows, inanimate and unmoving, A human barricade, if you must, a barricade that was placed to stop their advance.
“There they are; we’re basically outnumbered”, Hunter stated the obvious, materializing his shield.
“It’s true, but they only have numbers; we have skills”, Alvor uttered before Alisa took the first shot, taking out the ones at the front with ease.
“Charge!”
It all happened in a flash. One second and everyone were brawling for survival, but the diversity of skills has an advantage. The swords men easily defeated their opponent with the help of Alvor, while Alisa is having free hits thanks to Hunter.
The enemy had neither choice nor chance. Moments later, they fell to the ground like dead birds that were sniped from the air. One of the enemies had nearly escaped but an arrow pinned him to the ground as he bled.
“On to the next one, let’s hurry”, Alisa blurted, recalling her bow and walking ahead of the others. She had a stern look in her eyes, determined and formal.
“Alisa, slow down, please”, Hunter called her but she paid no attention. It became his duty to follow, keep up with her pace, and make sure she’d not do anything reckless.
It did not take them long to reach the second hill; unlike the first, it gave no surprises. It was a breeze getting up and down the clearing.
At last, the restless waters could be heard as they closed in, and even though not as clear as the sky, the top of the waterfall was in view. It was a relaxing sight if only it’s not a stormy day that’s complimented by the devilish smile of the man that stood on the edge; it was a painting of horror that sent shivers down to their soul.
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“How can he step on that, Isn’t the water current strong?”, Hunter uttered, letting out his curiosity as they all hid on the comforts of the shrubs, bushes, and trees.
“You’ve camped with us here for a few days; haven’t you been up there already?”, Alisa whispered back with a hint of irritation.
“Heights scare me.”
Alisa and his father could only stare at him like they heard something unexpected.
“No, the water is not that strong”, Alisa tried her best to contain her laughter, “It was a gentle stream most of the time, but even on rainy days it’s still ankle deep below the knee at maximum, but the collective unison of the seemingly never-dry waters results to the raging river down below.”
It was a brief relief from the suffocating tension on the air. Hunter became the target of laughter, as he too laughed at himself. The boy was just about to crack a joy when, out of nowhere, the breeze grew cold, mixed with malice and killing intent. Before any of them could react to the pressure, Alvor was sent flying to the air, splashing on the waters as he got dragged by the current.
“Father!”, cried Alisa.
Her heartbeat rose as she aimed for the bush. She quickly fired an arrow, knowing she’d not miss. The bush was too close and the voice is clear, whoever was hiding there would have an arrow on their body before they could even fully show themselves, she was sure of it.
“I never thought a bow would be brave enough to participate on this fight”, Anton’s words echoed in the overgrowth, but he’s not the one that came out from the bush.
Standing seven foot tall, the man was like a giant, with muscles that his normal-sized hood cannot hide. The arrow only fell off his belly. He was a living nightmare that Hunter and Alisa thought they had escaped from and wished they’d never see again.
The monster roared as if he were a lion, but his physique made him look like a deformed gorilla instead.
It was a menacing, powerful shout. Alisa was terrified down to her spine; she felt his tight grip on her hair, each one of her follicles anticipating the pulling of the strands as she hung a few inches on the ground, crying and screaming from the pain.
Hunter on her side felt the same. His heart beating as if he ran a marathon from just remembering all the running they did that night, the flames, all the hiding, the cries and tears, and most especially the decision he made that not only ruined his life but also the other two that helped him.
They saw their hell and it’s as bad and horrifying as they could remember.
The giant man again roared before sending the two into the air. Luckily Hunter was still able to provide protection despite his uncontrollable trembling, his promise to Nicolas echoing on the back of his mind, “I’ll protect her in your stead.”
They were sent out of the clearing while the others were left to deal with the giant man and the chaos visible from the people above. Be it one or nine swords at the same time, none can penetrate his muscles; it was as hard as a shield wielder’s protection. The swords only got repelled as if bouncing off a rubber wall.