Everything was burning, damaged beyond belief. Just when he thought he could return to the sanctity of the town of Eve Glade, he saw the devastation it was put through, and the ones responsible for doing so.
Well, the ones that were still whole. Mikella made quite a splash when she arrived–literally.
Zeke managed to get in with the rest of the party, trying to ignore his partner’s wrath that made the ground burnt to a crisp and the walls stained red. He managed to recover enough when he spotted the town in such disarray.
Bodies were everywhere, and while most of them were the knights, there were some that shouldn’t be included. They were just citizens, barely leveled and unable to fight back.
So why? Even if Zeke could come up with some random political move, commiting genocide against civilians should be bad no matter which world you come from. Of course, he wasn’t the only one upset by this.
His group went off to search for their friends and family, loved ones that may or may not be on the ground bleeding out. Myra and Jackie went off to search for survivors, and the general and Piker called up the other soldiers within the vicinity to get the situation underhand.
Zeke went off to search as well, considering that Mikella was out there somewhere along with Clara. He could only hope that they were together, and if not… he didn’t want to think about it.
The lords, on the other hand, were quite frankly, losing their shit. Not at the town that was burning. Nor the invaders trying to do their citizens in.
No, they were losing themselves to find their daughter, and anybody who wore the uniformed blue and gold cloth were regarded as intruders–and were dealt with as such.
Val pretty much became a monster, and Cloud only joined her as he burned everything in his sight. Zeke, however, tried to ignore it all to try and find them. If Clara was there, surely Ana was as well. The two were stuck together now. So he wasn’t all that surprised to think the lords knew that as well. And with Mikella going gorilla-warfare on the knights trying to find them, it was up to the lords to deal with the clean-up.
What truly surprised him was the barrier that took place. Somehow he felt it was his own, but he knew he wasn’t powerful enough to create such a thing when he left. He may be powerful enough now, sure, but that didn’t explain why the barrier was here.
Yet at the same time, he knew it wasn’t his own. It was filled with so much power, and whoever did this did it to protect the town. It must have taken the knights a while to break through the opening at the front, but Zeke had little choice but to put the one responsible out of his mind.
He managed to find Mikella’s lingering trace through their bond. He wasn’t sure how, but he had several ways of finding her through various means; First the barrier. Somehow, his attunement (however strange it was) connected with the barrier surrounding them. That helped his senses become sharper, capable of picking out certain mana that he knew. Of course, it was all a jumbled mess, but he managed to spot Mikella, and most important of all, Clara.
How he managed so is due to their bond–their special status. It was a strange feeling, but unlike Mikella who somehow knew the feeling by instinct, Zeke could see the connection–however faint. Though he was surprised to find out that Clara was as connected to him as Mikella is. Considering that they all transported together, it was no wonder how it came out that way. But more importantly, when he found them, they were huddled up together.
He ran straight towards where he sensed the girls would be. As he turned a corner, he saw the girls hugging together, sobbing as they were finally reunited in this horrid state of the town.
And a knight ready to stab them with a sword. Mikella was too distracted–her relief overcoming her battle-born senses.
Zeke didn’t even hesitate. Not even once as he lunged forward with his sword and impaled the man’s neck. After killing him, he faced the girls with a relieved smile.
Perhaps it wasn’t a good idea to show children him killing someone, as he must have looked bloody and evil looking right about now, but the girls didn’t care at all as Clara ran up to him along with Ana. He knelt down and hugged them tightly, their warmth and their cries proving that they were very much alive.
“Bobo!” Clara shouted, her sobs making his heart ache, but he couldn’t be more glad.
“Thank god, you’re alright. Clara, are you okay?” Zeke asked, tears beginning to form in his own eyes. He was overwhelmed with relief that he understood why Mikella was distracted. “Are you hurt anywhere? Are you bleeding?”
“No… I’m fine…” Clara gasped as she heaved a sob into his chest. Ana did the same, getting Zeke to rub her hair as well.
“Ana, you good?” Zeke asked, getting a silent nod from Ana. She was always so rambunctious and out of control, so it felt wrong to find her so mute.
A child like her shouldn't have to feel so afraid. This was their wrong doing to leave the town like this. Mikella walked over to him, caked with blood stains all over her almost disintegrating armor. But she seemed fine, physically at least.
“How’s everyone?” Mikella asked, kneeling down to be with Clara a bit more.
“They arrived safely, but we should get back as soon as possible. Ana, your parents are really worried about you.”
“A-Are they angry…?” Ana asked, tugging onto Zeke’s bloodied robe tightly. He tilted his head.
“Why would they be mad at you?” Zeke asked quizzically.
“I… I used the sphere. They told me it was something super precious for me, but I used it up before I got older,” Ana said fearfully. “T-They’re angry at me. I know it.”
Zeke took a moment to figure out what she meant by that. Realization dawned on him after realizing that the sphere she was talking about was the sphere of inheritance, something her parents made for her when she got older and why half their power was gone.
“Now I see… is that why there’s a giant barrier around the town?” Zeke asked, getting Clara to answer.
“Yeah! I told her that we should make a barrier like yours! But… but they still got in…”
“I’m sorry…”
Both the girls lowered their heads in shame, but Zeke could only smile. He brushed their hair as they looked up to him.
“Don’t you think for one second that your Mom and Dad would be angry. As long as you’re okay, they couldn’t be any happier.”
Zeke knew this, but he looked up to find Mikella nodding in affirmation. Seeing the children relax and calm down, the two held their hands together. Mikella with Clara and Zeke with Ana, they got out of the corner of the building into the wider streets.
While everything still looked messed up and chaotic, thanks to the arrival of the elite team, everything was shoring up now.
And more than anything, Val and Cloud were raging on the other side, not even realizing that most of the knights were either killed or ran away from the town already.
When Zeke called to them to say he found Ana, he sensed his life was in danger as he saw the mother, the captain of the military force, running at him in full swing.
He immediately, but carefully, let go of Ana and stepped away, only for the little girl to be absorbed into a powerful hug by Val.
“Ooh! Sweetie, you’re okay! Oh thank the gods you’re safe!” Val kissed her multiple times, hugging her so tightly that Zeke thought she was about to pop. “Are you okay? Are you hurt? Did these bad, evil men hurt you?”
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“N-No…” Ana said while struggling to speak, but her eyes spoke volumes of how glad she was to be in her mother’s arms.
That’s when Cloud came over, and the poor girl had to be subjected to a powerful hug from her own father as well, practically the same response as Val.
The parents caressed and kissed their child, thanking gods and just being utterly relieved. Zeke could tell that Cloud looked even more relieved, knowing that he almost lost both of his family members.
How would Zeke handle that? If he found out that Mikella died while being with him and Clara dying back at the town where it was supposed to be safe? It was a nightmare scenario no father should ever go through.
Which sort of helped Zeke get over the fact that there were as many bodies of the knights as there were the zombies around the town. It looked like a graveyard of blue and gold, their armor and uniform drenched in their own blood, and some that were burnt to cinders, practically to ashes in some cases.
All in all, it was a pretty messed up day to return home.
…..
A few hours passed after returning to Eve Glade. Mikella went ahead and got herself several levels from her killing streak when she entered the town, and in return Zeke also gained the same.
> Level up! You are now Level 33. You gain 6 free points (6 FP total).
>
> You have gained +9 DEX from your class.
> You have gained +9 INT from your class.
> You have gained +9 SPI from your class.
But in the end, they didn’t care as much. They were far away from reaching the next level milestone, and there were still plenty of things to handle–such as the destruction of their town.
Whatever happened, the knights had decimated the town with an ambush attack that the soldiers weren’t prepared for. From the outer range of the town, they could find catapults and wooden launchers meant for ambushes. They were in an area where the soldiers wouldn’t be able to listen, as monsters were still constantly at their heels, though it was easier to manage compared to the hordes from earlier–possibly from encountering their own horde from the raid and limiting the monsters around them as a result.
And the reason for the ambush? The knights were sent from the nearby province, a relatively small city but still wider in scope compared to Eve Glade.
If Eve Glade had an example of several thousands of people, then the city had several hundreds of thousands. At least, it was aided by none other than the Aetheric Federation.
Zeke knew that Eve Glade’s purpose is basically a tax-free haven for those downtrodden and unable to live in other territories, at least that’s what the lords said. However, it was clear that the Aetheric Federation had a clear want for the land, or at least for the lords.
But it was also possible that the city, known simply as Bastion, was the only one responsible. It only had the Aetheric Federation as a sponsor of sorts, supporting the city by being part of the powerful country.
Normally, even countries such as the Aetheric Federation shouldn’t mess with such things in other countries, as it could potentially lead to an outright war, and in this kind of world, millions of lives could be lost in an instant.
But minor towns and cities fighting it out with one another is as common as monster hunting. So even if, for example, one city were to ambush a town for their resources, or due to some ‘misunderstanding’ of sorts, nobody, at least the powerful countries, would bat an eye.
Which clearly frustrated the lords of Eve Glade as Cloud went hands on interrogating every living knight to near death, and in some cases, actually killed them.
To Zeke, he knew that such a thing would be immorally wrong–but this is an entirely new world with their own culture. Even Zeke can’t really deny his own wrong-doings, casually killing a knight to save his family.
So he could only watch alongside Cloud as Val stayed with Ana to care for her. It’s only natural that in such a case, Ana would be traumatized by such an egregious ambush.
As for why Bastion decided to curbstomp Eve Glade while the elite team was away, it was due to some multiple factors.
The monster population was increasing as of late in Eve Glade, thanks to the tower that was around. That increased the worth of the land slightly as the reason why the land wasn’t so popular was the lack of monsters, and the resources to get from.
Another factor is the levels of said monsters, apparently increasing over time. What military force wouldn’t be thankful for the increase in levels, and therefore experience points? Not to mention the loot that could drop which would only increase in worth.
Finally, there were the citizens, or the lords in particular. If their town was found destroyed, it was only natural that the lords would have no choice but to seek sanctuary in other territories. That province could easily sweep them up and force them into contracts to work for their side.
So many things they could earn by doing something as horrific as killing their citizens to get their worth, all the while trying to ignore the law being placed there by stating that the monster attacks did them in. Somehow or another, they managed to find out that the lords with an elite team left the town, so they prepared in advance to ensure that the town would be razed to the ground.
Zeke couldn’t help but think something more was at play here. Surely there was something else that would warrant them to attack this town the way they did.
Still, Val asked Zeke to ensure that Cloud wouldn’t be by himself. Not that he would be in danger if he was, just that after the shit he’s been through, Cloud needed some solace and consolation from another person rather than being in his own head.
And right now, Zeke wasn’t just his student and grateful guest, but also someone he trusted. As someone who has his own family to take care of, and someone who is also a healer and a support mage, it seemed better in general.
However, Zeke felt Cloud’s disgust and guilt whirling like a storm inside of him, even if he hadn’t known him as long as Val did. When they left the military base holding the interrogated knights, Cloud left without a word, and Zeke followed him back to their home.
The night arrived, the studded star above becoming dimmer in its brightness as it slowly changed to the next phase of the cycle–where the studded star had some darkness on the side, almost as though it was becoming a crescent moon.
Still, the stars became brighter as a result. It was a good night, something that Zeke can’t help but appreciate after the hellish days he had so far.
Zeke saw some messed up stuff in the interrogation room. Cloud went all out in using every spell in his arsenal to force the truth out of the knights, ranging from mental attacks to horrifying illusions. The knights who dealt atrocities and killed the citizens were, of course, left in their own minds to die. That’s how they got so much information. The knights were strong, but their foundations were off–in other words, they were extremely susceptible to mental attacks.
That was the difference between someone who was specially trained to handle any situation like under Captain Val’s care, and someone who was put through the grind to get enough numbers on their side. While Zeke felt like he should feel disgusted by Cloud’s actions… honestly, he thought that Cloud hadn't done enough.
Seeing the town still burning in some places, the acrid smoke filling his nostrils as well as the coppery tang of blood in his mouth, it reminded him of his failure to think up defensive countermeasures to protect Clara. If Clara and Ana died on top of everything else, Zeke would’ve lost himself in his rage too.
“We’ll recover from this, Cloud,” Zeke finally said, the silence no longer good enough to keep. Cloud looked back, his eyes showing extreme exhaustion, no life found within them.
“I believe we will, without a doubt,” Cloud said, his voice the epitome of ‘having a bad day’. “But I know I should’ve done more. I almost lost my love and my light, on top of losing my greatest treasure. The world just keeps laughing at my misery.”
Cloud chuckled so darkly, Zeke wondered if undeath was about to pour out of his mouth. That clearly unsettled even Cloud as he frowned immediately, his brows creasing and veins popping on his forehead. There was a lot mixed in there–anger, guilt, fear, despair, and who knows what else.
“Maybe,” Zeke said. The situation felt heavy, but somehow he felt natural in it. He crossed his arms as he looked down. “But we’ll make it through this. You and I know better now. And we even managed to get the monster population under control–now that we dealt with the dungeon and all.”
Cloud listened, even if Zeke thought he was wallowing in his own sea of despair. He couldn't imagine understanding the pain of a lord having his town attacked, but he could help in settling what was already done.
“We’ll recover, and me and Mikella will do whatever we can to help. After all, this is our home now.”
“...Are you sure about that?” Cloud asked. “I’m certain you and Mikella would rather go to a safer place than Eve Glade by now. I wouldn’t blame you.”
Zeke shook his head. “Where else can we find a place that lets us be free? Where else can we really feel safe when we’re not being extorted for every worth we have? I read the books, Cloud. I know that the other places ask for a price we have no way to pay.”
Zeke did look into everything, and he and Mikella can both agree that Eve Glade was just perfect for them. Without any sort of background or family backing them, they were literally on their own, and what little they have in this new world can be taken with ease.
But not in Eve Glade. To them, it was a true sanctuary, even if it was missing some core functions as they were recently new.
Something that Zeke would gladly stay and grow in, helping Clara and Mikella along the way as he does so. Besides…
“Besides,” Zeke said. “I owe you just as much. If it hadn’t been for you and Val, the three of us wouldn’t have a place to live in. I know circumstances were strange, but that’s incredibly hard to find in our own world. And even if Mikella isn’t here, we both agree that we’ll do what we can to support the town.”
Cloud looked at Zeke straight in the eyes. His striking eyes that were dim started to show a flicker of hope. He smiled, naturally for once, if just a little haggard.
“...Thank you, Zeke. Truly, I mean it.”
“Don’t mention it,” Zeke grinned back. “Come on, let’s go home. Who knows what the girls would do on their own?”
Cloud chuckled deeply, stemming from deep in his core. This time, it was a warm chuckle, rather than the one from earlier. Pointing over at his home, the two walked over after getting some minor things to get for dinner.
The town’s recovery will start tomorrow when they have able hands and good enough rest to fix it. After that… they’ll figure it out.
They always do.