Four months have passed since that hell in Nataran. Over that time, humans have accepted the existence of the other world, and the visitors that came from within. The Laar’s military general has been imprisoned by his own people for the war crime he committed by breaking the peace that had been agreed on and launching an attack on Nataran. His suspected associates in Nataran had gone missing, including Daniel. Even though many were shocked in disbelief as the information spread to the other shelters, all have agreed to work together to find home on the other side. For humanity it was a new hope, for the Aeterran Kingdom it meant getting back what's theirs. Aleric had been pretty busy with the preparations during those months, so Ken haven’t had a chance to talk to him much. Observing Nataran, Ken was seeing how the otherworldly races get along with humans. Awkward at first, but it was fine after a while. Other than the elves, there were winged people, dwarves, then some looked as if their whole body was made of plants, but the rest was hard to recognize because of the armor they usually wore. Thanks to a spell, Aeterrans were able to learn human language right away and vice versa. The Cryth weren’t a different race from these, but a rebellion that grew into an empire.
Ken also found out that almost every Aeterran secretly living in Nataran was a part of the army which fought the Cryth Empire before escaping a certain annihilation. Their families and loved ones were still stranded under the Sorrowbringer’s control, back in their home. She was seen as the incarnation of evil, who brought war upon a harmonious, prospering land and threw it into utter chaos. It was waiting to be restored, and in 3 days, humans would set foot in it.
“I can’t wait, I can’t wait!” Emilia was cheerfully jumping around, while Ken and Charlotte chipped away from the strawberry pudding they’ve been served. “I will be the first one to go through!” she announced.
Ken laughed, “What makes you think they would even let us in?”
“Don’t ruin my moment, hmph!”
“Hey…” Charlotte gently pulled Ken’s shirt, “Are there going to be fairies? I really want to see them.”
She had that little child’s spark in her eyes. Ken stared into them, thinking of an answer that would satisfy her.
“I will do my best to find one for you.”
“Aww, that’s cute, “ Emilia said.
Someone knocked on the door, so Ken went to check. He opened and there was Lekko, the dwarf from before.
“Long time no see, my friend!” Lekko said and began walking away, “Your request is finished.”
Ken followed, as they walked through the evening’s busy streets of Nataran.
“I would bring it to you, but I ain’t touching that thing. It seems like your leg is healed anyway. My brothers have been working on it for days. I don’t even understand why would they do it… As blacksmiths, they probably saw it as a challenge. And it’s going to be even more dangerous to use! Hopefully you know what you are doing.”
“Oh well, I wasn’t expecting this, I thought they declined,” Ken said.
“They refused, but when I told them that you are close friends with the dragonslayers from the other day, they hopped right into it all of a sudden. Honestly, if something happened to them, it would have been my fault!
They arrived at a shabby hut, which was echoing with hammering of metal.
"Stay here while I call them out.”
Ken waited, while many people kept walking by. He overheard a conversation of two Aeterrans:
“Are we ready though? It was supposed to be in 3 days.”
“It’s to make sure it works as intended. Just a test to see how long the rift would last.”
The rest of the conversation got blurred as they walked away. Ken made a step to follow them and ask about it, but Lekko came out with his two blacksmith brothers.
“Hi there! So you are the warrior we have been honored to give a helping hand?” one of them asked.
The other one frowned, “Hmm, I was expecting someone mightier. Are you sure you can handle this weapon, boy? Afterall, anything this cuts, will end up dying. It was really tricky to pull it out of your deceased friend… my condolences.”
Ken shivered when Marvin was mentioned. The weapon he has requested to be made was a sword with its blade made from the ice-like material that had pierced Marvin. Aeterrans call it corrupted ice, which is sturdier than steel and doesn’t melt. Wounds inflicted by it cause unstoppable frostbite to spread from the wound throughout the whole body.
One of the dwarves handed over the sword to Ken, covered with a small blanket and likely sheathed as well.
“Alright then. We hope you’ll be satisfied.”
Ken bowed in front of them.
“You have my thanks,” he said, “I will make sure to return the favor in the future.”
A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
It seemed like nobody was home, when Ken returned. He put the sword on the table near his unfinished pudding and carefully uncovered it. The scabbard was made from black metal and so was the handle, which had a leather grip. Ken held the sword in both hands and slowly unsheathed the blade.
“Wow,” he thought, seeing the beautifully carved ice blade. It resembled a white, almost transparent crystal with a blue-purple tint, long and sharp enough to be used as a sword. He could feel the cold radiating from it.
Ken raised the blade.
“I will avenge you! I will put an end to that witch who destroyed both worlds!”
A sound of slow and steady clapping came from behind. It was Emilia.
“What a speech. Big words for someone who just got a new toy. Come with me, I’ve got something more interesting for ya.”
“I will call it... the Frostblade,” Ken said and sheathed his sword.
“Just come!” she grabbed his hand a pulled him out of the house.
“What has gotten into you? Where is Charlotte?”
“She is sleeping, now shut up and follow me,” Emilia released him and slowed down as they entered a less populated area.
They sneaked through a few hallways before they saw three Aeterrans chatting at a table. There was a source of purple light Ken couldn’t see because of the corner he was hiding behind. It was also making some kind of electrifying noise. “Is it what I think it is?”
“Alright Ken, we go in 3… 2…” Emilia whispered.
“Wait!”
“Go!” she sprinted out and Ken had no choice other than to follow her. As soon as he left the corner, he saw the source of the purple light and the noise. It was the rift opened, but much smaller, with a size of a cinema screen. He hoped that she won’t jump right into it and luckily, she just ran behind it. Ken followed. The rift was in between them and the Aeterrans, so they couldn’t be seen or heard.
“I know exactly what you are thinking,” Ken said, “But we aren’t doing it.”
“Oh, are you backing off? Where is your heroism now?”
“We don’t even know what is on the other side, it’s too risky!”
“Then… let’s find out,” she said and walked very close to the violet wall of plasma.
“Stop it, Emilia!”
She turned to Ken and they sustained an eye contact for a few seconds. Then she stuck her tongue out, backpedaled into the portal and disappeared. Ken just stared into the void, not knowing what to do.
“It’s stupid as hell to rush in like this…” he thought and put one hand on his sword, while readying himself to go inside. Still staring into the void, he took a deep breath and made one step, when Emilia suddenly popped out.
“For fucks sake, why is it taking you so long?!” she went behind Ken, pushed him towards the portal and kicked him right through.
Ken landed on the ground face down. He rolled on his back, but the sun was blinding him, barely allowing him to open his eyes. Since it was supposed to be evening, he knew he did indeed successfully cross the bridge. When he finally opened his eyes, the first thing he saw were the two orange moons up in the sky, one slightly bigger than the other.
“See? It wasn’t so bad,” Emilia said.
Ken was listening to the birds’ chirping and crickets, which sounded familiar, but different. They probably weren’t birds, nor crickets. He went into a sitting position to look around and saw scenery of a colorful jungle. It seemed normal, except some of the trees having huge white leaves coming out of their bark. And that bark having some random glowing runes engraved in it. And the branches moving by themselves even though there’s no wind. And the mini winged dinosaurs sitting on them, making the chirping sound… The longer he watched, the weirder it got.
“Amazing!” Emilia shouted while wandering around, observing and touching everything.
“It sure is, but you being so carefree… will get us in trouble.”
Emilia didn’t listen, as her attention was fully grabbed by the big white leaves. As she poked into them, they sunk back into the tree’s bark. Ken noticed the branches started moving, when one of them stretched back like a hand about to slap someone. Only one leaf was left.
“Stop that, I don’t think the tree likes it.”
“What are you saying?” she laughed as her finger was about to touch the last leaf. “It’s just a tr-”
The branch hit and propelled her quite a distance away.
“Emilia!”
Ken ran after her, but she was just helplessly rolling down the hill, while trying to grab onto something. He decided to follow and slide as well. The path was rather sandy, so Emilia probably wouldn’t hurt herself, other than feeling dizzy. When he reached the bottom, he heard her voice.
“H… Help…”
A small rhino-like creature with green scales and more than one pair of eyes was standing above her and sniffing around.
“Oh shit… stay calm,” Ken said and took out his ice blade while slowly approaching the rhino. “Should I just scare it away? What if it becomes rather irritated and injures her with that big horn?”
The rhino sniffed around Emilia’s head and came closer, before giving her an unpleasant lick that went all over her face.
“Bleh!” she tried to spit, but the rhino continued his friendly form of saying hello.
“Hey!” Ken shouted and ran towards it, when it growled back at him. The rhino was focused on him, and it walked closer. Ken waved his sword around, as an attempt to scare it, but it didn’t work. After reaching the sword and sniffing it, the rhino got uncomfortable, backed off and ran away.
“Are you alright, Emilia?”
“Yeah, just…” she was still cleaning her face and spitting, “I will need like ten bottles of mouthwash for this.”
Ken chuckled.
“Anyway, we have to find a way to get back,” he said while watching the steep way up where they came from.
They both tried to climb, but couldn’t reach higher than two meters before sliding back down.
“Sorry mate, this is my fault…” Emilia said.
“It’s fine, we will just have to go around then.”
Ken looked left and right, but there didn’t seem to be any easy way up as far as he could see. “It will be a little bit of walking, I guess.”
A little onion-shaped being hopped near Ken. It was emitting turquoise light and resembled a spirit. He kneeled down to it with a question.
“Hi there! Are you our spirit guide or something? We kinda need help right now…”
The creature looked at Ken for a while with its white, cute blob eyes. And then, it just disappeared.
“Huh?”