Chapter 11

Multiple tablets take form before me. Currently I’m making artifacts to be spread among the fields. Each to receive simple plant growth wards. Since their range is limited, I’ll need to make various of these to cover all the area.

The current harvest is still ongoing, so I do have some time till these are needed.

Life in the Uruk Village has been going pretty well so far. Although most villagers tend to treat me with some kind of reverence that leaves me a little uncomfortable.

The exception has been the chief and her daughter. It’s the first time in a very long time I’ve actually had someone to call friend. That’s been nice, I guess.

Later that day. In comes someone knocking on my door.

“Hey Rhea. I’ve finished early. Want to see a cool place?” Said Chief Layla, as she barged through my door.

“Sure, I’m just about done here. I’ll just clean up shop and we’ll go.”

The artifacts had all their shapes done, with just the final part of the engravings to be done.

Exiting the forge, the light of the late afternoon cast long shadows upon the village. Throughout, you could see people finishing up their business and going home. Smoke could be seen coming out of many chimneys as the air began cooling down.

Balto was patiently waiting outside. Experience taught him to not risk entering my workspace. A little explosion. Or two. And they get all antsy. Not that I really mind.

“It’s faster if we go by Balto.”

“I thought you didn’t like riding with me?” I asked the grinning elf.

“That was then, this is now.”

Hopping in, we quickly left the village.

“There! Up the cliffs.”

Following the river upstream into the mountain. We pass through the woods again and keep going up. Half an hour later, she guides us into our destination.

“Welcome. This is the village’s springs. This used to be busier, but since last raid, I’ve restricted people going up here alone. But I guess it won’t be a problem for us.” Said Layla while she dismounts the Fenrir.

What I see before me is a natural pool in the middle of the trees and cliffs. Steam billowed from it. While the water flow took it to the river below. This must be a volcanic region. You can even faintly smell the sulfur.

“A natural hot spring? I didn’t know you guys had such fancy things.”

“It’s one of our best kept secrets.” She said, giving me a wink.

“I don’t know about you, but I’m dying for a bath.”

Usually at the village, people would only scrub themselves with a wet cloth. Actual bathing is a luxury that even in my old world, took a long time to become standard. Not that I ever need to take baths. Magic is pretty convenient at these times. But I guess once in a while can’t be that bad.

As I’m thinking about the advent of cleanliness into medieval societies. My companion begins to strip. Her tanned and muscular body a true sight to see.

She takes off her upper clothing and the humongous melons are revealed to me. They really make me feel inadequate in that regard. The light of the setting sun against her naked body, almost a painting.

Finishing up, she immediately jumps into the water with a splash. No regard for etiquette or any kind of decorum. Like a child going to the beach.

Curiously, I don’t see anything different “down there”. Wonder how that works? I’m just too embarrassed to ask though.

“Aren’t you coming? The water is great!” Said the bashful elf. Now swimming in the bath like a little kid.

“Fine!” I said as I stripped off my robes. As Balto joins the other kid in swimming.

Entering the bath, I feel the hot water against my skin. Finding a good place to sit, I immerse myself into appreciating the view of the mountains.

“Relaxing isn’t it?”

Layla then positioned herself besides me. Both of us enjoying the water.

“You should’ve shown me this sooner.”

“You seemed pretty busy before. And besides. What’s the fun if it’s not a surprise?” She said with a laugh.

After a few moments of silence. She continued.

The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

“How are things going in the village? Getting comfortable living with us?”

“It’s been great. Thank you. Both you two and the rest of the villagers have been great to me.”

“I heard you’ve been getting along with Aida. Thank you for that... That girl is just too serious for her own good, you know.”

“I guess having someone else keeping an eye on her will keep her somewhat grounded.”

“She told me what happened. I’m sorry.” I told her while stretching a bit.

“It hit us pretty hard. I guess things haven’t been quite the same since then. She tries so hard to compensate. That’s why I am so glad she seems to have opened a bit to you.”

“You know. It’s been great for me too. To have you both. My whole life has been just me and mother. I craved for other people too. And now you’re here with me. Thank you.”

“It’s no problem at all. You’re being great for us too.” Before I could react, she too gave me a kiss on the cheek.

“Now you also got one for me. Come, it’s getting late.” She said as she began exiting the bath.

“Hey, how did you know about that?”

“Do you think anyone really can keep secrets in such a small village? Besides. Her embarrassed face trying to avoid you that night was just too funny!”

I found myself trying not to stare at her when she dressed up. She looked just that beautiful. Not that she seemed to care about me watching though.

As for Balto, I dried him with a burst of magic for extra fluffy fur.

The trip back was pretty eventless. With Layla comfortably hugging me from behind. To say it was different from our first trip, was an understatement.

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Getting back to the village, we immediately notice something is amiss. With most of the hunters organized in front of the main gate.

As we get near, we are greeted by Raja in full battle outfit.

“Give me a report. What is happening?” Said Layla, immediately switching to serious mode, and jumping off Balto.

“A group of 5 farmers went missing and didn’t come back at dusk. We organized them into bigger groups for gathering after the last raid, but it seems it wasn’t enough.”

“Either they encountered beasts, or another group of bandits. I suspect the remnants of the last one are still around.”

“Groups of ten, with our best trackers at front then. Let’s find these girls.”

Layla and her second in command began organizing the search parties.

“Can you help us?” Asked Raja.

“Do you have anything belonging to them?”

Sure, I’ll ask their families.

A few minutes later, she had a small collection of personal effects.

“Here, smell this Balto. Do you think you can track these people by smell?”

Woof! Came the response.

“Then let’s go!” As I hopped into him. Layla also did the same.

“I’m going with you. I’m the best fighter around here, and besides. I do not want to face your mother if something happens to you!”

“Fine. We can come back for reinforcements if it’s too much for us.”

As we sped off into the night, Balto immediately took a turn into the woods by the direction opposite to the Forest of Emesh. They might have a few hours lead, but this is nothing to Balto’s speed.

Two hours of running later, and we begin seeing signs of their recent passing. Their trail still hot, we slow down to try and not to rush into a potentially bad situation.

Stalking through the woods, using the darkness as cover, we see what looks like a fire in the distance.

What we see when we got near was a small band. They seemed to have no more than fifteen people. Mostly lazing around the fire.

Their equipment seemed a bit shabby, with crude swords and frayed leather armor all around. Among the bandits, only one seemed a bit different. With plate mail and a little bit finer sword.

The hostages were all sat down immobile in a corner. Around their necks, collars seemed to emit magical energy. It somehow seemed wrong. Like the dark mana in the confluences wrong.

Layla whispered into my ear.

“This seems to be remnants from the last raid. They must have gotten reinforcements somehow. They must be part of a larger group to get access to magical slave collars like that one.”

“We should wait for more of them to fall asleep before we attack.”

As we prepared to wait a bit. What seemed to be their man in command, suddenly dragged one of the villagers to its tent. Making the prospect of waiting all for naught.

“I’ll need you to take the guard near the villagers so I can isolate them. Can you do that?”

Assenting to my request, she takes her bow from her back. And positions herself into a nearby tree.

With the agreed signal, an arrow flies silently through the darkness directly into the guard’s neck.

Before he even hits the ground, an earthen wall quickly begins to cover the villagers, protecting them from the immediate mayhem that follows.

The camp falls into disorder as multiple arrows begin to hit their targets, and hundreds of sharp water blades begin to turn them into pieces in a festival of gore and blood.

What is left is a cacophony of wails. The survivors screaming for mercy as they look into their lost limbs and guts falling down on the floor.

The whole attack from beginning to end, lasted no more than 30 seconds. With surprisingly, Layla having emptied her whole quiver with unnerving precision at the bandits.

And then, from his tent. Out comes the leader holding a naked girl hostage as expected.

“Let me go right now or she’ll die!” Comes in the shout from the slimy bastard.

“I’m afraid that’s not going to happen.” Says Layla as she pulls an arrow from a still twitching bandit, and promptly knocks it in her bow.

“Our full band is much larger than this. Your puny village of mongrels will never survive if you do this!” Said the now panicking man.

The situation got into a stalemate, as neither side was going to give up. Sensing things getting dire. I silently began to manipulate mana around me in a way he couldn’t perceive.

What I’m doing is creating a bubble around his head with very thin air.

He suddenly begins to get really drowsy. And before he can react, plunging his knife into the villager’s throat. A silent water blade cuts his hands off, and an arrow hits his shoulder.

As he falls to the ground screaming and crying. Layla approaches with her knife in hand, ready to finish the deal.

“No!” I shout. “We need this bastard alive!”

She then kicks him very hard in the gut. Making him pass out.

“Let’s finish the other ones then. And I really hope this bastard has a key to their collars.”

We then settle into our work of finishing up the still breathing bandits, tying up the leader, and freeing the now traumatized girls.

The collars seemed to have some kind of restrictive magic, because as soon as they came off. They began moving normally and crying their eyes out. I’ll really need analyze them later if I am to come up with a countermeasure.

As we finally finish up, and begin feeding the girls a little before we begin our journey back, the reality of the situation and what I just did begins to dawn on me. Nausea comes rushing in like a wave and soon I’m in the bushes puking my stomach out.

“First time killing someone. Right?” Layla came asking me. And soon, she was gently patting my back.

“I thought culling monsters would prepare me for it. But nope.” I said as I cleaned up myself again.

“I really wish I could tell you it gets better. It doesn’t. At least you deal with it better though.”

Really hope she’s right on this. I must toughen it up, at least for now.

And besides, I have an asshole to drag around and squeeze for answers.