Chapter 14 - 14

"The joint assault force," Doc smiled. "It was made up of Adventurers and Fourth Division soldiers. They went out when they saw the commotion going on the cliffs. They hadn't gotten through in time to save your friends, but they got there in time to pull you out."

"Ah..." I said. I felt better knowing those little shits were dead. It didn't absolve the guilt I felt in surviving, though. "Could you help me up? I tried but my muscles aren't agreeing with what I want to do."

"Haha!" Doc gave out a hearty laugh. "Of course they won't. You nearly shredded the muscles in your shoulders. You fought a Hobgoblin and lived to tell about it, I'm surprised your wounds weren't worse. Here, let me help you up."

Doc slid his arm under my back and helped me sit up. As the blanket slid down, I saw what he meant. My skin had turned a light purple over my chest. There also was a large purple mark in the shape of a hand on my right wrist.

"They were worst when they brought you in," Doc said as he began to examine the purple marks. "They're good enough to lightly use, but try not to move them quickly or lift heavy objects. I don't want to have to use a lot of mana on them. With the state, they're in now, a few more days with a mixture of light healing spells and natural bodily healing with fix this."

"That's good..." I was curious about this magic the man spoke of, but in the current unknown climate, I figured adopting a passive stance would bring fewer headaches. People loved to talk from my experience. I could piece it together later.

("If you can't trust the people around you, and you have the time, just take in information passively. That's how we did it overseas.") Jacob's voice echoed once again in my head.

"So what do we call you?" Doc asked. "We can't keep calling you Boy, but everyone thought you were a girl at first. Well, only me and the important folk around here know you're a man.

"Name's Kian, Kian Willow." I gave him a weak smile.

« † »

I leaned in the wooden rocking chair Doc had on his porch. Much to my surprise, the old man's cottage sat in quite the spot. His cottage rest on the mountainside, and by the mountainside, not a rocky slope. The village, or "Settlement" as Doc called it, had been built upon a ridge. From where Doc's home was, I could see the dancing waves shimmer in the midday sky. I could see tens of thatched roofs, tightly packed together along the ridgeside before it ended abruptly. From there, a tall palisade had been erected.

Beyond was densely packed trees. Maybe oaks, or beech trees, or maybe a different kind I've never heard of. The view would have been astounding, if not for the large swath of land on the border of land and sea. There, I could see the crashed Osprey - broken and burned. I could not see the bodies of the soldiers. I didn't see the dead monsters who'd terrorized us.

A few colorful birds glided across the air, and a cool ocean breeze caressed me. It was peaceful. Terribly peaceful... That was until I noticed that everything had gone silent. The hammering had stilled. The birds in the sky remained suspended mid-turn. The ocean waves still reached forward. The trees still slightly rustled. The world around me had stopped.

"Welcome to the land of the living," A sweet voice spoke up beside me.

I stiffened at the words. Slowly, I swiveled my neck to see who said that. To my left, sitting in an identical wooden chair, was a beautiful woman. She looked no older than me - two years younger at most. She had flawless porcelain skin, topped with silky white hair. This framed the two pools of gold, cut by ink-black pupils that stared back at me. A lovely small nose with pursed lips that seemed to repress a smile.

She only wore a black dress, adorned with a golden paw above her heart. Nothing else as she brushed her hair over her ear - while holding a bottle of Coke.

"Kept me waiting much." She said, and a smile bloomed across her lips. Her pupils narrowed slowly, and I felt a snake was posing to strike me. "You do sleep quite a lot. Though, they did give you sleeping drugs. You might not want to trust those doctors. Much up a bunch of plants and all, crazy stuff."

She took a sip of the drink. The entire scene felt out of place as she did it. A mix of fantasy, myth, and modern jumbled into one beautiful mess.

"Who are you...?" I asked cautiously. I had a sudden feeling of n.a.k.e.dness wash over me. It reminded me that I no longer how my ballistic vest or pistol. I had a nagging feeling that I needed it now.

"Relax," The girl sang as another bottle of coke appeared in her free hand. She leaned towards me, extending the bottle over. "If I wanted to hurt you, I'd have done it already."

Timidly, I took it from her; more alert because of her words. As if reading my thoughts, verbatim.

"Chill," She rolled her eyes and kicked up her feet onto thin air. They stayed there as if there was a table or something. "I came to extend you the best deal of your life. Greatest deal. Magical deal."

"You still haven't answered my question," I said. "Who are you?"