The Mistwood kingdom.
Thunder!
A loud thunderous roared.
Where is gloomy and cloudy.
Pitter - patter!
The sound of endless heavy rain pouring and scattered all around the land.
Wooosh!
Heavy wind blowing across the lands.
The sound of the forest shaking hard by the strong wind.
A shadowing figure walking towards the village wearing a tattered black robe. Covering his whole figure hiding his face from the outside world.
Few guards were having conversations.
"Hey. Did you hear about the incident yesterday?"
"Yeah. I heard a few women were found naked in the street."
"Yeah, and she was cut into pieces."
Both guards were horrified by the news.
"What kind of sick, guy, do that to a woman?" The guard felt disgusted.
"Ugh!"
One of the guard saw a mysterious figure coming towards them.
The mysterious figure slowly went through the gate, but the guards stood in front of him, stopping his advance.
"Hold up!"
The guard was suspicious by the wanderer.
"Are you alone?" The guard asks.
His fellow group saw the wanderer. They were curious why a person would walk in the middle of nowhere, at a storming night alone. The wanderer, however, stays silent for moments.
"If you won't answer? We won't let you go. So reveal yourself." The guard asks mysterious figure with a threatening tone.
The wanderer stood there mysterious. The rain poured and scattered on him.
Pitter-patter!
The rain drop bounces off his robe and hoodie.
He spoke, "And if I don't...?"
The wonderer voice echoes with a deep voice.
The guards felt a chilling sensation.
They were a little bit frightened by his mysterious figure.
"Well... ugh... we will use force." The guard voice was a little bit shaking.
Both guards surround him.
"I won't ask again! Who are you!?"
The guard yelled out.
Both guards immediately aim their long spear at the wonderer, but the wonderer wasn't faze by their imitating presence and being surrounded by a few groups while standing in the rain.
The mysterious wonderer slowly looks at the guard that was asking.
"I'm sorry..." His voice echoes.
The wanderer slowly reveals it a featureless site.
The guard got scared by the site of the wanderer.
"Whaa...!" The guard shocked voice.
With a single gaze, the wonderer immediately uses his ability.
"Time stop..." His voice echoes.
Crackle!
That very moment.
The world around them comes to an unnatural halt - raindrops suspended mid-air.
The guards were paused.
Everything stops, and freeze in time.
The mysterious wanderer stands tall and imposing, his robes billowing despite the stillness, eyes glowing with otherworldly power.
The wanderer slowly walks towards the guards with ease.
Once he got further away, his voice echoes bounced through the air.
"Release..." His voice echoes through the air.
Crackle...
Everything was now moving.
Pitter-patter!
Humph!!!
The guards were even more frightened.
"Where did he go!?"
"He was just here a moment ago."
The guards were freaking out. They clearly surround the mysterious figure, but he wasn't there anymore. Like he vanish before their very eyes.
"Did we see a ghost?" He was frightened by it.
"Hey! Don't be ridiculous.." He refused to believe.
All the guards thought it was.
"It probably our imagination... yeah, that right! Hahah..."
"Yeah... what he said... haha.."
Both guards slowly walk and stand in their position, hoping that they could go home. They were too frightened and doubted about what had just happened there. They glance at each other, not a word about what happened.
***
At the medieval street in the middle of the night.
Where are gloomy and cloudy heavily pouring rain drops.
Pitter-patter...
The sound was hard and loud.
Splash!
Pant! Pant!
A desperate woman was running towards the street.
"Somebody! Help!..." A woman voice cried out.
She was running for her life.
Behind her, a group of men were chasing her.
"Hehe... come back, sweetie!" His playful tone.
"Come on! We just wanted to help you... haha," another man playful tone.
The women clothes were ripped, dirty, and soaked in the rain.
She was wearing a Renaissance apricot shirt, which was crafted from breathable cotton fabric, ensuring a soft touch against her skin. The puff sleeve shirt with off-shoulder design adds a touch of sophistication and allows her to show case her shoulder gracefully.
With her grey green long skirt, high waist with pockets. The skirts are made of lightweight, comfortable materials.
The rain-soaked woman darts between alleyways, her pursues gaining ground.
She didn't look back while running straight ahead. She was hoping that she might see anyone who could help her.
Then a surprise swung...
Paa.
Someone nuckle made contact with her delicate face.
The woman crumbles to the ground with a sickening thud, blood trickling from her shirt.
She slowly looks up at the one who hit her.
A sinister old man emerges from the shadows, his face contorted with greed as he approaches the fallen woman.
The old man said, "Well, well-well, what do we have here?" He chuckles darkly, rubbing his hand on his ball sag while eyeing the women on the ground.
The frightened woman beg for her life.
"Please... don't hurt me..." she trembles, backing away from the old man, rain mixing with her tears.
The old man advance playfully and menacingly, his large frame towering over.
"Begging won't save you, my dear. You'll fetch a pretty price, but first. My men and I, are want to release a lot of load that we have been holding it in for a while now."
His voice filled with devious and dark tone.
His men behind her were laughing.
Enjoying the sight of her helplessness.
"Haha..."
"Let's fucking go.."
"Let me go first... hehe..."
The women's chest heaves with panic, her heartbeat pumping drastically as the old man reaches for her.
"NOOOO..." her desperate cried out.
The old man meaty hand grabs her wrist, squeezing hard enough to leave bruises.
"You're mine now." His playful tone.
The mysterious wonderer emerges from the rain, his silhouette tall and imposing against the stormy backdrop.
Step step step step
His footsteps echo ominously.
The old man turns, momentarily distracted from his prey.
"Who's there?"
The old man saw a tall, mysterious figure.
"Just great! What a bad luck. I guess we can't let him leave, or he might sell them out for what he just saw now." He muttered to himself.
The old man turns around, giving his man the glance, signaling them to take care of the stranger.
His group of men grin while nods and walking towards the stranger.
The desperate women warn the mysterious man.
"Run... he's dangerous... get away!" Her voice quivers with fear and hope.
The old man's face contorts with rage as he raises his hand to silence her.
"Shut your mouth, you worthless wench!" He brings his hand down with force.
Paa!
"Ahhhh..."
The sound of flesh echoes through the alley as the woman cries out in pain.
The old man satisfied with his strike, he turns back to the mysterious man. His men were surrounded by all escape routes. The men show a creepy grin, thinking that he had where he wanted him to be.
"Hehe... you saw something that should not know. Now, we have no choice but to get rid of you. Don't blame us for it. Blame yourself for stumbling into our street." The old man dark voice.
The old man even shows his slimy tongue, licking the sharp edge off the dagger. With a sickening dreadful ominous smug.
One of his groups spoke.
"Haha... let hurry up. I want to play with that woman next."
However, the mysterious man was not amused or frightened by being surrounded by thugs.
His dark face shows instead.
Then, a sudden pressure.
Booommmm!
The atmosphere grows heavy with tension as the mysterious figure stood there ineffective by the pressure.
The old man eyes widen with fear, and he feels the oppressive force. "What sorcery is this?"
His men could no longer stand on their feet.
Thud!
Thud!
Thud!
The sound of their knee cab hits the concrete ground hard.
Causing them to feel their broken bone.
Underneath their knee cap, there was crack.
"Ekkkkkk!"
"Ahhhhh!"
"Mmmmmm!"
The old man was arrogant, but now, he was on the ground being overwhelmed. Even his men were showing tears.
His whole body was shaking to his very core.
The moment he realized he had provoked someone that he shouldn't have. Thought of him trying to plead for mercy, hoping he would let him off. That was his thoughts, but little did he know.
The wonderer said, "You're thinking that I should let you live. Am I right?"
The rain was pouring more on surfaces.
The sound of the rain drops was loud. The mysterious wonderer who show no care or any feelings about them.
The wonderer doesn't take pity on the mortals.
The old man was whimpering desperately for mercy.
"Please... we promise not to hurt anyone anymore. Let us go..." his voice filled with empty promises.
The wonderer chuckles, "Oh really... funny, you mentioned it. Did you spare the once who pleaded for mercy? Did you let them go when they beg for their life's?" His tone filled with mocked and undeniable joyful feeling.
The old man struggling to breathe, his face turning red.
"Please..."
The men were about to say something.
Paa.
Pop!
Splash! (Blood)
The old man body got crushed by the overwhelming force.
The group of men were now horrified
"Wait—"
"Please—"
"I have kids—"
Pop!
Splash! (Blood)
One by one, they all got crushed by the strong pressure. None were spare, except the women.
The women who still saw the terror right before her.
She watches in bewilderment, somehow unaffected by the magical pressure.
Step step
The wonder slowly walks towards her.
The woman heart beating fast.
Her mind filled with concerns and fear. She was thinking that the mysterious figure would kill her as well.
"Who are you?" She whispers, still trembling.
The woman's eyes meet the figures, and she feels an inexplicable mix of fear and fascination. The rain continues to pour around them. The figure remains silent, studying the women's terrified expression.
"If I wanted to kill you. I would have done it already." He said while pointing his thump behind him where he killed those men.
Her eyes follow his gesture to the suffering men, then back to him.
"Why... why are you helping me?" She asks cautiously.
The wanderer was new to this place. He needed guidance.
"I'm new here. I don't know where I am supposed to go." He said.
The women, despite her fear, she can't help but notice his formal tone and noble bearing.
"You're lost?" She wipes blood of her face.
The wanderer nods.
She hesitantly stands up, still maintaining distance.
"I can help you find your way. But first, please let me tend to my wounds." She gestures to her bleeding temples.
The wanderer slowly raised his hand towards her, "Don't move..." He said.
She freeze in place, eye widening by the green light. "What are you doing?"
Her voice trembles with uncertainty.
Her wounds were instantly healed automatically.
She touches her previous injured face disbelief, finding no trace of pain or injury.
"Magic... you're a sorcerer?" Her fear shift to wonder.
The wanderer said, "You could say that." His voice filled with mystery, telling her no hints.
She studies him with newfound curiosity despite his imitating presence.
"What is your name, mysterious healer?" She said with a relaxing tone.
Wanderer stood there silent for short moments.
"You can call me endless," he said with formal tone.
"Endless..." She tests the name on her lips.
"Well, I'm Clara. Thank you for saving me, Endless." She finally relaxed slightly.
Endless said, "Will you be my guide?" He asks.
She nods slowly, gathering her courage.
"Yes, I will guide you. But you must promise me not to harm anyone else." Her eyes dart to the dead bodies.
Endless said, "I'll try not to cause you trouble."
She sighs with relief, though she remains cautious. "Ok... that's all I ask."
________________________________________
Next chapter...