"Now, you all die," I whispered tenderly.
"Look up! What the hell is that?!" A voice rang out.
"It's.. it's one of the El–"
I lowered my sword immediately. A single, clean vertical strike.
A dark arc ran from the tip of my sword, and as it landed on the ground, it painted the entire front yard of the castle with destruction.
Cleaving the front yard, destroying the four walls of the battlement as they all came crumbling down.
Boom~! Boom~!
Once more, pain-filled screams tore through the air.
But this time, they weren't from my people. They were the screams of my dying enemies.
I landed softly on the splitting ground. The clean cleave on the ground caused it to crumble slowly, like a calm earthquake.
I shot a calm gaze at the keep.
The rifle guards that shot from the arrow slits were nowhere to be found. They were all gone. But the keep still stood firmly.
I squinted my eyes, straining my vision to capture the sight of a figure standing on top of the keep, engulfed in light.
Immediately, my lips widened. A soft smile.
I shook my head slowly as my clenched heart finally freed up.
"Firma.." I muttered.
I released a deep exhale from my lips, and the darkness that surrounded me vanished, making their way back to my soul until I called them.
My gaze was still fixed on the light-enshrouded Firma that stood on top of the keep. His cape fluttered behind him as he flicked his wrist lazily. Beckoning at me to come up.
That means he has dealt with every threat.
It's time to enter the castle, then.
I jumped. My legs propelled me through the air as I made my way toward the top of the keep.
I landed on the stone platform. My gaze lingered on Firma.
The sight of him being coated with light, folding his arms as he looked down at the destroyed front yard, was strange.
His eyes were narrowed, his jaws were clenched, and his fingers tapped his biceps rhythmically, but still hastily..
He appeared to be somehow... nervous.
His awakened element was the exact opposite of mine. Plasma.
I didn't know the full details about his awakened Han element, but I knew that he wielded light. And if it were back then, during the days of Elven reign, when humans didn't exist in our world, he would have been able to fully control light. That, of course, is if he had ascended the paths.
But now, he could only stir it up within his soul and wield it as a tool to enhance his already frightening strength.
But why does he appear so nervous? I've never seen this side of him before.
The light coating him slowly diminished until it completely vanished.
Then I turned my gaze from him, looking down at the destroyed front yard.
Truly, it was like an earthquake had occurred. The ground opened up and swallowed everything that was on it. The four walls of the battlement crumbled, killing every single guard that was shooting at us.
Here, the corpses of guards lay limp. Firma had killed them all.
"Well, big guy, let's go in," I said, tapping his left shoulder as I turned to find a way inside the keep.
"Ranin.." He called out to me in a soft voice. A very odd tone for him.
He was being very.. unusual that day.
I paused, turning back to look at him. He was still looking at the destroyed yard.
My brows arched, "What is it, Firma?" I asked, a tone slightly above a hushed whisper. A genuine question.
"Have you ever wondered..." He spoke. This time, his voice sounded tired, like a drowsy person struggling to stay conscious. "If there are humans that aren't... evil?"
A deeply etched frown formed on my face.
What kind of question is he asking? Does he not know? Does he not know what their kind does to us?
"What exactly do you mean?" My tone grew slightly rougher as I asked.
He just let out a small sigh, shook his head, and then said, "Nothing."
I stood still. I couldn't get myself to move.
What must be running through his mind? What exactly is he thinking?
I didn't know.
Now that I think about it, I never knew. Ever since I met him.
He was the one person I'd never been able to read. Yet, he was the only person that I understood and that understood me so well, too.
That's why I knew..
This is dangerous. I can't lose him. I need him. Without him, I..
Without him..
Without..
Do I even know him?
I mean, I understand him, yes. But, do I actually know him? What he likes, dislikes, what region he's from, where he grew up, and which academy he was trained in.
I don't.. I don't know him at all.
And he doesn't know me either.
"Let's go." He said as he walked past the frozen me, moving toward the one place dug in the ground here that seemed like an entrance to the keep.
He has always been following me. Following my lead. He was the only Elf who agreed to follow me on my insane quest. The others never dared to rebel against the Humans.
But I never even knew why.. Why did he choose to follow me when no one else did? Why follow me to do something as impossible as this?
Why..
"Why did you agree to follow me, Firma?" I asked with a slightly shaky voice. My head was low, and my jaw was trembling. Same with my clenched fists.
His footsteps halted. He paused.
"Ranin, you.." He paused, and my body felt like it was drowning in the endless silence. "Your eyes. They looked so bright; they were filled with conviction for someone who had lost so much. For someone who had almost been through as much suffering as I..." He continued, "So I thought, 'I'm not doing anything with my life anyway, so I might as well follow you.' You seemed like... a trustworthy guy."
My tense heart eased up as a small, warm smile played on my lips. "I see," I muttered. "After all this is over, let's have a real conversation, you and me," I said.
"Mn." He replied, "Sure."
My frozen body finally moved, and I turned, heading to that hole with him.
To finally meet the Provincial Lord.
Our third target.