Reverse Chronicles

Cost of Protection

Today’s the day that Wisterion will train me. I made sure to prepare. As a student athlete, I have to exercise every morning to get ready for the day. This training should be like fencing or archery. Thankfully, I have some experience with both.

I do the stretches that I usually do, but my flexibility is not the same.

Does Josh ever stretch? His body is so stiff.

Trying not to overdo it, I take a quick run around the room. It is spacious enough to do some laps. I do my hygiene later and wear the clothes and garments that was prepared for me. I also wear the leather armor and the boots. I stretch for some ease of movement.

I can’t believe this is happening!

Somebody knocks on the door. “Coming,” I run to see who it was and open it. It was Roger. His stiff and inexpressive face strikes me as intimidating. “Good morning, Roger!” I smile.

“Pleasant morning, Master Wisterion sent me to fetch you. Please bring your weapon of choice with you.” I run to the chest and grabbed the bow.

This should do it! I just recently practiced archery.

“He is waiting in his carriage. Come!” I follow Roger and exited the mansion with him. He opens the door of the carriage and lets me in.

“How did you sleep, Alan?” Wisterion asks. “Do you find your room comfortable?”

“I slept well, thank you,” I answer. “My room is more than I could ask for. Thank you for letting me stay.”

“So, you chose a bow?” Wisterion asks as Roger whips the reins.

“I have some basic knowledge of archery,” I reply. “It is my best option.” Wisterion smiles and leans back.

Our carriage leaves the mansion gate. It is still very early in the morning. The sun has just completely pulled itself from the horizon. The village surrounding the mansion is quiet. Not a sound could be heard, except for the clucking of chickens, the honking of ducks, and the squealing of some pigs.

The carriage zoomed through the village leaving it behind. We went along a road by a creek were flower buds are starting to open. As we got farther away from the village, I begin to wonder and speculate about the nature of our training.

Are we going to a fort or military grounds of sorts? We are going far away from the village.

“Our training for today,” Wisterion notices the wrinkles on my forehead, “involves driving off bandits. A village at the edge of the Kealyn domain has been occupied by bandits two days ago. Its location, being close to mount Barnne puts it in constant peril. Our mission is to drive away the bandits and make sure that they do not bother the villagers again.”

Wisterion’s revelation shocks me. I expected something like shooting arrows from a range or sparring with swords, but this training is extreme. One wrong move and it could cost me my life. My knees begin to tremble.

“As a general of the Sarcen empire, I am always in the face danger,” Wisterion explains. “As my Squire, you have to learn how to control your fear so that you can fight with me. One wrong move will cost us everything. You must understand that.”

I could not muster the courage to reply. My thoughts lingered on how to keep myself safe.

I have to stay back and keep distance from the enemy. They must not get close to me no matter what.

I keep telling myself what to do.

“But don’t worry,” Wisterion gives a comforting smile, “I will protect you. Follow my instructions and both of us should be come out unscathed.”

The carriage suddenly stops. Roger opens the door. Wisterion gets out and I follow him outside. I expected to see a village, but we were in the middle of nowhere. The creek is still beside the road. On my left is an endless meadow, while on my right, a mountain proudly stood.

“An army is a beast and for it to fight it needs to eat,” Wisterion snaps his fingers and chairs and a table arranged themselves in front of us. “When you become my Squire, you will be the one arranging the furniture, but since you are an honored guest of House Kealyn, I will do it for now.”

We sit on the chair, while Roger places breakfast on the table.

“You still haven’t told me your class,” Wisterion asks.

“My class?”

“It’s in your status, this is how this world works. Just think about it and it show appear in front of you,” I do as he instructs and as what he said, a screen appears in front of me. It contained my maximum HP, MP, my Speed, Agility, Strength, Vitality, Intelligence, Mentality, and other parameters. On the upper right are the words, “Class: Outsider.”

“I’m an Outsider?” I reply. “What does that imply?”

Wisterion says nothing but laughs. His laugh is strangely haunting. Roger finishes arranging everything, and we take our meal. We return to the carriage and continued on our way, heading towards the mountain. The endless meadow slowly became a grove and the creek disappears, replaced by a rigid and rocky scene.

“We’re here!” Roger shouts, halting the carriage.

Wisterion bolts out of the carriage and extends the strange weapon that he wields. It suddenly turns into a spool of golden threads. He nods as he looks at me. I get out of the carriage and ready my bow, carrying the arrow-filled quiver on my back. Roger nods as he held a staff with a big gem that sat at its head.

“The village is a overrun by bandits. Once we enter, they will attack us indiscriminately. I will be the vanguard, you two will provide support. Let’s go!” Wisterion leads the way.

We walk towards the village. From a distance, it looked deserted. Not a path of smoke can be seen from the ceiling. It is quiet, too quiet even for a village this hidden in the forest.

Wisterion waves his hands. He suddenly pulls it and two bandits from the village gets pulled out.

“Now!” Roger cast Blaze and burns the bandit. I take aim and try to shoot the bandit, but he kept moving that I had a hard time making sure that his vital points do not get hit. Wisterion clenches his right fist and the bandit stops moving. I release the arrow and manage to hit his leg, now he won’t be able to move far away.

Wisterion manipulates the golden threads as if he is some puppeteer. Roger binds the bandits with rope and stays behind to protect our rear. Wisterion and I enter the village, where largely built bandits, with body sizes comparable to The Rock, waited for us with swords, spears, and clubs.

“Immobilize them,” Wisterion orders as he flung away some of the swords and clubs directed toward us. He also made them stationary, freezing them on the spot. I shot their legs and made sure they were unable to move.

One target after another, I am in the zone. My shots are on the point. Things are going well, until bandits on the roofs of the houses threw spears at us. They almost hit me, but I was able to dodge at the last second.

“Alan, cover me.” Wisterion extends his weapon again and this time it turned into a curvy dagger. He bends and, in an instant, he teleports behind one of the bandits on the roof. He attacks their legs rendering them immobile. His movement is as fast as lightning, he moved from one roof to another. However, one of the roofs had two bandits that surprised him. He was almost struck, but I was able to shoot his attacker before he could hit him.

As Wisterion fought on the roof, bandits on the ground closed in on me. A bandit with a giant axe, who seemed to be their leader rushes towards me. I let loose an arrow, but he flicked it aside using his axe. He is close.

What should I do?

The distance between us diminished instantly, with his axe centimeters away from my face. Suddenly, he was blown away with a powerful gust. I look to the source of the wind, it was Roger. He saved me.

“Stand up!” he shouts as he approaches me. However, an axe suddenly hits him. The bandit boss threw the axe at Roger. He was bleeding. I run to his aid and caught him as he fell to the ground.

“Roger!” Wisterion calls out. The air around him suddenly becomes haunting. In a blink of an eye, every bandit in the village was bound with Wisterion’s golden threads. He runs towards us and pulls the axe out of Roger and commences a strange phenomenon, where his hands lit up. Roger’s wounds closed and healed, like they never existed. However, Roger did not wake up. His face was pale and white.

“Why is it not doing anything,” Wisterion takes the axe and gasps loudly. “It’s a devil axe!” He stands up and carries Roger on his arms. We make it back to the carriage where he lay Roger inside. He closes the door and whips the reins. The entire trip was quiet. When we made it back to the mansion, the entire household staff came out and gave Roger a proper burial. I run back to my room.

If only I was strong enough, Roger wouldn’t have…

My moments with Roger was brief, but his departure was too sudden. Someone suddenly knocks on my door. I open it and a maid smile at me.

“Master Wisterion says that you will be travelling to the capital tomorrow. He bids you to rest well tonight for tomorrow’s departure,” the maid bows and leaves. Another journey to somewhere. I must grow strong and figure out how to return fast.