Another Life In The New World

Daylight

I ignored the voice. My visions of her occupied my mind. I stared her in the eye for the last time. She blinked at me weakly.

“I will free you, Girly, I promise. Please fight for me as I do for you,” I mouthed the words for her.

Her mouth wrestled to form a smile. I felt the hands that held me quiver. When it was loose enough, I pushed myself out then stunned her with my shield. I doubled in with a shield uppercut. She flew across the room. I chased after her and pinned her down with my weight.

Something warm touched my back. Her orbs spun madly behind me. Words of an unknown language came out of her mouth. I kept calling her to resurface. For a moment, I thought I saw her true face asking for me. The stars in her eyes glimmered for a second.

“Here hero, I have concocted a potion to expel the spirit. Be sure to empty it up to the last drop,” Amictus tossed me a dark gray vial.

“Thank you.”

As I opened it, it smelled like toasted blue cheese. I stunned her once more, and she ceased struggling. I forced the vial’s contents into her mouth. May the earth forgive the horror of administering this foul medicine into her mouth.

Her body jumped as I held it down again. Her eyes rolled back like the diluted symbols on her palms. Then a gray shadow separated from her body. It took form in Girly’s image. The orbs formed the three shadows we encountered before.

“Boss Battle! Warning, you cannot save up to this point. Failure to defeat the boss will send back to your last saving point,” a message reminded us.

“So, you have finally shown your true form,” Kun limped towards me.

“You knew about this?”

“I had a hunch.”

“But I thought she beat her copy already?”

“Yes, she did beat her copy, but I felt that something was off.”

“You mean to say that this thing has been with us the whole time?”

“Yes. Because of that, my respawn got delayed, and I got transported somewhere.”

“Ugh, this is messing up my mind. I need a moment to think.”

“Think about that after we beat them.”

“Right.”

I summoned my sword once more. I closed my eyes and said a silent prayer to the Shining Guardian. I formed a roof symbol, hoping that my prayer gets delivered fast before charging at the enemies. Then I lifted my sword for battle.

My soul burned with passion. Unquestionable calm took over my mind. My heart lifted as I dealt my first strike. My sword shone brightly, devouring the dark shadows. Kun assembled his bombs, then threw them at me. It fused with my sword, which imploded all of them.

The scene pulled back slowly, revealing the pathway towards the Shining Guardian’s table. Vampire sprawled across the floor close to the shimmering door. Girly groaned as she stood up. Without thinking, my body acted on its own. Then my arms wrapped around her.

“You have successfully defeated Scattering Gray! You have received some Garnets and Sky Slasher! You have reached level thirty-two,” messages popped up like crazy.

“Girly! Thank the earth you are still alive!” I could not help myself.

“You are choking me,” she punched my ribs.

“Ack!”

“What happened to the Scattering Grey?”

“It fled, but you don’t have to worry about it for now,” Kun assured us.

“For now? You mean, it is coming back?”

“Hush, you will wake up Vampire.”

“You are worried about that now?”

“Sigh, give it a rest. I’m tired. Amictus, was it? Where can I rest my head?”

“Uhh…,” he looked stunned.

“Hey, are you deaf?”

“My apologies, I seemed to be unwell. Here, let me direct you to one of the rooms.”

“Heroes, may I have a word?” The Shining Guardian revealed himself to us.

“Can it wait? I am too worn out to hear anything right now,” Kun complained.

“Ah, yes. Forgive my insensitivity, your needs come first. Enjoy your rest, heroes.”

“Dude, do you even know who you are talking to?” My eyes widened.

“Of course I do. It’s the Shining Guardian blah blah blah.”

“What about him, sire?” Amictus pointed towards our unconscious friend.

“Leave him be. Let him think for a moment that we disappeared as punishment for sleeping on us,” Kun snickered.

“I see.”

Amictus prepared the table for us. Various delights filled on it. We later found out that some of the residents awoken from their slumber, but some were unfortunate. My heart sank deeper as I thought of the frail lady’s last words.

We awakened to another morning. The sun shone brightly through the open window. The surviving members of the choir sang songs of mourning. The Shining Guardian headed the ceremony at the center hall. Then the others proceeded with the burying of their dead.

“Ah, heroes. May I have a word?” He beckoned to us.

“I apologize for my friend’s behavior yesterday,” I bowed down to him.

“I take no offense. Allow me to express my gratitude properly for saving our land. Take out your weapons.”

On one knee, we held our weapons toward him. Comforting warmth covered my weapon.

“I grant thee thy blessing. Mayest thou be protected from such perils looming ahead. Stand, Heroes of Artemia!”

People rejoiced behind us. They cheered our names as we stood from our positions. We recovered from our positions. Then we joined hands and bowed to them. 

“Thank you, Shining Guardian,” Girly bowed to him.

“This is all I could give for what you have done for my people. I pray for safety in your travels.”

“We must take our leave. Thank you,” I bowed to him.

“Thank you,” Vampire and Kun followed.

The sun still shone brightly on the horizon. I balanced the blessed sword in my hand. It was like holding air as I swung it from side to side. It had the crest of a diluted eye in red carved on its pommel. A strip of sky blue lined its fuller.

I reached behind my back pocket and pulled out the vial. I raised it up towards the sky. Weeping souls swirled within it.

“What do we do with this?” I asked.

“Beats me. Maybe Vampire should drink it,” Kun suggested.

“Give me that,” Vampire snatched the vial from my hand. “This looks dangerous. Why would I drink this?”

“If you survive, it should be safe. After all, you are next to kin to the lord of the dead.”

“Why you little raccoon!” He grabbed Kun’s neck. Kun kept on taunting him.

“I think we should keep that for now. Maybe we can find someone who can look at it in the next town or village,” Girly suggested.

“Speaking of which, where are we headed next?”

“Oh great, I forgot to ask the Shining Guardian,” I scratched my head.

I closed my eyes to think. Suddenly, the map laid out in front of me. A tiny orb of light swirled around me like a tornado. Its rotation thinned as it descended towards the map. Three points lit up—Nepheline Escoria to the north, Epetherial Channel to the northwest, and Ionos Stronghold to the edge of the map.

I opened my eyes and pulled out the map. I pricked my finger with the sword. I blotted the places I saw in my mind using my blood. They all looked at me with disbelief when my eyes returned to them. Girly handed me a piece of cloth, which I used to cover the wound.

“What has gotten into you?” Girly’s eyes searched mine.

“I am not mad. Not yet, at least,” I chuckled then showed them the map.

“Nepheline Escoria is at the northern edge of the continent. Well, the morning sun still lingers on the east,” Vampire announced.

“Is Bugseye up for it?”

“He looks ready for anything,” Girly summoned him.

“Cool! I want to test him out,” Kun helped himself towards Bugseye.

“Careful not to hurt your paws,” Vampire teased.

“Paws are better than long dirty nails,” Kun stuck his tongue out to him.

“When we are done with this, the very nails that you so admire will scrape that thin layer that covers your whole being.”

“Ooh, scary…”

Vampire muttered gibberish under his breath as he mounted. I sat next to Kun and Girly followed behind me. Our driver screamed for joy as if he rode a rollercoaster. I brushed this furry creature in front of me. I still could not believe that he is here with me.

“Dude, your eyes might reach my skull if you keep gazing at me like that,” Kun slightly turned his neck to me.

“Oh, I was thinking of something.”

“Was it about me?”

“Nah, why would it be?”

“Man, you are so easy to read!”

“Okay, okay, I was thinking about you.”

“What do you want to know?”

“Huh?”

“You are curious, right?”

“Well… I want to know what you have been up to while you were gone.”

“I was going to ask you the same question.”

“But I beat you to it.”

“Fine… Where do I start?”

“From the beginning, if you may,” Girly interjected.

“Thanks for reminding me,” he paused for a minute. “After I vanished, the pain from the last battle lingered for some time. When I woke up, my body balanced on a canopy. Then a dwarf approached me from below. He reminded me of Grumpy.

“He did not utter a word. When I looked down, a handful of Dwarven Armada aimed their spears at us. They asked us to surrender. Talk about luck. Anyway, I threw my bombs at them and slid behind the trees. My quiet friend followed behind me.”

“Where is this friend of yours?” Girly asked.

“I don’t know. We split ways shortly after setting camp. That was when I saw Keita lying dead in the middle of the forest. I treated his wounds back to my camp, then I called for help.”

“Why did you leave me there?” I interrupted.

“I was not ready to return yet. From what I heard, you went crazy for me,” he winked at me.

“Those are just rumors.”

“Hmm… I see.”

“So where did you go after leaving the forest?”

“You won’t believe me, but I saw Orcana pass by me. He seemed out of himself with his eyes fixed to the ground. Then I heard rustling leaves in the distance. I followed the sound, but it moved too fast. It seemed to head in your direction.

“I meditated on what to do and where to go. I looked up at the sky and saw this particular star. It shone brighter than the rest. It moved erratically, so I followed it. It surprised me to see that the path was open. I jumped before it closed again.

“When I reached Artemian Planas, it repelled me. I tried throwing my bombs at it, but the solid outer shield ate my attacks. Suddenly, the star reappeared and fell down on the palace. It momentarily deactivated the shield, permitting me entry.

“So you were the intruder! You sneaky little raccoon,” Vampire jested.

“And the rest is history.”

“So, I was not hallucinating?” My mind wrapped around the idea.

“If you weren’t, why did you attack some clothes?” Vampire snickered.

“But they were vicious.”

“Right, I think we need to get more of Amictus’ concoction.”

“No! It smells like hell. My tongue still remembers the horrid taste,” I shook my head.

“Why didn’t you let Vampire taste it? His rotten body would be able to take it easily,” Kun returned the jest.

“Once we land, I will make sure you don’t respawn again,” Vampire threatened.

“Once the joke is on you, you burn! Hahaha!” Kun squealed like a rat.

Vampire shut his trap during the trip. The sun and moon alternated a few times before we touched down to our destination. As soon as Kun dropped on land, he stepped on Vampire’s foot and ran away. Naturally, Vampire gave chase.

I excused myself from Girly to relieve myself. Then birds flew from the trees.

“I have been watching you, hero,” a familiar voice crept behind me.

“Huh? It is you!” I froze as I gazed at him.