III.

The time will come for the battle on the hill, where all races will be divided. Where father and son will cross swords. Where lovers will exchange blows and mothers will not mourn the death of their offspring. A brutal time approaches and there will not be enough thunders to warn the men. There will not be enough jewelry to alert the dwarves. Crows to the elves. Howling to the lupines. Cold to the ogres. Fire to the trolls. This world will be attacked by the protector of the incorporeals, so the great cycle closes, the darkness reigns and both, good and evil, cease to exist. The time for the end and the beginning has come. The war between life and death. The end of all things.

Nida – Mother Nymph – Leader of the Order of the Eight Races – High Member of the Great Forest – Specialist in historical cycles – Prophecy of the Battle of the End

*

Arthur was tied up and placed on top of a horse, guarded by Barsen – the biggest soldier around –, to be escorted to the ruins of a nearby village. Thiago had returned to report that the place was empty – as expected. Not even bandits would like to set up camp so close to the Great Forest. Even the mere existence of the ruins is an indicative of the fact that building homes in that region was not a good idea.

They used the afternoon to choose a group of old village buildings, far from the road, where they could tie up the horses, hide the carriage with most of the supplies and camping items, and set tents, using the remains of constructions as a base for building shelters. Supplies were recounted, injuries and minor illnesses were treated, and weapons were gradually restored by those with some knowledge about the blacksmiths trade.

In the bigger tent, erected on the remains of a building in the middle of the camp, Rinlia wait, in a table built by the soldiers with materials gathered from the surroundings. Barsen drinks from a barrel of beer that he brought to the tent, hiding the nervousness the situation imposes on him. His gaze avoids meeting that of the commander, fearful of the rebuke that could come due to the attitudes of one of the soldiers under his command.

Across the table, also drinking beer, Yvanna does not even seems aware of the presence of the others. A smile plays at the corner of her lips and her eyes are fixed on the face of the soldier that is standing by the door. She knew that Thiago did not belong to her battalion and was not concerned with the current situation, but even if she did, she would not have been concerned enough to show as much tension as the newcomer.

-Hey. - She called, making him break eye contact with the door. - You should sit down for a while.

-I… I am responsible for this exit.

She smiles. Her eyes turn to Barsen.

-You certainly inspire discipline, don't you?

-Apparently, not enough. – He grunts, tapping his mug on the table and impatiently moving his leg.

Yvanna notices an almost imperceptible change in the face of the solder at the door.

-Oh, you seem to disagree.

He reacts immediately.

-Not at all, madam. I should have stayed with the others. A tramp lying on the side of the road is never a good reason to break formation.

“Imagine if they knew that my real reason was that I wanted to stay closer to the beach.” He was unable to interrupt the thought.

-But you still seem to have something to say about it… Don’t you? – She insists. Her brown eyes flare, wanting to see some reaction.

-Stop teasing him, Yvanna. – Rinlia is not angry, but she still tries to avoid animosities between Barsen and her second in command.

-Right, right. – Unlike Barsen, the attitude of the woman with red curls towards the commander was relaxed. She leans in the chair and goes back to analyzing the expression of the soldier’s face. – I just think that it is not fair to scold him when his curiosity can be the reason why we have an important prisoner in our hands.

-A prisoner that is slowing us down. – Barsen replies. – As far as we know, he can be the son of a villager who decided to run away from home or some adventurer who was separated from his group. By the entities, he may be just a lost traveler!

-If that were the case, he would have told us already. – Yvanna keep smiling, but her tone is not so friendly anymore. – We are clearly not bandits, nor commoners. If he had nothing to fear from the law, he would talk something that could clarify this situation. At this point, he had more than one opportunity to do that. He seems smart enough to at least understand that. Besides, I kept an eye on him. He even seems to be more polite than some nobles.

-He didn’t know that when he woke the stranger. – Barsen points to Thiago. – That is why I will punish him when we get back to Fiandel. Don’t look at me like that, soldier. I am not going to rip your arm off. Be happy that I cannot punish you while we are travelling.

Barsen is famous for punishing soldiers with inhuman training regimes. That is the reason why his superiors consider him pious and his soldiers consider him sympathetic to torture.

-Right now, my concern is with the prisoner. – Rinlia got up and went to one of the walls in the ruins, where a hole is the only window. The sky is filled with clouds. It is something rather unusual for a night after a storm. – He said something that shouldn’t be said.

Nobody said anything. When in her contemplative state, the emerald-eyed elf did not like people trying to guess what she wants to hear. She stays at the window, watching the movement outside for a few seconds.

-Bring me the prisoner. – She did not need to turn around for Thiago to understand that the order was for him. – I want to talk to him.

The soldier left immediately and the other two looked at each other. Yvanna was about to ask something when Rinlia spoke again.

-Barsen, where’s the food?

-It is right there. – He points to the barrel where the beer was. A bowl is placed on it. He picks it up and places it on the table.

-Good. – She looks around, as if checking the general situation. – Barsen, put your helmet on.

-What?

-Use the helmet for now.

The soldier picks the helmet, hitherto placed at his feet.

-Do you think he will attack us?

She smiles, returning to her place at the table.

-Not at all. It is just a way of testing the truth in our visitor’s words.

*

After being captured, several things disturbed Arthur’s spirit, however, nothing could compare to the desire to drink water. The sight of the sea was now a distant memory and the road, although close to the coast, served only to make the throat even drier, a nuisance that piled on so many others, turning into a very unpleasant burden. The soldiers took him on a walk full of trips and falls, mostly caused by the restrictions of the ropes in his wrists and chains in his ankles. The latter, due to the friction between skin and metal, was burning like hell and the scraps in his legs and arms made him want to curse all the soldiers who insisted on looking at him as if he was some type of weirdo. After some time, his gait was so slow that they had to loosen the chains around his ankles and stopped pulling him like an animal, putting him as a passenger on the horse of the soldier who had found him earlier.

The accusing stares on all sides and, in general, the repressive atmosphere, made him consider the possibility of another run, but he cannot figure out where he could run to. The company of soldiers, although not numerous, had enough members to reach him even if he had no chains on his heels. Besides, the weapons held by them indicated that it is not the best idea to test their patience. This, added to the fact that he has no idea where he is, is enough to make him obediently go to the camp site.

Eventually they give him some water, but, after some time, hunger is also a problem.

He wants to ask for some food, but there is no encouragement in the eyes of the two soldiers who are escorting him. And, when Thiago approaches them, he was wondering if there was any way to get water or food by himself.

-Let’s go. – Thiago takes the end of the hope. The two soldiers make no attempt to interrupt the gesture.

He is guided to the best prepared hut among the ruins. Thiago pulls the cloth that covers the entrance and, with his free hand, pulls the rope in order to drag the prisoner inside, then do a short reverence. A signal from Barsen, who is sitting in a corner on the right, is enough to make him turn around and leave.

Bewildered, Arthur tries to understand where he is. He can see the place organized with a few pieces of furniture – carefully arranged. The lack of sunlight forced them to put a lamp on the rustic wooden table in the middle of the room. This being the only source of light allows the edges to be in absolute darkness.

The lack of light, however, does not prevents Arthur from smelling what is on the table in front of him. There it is a clay pot with the approximate size of his own head. This pot is filled with fish stew, so hot that the steam throws rolls of smoke over the furniture towards Arthur’s face. Next to it is a mug filled with water up to the top. The smell almost makes him jump in that direction, but he finds the strength to suppress the movement.

-I told you that he was very polite. – Yvanna’s looks to Barsen. She is seated on the left side of the table. Her head is bare for the first time since they met. Her hair is flashy even in the gloom. Her eyes seem to merge with the darkness behind her.

-I hope you are right.

The second voice carries genuine curiosity. The first thing Arthur sees are the eyes. Emerald-green, exposed in the face with amused expression and pearly blond hair. Hair that is held in a ponytail, exhibiting pointed ears at the sides of her head. Her nose is upturned, and she has protruding cheekbones. Her beauty seems to illuminate the room.

Arthur admires her and is intrigued by her ears, which he presumes are some kind of genetic abnormality.

-Go ahead. – She waves to the stew. – You can eat.

He does not ask any questions. Somebody had the idea of placing a spoon next to the clay pot, allowing him to immediately start to eat and drink. Etiquette was not even a word in his mind as he devoured the food as fast as he could.

When finished, he felt that he could continue. This, however, did not seem to be the intention of the other members of the tent. Rinlia’s look, although not threatening, gave him the impression that her mood could change at any moment if he did not choose his words carefully.

She, realizing that the meal was finished, resumed the conversation.

-So… Tell me: What is your name?

He nervously clears the throat.

-Arthur.

-A beautiful name. I am Rinlia, the commander of this small party. You’ve met my subordinates: - She points to her right. – Yvanna. – Then to her left. – Barsen.

Arthur remains silent.

-What do you think about chatting for a while? – Yvanna gets up, without a smile on her face. Rinlia tilts her head, her ponytail tilting too. In the meantime, Yvanna sits in the place closest to him. – Do you think you can do that?

-What do you want from me?

Yvanna and Rinlia look at each other. The latter is the one who speaks.

-I want to know where you came from. And the reason for you to be alone. – Her words carry a dignity worthy of a commander. The intention to intimidate is clear and, even after acknowledging that fact, it is not possible for him to avoid the effect.

-There must be a mistake. – His voice is wavering. - I am the one who don’t know what is going on. I don’t know where I am.

-It is not wise to play with us. – Yvanna makes a move to get up.

-Let him talk. - Rinlia's expression remains sober and she does not take her eyes off his. – Please, continue.

Arthur takes a deep breath, trying to remain calm. Why is it so hard for them to understand?

-I don’t know where we are. I have never been on this beach, much less on the road we used today. I don’t understand the symbols on your armors. I don’t understand why you talk about kingdoms when there are no kingdoms.

-If you didn’t come from a kingdom, where did you come from?

-******.

-And what is that?

-A country. – He sees confusion in the eyes of them. – A country? The way the territory is divided to split the Earth.

-Earth?

-Yes, Earth! – He indicates himself. – The place where we are!

Their expressions change. Yvanna seems to hold her breath. Barsen grabs the ax that had been leaning against his body until that moment. Rinlia puts the hand in her forehead.

-Are you saying that you just arrived from the planet of the humans?

He is not capable of understanding her words.

-What?

The women exchange a significant look. Yvanna gets up and approaches him.

-Arthur, the place you are now is not the Earth. This place is an unnamed planet, which has only nicknames given by its inhabitants. – She carefully analyzes his expression. – The inhabitants here are beings from different planets. Like you, who came from the planet of the humans. We do not identify ourselves as citizens of countries, but as vassals of the kingdoms to which we belong.

At first, he is not even able to understand half of what she said. He asks her to repeat. Then, he asks again. And yet another time.

-This… Is just not possible. You are lying. I. No. Impossible. Impossible!

Yvanna puts her hand on his shoulder. Rinlia straightens in her seat before talking.

-Arthur, did you said you arrived yesterday?

He nods, unable to talk.

-And how was that?

First reeling, then more confident, he tells about the way he got to the beach. They ask about details and he explain the best way he can.

-And that’s it. The canoe I was in, it came… From heaven? – It is the first time that he reflects on what happened. – No, that is impossible. I thought that it was a dream. You met me on the beach. Everything before that must have been a dream, right?

Rinlia bites her lower lip, filled with concern.

-You fell from the sky in a canoe…

-Yes. But that was just a dream that I had before you met me.

-Arthur, I don’t believe that.

-That is why I am telling you it was a dream. I fell from the sky in a canoe, in the middle of the sea. I thought I was going to die. After that, I woke up on the beach, where you guys found me. – That is the moment he remembers waking up once more, but decides to omit the fact, simply because he is not able to explain exactly what he saw.

-Barsen, remove your helmet. – Rinlia orders, without any sign of her intentions.

The big soldier does not question her. He places the ax on the floor and put both hands on his head.

This is the first time he takes off his helmets in Arthur’s presence, revealing his features: His face is dark green, filled with small protrusions. He has no lips and his jaw, stretched forward, allows two lower teeth to rise in front of the mouth. There is no nose in his face, just two holes through which the air enters. His ears are small and pointed and his skin is thick as leather.

Arthur immediately gets up, stumbling over the chair and falling on his back.

Yvanna approaches him with superhuman speed and puts her hand on his shoulder.

-Now I understand, commander. This definitely looks like his first time seeing an ogre.

He would have screamed in despair, but, once again, his voice fails him. He feels that his body paralyzes with fear. The creature, standing on the right side of the table, shows no reaction. Yvanna stays with Arthur.

-He is an ally. The same one who escorted you for the entire day. Don’t worry. We will explain everything. Now, you need to calm down. If you try to run, you may find creatures that are much more dangerous than him.

With his heart beating fast, Arthur gathers some calm in his mind. Since the ogre, from the beginning, has not shown signs that would attack, there is no need for some reckless act. He manages to find some traces of the big soldier from before in the creature’s mannerism.

He sits again and tries to control his heartbeat while Yvanna returns to her seat.

-Arthur, if you are telling the true, the things you told us were not a dream.

His throat seems to close as despair increases. Everything is happening too fast and is also too important. And now that they believe in him, what would happen? Where would they take him? What is his real importance to anyone who would make so they don't get rid of him immediately?

The sound of a thunder makes him startle.

The thunder is as stronger as the ones from the previous night. Suddenly, he relives every moment. The drops of water that felt like nails on the skin. The fear of death, lurking around him all the time. The whale, arising from the waves like a colossus.

-A thunder? – Yvanna looks at the elf.

-Go check out what is going on. – Says Rinlia.

Before Yvanna can obey the order, Thiago comes in. His breathing is heavy, as if he had just run a marathon. Rinlia does not wait until he is recovered.

-What is going on? Was that a thunder?

Even without fully composing himself, the soldier utters the words in a rush.

-Commander, thunders… Yes. No sign of a rain. Just lightning and a thunder.

Barsen immediately closes his hand around the ax.

-It is the sign of the incorporeals. We are too close to the forest. If they sense that we are here…

-We need to organize our defenses. – Rinlia gets up, gesturing to Yvanna, who puts the hood and goes to the door. – Let’s go.

-What about the boy? – Asks the fire-haired woman.

-Leave him here. Even if he is lying, this is a more pressing matter. We cannot stand still while thunder drives the creatures of the forest crazy.

Barsen grumble.

-Incorporeals. Bastards. And these damn thunders.

-Besides, his hands are still tied, and his feet are chained. Hey. You know that running away is much more dangerous than waiting for my return, don’t you?

For a moment, the three figures look to the boy, who is paralyzed by fear, huddled on the wooden bench, holding his clay pot. Still shocked by the recent information received, he just waves a positive gesture.

-Let’s go. – Rinlia signals to the others. – Let’s see what the thunders has in store for us today.

*

*