“Master, the enemies had retreated outside the town”, Alice’s voice was heard as she flown out of Acma’s chest.

“How far they are from the town?” asked Acma.

“It’s about 500 metres”

“That’s too close”, Acma mumbled. Those knights could cross that distance just in a few seconds and enter the town before the residents have a chance to do anything. It’s not like he’s being paranoid, it’s just he was thinking about probability and risks.

“Show them to me”

“Yes, master”

Alice immediately showed the video and Acma halted his steps to watch the video. Acma could see a few of the knights standing guard facing the town while the others gathered in a several small groups, looking for a place to rest.

Not far from them, one of the princess’s guard was raising one of his hands and chanting something. A moments later, a circle of several roots as big as an adult male arm emerged and extended 3 metres from the ground and bent toward the center in a shape of a circular tent. Then the branches and leaves began to grow from the root and covered everything except the door. Then, the finishing touch was added when several cluster of red flower that look like bougainvillea grew from the branches.

“What a convenience”, thought Acma when he saw that circular tent erected from a flowering plant was completed.

“Master”, Alice’s voice was suddenly heard. “I spotted several survivors gathered at the edge of the town and they’re observing the enemies”

The scenes in the video shifted and showed several human hiding behind a building while one of them were stretching his neck to look at the knights who were resting outside the town.

“What are they doing?” asked Acma with a frown on his face.

Meanwhile, inside the circular tent outside the town,

“Your highness, why we retreated when we clearly have an upper hand?” asked El Ta’el with a lowered head.

El Ta’el couldn’t fathom Princess Nidhwen’s order to retreat. He didn’t question it in front of the human since it would tarnish the image of the elves as a whole. But since they already outside the town, he couldn’t wait any longer.

He patiently waited for an answer from the princess who sat on a beautiful chair made of root. It’s nothing extravagant but it have an artistic look.

Princess Nidhwen didn’t immediately answer. She gracefully took a sip of tea from a silver cup engraved with flowers images. Slowly, she put down the cup while she threw a look at the town. She appeared to be thinking of something.

“Young Lord El Ta’el”, she spoke softly.

“Yes, Your Highness”

“Do you believe what they said that they came from another world?” she asked.

“It’s impo..”

“I believe them”, the princess cut it short. She slowly turned her head and looked at El Ta’el who was clearly shocked.

“We interacted with human for thousand of years, but I never saw anything like this town. Everything about them was strange. The buildings, the road, their clothes, equipment, the way they interact with us, everything”,

She paused a little, then continued.

“I want to know more about them”, she said with a firm voice.

“I understand, Your Highness. Please forgive my rudeness”, reply El Ta’el with a lowered head. Then he retreated several steps before turning and exit the tent.

After El Ta’el walked out of the tent, Eruben approached the princess and handed her a big leaf with a silvery letter on it. She took the leaf and read it.

A while after, Princess Nidhwen put the leaf on the table after she finished reading it. The leaf immediately withered and turned to dust. She leaned her back on the chair while massaging her temple softly.

“So this is the answer from the military headquarters”, she said weakly. “If the second brother come, there will be a massacre. No one among those human are able to resist his troop except that black armoured swordsman. But he alone won’t change anything”, the princess continued while looking at Eruben. She looked troubled.

“Do Your Highness want to warn those human?”

“No, let them be. Even if they turtle up inside that barrier, brother will just siege it until they surrender. In the end, they still will die”

“I understand, Your Highness. But, you just said that you want to know them better?”

“As you know, I can’t fight against my brother. He’s both superior than me either in strength or influence. I’m just a shrine maiden while he is a general. Although I am part of the Knight of Forest, I am just a regular knight”, said the princess gloomily.

Her mission this time was from the shrine to investigate this place as it was plague with dark miasma. But, she didn’t expect to meet a human in this place. Since it was related with human, it was within a jurisdiction of the military. Therefore, the command of the knights who escorted her will fall to the Second Prince, Prince Iandithas Isebial who was a general.

“I apologize, Your Highness”

“It’s okay, Captain. I will ask my brother to spare a few of them. I also need to report this to Lady Kylana”, said the princess. Then she waived her hand and chanted.

‘Message Tree’

As Princess Nidhwen said that, a plant was sprouting next to the table. From a small sprout, it grew until it reach a metre in height and then a leaf grew from the trunk a second later. The princess chanted something as her index finger began to dance on the leaf. A faint silvery light glowed from the tip of her finger before it turned into a letter and embedded itself onto the leaf.

After she was done, the message tree shrunk back and disappeared into the soil.

“Captain, get the troop ready to receive my brother. And let us get prepared too”

“I will go right away”, replied Eruben.

At the edge of the town.

“Boss, those bastards still didn’t leave. What we’re going to do?” A man spoke. He was the one Acma saw in the video who observing the knights for his friends.

“Let’s stand guard here. If they attack again, one of us will run to the town and tell everyone to take shelter at the temple. The others will do anything necessary to slow down the enemies”, said the man who was called Boss. His real name was Li Susheng. The men around him were the people he saved during the zombie outbreak and some of them were his friends. They were working together at the iron mine. Somehow, they began to listen to his orders and called him Boss.

“Yes, Boss”

“Boss, do we fight them if they attack?”

“It will be a suicide if we fight them head on. They are too strong for us. But we can blow them up with dynamite. Is there any of you who work in a demolition team?” asked Li Susheng.

“I am, Boss. I have experience handling the explosives. Boss, I like your idea. We may not able to fight them with our fist, but the explosives will do the job”, a skinny man said. he was grinning and gave a thumbs up to Li Susheng.

“Haha, explosives are risky, but I don’t know the other way to fight. Do you know where the explosives were kept?”

“Yes, Boss. They were kept at the mining office. Supervisor Wang have the key to the warehouse, but he already become a zombie”

“Do anything you can to open the door. Tear a hole on the wall if you must”

“Okay, Boss. I’ll let you know if I manage to open the door. Do I need to bring the explosives here?”

“Not need. We will discuss about where to plant them later. Just prepare them so they’re ready for use anytime”

“Okay, I’ll go now”

The skinny man quickly run toward the western part of the town where the office of the mining company was located.

“Do you guys have any other ideas about how to defend our town?” Li Susheng asked.

“I have one, but I’m sure you won’t like it”, said a man in his thirties and a well built body.

“What is it, Rocky?”

“Okay. If the plan to use explosives failed, how about we surrender. I thi..”

“Hey, what do you mean by surrender? Are you those bastard’s lackey now after they beat you up?” a man asked with a slightly high voice.

“Calm down, Brother Shi. Let him finish”

“I’m sorry, Brother Shi. I know everyone want to fight to defend our town. I want to fight too. But, as Boss said, our enemies are just too strong for us. My suggestion is only if we have no other choice, we surrender. We can live. As long as we live, we can wait until we can fight again”, explain Rocky.

“Without honour, what is there to live”, someone mumbled.

“...”

Everyone was quiet.

“I lost my wife, my daughter to the zombies and if I didn’t met you guys, I probably ended my life by suicide already. I want to see all of you survive, so when I meet my family again, I can tell my heroic deeds to my daughter. Actually, I’m confused myself whether I want to die or live. When I thought about my family, I’m thinking of dying. But, deep inside my heart, I want to keep living”, Li Susheng broke the silence.

“Boss...”, everyone lost their words.

"We fought them and we lost. They rounded us up like a cattle. The way they looked down on us, it's shameful. I don’t want to live in shame. I don’t know what’s your choice is, but I won’t surrender. This is my choice and you guys don’t have to follow”, he continued.

“Boss, we also want to live. Let’s survive together”, someone exclaimed.

“Yeah, me too”, the others supported.

“However, Rocky is also right. We can surrender after we have no other choices. It’s up to you”, Li Susheng said.

“...”,

Everyone was thinking their choice. Dying was easy, but the already gone through the hell against an undead. Some even had to kill their family members, just to survive. They want to keep living, but they also had their own pride.

“Errr.. Boss, I have another idea”, Rocky spoke again. “How about we ask that boy to help us?”

“Do you mean that black armoured boy?”

“Yes, yes, it’s him. He drove those bastards away from the town. I think he’s quite strong. Did you see his snake? Just a whip of its tail sent that werewolf flying”, said Rocky with an excited face.

“Hahaha, good idea. So, who will go and ask for help from that boy?” someone asked.

“Calling him a boy isn’t right. How about we call him young man?” said another man.

“He’s right. Let’s call him young man”, the others concurred.

“Rocky will find that young man at the temple and ask for his help. Can you do it, Rocky?” Li Susheng made a decision.

“Okay, I’ll do it”, replied Rocky.

“Good luck”, said Li Susheng.

At the temple, Acma was watching closely through the video.

“They’re clearly planning something. Do they want to fight? But how?” Acma was puzzled.

“Master, should I follow any of them?” asked Alice, referring to two man who were going somewhere.

“...”

“No need. I will go to the group. Maybe I can help them with something. Alice, teleport me”

“Yes, Master”

‘TELEPORT’

A few seconds later, Acma arrived at the edge of the town, not far from those men gathered. They didn’t notice his arrival because he teleported behind a building, outside of their view. Then he walked toward the group.

“Hey Boss, that k.. that young man came”, someone pointing his finger and shake the shoulder of the one he called Boss.

Acma was noticed so he quicken his steps.

“Hello everyone”, he greeted them.