Chapter 113: Man Vs Wild

Chapter 113: Man Vs Wild

The village was still being put together. I ran through the semi-erect structures being hammered and roped together, frantically searching for any signs of a small dog-like creature.

I didnt expect to see him, but I couldnt help but check to make sure every time I spied a furball under three foot.

Within a few seconds of arriving I ended up in the middle of the village where an assortment of creatures placed barrels on top of each other behind a large bar. They had to take down and put up this large drinking establishment dailyseemed a lot of unnecessary work. Where did they even put the barrels during the day?

These and other questions didnt bother me for once. I had other matters on my mind.

Have you seen Attica? I asked the wolfgirl. She was behind the bar sorting out some cups and bowls.

She gave me a dead-eyed glance that suggested she had better things to do, and went back to stacking cups without saying anything.

I took out my sword and struck the tower of cups sending them flying. Attica, little guy, have you seen him?

The workers, big and small, stopped in the middle of whatever they were doing and glared in my direction. I had their attention, but that wasnt necessarily a good thing.

The sooner you tell me where he is, the less of a mess Ill have to make. I slashed a vine and there was a twang high above us. A long pole fell out of the branches, sending those underneath it scurrying out of the way.

Between them, the assembled workers could have torn me to pieces in seconds. Wolfgirl didnt look like she needed their help. She was about the same height as me, but around fifty pounds heavier. All muscle, by the look of it.

She narrowed her yellow eyes and growled. Teeth forced her lips apart. Her colleagues looked like they wouldnt mind getting in on the fun side of a one-sided fight.

At this point the reality of the situation seeped into my inflamed mind. It was all very well charging in and waving a sword about, but I wasnt going to do much rescuing if I was dead. I didnt even know if they had the slightest idea what had happened to Attica. This could all be a massive waste of time.

What I needed to do was calm things down.

Look, I said, and then she sprang.

It was an impressive jump, full of power, speed and teeth. The teeth were what gave it that extra wow factor. I couldnt even move.

The magnificent leap was rather crudely cut short. A scaly, green hand grabbed wolfgirls airborne foot and yanked her back, swapping her snarl for a goofy Huh? look.

She clattered to the ground, but rolled into a crouch, ready to pounce again.

No need for fighting, said the owner of the hand. Im sure we can resolve this over a drink or two. He smiled, which made me think wolf teeth werent so bad. My name is Vamalyn.

Vamalyn looked a bit like a lizardman, only fatter and with a longer snout. Much longer, like a crocodiles. His legs were short and he only managed to remain upright because his voluminous backside acted as support, scraping along the ground. A tail slithered from side to side behind him.

I lowered my sword. I just want to know if youve seen Attica. Hes a little kobold.

Vamalyn interlaced his fingers and rested them on top of his stomach. They brought him around earlier. I am considered something of an arbitrator in these parts. When problems arise, this is where people come to have the matter settled. As Im sure youre aware by now, you cant go around teaching magic to whoever you please. It upsets the balance.

Hes just a kid!

That makes little difference where the laws of nature are concerned.

The tide was coming in.

I opened my eyes and everything was shaking. The trees, the ground, the terrified creatures. It was like an earthquake.

Only they werent shaking at all. The only one shaking was me; so hard I couldnt see straight.

I looked down at my hand. It was burning with a white flame. Not like the lights I created, this was burning white hot. My hand felt like it was melting. The pain was searing. It wasnt enough.

The gathered monsters didnt look so sure of themselves now. They began to move away from me, behind Vamalyn.

Theres a lot of alcohol here, I said. The stuff we have back home is very flammable. Im guessing this stuff is too.

Healing beyond my abilities had taken a couple of months from me, I wondered what burning an entire village to ash would cost. A couple of years? I could afford it. It wasnt like I had big plans for the future.

The heat in my hand intensified.

Vamalyn wasnt smiling any more. You would kill us all.

After death there is nothing to fear. I started laughing. If they were so cool with death, let them prove it.

It wont bring him back.

And just like that the fire went out. The one enveloping my hand and the one consuming my mind. The pain was gone too. I felt nothing but numb.

He was right, it wouldnt bring him back. And what was the big deal with living anyway? He would have probably died one way or another. Me protecting him was hardly a guarantee of safety.

They had their way. It was a horrible way, but what way wasnt? The person who fucked up here was me. I did this. I got him killed.

I looked down at my hand expecting to see bones with all the flesh burned off, but it was just my regular hand.

I put my sword back in its scabbard. This was my fault. I see that now. Everyone stared at me nervously. I could see the fear in their eyes. Im going to go now. If you see my friends, tell them I had no idea what he should tell them. Tell them I said hey.

Not the most dramatic of parting speeches, but Im sure they appreciated me keeping it short and bitter.

I turned and took two steps, not really knowing where I was going. I stopped at the sight of an approaching carriage. It was a fancy affair with lots of intricate designs and carvings, although the most notable aspect was probably the unicorn pulling it.

Normally, seeing an actual unicorn would be a cause for some excitement, but having learned how horns work over here, I wasnt all that thrilled to see a horse with a giant cock on its head.

The carriage hurtled through the narrow gaps between tents and shacks, knocking things over and sending people flying in all directions. They didnt seem to mind. I guess it was their way.

The driver was a kobold. He looked very different to May-May and Attica, but I still found it uncomfortable to look at him. He brought the carriage to a shuddering halt in front of me and the door flew open.

My missing teammates bundled out all done up in brand new clothes and giant smiles on their faces. With them they brought boundless energy and enthusiasm, and a joy for life that burst forth like confetti.

I should have set myself on fire when I had the chance.

If you have a moment, please vote for my story at Top Web Fiction. No signup required, just press the button. Voting refreshes every week. Vote.