"Of all the times for me to be crippled..." Daji cursed under her breath. The goddess was lying on her bed, inside her temple at the top of the highest mountain on the continent. The blow that had been dealt on the leyline was far worse than she thought, and the voices of countless lives silenced in an instant still haunted her mind. And, powerless, she couldn't hold Luka back from investigating what was happening there.
From afar, using a scrying spell, she was able to witness the movements in Sora. And the situation couldn't be more dire. The capital was now being invaded by the Empire at surprising speed and the young man Viktor had been mercilessly killed by Yelena. But what lurked behind it all was far more sinister than any pitiful squabble between humans.
It all made sense now. The blow on the leyline to get her out of the way wasn't at the advantage of either Sora or the Empire, but to a third faction that had been waiting to make their move all this time.
"He is back..." she whispered, a hollow pain clutching her chest. She had been waiting for two years on edge to see if he were to make his move and the moment she wasn't there...
The liberator had returned.
"Stop running, Luka!" Saki shouted after the young man who had darted out of the carriage. He had seen it: lightning falling down from the sky right behind the castle.
"But Kenshin is here!" he gritted his teeth. Kanami was in danger, and even though he understood the risks—just as his master had warned—his instincts screamed for him to move.
The moment he witnessed the explosion, the walls of the city obliterated by a single spell, he could no longer deny the truth within himself.
Even though he was deeply afraid, even though he wanted to detach himself the most from others in this foreign world to avoid being sad once the parting had come, he knew he was lying to himself.
He cared. He cared deeply for them. Even if he almost died multiple times, even if sometimes they treated him like trash or were suspicious of him, they gave him a roof above his head, food, and companionship in the hardest times of his life. He couldn't deny it, even if his rational mind told him it was suicide and useless, he knew deep down...
That's what he wanted.
"I won't leave this place with everything in tatters..." he whispered to himself, true words spilling out from his heart. After all, this was still a magical adventure, as unwanted as it was. He wanted good memories out of it, and perhaps, deep in his mind, he had thought multiple times of ways to come back here.
Yes, he wanted to go away and return home where he belonged. But that didn't mean he didn't care about the people here.
As he reached the edge of the city, the air crackled with energy, and the smell of smoke filled his nostrils. The cries of the people running away, the clash of swords ringing in the streets, the thunderous hammer of the soldier's boots echoing on the paved ground, everything assaulted his senses. Still, his mind was as clear as water.
He passed through the front gate, amidst the fighting. The soldiers of the Empire were easily recognizable. A white armor with fur protruding from the shoulder pads, a light glow surrounding their bodies as if enhanced with magical energy, helmets adorned with white horns, and blades made of steel engraved with runes.
Luka swallowed hard, acutely aware that each of these warriors possessed enough power to easily overwhelm him. He scanned the streets to make sense of the situation. Most of the citizens had evacuated towards the castle, the guards forming barricades along the main road to try and push back the attack.
YOU ARE READING
A Tamia's Tale
Fantasy"A world full of mysteries and interesting people, sure. But what if I wanted to go home instead?" Luka, a young man, is summoned by accident in a fantasy world. But his arrival isn't without problems: kidnapping, political betrayals, a sickly king...
