The Abandoned Hero

Chapter 11:Ehretia

Authors note: I'm alive and sorry for the wait I do hope you all enjoy remember to vote and comment greatly appreciated and lets start this off with a double update!!!!!

We continued walking in the forest on our way to dark caverns to find the witch.
I turned to Luke "So, whats your power? I asked.
Luke smiled and softly said "Glow". All of a sudden his body covered in a light aura.
"Light manipulation, I'm basically a paladin and Jake is a mage." Luke continued.

"No I'm talking about the power that we were born with,remember the king said that we already have our own power sleeping inside of- " I said but was interrupted by Jake bumping into my shoulder purposely and walking ahead.

"Why don't you mind your own business and keep to yourself." Jake said.

Luke leaned on my shoulder and whispered "Don't mind Jake he's a little touchy on the subject about our true powers, he's a good kid."

I nodded and walked beside Jake, "Hey, sorry about that earlier, I didn't mean to offend you but lets stick together, we're a team now, so we cool now? I asked while extending my fist towards him

Jake smiled a little and we fist bumped, "Yeah we're cool, Vega" He said.

"I don't mean to interrupt you guys little bromance but its getting dark so I think we should find a place to rest for the night before the monsters start coming out." Luke said.

Jake nodded and extended his hand which he had a ring on one of his fingers and it glowed, then a big tent came out of it.

"Hey that's just like my cloak." I said while my cloak disappeared,became a ring and appeared on my finger. I then proceeded to throw take off the ring and throw it away and it reappeared back on my finger with just a thought.

Jake's jaw dropped, "How did you get a shifting bound cloak, they just don't give those out to anyone. Either you find them in a dungeon or someone makes them and they ain't cheap either." Jake said in amazement."

"Oh they were a gift....from a friend." I said.

"Lucky you, that friend must really care about you,stuff like this don't cont come around everyday." Jake said while sighing in jealousy.

"Don't worry dude, I'm sure you will get something better than what I got." I said.

Luke got up from finishing tent "Alright, whenever you guys are ready you can hit the hay but we need someone to take a watch so take turns." Luke explained

"I don't feel comfortable sleeping with people and I rather sleeping on nice sturdy tree branch, so I will take first watch so you guys go ahead." I said as I jumped onto a nearby tree.

"Well good night, well Jake it seems like we have our very own squirrel hero, Jin Vega." Luke laughed as he went into the tent and so did Jake.

I sneered at him and took a seat on the tree. A few minutes past by and a ghostly version of Maricio appeared beside me.

"Oh, hey Maricio." I said as I looked at the stars in the night sky

"Hey Jin, what you up to?" Maricio asked.

"I'm just thinking and I'm curious about something,when I am I gonna beat the other zodiacs?" I asked.

"Well.....you need to get their approval, just like you did with me so until then form a stronger bond with me and become stronger yourself, in a sense we are one. Maricio said.

"Oh alright but I must ask what do you in that empty space, aren't you like bored or something being in there all the time?" I asked jokingly.

"Oh actually its whole another world, not the biggest like how earth is but there is alot of things to do in there,there's even a mall." Maricio laughed as he pulled a ghostly bag of chips and began snacking on it.

"................that..... that doesn't look normal at all. Anyway so will I get to ever see this world besides your empty space?"

"Not now but eventually when you get stronger and read your spell book."

"Honestly, I'm scared to read that, the thought of getting the so called soul shock scares me."

"That's not the only thing you gotta worry about that book." Maricio said grim expression
"But lets not worry about that now,lets have a drink." Maricio laughed and a bottle of wine materialized in his hand.

"I'm to young, no thanks." I refused.

"Fine, since we have a baby here, drink some non-alcoholic sparkling apple cider and I will drink the wine." He said as he handed a bottle of sparkling apple cider.

"Yeah, thanks" I took it and drank some.

Me and Mauricio continued talking through the whole night, so I didn't bother to wake the others up.

The night passed by quickly, it is now morning. I didn't feel tired at all. Maricio is great to talk to. I then went over to the tent and woke up Luke and Jake. Jake began putting away the tent and bringing out food rations from his ring.

"Hey Jin how come you didn't wake any of us up, weren't you tired?" Luke inquired.

"I wasn't tired but I feel fully energized so I'm fine." I said.

We then grabbed our rations and continued on our journey to the dark caverns

*Time Lapse*

~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 

We finally came close to dark caverns it was just up the mountain from inside of an upcoming village according to the map.

As we continued walking there was a broken sign on the ground saying "welcome to the town of Burnfall" and below that was the word "help us" covered in blood. We all looked at each other with troubled looks,probably thinking the same thing and we continued on.

We reached to the outskirts of the village,there were a few broken houses but besides it looked ordinary and abandoned. I felt a bad feeling in my stomach and just in case I silently activated Mystic: Mind of Wu. We entered through the village entrance and began just observing the area slowly while walking thorough.

Luke then let out a sigh and began to shout "Is anybody home!" I rushed him over to him put my hand over his mouth.

"Would you be quiet, there is something off about this place, we could die." I said quietly.

I removed my hand from his mouth and he said "sorry" quietly.

Jake opened his mouth "I don't think anyone is-" I cut him off short with a shhhh.

I began to hear faint tramples on the ground

"Be quiet, don't you guys hear that?" I asked

The faint tramples started to become a little closer and louder. I couldn't tell what it was but I knew it meant trouble.

"Everybody run now!" I shouted with the top of my lungs and we all started started running deeper into the village towards the dark caverns.

"Jin,  can you see what is chasing us?"Luke said as the trampling became louder and louder

I turned my head and there was an army of humanoid zombie like monsters chasing us

"Holy crap. its zombies,keep running guys." I said as I tried to run faster.

Jake face turned serious and he began chanting a spell while running. Maricio appeared in his ghostly formed.

"Jin do not kill them there still human,they seem to be under a spell. See for yourself concentrate your Mystic on your eyes" Maricio said and then vanished.

I nodded and focus the power into my eyes and I looked at them and I saw a faint green fragment inside all of them and a orb covering it. Crud, Maricio is right.

"Jake don't hit them, there under a spell. They are still human,it must be the witches doing." I explained.

Jake looked back in them in shock and continued running. "You better be right about this."

"Guys cover your eyes, I got an idea!" Luke shouted.

Me and Jake covered our eyes and continued running trying not to trip over. Light began forming in Luke's hands and he then shouted "Blinding Radiance" and a wave of light blasted from his hand and blinded all the zombies and cause them to be unable to see for a while and it made them tumble over each other.

"That will buy us some time since they are undead...ish.... I hope it will buy us some time enough to get away" Luke said.

We then continued to run towards the back of the village and there was a long stairway leading to a mountain with a cave, that must be dark caverns. We began to run up the stairs but became out of breath quickly from all that running from before. When we reached the top of the stairs we took a quick break to catch our breaths and refresh ourselves.

*Time Lapse*

~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 

 After our short break we readied our weapons and headed inside the cave. It was lit up with purple lanterns and torches with purple lighting. Is this place some kind of weird nightclub or something? We continued thorough the pathway and it led up to what it looks like a throne room,we looked further and there was a woman sitting on the throne drinking wine like she was expecting us.

She stood up and said "Greetings trespassers, I am Ehretia." Ehretia had light blue long hair reaching to her lower back, emerald eyes,dark skin color and very pointy ears,she must be a dark elf. She was wearing a long black dress and was quite beautiful but I sensed an evil aura wrapping around her and it was strong.

"Tell me you naughty boys, what should I do with you for trespassing into my home,I probably should kill you but your the heroes that were summoned to this weren't you, It would be a waste. You all would become my puppets." She laughed maniacally while an evil aura wrapped around her.