AN: Just a heads up, but I’m going to be writing this chapter in first person. If a speaker or listener is talking in or hearing a language that they are not very skilled at, such as Mer common for Cameron, then it will be heard or spoken in my best attempt at broken English on purpose, so just a heads up.

Chapter 9: …Into the Unknown

Unknown amount of time after falling asleep in the pile of hay.

Light slowly started to enter my eyes through my still heavy eyelids when I heard a male and female speaking.

Unknown female: “I think him is waking, you talk to him.” She said in Mer common as I tried to remember what had happened to me in the prison before the man started speaking to me.

Slightly familiar Male voice: “Since you are just waking up I don’t want you to panic so I will let you know the situation you’re in and ask you some questions.”

Surprisingly he had spoken in demihuman common when he started talking to me and he was quite fluent in it so it only sounded as if he had a small accent. It would be similar to an American hearing a British person speak, similar but a little different. ‘Wait a second, what the hell is an American, or a British? Gahhh why do these thoughts from my first life only flash and go away when I conveniently need them? I can’t wait for my soul to finish getting acclimated to this world so they will stop.’

Same male as before: “First things first can you understand me and just nod if you can and if you can’t then this is going to be much harder for both of us.” I barely nodded my head since I felt so tired I couldn’t even open my eyes at the moment and I hadn’t felt any threat from the calm and friendly way the man was speaking. “Oh thank the gods you can understand me. Well this is the last question you will have to answer before I explain the situation. This might come as a shock, but did you spare me on purpose when you escaped the slavers I was unknowingly working for?” He was right, that question definitely came as a shock as I realized the voice was of the single guard I had spared, but then he surprised me once again. “No matter what your answer is, I would still like to thank you for killing those fucking slavers.” When he talked about the slavers you could feel the hate in his voice. ‘Guess he really didn’t know what he was getting paid to do until he saw me, glad I didn’t kill him.’ Realizing who was talking to me I then nodded my head again since it was true and he sighed with relief before speaking again. “Ok my fiancé is going to feed you some food now while I tell what is going on, but let me introduce myself. My name is Matt Bone-Fist and my fiancée’s name is Mary and we are both half Ravager, so you are among friends.”

After the man gave me his name I relaxed my body, which had unbeknownst to me become quite tense while Matt had been speaking. The mention of the one race of Mer who we could trust put me more at ease since he would most likely even prove he was part Ravager after I could look at him to show I could trust him. The fact that I feel so weak and tired that I can’t even open my eyes is really starting to bother me, but at the mention of food my stomach grumbles. ‘Oh yeah I haven’t eaten since I entered the dungeon, and I have passed due to mana exhaustion twice since then. That would probably be the reason for my current condition.’ After my stomach growled I could hear a small snicker that sounded like it had come from a female. The snicker was followed with footsteps towards where I was laying. I could feel a soft hand gently open my mouth before some lukewarm broth was spooned inside.

Matt: “Based off your current condition, and the one I found you in, I’m guessing your suffering from hunger and severe mana exhaustion. I won’t ask what happened before you were teleported to that prison, but pushing your mana to its limits within short spans of time can be very dangerous. You currently have some slave cuffs on your hands and feet so that you can’t release your mana or hurt us or yourself. The cuffs won’t impede your ability to regenerate mana so I just wanted to let you know what was happening before I took them off.”

I could hear Matt walk to the bed and fiddle with something metallic above my head. After he released the cuffs he moved my arms so they rested at my sides before removing the cuffs from my feet.

Matt: “I don’t know what kind of mana you were using when you killed the captain of the guards, but it must have taken a lot of mana to break through his tier 4 protection spell as easily as it did. Whatever it was I think it might also be the cause of your current condition. As thanks for sparing me, my fiancé and I will help nurse you back to health. However I do have one task that I need to ask your assistance with to repay us hiding you. I won’t bother you with it now, so just relax and rest up and you will be using your mana again in a week or so.”

Not long after Matt finished talking Mary had finished feeding me the broth and they both left the room. It wasn’t long until I drifted off to sleep, which felt a lot better than passing out from mana exhaustion.

xxxxx

After about a week of care from Matt and Mary, I was starting to get out of the bed on my own and could start gathering my mana in my body again. Whatever that purplish energy was, it almost killed me and is the reason for my current state. I still slightly remember the memory from what I think is my past life. The only thing I can remember is black hair and a dark hand with a hint of gold on it but enough about that.

The reason I could understand Matt whenever he talked was because he had a skill called “Double Tongued” that allowed him to speak in both Demihuman and Mer common at the same time. I also found out the Mary’s “brothers” were just boys she grew up with in the orphanage she lived in during the early years of her life, and she wasn’t very disturbed by their deaths. I think it was because she found out that they were slavers.

When I started to practice using my mana again, Matt and Mary also decided to help teach me Mer common so I could understand it without having to use mana to activate the skill I learned from the book in school. While they were teaching me Mer common, I was also helping Mary learn Demihuman common as well, so I bartered my help for theirs. I also learned that the town I was transported was a trading post type town called Reed. The town was a week’s travel on foot from one of the official entrances to the Fey continent, a tunnel called Fey Pass.

My plans for getting back to the Demihuman continent would have to be put on hold since it would take about 2 years to make it to the coast on foot by myself. That is based on going in a straight line and not running into any monsters or magical beasts, which wasn’t going to happen no matter how lucky someone was.

Matt had a plan on what to do about the operations of the slavers, but it would take some time to get me back into fighting shape. I would also have time to learn Mer common so I could speak it without using mana.

xxxxx

3 weeks since teleportation

Matt, Mary and I are standing around the dinner table with a map of the town spread out since tonight is the night of our “going away party” for the town of Reed.

Matt: “Well here is the plan for tonight. First Cameron and I are going to break in to the warehouse guards’ armory and get the weapons and supplies we need for our part of the plan.” Matt taps the square with a circle on it to clarify the armory’s location. “While we are doing that Mary will be getting two horses for the cart so we can make our escape with what possessions we are taking with us.” Matt looked at Mary and she nodded her head in agreement. “Okay then, so after Cameron and I get the weapons we need and the explosive crystal bundles we need we will start our sneak attack on the underground transportation post. Since the only thing that gets transported there are for rather unsavory purposes, it needs to be destroyed. After we plant and activate the crystal bundles, we plant one in the guard barracks to take out anyone who would want to chase after us immediately. As we are leaving we will also plant one in Mary’s house and several other guards’ houses to make them think it was a bandit attack. So is everybody ready?” We all looked at each other and nodded in agreement. “Then let’s get to it.”

xxxxx

Matt: “Can you take care of the lock? I will be on the lookout for any guards.”

I started concentrating my mana and changed it to fire mana and released it when I had enough stored up. My flaming red hand cut through the lock on the armory door like it was butter. I quickly reabsorbed any flame mana left to extinguish my hand and signaled for Matt.

Cameron: “Hey I’m through the lock, come here so we can gear up.”

Matt walked over and we entered the dark building. As soon as I shut the door behind him he lit up a light crystal so he could see inside. Inside the building were quite a few crates containing what I could assume were different types of consumable weaponry for use exploring the Fey continent, and along the walls were weapons of all different makes.

Matt: “Take whatever you need to for weapons while I get the crystal bundles. Oh and you’re going to need this as well.” As he said that Matt tossed me a black hooded leather cloak that he had stashed in the corner of the building.

Off of the walls I picked a pair of matching Mer long swords and a great sword, all of which came with a sheath and strap to attach them to myself. I then saw a massive sword with two holes just above where the grip attached to the sword.

Cameron: “Hey Matt, what kind of sword is that?”

Matt: “They call that a buster sword. Personally I think it is useless as a weapon since the only thing going for it is the weight. It’s easier to beat things to death with one than it is to cut them with it, but you would be surprised how many blond adventurers buy one to show off to the females in their group. They have to use mana constantly just to carry the damn thing and I think they are compensating for something if they need a massive sword like that. They also tend to get themselves killed rather easily when they try to explore the Fey continent as well.”

I tried lifting the sword and found that with my demihuman strength I could handle the sword. When I felt the blade of the sword I immediately put it back due to the fact that Matt was right and it would be easier to beat someone to death with the blunt side that to use the blade side. Going with my first choices in weapons, I equipped a long sword on both sides of my waist and put the cloak on to hide my features and the dual long swords. I finished up my attire by attaching the 1 meter long great sword to my back. It felt good to have a blade with a similar length to my demihuman long sword on my back again. I looked over at Matt and saw that he was placing the last crystal bundle in one of the four pouches and walked over to see if he needed help.

Cameron: “Do we have everything we need for this?”

Matt: “Yeah we do and I need you to take these two satchels of crystal bundles in case something happens to me. I will be storing mine using dimensional Inventory magic to reduce their noise, so if I die you won’t be able to get them out of my bags. Just let me get my cloak on and we will go hit the barracks.” Matt put on a leather cloak that was identical to the one I was wearing before turning to me. “I forgot to ask earlier, but do you know how to use throwing knives?”

Cameron: “Yes I do, we had to learn quite few different forms of armed combat during training and they were one of them. I didn’t really use them much in actual combat, since they are only useful against opponents who don’t have a mana shield up, but I can still hit lethal points easily.”

Matt: “Good then you can use these too.” He handed me two throwing knife bandoliers that had 6 knives each.

Cameron: “Umm, could I have a little help equipping all of this stuff?”

Matt: “Sure no problem.” Matt then started helping me attach the bandoliers over my chest and satchels to my belt strap. “Now you remember how to use the crystal bundles right? Tier 1 give you 10 minutes, tier 2 gives you 1 minute, and tier 3 gives you 10 seconds.”

The explosive crystal bundles were a piece of Mer ingenuity. They used magic to combine three different elemental mana crystals, a lightning, fire and air crystal, and used the three to enhance the effects. Using a lightning mana you started the charging process of the lightning crystal that would charge up at different rates depending on the tier of the activation spell or mana amount. Once the lightning crystal charged up it would release an electrical discharge that would activate the air and fire crystal and cause them to release their stored up energy. The combination of the fire and air mana being released would cause a much larger and damaging explosion than the fire crystal would on its own. The only reason there were so many here was due to the fact that they have been banned for use in Mer vs. Mer conflicts and could only be used against Fey or Demihumans.

Cameron: “You do know I can only use tier 1 lightning mana right?”

Matt: “Sorry, force of habit. Well let’s do this.”

Cameron: “Ooh Rah!”

xxxxx

As we approached the guard barracks I could see the first of the two guards. We quickly hid from his sightline behind a nearby building.

Matt: “Ok, start up my first crystal bundle with as little mana as possible then take out the two guards. After you take out the first one I will sneak inside and plant the bundle, then we will meet back here.”

I nodded in agreement and charged up as little lightning mana as I could in my finger and released it into the lightning crystal of the bundle Matt was holding. Matt slipped the crystal bundle that was starting to let off some light into a dark cloth bag to keep the glow hidden. I quickly gathered dark mana and used Cloak to hide myself even better in the darkness of the night.

As I neared the first guard patrolling one of the entrances to the barracks I readied one of the daggers in my hand and used some mana to strengthen my throwing arm. As soon as a chance came I threw the dagger that had enough force behind it to bury itself in the guards skull, instantly killing him. As soon as the guard fell to the ground I was already continuing around the building in search of the other guard while Matt snuck in to plant the crystal bundle. Since Cloak wouldn’t be dismissed if I just used regular mana to enhance myself, I had no need to charge up any darkness mana at the moment. As I neared the other corner of the building, the guard was unlucky enough to walk over to this side of the building. This earned him a knife to the skull just like the first guard. After I had killed the second guard I snuck back to our meeting spot and met up with Matt.

Matt: “We don’t have long so let’s hurry up and get the hell out of here.”

xxxxx

*knock* *knock*

Captain of the watch: “Who the hell is knocking at this hour?” The captain of this shift of the watch called through the small door slot as he looked at the knocker.

Matt: “It’s me Matt, the new guy; I couldn’t sleep so I thought I could start my shift early. So could you let me in?”

Captain: “Fine just get in here quick.” He unlocked and opened the door for Matt to enter the secret entrance to the slave teleportation facility.

Matt: “Oops, looks like my shoe is untied.” Matt bent down in the door way and started tying his shoe and also started chanting under his breath.

Captain: “Hurry the hell up so I can shut the –“

The captain never got to finish his sentence as I rushed towards him while still cloaked. I hardened the mana that made up my Cloak similar to how to use the 3rd tier dark skill, and used the mana to perform a powered up Dark Slash. The mana used up was similar to the 3rd tier skill, and had 3rd tier strength. The mana that made up my Cloak condensed into what looked like a sword made of shadows as I swung and sliced through his neck and the door he was holding open. As soon as Matt was finished with his chant he said “Strengthen” as he rushed towards the other two unsuspecting guards and threw knives between their eyes with the help of his strength spell.

Matt: “Good call on using that powered up Dark Slash of yours to take out the captain. While I was waiting for him to open up the door I heard him chanting a shield spell that I think was tier 2.”

Cameron: “Yeah, that would have blocked most of my mana skills, but I used up a third of my mana, so let’s try to use swords for anymore guards.”

Matt: “I was planning on it. I’ll take the left side and you take the right side.”

I nodded in agreement and headed down the right side of the circular passageway while drawing one of my long swords. Neither of us ran into any guards on our way to the guard station at the entrance to the summoning room. We both had our backs to the wall right before the hall like guard station. I lifted the long sword I was holding and looked into the image it was reflecting and saw that two of the guards had their backs to us while a third was looking at the circular passageway. I motioned for Matt to take out the guard on his side while I would take out the other two. Matt started to chant under his breath again while I strengthened both of my arms and legs with mana and drew another of the throwing knives with my right hand and switched the sword to my left. When Matt was done with the chant he nodded to me and I started to count down with my right hand like I had done in my past life. 3 … 2 … 1 … go.

We both turned around the corners simultaneously and I threw the knife mid turn, directly at the still unaware guard looking in our direction. I used the mana in my legs to boost my speed as I sprinted towards the guard who had his back to me. Matt used Impact to leap forward toward his guard and slay him with a single swing. I sliced the head off of my guard about half a second after Matt. The guard with a knife in his forehead hit the ground a second after his two partners had been slain.

Matt: “Here are the keys to the doors, you head downstairs and set the charges while I set up the ones up here.” He tossed me the keys and headed back to the hallway to plant his bundles.

I ran down the stairwell and this time only the gates at the top, middle and bottom of the stairwell were closed. When I got to the cells I unlocked and checked each one to make sure that there were no slaves in any of them before we blew the place to kingdom-come. Not finding any evidence of any more teleportation spells activating, I used lightning mana to start four crystal bundles. I threw one into the middle of each cell, and left one in the middle of the cell room for good measure. Running back up the stairwell I also dropped an armed bundle midway up it as was the plan.

Around the time I got to the top of the stairwell, there was a loud thundering sound and some dust came down from the ceiling as the bundle we had placed in the guard barracks had gone off. This meant it was time to hurry the hell up, which Matt reminded me of as he was waiting for me at the guard station.

Matt: “I have bundles all armed all around the passageway so we just need to set a bundle in the houses of two of the guards that are dead, and Mary’s house. Then we can leave this town behind.”

It didn’t take long for both of us to book it out of the underground slave center to see the chaos that the town of Reed was in. I had activated Cloak on the way out and I melted into the darkness and went to my designated target without getting noticed by the villagers now trying to put out the burning rubble of the barracks. After throwing my last crystal bundle into the now abandoned and ownerless house I headed towards Mary’s house to meet up with them.

I arrived as Matt was throwing his last crystal bundle into his fiancé’s house to keep the merchant behind the slaving off of their trail. I made my presence known, and Matt motioned for me to follow him to the wagon that waiting nearby. Mary was already waiting for us and had two horses hooked up and ready to go.

Matt: “You can dismiss your magic and hop in the wagon.”

I did as I was told as Matt hopped up beside Mary on the driving bench and Mary made the horses start on their way out of town. I looked back to see the ground sink and swallow the warehouse as the slave post was destroyed and turned around. I didn’t even bother looking back when the three houses exploded, but just looked forward to the future and my first steps on my way back home and into the unknown.

Back to Main Page

xxxxx

AN: Well sorry about taking so long to release this chapter, but I have some good news and some bad news. The good news is that this chapter brings the first arc of Imperator of Beasts to a close, which will be known as “The Beginning”, and starts the second arc “Into the Unknown”. The bad news (kinda) is that you will have to wait a bit longer for the next chapter, since I will start working on it after I write my submission for this month’s contest. BTW, this chapter was originally going to be shorter, but I think it needed the added plot.