Sylvia teleported Riku back to the forest, where they appeared in a clearing near the campgrounds.

“If you walk along this path, you will make it back to camp within the hour. I’m going to head back first to avoid suspicion,” Sylvia said.

“…”

Riku waited in the clearing for a while before beginning his trek back to the campsite. A mile in, the sound of a stick being stepped on startled Riku. He stopped and set his hand on his sword hilt, while his eyes scanned the surroundings for enemies. The glint of an arrowhead peeking out from the undergrowth caught Riku’s eye.

Swoosh!

An arrow was shot at Riku. He sidestepped, plucked the arrow out of the air, and gazed at it in amusement. Disregarding his safety, Riku drew his sword and charged into the bushes; intending to flush out his attacker.

Fuck, the arrow was a trap.

He dropped into a defensive stance and kept his sword in front of him; ready to lash out at the poor, unlucky soul who attacked first. Riku waited in anticipation only to discover that five masked men had formed a circle around him.

“What are you waiting for? Make your move!” Riku growled.

“You are him?” one of the masked men asked while holding up a memory stone engrained with Riku’s likeness.

Riku grunted.

“Under Lord Mazark’s orders, we are here to offer you an invitation to his home. This is the greatest honor you will ever experience.”

“If I refuse…?”

“Then we have no choice and will have to bring you in by force.”

Riku swung his sword at his nearest attacker only to watch helplessly as his sword sliced through a tree stump and his target reappear where the tree stump used to be.

“Nice try, but no ordinary swordsman can hold his own against the five of us; we were personally trained by Lord Mazark himself. An ant like you could not possibly do any damage to us at all. It would do you good to just give in,” the same masked man sneered.

Riku cursed, “What the fuck am I to do here? If the masked men are this strong, how can I even hope to match up with Mazark?”

Unwilling to go down without a fight, Riku kept his sword drawn and crept around in a circle, eyeing his enemies.

Riku heard a voice in his head saying, “I finally wake up from my slumber and find out my new master is a weakling, what the fuck is going on? What was Erol thinking?”

Riku looked at his sword confused and asked, “Are you talking to me?”

“Yes, dipshit. Why are you so weak and why the fuck are you my new master?”

“You were the one who approved me as your master.”

“No, I’m pretty sure I would remember if I accepted an idiot as my master. Erol must’ve pulled something behind my back.”

“…”