Chapter 1: Nowhere to go
The area surrounding them was hot and intense, dry and lifeless. Terrias looked forward and saw the crystal levitating off the ground, lustrous and mysterious. “So this is the crystal of chaos… to imagine this thing is causing a lot of havoc around here,” said Manna touching the crystal. “I suggest you be extremely careful, we have no idea what this crystal is capable of,” said Valo. As soon as Manna took her hand off the crystal it began to glow and manifest into a humanoid being. Once it had it looked at the trio and laughed. “This is your end! Let me live and die you shall, kill me and trapped in Riteath you will be forever!” “What do we do?” asked Manna grabbing the hilt of her sword with Valo doing the same thing. “We must fight it…” said Terrias as he grabbed for his sword and the three drew them out simultaneously. The humanoid began to glow again and turned into a vicious dragon. “THERE IS NO ESCAPE FROM THIS POINT!!” said the dragon as it attacked the trio. The three jumped out of the way and took a different position making a triangle formation. Their swords began to glow the color of their spells and they readied for the attack. Once charged and the dragon had looked up, the trio executed their attack and hit the dragon destroying it instantly. It returned to its crystallized state and before any of them could make another move, a large flash had covered the fighting area that had blasted the three in separate directions.
Terrias had awoken and opened his eyes. His vision was blurred and he could not see much in his path. He could still smell the sulfur and rocks burning so he knew he was still in the cave. “Manna?” he tried to stand but stumbled, “Valo?” He felt dizzy and completely drained of almost all of his energy. “Manna?” he cried again trying to orientate himself. “Terrias?” It was Valo’s voice calling from the distance. “Valo? Is that you?” cried out Terrias trying desperately to see what he had just heard. “Yeah! Where are you?” shouted Valo from the distance. He too could not see straight. His vision was spinning and all he could feel around him was moist, warm fluids. He knew he was bleeding tremendously and was the reason why he could not keep himself together.
Terrias was finally able to get up and see partially. He staggered forward trying to find Valo, or Manna for that matter. Terrias had taken no more than a couple of steps when he felt that he had stepped on someone. “Ow…” said a voice weakly and in great pain. Terrias did not need to think twice of whom he had just found. He looked down and desperately tried to make out the silhouette that was seen before him. Sure enough, it was Manna lying down motionless. “Manna, talk to me,” said Terrias as he fell to help her out. He tried to lift her up but she shouted, “Terrias, please don’t touch me! It hurts!” Terrias backed away a bit and his vision clarified some more. Manna’s ribs had been crushed and there were even more fractures that were up to her shoulders and arms. Terrias looked up and shouted as loud as he could. He had felt that this was going to be the end of his story.
It felt like weeks and even months, but it was only a few days. Terrias was able to get Valo and bring him over to Manna. All of them were able to heal each other and find their way out of the cave and out into the open. “Finally, we’re free,” said Manna holding onto Terrias as he carried her out. Valo looked out and examined the surroundings. “Everything seems normal anyway,” he said as he helped lead the way back to the capital of Hora. The walk was not long and after a few minutes they were back where they had started, the entrance of the cave. “What? But how? We just walked forward, right?” said Terrias looking around awestruck and amazed of how they even came back. He placed Manna down lightly and she looked up to see what he was up to. Terrias tried to teleport out but ended back where he tried to teleport off. “We’re stuck…” said Manna lightly as she hugged her legs and put her head down. “Not so,” said Valo, “we’re near Riteath so there has got to be someone to aid us out.”
They made their way to Riteath only to find it desolate. Not a single soul was in town and has seemed to be like this for over a week. Terrias put Manna down again and ran throughout town searching for anyone. Every house was empty and there was absolutely no food anywhere. Terrias came back smiling in disbelief. “We are royally ********. There is just nothing around and it looks like we were set up…” Terrias began to laugh. Manna looked up quickly then covered her ears. Valo tried to calm him down, “Terrias, we have been through worse, I’m sure someone or something is bound to come by - ” “And then what?” asked Terrias still laughing, “what can they possibly do if we, the Serine Knights, can’t do anything?” Valo stood quiet for a minute then began to search the houses again.
Manna looked up at Terrias and tried to stand up. Terrias stopped her and sat next to her. “Terrias, I never wanted it to end like this… is it really over?” she said holding his hand. “If there is no escape from this cruel trap, then I’m afraid it is.” Valo came back running to the others. “There is an advancing militia coming this way, we may be in luck,” he said as he stopped to recover and breath from running. Terrias looked up and saw the militia advancing as Valo has said. The troops where armed and stopped as soon as they made contact with the trio. “Young knights and strong king, I am afraid that you are to be executed by us immediately,” said the leader on top of his white stallion.
Terrias approached them and started to laugh. His eyes began to glow red and he drew out his sword. Manna covered her ears again and tried to look away from the crowd. “You honestly think you can kill us?” he said still laughing. The troops grew scared as each had a cold chill run up their spines. As one turned around and tried to leave, Terrias made off with him quickly and looked up. “Get us out of here or you will all die!” said Terrias as his flicked his sword downwards removing the blood off his blade. The troops did not hesitate and began to attack.
When Manna opened her eyes she had discovered the bodies off all the troops lying on the floor soaking in there blood. Terrias had the last one pinned and put his blade up to his neck. “Listen carefully, because I am only going to say this once, how do we get out of here?” The soldier laughed and said, “I’d rather die at your hands than tell you how to escape.” “So be it.” The sound of his sword going through him was very loud and blood thirsty. Terrias stripped the cloths and armor off of a few soldiers then took a piece of meat from one and set it on fire. “What the hell are you doing?” asked Valo in disgust. “We will need to learn how to survive,” he said as the fire of the meat had extinguished. He ate it and approached Valo. “We have to prepare for the day we do get out of here. I don’t know about you but I will not die here. Not like this.” Valo stood quiet and Manna was able to stand up completely and looked at Terrias in grave fear. “Manna,” he said gently as the exchanged looks, “there is no way around it. Live or die, that is our decision from this point out.” Manna nodded and took the armor off of the female troops and Valo did the same with the remaining male troops. They had made new armor with the resources they collected and were able to survive with the meat of the dead soldiers. “So now what do we do?” asked Manna standing by Terrias’ side. “As of now, I am unsure… for all we know, there is nowhere to go…”
