(CHAPTER 22: PARTY CRASHER)

Hero could feel the pain aching through his entire body. Every single inch of his body is sore, his ears were humming and his eyes were blinded by the raging fire on the buildings beside him, swallowing the wooden structure as the fire spread around, gobbling down everything on its path until what it left is only the ashes as the smoke.

Hero's mind raced, trying to piece up what had just happened, but as if a cork has clotted his thought, he came up with nothing. With every ounce of his strength, Hero push his palm on the cold brick floor beneath him and force his feet back to the ground. He stood up confusingly and gaze around the chaotic scene in front of him. Fire were burning and corpse were everywhere, the city wall just in front of their Inn was blown away as illagers start trickling in like water from a leaked bucket.

The wall guards try their best to fend them off but the illagers outnumber them with three over one. And soon the guards were wipe up. One of them took out a sheep horn and blow, as if on cue more illager rushed in, breaking into houses and shops beside them, raiding everything they could get, killing every single fortunate soul in front of their eyes.

And some of them, headed straight towards Hero.

Hero turn around and try to head back to his Inn, searching for his saber, but when he turned around, the Inn was right now just a few stack of broken walls and wooden planks. He was about to mourn or search the ruins for his friend but an illager break his thought as a punch was landed straight on his face. He could feel a crack at his jaw while the punch threw him and land him onto one of the ruin piles. The boards and stones scattered like a bowling pin before he finally stopped on his track, slamming onto the cobblestone wall hard. He let out a dry cough and wipe away the blood from his lips with his thumb.

His sight is still blurry as he struggles to stand up still. His feet is trembling and weak, while is hands were sore, he couldn't even lift them up, now he regret for every single drip of beer he had back at the farewell party . Bees are still humming in his ear drums, his sight is still twirling but the punch might've knock some sense out of him as he stood his fighting stance, preparing for the next attack.

Through the blazing light, he could see the shadow of the two illagers dashing towards him, he may be weak and vulnerable right now, but these minions doesn't posses any threat towards him. He clench his fist up and timed his moves. One of them threw his fist while another one slashes his sword. Hero catch the fist fairly easily and pin him to the ground while kick the other away in the leg, forcing him to stay down before slamming the pinned illager towards him like a baseball bat, knocking both of them down.

Hero pick up the iron sword from the ground as his weapon for now. He turn around to head back to the Inn in search of his friends but right at that time, he bumped into someone. "Darn it." Both of stumble and fell to the ground with a thump. "Darn it." Hero curse under his breath and stood up once more and take at one good look at the person who bumped right into her, but was shocked. It was a girl, but not Brine or Rose, or any normal villager. She look more like a princess, with silk woven dress and the finest accessories dazzling around her. Although she was dirtied by the dust and mud from bumping into him, it does not cover her royal majestic aurora, her well feed body, beautifully nurtured silky black hair and milky white fair skin exposes her identity even more.

She shook her head a bit before finally realizing that it was Hero who she have bump in. "Who are you?" She asked, or more like yell in his face with her high pitched voice. "Don't you dare do anything towards me! My father will kill you and feed your remains to the dog if you dare!" Hero scoffed and turn around, he felt disgusted, this is the kind of upper class insult he have heard people gossiping about? Lame.

"Where are you going?" She screamed at him. "Come back at once! It was the peasant's duty to protect the roya-" Her scream was cut short from a giggle coming from the alley. "Let's say, a royal huh. We are rich!" One of the illager stood out from the shadow and approached. "Her price should be weight twice in gold! I suggest we nap and dash! Ransom would be good." Another one suggested and both of the grinned and headed towards her.

"You come back right how! Right at this instance." She screams, this time mixed with horror. Hero didn't even bother and walk straight without even stopping or hesitating. "Come back! Come back. Come back….." Her voice weakens as the illagers approaches, forcing her to back up, while she was about to turn her head and dash, she tripped onto his gown and fell flat to the ground again, this time twist his angle as well.

"Sitting ducks as they say!" Both of them laughed looking at her trying to stand up from the ground clumsily. Her body was totally smeared in mud and dirt water, destroying her appearance and dignity at the same time. She felt a sour sense as tears began to drip down from her eyes. Her whimper turns into a cry and soon into an bawl. "Cry! Cry as you like princess." One of the smirked mockingly and approached. "Cause no one is going to risk their life to safe your ungrateful face. Even that guy before, look at how he left! He wouldn't bother save a fool like yo-" Before he could even finish, a rock like punch was landed onto him, slamming his head onto the ground and knock him out cold with one hit. The other one's jaw drop and stare at Hero. "Who say I am that kind of person." He let out a grin, and pointed his sword towards him. "You wanna try that too?"

The illager chuckled and dash away, leaving both of them. Hero draw his sword back and headed towards the ruin, before savaging every single pile in hope to find his friend. But they are just not there, he almost dug the entire building and yet nothing. His fingers were bleeding with cut and bruises while his sleeve were completely torn. The suit was completely ruined, but he couldn't care much.

The dust smeared his face and cloth as bead of sweat dripped onto the wound, adding a spicy, salty pain. He has no idea where they've been or whether if they are still alive. Just when his heart was desperate, he heard and small creak behind him. He thought was another illager, but it was just the girl, who somehow followed him here.

"Why are you here?" He questioned, he was too tired to take care another pest. "Help, you help me right? And I help back?" She moved one of the wooden planks and draw out a saber. "Is that yours?" Hero stare at the saber, it was indeed his obsidian saber. "Thanks kid." He snatch back the saber and put it back to his case. "Your finger is bleeding." She added. "Yeah, yeah I know." He rip off a part of his sleeve and warp it around his cloth to stop the bleeding, at least for now.

"Who are you searching for?" She ask again. Hero was too lazy to answer and began digging once again. "You better answer me or I will keep questioning." She threatened. Hero rolled his eyes and sighed. "I am searching for my friends. Two girl and a boy, can you please shut up?" She turn her head around and helped, they found some of their items but no sight of the team.

The raid has currently moved towards the east side of the wall, the entrance point was at the west side which is the place where Hero and the team lived, but there are barely any other illagers since most of the area is either destroyed or washed out completely. Hero keep his head low and continue his search.

Suddenly she screamed, he stood up and turn towards her but before he could do that something hit him square at his elbow. He was threw into the wall like a ragdoll, smashing through the rubbery brick wall of the shop beside him.

"My, my ain't that Hero our guide?"