18 – A Whisper

"Okay, we're not leaving." Even though he said that, Alan still raised his magic staff as a precaution. "So, can they not surround us?"

Hilda chuckled. "Sorry, but I don't trust you after what happened last night. Paul warned you, but you ignored him. I had to make sure you really didn't leave."

"Why do you want to keep us here?" Alan digs for more information to take the next step. "Is the reason simply because we are the ones you call the saviors?"

"That's how it is." Hilda walked forward a few steps. "We want you to always be by our side. We want you two to save us. Let the other chosen ones take care of the rest of the world. We were the first to find you, so we deserve your protection."

Those words were like coming out of a madman. Alan felt that she wouldn't want to hear his objection.

"What should we do, Alan?" While also raising her weapon, Celia hissed. Her gaze fell on the people who were approaching her and Alan. Those people are still wearing creepy smiles on their faces. "We can't fight them with our power."

The Priestess then spread her hands. Her eyes widened. "Then surrender peacefully. We don't want to hurt either of you."

"Enough!" Paul suddenly shouted from the top of a tall tree, then jumped and landed near Alan and Celia. "I can't stand it anymore! They have the right to be free!"

"You want to get in our way, Paul?" Hilda's expression hardened. "I'll give you a chance. Go, or we'll lock you up too."

"I won't let this happen." The scarred man took his oversized sword from his back, then looked around. "Fight me if you dare, guys!"

"Glad you changed your mind, sir." Alan thanked that man.

Paul then whispered something to Alan and Celia. The young man's heartbeat immediately shot up while Celia's eyes widened.

"What did you say, sir?" The female fighter's lips trembled violently. "Your words don't make any sense."

The villagers slowly approached Alan and the others, and Hilda gave another warning. "This is the last chance. Give up."

"Can you help us out of this situation, sir? There are probably around thirty of them." Alan asked. "And please answer honestly. If you can't do it, I have another plan."

It took a few moments for Paul to answer. "Maybe when I was younger, I could beat them. But at this age, I'm not sure. They are well trained… Don't worry, though. I've done impossible missions many times before."

However, Alan wanted to minimize the risk.

"Sorry, looks like you won't listen to us." Hilda's teeth clenched. "Attack them, including Paul…."

Suddenly Alan dropped his magic staff and raised both hands. The villagers stop moving because of that.

"What the fuck, kid?" Paul bewildered.

"Are all the veggies you eat at this place keeping your brain from working properly?" Celia added. She also couldn't believe what Alan was doing.

"Trust me." Alan tried to stay calm, even though his heart felt like it would explode from the intense beating. "By waiting for the big gun, our chances of escaping will be greater."

"Ooh, you finally did as I said." The Priestess took a breath. "But your friends don't seem to agree with you."

"Celia." Alan glanced at the female fighter. "You trust me, right?"

Celia bit the corner of her lip while holding her spear tightly, then threw the weapon away, raising her hands too.

"There's no point in me fighting them if you guys don't want to come along." Paul also released his sword. "I hope it's worth it."

"Good." Hilda smiled again. "Take them to the dungeon."

***

"I don't understand. Why does this village have underground cells?" Celia asked as she and the others were led down to a dark dungeon. One of the people who brought them even went so far as to light a torch for light.

"A long time ago, this was a place to confine those who stole our crystals," Paul explained. "Don't worry. This place has been cleaned up. We intended to do the confinement again for the bad people who came here, but it didn't happen."

"Yeah, you suggested kicking them out instead, and preventing the new guests from coming in, Paul." Hilda chimed in. "Well, I guarantee you. We will treat you well, not like ordinary prisoners. Your food will be proper, and your needs will be met."

Paul and Alan were put in different cells from Celia, though still next to each other.

"It's no use trying to run away." Hilda locked the cell door. "The former village leader ordered this cell lock from the best smith."

Paul held the cell's bars, then hissed. "Madam Hilda, this is a mistake. I ask you to consider this decision. There's no point in keeping us locked away."

The Priestess wore a broad smile and simply said. "Bye."

She then left with the others, leaving behind a tall man with a bald head and a fairly muscular body.

"Hey, James." Paul snorted at the guard. "Can you not smile like that anymore? You rarely smile, and when you do, it's never so wide as that. You look creepy."

"We must provide hospitality to our saviors. So, they will feel at home here." James replied, not wiping the smile off his face.

After shaking his head, Paul walked over to Alan sitting on the cell bed. As soon as James shifted to check on Celia, the young man took out something from his pants and robe pocket.

"That…" Paul frowned, seeing the bit of dirt on Alan's hand.

"I hope your whisper earlier was right, sir." With his earth manipulation skills, Alan shaped the dirt into a small, thin sharp cone, almost looking like a needle.

Alan explored his powers in his free time, such as when he was on watch at night. One of his discoveries is that he can use his magic without a staff, albeit on a much smaller scale.

Paul glanced outside, made sure James wasn't back, then hissed. "I swear on the name of Ode and Atha. The people of this village, except for me and Hilda, are all dead."