How It Started (2)

"Finally, that took longer than I thought." Fellian, who was sweating, splashed some of the chilly creek water on his face. A surge of refreshment flowed through as he looked to Lyron and Nyzen. "We'd better start making our way back." Nyzen said as he hoisted a basket of woven reeds over his shoulder. Inside, more than two dozen fish lay dead. "Alright. Fellian, come over here and help me," Lyron grunted as he and Fellian, using a skid-like structure fastened from sturdy fibres and branches, lifted the large Hoarmon. Dark Runes shone on both of their bodies as they began to move. 

… 

The morning passed slowly as the trio made their way through the forest. Nyzen kept watch as Fellian and Lyron persevered with strain; the weight of the Hoarmon had begun to bear on them. 

"Huff, can we... can we take a break for a moment?" Lyron, who looked exhausted, asked as he nearly fell over. Nyzen turned to Lyron and affirmed, "Yeah, it should be fine; we're near the gathering point anyway." Nyzen helped the two lower the Hoarmon as they all sat for a short break. Fellian took a deep swig of his water skin as he exclaimed, "That Hoarmon's heavier than I thought, even after we drained his blood!" 

"If I remember correctly, some of the larger females can weigh up to 500 pounds, so it's no surprise that it's so heavy." Lyron replied. They had been travelling non-stop for twenty minutes now, tracing back towards the gathering point of the village's hunting party, and as a result, the weight of the Hoarmon had begun to become unbearable. Even with their robust physiques. 

"You guys should be happy that we're almost there. After all, with this big harvest, we'll be able to go back to the village early." Nyzen smirked. Fellian and Lyron smiled as they made small talk, gathering their breath. On the other hand, Nyzen checked his fish basket, idly counting them as he inwardly thought. 'Something feels off. The forest is too quiet—the chirps of birds, the distant cracking of branches from vermin, and the buzzing of insects. None of it. I don't hear a single thing.' He felt an inexplicably anxious churning in his gut, but with seemingly nothing off aside from the lack of life, he could do no more but quicken his pace. 

"Alright, that's enough rest. Let's get moving, lest others make it back before us." Nyzen ushered as the trio rose. "Tch, easy for you to say. You've barely lifted a finger, bastard." Fellian jokingly teased, as Lyron sighed with reluctance. Nevertheless, the trio continued down a marked trail, which Nyzen had previously left. 

The three passed towering trees and elegant flora. Though void of noise, the Sword Forest exuded a blissful scent that pervaded the Dark Elves noses. Branches snapped under their feet as they made sure to avoid hidden fissures and seemingly harmless but slippery moss-covered rocks. Sparse golden rays of light spotted the forest as the towering trees, each more than two metres in diameter, blotted out the sky, their crowns forming an endless and interconnected web of multi-coloured leaves. Densely packed together, ferns, shrubs, and wild flowers were pushed aside as Nyzen found himself walking into an opening. "Finally." He quietly muttered as he looked around. "No one seems to have finished yet." Lyron half stated and half asked as he walked out of the forest. Two branches protruded from atop his shoulder, his grip firm on them, as he hoisted it down with great effort. The skid, to which the branches were connected, was firmly planted on the ground as Fellian followed out. 

"Surprising…" Fellian looked about the gathering spot, perplexity plastered on his face. 

"Indeed, with the weight of the Hoarmon, it took longer than we thought to get here, so how come nobody has arrived yet?" Lyron's brows furrowed as he looked at Nyzen, whose face was dark with anxiety. "What is it?" He asked, noticing Nyzen's strange expression. 

"Since earlier, long before we got here, I noticed the lack of noise in the forest." Nyzen muttered with a contemplative yet troubled look. Both Fellian and Lyron's eyes flashed with surprise as Lyron said, "Now that you mention it, I've not heard the scuttle of vermin or movement of a bird since we've rested." Lyron's eyes flashed with surprise. All three of them had long since lived amongst the Sword Forest, and there was rarely ever an occasion where all signs of life seemed void in the forest. Since their birth, they had been surrounded by wildlife and the vitality of the forest. Yet here and now, it seemed like they were amidst a lifeless wasteland. 

"Hold on, let me Sense the surroundings." Understanding their thoughts and realising the abnormality, Fellian let his arm rest on a nearby tree as he focused and sucked in a long breath. Eyes closed, he let his mind go, void of thoughts as the world suddenly altered. Bathed with motes of anti-light and light green particles, he focused on observing the surroundings as they disappeared. His vision became free and nigh-omniscient in a twenty-metre radius. He could 'see' everything as nothing over menial insects marched about. 'What is going on?' Fellian inwardly thought before he suddenly felt an intense energy fluctuation as ripples surged throughout his Sense. Focusing it on the midsection of some of the large trees, Fellian witnessed something horrifying. 

There, amongst the branches, hidden in the leaves, dozens of Orc warriors sat in wait. Their eyes were vicious, as malice emanated from them. Noticing that they were caught, one of the female Orc warriors brandished a bow. She notched a bone-tipped arrow and let the string snap forth. Swoosh! The arrow pierced through leaves as it hissed through the air, like a snake lunging towards its prey. Before Fellian could warn, tearing sounded like the arrow ripped through flesh. Sinew was ravaged as choking gurgles sounded. Nyzen and Fellian instantly looked over as they saw a terrible sight. 

Lyron, who had just been gazing around the forest a moment ago, was clutching at his throat. Sputtering and choked gurgles rang from him, as blood spewed from his neck like a broken dam. There, lodged in the side of his throat, lay entrenched a pronged arrow. It was planted deep within his neck as life quickly left Lyron's eyes. He fell to the floor, his squelching protests quickly fading. 

"NO!" In that moment, it felt as if time had frozen, as both Nyzen and Fellian looked to Lyron, dying out on the grass. They screamed in gut-wrenching horror. Nyzen's eyes darted to the origins of the arrow, to the Orcs on a nearby tree, looking down at him with a brutal smile. Rage burned in his heart as he yelled to Fellian, "Guard!" But Fellian didn't need a warning as Runes lit upon his body; a thick shield and broadsword made of pure darkness manifested in his hands as he roared, "You fucking bastards are dead!" Nyzen didn't idle as Runes, both bright green and anti-light black, shone upon his figure. They illuminated with a previously unseen intensity as a bow of semi-transparent, surging wind, refined and streamlined, appeared in Nyzen's hand. Three dark arrows appeared in his other, and as he nocked all three, the bow's wind-string emitted an unstoppable force.

Simultaneously, the Orcs who stood upon the tree leaped down. They swiftly fell more than fifty metres, digging their fingers into the tree trunk to curb their momentum, before letting go and landing with a Bang! The ground cracked as dust shot out, permeating the air with a stifling density. The three Orcs glared at Nyzen and Fellian, malice oozing from them. Without a word, they dashed forth, brandishing their weapons, two of which were large battle axes, with the other being a broad-headed warhammer. 

From behind Nyzen, Fellian charged out with a battle cry. In the blink of an eye, the four were upon each other as Nyzen drew back his bow and shot two arrows. Crack! The snapping of bone rang out as the smaller of the three Orcs, the female archer, was sent flying away. Her head lulled at an odd angle, her vertebrae snapped from the immense force of the arrow as her body smashed to the ground. Not even the dense bones and robust physique of an Orc could handle the power of those arrows. 

Clang! Fellian fought like a wild beast, his eyes ferocious as he swung his blade wildly. It connected with the flesh of axe-Orc's chest, cutting across and forming an arc of blood that poured out. The wound was light, but Dark energy decimated the internal structure of it, causing intense blood loss. "Rah!" The axe-Orc warrior roared, its eyes filled with rage and a hint of trepidation at facing this wild Dark Elf. He slammed down with his axe, but Fellian was prepared as he gripped his shield. Poom! Metal rang against tangible energy as the shield's potency faded. To Fellian's right, a blow that he was unprepared for threatened to smash him apart as a warhammer came swinging. He didn't hesitate at the hammer but instead lunged forth with his blade at the axe-Orcs throat. It was caught off guard as the blade tore through its neck. Blood splashed as the warhammer was forced away. "Ahhh!" The hammer-Orc wailed as its arm was pierced with one arrow, while its abdomen and upper torso were also hit. The arrow made of Darkness visibly corroded the Orcs flesh as it dropped the war hammer and fell to the ground in utter agony. Blood dyed its shabby and sparse clothing as Fellian slashed down, blade arcing and cutting off half of the Orcs head. Blood, brain, and brain matter sloshed out. 

"Huff! Huff! Are you okay?" Nyzen, who had exhausted some energy to manifest those powerful arrows, asked as he approached Fellian. "Yea- Yeah, I'm fine. But I need a minute to catch my breath. G- Go to the village; it might be under attack!" Fellian exclaimed, waving Nyzen away. Without another word, Nyzen dashed towards the village, heaving breaths and raging emotions berating him all at once.