Chapter 10: The Ogre Hunt

Jotaro, Kira and Aiko were walking through the forest, attentive to their surroundings in search of the ogre of their assignment. Suddenly, Kira stepped on a dry branch on the ground, the crunch echoed in the environment and she let out a small cry of surprise. 

Jotaro and Aiko were startled to hear it. Jotaro quickly turned to her and asked: 

-What's wrong! 

Kira was crouched down, hands on her head, trembling slightly. 

-Kira, what are you doing? -asked Jotaro, puzzled. 

-I think she got scared by the noise of the branch, -commented Aiko with a slight smile. 

Hearing that, Kira stood up quickly, putting her hands on her hips and adopting an expression of false confidence. 

-What are you saying? I'm not scared," Kira said, though her tone betrayed her nervousness. 

Jotaro looked at her doubtfully. 

-Really? 

-Really. 

-Then, if you weren't scared, why were you crouching down with your hands on your head just now? -asked Jotaro. 

Kira hesitated before answering: 

-Ah... it's because.... I was photosynthesizing? 

-Do you think you're a plant or what? Also, why are you saying it like it's a question? 

Aiko held back a chuckle before saying kindly: 

-You don't have to be ashamed for being afraid, Kira. 

-I'm not afraid! I already said that, didn't I? 

Jotaro crossed his arms, amused. 

-I wonder where your bravery went a few minutes ago. 

-I said I'm not afraid! 

Just then, a loud, guttural roar echoed through the forest. Jotaro, Aiko and Kira froze, the sound echoing through the trees. 

-Did you hear that? -asked Jotaro in a tense voice. 

-Yes," answered Aiko and Kira at the same time. 

-What creature could have made that roar? -asked Aiko, with a bit of concern. 

-Ah, not the ogre? -said Kira, with a mixture of alarm and expectation. 

-It could be, but to be sure, we must investigate," said Jotaro, drawing his sword with determination. 

He moved stealthily in the direction of the sound, with Kira and Aiko following close behind. As they moved forward, Jotaro thought: 

-" If the roar was heard that loud, it means the ogre is nearby." 

Crossing between some trees, Jotaro caught a glimpse of a large humanoid figure. He took a step closer to get a better look and could see the ogre: a pale yellow-skinned creature, clad barely in an animal-skin loincloth and wielding a huge wooden club. The monster was devouring a wolf, tearing its flesh fiercely. 

Jotaro quickly hid behind a tree, watching the ogre closely. 

- "Will this be the smart ogre from the assignment? It doesn't look particularly smart, it looks more like a normal ogre" - Jotaro thought. 

Aiko, noticing that Jotaro had stopped moving, whispered: 

-Something wrong, Jotaro? 

-I think we've found the ogre. 

-Really?! 

-Yes, that's why I recommend you to hide in the bushes. 

Aiko nodded and ducked behind some bushes. Kira, not quite understanding the situation, asked quietly: 

-Aiko, why are we stopping? 

-Jotaro has found the ogre. 

-Really?! 

-Yes, but keep quiet, or he might detect us. 

-I understand. 

The ogre suddenly stopped devouring the wolf and began to look around, as if sensing something. 

-Why did it stop eating? Has it noticed our presence? -Jotaro thought, feeling a shiver run down his spine. 

Aiko noticed his tension. 

-Jotaro, what's wrong? -asked Aiko. 

-The ogre... seems to have detected us," said Jotaro looking at Aiko. 

-It can't be! What do we do now? 

-We must make sure it doesn't discover our exact location, or it will attack us immediately," said Jotaro turning to look at the ogre again. 

When Jotaro looked back at the ogre he saw the ogre roar in fury and charge straight at Jotaro with his club raised high. Jotaro barely had time to duck to dodge the blow, which split the tree in half. 

Before the ogre could launch another attack, Aiko conjured a magical barrier around Jotaro, absorbing the impact of the next blow and shattering in the process. 

-A barrier? -Jotaro thought. 

-Now, Kira! -said Aiko. 

Kira jumped out of the bush, propelling herself towards the ogre's face to deliver a blow. However, the creature reacted quickly, dodging her and grabbing her by the collar of her shirt, throwing her violently into the trees. Jotaro took advantage of the distraction to strike with his sword, but the ogre ducked in time, dodging the cut. 

Before the ogre could react, Kira lunged at the monster again, managing to hit it in the face with surprising force, sending it into some trees. 

Aiko and Jotaro looked at her in amazement. 

-Good job Kira! -exclaimed Aiko. 

But the ogre immediately stood up, picking up his club in fury. Kira looked at him in surprise. 

-What? My blow didn't do anything to him? -said Kira nervously and surprised. 

Kira tried to attack him with fireballs, but he dodged them. When he was about to reach her, Jotaro shouted: 

-Lightning! 

Lightning struck the ogre, knocking it down before it hit Kira. When it was all over, the group sighed in relief. 

-That was close, are you okay Kira? -said Jotaro. 

-Yes, thank you very much Jotaro for saving me," said Kira while looking at Jotaro. 

Suddenly the ogre started to try to get up, Jotaro and Kira noticing this, both immediately went on alert in case it attacked again. When the ogre was about to get up completely, they hear Aiko say water bubble. 

Suddenly they see how the ogre starts to be approached by water coming out of the plants, and they began to surround him until a water bubble was made, with the ogre inside drowning him to death. 

-Is he... dead? -asked Jotaro as he approached the ogre. 

-It seems so," answered Kira. 

Jotaro hears how Aiko was calling them, as he turns around he sees Aiko running towards them and when he was close to them he asks. 

-Are you all right, you are not hurt, are you? -asked Aiko worried. 

-Don't worry, we are fine," answered Jotaro. 

-Thank goodness, I thought they would be hurt because of me, for not helping them," said Aiko. 

-Not at all, as you can see we are more alive than ever," said Kira. 

-By the way, Aiko, I had no idea that you were a magician," said Jotaro. 

-Ah? 

-Yes, I didn't know either," said Kira. 

-Why didn't you tell us? -asked Jotaro. 

-Well, I didn't think you cared to know if I was a magician," answered Aiko. 

-But of course we care, right Jotaro? 

-Yes, by the way, Aiko that spell you used against the ogre just now, why didn't you use it when we were fighting him? -asked Jotaro. 

-The truth is that in order to use that spell I need my target to be still so I can lock him in that bubble. 

-I understand," said Jotaro. 

Suddenly Jotaro hears a sound in a bush, Jotaro turns to see what caused the noise, but when he turns around he sees how a wolf comes out of the bush and goes to Asia to the ogre that was dead on the ground. 

Jotaro wonders: 

-What is it doing? 

Jotaro saw how the wolf began to sniff the ogre's arm and then began to bite him very hard, Jotaro seeing this says. 

-Is it eating the ogre?! 

Aiko realizing that the wolf, was eating the ogre says nervously. 

-Don't let it eat it or else we won't be able to claim our reward! 

Kira hearing this says to Aiko. 

-Don't worry, I'll take care of it! -said Kira. 

Kira raised his arm pointing at the wolf and said fireball making a fireball appear that went propelling Asia to the wolf. 

When the fireball hit the wolf the wolf started to burn and ended up falling on top of the ogre causing it to burn as well. 

Aiko, Kira and Jotaro saw that the ogre was burning and became more nervous, because if it burned they would not be able to claim their reward. 

Aiko says to Jotaro and Kira. 

-"Don't worry, I'll put it out! -said Aiko while casting a spell that summoned water. 

After Aiko put out the fire with her water summoning spell, Jotaro and Kira thanked them for putting out the fire. 

-Thank you very much, Aiko, for putting out the fire," said Jotaro. 

-Yes, thank you very much," said Kira with a smile. 

-You're welcome," said Aiko. 

-Well, I think it's time to take him to Asia to the guild, don't you think? -said Jotaro looking at the dead ogre. 

-Yes," said Aiko. 

-I agree," said Kira. 

-Very well, then I'll carry it. 

-Are you sure, Jotaro? -asked Aiko. 

-Yes, I'm absolutely sure. 

-If you want, can I help you carry him? -said Aiko. 

-Don't worry, you should be watching Kira so she doesn't get lost," said Jotaro. 

-Hey, I don't need someone watching me," said Kira. 

-Really? -asked Jotaro. 

-I'm serious, besides I also want to help carry the ogre to the guild," said Kira. 

-Very well then, Kira you could carry the ogre's feet, Aiko you are going to help me carry his chest. 

After that conversation they started their way back to the kingdom. But after walking for a while, Jotaro began to think that they were lost. The undergrowth seemed to close in around them, each path identical to the last. Jotaro noticing that they were lost decided to ask Aiko if she recognized the place. 

-Hey, Aiko. 

-What's wrong, Jotaro? -asked Aiko. 

-Do you know what part of the forest we are in? 

Aiko started to look around, but she didn't know the place. 

-I'm sorry, I don't know where we are," said Aiko. 

-I thought so, what do you say we stop walking, and try to find out where we are? 

-Yes, that's fine," said Aiko. 

Jotaro and Aiko stopped walking and left the ogre aside, Kira asked them. 

-What's wrong? Why did they stop walking? -Kira asked, leaving the ogre aside. 

-We think we are lost, so Kira, would you be so kind as to climb a tree and see where we are? -Jotaro answered. 

-What do you think I am? A bird," said Kira. 

-Well, then, could you tell us if you recognize this place? -asked Jotaro. 

Kira started to look around, but she couldn't recognize the place where they were standing. 

-I don't recognize this place," said Kira. 

-What do we do now? -asked Aiko. 

-Don't worry, let's keep moving, maybe we'll find a clue to where we are," suggested Jotaro. 

-Okay," said Aiko. 

-Okay," said Kira. 

Before they started walking again Jotaro thought. 

-I hope we find our way to the kingdom. 

A while later, after walking Jotaro said to Aiko and Kira. 

-Hey Aiko, Kira, I think we should rest now. 

When Kira heard this he quickly let go of the ogre and said. 

-My feet are already tired and I'm very hungry," said Kira as she sat down on the ground. 

-My feet are tired too," said Aiko. 

Jotaro started to look around to see if he recognized the place where they were. Jotaro as he observed the place where they were re starting to look very familiar. 

-What's strange, does this place look very familiar? But why, I should ask Kira to look around to see if she is also familiar with where we are," thought Jotaro. 

-Hey, Kira, could you tell me if you recognize where we are? 

-Of course," said Kira. 

Kira got up from the ground and started to observe the place. While Kira was observing the place she said to Jotaro. 

-It looks familiar, maybe it's because this place is close to the guild? 

-Maybe that's it," said Aiko. 

-Yes, that's probably why," said Jotaro. 

-Then we should keep walking to get to the guild as soon as possible," said Aiko as she approached the dead ogre. 

-Yes you're right," said Jotaro as he followed Aiko. 

When Kira was about to go to Aiko and Jotaro to continue carrying the ogre to the guild Kira heard some screams. 

-What was that, it sounded like screams, I should warn Jotaro and Aiko," thought Kira. 

-Jotaro! Aiko! -Kira called to Jotaro and Aiko while running to Asia. 

-What's wrong Kira? Why are you shouting? -asked Jotaro. 

-I'm sorry, it's just that I heard screams coming from that part of the forest," said Kira pointing to some trees in Asia. 

-Really? -asked Jotaro. 

-I'm serious," said Kira. 

-Well, then we should hurry because we don't know what is happening to those people to make them scream," said Jotaro with a serious expression. 

-Jotaro, but what do we do with the ogre's corpse? Some monsters might come and eat the corpse," said Aiko to Jotaro. 

-That's true, then... Kira, could you stay here to take care of the corpse? 

-Huh? Yes, of course," said Kira. 

-Well, let's go Aiko," said Jotaro. 

-Yes," said Aiko. 

Jotaro and Aiko ran in the direction of the screams. As they got closer, the screams became more intense, full of panic and despair. A bad feeling ran through Jotaro. As he crossed some bushes, his heart stopped for an instant. 

Before him, the village where he had grown up, Lythari, was engulfed in flames. Monstrous creatures ravaged everything in their path, destroying homes and attacking villagers. Cries for help echoed throughout the forest.