ALL NOVEL Chapter 19: Chapter 19 : Imaya
Elias followed closely behind Mathias as they slowly entered the village, he had a strange feeling about the place. He could not hear the sound of bustling traders, and heckling villagers nor the sound of children playing about. This village settlement was supposed to be the largest village settlement in the Greenfields but it was so…empty.
The place was just eerily silent, and by the way everyone tensed up as they, he could tell he was not the only one the the group that felt that something was amiss.
"What happened here?" Mathias asked the lady who allowed them in
The woman stood at average height, she had a lean, fit frame. Her skin was smeared with smoke stains that gave her an almost battle-worn appearance. Green hair cascaded around her shoulders, a striking contrast to the soot that marred her features, and her eyes, the same vivid shade of green, glinted with determination and fierce intensity.
Her light leather armor clung to her body, accentuating her shapely figure. Though a bit lacking in the chest region, she had a well-defined silhouette.
Over one shoulder, she wore a metallic shoulder guard, clearly too large for her frame. It was secured by a few haphazard straps and pieces of cloth, giving it a makeshift yet functional appearance. The oversized guard did nothing to diminish her authoritative presence; if anything, it added to her aura.
Her expression was stern, her lips set in a firm line and her jaw slightly clenched. There was a quiet authority about her, a confidence that demanded respect. She moved with purpose, every step measured and precise, her green eyes constantly scanning her surroundings with unwavering focus. She exuded a presence that was both commanding and composed.
She furrowed her brows together, "Demons," she replied
"Impossible? It's far too early for the demons to appear" Mathias said
"Are you implying that I'm lying? For what reason would I need to lie? Look around you, and tell me that I lie once more" she said
The village lay in a hollow, a once-bustling settlement now shrouded in a heavy silence. Charred remains of cottages stood like skeletal sentinels, their wooden beams twisted and blackened by fire. The smell of smoke still clung to the air.
The streets, once teeming with life, were eerily empty, save for the scattered remnants of hastily abandoned belongings. A child's toy, a broken cart, a spilled sack of grain. The market square, usually the heart of the village's daily hustle, was a scene of desolation. Stalls were overturned, goods scattered, and the cobblestones stained with dark, dried blood.
Everywhere, there were signs of struggle. Doors hung ajar, splintered from forced entry. Walls bore the scars of sword strikes and arrows. The well in the center of the village was tainted, the water fouled by debris and ash. Livestock that had not been slaughtered or taken wandered aimlessly, lowing mournfully for their caretakers.
Amid the ruins, a few villagers moved like ghosts. Their faces were etched with weariness and grief, eyes hollow from sleepless nights and the burden of loss. They sifted through the rubble, searching for anything salvageable, or tended to the wounded in makeshift shelters. The air was thick with the stench of smoke and the quiet sobs of those who mourned.
At the village's edge, the fields that once promised a bountiful harvest were trampled and scorched. Crops lay ruined underfoot, a show of how cruel their attackers were
"This…this doesn't make any sense, according to the records, the demons only surface at least a year after the children of the Gods have been chosen" Mathias mumbled
The woman abruptly stopped in her tracks and turned to face the group, "Before we proceed, I have a question. Who are you to Saida, and why do you speak about her on a first-name basis?"
Mathias cleared his throat, "Saida was my…close friend, we had our share of adventures during the old days" he answered
Elias turned and looked around, observing the area with Perception, suddenly his gaze narrowed, "We are surrounded. Don't ask how I know, I just know" he whispered into Priest Mathias's ear.
Mathias' expression hardened slightly, "Do you not trust us?" He asked
The woman raised a clenched fist, and ten men brandishing makeshift weapons, like pitchforks, butcher knives, cutlasses, and many more domestic weapons appeared and surrounded the group,
"You claim to be my mother's friend and yet you don't know that she passed away over two months ago. What kind of a friend is that? Now speak the truth!" She demanded
"Saida is dead?" For a brief moment, one could see the pain the news caused him flash across his eyes
"You have ten seconds or you're all dying"
"They are just butchers, traders, and farmers, let me take care of them. It'll be over in a second" Anias demanded, he was itching to hit something, especially after his ordeal with Elias
Mathias signaled for Anias to stand down, "So you're her daughter, huh? I should have figured, you have the same eyes as your mother."
"You have two seconds"
"You've grown into a fine young woman, haven't you Imaya?"
The green-haired woman froze for a second, "Stand down," she ordered her men, and they all simultaneously lowered their weapons
"You, who are you? How do you know me?" She asked
"Like I said, I'm a close friend of your mother. Now won't you invite us inside, so we can talk about the situation you have going on in this village"
"Follow me" she instructed, and the group walked after her, "Just you, no one else," she said
"I'm afraid that's impossible, I cannot let the boy out of my sight"
"Why? He looks old enough to take care of himself" Imaya said, eyeing Elias from head to toe
"I did so once and it almost ended horribly"
"Is he, you know… special?" Imaya asked in a low tone
"I can hear you, you're bad at whispering" Elias deadpanned
She cleared her throat, "I…I wasn't whispering. Very well, he can come with you, but only him"
Elias and Priest Mathias followed Imaya into a building, compared to the other buildings, it was in a far better shape, only having a few scratches on its walls and door.
Imaya entered first, Mathias followed then Elias came in last. They all sat around a wooden table, and Imaya poured each of them a glass of water.
"Now tell me, who are you?" She began
"That doesn't matter for now, don't you have more pressing issues at hand? Tell me what happened to the village? What happened to Noksis?"
"Hmmm"
"Trust me, I can help you. I have connections to the High-luminary and the King Alaric of Eldoria. "
"Fine. About two months ago, we sent out our hunters to do what they do best, hunt and for the few times they returned empty-handed, until one day, they didn't.
They brought back their biggest catch ever, multiple wild beasts, loads and loads of game. It felt like we were blessed by the Goddess Lira herself, but we couldn't have been more wrong" She explained, whilst Elias and the priest listened attentively
"Why is that?" Mathias asked
"It turned out that the game and beasts our hunters brought in were not theirs, they had been killed by something formidable, demons.
The demons killed the beasts and animals and laid them out as bait like we were some kind of animals" she paused and clenched her teeth firmly and like animals, we took the bait" she continued
"They came, just a few of them, five, six, seven at most. They stormed our open gates and killed everything they set their eyes on, children, elderly, livestock, and even pregnant women, everything.
My mother, Saida as you call her, sacrificed her life to heavily injure one of the demons and push out the rest, giving the rest of the village enough time to close the gate…with her outside.
Since then, we've kept our gates shut and had to endure constant attacks from the demons" Imaya narrated, even though she was keeping her composure, her voice had a waver that showed she was still shaken up about the last events.
"I'm sorry to hear that Imaya, your mother did what any good leader would do, protect her people." Mathias sympathized
"No need for the apology, I'm dealing with it. What I need from you, is to use your connections to help our village survive"
"Strong-willed, just like your mother. You have my word, as soon as I leave here, I'll get word to the king and the High luminary.
I just need you to tell me where the key is, the key to the teleportation circle" Mathias said
"The key? Sure I have it, but how am I sure you're going to keep your promise?" She asked sternly
"My word is my bond, I have gone back on my word only once in my lifetime, and even then I made sure I paid dearly for it" Mathias assured her.
"Fine, I'll give you the key on two conditions" she declared
"Let's have it" Mathias beckoned
"First, tell me who the boy is, and why he is so important to you?" She said, pointing to Elias
"Boy? You do know we are the same age right?"Elias scoffed
"And how did you come to that conclusion?" She smirked
"I just know," Elias said, he couldn't tell her that he knew because of the databooks he read about Arcane Days characters
"Hmph" she scoffed
"You want to know why he is so important?" Mathias asked
"Yes"
"He is important because he is the child of light, the chosen one of the Goddess Lira," Mathias said
Slamming her hand on the table, Imaya stood up abruptly "Heh?? This boy??" Her jaw dropped and her eyes widened in shock at the revelation