Chapter II: - Cheers to New Beginnings!

  The leaves danced in the wind with mournful harmony as Shae sat, staring at the stretch of desolate ruins that she once called home. Shading her eyes from the sun as she watched the birds pass through the clear sky, she took a deep breath and sighed.

  “Nothing left to scavenge… not even my toothbrush…”

  She chuckled bitterly, her voice cracking in the stillness. The once-vibrant Fort, once filled with shrunken heads, abysmal spirits and demon kin now lay in eerie silence. The stone walls, once adorned with grotesque trophies, are now gone. Her throne room that was filled with laughter and life now stood as a haunting silhouette against the horizon. She could almost hear the echoes of her childhood, the sound of Gertrude’s voice calling her in for dinner, the screams of her friends as they ran of fear through the halls.

  But now, nothing remains. Not even memories that felt real anymore. The wind picked up again, sending a shiver down her spine, carrying with it the scent of ash and decay.

  Her gaze lingered on the remnants of her fort -- a pile of rubble that had once been her sanctuary. She remembered the small garden she’d tended with such care, the ghoulberry sprouts that once flourished in abundance of dark mana, now reduced to dust.

  “I guess I’m all that’s left…” Shae muttered to herself as she glazed upon the crater where her dreams of building an empire were once within her grasp. She brushed her fingers against the warm skin of her arms. She hadn’t even realized how much time had passed since she’d last spoken to anyone. The silence was suffocating, but it was also familiar. In some strange way, it felt safer than the chaos of the world beyond.

  She stood up, dusting off her legs and squinting into the distant rim of the crater they created. The wind had shifted, and something in the air felt different -- an odd chill, a strange tension that set her nerves on edge. It wasn’t just the usual remnants of desolation.

  No, there was something new out there. Something she hadn’t sensed before.

  Shae’s hand instinctively went to cover her breasts. Her instincts had always been sharp, and she wasn’t about to let them dull now. Something was coming.

  Something that would either bring hope or destroy what little remained of the world she once knew.

  A hand!

  Fingers flicking rapidly forward and backwards, striding through the horizon, swiftly avoiding rocks and other debris, coming into view.

  “Taka-tap, takatakatakatap-swish!...”

  With a sudden stop, dust flew on Shae's feet. The Hand jumped to land on its wrist and waved itself towards the now flustered Shae.

  “The-fuu…”

  As Shae was about to utter, a familiar aura emanated from the Hand. A convivial feeling flowed through her. She recognized this aura! Gertrude!

  Gertrude threw out a “peace sign” as it fell down on its dorsal side. Doing “huffing” gestures, like it ran for days without stopping, a shadow suddenly loomed over to shade its entirety.

  BAM!

  BAM BAM BAM!

  Shae repeatedly stomped on Gertrude while shouting curses.

  “Stuuupid! Stupid Gertrude! You left me!”

  Tears suddenly ran through Shae's cheeks as she stopped the barrage of stomps. She slumped on the ground as she cried, rampantly wiping the tears off her face, swiping the snot across her arm.

  Battered, bruised and seemingly half dead, Gertrude slowly rose up. Pointed in a certain direction then pointed at Shae and back into that direction.

  Shae, following Gertrude's movements with her head as he pointed to the north and gestures back to her to take action.

  Shae snapped out of tears and asked. “North? There? Forest?... North? North?”

  After a thumbs up, Gertrude gestured out, palm open and facing forward, fingers twitching with quick, subtle movements at Shae.

  Shae understood and reached out to grab Gertrude. She then placed him on her shoulders and said, “hold on tight!”

  Halfway through the crater, its horizon detailed with trees, a path through the Forest of Mischief, now clearly in view, the duo halted mid-way, now alert as their perception heightened, sensing trouble steadily approaching at rapid pace, Shae spun around, looked up while Gertrude pointed at the sky. Amidst their curiosities, they knew that this is a scenario they shouldn't get involved with, yet.

  As Gertrude's grip tightened, Shae sprinted. The two hurried to the edge of the forest, seeking shelter, out of sight from the prying eyes of the unknown threat that had yet to come.

  The two reached the forest's entrance. They hid behind the trees, merging, hiding within its shadows. Skin back-to-back with bark. As Shae peered over her shoulders, one by one, they arrived.

  Visible like shimmering stars in the sky, each of them swept down and landed.

  Thud… thudthud-THUD!

  Four individuals stood at the center of the crater, their auras overflowing, radiating with an overwhelming surge of power.

  These were no ordinary beings… the first one was a man with the stature of a Manavark Bear, a Titan. Hailing from the race of Giants, though not the largest, Titans are said to be the strongest of all subraces. Clad in armor that was made out of Orihalcum. A shield larger than a door, studded with elder dragon scales. A sword… “Forgebreaker”, a sword so huge, it was larger than his shield. The sword he carries was made out of Vestrillium, an ore of unknown origin. Vestrilium – “Unbreakable Ore”, the heaviest material in the world, is said to have come from the heavens and has a special property, “Unlimited Mass”. The blade is infused with cosmic energy that draws power from stars, hence, it would be impossible to wield. Forgebreaker isn't just heavy because of its physical mass, it has the ability to manipulate gravity in its vicinity. As the sword strikes, it can increase the gravitational pull on its target or its wielder, making the force of the blow even more intense. The act of manipulating gravity itself involves a tremendous amount of mass, and this gravitational field surrounding the sword adds to the overall weight of the weapon. In essence, the sword creates an aura of weight around it that makes it feel even heavier than it already is. “Beware of the one who commands the Forgebreaker, for their wrath knows no mercy.”

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  The second one was a woman. She wore a hat that folded downwards near the pointed tip. Over her hooded robe was a breastplate fashioned with a gem that glimmered with different colors as light struck its surface. The same goes for her belt that has a Mashak hanging on the side. The drape of her robe is sewn together at the bottom-middle part to show skin-tight pants that seem to be leather. Most noticeably, her staff and floating crystal orbs. A staff made from the inner-roots of the Yggdrasil – The fabled Tree of Life. A gem the size of an infant's skull is seen woven, embraced by thinner roots, null of color yet vibrating with light. Six crystal orbs are seen floating around her, each orb different in color, representing each of the elements.

  The third was a male dwarf, short and stubby as a dwarf should be. A long braided beard touches his knees, if one would unfurl, fluffy cloud-like structures would possibly form. This was no “mere” dwarf as a golden crown studded with precious gems could be seen sitting tightly on his head. Armed with a huge hammer with the other end being that of an axe, the “Rummaxe” he called it, streaks of molten lava could be seen pulsating through visible cracks, hinting that his weapon's core houses a Fire Djinn. Lastly, his armor, like his crown, golden, adorned by scattered gems, is an exquisite and dazzling piece of craftsmanship made by his ancestral kin. Gear that wasn’t only designed for cosmetic purposes but for war. Forged in the bowels of Drakenblight Mountain by the Aelger’uns -- ancient beings said to be Ancestors of the Dwarves -- the Dwarven King’s gear set were said to be infused with ancient, lost magic of origins not of this world.

  The fourth and last of them was an Elf. Not the typical forest elf but one of higher stature.The elves of this day are half-lings, a mixture of two races, human and elf to be exact.These modern elves are descendants from the union of the first daughter of the Monarch of Lae Va’an -- A “Pure-Blood” -- elf race and the son of the First “Herald” King of Luftrasia. They are simply called “High-Elves” these days. This High Elf is the most enigmatic of the four. Clothed in what seems to be a garment made out of the Legendary “Mythril Silk” -- Mythril is one of the toughest materials ever known, capable of absorbing dense mana. To make silk threads out of such a material is said to be impossible. These pure-blooded elves have paler complexion compared to the modern elf, their ears more slim and lengthy, deep dark-gray eyes and ashen-gray colored hair. They are significantly taller than humans and most modern elves but a tad-bit shorter than a Titan. High Elves bear the “Markings of the Moon” -- A circular, rune patterned birthmark that glows when hit by the moon’s light. These so-called markings could be faintly seen in both their palms but a larger more visible one could be seen on their chest. High Elves are said to bask in moon light which gives them power. It is also said that they change, like that of “Beastmen”, Lycanthropy, when the moon is full. What they change into, no one who has seen it has survived to tell the tale. With no weapon, shield or any accessories equipped, the High Elf hovered in place, fingers spread and pressed together, forming a triangular arch.

  As Gertrude telepathically informs Shae of the mysterious beings, their instincts kick in again, alerting them of imminent danger.

  Shae grabbed Gertrude by the wrist and was about to take off when she stopped and realized something…

  “GERTRUDE YOU IDIOT!!! Since when did you regain your telepathic ability???”

  Gertrude was about to gesture a peace sign when they suddenly felt a killing intent. They knew where it was coming from. It was strong, directed at them, Shae took a gander as Gertrude tried to stop her by controlling her head, grabbing and steadily pressing against her cheeks.

  “YOUR IDIOTNESS!” Gertrude telepathically shouts. “Now is not the time to be curious! We have been compromised!”

  Shae, wide-eyed and scrunching her face in a mixture of curiosity and mischief, tilts her head slowly, frantically opposing Gertrude as she attempts to peer in the direction of ground-zero.

  Her eyes darting left and right, she's on a mission to sneak a peek at something she clearly shouldn’t. The tension is clear in her face -- her brows furrowed, lips pursed in a half-smirk, as she’s caught in the act of being cheekily nosy.

  Suddenly, a blinding streak of light pierced through the trees they were hiding behind, cutting through the shadows with intense clarity.

  Pssss… ziiiiiiiiing!

  Then…

  BOOOOSH! BOOM!

  An intense explosion!

  Debris of shattered tree branches, soil, and rocks flew in all directions as Gertrude shielded them both with a dense mana sphere.

  “YOUR ROYALNESS OF BAD DECISIONS! We need to flee! We need to recover our strength! With our current level, we won't stand a chance against them! Wait...WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU DOING YOUR ROYAL WEIRDNESSES!?”

  Shae now standing on all fours, arched back, eyes glistening with hate, hair slithering like snakes, purplish aura emanating and seeping out from every pore of her body, ready to counter-attack!

  “HSSSSSSSSS!” Shae let out a loud hissing sound as she got ready to charge.

  “Nooo Your Stupidness! Now is not the time! Heed yourself! Sit! Sit! Bad Highness! Bad!”

  As the flares and shockwaves of destruction dissipated, Gertrude apologized and pulled the young Demon Lord by the hair, he then tore through the path using psychokinesis, dragging Shae with him, out of sight while obscuring their presence.

  Back to the crater's center point, his right hand's “Marking of the Moon” still pulsating with energy, the High Elf, l pointing to the direction of Shae and Gertrude, sighs in disbelief as he mumbled to himself.

  “It seems like I missed…”

  The Titan clutched his chest and burst out laughing as he said, “BRRWAHAHAHAHA! Want me to go after them? At close range, I promised I wouldn't miss! GRAHAHAHAHAHA!”

  “FOOLS!” The Sorceress' scoffed, “we don't want them dead! Hmmm.. yes… Not yet! Hrmmm..”

  “By me beard! Our mission is done here, now that we confirmed that our target is still alive, we should get back to the Council, report I say, REPORT! Right, enough chatter. We’ve got work to do, and it’s not gonna finish itself! Let's get to work, lads. Now, off we go!” The Dwarven King demanded as he placed his Rammaxe on his shoulder.

  In the blink of an eye, they were gone. In their wake, only swirling trails of dust rose into the air, and the faint impressions of their presence lingered in the ground.

  “Huff huff huff huff… Your Eminence, Milady! Hufff… huff… Close call! Very close call… huff… I need a second Milady… My strength is diminished to nil, thanks to you.. erm.. I meant, thank you for helping me out, Your Worthlessness. Now… please… refrain yourself… stop stomping… me..” Gertrude, severely in pain gritted out.

  BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!

  “Ha! Stupid Gertrude! How dare you drag me by the hair! I could take all four of them at once, you coward!” Shae, disgruntled by Gertrudes choice of actions.

  Now floating mid-air, pieces of crystalized fragments scatter, crumble, turning back into dust… Gertrude… or better yet, Gertrude’s hand, slowly fades into oblivion…