Chương 17: The Birth of Misfit City.

Somewhere in the dark — something moved. A figure. Running. His chest loosened. Aeris. Another sound came from the same direction, it felt heavy, bigger. The shape blurred in front of his eyes. It was vanishing. He couldn't tell if it was her or something else.

"AERIS!" Oren stepped closer and shouted at top of his lungs not thinking if it was her or the Elderfang. He hoped that if she was out there somewhere, maybe she would've listened to his voice and rushed to the entrance.

"We have only two minutes left," The man said. Oren kept looking, he was about to shout again.

"Ae —" then he saw the figure getting closer. Clearer. It was her, his breath came back and a smile on his face, he felt relief for a moment. But it didn't last long. Something big was right behind her, chasing. Those massive footfalls sending tremors to the ground. He felt them in his feet at the cliff entrance. THUD. She dove to her left, escaping from its massive foot. The Elderfang was in front of her, blocking her path. She had stopped.

The cliff beside him made a sound, it began to close, finding another stone. The Elderfang stepped closer to her. THUD. Aeris barely dodged it, moving two steps back. Her eyes went to the cliff entrance. To the gap which was already narrower that it had been seconds ago. Oren was frustrated that he couldn't help and just stood there. He curled up his fingers tightly, his nails clawed deep in his palms.

"Aeris! Run!" Oren shouted. She began to run. Faster. Oren extended his hand within the cliff. The massive footfalls right behind her, were inches apart from her body. She barely somehow dodged it again. The entrance was half closed now, the stones stepping over stones and closing the escape bit by bit. She was close. So close. Then she tripped and fell on her stomach. Everything inside him just dropped. She was one metre away from the cliff entrance — just one metre. But nobody moved, just stood there, watching.

She tried to stand up but wasn't able to. She was dragging her body along the ground, hands kept crawling forward desperately. The Elderfang jaw opened wider above her, the sharp tooth closing in on her.

"NO!" Freya screamed and covered her mouth. Some people closed their eyes and looked away from her. It was about to devour her. Oren cracked his knuckles by clenching his fist so hard. I am not letting her DIE! He stepped out, body moved on instinct… hands found her wrist and pulled her away, barely from its teeth. And the cliff closed. … It was silence in the dark. For a moment nobody spoke, then a source of light came from the torch by one of the people in the crowd.

Oren and Aeris both were fallen to the ground"Oren!, Aeris!" Freya rushed to them in tears and hugged them. He had managed to get her in, just in time. Someone in the crowd muttered.

"Wait, but how did that happen? He was outside on the other side of the cliff."

"The cliff was closing anyway, he made the right call" The man said outloud then walked up to Aeris. As he crouched, Aeris spoke "Thank you for keeping them safe Eli." He nodded at her and then lifted her up.

"Are you able to walk?" Oren said.

"Yes, I am a good papa. I can walk." She started walking slowly.

"Okay, let's move back to the Highlands." He saw her daughter was unfazed, her pain, her exhaustion, her fear. All gone, like nothing had happened, she walked with confidence. Oren lifted his wife on his back and kept walking behind Aeris.

"Our daughter… look at her, she has grown a lot hasn't she." Freya couldn't help but chuckle.

"Yeah she has." She spoke gently. An hour passed by and they all kept walking in the dark.

"We are here." The cliff opened.

"I can't believe we made it." Someone in the crowd spoke. The crowd started running outside the cliff. He stepped out, and a strong gust of wind passed through him. The plain land showed up, with the yellow grass. Moonlight shining on the surface, stars glowing up in the sky. Oren looked around and just stood there tears rolled down his eyes as he looked up in the starry night sky. A voice called to him, within him. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road.

If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. One day you'll be free. One day we'll go back to how things were before.

"It's okay." Freya whispered behind his back and hugged him tighter. After then both of them sat down, he looked around and he saw the crowd was scattered all over the land. Some with families, some alone. Some sleeping, some eating. Aeris walked up to him.

"How is she holding up?" He looked at Freya and patted her head, she was asleep.

"She needs rest. You should rest too."

"I am good. Someone needs to be awake in case anything happens." She turned and took a first step.

"I never imagined my daughter would be this reliable." The words from oren, made her stop in the tracks. He smiled.

"I am proud of you. We both are." For a moment she looked away, shyly.

"Look around you. These people, they trust you with their lives now. You have saved so many lives, not just us."

"They need you, we need you. So please just rest, you need to after all you have been through." She nodded and sat beside him. He took out the clay tablet and handed it to Aeris.

"What is this?"

"Zaku left a message for you too." Aeris took that tablet in her hands then started reading everything. After that she just sat quietly, thinking. Oren saw that but he didn't say anything.

"We are going back to the things like before, papa." she said.

"We will build a home, where we all can live our lives peacefully. Tomorrow our life will start again." A smile came to her face after reading that tablet. The next morning came, His eyes opened. It was more lively than any other day. People chattered all over the place. He noticed Aeris was already up and talking to people. He stood up and walked up to her, while they were discussing something. He couldn't help but eavesdrop on the conversation.

"We should stay here and build our homes around here." A woman said that to Aeris.

"No, that's not something that we should do." Aeris replied.

"But, why?"

"Do you see any food or water near these lands?" Aeris asked.

"But,,,""Look at the cliff, what if something falls right down from high above, it will kill many people." Aeris said.

"Then what are we supposed to do?"

"We need to find a river, coast, and a place where there are food resources." Then she walked to the crowd and spoke loudly.

"Today we start our lives again, to do that, we need food, water, a place where we can call home. To do that we must walk until we find a river." People chattered among them.

"Those who like to stay here can stay, those who like to come can come." Then she started to walk towards the north west. Oren and Freya started walking along with her. One by one people started walking behind her, then he turned back and saw the crowd size increased. Everyone of them started following. After walking for hours they reached the river coast. The cold water flowing in gentle ripples. People rushing to the coast then crouching down to drink water. Children playing, splashing the water at each other.

He watched the smiles on their faces which he had not seen in a while. Oren walked up to her.

"What now?"

"Now we began everything from the start." She paused.

"This is what Zaku wanted, for a long time."

"A land where there is no slavery. Find your purpose, that's what he always said." The days passed as the people started living in their old ways. Oren was out in the woods holding his axe tighter. The sound of it hitting wood felt familiar, different somehow. Almost like before. He chopped it and carried it on his back and then he saw what he never imagined would happen. The people were back to their own ways, even on the strange land, people started trading and restarting their lives.

He brought some wood, and traded it for some fruits, nobody threw anything on the ground, nobody shouted, just fair trade. People laughing and helping each other build houses, people greeting him like before, that feeling came back to him after all those years. The feeling that he never imagined to experience again. Find your purpose — this is what he means. Slowly the land looked like it was a start of something new. Days passed by, walls went up and roofs followed, A path formed between homes naturally.

Because enough feet have walked it many times over and over again. He went every morning to chop wood, every morning before he goes through the same path, he sees Aeris teaching fighting to new people as she then goes out to hunt. And people had found what they were good at. Just like that a year passed by. Then one morning he was walking back to his new home after chopping some wood and carrying it on his back. He heard footsteps approaching in his direction, in the distance. He squinted his eyes to look ahead.

Then he froze there, his heart raced and eyes couldn't believe it. That face he can never forget. He was here, Drago and his men. Why? How? How is he here? Their eyes met, Drago turned his head slightly and smirked. That smirk sent a shiver down his spine. Drago walked up to him, he still stood frozen. As he walked closer, people in the street went quiet, some dropped their work and ran inside their homes.

"Long time no see huh…" Oren didn't look up. Another man came close to him and put an arm around his shoulder. It was Marcos. His mind went blank, couldn't able to think of anything.

"Look at that, still not speaking." Then Drago leaned closer.

"Did you really think that I will let go — any of you. Don't forget you… serve me."

"But I am feeling generous, and I'll consider letting you go and live your pathetic life however you like." Oren instantly looked up at him.

"Only if you tell me…" He paused.

"The woman who helped you all escape. The woman who attacked my men." Drago's eyes changed, the look he hadn't seen in a very long time. Oren's chest pounded harder against his ribs, he understood the woman he was looking for was his daughter Aeris. He didn't breathe, but something inside him screamed this time. He swallowed hard and stared at him. His fingers curled into fist. One hand was holding the axe tighter. He knew it was the only chance he would get, or Drago won't spare him and his family.

Oren's hands went up in the air, his scream left his throat"YAAAHHH!" All that years worth of pain that was buried inside him came rushing down in that one swing of motion. And then he swung hard across Drago's chest. For a moment nobody moved, not him, not his men. They just stared at what just happened. Oren breathed heavily. But then his eyes widened as he looked at him and saw nothing. No blood, not even a scratch on his body, How is that possible… Drago men attacked Oren.

"How dare you? You have forgotten your place." The punch went across his ribs. His axe dropped from his hands. He fell to the ground. Then his men started stomping over him. While he covered his face. A rope with stone flew over and hit the man's head. Then another, hitting the head of another one of his men. Then all of them threw ropes at once. It was her, Aeris and her group.

"LEAVE!" She started swinging ropes over her head.

"HIM!" Ropes swung faster.

"ALONE!" She released the ropes towards Drago. It flew faster in the air towards him. His hands raised, blocking his face. Then catching the rope in his hands.

"It's her Drago…" One of the men said outloud.

"She is that woman, who helped escape all of them." Drago didn't move for a moment, just stared at her, coldly. While holding the ropes in his hands. The he started walking towards her,"No!" Oren shouted. Aeris swung ropes again and released it on his stomach, it hit him but then fell right to the ground. She moved back while swinging again, maintaining distance, this time she released on his legs. The ropes wrapped around his legs, it made him fall on his knees.

But then he quickly tore rope with his bare hands and threw it away. He stood up then rushed this time, Aeris stepped back and was about to release the rope again but he grabbed her wrist. Oren shouted again "No!" And rushed as fast as he could. Marcos grabbed his stomach from behind. Oren's feet kicked at his knees. He fell down and then Oren rushed toward Drago. Drago grabbed her neck.

"You're going to die." He said. Aeris didn't flinch and said.

"Do your worst." Drago curled his fist and was about to hit her face. But Oren stepped in between just in time.

"No!" He said out loud, Drago eyes looked at him.

"Please, leave her alone. I will serve you for the rest of my life." He shoved Oren aside with one hand. Oren dropped to the ground.

"Papa!" Aeris shouted. But Oren quickly stood up and came in between.

"I will not let you hurt her." Drago loosened his grip and threw her to the ground.

"I see, so she is your daughter." He smirked.

"You said, you will serve me again. If I leave her right?" Oren nodded.

"You forgot one thing, you still serve me, it will take far more than that. Now move." Oren didn't move, he blocked his way.

"Run Aeris!" He pushed Oren away again. And started moving towards Aeris. A few men stepped up in front of her again. Oren stood up and blocked his way again.

"We will serve you too. If you let her go." His eyes never left Drago's eyes.

"You get us in exchange for her lives." Another man said.

"This is far more than you wanted." Drago looked at them. Nobody spoke, then he chuckled and laughed.

"All this just to save that woman." He turned around.

"Fine, she can live. But don't forget what you just said. If you try anything or if she tries anything, I will kill her." Then he started walking back. Oren looked back.

"Papa… why?" He went back to her and lifted her up.

"It's okay." He smiled then patted her head.

"If you are alive, I am alive." Aeris began to cry.

"No! Papa… please. Don't go. Not again!" His tears came but he still smiled and put his palm at her cheek.

"I am so proud of you, my sweet girl." Aeris began to cry louder and hugged him. Sobbed into his shoulders"Shh…. Shh…. It's okay… it's okay." He spoke softly.

"Take care of Freya, and live your life." His voice broke. Freya was standing there, as she witnessed everything that happened. She walked up to him, not crying.

"Hey move, you trash or I will change my mind." Oren nodded at them and was about to turn, then Freya handed something in his hand. Oren opened his palm and saw two twig figures that Aeris had made when she was child. She didn't say anything. Oren understood and nodded then started walking away, he turned back and Aeris was sobbing on Freya's shoulder. He smiled at her one last time.

"For two years, I haven't seen their faces. I only hope that they are okay." Oren said to Nova.

"Is seeing their faces, and living peacefully is too much to ask for?"

"In this world being born as a misfit, is a curse." he said those words out loud to her My chest felt heavy, his words cut deeper than any blade. Two years... I knew what it meant to lose someone and wonder if you'd ever see them again. Is being a misfit really a curse to him? I understand his pain, his sorrow. These people… They have suffered enough…. They don't deserve this. I know I am not some kind of superhero, and I know this is dangerous. But… My fingers balled into fists and knuckles cracked.

I will save him. SAVE THEM!