It was a brief encounter, yet dazzling.
Never in his life, this one or past, had Leo ever dreamed of witnessing such things. Somehow, he didn't need to.
They were cowering in the narrow mouth of the clearing, hidden just behind the treeline. There seemed to be no way out, even for Jade and Roland, as the battle raged just yards away, too close to flee, too far to change.
The orcboarâs hooves thundered against the earth, each step a quake as it barreled toward Aunt Maggie. She flung out her hand, lightning crackling from her fingertips with a shriek of raw magic. The bolt struck true, between the beastâs eyes, but the orcboar didnât slow.
Its muscles twitched, smoke rising from its charred skull, but it let out a guttural roar and drove forward. Maggieâs eyes widened. She tried to leap aside, but it was too late.
The creature slammed into her like a battering ram, the impact lifting her off her feet. She crashed through a thicket of trees, bones snapping like twigs, and vanished into the underbrush with a sickening crunch.
But the monster wasn't done. It reared back, then slamming its full weight back into the earth in a fit of rage and sadistic desire. The monster bolted towards her with an ear-piercing squeal, smoke still rising from its head as its hooves dug up the earth.
Maggie tilted her head up, looking into the creature's eyes. Her own filled with pain and fatigue, yet shimmering with defiance. Her right arm trembled as she reached for her wand, gnarled fingers grasping the modest wooden stick. The orcboar was nearly on top of her, but with the last of her strength, she flicked her wrist.
A roaring crack tore through the air, masking the monster's squeals as a tree erupted from the earth. It speared into the orcboar's belly effortlessly, like a freight train hitting a deer, launching it through the air.
In the few moments of silence that followed, Leo's eyes couldn't help but be drawn to the tree.
The tree was different. It was unlike anything he'd seen, in this life or the past. It wasn't gnarled or withered; instead, it seemed to glow with a divine aura, with pure bark and lively blue leaves. Fruits wrapped with golden skin hung on the branches, offering to nourish them as no other fruit would.
However, the only one close enough to take it couldn't, as she lay on the ground, motionless.
The earth quaked as the orcboar crashed back down onto the ground, shooting dirt and debris into the sky. For a few moments, it lay there lifeless. Then it got up.
[Orcboar]
LEVEL: 15
HEALTH: 56%
EFFECTS:
[Enraged]
'increased Strength by +10, Intelligence decreased by 5.'
'An orc and a boar in one, how wonderful...'
Every muscle inside its body rippled and swelled, threatening to burst through its skin. The orcboar wobbled as it regained its footing, its eyes bloodshot and glowing a fiery red, steam leaking from its nostrils and mouth.
Leo could see a gash torn into the orcboar's chest. It leaked with thick, clotted blood, exposing its tusk-like ribs wrapped around its ungodly frame. It didn't seem to affect it, like it wasn't there. This was a real monster.
His mind screamed for his body to flee, adrenaline pumping through his veins as blood pulsed in his head. His heart pounded like war drums, too loud for his tiny frame, threatening to burst through his ribs.
A jolt zapped through Leo's body, paralyzing him like electricity as a guttural, evil scream blew out his eardrums, swaying trees and snapping their branches. The orcboar charged, tearing through the air, erasing the distance between itself and Maggie.
Leo's body shrank as his eyes locked onto the scene unfolding before him. Was she really going to die this soon? Are humans this much worse than orcboars...? No. No way. It couldn't be.
Deep down, Leo knew it was inevitable that someone would die, not just die, but be brutalized, crushed beyond recognition. But he couldn't look away.
Markus' cousin nearly dropped him as a force rippled through the crowd like a great wind, tearing his eyes away from the death unfolding before him as Leo gripped her shirt, damp with sweat.
"What are you doing?" Jade shouted from behind them, her voice tinged with worry. It was the first time Jade's voice cracked with worry. Even she sounded scaredâand that scared Leo more than anything else.
Leo cried, unwillingly mentally, but physically unable to do anything about it. He wanted to see what was happening; he couldn't bear missing it, no matter how brutal it may be.
After what seemed like an eternity, he managed to turn his head, looking into the battlefield through watery lenses.
And that's when he saw him.
Roland.
Roland held the orcboar's tusks, pushing it back. His muscles rippled beneath his clothes, nearly bursting as he wrestled the beast. Slowly but surely, he took one labored, decisive step forward and another. Behind him was Aunt Maggie, untouched.
Leo's eyes widened in awe, and his heart raced like he was watching an anime protagonist fight the final villain.
With a vicious grunt, Roland pushed the beast back, forcing it up onto its hind legs. Then, in a sudden blur, a sickening, bone-shattering, meaty thud vibrated through the humid air. The monster squealed in agony as Roland launched violent strikes into its exposed chest. His arms were nothing but dark blurs, like missiles.
It was too amazingâ even Leo forgot, for a moment, what they were facing.
"Roland!" Jade's voice pierced through the violent thuds and painful screams. Leo's eyes snapped open in realization.
The orcboar forced itself down on top of Roland like an anvil. The force was enough to tremble the dirt beneath their feet, rocking Leo's body like an earthquake.
Roland disappeared beneath its enormous frame. Blood dribbled from the monster's lip as it tried to crush him with its weight, lowering itself even closer to the earth.
"You have to be joking," Jade seethed as she leaped gracefully through the crowd like a deer. A familiar wave of fear washed over Leo as the hair on his body stood up. It was the crackle of static he had heard before. Then his mouth began to dry as the smell of scorched wood invaded his nose.
His heart couldn't help but skip, and skip it did, so much so that it felt like it would stop. Flames flared to life on Jade's arms as lightning twirled around her fingers. This was too much for him. He was in a fantasy world with magic, monsters, and heroes. In a way, it was a dream come true.
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"Roland, you owe me after this!" Jade shouted as she stretched her arm out, opening her palm towards the orcboar. Lightning swarmed into her palm, coiling into a violent, cackling storm of yellow light.
The static was so strong it pulled Leo's body forward, even bending the trees slightly towards the point of electricity.
Then it happened. A majestic mess of electricity ripped through the air in a bolt of lightning, slithering like a thunderous dragon. It was a sure hit.
But the orcboar moved, however, not of its own accord.
Like Atlas, Roland powered to his feet like the titan with the heavens on his back. The orcboar's eyes widened in shock, its feet kicking in the air helplessly. Despite this feat of strength, the target of Jade's lightning had changed, and he didn't know it.
"Move, Roland!" Jade screamed. Leo jolted, the other kids around him screamed, and Roland's eyes widened in surprise.
Everything seemed to be in slow motion, every movement slowed by water. Roland threw the orcboar forward, releasing it before him as he leaped to the side. But he wasn't quick enough.
A white light briefly blinded Leo like a flashbang, but as quickly as it came, it went. The lightning's impact on the monster was that of an enormous bomb, knocking down trees and bursting eardrums. Shortly after, the sound of flesh sizzling and fat popping like hot grease followed it.
The bolt sent the orcboar flying like a pinball, spinning and hurling through the air. Then a violent collision of flesh slapped through the sizzling air as the orcboar slammed into Roland like a bowling ball, sending them both into the trees. Then, silence.
The silence was louder than Leo's heart thudding. His ears rang, and his vision seemed distant, like it wasn't him looking through his eyes. Jade's shoulders dropped, her arms limp, as she looked into the collapsed treeline. She stepped forward hesitantly, almost like she didn't know what to expect. Leo didn't know either. Roland seemed invincible, but he was still human at the end of the day.
"This is your fault..." Jade said, barely above a whisper, her voice hollow with shock. She took another step forward. "If you didn't care so much about these Dwendols, this wouldn't have happened."
She lifted her leg to take another step, but stopped, taking two steps back.
Roland rose to his feet out of the debris. The remains of trees rolled behind him, shattering and splintering as they hit the ground. His clothes were torn, and significant cuts and holes exposed his chiseled form beneath. He rubbed his left ribcage as his other hand brushed debris off him. His hard brown eyes looked into Jade's.
"That's funny," he scoffs, a small smile forming. "You're the one who insisted on trying to find them." Roland made his way towards her, rolling his enormous shoulders that looked like boulders. Leo looked at Roland in awe, maybe for a little too long. He had seen bodybuilders online before, but none looked like this.
Each muscle in Roland's body had a purpose; they weren't there to look good, and it showed. With each movement, they responded, contracting or relaxing at will. He had a physique any fitness influencer would love to have and a scientist would love to examine. His forearms were corded with thick muscles, his abdomen shielded with abs that looked like plates, and biceps that could crush rocks. Roland was a tank in real life.
He was a few steps in front of Jade before he looked over his shoulder.
"Seems like that thing's not done yet either," Roland sighed as he cracked his neck, loosening up. He looked at Maggie, walking over to her. "It's time to finish the job. But first, we need to get her out of here."
Leo sighed, his mouth a little less dry now. His heart was still fluttering in anticipation of seeing them finish the job, but he was glad Aunt Maggie was getting tended to.
Roland plucked a golden fruit from the magical tree. As it popped off its branch, golden dust shimmered in the air. He knelt by Maggie, tilting her head before his large, calloused hand crushed the fruit, like a press, squeezing the juice into her mouth.
"You're smart for this," he said with a smile. "Summoning a tree with fruit that restores vitality? That's impressive." Roland got up, leaving the fruit behind.
Something stirred in the distanceânothing like Roland's composed strength. This movement was feral, jagged, bloodthirsty. Debris shot into the air as the orcboar stood to its feet. A gaping wound in its side, exposing its innards, as the gash on its chest showed shattered ribs. Despite this, all it could think about was blood.
[Orcboar]
LEVEL: 15
HEALTH: 17%
EFFECTS:
[Enraged], [Last Stand]
'increased Strength by +10, Intelligence decreased by 5.'
'Increased Strength by +25, Pain Resistance increased by 100%'
'An orc and a boar in one, how wonderful...'
Leo blinked. Pain resistance increased by that much? Why? How? It should be running for its life, not fighting for it; nothing forced it to fight. Yet it decided to.
"Great," Jade sighed. She stretched her arm out, and a furious spear of flames formed. "Nothing better than getting some bruised and beaten emat, huh? It's not even going to be worth eating at this point."
The orcboar charged, lumbering violently towards them, its head lowered, tusks tearing into the earth like a plow.
Jade spun the flaming spear before launching it like a javelin, sending it searing through the air. The orcboar lurched to the side, nearly falling flat onto its side, but miraculously, it lunged back straight up after dodging the spear, continuing its path.
Leo's heart skipped a beat as the distance between Jade and the orcboar closed. Then, with a blur, Roland squeezed between them, ramming into the monster with his shoulder, stalling it. Jade took a few steps back, conjuring up another flaming spear as Roland's footing began to slip. Foam frothed at the mouth of the orcboar, its jaws snapped at Roland, forcing him to move.
Leo gulped, feeling the pressure. This orcboar wasn't trying to survive anymore; it was trying to take them down alongside it. The fact that it could even comprehend this concept made Leo's body go cold. This was the first monster he had witnessed; surely it wasn't the most dangerous one either, so how much smarter would an even more hazardous monster be?
The spear struck its side, but it barreled into Roland anyway, sending him flying. Jade threw another one, this time at its skull, and the monster took it like it was nothing, forcing Jade to jump into the air.
Leo's blood went cold, eyes widening as he followed where the orcboar was heading.
Straight towards them.
Screams erupted as the children erupted like a packet of beads torn open, scattering everywhere from the treeline. Markus' cousin scrambled out of the darkness, following the chaos. The screams continued, like a nightmare, a massacre scene in a slasher film, and he was an extra, one that was meant to die.
"Emma!" Markus shouted from amidst the crowd. Leo heard the pants of Markus' cousin as she twirled around frantically, chasing the sound of his voice.
"Markus!" Emma called out. "Where are you?" Her voice fractured with every word, breaths coming in panicked bursts.
"Stay there! I'll come to you!" Leo heard Markus' voice get closer, and then he was there with Anna on his back. "Thank goodness..." His voice quivered as he sighed. Markus' eyes locked onto Leo's with relief.
"Where are we going?" Emma's eyes darted frantically, clutching Leo closer against her.
Leo saw Markus open his mouth to answer, but a sudden wind blew through the trees, nearly toppling them and Markus. Leo turned to look at where the wind came from, and then the treeline exploded.
An enormous wind blade cleaved through the trees, uprooting them and launching them into the sky like toothpicks. Some trees were eviscerated, turning into splinters. The blast's strength sent Leo and Emma rolling back a few yards despite not being in the direct radius. Leo's head spun as he tried to regain his senses. He blinked rapidly, blinded by sunlight.
Wait...sunlight?
That couldn't be right. The Bladed Forest shut out the sky. But now, he could see it.
Open air. Moving clouds. Warm, golden light.
Somethingâsomeoneâhad torn the forest wide open.
"Who the hell?" Jade groaned as she got up, her blonde hair a mess.
Leo looked around. He saw Roland sitting down, the Dwendol children, and Jade, but no orcboar. Where was it?
A blood-curdling squeal erupted throughout the clearing, but it was different. It wasn't in rage, but in fear. The orcboar came storming back from where the wind had come, its eyes bulging out of its sockets.
"What in theâ" Jade started, but suddenly flinched. A gust of wind whipped through the air, chasing the monster with a mind of its own. The orcboar tried to run, but it wasn't enough. The wind struck the orcboar with a violent crack, splitting it like a melon.
A person stepped into the clearing from the direction of the wind. A gentle breeze blew through their hair, and Leo's hair as well. It was an oddly gentle, comforting breeze, a familiar feeling.
"It's done. Where are the children?" a calm voice like honey carried through the wind. Leo knew who it wasâhis mother.
Jade and Roland got up and walked over to her. Then the children began running towards her, overwhelmed with relief and joy.
Leo couldn't help it. This time, he let it happen, let himself be a baby, and cried.
He had witnessed magic. Real magic.