Chapter 8: Sylvia I

Subtly opening my eyes, I regained my consciousness.

What? I'm still alive?

A fall from that height would have definitely killed me, yet, here I am, completely fine.

I slowly sat up before I suddenly caught the whiff of a terrible stench. Looking beside me–a few feet away–I saw the mangled corpe of the man that had been holding onto my leg. Judging from the fact that his blood hadn't dried yet, I estimated that I had been unconcious for around 10 minutes.

I quickly put my thoughts aside for now as I turned to find where Arthur was, I needed to know if he was alive. I noticed him before I stood up and approached him. My heart eased slightly as his body didn't seem to be completely crushed like that conjurer. However, I wanted to make sure. I knelt beside him before extending my hand near his face. I breathed a sigh of relief.

Thank goodness, he's still breathing.

I promptly examined Arthur's injuries which didn't seem light, though nothing life threatening. After that, I stood back up before approaching the conjurer.

I took Art's knife that had been stabbed quite deeply into him before looking for where I had dropped mine. Luckily, I noticed it a few metres away from me.

After I had picked up our birthday presents, I was finally left with some time to question what had happened. How is Art and I still alive? Shouldn't we also be left in a similar state to the man over there?

I didn't dwell on it to much before I decided to relocate. I didn't want Arthur to wake up to this sight, even for me, it was quite unpleasant to look at. The man couldn't even be associated with a human. A puddle of blood formed around him as his limbs were sprawled impossibly on the ground. The broken bones could be seen jutting out of his skin as his skull had been cracked open–oozing brain matter. Definitely not the prettiest scene to look at.

I searched for our knapsacks that contained our rations before I went to Arthur. I knelt down before gently lifting his arm, carefully putting it on my shoulder before I lifted him up onto my back. Reinforcing my legs with the small amount of mana I had left, I walked away from the corpse. 

-

ARTHUR LEYWIN'S POV:

"COUGH!! COUGH!"

I opened my eyes again, with towering trees and dangling vines filling my vision as I lay on my back with a knapsack on top of me–acting as a makeshift blanket.

The excruciating pain that I was welcomed by told me I wasn't dreaming.

Where was I?

How was I alive?

I tried getting up, but my body didn't listen. The only thing I was able to manage was to turn my head, and even that involved a series of throbbing pains in my neck.

"You should continue resting, Art. Your injuries aren't light." I heard a familiar voice.

I managed to turn my head to see my brother sitting–using a tree to support the weight of his back–as he tossed a knapsack at me. It landed accurately where I could reach. I was slightly confused, however as I heard a *growl* that came from my stomach, I was grateful.

"T-thank you." I managed to mutter out, despite the excruciating pain tormenting me. I took out the rations in the knapsack, before taking a handful and stuffing it into my mouth.

"Slow down, Art. The food isn't going anywhere." Artorias advised.

However, just when he said that, in my reclining position, some of the berries had strayed past my tongue, sending me into a choking fit. Coughing, my body had once again triggered another round of agony.

Fumbling for my waterskin inside the knapsack, I slowly poured a bit of the water into my mouth. After that, I managed another handful of food, before this time, I was a bit more careful. After I had eaten, I had passed out.

-

My eyes fluttered open as I stirred awake from the brisk bite of cold. I Looked around as best as my stiff neck could allow and realised, by the position of the first rays of light peaking through the mountains, it was dawn.

I reinforced myself with mana as I sat up, placing my gaze on Artorias who was in the same spot I had first seen him. I was perplexed as to what had happened to me. I remembered falling off the cliff, but not before taking that conjurer down with me, however shortly after, I lost my consciousness. Logically speaking, shouldn't I be dead? And why was Tori here? last time I checked, I don't remember him falling off the cliff. Or is this the afterlife and I'm seeing my brother who had also died by the bandits? No, judging from the fact that my body aches, I'm pretty sure I'm alive. But, how?

I briefly locked eyes with Tori who probably had all my answers before asking him.

"Tori, what happened? Where are we? What happened to mom and dad and everyone in Twin Horns?" I asked. It was quite complex questions for a 4 year old, but my brother was special.

After a short few seconds as he was contemplating on how to answer, he spoke, "Well, I'm not sure about everyone else, but I know we fell off the cliff. Somehow, we managed to survive.

I took some time to think about his words before asking another question.

"What about that conjurer I took down with me?"

"He's currently... dead." He replied.

Despite getting most of the answers out of my brother, that simply gave me even more questions. How did we survive the fall?

'Oh, both of you are awake now.'

I instantly jumped up into fighting stance, gritting through the pain from the sudden movement, with my hands raised.

My brother also jumped up, before taking out his knife.

A melodic chuckle made me look around for the source of the voice.

'Do not worry. I won't harm you two.'

The voice that seemed to come out of nowhere had a dignified, yet soft quality emanating a sense of royalty. It was powerful and resonant, yet silky and soothing. A sound that made you want to trust it.

Still on guard, I managed to mutter a less than elegant response.

"Who are you? Were you the one that saved me and my brother?"

"Yes, to your second question. As for the first, you will soon find out when you arrive at my dwelling."

This voice seemed awfully sure that we would try and find it.

As if reading my thoughts, she continued, "I am the only one that will be able to get you two home from this place, so I advise you to make haste."

That seemed to calm me down as the situation had fully dawned on me. Our parents must be worried sick! We definitely need to get back to them as soon as possible. I turned to my brother before we both exchanged a nod, before I asked the voice inside my head.

"Ahem, dear uhh... Mr. Voice. May I ask for the directions to your location so that you may bless us with your presence?"

The voice let out another soft chuckle before replying with, "Don't you think it's a little rude to call a lady 'Mister'? And yes, I'll show you the way."

Ahh... so it was a lady.

Immediately, my vision shifted into a bird's-eye view. Zooming out, a location that was roughly around a day's trip to the east came into sight and lighted up before my vision shifted back to normal.

"I recommend departing immediately. It will be a lot safer traveling during the day than when it gets dark." Gently chided the voice.

"Yes Ma'am!" I quickly picked up my knapsack before trotting towards my destination with Tori following behind me.

Tori was helping me out as I had my arm wrapped around his neck, easing the pain I was feeling throughout my body as I walked.

It became less painful with each step and, by mid-morning, I was only left with a few aches here and there so I simply walked without anymore support.

Whatever that lady had done involved some powerful magic. I've never heard of anyone casting a spell with that much distance. Or maybe she left after casting the spell right before I landed? Then how could she have known that we were falling, and why did she only save me and my brother? The more I tried to solve the mystery, the more questions I seemed to end up with.

Hearing a faint gurgling sound, I headed towards the direction, spotting a narrow stream.

"Yes!" I exclaimed.

I was quite filthy, my clothes were torn and caked with grime and I could also make out blood stains on it as well.

Almost sprinting, I cannonballed into the stream, vigorously scrubbing clean my face and body. Taking off my clothes and after briefly washing them, I laid them down on a nearby rock to dry. Tori had also joined me, briefly washing himself as he got rid of all the accumulated dirt and blood off of him. After finishing the refreshing bath, I walked towards my still damp clothes when...

'Kukuku... how pleasantly carefree.'

Reflexively, both my hands shot down to cover my precious area as I hunched my back, trying to make my body as small as possible.

'Don't worry, there wasn't much to see.' I shuddered as I almost felt the Voice wink at me.

How rude! My pride...

Grumbling, I almost wanted to argue that my body wasn't developed, but I chose to ignore the Voice and put on my clothes.

I glanced at Tori, who I knew could hear her voice aswell, but he didn't seem to care too much evident in how he continued scrubbing himself. I didn't think he understood her words, he was a child afterall. But still, she had insulted us, brother!

However, my pride had once again been obliterated as I managed to make out his 'excalibur'. Why did I get the short end of the stick!? I was even the youngest!

'Aww... don't pout. I apologise,' the Voice stifled a laugh.

Calm your mind, Arthur. A king must be calm...

After I put on my clothes, the perverted voice seemed to go silent. Not minding too much, I rummaged through my bag and dug out the last of my dried rations. Water wasn't going to be a problem for a while since I had just refilled my water sack, but I would need food soon; hopefully the voice would provide me with something. My brother also had rations, but that was his, I wanted him to stay full and healthy.

After both of us had put our clothes back on, we departed.

Looking around, I began wondering where I was. Since I fell off the mountain towards the east, I must be near the elves' domain. I don't think I'm in the Forest of Elshire because I'm not surrounded by fog. Was I in the Beast Glades? No. There weren't any mana beasts... I spotted a few rabbits and birds, but I've yet to see anything else.

Something even stranger that I noticed a bit before, was the abundance of mana in this place. It was mostly due to the richness of mana that I was able to recover from my initial state so quickly. Although that still doesn't explain how I survived in the first place, I hoped that the source behind the voice would tell me.

We should hurry.

Aside from the fact that there was no road, it turned out to be a pretty uneventfully peaceful trip, with minimal obstacles and terrains we had to go around.

As I drew near the location of the voice, the density in mana was getting richer and thicker. Ignoring the temptation to stop and absorb the surrounding mana, I ventured on. Training wasn't important right now. I needed to get home.

Since everyone probably assumed that we were dead, I couldn't help but worry about Mother and Father. Not so much physically, but for their mental health. I'm concerned Mother and Father wouldn't forgive themselves for our death. The only thought that comforted me was the fact that my mother was pregnant. Yes. At least for the sake of my unborn brother or sister, they'd stay strong.

I reached the area where the Voice directed me towards, but I was unable to see anything besides a cluster of rocks surrounded by a cluster of trees.

"Nice to meet you uhh... Ma'am? Miss. Rocks?"

'I'm not a rock, nor a cluster of them. There is a crevice between the back of the adjacent rocks. That's where I'll be,' the Voice chuckled.

Looking around, I managed to spot the small gap, about the width of an adult, between two of the larger rocks that were leaning against each other. The slight breeze coming out from the crevice told me I had found what I was looking for. If it weren't for the Voice directing me to this exact location, I would never have even noticed the small fissure.

'Go on and enter through the crevice, but make sure to strengthen yourself with mana before you do.'

I can finally meet Mother and Father soon!

Without a second's hesitation, I slipped in through the gap easily while willing the mana to strengthen my body with Tori coming shortly after.

I had expected a platform to step on but instead, I immediately plummeted down the dark hole.

The voice had failed to warn me that I was going to be doing a vertical fall.

'I guess that was why she mentioned using mana to reinforce ourselves' was the thought that ran through my head as I descended, screaming at the top of my four-year-old lungs.

-

Rubbing my butt, groaning, I slowly supported myself up before I suddenly felt something plummet on top of me.

Ouch.

Tori had also managed to come down safely before I slowly stood back up.

"We finally meet."

I felt the blood drain from my face as my mouth gaped open and eyes bulge. I was suddenly lightheaded as my legs failed to support me, I crumbled back onto my aching butt, staring at the one who's been helping me this whole time.