His eyes flashed open at the new surroundings he had gotten himself into again as Seth lay on his back at the grass, where many scattered trees are all around him, especially when the morning sky is filled with red and orange hues with a few clouds blocking it in places.
The rising sun pierced through the woods like a spear, illuminating the forest in a gorgeous light and providing warmth from the harsh, bitter wind. It is as if the rays of the sun had washed away the stress and exhaustion that lingered within his bones; the cool, fresh breeze hitting his face was a godsend to the teen as well.
Not only that, the sounds of singing birds that whistled in the background while flying through the air were always a beautiful melody to wake up to after a peaceful slumber. Insects also scurried through the earth, leaving their trails through the grass as they moved past his legs.
He is finally home, but at what cost?
Carefully standing up with his own two feet and the crucifix still within his grasp, he scanned his area, feeling a certainty that this wasn't some weird trap of the demon that he had always encountered thus far. "Am I actually back?" Muttered in disbelief of being safe.
So many times have he been tricked into thinking he was free of its manipulations. The fallen angels have a reputation for being tricksters, but this...the world around him feels very real compared to the things he had seen in the dimension Asmodeus had sent him to.
Putting his open palm over his own concerned face, he not only feels refreshed from the long slumber, but something else is at hand. He can't put a finger on it yet, but Seth can feel the answer coming in its way. And soon enough, a familiar scent reached his nostrils, causing him to shake off his doubts as memories entered his mind.
"Billy!" He said in a quick tone, removing the hand from his own face as he recognized the reason for ending up here: "I need to check everyone!" He yelled at the top of his lungs, running after the smell, acting like a compass to direct his course, leading back to his home.
However, he stopped abruptly after a minute of sprinting, realization dawning on him of the situation he is currently in when he also forgot a vital detail: "I...can run?" Glancing down at his left leg, Seth was taken aback by how he wasn't feeling pain anymore from it.
"Its healed!" He shouted in delight at the news, "Thank you, almighty God!" Expressing joy in prayer about how grateful he is for his mercy, before starting to sprint off again while holding onto the cross. Although Seth is aware that it is unnatural of him to have recovered at such a fast rate,
Having expected to heal for a month or less based on what Morgan had said to him, although none of that matters anymore to him because he is back to normal, "I feel alive again!" The teen was filled with nothing but happiness as he rushed through the field, following the aroma that brought him home.
Running is always exhilarating to experience; the way his own body moves and the wind brushing across his face while his heart races is a thrill and enjoyment for Seth. As a result, he felt alive about finally being able to move in the manner he always has.
All this time of limping and walking, the teen can barely run or go to where he needed to be, but now that is not the issue; everything is fine again. Even the sky is welcoming him, for the weather was pleasant, with birds singing throughout the sky on this beautiful day.
Many questions lingered in the young lad's mind about how it even happened, but aside from the thrill, the anticipation of seeing his friends again If his leg was healed, then perhaps they recovered from the injuries they suffered in the cavern.
A smile stretched across his face from having for once a good thing happen after all the things he was forced to endure; it is a welcomed surprise for him. After a couple of minutes of sprinting, Seth saw the outlines of the cottage in a large clearing from afar.
Excitement took hold of him as he went faster, shouting in joy that he was back home, "I'm finally at home!" Seth loudly announced with a broad smile that this happiness overwhelmed him in a short amount of time, but this excitement ended when he accidentally bumped into somebody.
"OOF!"
Colliding into the individual, the force itself knocks him backwards on the ground on his rear, groaning in pain from the fall, "I should be more careful," sighing in dismay before gazing upwards at the person who is looking down at him with contempt for what had happened.
To say the man in front of him was intimidating is an understatement. Seth gaped in surprise at the man's own build that towered over him with leather armor and a shield strapped to his back; he must've been an adventurer of sorts. With brunette hair and blue eyes while having light stubble growing out on the chin.
On each side are presumably his companions, each with their own different look: a man with blond hair, light blue eyes, and a red jacket while wielding a spear with both hands, and a skinny young man on the right with short white hair, hazel eyes, and is also armed with a musket.
Shocked by their appearances and stature, Seth got back up on his feet in haste. Wary of the man's hostile gaze, he was alarmed at encountering human beings near their home. "Sorry, sir," he said, nervously apologizing for being reckless in his own actions.
Anger shown on his face: "Sorry, my ass, did you even look where you're going, kid?" The brunette shouted at him with annoyance in his voice, glaring at the teen, "We don't have time to be playing with runts; we're in the middle of the bounty that the guild master has told us about," reminding himself of what they are tasked to do.
The group of three was busy taking their minds off their focus on the task at hand as a fellow steel adventurer named Steve, who was holding the musket, spoke to the boy in advance, "Don't mind him; the guy's always cranky in the morning; I think he just pissed on his pants as well," whispering his comment.
While the other blond man who goes by name, Jacky, laughed in agreement, "damn, you might be right," playfully responding as they watched their leading member sighed at their teasing comments, "his getting old for these sorts of things," jesting at this.
Being in unfamiliar territory and lacking knowledge of who these people are, the teen can't help but find them rather strange: "guild master?" He asked in confusion at that name, forgetting something he should've known the moment he came to this fantasy world.
Three immediately stopped what they were doing and stared at the boy with disbelief. "What?" The man at the center almost shrieked in astonishment, "Do you not know what that is?" Pointing out the obvious: a mere resident of the empire isn't educated in basic knowledge.
Shaking his head in a slow manner, the individual he bumped into earlier folded his arms in dismay at this. "There are many types of guilds in the heartland," says the man in the center of the two. "The Adventure Guild is very well known, the best one around, if I may add," explaining this knowledge to the boy.
"Oh..." Seth uttered in low volume, staring down at the ground with embarrassment, having forgotten there are more organizations that are associated with adventurers. "Sorry for not knowing; I just came back from the forest, and I have a lot of things on my mind at the moment, so trying to remember insignificant things like guilds doesn't seem to be important for me," he said, trying to justify his excuse of ignorance.
In response, the three looked at him in disbelief of not the excuse but rather its response: "Don't you know this is where the infamous witch lives?" Steve butted in the conversation. "This is the reason why we came here after all," he added as a matter of fact.
Raising a questionable eyebrow of their choice, Seth responded, "Witch...?" Taking a step back from this answer, "That is...your bounty?" The boy assumed with an unsure tone while wondering if he misheard or not, because if so, he hopes his friends weren't taken away for them to be associated with one.
Jacky nodded at this information. "That's right!" He confirmed in positive terms, "They say this place is the home of evil magicians, and that is why we came here to take her head!" He stood proud of their task while resting the spear over his shoulder.
Its as if some otherworldly controlled him, bursting out of shock for the reasons of their appearance in this place, "Why would want to kill Morgan?" He yelled in surprise before his eyes widen from spilling out her name in such a manner, including revealing his personal acquaintance with this woman. "Ugh..." Gasping with fear of how much trouble he is in.
Three men froze in their spot, shocked at what they heard: "What did you say?" The middle man said in suspicion as he cautiously approached him in great interest, "Did you say the witch was named Morgan?" His face turned into a scowl.
Unable to form a proper sentence in this tense moment, he simply gave out an answer: "Yes, she is." He couldn't finish his sentence when the man who looked to be in the mid-forties grabbed his shirt before raising him up in the air with a face that spilled with hatred.
"You are associated with that bitch!" Yelling in mad fury at this revelation, "I can't believe those low lives are capable of having hell spawn on their own!" The man glared with such intensity that he would surely kill the boy right there if he had the chance.
However, Steve, who is the most level-headed among them, intervened, "Declan, stop this. His just a kid," moving between them despite the man still holding Seth, "you don't know if he was forced to serve that witch or not," suggested the reasonable conclusion.
His leader scoffed in disgust: "Kid or not, this runt knows her. And that is the only reason I need to use him of leading where she is hiding," roughly putting the boy down on the ground and releasing him even though he wanted to kill him right and there.
Jacky, however, joined the conversation, siding with their leader, "his right, Steve," saying in disappointment of having a fellow comrade defend this child, "this kid knows her, and from the looks of it, he doesn't appear to be mind-controlled," implying that the boy was acting on his own.
As soon as he sat up and gazed downward with fear at the situation he had gotten himself into, the teenager could not believe that he found himself having to deal with actual people who wanted to hurt him. But for Seth, this isn't nothing for a person who resorts to running or hiding.
But this is different; Seth is trapped here with them, and even if he manages to flee, the three will eventually find his friends and do who knows what. And because of this notion, something must be done to prevent such tragedy from occurring, even though it might end with his death in the end. "She's not a witch; she's my friend!" He lifted his head at the group in declaration.
All three turned their eyes toward him, baffled by his response that was full of courage. But then Declan, who is their leader, broke out laughing with a snort escaping his nostrils. "Friend?" He snorted in amusement at the stupidity before anger returned in his voice, "Let me guess, that fucking snake charmer convinced you that she is kind and pure, didn't she!?"
"She's really a nice person if you get to know her!" The black-haired boy quickly answered in her defense, "Morgan is not an evil person, I promise! She is not like the magicians who caused mayhem to innocent people!" I am trying to reason with them, not understanding why they are calling her bad names for doing nothing wrong.
Just like that, Declan became furious by the boy's reasoning: "And you truly believe that bullshit, don't you!" He harshly remarked with a sneer before motioning his head in frustration, "I lost my daughter because of them!" He spoke in agony of his loss and grief.
"I'm sorry, but—"
"Enough of the buts!" Moving closer towards Seth until he was inches apart from him, the man towered over him with a balled fist that clearly indicated he was restraining himself from doing anything rash. "Every single magician is an abomination! They are no different from each other; all of them are wicked and evil," harshly speaking the truth in his eyes.
Not able to defend the magician any longer, the teen lowered his head in sadness, despondent by Declan's own hatred for them. "But still," he lowly replied with somberness, "it wasn't her fault." That was enough for the angered man to snap at this moment.
"I HAD IT WITH THIS RUNT!" Drawing out his broadsword from the sheath, he raised it up in the heavens with its blade glistering under the sunlight as it prepared to cut down the foolish teen before them. "THIS IS FOR MY DAUGHTER!" He shouted with regret in his tone as tears formed in his own eyes.
Before Jacky or Steve could reason with their friend, Seth fell to the ground with his hind touching the ground as instinct took over him, raising his dominant hand towards the enraged man filled with hatred and despair, resulting in the divine weapon glowing in response.
As he did that, the once-adventurer who goes by Declan rapidly turned into a pile of salt, leaving him alone in the company of Jacky and Steve, who were appalled by the sight. Seeing this, they turned their heads at the boy, alarmed at seeing this work of magic.
"Murderer..." Jacky spoke in shock while Steve, who is just as horrified, remained speechless and afraid of what he had witnessed in his eyes. Their very leader and friend, who once stood proudly with honor, is now gone, replaced by mere dust.
"MURDERER!"
Shouting bloody murder in horror, the spear user charged towards the boy with a weapon in hand, intending to pierce him with it, but Seth reacted in time by moving his crucifix towards the incoming threat, causing Jacky to also turn into a bunch of salt.
"Oh God..." Seth was trembling, frozen, and confused by his sudden action, guilty of committing the act. He had never killed a human being in his life, being always the type of kid to run away or hide from danger, but he hadn't expected things to turn out this way. "I-I didn't mean to kill them!" Guilt and sorrow was apparent in his troubled voice.
Steve, who is the last member of the group, silently watched his fallen comrades, lifeless and unmoving. It was all too much for him to handle, tears flowing down from his eyes. "I should have..." Kneeling down with both of his legs, he stared at his once-long-time friends with sad look. "I should..." Adjusting the barrel of his musket, he placed it in his gaping mouth.
"NO!"
Bang.
