Everyone's eyes widen when Akiel picked up the sword. She tried gripping it properly in order to avoid accidents but she can't help it when her hands continued to shake due to nervousness.
The sword looks a bit old but it is not rusty. It has a sky blue handle, and a big diamond-shaped gem embedded on top of its handle. "Why is there a sword in this chest?", Akiel mumbled and then proceeded to remove some more cloths from the chest and found something else in there.
A fancy-looking dagger was inside. It has a red-pinkish long handle and a flower like design with a ruby gem in its middle located between the handle and its blade, which is kinda bluish in color.
Akiel tried to find more but what were left there are more cloths and nothing else. "I tried finding some in my chest as well", she look at the person who came closer to her than the others.
Gwyn was now holding a bluish bow with its arrows. "Both of you put that down now. They're dangerous", the two girls looked at Ran's stern face and then put all of the weapons down.
The group followed the only path and not that long after finally found the entrance of the cave. They happily smiled and ran towards the entrance but soon all stopped after seeing a horrendous scene in front of them.
A soldier with a bluish metal armor just sliced a person's neck right in front of them after catching it using its sword. The group stood still in the dark. "Slowly back up", Earl whispered as all of them slowly back up into the cave, and finally they immediately ran again inside.
As they huff, the pale teenagers look at each other. "What the heck was that?! That metal dude just killed someone!"
"He sliced that woman like he's just killing a rat or a cockroach!"
"What the heck really is going on?!"
As they all panicked a clutter was soon heard somewhere. They all look at the source in unison and found Akiel picking up the sword and the dagger that she found earlier.
Gwyn's nervous face turned into a serious one as she as well got up from the floor where she sat at and picked up the bow and arrows she found earlier.
As the two girls tied the sheaths and arrow holders in place together with the weapons, Irene shouted. "What the heck are you two gonna do with those?!"
The two looked at her and in a serious voice, Akiel spoke, "Go and find what kind of weapons your chests have. Go and get them"
Earl immediately asked her the question, "And why should we do that?", Gwyn rolled her eyes on her brother's stupidity and cluelessness. She then stepped up and explained what the two of them are doing.
"You just saw what that person did earlier right?! They just slashed that person like slicing a simple tomato. We don't know where we are right now, that means we can't afford to dilly-dally like this, we need to be more alert specially after seeing that people here seems different. We need these weapons in order to protect ourselves before going out and investigating "
All of them look at Akiel as she nodded and added, "We can't stay here forever, we need to find a way to go back home, besides, we don't have any food supplies here, we'll die out of hunger if we just stay here"
"Then, what if we saw that person earlier again?"
Akiel and Gwyn looked at the weapons. "No….NO! Are you saying we'll use these to them?!", Irene panicked. "Then, are you saying you won't use this on them and let them kill you instead?! We need to protect ourselves and each other in order for us to be able to all go home! What choice do we have?!"
At Akiel's unexpected shout, the group went silent. After a deafening silence, Angela, who also stood up from the floor went to her own chest earlier and started digging things out. Next to her, Ran also did the same.
Earl looked at Gwyn, his sister nodded at him firmly. He sighed and started going to where his chest is as well. Irene was the only one left standing gaping at all of them.
"Found a white bow and its arrows here", Angela lifted her weapons as Gwyn went to her and helped her suit up. Next to them, Earl lifted a sword from his chest and look at Akiel. The girl was about to place it on him when she noticed something. She took out her own sword and compared the two.
"Yours is bigger, looks like mine is just a small sword", as she placed her sword back, she then helped Earl suit up as well. Ran on the other hand finally found the only weapon on his chest, it's a little different than the others but something about it makes him feel nostalgic for some reason.
He held out a spear with blades on both ends. He gripped on the handle in the middle of 2 gems with spiky designs in it as he looked at it more.
"How the heck can you suit that up?", he looked behind him to see Earl looking at the weapon as well. He then checked on the other chests but weirdly, they don't have any weapons in them.
"Hmm, oh! I think you'll need to wear this on your back", Akiel helped Ran wear the strap of the weapon together with Earl, who surprisingly helped him without grumbling. She then placed the double edge spear on it.
"Doesn't it look dangerous for him?", as Akiel and Earl pondered with each other about it, Ran on the other hand spoke calmly. "I know this might be weird but it feels like we put it on the right place", the two, still not that convinced yet, nodded at the guy's assurance.
Then, the group looked at the sole member still standing there flabbergasted. "Irene, here, this is the only weapon we found on your chest", they all look at the purple thing Earl handed to the girl.
Irene looked at it closely when she accidentally pressed a button on the top and out came something unexpected.
"That's a….whip, right?", they all looked shocked to see a whip on the hands of the girl. "Well, good for her since she's the most against in using weapons, that'll be good enough for her self-defence"
The group then, all geared up, slowly made their way to the cave's entrance. They all slowly approached the entrance. In front are the boys, behind them are Akiel and Angela covering the 2 girls behind. "No one's here", Ran whispered.
"What should we do now?"
"I don't know"
"How about getting out of here first?"
All of them looked at Akiel who spoke lastly. "Guys, we never noticed it because we became hung up on the killing earlier, but, look", the group looked ahead at where the girl is pointing.
Their eyes widen and different emotions flashed on their faces. Amazement, Curiosity, and mostly Horror. In front of them is a forest. But not just a simple forest, forest covered in glittering snow. Not white-colored snows but silver-colored ones.
They all went out of the cave as their eyes wander around the surroundings they're in. "So this is why it's so cold", Irene shivered a bit and tried to enclose her cloak more towards her body.
The group all walked slowly as they observe their environment. "This is insane. We were just in a tropical country and now we're in some place full of glittery shining unusual snows? What is this place? Where is this place? How did we end up here?!"
Earl's rumbling was cut short when they arrived in a certain place. Peeking from the logs that were cut down, the group saw the familiar metal armor they saw earlier. But now, it was not just one person, but, a marching army who are wearing them. This army is having a heated battle against people wearing old style outfits like them.
Swords and weapons are clashing with each other. Akiel can't help putting both of her hands on her mouth to cover it. Her eyes darted into a carriage; this carriage is made out of pure ice! But the insides can't be seen, one of the soldiers wearing metal armor ran into the carriage, the window opened up and she briefly saw a silhouette of a woman in there.
The soldier looks like it's whispering something and soon nodded before running to someone riding a horse that looks like the general or leader of the soldiers and whispered on him. And the seen changed.
In just a snap, the remaining soldiers just standing in front of the general moved and joined the battle. And looks like the people wearing clothes like theirs are starting to back down because they're being overwhelmed by the number of the soldiers attacking them.
"Quietly, let's get out of here", Ran hurriedly whispered after composing himself. The group started to silently walk back to the cave where they came from when,
*crack!*
All of their eyes widen and their gazes were all directed on Irene in the blink of an eye. Her pale face became paler. And that's when Akiel felt a shiver in her spine. She slowly looked back and saw that the battle came to a halt. Everyone's eyes were now focused on them.
"I…I…."
"Run!"
The stuttering Irene was soon dragged away by Earl as soon as Ran shouted. The group ran as fast as they can, but they heard loud footsteps, and together with those are sound of hoofs. They're being chased by soldiers riding horses!
"Ah!", they all came to a stop when Gwyn being dragged by Akiel tripped on a rock and felt to the ground. Ran immediately ran back to them, "Just run!", he shouted. With adrenaline present in his system, he lifted Gwyn in his back before running with Akiel behind them.
They tried so hard to run but soon found themselves surrounded by soldiers. Ran and Earl tried to cover the girls; both of their weapons are out. Even Akiel, whose legs also started to shake, and Angela whose face is as pale as a piece of paper, got their weapons out.
When one soldier started an attack Ran immediately tried to stop him. He might be a bookworm but he's not that wimpy, he's also doing some fencing as a hobby before, but because his weapon is unusual, he can't quite grasp how to use it properly, but, that won't mean he can't fight.
Other soldiers were also getting ready to attack but all of a sudden, a strong wind surrounded all of them. The group also closed their eyes. "Angela!", Akiel tried to grab Angela's hands but wasn't able to find her. She started to panick as she tried finding the others with her eyes still close.
But then, she felt herself being lifted off the ground and all of a sudden, she's sitting in something moving. She immediately opened her eyes. Her black ones met a pair of light blue eyes as she gasp.
"Hold on tight", the man who owns those eyes told her as he looked in front of him again. Akiel snapped back to reality and tried to process everything. She's riding in a black horse together with this guy who has dark brown hair and light blue ice wearing a white and purple outfit…no… armor…that also looks like an outfit worn by people centuries ago. And she's sitting in front of him, like a damn princess.
She looked ahead and saw other people riding horses and the group riding with them. Looks like this group of people wearing outfits similar to their saved them earlier. But what about that weird wind?
"Commander! They're chasing after us!", one of the riders shouted. The man and Akiel looked back and saw that soldiers riding horses too are indeed chasing after them.
"Let's separate! Go straight to the base! Inform the generals, we're gonna lure them out!"
And with that, the horse Akiel was riding went into a different route she looked back and saw that 6 people where her friends are riding also followed them. The soldiers followed them for some reason rather than splitting into two groups.
"Split into 2 groups. We'll meet at the border of Spring!", and with that riders of the horses where Irene and Earl were riding went to another route following the rider of the horse where Gwyn was riding behind a man with black hair.
The riders carrying Ran and Angela followed the rider carrying Akiel. For a few more minutes, they continue to go to different routes. "Haru, this is the spot! Block them!", the man controlling the horse she's riding shouted.
She looked back and saw a man with lighter brown hair and green eyes riding a brown horse with Angela made a gesture with his left hand and her eyes widen as a wall made of solid land came out of nowhere and blocked the soldiers. She remained shock together with 2 of her friends until they can't see the wall anymore.
Akiel's head is still in the clouds when she was pulled back to reality due to Angela's scream, "What the fudge?!", she look at her friend behind and saw her eyes were so wide that they might pop out from their sockets. Ran has the same expression, she look in front to where they were looking and saw the most unbelievable thing she ever saw.
In front of her is a river, but the thing is, half of that river is frozen while the other half is where running water is. "What is this?", she looked down and found snow where they're standing, but, when you take at least 20 steps forward, the land is no longer covered in snow but covered in freshly grown grasses.
In short, the forest she's seeing right now is divided into two. The first half looks like a forest in winter season, while the other half is a forest that has plants that just sprouted.
While Akiel was busy admiring the unusual but beautiful landscape in front of her the man sitting behind her carefully came down the horse, the riders of the two horses behind them climbed down as well. Ran, who was the first one to snap back to his senses, came down as well.
The man with green eyes and lighter brown hair gently tapped Angela's leg to get her attention, then, she looked at him as he helped her go down the horse as well.
Akiel who was still entranced by the view was not aware that she's the only one remaining who's still not down. "So how about telling us your names and what kingdom you guys are from?", Ran and Angela looked at each other and even looked at Akiel. Ran then pulled Angela towards him and put her behind him.
The two then went to where Akiel is but can't seem to come close to her because of the unknown man near her. "Oh, looks like they became weary of us", the green-eyed guy said as he looked at the both of them. "A-Akiel!", Akiel finally went back to reality after Angela called her.
And after seeing both of her friends being wary of the 3 unknown men, she as well started getting weary. But she was surprised when she looked down, in front below her stood the man with light blue eyes.
She immediately closed her eyes when he stretched them out to her. She's waiting for something that man might do to her. But then, she opened her eyes slowly when she felt nothing happen. The man's arms were still stretched out to her like waiting for her to jump into them. "I'll help you get down, you're too short to be able to get down by yourself", she can't help but grimace at his comment.
She looked at his poker face and then sighed. She wearily reached out and just like a kid; she was carried down from the horse and was gently placed down in the snow.
Ran then reached out his hand to her and pulled her to his back just like what he did to Angela. They then started to back away from the group when they heard sounds. They look back and saw the other 3 riders earlier who went to a separate route.
Earl immediately jumped from the horse after it stopped; he then also took both Gwyn and Irene out of the 2 horses too. They noticed the unusual view immediately but tried their best to make their selves focused on what's happening.
They soon joined Ran and the 2 girls and formed a circle again. The 3 riders came down from their horses. The group was surrounded again. These people might've saved them earlier but it's still too early for them to trust them just because of that.
"Hey, hey! We're not gonna hurt you guys! Calm down!", the green-eyed man tried to calm them down but they still stayed alert. Irene gripped Earl's sleeves while Gwyn gripped behind him. Akiel was hidden behind both of the boys while Angela was holding into Ran's left arm.
"They're still looking quite alert to me. So, what should we do now?", a rider with black hair and hazel brown eyes who was riding his horse with Gwyn earlier spoke. He looks quite arrogant and is wearing a white and red outfit with a bit of armor like the man with light blue eyes, but, their armor is different in style from the soldiers earlier.
"We're just asking who you guys are and what kingdom you are all from. So please calm d…."
"Kyaaaahhhh!!!"