Chapter 13: Arthur's Struggle
Before Ank reached the mountain,
Sudden black clouds rolled across the sky, blocking the sun's warmth and light . The air felt thick and suffocating, pressing down on the villagers and the village. It was like unseen eyes were watching, waiting for their target.
Then,
BOOOOM!
An explosion occurred ,shattering windows across the village . A bolt of lightning raced across the sky.
Arthur, old man once hailed as a hero, turned his gaze toward the mountain. His old face tightened, and his heart raced. He realized the sound came from mountain that was near the village .
A sudden thought came in his mind.
"No " he said in a low tone to himself and a dark possibility came into his mind.
Without wasting time, he rushed quickly toward his wooden house, inside his simple home. His voice rang out like an emergency.
"Maya! Ank!"
No answer.
His chest tightened as he searched room after room, calling their names. The beds were empty, and only silence filled the house.
A grandfather's instinct told him what he didn't want to believe. They weren't there.
Arthur's breath grew heavy. He rushed out of the house, his eyes fixated on the mountain cloaked in smoke and lightning. His gut feeling told him that Maya, his beloved granddaughter was in danger and Ank, the boy he had saved, was there too.
Panic gripped his heart. His legs moved before his mind could catch up, carrying him to the village square, hoping against hope that his instinct was wrong. Maybe Maya and Ank were safe in the square and not in the mountain only thought that was helping him in moving.
The storm had started and slowly became aggressive ,lightning was striking all over the mountains and he was feeling his strength was decreasing.
Arthur pushed through the crowd, urgency crackling in his voice.
"Have you seen Maya? My granddaughter, Maya! Where is she?"
Faces turned towards him, pale and uncertain. Heads shook. No one had seen her. No one knew.
His heart raced faster ,slowly he started losing hope.
Just then, three children stumbled into the square, coated in dust, their faces covered with tears. They were running toward the village square to find Arthur.
"Grandpa Arthur!" one cried, clinging to his sleeve like it held the last hope.
Arthur bent down, gripping the boy's shoulders with trembling hands. "Tell me. Where is Maya?"
He knew they were maya friends and they were the only ones that would know about maya.
The youngest sobbed, words spilling out. "Please, save Maya! She's in the mountains!"
Arthur froze. "What? Why would she be there?"
"We thought it would be fun to explore and kill low level monsters," the second boy admitted, guilt and fear shining in his eyes. "But then a high level monster appeared "
Arthur's blood turned cold. His voice dropped, tension and stress in his voice. "A high level monster?!"
The oldest child nodded rapidly, his tiny fists shaking. "Someone is fighting it! Protecting Maya! Please, hurry before it kills them"
When they were running towards the village for help ,they saw Ank and they knew Ank lived in maya house and from Ank's stressful face they knew he was going to protect maya.they didn't know much about Ank but they were hoping that Ank will save maya.
The storm was getting worse every second, a fresh bolt of lightning striking the mountain peak. Arthur's heart was screaming .
He didn't need to ask who was fighting.
"Ank " he whispered, dread and disbelief coursing through him.
The boy was helpless, weaker than any villager. Facing a monster strong enough from which I also felt fear .He would be torn apart.
At this rate, Ank would die. I have to protect him. I have to move fast.
And Maya
The thought of losing her turned Arthur's knees to jelly. But he didn't hesitate even for a moment.
"Stay here!" he commanded the children, his voice echoing with the authority of the warrior he once was. "Someone takes the children to their families, they are waiting for them"
Then, without another word, he sprinted toward the mountains.
Age had stolen much from him, his strength, endurance, and the speed he once wielded like a sword. Each step weakened him, his chest burned, and his breath came in ragged gasps. But fear and love for Maya and Ank turned him into a force of nature. His legs moved faster than they had in years, his heart pounding with desperation.
Behind him, some villagers shouted and followed, despite their limitations. They were retired adventurers, some holding torches or farming tools. Pale determination marked their faces. Every villager capable of fighting stood up, ready to face their greatest fear.
But Arthur barely noticed them. His eyes remained fixed on the mountains ,only hoping nothing happened to them.
Another explosion echoed. The ground cracked beneath him.
The villagers behind him were in fear, they were afraid of what would happen when they reached the mountain . But Arthur pushed on, his gaze was only on mountain.
The mountain was waiting like a beast to devour them completely. Trees bent under the unknown pressure . Lightning struck the peak again, illuminating the entire range for seconds. Smoke appeared from the mountain forest, each step felt like an unknown pressure that was pushing them to give up and lose will to reach the mountain .
But Arthur all focused on one thing Maya and Ank ,he whispered their names, almost as a prayer.
"Maya Ank "
Every part of him screamed to move faster. He could not lose them. Not her, not after everything.
Finally, he reached the mountain's base. His lungs burned, but he did not stop. He climbed higher, drawing strength not from his muscles but from desperation.
The villagers had ceased to follow. They stopped below, their courage crumbling at the sight of the ruin above. Only Arthur continued, He did not stop moving with determination that he can even face gods if necessary to Ank and maya.
As he ascended, the smell of destruction became overwhelming broken ground, shattered stone, and the faint metallic scent of blood.
Then he heard it.
BOOM!
Another explosion roared through the mountainside, so close that rocks tumbled down around him. Arthur shielded his face but did not slow down. He pushed upwards, his old body protesting with each step.
When he finally reached the site where Maya was, horror filled his eyes.
Before him lay a wasteland. For nearly five hundred meters, everything had turned to nothingness.
Nothing lived in that circle of destruction except two small figures at its center.
Arthur's heart was beating very fast. He staggered forward, his voice strained.
"Maya! Ank!"
He stumbled over debris, forcing his aging body to move faster. When he reached them, his breath caught once more, this time from what he saw.
Ank lay there, half his body destroyed, torn in a way no human could survive. Yet, before Arthur's terrified gaze, the flesh slowly began to knit itself back together, glowing faintly with an unnatural light. Ank was healing though it was slow, more a miracle than a nightmare.
Beside him lay Maya. Her face was pale, her eyes closed. She was unconscious, her chest rising and falling weakly.
Arthur dropped to his knees beside them, his old hands shaking as he touched her cheek. Relief mixed with terror washed over him. She was alive. Thank the gods, she was alive.
"Foolish children " he whispered, his voice cracking. Tears blurred his vision, falling onto the shattered earth.
With great effort, he gathered them into his arms Maya grabbed protectively, Ank was heavier but he lifted both of them. His body screamed under the weight, but he bore it without hesitation. Step by step, he carried them back down the mountain, away from the smoke and ruin.
By the time he returned home, exhaustion threatened to crush him. But he did not lose. He laid Ank on one bed, his half healed body twitching faintly, and placed Maya on another, brushing hair from her face.
Only then Arthur finally relaxed.
For now, they were safe.
But the storm outside had not passed. And deep down, Arthur knew this was only the beginning.
Something big was coming, something that could change the world forever.
I can't wait anymore. The world was changing. I must do something for Ank and Maya. I have to protect them at all costs, especially Ank.
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Author's Note
Hello Everyone
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