Last Updated:
2024-10-29 19:42:56"Why?" The pained look of betrayal in her eyes nearly killed Edvard, yet he stood his ground.
"Please, go..." It came as a whisper, and instead of keeping up her act, she smiled. A smile of the devil.
"But it is you or me. You know the rules."
"Nooooooo!" Edvard shouted as he focused the bow on her heart, "Gooooo!"
"I can't." She said, a dagger suddenly appearing in her hand. The sight nearly causing Edvard to lose his grip on the bowstring and the arrow trained at her heart.
"Why? Why not just turn around and leave?" Edvard asked, his voice constantly breaking as his wife took a step forward with the daggers. Yet, he couldn't let the arrow fly. "WHY!?"
"You know the rules." The devil in his wife's appearance said as she jumped forward, Edvard throwing the bow to the side and blocking her strike with ease. Her strength was impressive but nowhere near to that of an orc.
"Just go!" Edvard shouted as the two struggled. Edvard trying his best to disarm her without harming her and she instead doing her best to push her daggers into him.
Their struggle lasted for just a few short minutes, but those minutes felt like years to Edvard. All his past wonderful memories tainted by this... This devil!
In the end, he managed to disarm her. Yet, no matter what he told himself. He just could not bring himself to harming her. Pushing her to the ground and tying her hands, Edvard sat down and breathed out as he finally relaxed. Throwing the bloodstained daggers to the side, far away.
"What now?" He asked, staring at the woman thrashing on the ground and trying to now bite at him. The sight broke his heart. He did not even take in the fact that he was bleeding out, nor how many cuts covered his body.
She refused to reply, but her actions made it clear. "I won't..." He said, picking her up and starting to move with her to his home. Only for the world around him to melt and his sights to blur. Whether he died from blood loss or if it was something else was unknown.
The last memories he had were the two laying in the dirt, her warmth warming his heart and her actions confusing his mind.
...
Half dead, Maxwell walked towards what he assumed was going to be but another illusion like so many before. Falling into the oasis he didn't realize what was going on until he almost drowned. With frenzied movements he struggled back up, his lack of an arm nearly costing him his life.
He did not rush out of the water instead, he enjoyed its cool and refreshing feel on his burnt skin as he sated his thirst while swimming in joy. Not a single care for the world around him. He enjoyed himself until he became too tired to swim, and only then did he climb out of the oasis spring.
Moving to the shade of one of the many trees of the oasis, he rested and smiled and laughed as he realized he might just survive. He had no plan from here, but at least he won't die in the sun. Over the past few days, death had been too close and he had turned half-mad from dehydration.
Luckily the cacti he had dared to milk for fluids had not been poisonous, or he would no longer be here. Though a few had been hallucinogenic.
'Dammit, this can't be earth. The sun is weird and there are no buildings, most deserts on earth have been reformed into cities. The only place where that isn't true was where our lab was. And I would have found it by now!' He monologued as he thought of how he would die in this oasis.
It was a more pleasant death. Not in a day or two, but it would certainly be his last resting place. He would fight to survive, but he didn't have any grand ideas of being able to ever leave this little piece of heaven on earth.
As he layed and enjoyed the shade after days of being in the sun, he realized this more and more. He had nothing to take water with, leaving the oasis would be a death sentence to him. As such he stayed, days turning into weeks and weeks into months.
If not for the plants similar to date palms, he would have died long ago. He did not know what they were but they were truly good. The fruits of life he called them as he settled in his new life.
...
Aneko had walked for days in the dark. The coldness from the cavern having chilled her to the bone, robbing most of her strength. Luckily on the fourth day she was found by a miner, one who had hoped to rediscover one of the abandoned mines and make a fortune.
At the time of rescue, she had hardly realized what was going on, leaning on the dwarf's shoulders as he helped her to his village. Only after having eaten and slept for over twelve hours did she realize that it was not a human who had saved her.
"Who-Who are you?" She asked in fright as she looked at the gruff dirty dwarf in front of her.
He was currently busy sorting through a bunch of rocks he had gone back to recover. His expression was not one of joy, none of the rocks were of any worth. The mine had clearly been abandoned for a reason.
Hearing the female speak he stopped his actions, already deeming it futile. Turning to her instead, he looked at her with curiosity. It made no sense how she had appeared in those caverns. Deep within the mountain with the only route being from their village or the city further into the mountain.
{"I'm Kurburi, how did you end up there?"} He replied, causing both of them to realize that they couldn't understand the other. Luckily, this did not deter either of them, the dwarf was kind and opened his home to this stranger he knew nothing about without reservation.
Aneko stayed with this dwarf who showed her kindness, trying her best to learn their language when he was home and able to teach her the basics. Quickly, the Navoi became impressed by her diligence and more so by her amazing progress.
While he could not understand the notes she took on the rocks, he was impressed enough that she knew how to write. It was not something everyone could claim to be able of in this world. Not even among the Vespes.
Like most in his village, he was illiterate, seeing Aneko write truly left him astonished. Making him wonder all the more who she was and how she ended up in the abandoned mine if she was so learned.
…
Waking up groggily, Ghakarhi struggled to free himself.
His arms burned from the pain of needing to carry the weight of his entire body. In fact, his entire body ached. Looking down, he was shocked by what he saw.
He was stark naked, his feet bound by massive chains and his hands tied by the same. Suspending him midair.
Previous Chapter
Related Chapters
Quantum Rip: Welcome to Ethos The others (Part 2)
Shockingly, his burns and wound were gone. Replaced instead by precise cuts of surgical grade equipment. The aim unknown, and the sight scaring the wits out of him.'The hell is going on?' Ghakarhi wondered, trying and failing to turn around. Only causing a massive noise as the chains moved.He immediately stopped, not wishing for whoever had tied him up to realize he was conscious. Unfortunately, it was too late.{"Ah, so you are finally awake. Good, now we can continue with the good stuff."} Said an elderly man whose clothes were covered in blood. Newer stains clearly visible over the older ones, the man looked like a butcher.Upon seeing him Ghakarhi recognized him as the man in purple who had found him before.{"It is so interesting; your skin is much darker than those from Sanguine Desert. At the same time, your body is strong for someone without magic, almost as if you have been enhanced. I really do hope you will be able to help me."} The ma
Quantum Rip: Welcome to Ethos Searching for civilization (Part 1 - Waking)
"I know this must be confusing, years have passed for you. But actually, only a week has passed at most. If you have managed to break free then it will be less, if not then you would have used all the energy the crystal can support the illusion with." "Hence if you have not reached the end, where you had to face that which you hold dearest, then prepare for the magic keeping you safe to fail soon." 'What the hell? You knew that would happen!' Edvard shouted in his mind, his anger and hate growing even more. His thoughts tried to sort this out, to accept it and tell himself that it was all fake. Yet, the events were still firmly planted in his mind. He couldn't allow his hopes to grow only to be shattered again. He could not accept that those years had been but a few days. He couldn't accept that the pain had not been real. 'No! It was indeed a real hell.' No words would change Edvard's mind. It had been hell, and he would never be the same.
Quantum Rip: Welcome to Ethos Searching for civilization (Part 2 - A week in the forest)
The entire process only took him an hour or so, Edvard stored all his modern items at the bottom, sewing them shut to hide them should someone go through his bag. Having also added extra padding to make it hard to feel from the outside. Finally, he placed the cloak inside along with the food and waterskin. Next, he fastened the blade on his side, enjoying the quality of the scabbard and how sturdy it kept the blade in place. With that, Edvard felt ready to move out, pausing as he saw the crystal still laying there. 'What are you?' He wondered and reached out to take it. Throwing it into the backpack without much thought. Ready to set out he looked at the sun to determine his position. As he walked he suddenly felt his backpack pulling back. "The hell?" He mumbled as he moved back and forth, trying to figure out what was going on. After a minute or so he finally managed to see the distortion of the air. He also realized the tugging was always on his ba
Quantum Rip: Welcome to Ethos Searching for civilization (Part 3 - Hunting Cabins)
This was precisely what happed, though often he needed to go around an area when he discovered a beast or monster drinking. Never wishing to move too close and be discovered. Another week later with his stomach grumbling, Edvard wondered why he had not encountered any monsters for days. Beasts were still everywhere, but normal animals were becoming more and more common, normal even. Normal not meaning he recognized them, but rather their speed and attitude was like that of normal animals. A few steps later, Edvard stopped and stared at the smoke coming from a chimney, his mind not understanding how such a thing could be in the forest. In a forest filled with deadly beasts and monsters like orcs and those massive beasts whose size betrayed their speed. He had never dared light a fire for fear of attracting attention. Seeing the hunting cabin so near to the danger caused him no end of confusion. It took him quite a few minutes to realize that it must mean that
Quantum Rip: Welcome to Ethos Searching for civilization (Part 4 - Fishing Village)
To be honest, calling it a village might be a stretch. It was more a hamlet than anything else. Only twelve houses made up the entire place. Plenty of drying racks were installed close to the houses, each filled with drying fish. The source of the smell he had smelt before he had seen the houses. Like with the cabins, Edvard first made sure the hamlet was safe to approach. Taking out his coat and throwing it over his shoulders to hide his sword. He decided to approach by the well-trodden path. Hoping that doing so would show that he intended no harm. There were no guards, nor watchmen. Only men and women tending the fields with some children helping and others playing in the grass fields. Upon seeing him, everyone stopped what they were doing. The men taking their farming tools in hand and warily approaching Edvard. The women, instead, taking the children and gathering them in the center of the town. 'Why is everyone so on guard?' Edvard wondered; he
Quantum Rip: Welcome to Ethos Knights' arrival (Part 1 - Conscription)
Edvard had no answer and he knew it was rhetoric. Instead, he simply nodded as he got to know everyone in the village. Slowly he started integrating into the village. Most of them were truly surprised by his knack for hunting. Given a half proper bow and just ten arrows, he had returned with three rabbits and a deer on his first day. Causing a feast to be started, framed as welcoming him but actually as a celebration for a proper meal with no worry. While they could attempt to smoke the meat, none of them wanted to give up on the opportunity for a feast. The first in decades, for many the first in their lives. Most of the time they had to be very sparse on what they ate, preferring to preserve most of the food they can for the long winters. Edvard's arrival made them hope for an easy winter, one that might be seen through without any deaths. That night, even with the hamlet having no alcohol it became quite lively. The younger girls all flocked to Edv
Quantum Rip: Welcome to Ethos Knights' arrival (Part 2 - Blood)
Jumping out of his cover he looked at the knights in rage, seeing Olga lying on the ground unconscious fired his rage even more. His abrupt appearance and death stare shocked the knights, but only for a moment. Near instantly the knights became infuriated at his glare, "How dare you!?" One of them shouted and moved closer atop his horse, stopping for a moment as he saw the lianac not far from Edvard. While it was not a magical beast, it was most certainly a fierce beast to hunt. Few hunters would dare, which meant the person who had just come out of the trees had to have some skill. "Would you look at that Sir Josip, he would make a fine archer." The knight said, still angry at Edvard's lack of respect but not just about to go out of his way to teach him a lesson. Someone who could kill a lianac with such a crapy bow was not someone he wanted to start a fight with without a good reason. Edvard was currently in the hunting clothing Ilvisar had
Quantum Rip: Welcome to Ethos Knights' arrival (Part 3 - Massacre)
Edvard too was shocked by what he had just done, yet he found that it was easy to kill. He felt no remorse for the scum of a knight, it felt no different from when he was fighting for survival against the orcs. It felt just the same... It didn't even feel as emotionally taxing as when he first killed the goblins. And this scared him for a moment. He had always thought it would be hard to kill another human. Yet, he found that it was easy. Too easy. "The fuck did you just do!?" One of the other knights shouted after overcoming his shock, he too charged at Edvard in rage. The galloping hooves filled the silence. The knight ready to cut this commoner in half. Edvard smirked as he turned to the charging knight. The sight was not intimidating to him, not even close to. What was it compared to a massive orc riding a tiger? It was nothing compared to that. Just as the knight was about to reach him, Edvard ducked down and took out the horse's front le
Latest Chapter
- Quantum Rip: Welcome to Ethos
Epilogue (2)
It was like this energy was a part of him, yet it was clearly a foreign substance. Apparently, the first step to learning how to become a knight was channeling it into a blade. Most swords made for knights were made of special magical metals and enchanted. The glow that Edvard had seen so often was the process of the metal being filled with ether. Activating its magical properties, and naturally, the effects of the enchantments. Edvard’s blade was apparently different from the norm. It did not glow when he pushed the strange energy into it. Though, Edvard suspected that was because the amount he could gather and focus was too little to affect the magnificent blade. While Edvard still had a thing or two to nit-pick about regarding the Vespes prince, he had to accept that he was only alive thanks to the prince’s ‘gifts’. While hell, the illusion had truly prepared him for the harshness that this world was filled with. “Can you teach me how you form spells?” Edvard asked. “I can’t be
- Quantum Rip: Welcome to Ethos
Epilogue (1)
Edvard stirred, his entire body afire. Grimacing, the previous events slowly came back to him. ‘So, I survived…’“Careful now.” Abigail instructed, bringing a cup to his mouth and having him take a few small sips.The herbal tea helped soothe the blazing fire in his throat, sadly it did little for the rest of the flames. Trying to force out any words caused his chest to explode in pain, so he remained quiet. Taking sips as Abigail offered them.“I can’t believe how reckless you were.” Abigail said, Edvard noticing that they were in the shade of some tree. The gentle sound of a stream was barely audible. “I really thought you were going to die on me when you didn’t stir for two days.”Unable to form any words, Edvard simply held his peace. Listening as Abigail detailed what had happened after he had lost consciousness. Atop the horse, she had rushed with him along the main road, heading deeper into the kingdom. Stopping long after night had arrived.That night, she had cleaned most of
- Quantum Rip: Welcome to Ethos
The orc horde (Part 11)
“He made it…” Edvard forced out these words as he continued to shoot arrow after arrow. No longer was it possible to keep the rooftop clear of orcs. The best he could do was kill them as they gathered their footing.The continuous pulling of his bow was showing its strain on his untrained body. His shoulder acts, his fingers burned, and his arm trembled. Yet, he pushed on. He had to. He couldn’t die here.He still needed to find Yawen. He still needed to find a way home.The screams from below had long since died. The knights had fought valiantly. But valiance was not enough to turn the tide of a battle.“Are we going to die like this?” Abigail asked, forcing herself to stay calm and take deep, steady breaths. Collecting her focus and doing her best to gather the ether in the surrounding. Thanks to overusing magic and a lack of sleep, her mind was already foggy. Yet, she pushed on.“That… isn’t… part… of… the plan.” Edvard replied between the twang of his bow. Luckily, he had more tha
- Quantum Rip: Welcome to Ethos
The orc horde (Part 10 – Salvation)
Edvard took a deep breath and calmed his heart. Abigail was next to him, responsible for blasting any orcs who made it to the roof, back to the ground. She was still tired. Unlike Edvard, she had no sudden recovery thanks to a strange magical sword.Yet, she was determined. She took deep, steady breaths, focusing on the surrounding and doing her best to remain calm. The destruction of her hometown had certainly sent her heart into shock. She was ready to accept that none of her family had made it out.Even so, she had many friends in the town. She hoped and prayed that some of them might still be alive.“You ready?” Edvard asked, his targets in his sights.“Yes, let’s do this!” Abigail replied, determined to fight to the last. Even if their mission ended up unsuccessful, she wanted to kill as many of these damned orcs as possible before her dying breath.“Right.” Taking another deep breath, Edvard could feel a strange energy filling his lungs. Distributing itself to the rose patterns
- Quantum Rip: Welcome to Ethos
The orc horde (Part 9 – I’m no strategist)
The roses imprinting themselves into Edvard caused him to glow. Abigail gasped in awe at the sight, his entire body lighting up like he was some sort of angel. Until it all vanished, leaving only faint outlines of the roses. Like fading tattoos.“A-are you alright?” Abigail asked.“I feel great!” Edvard replied with a warm smile. Filled to the brim with energy and more confident than ever. “Let’s go see if the town is still holding out.”Edvard took the lead. The two followed the path created by the orcs when they had chased Edvard, having cut down all plants in their way, allowed the two to move swiftly and in an almost straight line. Their return taking them no time at all.Smoke was the first thing they noticed upon exiting the forest.“Ahhh—” Edvard moved quickly, stopping Abigail from making any further sounds.“Look carefully, the smoke isn’t acting normal. I think someone is controlling it to give cover to survivors.” Once he was sure she wasn’t about to shout in concern, Eldri
- Quantum Rip: Welcome to Ethos
The orc horde (Part 8 – Tree of light)
Edvard slowly stirred, fighting the sleepiness that filled his entire body. He fought to simply stay conscious. Sleep was a tempting mistress, but his years in the illusion taught him never to let sleep dull his sense. He needed to confirm the situation. The last thing he recalled was seeing Abigail among the carnage.Abigail was sitting near a fire, her clothes a mess of blood and tears, having used her clothes as bandages for Edvard's wounds. Forcing himself upright, Edvard smiled. She was a beautiful girl, far too young for him, but he could at least enjoy the sight as the fire illuminated her hair. Her hair was no longer a shiny bright green but rather a deep dark green. Yet it was still enchanting as a shine would come through as the flames of the fire played in the wind. Edvard was lying atop some large leaves, close enough for the fire’s heat to reach him. His own clothes were tattered, his toning muscles reflecting the light of the fire. A few more months, and he would be at
- Quantum Rip: Welcome to Ethos
The orc horde (Part 7 – Their struggle)
As the despair grew and the atmosphere became heavier, it was all too clear that no one thought victory was possible. They had sacrificed so much just to stall the orcs on the walls yet here they were. Some had been optimistic, believing they could stop the orcs in their tracks. Sadly, even the wilds gate where the orcs had attacked in rage had managed little against the far lesser number of orcs. The other gates had lost far more and killed far less, this fact added to the heavy air of despair that filled the air. None were still optimistic. Everyone understood just how terrifying their enemy was. In their retreat they had not given up. A number had taken shelter in the abandoned homes. While some of those were praying not to be found like cowards, most were waiting. Waiting for the movement to strike. When they could make the largest difference while sacrificing themselves. For if they were to die, they would have it be in an effort to save their families. Sadly, even this was
- Quantum Rip: Welcome to Ethos
The orc horde (Part 6 – The siege)
The rivers going through Erendale had done nothing to slow the orcs. They had not even needed to deviate to the bridges to cross them. The rivers were after all not that deep nor that strong.As a result, all three gates had been assaulted with little difference in timing. Locking everyone inside the town with no way to escape. The orcs ramming the gates protected underneath their shield of fireproof logs.Jaune looked at the charging orcs with a slight smile, they had been truly bothered by the orcs’ patience thus far. The gates would not last long, they needed to thin the orcs on the walls before falling back to the keep. Sadly, the keep could not hold everyone. Some had to die here first, they could only retreat once it was clear that the walls were lost and after enough had died. It was terrible but it was their best bet. The attack had simply come too fast.Luckily, now it appeared that the orcs would indeed scale the walls, all thanks to Edvard. And to top it off he had taken ha
- Quantum Rip: Welcome to Ethos
The orc horde (Part 5 – Image of their god)
Edvard could feel that his body lacked the strength to fight on. Lacked the basic energy required for him to move. He had long since started running on fumes fuelled by his will, and even his mind was becoming foggy. As he was slipping on towards sleep, a welcomed sleep. The eternal sleep, Edvard’s mind flashed with his Yawen’s gentle smile. His body recalled her warm embrace. Her tender love. This flash of memories long past filled him with endless warmth and strength. It soared through him as he realized that she could very well be somewhere on this planet. He prayed that her situation was better, but if it was not. ‘I cannot allow that to happen!’ Edvard looked at the charging orc, his determination like fire. His will and bloodlust so strong that the orc paused for just a second, a second was enough. Edvard stood next to the orc, his sword dripping with blood. Taking a deep breath, he recalled this smell, he relished it. He suddenly recalled his last moments in that hell. ‘I s
