Rise of the Godking - Chapter 165

Chapter 165 - Return(3)

A few minutes ago.

"It's to your left. And, oh, there's a shirtless hunk there…if I were you, I would blush as hard as possible, then run away giggling, but hey, that's just me. You do you. Heavens know people can use some cheering up around here…and Heavens know I've only had to imagine something like that for all these years. Oh, to feel the touch of a man..."

Feeling the faint blush in her cheeks due to the fifth lewd comment that Lilly had made in the day that wasn't appropriate, at all, given the situation all around her, Seline sighed and picked up the bandages on the table to her left.

"It's a disaster, true, but you have to see the silver lining, right? If you had been through as many disastrous events as me, you would understand how important this is! Besides, I was watching, and he looked at you when he thought you weren't looking. Little did he know that there's two of us, so you DO have eyes on the back of your head! Ha! Back in my day, a woman could just go to whoever she wanted! I'm really shocked to see so much taboo around such a primal thing in this age...in some ways, time has made everything go backward, I guess."

Shaking her head and wishing once again that there was some way to hide at least her emotions from this permanent friend she had obtained who seemed intent on cheering her up in any way possible, Seline made her way to the tent that had been hastily erected near the clearing in the middle of the town. Ducking in, she placed the bandages on a long table littered with medical tools and left after catching a brief glimpse of the elf, who had dark circles under his eyes and a weariness to his face that made it seem as if he was going to collapse at any second.

She found herself wishing that she could help out more, but at the moment, there was nothing she could do. So, leaving the place, she walked to the clearing where people and dwarves were still crying and mourning the dead.

The loudest cries belonged to those who didn't even know whether their loved ones were dead or alive. The family had conjured a gigantic axe that had chopped straight through the town, so many buildings had collapsed without giving a chance to the occupants to flee. In such places, rescue was difficult, but again, the elf's magic had done wonders until he had decided that he was needed more in the medical tent, saving lives that would otherwise be lost.

Before she could get to her destination, she spotted Alex to the side, carrying in a wounded old lady. Rushing to his side, she checked the vital organs of the victim just like the elf had taught to all of them, when he had first taken control of the rescue and medical operations.

It was only after ensuring that there were only a few bruises on the woman's body that she relaxed. She remained standing where she was, suddenly feeling the brunt of the exhaustion deep within her very bones from the exertions of the last few hours. When a rush of something that almost felt like it was burning her insides appeared in her stomach, then circulated throughout her body, her eyes snapped open and she let out a relieved sigh, like someone getting a massage after a long day.

"Thank you," she said in her mind and only heard a sniff in response. Lilly, as she had come to call her as her true name was a bit of a mouthful, had insisted that they should stop all these pleasantries, but that had been the way she was raised and educated.

She still remembered how shocked they had been when they had arrived and found the town in such a state. They had missed the Garbonors by only a few hours, and although all of them had felt a faint hint of relief, it had quickly been washed away by seeing how bad things were, and how much their help was needed. In all that hubbub, even the existence of so many dwarves hadn't struck them as odd. They had all thrown themselves into the effort without a question, and without the elf present, Seline was sure that at least 15 people would have lost their lives on her last count.

She tried not to look in the direction of the floating white cloth. The absurdity of the reason had grated on them all, but Alex had remarked that they should have expected something like this from a family with as many bloodthirsty members as the Garbonors. What had happened was obvious: after obtaining news of all the events that had happened on the islands, the family had simply reached the lazy conclusion that it might be rebels before sending the investigators to find out more, then had gone on a killing spree for the additional reason that apparently a long time had passed since they had shown their power if one of those whose scathing remarks had been overheard by the people of Graiton was to be believed.

Slowly, her thoughts turned to the enigmatic man because of whom they were all here. She had heard the elf and the thief discuss about how many secrets he held, and how there was something about him they just couldn't put a finger on. This was his home, and after hearing from the people about how he had led them from depravity and done so much, she had come to admire him without realising it, herself.

Surprisingly, when she looked up, she saw an outline very similar to his at the very corner of the clearing, in the street a few hundred metres away from her. Blinking, she wondered whether her weariness was causing her to see things, but when Lilly spoke up, she realised that she was wrong.

Even from where she stood, she could tell that his face was as red as it could be, betraying the state of his mind. Intending to calm him down, she took a step forward, but suddenly, he threw his head back and made a sound that she would never forget.

The roar was so deep and ferocious that it froze her body, mind, and heart. Like a the tsunami, it buffeted her with such force that she was convinced she would be swept away if not for something within that was helping her to barely hold on.

That something was Lilly, of course, who spoke in her mind seriously for the first time since she had come to know her.

"Oh, no, no, no, no…"

The sheer dread in her tone made Seline's eyes widen, but that was all she could do. The roar had started to echo, and each echo contained a part of the strength of the original, battering into those who had managed to hold on to a shred of themselves. Those that were swept away lost complete control of their bodies, giving in to a deep, animal fear that made them freeze like a deer in headlights. When the roar finally dissipated, she almost let out massive sigh of relief before realising that its effects were still lingering, like the shadow cast by a giant being even after it walked past.

She could only move her eyes, and as she looked around, she became convinced even more now that she had lost her mind.

The wind, itself, had somehow frozen. This stood out to her a lot because she had remarked on how Graiton was a lot windier than Larefa. Everything was still and calm, but it was definitely not peaceful.