Anon gets Isekai'd
Chapter 17: Choices
Previous ChapterNext Chapter"You should go with him. You're good at rallying people, from what I've heard. He needs you more than we do Twilight." Speaking from the heart, Anon simply tried to convince her to leave.
Twilight looked back at him in silence, biting down on her lower lip before turning away. Starswirl stepped up to Anon. "You must hold out as long as you can. It'll take time for us to get back to you with reinforcements. So hold out till then...no matter the cost." Starswirl put a hand on Anon's shoulder, looking deep into his eyes. Anon nodded with a determination of his own.
"Goodman." Starswirl commented, stepping away. He tapped his staff against the ground uttering in an old language. Arcane runes spread like wildfire against the earth, collecting in a single spot before the wave of energy exploded outwards, creating a swirling mass of energy opening a portal in space itself. He then ushers Twilight to follow him as he steps forward. Twilight turned back to Anon, holding both hands in front of her legs. They were clasped together tightly; she wasn't making eye contact.
"....please just be safe." Those words were weak as she turned away into the portal. He thought for sure he saw some tears running down her face. The portal then closes behind her.
Anon stood up from the ground, looking towards where the portal once was, his hand drifting to the back of his neck. Phantom stepped up to him. "That was a nice fight. I thought for sure you'd be the kind of person to square up to him but, you chose the last glorious path. So I'll give you a few points for that. I need your head in the game now, though. We got to stall until they get back with help. I know the armies our enemies possess. Esdeath will bring everything at her disposal." Phantom turns back to the Yak, watching them prepare. "Even with this many people, I don't think we stand a chance we're outnumbered 10 to 1."
"Phantom... You're a wealth of optimism as always." Not that he didn't have a point but, Anon was trying to look brighter side of life.
"Numbers not matter. Heart matters. Yaks have more heart than any. We crush tiny Ice witch. Yak's strongest." The King had overheard everything beating his chest proudly as he approached the two.
"You can have all the heart you want, but that doesn't matter much if it's pulled out of your chest. We need a plan, something to hold onto. The enemy will probably be upon us in less than a day." Phantom replied.
The Yak King simply huffed at Phantom. "We Yaks have plan. We strike first well they unprepared. Then, in the dead of night, we raid their camp. Hit hard and fast. We scatter then before they have time to counter hit them before they get to City." The King spoke out with conviction as he put one fist into the other hand as if he was crushing a Nat.
"That's insane. We don't even know their numbers. We could be walking dead into a trap for all we know. So I think we should make a small strike force. Maybe just me and you Anon...or at least a small team of Yaks with us." Phantom explained as he looked up as well.
Anon's thoughts drifted for a moment. He would reply with his own suggestion before suddenly his vision faded, collapsing into the ground. Something had taken hold of his mind. He heard many voices call out his name as he fell to the earth, losing consciousness. He felt the impact of the world as everything went silent.
His eyes opened up into the darkness. He was within an empty void, at least above him below him with something different. It was a sea of Bones from all kinds of creatures. Some were even human others were foreign to him that he couldn't even explain what they were. He pushed his hands against the pile of bones to get himself up, looking around, and he saw this pile of bones expanded into the horizons. A thin layer of mist poured out of the bones obscuring the area.
He finally spotted something else. A massive figure obscured in shadows and mist. He could only tell out specific details of them. Their hair was wild, making an odd silhouette. Their form was tall and muscular other than that, he couldn't tell how much else. Until the other figure began to smile, showing off white fangs that looked more Beast-like than human. Laughter erupted from this figure; it was kind of laughs that was pure amusement. Anon found himself quickly taking a defensive stance, both Fists ready-to-fly should this being try anything.
This only seemed to cause the figure to laugh even louder, waving his hands off dismissively as if he was talking to a child. "It's too early for that. You have matured enough for that. You're barely a toddler. There wouldn't be any fun in it. I'm here to offer a warning. That woman you're about to face, she's coming. She's much like me; she enjoys the hunt. She's way above your level. I don't think you'll be able to stop her even with some help. It's a high Gamble." Those words made him snicker. Reveling in the facts almost.
Anon form loosened, eyeing up the other. "I have sense Esdeath before... She is unreal, but what can I do. Maybe we can just stall her until help gets here." Anon spoke out.
The figure was visibly upset by the words crushing his fist against the bones, causing the ground to shake about. "What kind of warrior are you, huh? Are you going to let everyone fight your battles for you? You won't be able to win against her that way. There's an even bigger fish beyond Esdeath, or have you forgotten that part? You were sent here for a reason, little one. The face-off against that great evil. You're one of the few that can step up to her power. She has a lot of friends as well. So it may come down to just you and her. What will you do then?" Asking out in a booming tone.
"...I..." He paused for a moment.
"Unless you get a lot stronger, you won't have a chance against her. Come to the mountain. I can make you stronger. I can give you the tools you need. It'll be up to you after that point in your current state... You aren't even using half of your potential. I would hate for it to be wasted and cut short." The shadowed form spoke out.
"What am supposed to do, abandon them? They won't be able to fight off the Army without me." Anon shouted back.
"As you are now, they're dead either way. If you hurry, maybe you can get back to them the time to fight. If you can't even beat one of her generals, what good are you? Are you not some hero of legend? If you want to fill that role, you'll have to make tough choices. It's up to you. The path of my kin has always been their own. So don't disappoint me now." He then snapped one of his thick fingers. The bones gave way from under Anon's feet. He let out a scream as he spiraled down into the void below.
His eyes shot open, looking around and seeing nothing. He was in some kind of an infirmary covered in bandages. He stared down at his own hand...wondering what he should do next.