After that very eventful and depressing night, Eleanor and Ryan were in terrible shape, large black bags drooped below their eyes and Eleanor had started muttering random words to herself. So they decided to have a long break where Eleanor meditated to replenish the mana lost yesterday.
"Alright! All of my mana is back! Ready to go Ryan?" Said Eleanor cheerfully, her mental state slightly redeemed.
"Already? We only just sat down!" Responded Ryan, who was only just beginning to fall asleep.
"Rejuvenis," casted Eleanor, who was already reverting to her agitated ways due to Ryan's hatred for any type of physical action, "Happy now?"
Great, already spending mana, thought Eleanor.
"Happy! Let's go!" Said Ryan, jumping up with boatloads of energy.
Now that the two were on their feet, Ryan, who could feel Eleanor's rising dislike for him, asked a question to break the silence: "so since you are a hero, you also came from a different world, was your world's name… Earth?"
"Earth? No, we called it Aquaria. We traveled on boats everywhere, it was a much better planet than this one, and oh the food! It was so much better than the garbage you find in this world! Speaking of my old world, I was a Adept Mage over there, and when I came here, I still was, it's as if I didn't die. Oh and do NOT bother to ask how I died; what the spirit showed me was quite embarrassing."
"What was your world like?" She asked, realising she was going off on a tangent.
"My world? My world was… boring, we didn't even have magic over there."
"What! What do you mean by 'didn't even have magic'?" Interrupted Eleanor.
"I mean, we couldn't cast spells—there was no mana, nothing. But in my world, we had technology far more powerful than your magic." Ryan lifted his chin as he said it, like he'd built said technology himself.
"Technology, building something more powerful than my spells? I doubt it, hahaha!" Eleanor giggled.
"Stomp"
Eleanor froze, her previously cheerful demeanour was instantly replaced with concern.
"Stomp," A puddle of water shook slightly.
Ryan continued speaking, oblivious to the noise, "You wouldn't understand; you could speak to someone a thousand miles away, you cou-"
"Stomp"
With a swift grab, Eleanor pushed Ryan into a bush beside them and then dove in right behind him.
Why does she always interrupt me…
"Why—" Ryan tried to speak to Eleanor; but she quickly smothered his mouth with her hand.
"Quiet," she whispered. "Not a word!"
Ryan nodded, now able to clearly hear the loud footsteps.
"Stomp"
A tree cracked under force and bent over sideways, revealing a colossal animal. Its hulking body dwarfed even an African elephant. Its body was a bizarre mix of a dog and a hippopotamus.
"Stomp"
It was grey all over, and two large tusks protruded out from just below its mouth. It had massive, beady eyes and two large nostrils.
"Divine above! this animal stinks!"
A high-pitched voice came from the massive hippo-dog creature.
What is that? Is that an elf on that massive monster?… No… two elves!
Eleanor softly tapped Ryan's shoulder and then signalled for him to lay down in the mud to stay hidden.
Ryan followed her lead slowly, so to not make any noise, nestling himself into the wet and sticky mud.
"Stomp"
"I can't believe those humans have heroes! Two of them! Isn't that crazy?" The young elf with the high-pitched voice said.
"It's obviously a lie; there's no way a lesser race would have even one heroe. Why anyone would believe that they do, I could never understand! Especially to the point that they send 50 town guards to check, just a waste of our time!" Rambled the irritated senior guard.
How do they know that we are both heroes!Ryan worried.
But then Ryan's thoughts froze the moment he saw it: a massive millipede inching up his leg.
No. No. Stop that.
The thing was relentless, determined on its course. It picked up its pace crawling past his knee and now brushing against his waist. The elf guards and their hulking hippo-dog were only a few meters away, the slightest twitch would be enough to give him away.
This is so incredibly shit! Ryan thought as the millipede traveled higher and higher up his body, almost mocking his inability to stay still.
Finally, the hippo and its riders drifted a little further.
Finally! Ryan seized the moment, flinging the millipede as hard as he could—and accidentally smashing part of the bush in the process.
"rustle."
Crap!
"Did you hear that?" one junior guard called out.
Eleanor's eyes bored into him like daggers. If the elves weren't so close, Ryan would have probably caught a fireball straight to his face for that display of idiocy.
"No, I didn't, and I'm not getting off this canispotamus to check; it's too much of a struggle getting back on." Said the older guard.
The guards and their beast continued on, eventually going out of earshot.
"How do they know we are heroes? Lily wouldn't have told them, right?" Ryan said, a frown plastered on his face.
"People do anything they can to survive just a little longer." Responded Eleanor, unaware of the real reason for their identities being revealed.
"We've wasted enough time, Ryan; there are 50 Elven guards coming for us. We'll have to head in that direction, north-east of where those two doofus's were heading, and not stop; hopefully we escape the forest before we bump into any elves."
At worst, if we do bump into any elves, he'll be a good distraction…
Who am I kidding? He wouldn't last a second, Eleanor chuckled.