(18) The Lands of Ranuulo: Webs of the Arachna (6k Words)

Jirro and Aero are led into the Lands of Ranuulo for the first time, with Valr acting as their guide. This hostile world is unlike anything the boys has ever faced, with a hostile climate, dangerous animals, and powerful enemies. They came face to face with the Arachna, a group of spider-like people who reside in this terrain. All the while, Jirro comes to grip with the fact that he may not be as powerful as he thought he was.

(1/23/22) Self edited, Audio edited, Peer edited

Peer edited by Mikrokosmostae

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~Chapter 1- A harsh world~

~Age 991 B~

Jirro laid back in the sands as he watched the desert sky gradually turn from orange to purple. His cousin Aero was jumping tens of meters into the air repeatedly out of sheer boredom. His rough black hair rose and fell as he jumped around. Each time he would push a little bit higher. Five meters high. Seven. Ten.

Jirro looked at the temple before them - the Link Temple. In front of him was the brown-haired Valr, floating just a few inches off the ground, waiting patiently for the sun to set. The three sixteen-year-olds had been waiting outside for a few hours now.

"You sure we can't head in now?" Jirro asked, shaking the sand out of his neat blonde hair.

"We need to wait until it's nighttime here. It'll be daytime on the other side then," Valr responded, arms and legs folded as he levitated over the sands. Each of the boys had bags slung over their backs, filled with supplies for the trip ahead.

Aero eyed the horizon as the sun dipped beneath it, "Now?"

Valr lowered himself to the ground and unfolded his arms, "Yeah, now is good."

Valr turned and pried the temple doors open. When Jirro and Aero peered inside they saw a descending staircase with torches along the walls. The three teenagers headed inside.

Jirro recalled the last time they were here, a golden guard appeared to attack them. But none appeared this time. There were glyphs of the goddess and the three deities on the walls.

They came to a circular gate to the other side of the temple. Beyond that point it was dark, not illuminated by torches like on this side. They walked through the opening.

Nothing out of the ordinary appeared to have happened, but in reality, they had been transported to the opposite side of the world. Valr and Aero flourished their hands. Purple and red orbs of light appeared at their fingertips. Focus Lights.

"You'll have to teach me how to do that." Jirro remarked.

Valr raised his eyebrows, "You don't know how? It's pretty important that you do for the Lands of Ranuulo."

Aero smiled, "Let me show you, cuz."

Aero allowed his Focus light to dissipate, and he did it a few more times as a demonstration. After watching a few times, Jirro procured a blue Focus Light at his fingertips.

They continued through the dimly lit temple before stepping out into a world unlike anything Jirro and Aero had ever seen. Above them the skies cast dark shades of red, purple, and black. The uneven landscape around them was a wasteland with only sparse vegetation. The air became thick and difficult to breath in. Lightning sprouted from the sky.

"I thought you said it would be daytime on this side of the world?" Aero asked as he looked up at the dark skies.

"It is daytime. This is about as bright as it ever gets. If we were out at night, we'd be in pitch darkness," Valr pulled a hood over his head and pointed to a wooded area far in the distance, "We want to get to Petri's woods before nightfall."

In the distance Jirro could make out the masses of some sort of beasts traveling through the area, unlike anything that existed back home.

"We should race there!" Aero said, already transitioning into a running stance.

Valr grabbed his shoulder, "Not here. Too dangerous. We've got to move carefully; we could catch the attention of an animal around here. Or some less than friendly individuals."

Valr began to walk at a steady pace. There were wails from beasts in the distance; it didn't frighten Jirro or Aero, but Valr shoulders hunched up each time.

Jirro couldn't help but think Valr was being overly cautious. The three of them dominated the fighting tournament last year. He doubted that there was anything this world had that could challenge the three of them together.

Jirro and Aero continued through the jagged terrain, with an ever-alert Valr guiding them. He explained that they were in the northwestern part of the land, heading south towards the woods.

"Stop!" Valr raised his hand and motioned them to a jagged boulder for cover.

Jirro looked from behind the cover- a group was traveling through the terrain from the east. They looked peculiar. Their arms and legs were pitch black, but their faces and chest were light and spotted and they had luminescent colored eyes. Most of the men wore black armor, with the sigil of a sword on their shoulder plates. While most of the men walked, three of them mounted strange beasts. These three wore loose fitting robes with the same emblem on their chests.

"Who are those guys?" Aero asked.

"Ranuulans. Looks like they're the king's men too."

Jirro eyed the beasts they rode. They were made of stone, with teeth and claws made of sharpened rocks. Their eyes each took on a singular dull color.

"What are they riding?" Jirro asked.

"Densius."

Jirro thought back to his Densius friend back home, a being composed entirely of rock and other forms of earth. They were like any normal person. But the Densius being rode was nothing like that. It wasn't behaving like a person; it was like an animal.

"What's wrong with them?" Jirro asked, horrified by the sight.

"The Densius here are nothing like the ones in the Lands of Ralosia. The ones here behave like beasts. Feral."

Jirro watched as a Ranuulan kicked the Densius beast's side to push it to go faster, tugging on its reins to steer it.

"They're cruel," Jirro said through narrowed eyes.

"It's just the way things are here," Valr said solemnly.

Jirro looked at the men treating the Densius so terribly. He gritted his teeth, "...Not now that I'm here."

Jirro stood from his cover and ran at the men, ignoring Valr's plea to wait. The blonde-haired boy charged down there, stopping in their path. Aero and Valr hurried after him.

"Let those Densius go now!" Jirro stood in their way without any semblance of fear or doubt. The Ranuulans stopped and stared at the boys. The one leading them glared with luminescent green eyes.

Valr waved his hands frantically at the Ranuulans, "Ignore my friend! We'll get out your way!" Valr glared at Jirro as if to ask him 'what do you think you're doing?'.

The green eyed Ranuulan stared at the three boys for a while before asking, "What are you? You're certainly not Ranuulan, that's for sure. Why should I let you go? For all I know you could be spies."

"Spies?"

"Yes. For the false king of the Tundra. Or the Queen of the Lost," The Ranuulan spoke eloquently and smiled, "If you show fealty to your superiors and bow, and I'll let you go free. That'll prove where your loyalties lie."

Both Jirro and Aero muttered, "We're not bowing."

The Ranuulan's smile lessened, "Very well. Take them."

The armored Ranuulans raised their swords in the air and charged forward.

"I've got them," Jirro said. He charged forward at great speed, stirring up dust around them. A sword swung at him, but he caught it in his bare hand before snapping it in half. He delivered a punch into the gut of one of the men, shaking their entire body. The man fell... but managed to get back up to his feet.

The many Ranuulan soldiers lunged at Jirro. He expertly evaded and countered each of them. But they were persistent. Some even got back up after being knocked down. Jirro was surprised at how hardy this group was, but soon enough, he had defeated them.

The green-eyed Ranuulan cocked his head and looked to the other two on Densius beasts. They dismounted and came forward.

Jirro knew these two would be a bit more formidable. Only those with weak constitution had to rely on weapons and armor. These warriors came forward with neither. He readied himself, waiting for them to make the first move.

They attacked together. He parried and dodged their punches easily. He vaulted over one of them and kicked the other, sending him skidding across the ground. The grounded soldier beat his fist against the ground, sending cracks rippling through it, before standing and facing Jirro again.

They were fast, but nowhere near as fast as Jirro. As the two struggled to land a blow, Jirro thought that they would've done well in the tournament last year. They could've made it into the finals.

Jirro weaved out of the way of their blows before striking both simultaneously. The two soldiers glanced at each other before punching the air. Bursts of light erupted from their fists and rocketed towards Jirro. Focus Bursts.

The Focus Bursts struck him, concussing his body, and knocking him to his back. His head ached. That hurt! Who knew these random soldiers would know how to use Focus?

The soldiers rushed to attack him while he down, and Jirro kicked up onto his feet. He clenched his hands and a bright blue light enveloped them. He grabbed each soldier by their head, and smacked them into each other, knocking them unconscious.

Jirro turned his eye to their leader, still looking prim atop his Densius Beast. He stepped off his mount.

"Very well... You'll have the honor of falling to myself, Commander Ujiic." The Ranuulan announced with grandeur. The Densius beasts at his command waited idly for him.

Jirro and Ujiic squared up against one another.

Valr turned to Aero, "Okay... how about you and Jirro attack him up front, and I'll circle around from behind?"

Aero raised an eyebrow at him from behind folded arms, "That wouldn't be fair if we ganged up on him. Besides, Jirro's got this."

Jirro took his typical defensive fighting stance, ready to employ his usual tactic of watching his opponent's movements and countering. He doubted that this 'Commander Ujiic' was worth the effort though.

Ujiic was relaxed, with his arms out in front of him. Jirro closed in and threw a few quick jabs where he left himself open, but the commander moved to block quickly, quicker than he expected.

Jirro felt a terrible thud under his chin, Ujiic had delivered a stern uppercut to him. The boy hadn't even seen him move. Jirro staggered back. It hurt!

Several bursts of purple light erupted from behind him. When Jirro looked back he saw Valr sending several Focus Bursts at the commander. Ujiic punched the individual's bursts of light and somehow bounced them back. Valr levitated off the ground and flew.

Ujiic made a circular motion in the air with his hands. A light formed in the path he made before creating a ring of light. He grabbed it and threw it at Valr, and when the hooded boy flew through the ring, Ujiic clenched his fist. The ring tightened up around him and he fell to the ground.

Valr struggled to the breakout of the ring of the light, that Focus Ring, but couldn't get free. Ujiic held out his hand towards Valr, seeming to maintain the ring's grip. Jirro rushed at the commander with a flurry of blows, but even with one arm occupied, he blocked each strike.

Ujiic kicked Jirro's stomach, knocking the wind out of him and forcing him back. His body was shaking. Jirro wasn't sure if he'd ever been hit that hard. How was he that strong?

Aero launched himself at Ujiic. His hands had red light emanating from them as he unsuccessfully tried to break through the commander's guard.

Jirro forced himself up and joined Aero. The two unleashed a flurry of lightning quick blows that turned out to be too much for Ujiic to handle one handed. Aero landed a hook into his side. The Focus Ring trapping Valr loosened its hold enough for him to escape.

Ujiic lunged both arms forward, and a vibrant light burst from his hands, colliding with the boys, and sending them flying back at a great speed. Jirro rolled along the ground for a moment before stopping himself.

Valr stands back up, "We need to go!"

Jirro wanted to keep fighting, to help free those Densius. But when Ujiic formed two more Focus rings and tossed them at them, his instincts told him to run.

Valr flew while Aero and Jirro ran as fast as they could on the ground. Ujiic gave chase from atop his Densius beast, they couldn't outrun that.

Jirro felt a rumbling beneath them. They approached a valley where a stampede of creatures was approaching. Horned creatures with numerous legs and hard exterior shells, several times larger than any of the boys. Valr called them beetles. The boys crossed the valley and the beetle stampede charged past soon after, blocking Ujiic's pursuit.

"We've got to keep moving!" Valr said, now that they had escaped from the commander. With regret, Jirro hurried away from Ujiic, knowingly leaving those Densius to their fate.