The Land: Anarchy

Chapter 19: Grim Reaper

"Jenny! Slay the one on the right, I'll take left." Damien said. They both cast an orb of light from their hands and threw it at the shadows.

"Behind you!" Jennifer said as she threw her dagger behind Damien as he crouched and hit the shadow.

She could see the mages exchanging attack spells with the shadow summoners. "Don't let the darkness touch you!" She yelled. Knights marched and were slaying shadows as they advanced. The shadow summoners were cornered, they had nowhere to go.

"If we go, we're taking you with us." A summoner said as she used all her mana to engulf the cave in complete darkness, all the other summoners did the same.

"No! NOOO!"

Jennifer awoken, shocked, she had flashbacks from the great war.

"Don't move, I'm still healing you." The person said. "Memories from the past I suppose?"

Jennifer placed her hand on her forehead, still haunted by the memories. "Yeah, how did you know? What are you?" She asked.

"All will be revealed, but now rest, you have severe injuries from the battle." The person replied.

Jennifer agreed as she relaxed her body and took a deep breath.

Moments later, she was able to sit up straight. She looked at the surroundings and realized that they were in the middle of a forest.

"My name is Grim, I'm called by many as the grim reaper." The person said as it opened its hood and mask, revealing to be a female with long straight black hair, dark brown eyes and with a brown skin color.

"Grim reaper? You kill people for a living?" Jennifer asked.

"Long story short, my family were once the renowned assassins of the free land, we would often take request to execute someone given certain circumstances." Grim explained.

"Which are?" Jennifer asked again.

"We execute people who interfere with the freedom that the people in the land without borders have declared. So mostly we execute people from the three kingdoms. After the great war, when the land was declared free, the three kingdoms always tried to break the peace declaration by secretly sending soldiers to cities and villages near their territory in order to take it. So, my parents decided to form a group of highly trained assassins to help the free people from the tyranny of the three kingdoms. Wew, I ended up telling a long story huh." Grim continued as she took a sit next to Jennifer. "So what's your story?"

"Well, just telling the short version of it. I took part in taking down the shadow summoners back in the great war. I declined royal ranks and instead spent my life in my hometown." Jennifer said.

"Guessing Floran City was your hometown." Grim commented.

"It still is." Jennifer made clear.

"They probably have taken over the city already. I saw them blocking the other exit." Grim said.

"The people...they're still there." Jennifer was worried.

"They'll be fine, as long as they don't rebel. What's the use of a city if there are no people living in it?" Grim reassured.

"Right, I have to find a way to save them." Jennifer said as she tried to stand up.

"Calm down girl, you're barely healed. Using your mana and strength will only cancel my healing." Grim said as she held Jennifer's arm.

Realizing Grim was right, Jennifer sat back down. "Are there any more of you?" She asked.

"From my guild you mean? No, just me. Our hideout was ambushed by Andeenan soldiers. They blocked our exit and casted poison spell inside. I was doing a mission back then, when I came back..." Grim replied with a slightly lower tone.

"What?! Andeenan soldiers? How could they brutally murder people. I've always thought they were the least terrible kingdom of all three. Heck, I even thought they were the ones to bring peace back to this realm." Jennifer was shocked. "I'm sorry."

"Tell it as you please. There aren't any truly good kingdom out there, they will always seek power. The people of the land without borders know this. No matter their method, no matter their mission, in the end they all want to be in charge of something. Andeenans are using the best and smartest way possible in gaining power, they have already 'rescued' a number of cities. Their vision may be to achieve peace, but in the end, they are the ones who will oversee the peace, hence being in control, being in power." Grim exclaimed.

"Peace will never be achieved as long as there is an entity in control."

"The quotes from the founder of the land without borders..." Jennifer mumbled.

"Yeah, my dad." Grim said.

"Good Lords! You're the daughter of Sir Fergus?" Jennifer shouted.

"Sst, keep it down, the trees have ears you know. I told you, all will be revealed." Grim said as she placed her hand on Jennifer's mouth. "If the kingdoms know that I'm still alive, I would be hunted down."

Jennifer removed Grim's hand from her mouth and whispered, "I get it, they see you as a symbol of hope for the free people. Eliminating you will make their morale fall and more likely to cooperate with the kingdoms. Now that you think of it, The kingdoms began invading the land without borders after they knew that the assassins and your parents were eliminated, they know that little resistance will come from the people of the free."

"That is why the war raged even worst through the whole land without borders." Jennifer thought to herself.

"I'm currently gathering the free people to form a resistance towards the kingdoms. But the kingdoms' rapid advance towards the cities made it almost impossible to reach out to all the cities and villages." Grim said.

"I'm in." Jennifer stated..

"Alright, once you can run, we will head for the lost forest." Grim said.

"Damn-- I sent a boy to Andeena hoping they can help him with his powers." Jennifer remembered.

"Wait. What boy? What powers does he have?" Grim suddenly became very curious.

"Why are you suddenly so curious?" Jennifer asked back.

"A shadow summoner, right?" Grim asked again.

"How did you know?" Jennifer wondered.

"I somehow knew they weren't extinct, we must rescue him and ask him for help. He can save the land without borders from this wretched war." Grim said.

"But how? He probably is in the capital city." Jennifer questioned.

"We'll wait until he is sent on a mission. If I predict correctly, Andeena will use him to destroy the other kingdoms and take over the land without borders." Grim said. "For now, let us go to the lost forest."

"Good then, I think I'm able to run now." Jennifer agreed.

"Good, cause they're coming this way." Grim warned.

Mechanical clashing sounds were heard and trees could be seen falling from the direction of the sound. Two Ravenrock landships were on patrol. On top of the landships, a couple of musketeers sat.

"We can't destroy those." Jennifer said.

"Quickly, up to the trees." Grim ordered. The two leaped on top of two trees. "Can you teleport?"

Jennifer shook her head, "I haven't regained my mana yet."

"Darn it. Alright, just stay still and be very quiet." Grim suggested.

The landships continued to knock down trees as they patrol. They headed straight towards the trees where Jennifer and Grim were hiding.

"Oh shit, we're going to fall." Jennifer said as she prepared to attack the landships.