The Homeseeker: Elemental Adventurer LitRPG [Isekai] (Series Complete!)

Approaching the walls of Moonwell, Zalan noticed that the number of guards stationed around it were more than he normally expected. One or two guards were stationed at any gates of other cities he had visited, but it looked like entire guilds were hired to keep the city on watch overnight. Zalan glanced at the bell above, remembering how urgently Sir Kilile rang the alarm for the Swampstomp. He hoped never to hear it again.

Weapons were trained on Rep and Zalan as soon as they entered the guards' collective view. Voices overlapped with one another as each guard shouted orders at the duo.

"Stay where you are!"

"Come closer and confirm you are not monsters!"

"What are you doing here? Answer quickly!"

"If you speak, you die!"

Rep and Zalan gave one another a nervous glance, standing in place with uncertainty. The guards huddled together, and Zalan recognized that he and Rep must have been the first people to come overnight when this many people were on guard. They weren't sure how they were supposed to react to possible threats. After a few grumbles of deliberation, one guard stepped away from the others and called to them.

"Are you humans or monsters?"

"Human!" Rep answered, sounding not at all disturbed by the question.

The spokesman stared, looking skeptical. Rather than ask anything more, the guards spun back into a vigorous discussion for the next move.

"The only thing they could ask was whether we're human? Couldn't a monster like a Gloomstalker just lie about that?" Zalan asked.

"They are understandably scared. How is one expected to react in these dark times?" Rep asked.

Zalan shut his mouth, taking Rep's point. There was no right way about this situation and he might as well be patient instead of annoyed. They were all on the same team. At least, Zalan hoped they were. He couldn't imagine being left outside overnight.

The same guard stepped back out to face them once more.

"Your business?"

"We are trying to find sanctuary over night in these dangerous times," Rep responded.

"If you knew it was so dangerous to be outside, then why are you traveling to begin with?" the guard asked, his eyebrow raised in a challenge.

Rep looked down in consternation, calculating different responses he could offer. Zalan wondered if the truth would be enough for the guards on high alert.

"We are from Oriton. A Swampstomp was seen going toward the city," Rep explained.

All of the guards went tense, their eyes scanning the horizon for one of the massive beasts. The guard assigned to speak with Rep and Zalan seemed satisfied by the answer, sympathizing with the sentiment

"There are so few places to be safe. Are you aware that we can not guarantee your safety in Moonwell? A swarm of Bloodbeaks flew right over us earlier today. If they took notice of the city, we would have had a very difficult time making certain that no one was injured," the guard explained.

"We can take care of ourselves," Rep answered. "We both have Elemental Power."

"A dying breed of men," the guard said, waving his arm at the other guards to raise the gate.

Rep and Zalan nodded with gratitude and made their way within the city proper. The city was constructed fully from wood, similar to how most places in Oriton looked to Zalan. But the night's dark streets were totally empty, as though the walls surrounded a ghost town. Zalan knew it was common for most to go to bed as soon as the sun went down, but there were normally some people milling around or visiting one another before heading home. As far as he could tell there wasn't a soul to be seen outside of any buildings. The entire town was hiding from the fears of what lurked beyond the walls.

An eerie silence joined Rep and Zalan in walking through the city. Reading the signs above most buildings, Zalan searched quickly for an inn. His heart had been filled with the contagious sensation of fear and wanted to be out of view of the dark atmosphere looking down on him. He hated to think that a city could be breached by monsters. They belonged solely outside protective walls. A prickling sensation met his neck every few steps and he threw a glance over his shoulder to make sure something didn't sneak in behind them.

They arrived in front of an inn and Zalan tried to allow himself inside only to find the door locked. He knocked lightly and the door cracked open an inch.

"Do you have any idea what time it is? What do you want?" the innkeeper hissed, her eyebrows descended far over her eyes.

It seemed she was already on edge. Sunset was only a few moments ago.

"We're looking for a place to stay," Zalan said, raising a gold coin for her to see.

"You think your money entices me? Do you know what money means at a time like this? If you are able-bodied, I will only be impressed if you watch the walls with the other brave men and women," the innkeeper snapped.

Zalan blinked in surprise, not expecting to be lectured as soon as the door opened.

"We have come from Oriton where there was news of a Swampstomp. We have only just arrived and are still getting our bearings," Rep offered politely.

The innkeeper's eyes went a hint softer as she studied Rep. Sighing, she cracked the door open further.

"Very well. But when you have the strength to help others, you should not hesitate," she said. Zalan placed the coin into her open palm and was given a key in exchange.

Zalan found his way into their room and sat on his cot across from Rep's.

"Things have gotten really serious all over the realm," Zalan said, gripping the edge of his bed tightly.

"The defeat of Morloch would not only come to our benefit, but the entirety of the realm." Rep nodded.

"But how do we know that the Elementals will stop migrating once Morloch's been beaten? Will they even give out powers again?"

"There is no way to truly know the intention of Elementals. But I am confident they would return. As enigmatic as they may be, they are very clear in that they wish to grant Elemental Powers. They challenge to ensure one is worthy, but happily give the ability to those that prove themselves. Something in their nature wants them to continue distributing power, I am certain. But they would preserve their lives over the ability to distribute more power," Rep assessed.

Zalan thought back to what the Bright Elemental had said to him after granting him his Elemental Light. It asked him to stop the man killing its brethren. They definitely believed in self-preservation. And apparently, with all their incredible strength, Elementals couldn't take on Morloch themselves. Maybe that was part of what it meant to be an Ascended Being. Elementals couldn't fight back as hard as they would like. Or maybe they were at the mercy of those that could interact with them.

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"We're gonna be able to beat him," Zalan said confidently.

"We must locate Gorb first. You need more friends to defeat Morloch. And perhaps his Elemental Air is a means to find Aetheria. And get there, as well. But once those issues are handled, I agree that we should be able to defeat our former mentor," Rep agreed, laying down on his cot.

It was surreal for Zalan to think that Morloch had once been his mentor. The only reason Zalan was proficient with imbuing himself and his blades was because of his tutelage under the name "Nold." He was still lacking in the redirection department, and hoped to get that resolved in the coming days of travel.

Laying down on his bedding, Zalan tried to shut his brain off and get some rest. But thoughts blazed through him at a mile a minute. Madam Hikma was clear that Morloch would be in Aetheria, but how was he supposed to find the city when it was always floating around on the back of a cloud? If it was always in motion, how would he even be able to find it a second time? How fast or slow was it traveling through the sky? Would it even be possible to reach the city if they knew where it was? Would Morloch be watching for intruders and keep them away from the city? Too many questions made him open his eyes fully, realizing that sleep was far from his mind.

He sat up and rolled himself off the bed. He paced back and forth a few steps, then realized that Rep was sitting up on his cot as well, eyes open.

"Can't sleep either?" Zalan asked.

"Too much is on the mind. I hope Junill is faring well," Rep said.

Zalan nodded, wondering how it felt to leave one's wife the day after getting married in such serious circumstances. They stared at the floor in thought.

"I think I saw access to the roof from the outside," Rep said, tilting his head toward the door.

Zalan nodded immediately and they quietly exited the inn to climb a ladder leaning against one side. They sat on the top, looking up at the stars above them, a foreboding air between them. Zalan flexed his arms uncomfortably, feeling the tire of the day's walking, but none of the exhaustion he needed to sleep.

Zalan wanted to ask a series of "what if" questions to talk to Rep, but didn't want to make him start panicking. He was wondering what if another giant monster went by Oriton and Ma wasn't around to help. Or worse, what if she decided not to do a "favor" to the city and let it die? He wondered what would happen if they never found a way up to Aetheria. Or what if it took them years to figure out? The world below the city in the sky would be ravaged, a husk of what it used to be.

"The stars shine beautifully," Rep said, his focus above.

Zalan exhaled his worries, trying to take in the moment like Rep. Even in dire times, there were ways to be grateful if one tried hard enough. Focusing on the things he could affect would help him to calm down. Rep had laid down on his back, watching the sky with wide, contemplative eyes. Zalan didn't feel like stargazing and instead made one of his arms shine with Elemental Light, just as something to do. He turned it on and off like a car blinker, amusing himself as he did so. Biking would be a lot easier back in his world if he could go around as a beacon of light. The thought brought a bittersweet pang in his heart.

The last time he had gone biking was to Yosemite Lake with his mother, shortly before she was hospitalized. The feelings of regret washed over him, the ample time that he had to visit her and the wasted time trying to hide away from reality on his phone in his dark apartment.

"Do you think I'm actually going to make it back home?" Zalan asked.

There were layers to his question. Was it worth going back home to a life of darkness, where he was surrounded by trash? The more he thought about his own question, the more he was certain he could fix it. Home life was just another monster he had to overcome. Much worse had come across his path in this realm, and he'd survived it all. It might have been close calls, but he had become stronger as a result.

Realizing that he still hadn't received an answer from Rep, Zalan turned his way. Rep's eyes were locked to the sky.

"I do not know, Zalan. I do not like to think of you being trapped here. Especially when I am the reason for your being here," Rep said finally. "And Madam Hikma saying that you would 'lose everything' in a battle with Morloch does not bode well."

Zalan shined both arms simultaneously, like he was a living glow stick. He rolled them over to get a good look at his illuminated self.

"I think I've gotten used to the realm. I could live here, I think."

"You were used to the realm as it was before. This is not the same place it was weeks ago. There is no guarantee of safety anywhere. Nowhere to retire, so long as Elementals and monsters run amok."

Zalan shined a bit of light ahead of him, trying to curve it. It wiggled at first, not twisting very far. But he had ample time to focus when not in the middle of a life-threatening battle. Closing a fist slowly, he searched for the feel of redirection, titling the light slightly, like it was a beam going through water. Zalan smiled, satisfied with the marginal progress. He was getting a feel for the sensation of redirection with light like he once had with lightning.

"Sure, but what about after we defeat Morloch? The realm would settle back down, right?"

"Presumably." Rep nodded.

"So, even if I don't find a way back after that, I think I could figure out a way to live here," Zalan said.

Rep turned to him, sitting up and watching Elemental Light as it danced as though bouncing off a mirror.

"Are you asking whether I would find you a place to stay and live comfortably after our battle? In the case you are stuck in the realm?" Rep asked.

Zalan twisted his arms, pointing to the sky and his curved light on a passing cloud. He was certain he could redirect it all the way around with enough time. He could feel Rep waiting for his reply, but his silence felt like enough of an answer to the question.

"I will not abandon you once we are done with our quest," Rep assured him, sounding amused.

"Are you sure?" Zalan asked.

"You mean because I have a wife? Of course. You sound absurd, what is this really about?" Rep asked.

Zalan blasted a spotlight into the sky, illuminating an entire cloud angled away from them. Redirection was coming more naturally. Then he sighed and deactivated his power.

"It's just… Well, you're my guide and everything. You've basically been there to help me figure out this whole place, but now we have to face the most dangerous person we've ever fought. Again. And who knows if he's been getting more powerful during this time?" Zalan said.

"And I assure you I will fight by your side to the end," Rep said.

"That's just it. What if you die and I survive when we beat Morloch?" Zalan asked.

The question hung in the air for a few seconds. Rep smiled, looking more calm than Zalan expected of him.

"Then you will learn to accept it," Rep said.

"You sound a little too confident."

"You are focusing on hypotheticals. But more than this, I saw you have the strength to move on from the grief of losing your mother, whom you were very close with."

Zalan felt an oxymoronic beat in his heart. Something that was a cross between anxiety and ease. As though he knew that things would turn out okay, but he didn't want to have them come to pass either.

"It would still be terrible," Zalan said.

"Indeed. The loss of either of our lives would be a tragedy. But to ignore the idea of death is to live as a fool. To acknowledge the loss of close ones with tears is to be expected and living on is good for both parties. It is the difference between the heartless and the noble."

The battle of fear and contentment completed in Zalan's heart and his frown curved upward. He nodded to Rep, thanking him for his words silently. He emitted more light from his arm, curving it a good thirty degrees before striking another cloud. He peered at it, wondering if it was possible to see Aetheria with his light at night. It made him wonder if there was a way of finding it like this, assuming the city peaked above the clouds. If it was opaque, hidden behind the mix of water vapor and mist, Zalan wasn't sure how else to locate it.

Something scraped on the floor behind them and Rep and Zalan jumped to their feet. Another sound, like metal clinking together, made Zalan try and peer over the side of the roof. Creatures might have been stalking them, and made the mistake of emitting a noise. He imbued his fist with light, trying to shine the creature out into the open.

"There he is!" a voice called from below.

Zalan's eyes went wide with shock as he saw over a dozen guards surrounding the inn. Two jumped to the top immediately with Elemental Air, weapons drawn and shackles in hand.

"Hey, what's going on?" Zalan asked. He grasped for his sword, but had left it and his sheath down in his room. His arm swung uselessly in the air next to his hip for precious seconds.

"Hold him down!" a guard shouted.

"Zalan!" Rep threw a ball of flame to push back the guards, but it was redirected upward by another guard below.

Two hooks of earth zipped in from the sides and pinned Zalan's arm's together like handcuffs. Zalan imbued his feet and kicked a guard off the roof, sending him flying back and onto the ground. Before Zalan could plant his feet back on the roof, it was caught by another earthen hook, twisting him off balance and locking together with another hook on his leg. His limbs were incapacitated, so he tried to imbue himself with all his power to burn through the rocks with intensified light. They began to shudder and fall away, his concentrated Wisdom overcoming his binds. He broke his arms free and tried to push himself back up to his feet.

"Now!" another guard jumped to the top.

Holding out shining chains, Zalan realized at the last moment that he recognized them as an Artifact: The Shackles of Stasis.

"What did I—"

Before Zalan could complete his thought, the Shackles of Stasis shined brightly as they clamped down around him, holding down every limb and pinning his mouth shut. He had been captured by the guards of Moonwell.