A drastic change in the scenery occurred as they traveled. The land became wet and muddy, and darkness wrapped their sights like night. Icky humidity made them sweat, and unusual purple pollen fell like snow. Ominous roots also terrorized the plant life there, growing on the ground and up the side of trees. The way they wiggled gave Artie the impression they could be attacked at any moment, so he and the others drew their weapons.

"Stay sharp," uttered Mayumi.

Both the men acknowledged, then proceeded cautiously. After ten minutes of trudging through unfavorable conditions, the jungle moved. Visually, the trees and bushes squiggled on their own, and once they'd arrived in the depths of that hazard, it awakened.

"The floor," Mayumi broadcasted.

Slithery purple roots began to cling onto their shoes and circle around their legs. It seemed relatively harmless, but the trees that stood closely on their left and right became even more active. While they looked down and separated their feet from the ensnaring plants, a lavender figure inched, then snatched a human-like arm from roots that restrained it. It grasped onto the side of Artie's preoccupied head and began to tug him toward the tree.

Always quick to react, Sebastian flung around him and used a knife to sever the arm that'd latched on. As a response to losing a limb, what could only be described as a nightmare jerked from the tree. It was an elf with ghost-white skin covered in moss and protruding purple blood veins all over its body. How it swayed without a conscious resembled that of zombie horror.

The plant-infested elven body rotated its body, then slung its remaining arm at Sebastian. Nimbly ducking below, he whirled the knife in his hand, then lunged upward and slashed off the other limb. Without pausing from the first attack, the man pulled another knife and hurled it at the head of the rotten foe that attacked them.

"You good?" Sebastian turned and asked.

Suspended in time, Artie stood unmoving while gazing onward with awestricken yellow eyes. The thing that attacked them was merely one of many, and dozens of zombie-like humanoids rose from the thicket of the ground and trees. Senselessly creeping toward them, in many shapes and sizes. Their appearance wasn't what alarmed Artie; He'd faced much worse. But, there was one particular figure. One infected individual caused him to freeze and drove unfathomable despair into his spirit.

 

"Mom?" his quivering lips formed.

Right before his eyes, among the dozens of others, his mother appeared in a ghastly state and lifelessly staggered his way. At the same time, more of the infected arrived and occupied Mayumi and Sebastian. They were left with no room to defend Artie, let alone themselves.

Sebastian yelled at him to wake up while using knives to cut down the terrors at their heels. He and Mayumi both strained to compensate for the loss of Artie, battling through what evolved into an endless hoard.

"Pull yourself together!" Mayumi shouted, launching a right hook into the chest of one of their many enemies and propelling it back into a crowd.

By then, what was his mother had arrived within a few feet of Artie. Thoughtlessly and with jittery hands, he opened his arms to greet her. To wrap around her as she would when he was a troubled child.

He didn't know what he was doing; his body just moved. Acted through impulse and without any rationality.

With welcoming arms, he awaited her touch.

 

"Artie!" Mayumi desperately screamed, pushing back bodies while swinging her anxious face toward him.

White noise filled his head as he blanked. Unprompted, he recalled how his mother called him with the same sincerity as Mayumi. And, he remembered the last time he'd seen her.

[[

"Artie,"

"I know things are… Difficult; with our family right now. But no matter what happens. No matter where you or I go. Just know that I Lo-"

]]

"I love you too, mom."

Snapping out of his trance, Artie heaved the glaive from his side with tremendous force and cried aloud as he sliced off the head of the woman. As the decapitated body fell, so did he.

Adjacent sounds of battle penetrated his ears, but he dawdled on his knees. Sobbing over the body below him.

"I'm so sorry," he wailed.

While falling deep into grief, a sturdy hand grabbed his shirt and tugged on him. Sebastian had been telling him to run, but the words didn't compute, so the man forcibly pulled him away. Artie's body unwillingly complied, but as he was dragged away, he spotted a silver necklace on his mother.

Following a sharp gasp, Artie snatched away from Sebastian's grip and crawled hysterically to the corpse. He pulled off the jewelry, then tightly held it to his beating chest.

While Mayumi hammered against the hoard on their left flank, their right had been thoroughly exposed. Caught up in a sea of enemies, things were growing grim.

A Swoosh sounded, then soon after, a lengthy arrow pierced one of the threats that loomed directly over Artie.

Behind the scenes, Laria worried about how long they'd been gone and sought aid from the locals. The leader of the village was informed, then he personally led an army of the attractive, long-haired elves. They swarmed with pointed rapiers, long bows twice the size of any they'd seen, and arms covered in unusual thorny vines.

In no time flat, a sorrowful war had waged against the infected bodies. Their grievances were especially apparent as the blonde, lavender-eyed commander shed tears as he used a rapier to thrust the blade into each ghostly figure.

While the arrived crew opposed the hoard, Sebastian again grabbed Artie and pulled him away. Out of danger and outside the darkest depths of the jungle.

 

<>

 

It took an hour before they returned to the tree-house village and for his father to hear the tragic news. At first, he didn't believe the report, but he crumbled after seeing the wedding ring. A thump sounded as he dropped onto his knees in front of Artie. They were given space, and they both wept and mourned.

Once there were little tears left to shed, John slowly stood. With crippled, red eyes, he gazed down at his son.

"Somewhere deep down inside, I knew…."

"I just-"

Lifting his heavy head, Artie returned a defeated gaze.

John Ernest squeezed his eyes shut, then mumbled to his son.

"Thank you for doing this. Lord knows I couldn't have done it myself..."

"You've become so strong, just like your mother."

"Dad?" Artie called questionably, confused by the sudden speech.

"I'm jealous. I wish I was strong like you... Like Emily," John smiled, holding something around his neck.

Artie stood and stared fearfully at his father before shouting at him.

"Dad!"

"I'm sorry, Artie," uttered John.

"What are you apologizing for?!" He heated, clenching the man's shoulders with both arms.

"Son, I'm tired."

At that moment, Artie felt his father slipping away. Through some strange phenomenon, he sensed that if he let go, he'd never see the man again.

"Then I'll sleep too!" Shouted Artie, tightening his grip.

"Artie…" John exhaled, gently placing his hand on his son and encouraging him to let go.

Face drowned in tears, Artie pleaded with the man to stay. But, his father's reassuring smile and warm embrace inevitably drove him to let go. The man took subtle steps back, smiling at Artie and leaving him with a tender "GoodNight."

 

Intuition was a vague concept that Artie never comprehended. Not until then, because for the rest of his life, he never forgave himself for letting his father go.

That horrific day ended, and the next morning John Ernest was found dead in his room. Laid next to his own bloodied knife.

Artie's slight hope for building a life in the new world shattered, and like broken glass, everything that filled him drained.

Only tiny droplets of reason remained, and a single thought populated his mind. He wanted his parents to be together in the end; they deserved it. So, he armed himself and returned to the infected zone to retrieve his mother's body.

Enemies stood in his way, but non could diminish his efforts. Tightly wielding his glaive with both hands, Artie mercilessly struck down anything that neared. Spinning the polearm, he slashed off hands that reached for him, then removed the head. Listlessly cutting them down until he managed to arrive at the body.

Upon observing his once beautiful mother, he collapsed to his knees, then dissolved into tears. There was no feeling more destructive than the anguish he felt while tightly holding that cold body.

His intention was only to collect the remains, but his guard melted. Even surrounded by hundreds of infected, he couldn't bear to move.

With his eyes closed tightly and lower lip trembling, he sobbed.

"Don't leave me here alone," he shuddered, slowly shaking his head in distress.

His honed hearing became vain as the nearing monster went completely unnoticed. Artie had given up, and it appeared like his journey was ending.

 

However, that world had other plans for him.

A golden light in the shape of an orb suddenly materialized from thin air. The glow had an erratic form that sizzled with lightning, yet it delicately descended in front of Artie.

He wasn't mindful of its presence or anything else there. Not until it, through some indefinable force, communicated.

"May your pain grant you unfathomable strength."

It didn't use words but expressed its message directly to his soul. When Artie felt this, he gradually lifted his head and saw the light start to dissipate. It gradually became absent in shape, but Artie felt the light take root in his chest.

A mere second later, the mechanical voice appeared with a notice.

"Congratulations. You have been chosen by the elemental spirit of lightning."

"As its host, you will inherit the role, "God of Thunder."

Indifferent to its message, Artie slumped over, pulled his own hair, and muttered.

"Go to hell."

After another second, the Ai had a change of tone. It reverted to the childish, human-like persona and then said-

"Sorry."

It sounded genuine and remorseful when speaking, but Artie didn't want an apology. He wanted his family.

His heartache turned to rage. Artie became furious that it dared to imitate a human voice and emotion. As if a machine could feel "sorry" or understand his pain. And after all the unforgivable things it had done.

"I swear."

"You won't get away with this."

"You hear me!"

He screamed up into the vacant sky, and as he did so, a ghoulish hand clutched his back. Completely enveloped by enemies, Artie shouted even louder and vented his fury. Like a shaken-up soda bottle, he swelled, then erupted. Bright, deadly electricity diffused on will from his horns and obliterated all the evil that enclosed him.

The immediate land became razed into fire and ash. And, after the release of frustration, he sunk and recalled even more reasons for his wrath. From the day he'd arrived on that planet, nothing but misfortune had befallen him, and it was enough; he was done with it.

The enormous energy output didn't only destroy but acted as a signal that drew the attention of another burden. The wolf God-type appeared from beyond the wasteland and collectedly hovered over Artie. Peering at him with sharp yellow feline eyes.

…

Placing his mother's remains down, he hopelessly grabbed onto the monster's furry leg.

"I'm begging you."

"Please, help me," he murmured with a cracking voice.

It was a wild beast with no concept of humanity, but Artie begged it. He wasn't sure what he expected from that creature, but he felt strange and grounded while in its company. Then expectedly, in that burning, dark location, the beast answered. Not with words, but with a gesture. Its soft fur-coated head leaned down and roughly nudged Artie. It wasn't comforting or gentle, but he understood what it wanted to express.

"Get up, fight."

 

<>

 

Sometime later, he returned from the jungle. A gravesite wasn't established in the village, so he dug a hole himself and buried both of his parents in it. Mayumi, Sebastian, Rachel, Laria, and Harvey were there and added flowers to the mound. There was little to be said, but Artie sniffled as he stood before the gave and closed out the improper funeral.

"Dad."

"You were wrong; I'm not strong."

"You were just a coward…."

"Still, thank you, dad, mom. For everything."

Digging into his pocket, he withdrew two necklaces with rings attached. It hurt, but also warmed him to know that his parents wore their wedding rings despite being separated.

"I promise to put you to rest properly, but not here."

"I want to take you home."

"To the place you met."

"Our Earth."

His brows tightened upward, and he frowned while his yellow eyes fixed on the sentimental jewelry. After a moment of silence, Artie wiped his face and hooked both necklaces around his neck.

"Is it possible to save Earth one?" He asked, somberly turning to his friends.

A brief stillness transpired before anyone spoke.

"Theoretically, it'll be able to repair itself in the time humanity is missing," Harvey informed.

"But, if I'm being honest. Even if it does, we have no way to return."

"The resources on this planet are substantially different from ours. It's almost as if it was designed to stop humans from advancing."

After Harvey's reasoning, Rachel tapped her cheek and peered up at the empty sky while deliberating.

"Different, but not without."

"For example, we may not have the means to generate electricity naturally, but we could use an alternative like the horns of certain monsters."

"Laria has also discovered various uses for the unique characteristics of creatures. Skin, scales, organs, all of it has its uses," Rachel added.

Artie only needed to know if it was possible. His rationale was elementary. He hated that planet, so he wanted to get off. While it was simple, the conviction that backed it was as unwavering as a diamond.

"Then, you all should know I'm serious about this."

"No matter how ridiculous It may sound, I will ensure we all get home."

"What's all this about 'I"? Smiled Sebastian.

"We're going to do this together, friend."

Artie was elated to hear him say what he did. The rest of the party also united in his goal and agreed to aid him in his pursuit. The vileness that overtook his spirit abated momentarily. But, of course, Sebastian opened his mouth and ruined the vibe.

"So, who's going to have Artie's kid?"

"It's even more important now to keep the Ernest bloodline going!"

The vexatious man had learned Artie's name when his father called him. And the first thing he did with it was tossed absurdity in the air. Mayumi kicked the back of Sebastian's knee, which made him jolt forward on the other. Harvey found the remark humorous and laughed, while Laria looked away suspiciously.

Rachel pondered the ideal, but Artie had known her well enough to understand she would only do it for scientific purposes. Something like, "I wonder what kind of specimen a regular and mutated human would create."

No further details about his objective were discussed at the time, but his mind was set. And over the next few days, their party settled into the elven village and began to learn their language. Artie continued to mourn his losses, but he also planned his future.