THE DESTINED HERO: A Stranger's Chronicle.

Chapter 5. You're surrounded.

Frank Turner finally agreed to go along with Marcus, though he refused to take part in the conversation, so he sat on one of the branches, staring at Marcus and the teenagers. He still wondered how they were able to manipulate Marcus into believing such nonsense.

Since he had finally cause Frank to give them a break, Marcus was expecting the teenagers to start telling him what he wanted to know, he wanted to whole details and the face he made revealed his query well enough.

"Why are you sitting down?" Larry said to Frank instead of paying attention to Marcus and giving him the response he inquired.

"What! You expect me to stand while listening to your rubbish talk about a man that doesn't exist?"

"The people that attacked your base are on their way here. I get you're tired from the fighting, but now is not the time to rest."

"What do you mean?" Marcus got more confused than he already was.

Before Larry could ask that question, one of the men asked to stay on guard outside began banging on the door as he said repeatedly with panic in his voice. "Sire, open up… sire… sire, open up."

Wondering what could be the problem, Marcus rushed to the door and the moment he opened it, multiple arrows pierced the man from behind with one hitting him in the chest.

"Oh no!"

Larry and Frank rushed to his rescue, dragging him back into the cabin while Toby shut the door again as more arrows flew towards the door.

"You were saying…?" Marcus was choking on his own blood, yet he was still anxious for answers.

"Save your strength, sire, don't speak," tears filled Frank's eyes despite his attempt to act strong and hide the fact that he was afraid of losing Marcus.

Stephanie hurriedly brought some clothes to apply pressure on the wound while Larry attempted taking out the arrow, so they'd save him from dying.

"What are you doing?" Frank scolded him, causing him to pause. "If you take it out just yet, he will die."

"They are surrounding the cabin, what do we do?" Toby, who was peeping out a small opening in the cabin, asked. He was referring to Frank at the moment, since was the only one with the experience and expertise on such a situation.

"Oh no…! we are all going to die…. I should have gone with Lillie when I had the chance…. I should have stuck with the girls…." Stephanie panicked, dropping the clothing she was going to use in applying pressure on Marcus' wound.

Since Larry was asked not to take out the arrow, he was left with nothing else to do other than stare at Frank for instruction on what their next action would be.

Meanwhile, Frank could not let go of Marcus, who was dying on laps, he didn't care anymore for what would happen to him.

"Olson! Olson!! Olson!!! I know you're in there, so come out, it's over. You have nowhere else to hide. You're surrounded." The Captain of the men outside said with so much confidence, they could literally hear victory in his tone.

"Protect them, Turner. Help them find Hess." Marcus struggled to breathe, life was gradually leaving his flesh.

"No Marcus, we're going to get out here together. Stay with me," The tears Frank was trying too hard to hold back finally came rolling down his cheek.

"Promise me, you will keep them safe."

"Anything, I promise, just stay with me." He was already crying like a baby at this point.

As soon as the promise was made, Marcus drew his last breath.

"No… no… no…" Frank continued to shed tears, shaking Marcus' body so hard as if that was going to revive him.

Larry, Toby and Stephanie didn't know what to do, seeing a grown man shed tears that way was totally strange to them. Even as they were urged to remind him of their situation, they couldn't help but feel sorry for him.

Larry once again began to beat himself up for not saying something earlier. He heard the warnings about that cabin not being safe right from the moment Marcus led them back there but the continuous pressure from both Frank Turner and Marcus Olson caused him not to say something sooner.

"Olson… do not force us to come in there, surrender and your life may be spared." The Captain shouted once again from outside the cabin.

Then a very bright light appeared right inside the cabin, blinding them for a minute, and as it depreciated, lo it was Hess again, right there inside the cabin with them.

"Turner, he is gone, we have to leave." Andrew said as they all looked at him dumbfounded with so many questions in their minds.

Yet the time for those questions wasn't right nor did he give them the chance to even ask, muttering some words the same manner and magnitude of light that appeared with him flashed, transporting them out of the cabin.

The light beam was seen from outside the cabin and the captain, knowing it wasn't a good sign, instantly forced the open only to find the body of Marcus Olson lying dead with no other person in there.

He knew very well that Olson was not alone in there because he saw others drag him in and shut the door, even though he didn't know then that Marcus was the one hit by their arrow.

"I sense the power here, and it's known to me." The Captain said to himself after a short look around the cabin, then to his men. "The master will need this body."

*****

The light that took them out of the cabin didn't take them too far, they appeared in another part of the jungle.

Though he has not gone over with the loss of Marcus, Frank's expression changed after that teleportation, he could not believe his sight, Hess was looking worse than the legend spoke of him, but amidst that, he didn't expect him to possess the power he just used.

Larry still could not deal with the fact that Hess showed up again after the way he left them in disappointment. Neither did Toby nor Stephanie expect to see him so soon.

They each had something to say to him, but he didn't allow any to speak. "You are still not safe, so keep your thoughts and questions to yourself until we are clear from danger." He began walking, and they all had no choice than to follow after staring one to another.

After a long distance of trekking through the jungle, they finally entered town, and being seen with Andrew caused so many eyes to be on them.

The people of the town were familiar with Hess, but as a madman, so they were surprised to see four normal people strolling down town with him.

Toby after realising that the teleportation was a result of magic, he couldn't wait to get to their destination before asking. "Why didn't we just appear at our destination? You have to make us walk all those distances."

Once again Andrew looked at and repeated. "I wish you were the chosen one."

This repeated wish was because Toby was quicker in getting a better comprehension of where they were, and as well understand the concepts of that world and what he must do.

"Okay, I'm fed up with this talk of a chosen one." Larry stopped, refusing to continue with Hess until he told him what he needed to know and why he kept making references to him as someone with some sort of special task.

Frank's doubts about Hess' existence were no more, to him seeing is believing, so he too stopped with Larry while Stephanie and Toby kept following Andrew who did not mind Larry's actions but kept on walking.

"Look, if there's anyone that can help you survive this world and the task ahead, it's going to Hess, so we have to keep moving." Frank whispered, as he didn't want to draw any more attention than they were already getting.

"What task are you talking about? Mind you, I was told Marcus was the only one that could help me." Larry said, revealing what the voice told him before he agreed to follow Marcus.

"Well, Marcus is dead, and I promised him that I will keep you all safe, so trust me when I say, Hess is our best chance." Frank maintained his low tune.

Larry took a second to think about it as he noticed the many eyes on them. "Fine. But I need answers soon, else I'll lose my mind." They both resume following Hess who was a good distance away with Toby and Stephanie.