The man following the two boys who came out of a dungeon, in which even the bravest of warriors think twice before entering. Watching two children coming out of that labyrinth unscathed, piqued the curiosity of a passerby to the extent that he started following them all the way to the spot they were spending the night.
Well, it was all, that man told August after coming back to his senses, after getting beaten up to a pulp as the pride of his shattered and he confessed everything.
August wasn't fully convinced by the things that man told him who was being tied to a tree deep within the forest,
" I will ask you again, are you here for the boy?"
He asked the man after he punched his face again.
" Boy? No! Who? boy huh? That one sleeping there?
I don't even know you guys. "
With the crying face of his, blood dripping from the forehead as his right eye was almost covered in it.
He said being thirsty with a soar voice.
Since, his face was bulged up from all sides August tried a different approach this time. He grabbed this arm-- lifeless, not covered in the rope.
The captive began to cry aloud when August started burning his arm by heating the mana around it slowly.
August unfazed by his screams, wearing his nonchalant expressions asked him calmly,
" If you don't know us? Then why were you trying to kill that boy in his sleep? "
The man from the beginning stuck with his story of him being a passerby thief who just happened to see them. He was confident that before being captured he was able to dismiss the weapon just in time, which leaves the man who captured him with no clue about his intentions.
But now the odds were against him.
Being tied deep into the forest and worst of all lying on that person's face who captured him only to hear the truth.
' he knows.....he knows i was going to kill that boy '
The man gulped with his thirsty throat. He felt the anger of the person in front of him as he tried to move his dry lips in order to make up another lie.
August knew very well that this man was after Noir from the very beginning. He thought the man might spill something important if he tried to act ignorant.
It was indeed the extent of his patience. Even though August, gave that man every chance to tell the truth but he remained stuck with that made up story of his.
' Now then he has found out that i know everything about Noir and his situation, this man might send a message to his comrades, who might very well be hiding nearby.
Since his cover has blown, he might not tell me anything now.
In that case, there is only one option left. For Noir's safety I have to deal with him here and now. '
Thoughts are like thin sheets of weightless paper, people always think that they can handle this or that, but when the actual situation unravels before them, the thought of how they wanted to face that --
-- the heavy rock-like reality always ends up weighing down, crushing that thin sheet of paper beneath it.
No matter how much of a warrior August thinks of himself but in the end the lives he took were of the beasts regarded as wild creatures, hostile to humanity. But what happens when that boy who was trying to protect someone has to kill a human?
The answer is simple, he cannot!
The moment in which August was mentally preparing himself to kill another human, in that moment of hesitation, the man on the other end -- who knew he was going to die, got a chance to execute his last plan and make sure his work was done before he dies.
Suddenly a blast of dark red smoke happened to take place out of nowhere. Without any sound there was that smoke contradicting the darkness of the night.
' this might be a signal, i shouldn't have hesitated to kill that bastard '
After a few seconds, the smoke cleared leaving behind his tied corpse with the dripping blood from his mouth. The man prioritized the mission over his life.
Without wasting a second, August rushed towards the young dragon. He sighed with relief as the boy was still sleeping soundly.
The daybreak was near, the time where light finally defeated the darkness only the cycle to be repeated again.
" Noir! Time to go " said August shaking the sleeping boy.
Rubbing his eyes the boy said,
" why are we leaving now? Does anything happen? "
" No! It's just the wild beasts don't attack at this hour" he replied to his questions and immediately knew by the reactions of the boy that how lame of an excuse he came up with.
Noir, as he ignored the lameness continued the journey ahead. After moving for many hours, the sun was up, shining brightly.
As they stopped for a short break, the young dragon finally got a chance to ask the boy about the sudden departure.
Noir drinking the water from a nearby lake staring at him for a long time now, as August felt his gaze staring directly into his soul, after ignoring him for a while -- he finally being annoyed asked the young dragon bluntly,
" what? Why are you staring at me like that? "
Taking a long pause to answer the young dragon asked, " are you hiding something from me? "
There would come nothing good from him knowing about the present situation. The enemy could be behind them but August wasn't sure, and didn't want the young boy to panic unnecessarily. Therefore he tried his best to hide that from him.
" No! There's not, why did you think so? "
August asked with confident and convincing expressions.
As the young dragon being intimidated said,
" Ahm.... Sorry, I was just curious ,why we had to leave that place before sunrise but as you said there were no beasts on our way at that hour, so all good..
...
... "
' GET DOWN ' ( August said cutting him in the middle of the speech )
Rushing to him August pushed him suddenly to the ground catching the wooden arrow coming right at the boy just before it was about to hit August on the right side of his chest as the main target suddenly moved from its path.
Without wasting a second, August shot a wind blade right at the direction of the arrow, making its way through the thick branches, the spell beheaded its target after cutting everything in its path.
A headless corpse of a monkey-like beast holding a bow made of tree branches fell from the tree.
' blood apes, the species that are called as because of the colour of their blood red fur. What is one doing here? Why did it attack us? Most importantly.....?
Oh! No....'
The most feared thing ended up happening when August heard countless ape noises from his surroundings. Followed by more arrows coming their way since he managed to recall that these apes work in groups.
He tried to make a dome shaped mana barrier around them but the count of incoming arrows was too large to be blocked by a single layered barrier.
Even after that he managed to block most of the arrows but some of them crossing the barrier left pretty deep cuts and bruises on his body.
' shit, we're surrounded '
" Noir! " Commanding the young dragon as August using numerous wind blades cut down most of the trees which the wild beasts were using as hiding spots.
" Try not to burn the forest " listening to August's words Noir looked left and right to locate the trees the beasts were hiding on and concentrating his dragon fire as much as he could shoot it horizontally like a light beam so that the forest wouldn't catch fire.
With that the blood apes were at a disadvantage of their hiding spots but their numbers surely made up for the loss.
Circled by the wild beasts around, surroundings were filled with their noises as the beasts Jumped and moved around, trying to intimidate them.
When the wild beasts thought the prey had been captured successfully. One of them was surprised to see the expression on the face of August as he was smiling deviously.
" Ah...? Big bro? " Noir said not able to comprehend the situation facing the other side than August with almost the same number of Apes in front of him.
" Noir! Don't let the bastards escape "
Listening to his excited voice the dragon boy felt relieved and also a little bit excited himself.
Sitting on a knee slowly when the beasts weren't sure what August was trying to do, he touched the ground gently as there was silence for a few seconds.
The apes started making noises as though laughing at the boy, mockingly. A moment after that ground began to shake and many cracks appeared on it in a circular fashion making the ground uneven bulging somewhere and the ground retreating from somewhere as well.
Many of the beasts fell into the pit quickly after that but most of the ones left behind were ones with the fighting spirit.
As they attacked August with their wooden weapons which they used to smack the prey to death. The wild beasts suddenly came to a realisation that the person standing before them isn't someone they could handle even with the numbers.
Numerous trails of lightning before the loud noises of thunder hit the targets resulting in missing the part of their body lightning had just came in contact with missing with just a slight gesture of his hands.
The Apes on the other side were also up against a dragon it was too late to realise as they got hit and burned to crisp by the intense flames of dragonfire coming from the palm of his hand.
August cleared rest of the beasts by his mana imbued fists running along the uneven battlefield severing and slicing the numerous enemies with just his bare hands.
His heart pounding, breathing became fast as he moved along the uneven terrains. Finally catching a breath with his bloody hands he asked the young dragon, " are you done? "
The boy gave a nod when August said,
" it was a coordinated attack, it's unlikely but there could be someone behind this attack..... "
Someone laughed aloud from a distance, coming close interrupting August a tall man-like figure appeared unidentified in the shades of forest from afar. As he walked towards them the face of the man could clearly be seen as he said to August,
" Hahahahah... You are quite clever for your age boy.
I'm impressed that a child like you could tell if it was a random or well planned attack by someone. "
Thinking that Noir might know the man August turned his gaze towards the young dragon and watching from his somewhat feared and angry at the same time - expressions he could tell that he was after Noir.
As the man confirmed it himself,
" I will let you live, just leave that brat and go home. "
Looking at the direction of noir he grinned as though he can do whatever he pleases.
But the man definitely had the power to back his words, emitting the Aura of not just a seasoned warrior but of a non human being, the man said,
" What? Can't you hear me? Just leave already. "
' this man is no joke, apart from the opponents I was up against until now, this man is very different. He's in a different league. Then the question is what could I do? I have to help Red and Reneir. I don't know if my parents are alright. But the most important matter now is.....'
Looking at the red angry eyes filled with tears of the young dragon August asked,
" who is that man and who attacked your homeland? "
August very well knew that these two questions were enough to judge the situation whether to fight or run.
The young dragon gulped in anger and replied,
" His name is Valmunt, he was the one who took my father's arm along with his ten subordinates attacking him simultaneously like cowards...
And he .....is a Wyvern. "
Now all the things suddenly made sense to him hearing the young dragon speak the race strong enough to attack the dragon clan will also be huge beasts and it certainly explained the enormous aura of that man.
" Wyvern huh? "
" Leave! This is not your fight. Just go and save your companions. He is too much for us to handle. "
Said the young dragon without looking at August.
" Exactly! " Shouted the man in front of them.
" Just leave, boy and save yourself " he said with a devious smile.
" So now you are ordering me around huh? " August said putting his hand on Noir's shoulder.
Looking at him with confusion the boy said,
" What? Why? Why don't you leave? You can save yourself "
" Hey! Chill out boy, how can I leave my little brother behind you know. " Said August as Noir felt the same warmth he felt at the dungeon.
" You! Are you foolish. Do you want to die. You know I want that dragon brat alive but I will kill you. "
Said the man being annoyed.
" C'mon spare the bullshit! You won't let me leave anyway " said the human boy, smirking with a casual tone.
" Hahahahah..... I have to say, you are smarter than you look boy! Since the cat is already out of the bag, no need to beat around. ( With a yawn he said )
Let me kill you now "
As the man blinked he was surprised that the human boy just cleared the distance between them much faster than his eyes could keep up. Coming close at him with his fire covered fist aimed at the neck of the wyvern August said in that split second.
" Aren't you underestimating me too much "
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