Chapter 67: And so it Began

Ash fell from the sky, along with blood—dead, viscous, dark blood.

Be it ghouls, alghouls, and freybugs. Blood spilled all the same.

Ned, the perpetrator, reached a hand to comfort Toni. He smiled - faintly, genuine, and honest. For he died and seeing Toni once more made him realized how stupid he was. Stupid, and reckless, and naive. He trusted people that made him lose his life, once.

"Ned… how did you…" Toni said, confused and impressed. "You… you look… changed."

Giving his hand. Ned took the time to feel the warm sensation Toni gave when the two connected. "I'm here," he said, "and that's what matters now." He pulled Toni off from her helpless position and walked the plank going back inside the port.

Grabbing her dagger, the two walked down the wooden pier. "Your armor... where did you get that?" Toni said.

Ned stopped to check the surroundings. Aside from the market, which was completely destroyed. Houses razed on the ground. Townhall with a noticeable crack. Everything was fine. For how long? Ned squared his thought. Looking back to Toni, he smiled once more. With a thought, the Platinum Armor dissolved like a sandcastle and placed back on his inventory. "Oh, that? That was a gift," he said.

[Notice: Platinum Armor unequipped.]

ICE, how's the connection with the pod?

[With this range, the connection is still active.]

How was the pod? Ned walked towards the ship, giving a cold shoulder to the onlookers, who left Toni behind.

[Stable. Also, the subject inside is stable.]

Midway across the wooden plank. Ned grabbed the shirt-collar of one of the men who pushed Toni aside to save his own. The man who looked like a town's guard was tucked with ragged clothing, bald, unkempt, and barefooted. Ned pressed his collar and pull to close the gap between them. "How dare you," Ned said. Soft but unrestrained. His eyes stared at the man deep inside his core.

"Kid... I… " the man said, faltering his voice. Ned's stare made the man question his life choices. How come this kid looked like this, look away. That's what his face was telling.

He felt distressed. None of the people would help him. They knew what the man did. For they will do the same if their lives were hanging on the edges. Sacrificing someone to save their own, is what made human - human.

"Say it," Ned whispered and leaned to close the gap even closer. The Butterfly on his left hand made a trembling solid sound because of anger. "Say… it."

"I… I… did it... I pushed her… okay, I pushed her!"

"Now tell me, why?"

"To save myself, yes! To save myself." Replied the trembling man.

"Kid that's enough," pressed and an old voice approached Ned. The smell of dried leaves mixed with soothing components made Ned remembered the people that helped him and his Master when they have almost nothing.

Letting go of Ned's grip, the man slump on the wooden floor. Totally fazed.

"Granny," Ned said.

"How's the smile? Is it hard to smile now?"

Ned smiled, lifting just a tiny part of his lip. After he died, he realized, pleasing people wasn't an ideal thing to consider when moving forward, to gain strength. Ned thought the moment he could smile genuinely was when he's with his Master or Toni.

"Neeeeeeeeed!" Cried, Xi. His bow swayed left and right, coordinated with his footing. "You saved us! You saved Toni! Ned!" He paused. "What's with the hair?"

Meow!

Coco jumped off Naa'ri to greet his friend.

Meow? Meow! Meow! Meow!

"I'm fine, I know, I know," Ned said. Brushing Coco's fur. Ned leaned to check on Naa'ri. He nodded. To show how thankful he was for taking care of Coco.

Likewise, Naa'ri nodded. She smiled. Which made Toni moved closer to Ned. Almost touching her body near to Ned. Almost.

"Toni! Are you okay?! Come here, come here, my child!" Lady Zoreena rushed to join the fray of shouting.

"I'm… fine mama," Toni replied. Brushing a part of her hair and threw a gaze at Ned. Making her felt warm, her face turned pink and blushed.

"Where's the Knight, kid?"

Ned looked over and saw the man talking. Hooded in a black suit, plain just like the others. The Handler's number was disbanded to almost a dozen.

"Yes!" Cried, Xi. "Also, where's your Master?"

Ned thought for a moment, then said. "We need to leave." Ned walked past the group, snubbing the rest who wanted an answer.

Granny pulled the pipe off her mouth. Spit saliva. And stared at the horizon of smoke, blood, and mutilated bodies. "Goodbye Will, goodbye. Isashil guide your soul," she whispered. Walked together with Ned. Followed by the others.

The Handler knew what the silence was all about. Honor the dead. Thank the dead. Respect the dead.

Children cried, adults, whipped. While the crew motioned to start the ship. The other merchant ship trod the waves, making them further than the other ship.

The group settled inside the merchant ship. Made of wood, oak-wood, redwood, and smell of mahogany—or so it seemed—fought with the stench of the refugees.

Refugees, whose life we're not sure if they could survive the journey they will face. Some thought they would rather die than to be swallowed by the culture—a culture of slavery. Culture their Kingdom gave upon them. The slavery that was ongoing even before they were born. While some gave up and let their Maker, Isashil guides them.

The group settled at the side of the ship, forming a circle that made the onlooking and listeners keep off.

Ned felt that having a sword without a scabbard, which was lost in the fight with the Devourer, was cumbersome. He looked at his ring and with a thought, he tried to put the Butterfly inside his spatial inventory.

[Warning: Living entity are not allowed inside the inventory.]

[Warning: Living entity are not allowed inside the inventory.]

Ned was lost in thoughts, to think that his system considered the Butterfly as a living entity. Well, this is something new. Ned glared at the floor, losing in his thoughts.

"What now?" Asked Mama.

"I'll try my luck at the academy, maybe I'll find beasts worthy of my liking," said Naa'ri. Looking at her back, left, then right. Looking for her clansmen, Greg. Eventually, she looked at Coco between Ned's lap. A look of envy and sadness filled her eyes.

"I'll… I'm going back to my family, perform the role they wanted for me," Xi said, in a soft and depressing tone. He looked at Ned and grabbed the bow behind him.

"Take it, it's yours," Ned said.

Thankful, Xi kowtowed to Ned. Happy for the bow was a perfect fit for him. Sturdy and light.

"I don't want to intrude between the young ones but I'll be going to my daughter. Teach that thick-headed of hers the proper healing," said Granny. Looked at Ned while she caresses the bag hanging on her shoulder. The bag was embossed rectangular. Obviously, the book Ned gave to her. She was sad and thankful for Ned. Cutting her emotions, she added.

"I'll be going with Toni to look for her brother, at which she will then study at the academy," said Mama.

"Yes…" Toni answered. And looked at Ned across from her. She blushed, turning her eye to where she could not see Toni. Must be the hair. Ned's silver hair made him looked matured.

It wasn't just hers. The rest of the group looked at Ned. They knew his Master died, or that's what they thought. Ned had the choice to do whatever he desired.

"You can do whatever you like, kid," Granny said. "But going to the academy will help you in a lot of ways. Finishing at the academy is one of the factors needed to join any Guild you like. Be it Hunter, Explorer, Tamers, even blacksmithing, and merchants you all be needing to finish academy. So what now, kid?"

Ned looked at Coco's milky white fur. He thought and paused. What I needed is the Mark. The Mark to take it off my body. I'm not sure if the academy would help me in any way. I'm not sure if they knew about the Mark. It would trouble if people learn that I have a Mark. The strength it gives is unknown, but one thing is sure. People will kill to have a Mark. Then I have no choice, Academy it is. "I've decided, Aca—"

"Incoming!"

Ned and the rest heard a sharp whistle. The bright clouded sky danced with a line of dark along with a massive figure.

It terrorized the crystal blue ocean with red, violet, and black waves of heat. With a boom! And a roar! The merchant ship exploded. The first to sail merchant ship turned to ash. Woods timbered. Humans incinerated. Shouts echoed and lost in the vast ocean.

It wasn't even minutes of ten after they left the island. But here it comes. Terror of the sky. The unknown. The one that devours. The Devourer. Making sure no one escapes the island, alive.

Ned and the rest ran to check, or be terrorized by the scene outside.

Kids, elderly, healthy, merchants, the strong and the weak, Handlers, and the rest. All but have one reaction. Aside from Ned, the rest wished that Isashil guides them.

The Devourer went passed above the remaining merchant ship, stopped on the horizon. Glided to turn behind. And looked with its hollow eyes, inside green flaming-energy danced in its socket.

The Devourer motioned to glide towards the ship.

Seeing the incoming dragon, people let a scream of grief.

Ned has decided this will not be the end of his journey. If he can't defeat the Devourer, then he won't survive what Earflgard throws at him. He looked back at his shoulder. For the last time, he gave a smile.

"Let your journey be guided," Ned said. "This is my adventure, the start of my adventure."

"No… Ned… no!" Toni gasped for air.

It was too late for Xi, Naa'ri, Granny, and Mama to notice what Ned meant. Too late even for his Mythical Creature friend.

[Platinum Armor equipped.]

Light shot at Ned's figure. He smiled and motioned to clash the Devourer. Brandishing the Butterfly, he jumped. Airwaves made the ship danced in the ocean.

Ned jumped to receive the Devourer. He used the force of his jump to clash with the dragon head-on. With a roaring boom. The human and the dragon met their demise.

Ned struck the Devourer's head with his sword. Not making any dent or cracked on its bony head. But the Devourer felt pain with its moaning roar. Ned turned to jump atop the head of the dragon. Speed faster than any beasts, the dragon went straight ahead towards the ship.

"So you won't stop?!"

"How about this!"

"Egneus!"

Sphere formed on Ned's hand. The Red and orange sphere of fire materialized.

Feeling the danger atop its head. The Devourer spun to push Ned off the ocean. To no avail, Ned remained unmoving.

A loud boom made its way to the Devourer's hollow eyes, its head smoked, came along with fire. The Devourer felt pain for the first time.

Dazed and angered, the Devourer went passed ahead of the merchant ship. Leaving the humans to embark on their journey.

It went straight back to the Island. To settle with the human leisurely riding its head.

Reaching the island, the Devourer closed its wings to increase its speed and went straight ahead into the ground. Attempting to overthrow Ned.

Sensing the plan of the Devourer. Ned jumped before the dragon hit the ground with its head. Ned balanced its body to reduce the speed of his descent. He rolled and rolled and turned to face the Devourer. He stood, raised his shoulder to raise his morale, and smiled or smirked.

Clad with his Platinum Armor, Ned walked toward the Devourer, raised his free hand, and formed a ball of fire.

"May the Maker have mercy upon you because I won't."