Chapter 11:  Damsels in Distress

The trio was back on the stony path, that lead them towards the grand Major capital Makolar.

They walked without a care in the world, chatting and laughing not noticing a gleam of yellow eyes had been following them.

"This stony path is really convenient to walk on, I am wondering, who had built it, as well why there is no demons trying to ambush us.", mentioned Annie.

-"Hohoho, that is easy to answer, because Aleg's aura is kind of intimidating. Who would want to approach a demon, cladded in black clothes. His presence gave off a feeling of nobility and the expensive clothes further enhanced that presence.", Gavro replied.

"Enough both of you, I think we are being followed."

The yellow eyes hurriedly disappeared from the bushes it was glancing at that party, but not soon after the trio had droped their guard, the creature approached them once again with its yellow eyes.

Aleg again felt that ominous presence and it bothered him a lot. He didnt feel comfortable, because he knew something is watching them from somewhere, however he couldnt spot the enemy.

*husshhhh husshh*

It rattled in the bushes as the creature fled again from Aleg's perception.

"I am completely sure that something is following us, did you notice the sudden movements in the bushes?", he asked Annie and Gavro.

-"Now that you mention it, I kind of felt being observed and those suspiciously moving bushes made me feel even more agitated.", replied Gavro.

"Nothing to worry about guys, maybe it is a cutr little demon wanting to play hide and seek with us.", nonchalantly said Annie.

They continued their walk for another thirty minutes until Aleg couldnt bear to standt the fact, that he was being observed from someone hiding in the shadows.

He shouted:" Come out, wherever you are and I promise to spare your life, if you state your business."

The creature was terrified, because it knew that its presence had been detected and it decided to flee. The rash movements of the creature were what Aleg was waiting for. He spotted the sudden movements in the bushes, once again, but this time he was prepared to run after it. He started chasing the scared creature. After a few meters, he noticed a blue blurr running around like a chased bunny, but with a gigantic leap he had caught the creature by its feet.

Aleg panted and pulled the feet, so the body would show itself from the bushes. It was a blue skinned demon. He had seen those demons in the red light district, but as it looks like, the one, he had just caught, was a child.

"Who are you?", Aleg asked," and why are you following us?"

The child trembled by the sudden interrogation and its heart also pounded like crazy from being caught and uncertain of its future fate. It replied with a scared voice:" I am Mila from the Blue Oni tribe."

-" Okay Mila, dont be afraid, if you tell us why you were following us, then nothing will happen.", he said in a calm voice while looking at her eyes.

Mila was even more intimidated and she started shaking while answering Aleg's question:" I, I, I.. am actually looking for strong fighters and once I saw you, I couldnt help myself to follow you and strike up a converstion. Every time I got near you, I just got extremely scared and panickingly ran away."

"Cuuuute, such a cuuute scaredycat Oni!", exclaimed Annie.

Before she could hug and cuddle mila, Aleg had stopped her nd told her to hold her horses:" Wait, until I am done with posing the questions."

"Why would you need strong warriors?", he asked.

-" My clan has been caught by the red Oni tribe. Since a while ago, we have been on bad terms with the red oni, but during a territorial dispute the things had taken a turn for the worse. The red Oni launched a surprise attack during the night and I was the only one, who managed to flee."

Aleg deeply watched into her eyes, trying to figure out, if she told the truth:" As I see you are telling me no fairy tales, but I am not interested in solving your clan's disputes on my behalf.

Aleg stoodup and before he could walk away, Annie had begged him to help her:" Look how cute she is!", she said while cuddling and hugging Mila with her big eyes on the verge of tears, because of the refusal, " Aleg you definitely have to help that blue Oni tribe."

-" It is too bothersome and nothing is to be gained from helping them."

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

Mila replied in a low voice holding her tears:" If you help us the village elders definitely will repay you with their greatest treasure they possess."

-" Little Mila.., everything you posses belongs to the red Oni tribe and I have no intention of meddling in your affairs."

This broke the dam, which was holding mila's tears in anf without being able to endure it any further she started crying out of her soul, thinking about the sealed fate of all her family and tribe members.

" Hohohoho, indeed a true devil refusing a request from such a cute child.",  remarked Gavro.

Aleg noticed the support from Gavro and declared:" Good since we have come to a conclusion, we are going back to the stony path and continue travelling towards the city Makolar.

They both turned their backs leaving Mila behind, expecting Annie to tag along with him.

A voice from bbehind was clearly heard:" If you are not helping her, then sure I will."

Aleg frowned and told Annie to come to her senses:" What can you possibly do against a hoard of red Oni. Just leave them be. The strong are meant to survive."

She exclamated a loud hmppf and spoke:" You go to the city of Ma fucking kolar. Me and Mila will help each other out. Since the weak care for each other."

Annie took Mila by her hands and asked her to lead the way to her tribe village, that had been raided:" We might find some unexpected clues, whih could help us in saving your family."

"Yes, please follow me!", happily sniffed Mila.

Aleg was frowning even more and was purely dumbstruck thinking:" This foolish woman for all I care she can commit suicide."

Gavro followed Aleg while he stamped through the forest back to the stony path.

Annie couldnt help herself to find a possible way to save Mila's tribe. She started to dwelge in painful memories..:" I was only 12years old, when our village had been raided, by the enemies' soldiers. They burned the whole village down and took all my family members as slaves. I was the only one whovmanaged to flee, but as a 12y ear old girl, nobody wanted to employ me... So before I let that cute Mila, advance any further down the path I had experienced. I will rather help her and get ourselves killed, than see Mila selling her body off in a city."

"Graaarghghghghg! This woman!", shouted Aleg, " Fuck that woman and her idiotic thoughts! I am not letting the first life I had saved go to waste!"

He turned back and started going back towards Annie.

"Master, where are you going??", asked The old man.

-" Saving some bitches.. Once again... And eradicating some Onis! Be it purple, blue, black, red or yellow! Whatever!", angrily replied Aleg. He thought while boiling inside:" Annie, I swear, if you hadnt been my first, then I would have killed you ages ago!"

He came back to the place, where he had caught Mila, but they werent there anymore. "Guess they left, already..", he told Gavro.

Gavro offered his help in tracking them, since all the experiences he accumulated from chasing wild animals, didnt go to waste through all those years :" Hohohoho, let's hunt some beautiful damsels in distress."

Aleg frowned at that damsel remark, which put him in an even bigger foul mood. "Why the hell am I even doing this... Better have a female accompany me, than being alone with a necrophilian animal fucker...", thought Aleg while agreeing to his thoughts with a deep sigh. He was kind of bound to gavro, because of the pact he had to held intact and Annie was definitely a personality, that made him bear the fact of having a crazy old man accompany them. He couldnt imagine, how it might turn out walking alone with this crazy old man. There is even a high probavility of turning just as crazy as him.

Annie still felt a bit sad, that Aleg didnt help her, but she couldnt possibly let a girl walk down the path of an exiled prostitute. Even though she loved him immeasurably. If he didnt want to help a smal child, then he  must have his reasons, however those reasons also made it impossible to walk along his side.

"Where the hell is that damn woman..!", exclaimed Aleg annoyed, who followed  Gavro as he was licking a tree stump and sniffing the ground."Maan this old geezer is even more nuts, than I gave him credit for..", thought Aleg.

Next Chapter