Damian who left the inn found his way to a pub, he was currently sitting in one of the stools at the counter as he drowns himself to his long-lost friend, alcohol.

“This is good!”

He slammed down the now empty glass mug before habitually studying the place, with his experienced eyes he noticed a large number of people carrying their weapons wearing their unorganized armors.

Damian shifted his gazed towards the person over the counter and asked, “Master, are they mercenaries?”

The old man who was wiping a goblet reserved for different drinks raised his head and saw the coins next to his mug.

Damian paid much more than the price and the bar master took it naturally together with his glass, he then turned his back against Damian and answered his query while he fill it with the alcohol that came out of the tap that was installed on the barrel.

“Yes, due to the rebellion that happened in the capital most of the knights was send there as reinforcements and without a regular subjugation of monsters problems concerning them sprung up, like attacking the city and blocking the road.”

The bar master then turned back and put down the glass filled with foaming alcohol on the counter.

“Those guys came here smelling the scent of money, are you the same?”

Damian shook his head and shrugged his shoulders before he answered him vaguely, “Well I am not sure about that.”

“Hmm.”

The bar master just picked the goblet back and once again started cleaning its inside paying no attention to him anymore.

“Thank you master.”

Damian gave his appreciation and held the handle of his mug before he stood out of his stool.

He then walked towards a table where a group of mercenaries was sitting with a friendly smile on his face.

“Amazing weapon you have there mate! So how's your day?”

Damian easily joined their group and when he heard enough from them he change his targets moving to another different table and people.

He was perfectly blending with everyone as everywhere he went there was a resounding of laughter.

In a place where men drowns themselves in toxins for a moment of bliss, their mouths would become as loose as much as their pockets that's why this is a good place to know more about a lot of things.

...

Meanwhile on top of the church's spire where the citizens' trusted bell resides stood Ezekiel, his hand holds a parchment while his eyes gazed towards his target.

It was a mansion a street away from the church but just when he was about to jump towards it, from afar his eyes spotted creatures that were flying towards the city.

The flying creatures' figures slowly becoming clearer and clearer, they are birds with stone-like colored feathers but with a balding head, they have a wide wings that blocked the light of the sun, and one robust leg with a talon that carries a stone as big as carriages.

While the one leading this group of avian which is also the biggest one among them carries a boulder close to the size of a one-floor house.

“Those are big birds! I wonder how do they taste?” Ezekiel muttered with a strand of saliva drips from the corner of his lips, he put the parchment in a pocket of his vest and jumped down the bell tower.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

He then landed on a roof of someone’s house softly like a feather before breaking into a run and followed with his nimble jumps over the roofs of different buildings.

This whimsical nature of his led to a life being saved or most likely just prolonged.

…

The two was on their way back to the inn after their wagon became emptied when they sold the weapons inside.

Alexis was viewing the passing buildings with great interest before he saw a familiar face on top of one.

“Isn't that Sir Ezekiel?” Alexis glanced at his side as he pointed at someone who's jumping a top building to building.

“Leave him be its his ch—”

“Caaaw!”

Lance's words was interrupted by the sudden bird's cry, it was so loud that the horses that are running on the street became frightened causing an accident everywhere.

“Neiigh!” Lance pulled the reins hard enough to stop and gained his control back on their rampaging horses.

He then jumped down from the coachmen's seat and turned around to where the screech reverberated, then Lance saw the silhouette of five birds all carrying stones as they shadow the city from above with their great size.

When Alexis jumped off too and looked where Lance is looking his hands, body, feet, and he himself couldn't help but shiver.

The memories of what happened on that night overlaid what the current situation is.

And while he was shivering the cracks that appeared around the coal-like thing that was coating his body started to spread even more faster, it was not until he stopped shaking that it came to halt.

However as the fear in his heart slowly turned to hatred the cracks that was now all over his body lit up in crimson light with a wave of heat coming from it, which then alerted Lance enough to glanced at Alexis but he didn't stop it or did anything instead he waited and watched.

The cloth that was bandage his whole body first suffered from fire due to too much heat, then his pupils turned blood red but it was bright like a fire now his eyes looks like it contained an unvanquished anger that threatened to destroy all, with all the that happening in his body now he currently looks like those dreaded nightmares from the tales that adults teased problematic children.

But even though he looked more of monster that seemed capable of destroying everything he was just standing still grounded on his feet watching the creatures of the skies.

The fog in Alexis' eyes disappeared turning his vision back to normal or even better that’s why he knew that those are different creatures from that one that brought him hell still his calm mind was being taken over by his impulse.

The gigantic body that blocked even the moon, its cold vertical pupils that looked at everyone like they are beneath it, and the heat of the flame it breathed overlaps with what's happening now making his eyes filled with growing hatred towards those creatures that he couldn't contain it anymore.

'If only I had power and as strong as others at that time maybe I could—no I will save them!' This words kept echoing his mind again and again, words that he has been thinking from the moment he woke up and was also his regret.

“If—”

But then the voices, the memories, the anger, the fear, all of them vanished when he saw how the leading bird had lost its head followed by a fountain of red blood gushed out from its stub.

His eyes reflected a man whose seemed to have smile always plastered on his lips, it was Ezekiel who suddenly appeared on top of the bird.

At his side Lance couldn't help but palmed his face as he sigh when he saw how Alexis body slowly stopped emitting those bright crimson lights.

“Looks like I am right but its not the time yet, Gather...” He looked to the sky where the remaining birds was circling the levitating body, head, and the man, his right hand opened and in his fingers except for the thumb the light slowly gathered, the surroundings dimmed a little but in the tips of his fingers little suns was born.

“Fire.”

Then those little suns flew like a laser and before other saw it clearly the light flashed beyond the skies.

The birds tried to attack Ezekiel but before they could flap their wings they died in a rather abrupt way.

“Let's go back.” Lance hopped back the wagon, Alexis followed him.

It was a little late but he noticed that his body was emitting a burning smell. When he tilted his head down he saw that the cloth wrapping around him was already in ashes while his robes has patches on it.

Ezekiel landed on top of their covered wagon lightly before peeking his head out towards the front.

”Thanks for your help, Captain!”

“There is no need, you could do it without me.” Lance did not looked at his instead focus on the front as he let their horses run the road once again.

Ezekiel laid down his face on his raised palm as he replied, “But it would not be as clean as you did, now we can have a good dinner with this right kid!?”

Alexis raised his head with his vision slowly turning back to the way it was before and all he could see was his golden hair but still he replied happily.

“I am looking forward to it.”

Their wagon made its way back to the inn following them was a flying group of dead birds bundled together into a ball waiting to be made in a sumptuous meal.