"So, what's your relationship with that Duke guy? From what I've seen, not many people could beat you in a fight," I asked, watching Ashoc as he diligently set up camp for the night. The light of the setting sun made his features more easily visible, highlighting his stern expression.

"I'm unsure if I could soundly beat him, but I wouldn't want to find out. I owe him too much to ever make an attempt on his or his family's lives," he replied bluntly, stacking small logs into a pile before igniting them. A fresh, resinous aroma filled the air around us. There was a brief silence, the only sound being the crackle of the growing fire, before either of us spoke again.

"You didn't answer the relationship portion of the question, brat," the puppy interjected, shooting what I could only assume to be an amused expression at my savior.

Ashoc paused, his hands momentarily still over the fire. "Because I can't. Too much baggage. The long and short of it is, I hold no hostile intentions toward him, as I said. I'm unsure of how he feels toward me, though." His voice was quiet, his eyes averting to the flickering flames. "Yeah, maybe beating his soldiers into submission to escape wasn't your best move."

"Shut it," he growled at the small animal. The sudden surge of power stunned me, making all my muscles tense up involuntarily. His eyes flicked over to me, and the oppressive feeling intensified before it disappeared as abruptly as it had come. "Sorry," he grumbled, turning his attention back to the campfire. After slicing the meat into unreasonably large pieces, he skewered two of them onto separate sticks and handed me one.

"None for your companion who journeyed with you for four years?" The puppy's voice had grown deeper, causing me to glance over at it. The sight that greeted me made me shriek in panic. Before I could fully register what was happening, Ashoc was standing in front of me, sword drawn in his left hand.

"What...?" His words fell on deaf ears as a high-pitched ringing filled my ears, and my vision swam. He grabbed my shoulders, and I vaguely felt myself being shaken, but coherent thought and speech were beyond me. How did he not notice the giant wolf standing only a few feet away? Was it invisible to him?

As these questions spiraled further and further in my mind, I noticed something strange: Ashoc would occasionally glance over at the wolf, and both of their mouths would move as if they were conversing. What was this monstrous creature, and where had the puppy gone?

Ashoc leaned me against a nearby tree before lunging at the wolf beast. As he closed the distance, they both began to swing wildly at each other, the clash of their blows echoing through the forest. Blood began to splatter, painting the surroundings with a gruesome artistry. What if it kills Ashoc?

While the two continued their ferocious exchange, tearing at each other like wild animals, I mustered all the strength I could into my arms and dragged myself over to where Ashoc's second sword lay on the ground. I wouldn't let my second chance at freedom slip away that easily. Channeling all the fire mana I could into the blade, I launched it toward the beast attacking us.

Somehow, both combatants noticed the incoming sword and dodged out of the way. They shared a wary glance before turning to face me. "Are you good now, Anjing?" Ashoc asked. It was only then that I realized I could hear again, though I still lacked the ability to speak. Launching that sword while overwhelmed with fear had taken a tremendous toll on my body.

"The...puppy..." I wheezed out, terrified of what might have become of Ashoc's little companion. The two combatants exchanged glances once more. This time, Ashoc's expression was infuriated, while the beast's was bashful.

"This is that bas— the puppy," Ashoc grumbled.

"Sorry, I wasn't expecting to cause a panic attack by reverting to my original form. I can change back if it makes you more comfortable. I only do it to ward off other mana monsters," the wolf spoke in a low, rumbling tone, its sharp teeth and drool glistening in the firelight. Knowing its true identity made it significantly less shocking, though still unsettling.

"It's f-fine. The suddenness of it all just reminded me of the day my home was attacked. One minute everything's fine, and the next? Everything I know is gone," I whispered, my voice barely audible. My gaze lingered on Ashoc, who seemed to have withdrawn into himself, his back turned to me. "Ashoc, are you—"

"That's enough eavesdropping. Get out here," he demanded, picking up a blade and lowering his stance.

A woman emerged from behind a nearby tree and approached us steadily, seemingly unaffected by Ashoc's aggressive posture. "Gonna put that away, or do you want to keep scaring the elf? We both know I'm not afraid of you," she said calmly.

The tension in the air dissipated slightly as Ashoc turned to face the woman. She had gray streaks in her hair and wrinkles etched into her face, suggesting a lifetime of experience. "Why was the Duke aware I'd be here, Maya?" he asked through gritted teeth, a venomous glare on his features. "You know something, kid? I liked you better when you were the innocent greenhorn trailing behind Greg."

The atmosphere grew oppressively heavy, pushing me onto all fours. Even the wolf, usually so composed, was visibly affected, its body trembling as it dropped to a knee. "Ashoc...what about...Maya? She can't...how in the h-hell?" the wolf stammered, clearly struggling under the intense pressure.

I too marveled at the woman's composure. She stood unaffected by the aura that was suppressing even the powerful wolf. How strong must she be to withstand this? And what had provoked Ashoc to such a level of anger?

This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

Ashoc's eyes blazed with fury as he faced Maya, his grip on his blade tightening. The air around us crackled with tension, and I could feel the weight of unspoken history pressing down on all of us.

"I didn't ask how you felt about me. How did Ainsworth know to come here?" Ashoc's voice was taut with restrained fury.

"You can't convince me you're blinded by rage when you still manage to avoid pressing me into the ground with your aura, you know? Your attempt was cute, though, your friends don't seem to be fairing too well." Maya responded with a hint of a smirk.

"Maya..."

"How wouldn't he know? Every town, in a literal straight line, has rumors of a demon-hating vagabond visiting them. Other than avoiding him and hiding your appearance as best you can while in towns, you haven't done much to conceal yourself. You, of all people, should know how smart William can be," she lectured, her calm demeanor causing Ashoc's intent to dissipate as he seemed satisfied with her answer.

"Guess not, huh. Any other towns with reports involving demons?" Ashoc asked, his knuckles turning white from the intensity of his grip.

"They've been becoming more and more rare, especially in the closer towns. Even demons would notice your patterns, kid," she joked, a sarcastic smirk playing on her lips.

"I wanted the demons to know. I figured they'd see it as a challenge and come at me. Revenge will be impossible as long as they keep avoiding me, so maybe I really should make it harder to predict," Ashoc responded, a contemplative look replacing his previous anger. Observing this 'Maya' person, I noticed a look of hesitation on her face before she spoke again.

"This might not be all bad, actually. If they're as prideful as we believe, they'll eventually bite the bait, right? They wouldn't be demons if they didn't." A hint of desperation glinted in her eyes, reminiscent of the look I wore the night I lost everything. Why would she convince him to keep up this pattern after telling him how inefficient it is?

The fire crackled between us, its warmth contrasting sharply with the cold tension in the air. Maya's eyes flickered to Ashoc, and I could see the unspoken history and pain in her gaze. Whatever their past, it was clear that their current situation was a delicate balancing act between vengeance, survival, and an uncertain future. To top it off, their priorities were in different places. From the short time I'd spent around Ashoc, and even shorter around Maya, it was clear. Ashoc's main priority was vengeance while Maya's wasn't.

"Yeah... no way those arrogant pricks will leave me alone if I make both my intent and location apparent. The only problem then would be Ainsworth and his daughter. Any ideas for them?" Ashoc pondered aloud, his gaze fixed on the flickering flames.

"What if you spent less time in each town, or moved around in less obvious ways? I don't know how long you'd been in Resol before saving me, but rumors of your presence had reached that far," I chimed in, feeling a bit left out of what could only be described as a strategy meeting.

"That's so simple that it honestly pisses me off that I hadn't thought of it before you said it. Thanks, Anjing," he said, a slight smirk forming on his lips.

"Happy to help the guy who, you know, saved me from living the rest of my life as a slave," I shot back, a playful grin spreading across my face.

"I wouldn't say you owe me for saving you," he replied, his expression turning somber as his eyes took on that thousand-yard stare again.

"I didn't say I did either, did I?" I quipped, snapping him back to the present and earning a slight chuckle from him.

"True."

"Will you two get a room? I thought you were discussing strategy," the wolf interjected, poking Ashoc with a clawed paw.

"Alright, back to business," Ashoc said, clearing his throat and focusing on the task at hand. "Maya, what do you think of Anjing's suggestion?"

"It's a good idea," Maya agreed, her eyes darting between us. "Moving around more unpredictably will make it harder for Ainsworth to track you. As for his daughter, well, you'll have to be extra cautious. She's more privy to your thought process after all. Considering how long you were around each other."

"Ashoc... if you encountered either that chief you've been hunting, or the one who... you know... would you retreat if your only hope at killing them was mutual destruction?" Maya inquired, her eyes keenly observing him.

"Of course not. That would still result in fewer demons for the world to stress over," he answered resolutely, without a moment's hesitation.

"I thought you'd say that..." she trailed off, a dejected look overtaking her features.

"Well, the next town on our hit list is Dobu. There's a recent rumor that a demon has been building funds there. With the idea that the demon kings are preparing for war, I think it's in our best interest to stop them sooner rather than later," she continued, her previous despondence now replaced with determination.

"Hopefully this demon can pose as much of a challenge as the one Taylor and I fought four years ago," Ashoc remarked more to himself than us.

"Challenge? Are you even listening to yourself, Ashoc?" I interjected, my voice rising. "You’re talking about mutual destruction like it’s a viable strategy. You can't just throw your life away!" Ashoc turned to face me, his eyes hard. "Anjing, you don't understand. Every demon I take down is one less monster to terrorize the world. One less loved one of an innocent person to die. If my life is the price for that, so be it."

"That’s exactly the point!" Maya added, her voice filled with frustration. "We need you alive. Your reckless thinking isn't going to help anyone in the long run. What good will you be to the world if you’re dead?"

"I’m not being reckless. I’m being pragmatic. Sometimes sacrifices have to be made for the greater good," Ashoc retorted, his tone unwavering. "Pragmatic?" I echoed, incredulous. "Sacrificing yourself isn’t pragmatic; it’s foolish. We need to find a way to win without losing you. Have you considered what would happen to the people who rely on you if you’re gone?" Ashoc clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white. "I know what I’m doing. You both need to trust me."

"Trust you to get yourself killed?" Maya scoffed. "You’re too valuable to lose in a senseless last stand. We need to outsmart them, not just outfight them. Do you think Greg would be accepting of your decision?"

"Don't....bring him into this. What’s your brilliant plan then?" Ashoc challenged, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"We stick to Anjing’s suggestion. Move unpredictably, gather intelligence, and strike where it hurts most without giving them a chance to retaliate effectively," Maya proposed, her eyes blazing with determination. "And we don't look for a challenge. We look to win with minimal risk."

"And when we do face them, we fight with the intention of living, not dying. We find another way, Ashoc. We have to," I added, my voice softening but firm. Ashoc looked between us, the tension palpable. Finally he sighed, the fire in his eyes unmoving. "Alright. I’ll try it your way. But if it comes down to it, I won’t hesitate."

"That’s all we’re asking," Maya said, her tone relieved yet still serious.

The fire crackled between us, the night growing darker. The stars above twinkled, casting a faint light on the clearing. As we continued to discuss our plans, a sense of unease began to blossom, tempered by the understanding of the challenges ahead. Though he acquiesced to our demands, that determined guise never once disappeared nor diminished.