My first opponent was a powerful serpent. As big and ferocious as my father, was it. However, when I fought it, I didn’t feel any hesitation, nor fear. No, it only had a strong intent of killing and chopping me up into pieces or devouring me in one gulp. I knew, then, in that moment, that is how a battle should be fought.
That is how I trained them.
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Chapter 151: Run and Hide
My first opponent was a powerful serpent. As big and ferocious as my father, was it. However, when I fought it, I didn’t feel any hesitation, nor fear. No, it only had a strong intent of killing and chopping me up into pieces or devouring me in one gulp. I knew, then, in that moment, that is how a battle should be fought.
That is how I trained them.
The woman grew ever so closer, the ground shuddering with every step she took. With a quick punch, the dust swiftly cleared away. Her pupils widened as she gazed upon an empty spot before her, a few crimson puddles and a pair of pants serving as the only indication that someone else had been there. She took a quick whiff of the air and frowned.
“Burnt… and gone.” The woman murmured under her breath, then dashed forward with a resolute expression.
…
Kai’s footsteps wavered as he ran through the alley, his ragged breathing bouncing against the calm exterior of the buildings. Somehow, no one had shown up to check the commotion, and he had a good guess as to why, too. Damned Raymond! Cursing under his breath, the boy stumbled slightly, but quickly picked himself back up. Must… get… away… He thought, with an intense burning sensation spreading all over his back. I managed to get away… just barely. He thought, his mind replaying the last few minutes over and over again.
As the woman punched the ground, Kai, too, cast a fire spell, within which he threw a fire crystal, causing it to blow up at the same time that the shockwave reached him. It absorbed some of the force, and shot Kai away at the same time, barely outside the range of impact. Blood covered his back, which turned him partially invisible, and the dust blocking the woman’s view gave him just enough time to run away in a panic. As he did, the powers of invisibility he tried to harness from Darky activated.
If one looked from afar, one would see a boy, naked, save for his underwear, covered in blood and wounds, and a scorched back. However, that is, if anyone could see him. As he was, his body and clothes turned completely invisible. Some spots are due to the aforementioned blood, and some are due to Darky’s natural power of invisibility. I can’t believe I managed to do it! He thought, excited, and somewhat liberated by not having a monstrous human chasing him from behind. But how long will this last?
That became his main concern, as he didn’t know what sort of tracking techniques the Inquisitors had, only that they did, and he didn’t want to bet on that woman, or anyone else, not using them.
He did the best he could to not make any visible traces, having learned from his previous two encounters, and pulled his mana in as much as possible, to not exude any sort of presence. Despite that, a queasy feeling still rose up in his stomach. Whether it be because of the newfound, strange power, and not knowing how long it would last, or the anxiety of being found once again, he didn’t know.
All he could do at that moment was run. Wind spells, speed buffs, body enhancements, stamina regeneration… he cast all the spells he thought of, and that could give him more speed, no matter how minor. His tattered feet were bloody and bruised, cut up by jagged rocks or stray pieces of glass, and burnt by the harsh sun shining upon roof tiles.
However, he kept on moving, toward the northern-most wall. It wasn’t that far away, even compared to his normal speed, but at that moment, it couldn’t be any farther. Come on, move faster! He cried anxiously, his heart skipping a beat at every little thud and creak he heard. FASTER! He yelled once again like a broken well.
Finally, the walls, guarded by soldiers clad in metal armor, and wielding swords, showed itself before him. Arching his legs, he jumped from one roof to another, until, finally, he reached the top of the wall. He landed between two guards, however he passed them as quickly as he arrived, the gust of wind leaving them scratching their heads.
Landing on the grass, Kai thought he could heave a sigh of relief. However, a wild thud, that he had long since grown accustomed to landed in his ears, and, without having to look back, knew that the woman found the small traces he left behind on the roofs as he ran. Damn it, fuck! He didn’t hesitate to dash once again before she could take notice of where the grass bent or shuffled. As he entered deeper into the forest, he crouched and walked slowly, mindful of every step he took.
Trying to control his beating heart and ragged breathing proved to be more difficult than expected, however. Kai didn’t know if the Inquisitor had any way to detect breathing, but if she was as strong as he thought she was… I’d be found as soon as she got close enough. Gulping, he moved forward, stopping every so often to listen for footsteps.
He continued like that, taking baby steps with sweat dripping down his invisible body. Some spots remained visible, though, which he quickly smeared with fresh, or dried blood. For the most part, he blended right in. If one didn’t look carefully, they wouldn’t be able to see him. And so, for the good part of an hour filled with anxiety, he walked and jumped with no particular direction in mind besides the ‘as far away as possible’ road.
However as luck, or unluck, would have it, his desire to slip away unnoticed couldn’t come true. Leaves and branches rustled and cracked as the woman jumped off from atop a tree, landing a dozen or so meters away from Kai. He quickly held his breath and lowered himself even more, not even daring to look in her direction for fear of being sensed. The mana surrounding his body retracted even more inside, causing him a slight amount of pain.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
Despite that, he held strong and didn’t dare even allow a muscle to spasm for fear of being too noisy. The woman put her hood down, allowing her beautiful hair to cascade down her shoulders, and she scanned the surroundings with a glowing pair of eyes.
Kai’s immediate instincts told him to run away, to hide from her. However, he controlled himself and stood as still as a statue as her gaze scanned the entire area more than a couple of times. Each time it landed on him, he wanted to shiver, to run away and hide. To become as little as possible and to escape somewhere, anywhere. However, he couldn’t, he feared her so much that even his heart stood still.
Her strength alone made her the toughest opponent he ever had to deal with, not to mention her tracking skills and infuriatingly fast speed. The woman’s aura, in Kai’s eyes, felt not like a man’s, but a ravenous beast. Such a strong, putrid aura reminded him of Haniard, especially in that last moment when Kai had faced his illusionary sword and somehow survived… the moment his dad died.
Afraid to even bite his lower lip, he endured with a pit forming in his stomach. Despite that, he didn’t do anything, move, breathe, or anything else that might give him away. Please, Lumiera, hear me out, I know we’ve had our misunderstandings but please…! He prayed, long, and for what seemed like hours, but there was no reply, as expected. Fine, Yurman… Hell, even Eda! Please! Kai called to every God he knew, Eda being the last one he found the name of, apparently being Barhm’s God.
Yet, his prayers didn’t seem to go unanswered, as the the glow in the woman’s eyes faded away, and she blinked rapidly, veins popping over her sclera. Kai took a chance to glance at her for a fraction of a second, then looked away. It must put a lot of strain on her eyes, but the fact that she stopped here means… she knows my general location! A curse felt like leaving his mouth, however he held it in.
The Inquisitor’s robe fluttered as she jumped up on a tree, seemingly leaving. However, Kai didn’t move, remaining still and allowing himself to take minimal breaths every so often. She’s definitely still around… And so, the waiting game began. The woman didn’t know where exactly he was, so she made it seem like she left. A classic scheme… Kai thought, mad that she would think of him that stupid.
The sun rose past the midpoint, then descended, the moon taking its place, and it too rising past the midpoint. During that entire time, Kai’s body remained still, truly imitating a statue. His breaths were soft, taken only when a breeze blew past him, and his heart beat at a very slow and quiet rate. Despite the signs of relaxation, though, adrenaline coursed through his veins like never before. Only his pupils moved about, and even then he felt like it was too much, so he closed his eyes, and did his best not to fall asleep.
Damned woman! He cursed, annoyed. How long are you going to stay there? Not knowing whether she moved or not, Kai couldn’t afford to attempt to leave. However, that also meant that he would either have to stay like that for days on end or trust that she left, searching in other places. She definitely didn’t, though… not so quick. He had read about the Inquisitors and their horrifying acts against vampires and humans alike.
Most awful though, were their torture methods, which he couldn’t even begin to recall, and their patience during said tortures. It is written that they can play with their victim for days before getting a reply. Their methods are slow, brutal, and merciless, and even if the victim confesses right away they still continue torturing them. Sadists, through and through, all of them!
And for those reasons, he knew that she could lay in waiting for days, or weeks. I won’t survive that long, though. He sighed internally and tried to think about other things, retreating deep into his mind in an attempt to pass the time. Argh… if only I could just ki-… wound her. Why am I so darned weak?! Her uniform doesn’t even look to be that fancy! If only Onyx were here… Onyx, oh boy, what did you get into? Where are you? Please be safe.
At that moment, though, the moment he thought about Onyx, a warmth spread from his chest, and a sudden, painful feeling appeared on his leg. What the fu- It felt fractured, broken, leaking fresh blood. Then, the wind against his face, weaker and less harsh than usual, and finally the sight of grass, shorter than it normally was, and then he saw a flash-a glimpse of a body that wasn’t his own. Right as he did, a sudden, mindless thought popped into his mind, one that wasn’t his own.
“Arwo? Brwer?”
What?!
“Brwer! Brwer! Brwer! Woofrgh!”
What is this, who are you? Kai demanded sternly, however, his heart softened instantly as he realized who he was talking to, whose pain he felt, and whose vision he shared for a moment. Onyx?
“Oyx! Oyx!”
How is this possible?
“Woorf?”
Right…
“Wer yu?”
No, stay away, it’s dangerous! As he thought about that, though, he felt Onyx grab onto his scent, and then proceed to head in his direction. No, too However, a splitting headache fell upon him at that moment, and it took everything he had not to scream and groan in pain. Fuck, does that mean he’s coming this way, where even is he?!
So he lay anxious, waiting to know whether or not Onyx would arrive from wherever he was, hoping that he wouldn’t, though. The night passed by quietly, the only disturbance being the wild animals and critters weak enough to not feel any pressure from the metaphorical sword hanging above Kai’s head. That also served as a sign to Kai that the woman had no plans of ever leaving.
As the sun rose on a new morning, with Kai remaining unmoving, and the Inquisitor still there, the boy almost lost all hope of her leaving. However, a sudden tussle grabbed his attention, and he, trying to make as little sound as possible, slowly turned his head to watch. A branch, somewhere above him, fluttered, and then, two dozen or so meters away, the woman’s bulky figure appeared, landing on the ground.
She gave a quick scan of the area once again, her eyes glowing even brighter than before. It didn’t last, or linger for long, however, as she turned away and left. Kai couldn’t afford to let out a breath of relief, however, as he couldn’t be sure if she left or not until a strong beast arrived. However long that would be…
Mid-way through the day, Kai noticed a large snake, whose level he couldn’t exactly discern. Based on its aura it could be a two or three, maybe four-star? Does that mean she really left? After seeing it, he allowed himself to relax slightly but still remained still as a statue. By that point, his throat dried up almost completely, and his empty stomach forced itself to remain quiet despite the intense hunger.
A couple more hours later, he began to think she had well and truly left. I will stay like this until the night passes, then I will move. After deciding that, he remained ever so vigilant, his eyes dashing to any and all movement or sound. A sudden rustle grabbed his attention, however, he couldn’t tell whether it was fair or not, so he paid it no mind, not daring to spread out his mana sense. Minutes later, he saw another snake, thrice as big as the previous one, with a much fiercer and violent aura. Kai’s gaze fixated on it, ready to jump out and run for his life regardless if the woman was there or not if the thing attacked.
As he followed it, suddenly, a cold sniff at the back of his neck made him jump, and let out a very soft, involuntary yelp sound. Crap!
The snake turned its head in his direction, and headed toward him, to investigate. However, before it could approach too close, it suddenly recoiled back, turned one hundred and eighty degrees, and then slithered away faster than Kai could process.
From above, the woman fell, sending a huge shockwave, and her gaze, as cold and vicious as a hungry wolf, glared right in his direction.