After The Battle

It was a warm evening. The sun showered its glory upon the world's surface as the breeze ran by. The sky was as clear as it was blue and the clouds were fluffy and white. As the birds chirped, the environment was a bit quiet and also green as the color green. While the day was peaceful and wonderful for some people, it wasn't the same for others. After the battle, the spies had given themselves in so the people of the town were obviously happy now that they were safe. But Xavier vexes over the whole thing with him being too weak. After disrupting his mana core he was not allowed to use magic until it recovers. And after being electrocuted, Xavier couldn't stop shaking whenever he sat down or didn't move. His knees shook aggressively and so did his fingers. Even Wayne was vexed over his uselessness in the battle while he did way more than Xavier and a bit less than Feran. He thought if he was stronger Feran wouldn't receive that hit and Xavier wouldn't electrocute himself. They were both angry about being weak, of course, in Wayne's case since he was older than Xavier who was nine by six years he was stronger. But he despised seeing Xavier almost killing himself and if he was strong he could've avoided that. They were both angry with themselves but vexing over it wouldn't help them, would it?

As Xavier sat at the dinner table chairs his knee shook. At first, he would be angry but this time, he didn't even care. He was just waiting until his mana core recovered to get stronger than ever. All this time Xavier was rushing his progress but didn't care to take it slow. He longed to go in battle against strong opponents but whenever that happened he would almost die then sometimes regret it. Xavier knew his biggest problem but he didn't care all that much, he needed results, and people who obsess with results end up destroying everything they worked for. An example of this was Alex's late parents, they obsessed off of success to the point where, since they couldn't make it they tried overworking their son to do so and controlled him his whole life. If Alex had been anyone else, they would have run away from them but Alex truly cared about his little brother, Andrew.

" Oh, that's a surprise, you aren't complaining." Vivian noticed.

" Complaining doesn't help with anything," Xavier replied.

" Oh come on Xavier, you can't blame yourself for being nine!" Vivian said as she took a sip of her tea.

They were eating salad with meat mixed inside.

Vivian then touched Xavier by his shoulder," One day you'll notice that power isn't all there is to strength."

Xavier had heard this before, but couldn't remember where. Maybe he heard it in his life as Alex. Xavier was forgetting a lot about his past life, all he thought about was Andrew nothing else. This world was far more dangerous than his old world not to mention there were dangerous and nasty people here too but for some reason, he liked it here more than there. Maybe it was because of his new family?

Xavier then got up from the dinner table," I'm going to take a walk around town."

Vivian smiled," Go ahead but stay safe." She waved him goodbye as he left through the front door." Oh, Xavier, I wish I could do more for you." Vivian was worried for these past days she hadn't talked to him much.

Xavier had spent way more time with Xandyr than with her since he got home. Well, it was expected, wasn't it?

***

As Xavier roamed the streets, he saw someone whom he had never seen before. It was a boy around his age, probably a bit older. The boy had curly black hair, green eyes, and dark lips. His complexion was fair as it was white. The boy was a bit short, he was the same height as Xavier. He also wore strange long clothing with just one piece of armor which was a chest plate and he held a longsword. He was mostly not from Třekov.

" You can't even use magic! Not to mention you're a kid, I wonder if the adventurers guild is a place for rejects. Maybe they'll accept a drunkard like me!" A man made fun of the boy but the boy couldn't care less.

" I'm going to complete my mission!" The boy walked off.

" There are something monsters like blood wolves outside there y'know! Well then have it your way." The man then left.

' What's that guy thinking? If he can't use magic then he'll squash!' Xavier thought as he followed the boy without him noticing.

As the boy left the town to the forest, so did Xavier. It was the very forest Xavier had saved someone in before but it had changed after the years. The forest was now bigger and the dark trees reached the skies. Trees were everywhere to be seen and one could feel the presence of many beasts spying on their prey. All one could see was the color green everywhere. Even the bushes and the gas were tall, the only short things there were Xavier and the boy.

As Xavier followed the boy, he stepped on a twig. Xavier then immediately rushed to the bushes but the boy heard his footsteps.

" Who's there, no, what's there?" The boy looked around in every direction but couldn't the source of the noise. He was now on high guard making it harder for Xavier to approach him.

' Remind me why I'm following this guy again? Oh right, to make sure he doesn't die but why'd I care?' Xavier then sighed as he followed the boy while hiding before trees.

As the boy ran through the forest, he was stopped by a group of blood wolves. The boy then drew his longsword and held it in both hands. As one of them dove in the air and tried to attack him, he slashed his long sword downward slicing through its head. Since a bloodwolf's body was tough there was a weak spot in the middle of the head where there was soft skin. Blood gushed from its head as it fell to the ground. Seeing one there kind killed so easily, the bloodwolves moved back and started forming circles. One of them then jumped at the boy. He then thrust his sword precisely without hesitation, his sword went straight through the bloodwolf's mouth.

' To think he can keep his own against a group of bloodwolves without magic.' Xavier was subconsciously cheering for the boy.

***

After a while, the boy had finished all the bloodwolves. Xavier felt as if his help wasn't needed so he decided to back off and go back home.' He'll be fine.' Xavier thought. And the moment he turned around and was now walking away, he heard a fast gust of wind.

As Xavier turned around, his eyes widened at a terrifying sight. A wendigo appeared in front of the boy. It was a monster with a human-shaped body and a deer head. Its claws were also huge and sharp, the thing was three times the size of both the boy and Xavier. As the boy trembled, he slapped himself and got back in a fighting stance.

" You must be the one responsible for the strange abnormal monster reports." The boy wiped the sweat from his face.

He then thrust his sword. And the moment he did so, he was shocked. The wendigo had disappeared. The boy then turned around and the moment he did, he was scratched from behind on his back. A huge scratch now appeared on this back. But the boy fought the pain and turned around once again. And every time he tried to spot the wendigo, it would scratch him. The wendigo was toying with the boy, if it wanted it could cut his head straight off.

" You're weak." A soft and terrifying voice was heard as it giggled at the boy." Hahahaha!" It was the Wendigo.

The boy was cut many times continuously to the point where he could have barely stood.

" I will not lose! I will get stronger, whether I can't use magic or not, I will get stronger, I will not fail and I will survive like I always do! No matter how big the obstacle is, I will not fall! And if I was ever to fall I will go down in glory with a smile on my face." He was then scratched on both his legs which limited him from moving and made him fall, but he got up and shouted these words as blood dripped from every corner of his body. He couldn't even see in his left eye but he still tried.

Xavier watched in shock,' So this is true strength. Strength comes from your heart and not your power, that's probably what mom meant. To think this boy had to patience to wait for years until he awakened but it didn't happen yet he's still fighting. He's way stronger than I'm.' Xavier fell on his knees noticing his selfish actions. He had even gained respect for the boy. And at the moment the boy could stand no more, the wendigo was ready to finish him off.

" Hehe!" It laughed at the boy as he agonized in pain. It then grabbed his hand. It was going to tear him limb from limb.

Xavier threw his dagger and paralyzed it. And the moment it couldn't move, he grabbed the boy and his dagger and ran away. Since it had the ability to teleport the only thing Xavier could do was to stall it.

The man from before who called himself a drunkard came out of the bushes," Hey kid, it isn't safe here you know."

The moment he got out of the bushes, he fixated his eyes on the Wendigo. As eyes widened as he said," Huh?"

The man's head fell off his neck as his body dropped to the ground.

***

As Xavier ran carrying the boy, he questioned," Who are you?"

Xavier then looked down on the boy as he carried," There's no time for that! Don't worry you'll be fine!"

" Ha! I'm going to die anyway so you should leave me here." The boy's voice sounded soft and sickly, it was almost like he was whispering.

As Xavier rushed through the forest, he made it out as the sunlight shined on their faces. Inside the forest was almost like it was night. The forest was a bit far off from Třekov.

" We're nearly in Třekov," Xavier said as he rushed.

All he had to do was cross the bridge to Třekov. Xavier then fastened up his pace as he ran. Sweat ran down his face like he ran a marathon.

As he made it to Třekov, he rushed through the city gates.

Knights then rushed to him," Leave him to us!" They wanted Xavier to give the boy to them so that they could treat him instead.

As Xavier lost them, he shouted," You wouldn't make it in time!"

It was true, the only person who could save the boy from bleeding out was Vivian. The medical equipment in this world was nowhere as good as in Xavier's past world. If he had given him to them, he would bleed out before they could make it to a doctor.

As Xavier ran up the hill to his home, he shouted," Mom!"

Vivian then rushed out of the house noticing the boy who was on death's door. She then channeled mana until you could see veins on her body. Then as she placed her palms on him, a green light glowed as he poured nearly all her mana into healing the boy.

She was now bleeding from her nose and spat out blood after taking plenty of the boy's pain." He'll be fine, let him rest on your bed until he recovers completely." Her voice signaled how much that took out of her.

Xavier was now relieved." That was so close." He then dropped on the fall as his legs were tired.

***

A few days later, the boy said his farewell as he left their homes. Xavier never got to know his name and so did the boy too.