The coming expedition

After some time, Jade and Rhen has been waiting for Saz.

"I think he's taking too long, we need to go find him." Rhen suggested, looking worried.

"Alright then, even I am getting worried."Jade said.

Standing up, they both went into the forest again, taking the path where Saz took.

"Hey Jade, I don't think I can be of any help here, you know, I kinda lost my sword back in the other side of the forest."Rhen said, getting behind Jade.

"Wait! You are telling me that now?!"Jade exclaimed.

Coming deep into the forest, they could see four figures lying dead on the floor. Without a second thought, Rhen dashed to where a boy with ponytail hair and silver armor was lying, ignoring the Earres' dead body that was close to him.

"Saz?, Saz!,"Rhen exclaimed, looking at Jade who was still standing tall."we need to take him to Mrs Lillian, I think he got injured, badly."

"So now I have to babysit the both of you, huh?"Jade asked, putting on his knuckle-spiked gloves.

"What do you mean 'babysit'?"Rhen asked before she realized Jade was already wearing his gloves. "oh boy!"

From the direction they were coming from, an Earres having a dare held by it long fangs coming out of it lower jaw was glowering at them intensively.

"It seems like this one went to hunt for it prey, I guess it's a good thing we arrived first, if not, Saz would have been a beast feast, I mean, it the sole survivor" Jade said, waiting for the Earres to attack.

"I wonder if you ever get tired of talking."Rhen wondered, trying to put Saz in a sitting position.

"Tired! Not when I'm with you. If you need to talk, anytime, come to me." Jade said, giving Rhen a thumbs up.

*Tsk* "You can wish that, the day you become worthy of becoming a king."

"Hey come on, that hurts."

The beast threw the dead dare close to a tree by it side and charged towards Jade. Without realizing how fast this was Jade tried to punch it with his right hand covered in flame.

Though he has gotten a little faster but that won't be enough to face an Earres. In a second, he got slammed on his stomach causing him to stagger backward.

Regaining his balance, Jade punch out another blow of fire towards the beast which also got evaded.

Rhen who was kneeling down close to Saz as she helped him remove the broken piece of shoulder guild that had gotten into his wound was watching Jade in amazement of how fast he was.

Saz was now regaining consciousness due to the sounds of flames that had caught up to trees and the fight still going on. Seeing Jade battle with the Earres, he shut his mouth open.

The fight was taken too long and Jade was now breathing heavily holding on to his knee. Even after learning all the pattern of the Earres, he still couldn't react to it actions.

That's when a thought hit him. Jade started attacking again but this time more aggressively, after some time he stopped.

At his back was now the dare that the beast had brought back. Jade carried it up with his left hand by it leg, he swung it with all his strength towards the Earres, causing the beast to dodge to his right.

Immediately the beast was out in his view, he unleashed the strongest fire attack he ever had.

The Earres flew back to where Rhen and Saz was, it head was as black as coal. Still, it wasn't dead as it tried to stand up, Saz blasted out it head with his left hand.

Jade fell to the ground, breathing heavily as he took off his gloves. Both Rhen and Saz was just staring at him in amazement.

After catching his breathe, Jade stood up and went over to where Saz was.

"Hey Saz, are you okay?....We need to go see Mrs Lillian, for your wound." Jade asked, sounding awkward and stretching forth his hand towards Saz.

"Did you just get faster in fighting? I mean you weren't this fast during most of our spar with each other" Saz asked, accepting Jade hand as he got up.

"Yeah, I noticed that too, he's really fast" Rhen confirmed, hanging Saz right hand on her shoulder while Jade hung his left hand on his shoulder.

"I guess my school days exercise in Visgard is paying off then."Jade said, tittering nervously as they started walking towards the village's direction.

Back in the village, the king had called a meeting with the six major pillars of the village excluding the queen. This consisted of his two knight - Roger and Flin, the commander of the village army - Captain Drek, the king advisor - Arthur, the head of the forging department - Hegs and finally, the head of the resources department - James.

They were sitting at a long semicircular table in front of the King's throne in his meeting room, waiting for the king to commence.

"The reason I've called everyone here today is to discuss the coming expedition." The king started, standing up. "As you all know, for a long time now, the south wasteland has remained unexplored.

I've decided that the commander, captain Drek will gather twenty capable soldiers along with the three groups participating on this year expedition, that's totalling thirty people. They will travel down there to find out if theirs anything worth discovering, before other villages start to make their move." The king explained, signaling to someone raising his hand to speak."yes Hegs."

A bald man with red moustache running down to his chin, body builds, putting on complete set of armor except for an helmet, having a katana by his sides stood up.

"I think it's too dangerous for those teenagers to go to an unknown land, we don't know what type of dangerous beast' are lurking there"Hegs said, sitting back on his chair.

"I agree with Hegs, those kids don't have any battle experience to counter any attack if faced with one" Captain Drek agreed, standing up right after Hegs sat down."

"Then where do you want them to get the experience, in their little spar, in battle... or right here in this expedition? " An old man with wrinkled face and grey hair spoke up without standing up.

"I think James is right, even if there are unknown creatures, it technically serves as another source of experience." Arthur concurred, Glancing at James as he stood up.

Flin, someone who's always putting on a complete full set of golden armor and helmet. Standing close to the king's chair, hits the spear with her on the ground indicating orderliness in the room.

'now, here it is, the king's final say.' Roger thought, glancing at the clock opposite the throne.

"It's decided then, the coming expedition will be on....."

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