Chapter 3

Even though this action did not go beyond delaying the obvious, it meant that painful minutes were waiting for the prey.

Feeling the stinking breath of the Red Furred Predator on his face, Mel began to tremble with fear. Contrary to him, the voices of the predator herd were groaning the forest, and they were almost singing songs for the heroism of their leader.

Then this noise, which could be heard even at great distances, ceased suddenly. It could only mean one thing; the leader would kill the prey.

Life is often a repetition of usual events. But tonight was not so. This child, who carried his brave heart into the dark forest regardless of his weakness, had to die.

As the sharp teeth of the Red Furred Predator were about to touch Mel's thin thighs, the enormous creature stopped and couldn't move even a millimeter, as if it was frozen.

While it was in this inactive state, its herd was experiencing insane chaos outside. The forty predators that clawed the shield for a long time had collapsed on the ground. They were almost one with the earth, trembling with fear.

The remaining creatures did not have the privilege of breathing on earth anymore. The last thing that came out of their mouth was bloody foam and a short breath.

In moments of this absolute silence, only a faint footstep was heard, neither fast nor slow. It did not kick up a row or shake the ground, but all the predators, terrified the little boy by their ferocity throughout the night, put their tails between their legs.

"Mel, don't be afraid! I'm here!"

The boy, motionless like a statue at the bottom of the small cave with a creature several times bigger than him, could not believe what he heard at first.

"Mel, everything has passed!"

It was his grandfather's voice. Even though he prayed for his grandfather to come to his rescue, he did not believe it could happen.

"Grandpa, grandpa!"

Mel's ice was thawed. With his last remaining strength, he started running to the older man he had missed for days.

He did not see the Red Furred Predator, nor did the other corpses scattered around. As he was shaking with every step, he had no energy left to devote to any action other than running. While the older man stood on his knees, the little boy let himself into the open arms of the older man and instantly fainted on him. The fear of death, added to the stress of the last few days, was enough to destroy his weak body.

"You stubborn brat, I knew you wouldn't believe those idiots' lies. But going this far? Now I understand much better why I could never leave you! "

A priceless smile was barely visible between the older man's beard and mustache, which were off the rails.

"Since when have I not laughed like that?"

The older man hugged the little boy while murmuring to himself. The moment Mel took his place on his back, the older man's eyes began to radiate a chill that would make those who saw him feel as if they had fallen into an ice-filled pond.

"We had a deal! You would not harm the people of the village where I live, and I would not interfere in your natural life! "

The older man's words cut the tension in the air like a knife, yet the Red Furred Predator could only howl as if asking for forgiveness.

"I'm a straightforward man. I keep my words and protect my loved ones! "

He started walking in the direction he came from. As the daylight began to appear gradually, not only words but many things ended that night.

To not wake up the boy on his back, he did not run but walked quickly to the village. Even though his smile was wiped off, the older man's face still had traces of peace until his nose caught a smell.

"The wind is blowing from ahead. Nothing should come from that direction!"

At that moment, he began to run. The smell was getting more and more acute, accompanied by the resonance of cries and dire weeps.

"No! No way! The same thing cannot happen to me again! "

The man, who increased his speed, reached his shed with little Mel on his back. He watched the village for a while from where he always stood, but his words rebelled against the view he saw.

All the buildings, including his own house, were set on fire, and several people rushing with weapons were torturing the dead bodies of villagers he had known for years.

When his murmuring awakened Mel, the older man had nothing to say, and the poor boy witnessed it with his own eyes.

"Grandpa, what's going on? Am I in a dream? "

Mel was in shock. Even though his eyes could see everything, Mel's brain struggled to make him believe that what was happening over there could not be real. He watched his father's severed head and her mother's body, which was raped despite being dead.

"Father! Mother!"

He fainted again, unable to keep his skinny body alive. This time, the older man took him off his back and placed him gently in the peaceful bosom of the earth.

"Look, boss! Two more sheep have come! "

The shorter of the two men, who were standing at the center of the massacre and looting the village, whispered excitedly into the ear of the burly man who stood beside him in all his majesty.

"If not two, but two hundred more, it wouldn't be able to calm my nerves. I cannot get enough even if I drink the blood of these miserable people who have nothing valuable to give! "

The rebuffed man did not give up; he rubbed his hands and spoke:

"At least the rest of the gang had some fun, boss. Don't worry; after looting a few more places like this, we'll be able to take that miraculous pill that will allow you to use your inner energy! "

With the sneaky smile of the short man, whose hair on his head was so sparse that they could be counted one by one, the rotten teeth in his mouth appeared.

The big man, whose cloak made of wild beast fur was waving with the morning wind, seemed to calm down a little after what he heard. His sole purpose was to seize that pill that would set him apart from other mortals.

"Go and bring me that old man's head and the bastard beside him!"

Interpreting the leader's change of face as a confirmation of his words, the man gave his order to fawn over more. A small team of five men started riding their horses on two people standing next to the ruined shed at the exit of the village. While their other friends were having fun, they had no plans to waste time with these appetizers.

They did not pick up their weapons. They seemed like planning to get straight over them. The older man's hand was also empty, but some noises were coming from his bones. The forefinger and middle fingers joined together and separated from others. Likewise, the ring finger looked like it was merged into the little finger.

The older man's hands, which generally resembled a human hand with five fingers, now took the form of a dragon claw with three sharp fingers.

It didn't take long for the horsemen to reach them. In a time of ten breaths, the older man, who had stood in front of Mel, caught the horse's eye, which was ridden by the leader of the group.

"Die!"

If they were not dead and were able to see what was happening, the peasants' mouths would no doubt remain open. The unkempt and exhausted-looking old man faintly waved his right hand towards the horse that was ramping to crush him.

After this move, there was no sound, only the bodies of the horse and its rider, falling to the ground as if sliced ​​by a sharp weapon.

The old man stepped forward, crossed both hands in front of him, swung them, and the galloping horsemen were torn to pieces.