18 Like a princess in Knight’s arms

The Half-elf looked at the dead body of Minister Brian, eyes inflamed with fear. Her throat swallowed nervously as she then turned back to look at the man who killed him.

Several pieces of broken glass were all over the floor as the man slowly walked toward her. She couldn't see his full face. She only saw some strands of his brown hair dancing on his shoulder. The knife in his hands had blood dripping from its edge. Seeing the blood, she trembled in fear. The killer came near her, step by step.

Her heart was beating so fast with every step of his. Her heart hammered against her chest as if it wanted to leap out. She struggled to stand up, but she was unable to do. She searched the floor near her to get something to defend herself, only to find a broken piece of glass from a wine bottle. She picked it up and aimed it at the man walking toward her.

"Don't-Don't come near me! I-I'll kill you!" 

The half-elf was shivering. She curled up and covered her bare chest with her knees, pointing the broken piece of glass towards Don.

Every step of the way, the glass pieces made a crunching sound under his feet. He saw the shivering half-elf and her weapon pointed towards him. She was crouching down in fear.

Don stood near her, only an arms-length distance between him and the half-elf. "Relax. I'm not going to hurt you," he said as he removed the hood and his brown robe, revealing his arm-cut shirt, black leather pants, and his handsome Mike's face.

Don knelt on one knee before the girl, looking into the eyes of the scared half-elf. Don didn't say anything as he simply wrapped his brown robe around the half-naked elf. 

On the ground, the half-elf instinctively tried to stab Don when he tried to wrap his robes around her. However, he stopped her hands in mid-air and knocked the piece of glass off her hands. She then wrapped his brown robe around her without a hitch.

The half-elf girl couldn't refuse as she put the robes around herself and firmly held onto them. She tried to stand up, only to fall back on the ground due to exhaustion and the beating she took from Minister Brian.

Seeing the struggling half-elf, Don grabbed one of her hands and helped her stand up on her feet. At that exact moment, a small ball of light departed from Minister Brian's chest and started to float towards Don. The half elf's body trembled and tightened when she saw the light. 

Don had no idea at all what this ball of light was, that just it was flying towards targeting him or the half-elf. Don quickly shielded the half-elf with his body as he came in front of her, facing the ball of light. He knew that whatever this ball of light may be, he had the power to defeat it.

Still, without stopping, the ball of light flew right into Don's body. Don didn't know what was going to happen as he touched the spot the light entered with his hands. At that moment, the half-elf jerked her body as something also entered her body, but that feeling faded instantly.

A moment later, nothing happened to either of them.

"Interesting," Don said in a calm voice as he realized what happened. He felt as if he grew an arm out when the light merged with him. He could tell that this was the master bond of the half-elf. Don realized that if he wanted to, he can do whatever he wanted with her.

When he killed the master of the slave bond, the ownership of the half-elf transferred to the killer of the master.

The half-elf was not a fool. She felt the master bound in the human before her. She became aware that her current master was now the killer of her former master, Minister Brian.

"You... you... What do you want?" She was still shivering as she asked in an exhausted voice.

Don didn't look at her as he spoke. He just started to walk towards somewhere, "I'm not like him... We should get out of here. Unless you have a better way?"

The half-elf was not in any position to disagree. Also, she didn't feel the menace that she felt from Minister Brian. He didn't look at her like a creature or lesser being, but as a being with feelings. Otherwise, he wouldn't have given his robe to her.

Also, she felt safe with him for some reason, which she was unable to put her finger on.

Don knew she would follow him. She had no other way, so he didn't wait for her as he walked towards the hole on the roof that he made to jump down to. But while he was walking, he heard a squeaky sound coming from the floor. Don stared down at the ground beneath him and retraced his steps slowly. He stopped moving just as he heard the same sound again. He thumped the ground beneath him with his shoes, feeling that there was something wrong with the ground.

"Step away from the carpet," Don said to the half-elf before him. She then stepped away from the carpet as he said.

"What were you hiding, Brian?" 

Don cut the carpet around the area that made the squeaking sound. The floor looked normal. It was made of red oak wood which was polished clean and reflected the light a bit.

Don saw a little bump on the floor, "Hidden safe, huh." 

Quickly, Don pried open the safe with his knife and saw some documents and a pouch full of coins. He took and folded the documents before putting them inside his pants pockets. He then opened the pouch and saw many shining gold coins.

"I'll take this. But..." He realized that he couldn't put them into his pockets as it was too big.

"Put it inside your pockets," Don threw the pouch towards the half-elf and stepped away from the hidden safe. He stood to look up at the hole on the roof. The half-elf caught the pouch with her two hands and hesitated for a moment. But eventually, she decided to put it inside her pockets.

"Let's go," Don motioned the half-elf to come near him with one hand.

She wanted to ask where and how, however. She knew the guards would come knocking soon. Come that time, she couldn't even hope to escape. The only way out of here was with the human before her.

"Ok," she said with a little fear and stepped near him. 

Just as she did, a pair of strong hands lifted her from the ground. She was in the arms of the human, like that princess from the stories she heard from her mother.

"Put your arms around my neck and hold on tight." 

She had no time to react to what the human said. Before she knew it, they were flying in the air. She couldn't believe her eyes. The wind was strong, causing her hair to fly right into her face. She quickly put her hands around the human and held onto him tightly.

Flying through the air, Don didn't look at the half-elf in his hands. The only thing going through his head was what the mysterious mage said earlier. He had a bad feeling about it.

What did he mean by "extermination?" Was it only him? Or was it an organization?

"Either way, I need to get stronger and build an army soon," he told himself.

"Who are you?" the half-elf finally asked Don as he looked down at the half-elf in his arms.

"I am Don," he calmly said.

"Don," the half-elf muttered his name as she slowly closed her eyes in exhaustion and tiredness.

Half an hour later, Don landed outside of the city walls where he and Uncle Dior planned to meet. As he looked around, there was no one in the vicinity, only some big trees greeting his arrival. He was sure that Uncle Dior wouldn't leave him behind. But just as he was thinking about Uncle Dior, a figure came out from behind a big banyan tree.

"Holy! What took you so long?" Uncle Dior questioned just as his eyes widened in surprise when he saw the half-elf sleeping in Don's arms. Clapping his hands gladly, he almost shouted out loud, "You saved her!"

Don nodded his head lightly. 

"Brian... What... What happened?" Uncle Dior mumbled.

"He's dead."

Uncle Dior let out a heavy sigh of relief when he heard Don. Although he believed in him, he still wanted to hear it from the man who killed Brian himself.

"We should get out before the guards come looking," Don said.

"Can you walk fast while carrying her?"

"We're flying," Don simply said, controlling the air element around Uncle Dior using his Battle Energy with his fingers. They took off from the ground at high speeds like an eagle, the dust on the ground taking off as they flew, wiped away from the force of Don's take off. It made a distinctive six-foot-wide circular mark on the ground.

"You son of a-ahhhhhhhhhhh!!!"