The Splitting Ride

Akai rode a black stallion as the Captain Leo followed shortly behind him and the other dragonslayers followed behind both of them.

Akai continued to follow the crows' lead as they got further into the forest. Akai could sense it. The presence of a dragon. His heart was beating, although he now wasn't sure whether it was fear or excitement. Out of all the dragons, he absolutely wanted to get rid of the one who killed Halido, but at the same time, he feared whether the dragon would be too much for him. He thought that this dragon must have been experienced in fighting. One who had to hide in human form and fought in human form like himself. Akai was used to facing off against creatures bigger than him as they were bigger targets. Now, after years of not facing any dragons, he was unsure whether he could win.

Akai shook all of those thoughts away. He had to kill the dragon, no matter what. If it was for himself or for saving the future. He had to do it. There was no choice.

One of the crows perched onto Akai's shoulder and cawed in Miura voice, "The merchant is just ahead. He is hiding in some kind of old shack."

Akai smiled in anticipation. Captain Leo and the other dragonslayers were ready to fight. They were trained to fight giant monsters and each one of them have killed dragons, before, without Akai's help.

The crow flew off of Akai's shoulder and joined the flock as they flew through the forests for the dragonslayers to follow while one flew above.

Suddenly, without warning, Akai's senses disappeared. He could no longer sense the dragon even though they were going in the right direction. He stopped to a halt and looked back.

"Did we pass her?" he muttered under his breath. As he stopped, the other dragonslayers stopped behind him. The crows noticed that Akai stopped in his tracks, flew back, and perched themselves on tree branches.

They must have passed each other, he thought.

"Is there a problem, Crimson Black Knight?" Captain Leo asked.

One of the crows flew to Akai's shoulder and asked the same thing, "Are you alright? What's the matter?"

"Are you certain that this merchant is there, Miura?"

"Yes. My crow is watching the shack as we speak. They haven't left," the crow spoke.

Akai now knew that the silver armored merchant wasn't a dragon. He turned his horse around and said, "Something has come up to my attention. Captain Leo, take our men and handle this."

"Sir?" Captain Leo asked worryingly not knowing the reason why the Crimson Black Knight was leaving.

Akai couldn't say that he could sense dragons. He had to give a reason. So, he chose one.

"This will be a test for your leadership. You failed once. Do not fail me, again," he said hoping that would be enough.

Captain Leo nodded and shouted, "Alright, men! Follow me and the crows!"

As they rode off, Leo wasn't convinced. Why would Akai come all this way if he wasn't going to see this through, he wondered. But he didn't want to disappoint him. The man who saved him all those years ago. The only reason he was alive was because of Akai. The only reason he has a purpose is because of Akai. All of these men followed the Crimson Black Knight because he was a legend to them. Someone to look up to. They would write tales of him and his conquests. The man who saved Shieldrake from the threat of dragons.

Captain Leo and the other dragonslayers charged forward following the crows, while one crow stayed on top of Akai's shoulders.

Akai hit the reins of his dark horse and rode back towards King's City.