2 New Threat

Michukha, son of cold-bloods, walked up the road to a city. A city of the hated elves. Their castle with towers that scraped the sky, lines of art surrounded the towers, showing its beautiful architecture from many great and talented architects. Statues of elven heroes stood tall around the castle's entrance.

The lizard didn't come here for blood, he came here for supplies. He wouldn't get close to the castle itself, he would only draw too much attention to himself. He followed the road up to the market that was bustling with activity. The majority of races were the elves, but also there were other races here. Humans, dwarfs, half-elves, and many others. Even a few golems thudded about. And even the traitorous snakes slithered about, the basilisks.

Michukha curled up his tail inside his long cloak, hiding it from sight, ignoring the fact it was uncomfortable for him. He had one of his ancestor's helmets to hide his face, adventurers don't care if they see him use this type of armor, even they use it. Armor of cold-bloods, they are the toughest out there, but only a few still were around. The cloak was enough to hide his body, no one will know he is a cold-blood, except if they really try to find out what race he is. Through smell or aggressively tugging against his cloak.

With a bag full of weapons and armor from his victims, he placed it on the table of the local merchant.

The merchant didn't know he was buying from a lizard, and he didn't need to know. The weapons and armor were sold, he took the coins and pocketed it.

Before he would head back to the woods, he wanted to get a look inside one of the taverns.

Adventurers walked everywhere, and some had armor that Michukha recognized. The armor from his kin, armor that only his kin can forge.

His blood boiled seeing the man wear his kin's armor. He ravaged him, tearing through his flesh and blood, ripping off the arms and legs. But that only happened in his mind, he knew he would only die if he shows himself in public. He is clever than a mindless beast.

Inside the tavern was a board filled with papers that people put up. A quest for hunting down wolfs, gathering their pelt and teeth. A carriage needs protection going through a dangerous area. And there even was one about slaying a dragon on the local mountain.

And there it was, just as he thought. A quest for killing or capturing the beast that roamed the woods, a beast that is called a cold-blood. Many people say it is fake, saying that their kind has been extinct for many decades. Died after the war that the cold-blood nearly won.

A few human adventurers noticed the paper, agreeing that they would be taking on this quest. They pulled off the paper and showed it to the elven lady at the counter.

„Your tags' checks out, but all of your gear don't seem to be strong enough for this one. People say it can tear through armor of steel like it was only paper," the elven lady said.

The human named Seth, wearing leather with lots of metal here and there and held a sword and a shield, short scruffy beard and hair, spoke up.

„It's fine, it is just some reptile people say are dead, and it's just one. We can easily take that beast on."

„At least get yourselves some better armor, or get someone that could tank for you."

Michukha walked up to the counter, towering over Seth.

„If you need someone to taunt the beast, then you have him right here," he said, using the local language, with a coarse and rough voice, a small hint of a growl was heard.

„Oh? And who are you?" Seth asked.

„You can call me Mich, and that's all you need to know."

Seth looked at the robed figure up and down.

„You do look big and tough, but what kind of armor do you use?"

Mich showed his arm through the cloak. Showing his ancestors gauntlet. No scales were shown.

„Interesting, you have the armor of cold-bloods? I have heard they are tougher than what the dwarfs make."

Indeed it is tougher, it takes many months to craft such armor perfectly. Only a few exists, some scattered around ruins of old, some being sold in the market that only nobles could buy. And even some adventurers wear them like the man outside the tavern.

„Will you allow me to join in on this quest?" Michukha asked with a hiss.

Seth noticed the hiss and glanced up at his helmet.

„What race are you?"

„My race doesn't matter, and I won't show it."

Suspicion grew in Seth.

„Alright, what about your weapons? Are they made by cold-bloods as well?"

He showed him the axes of Eskiask, proudly.

„You really do like their arsenal, don't you? Even you wear a cold-blood helmet, isn't that quite uncomfortable to wear? Or do you maybe have a long snout, are you one of those wolf people? Or maybe a gnoll?"

Michukha wanted to show him that he was in fact a reptilian, showing that the beast they were hunting was right in front of them. But he restrained himself.

He ignored his words and only stared at him.

„Yeah, okay, whatever. What do you guys say? Shall we have him along?"

The only female in the group that held a bow, spoke up.

„We do need someone like him, I believe it's fine."

The other two humans agreed as well.

„Alright, he will be coming with us on the quest."

„Wait a second, Mich, what is your rank?" The elf lady asked.

Michukha pulled out his rank 7 tag, which was embedded with ruby material.

„Ruby, huh? My party and I are all rank six, which is diamond," Seth said, showing his tag, a small diamond was embedded there.

Michukha didn't get the rank by adventuring, he got it after defeating a person that tried to hunt him. He managed to forge it so it would seem to be genuinely his.

„Good, the rank is for six and up, so you are fine."

It angered Michukha hearing that.

„Only rank six? How pathetic do they think I am?" Michukha thought.

----------

Michukha followed Seth's group, being catious of his tail falling out. He was getting tired of keeping it curled up inside his cloak.

„Oh right, we haven't yet introduced ourselves, have we?"

He didn't care for their names, they won't matter when they fall into the dirt.

„My name is Seth, and that guy is Keaton." He pointed towards the man with the crossbow. „And the man with the shield and sword is Cole, then lastly, my fine lady here is Ayla."

He didn't think about their names, it was only a shadow in his mind. The cold-blood will not remember them.

The trees surrounded them once they went far into the forest. The elven lady at the counter told them about the recent whereabouts of the cold-blood. And it was quite accurate, until, of course, he left towards the city.

Michukha couldn't wait any longer. He thirsts for blood. Then he heard the voice of Eskiask.

„Grab my weapon, butcher them, give us satisfaction," the shadow of Eskiask said. Michukha could see his lost ancestor's shadow, grabbing for the ax, slicing at one of the pitiful humans.

„I think we have gone far enough," Michukha said, stopping and took hold of his ancestor axes, hiding them from view.

Seth and the others stopped and turned.

„What do you mean?"

„The cold-blood is near, he is watching you."

They drew out their weapons, glancing in all directions.

„Where!? I can't see him!"

Keaton and Ayla pulled their strings, loading an arrow.

Seth and Cole held their shields and swords, wavering.

„You utter fools," Michukha chuckled, his hiss grew louder.

He pulled off his robe, showing off his scales and armor of many races. Eskaisks axes at the ready.

His tail finally relaxed, he dropped his helmet to the ground. He stretched his neck and cracked a joint. His teeth were shown, his eyes showed anger.

Their faces went pale, except for Seth's. His fear didn't seem to rise. In fact, he wasn't scared at all.

Michukha grinned at Seth. Finally, someone that didn't shake in fear.

„You don't fear a cold-blood? Good, but don't bore me."

„Relax! Don't show your weaknesses! He is just one lizard, and the only one left!" Seth bashed his shield with the sword, taunting the cold-blood.

There was something off about Seth, Michukha knew. But he didn't understand why, he didn't seem to be that surprised to find out the robed figure was, in fact, the cold-blood. It was because that Seth did know it was him, only the hiss and growl that he heard was enough. Of course, he didn't tell his group before, he would make the cold-blood suspicious, so he hoped they wouldn't run in fear.

Michukha charged. Eskiask roared in the shadows of his blades. The air was cut down by the ax that fell down towards Seth.

Seth knows the power of cold-bloods weapons, he diverted the attack with his shield, only scraping bits of it.

„Don't let him hit your shield, Cole! He will tear it apart easily! Move his attack somewhere else!"

Michukha underestimated him. Seth seemed to be just one of those idiotic humans, just a man wanting fame and riches, but he is not someone like that.

The strings flew, and arrows hit the beast before them. But like always, they did nothing to his scales.

Cole ran in, swinging his sword wide. It collided with the ax, and Michukha quickly sliced at his arm. Cole screamed as he watched his limb fly off of him.

„You idiot!" Seth yelled.

The cold-blood turned his body and threw Cole away with his tail. He hit a tree with his back and fell down. He could feel the unconsciousness coming, he clutched his arm as it bled.

„Let me finish him off!" Olthin told Michukha.

He drew out a spear, throwing it straight to Cole's head. He couldn't react to the speed, his head shattered as the spear turned red with bits of flesh around it.

Seth cursed himself. He knew this wasn't a good plan, he knew his party wasn't prepared. His friend died beneath a tree that had only a few leaves left. He gritted his teeth and roared as he leaped at the beast. Knowing it was the biggest mistake he will ever make.

Michukha dropped one of his axes and grabbed Seth's arm. Clutching harder until he heard bones crack.

„You knew, didn't you?" Michukha hissed. „But you still jumped at me."

He threw him away, he will die last of the group.

Seth couldn't move his right arm, it was broken.

A sudden pain jolted on the cold-blood's back. An arrow has managed to pierce his scales.

Confusion raised in his head. Their arrows shouldn't have been able to hurt him, but he still felt pain.

The arrow didn't come from either Keaton or Ayla, it came from someone else.

He inhaled the air but didn't smell anyone else besides these humans. He quickly darted his bloodshot eyes across the trees and bushes. Then he saw him.

„Halt! Cold-blood!" an old man yelled out.

No scent was coming from the human that came from the shadows of the trees. The man has blocked his scent from him. Even when Michukha licked the air, he didn't taste him either.

He was an experienced hunter, wearing all leather. A feather shadowed his wide-brimmed hat that covered his face from the sunlight. His beard was white-colored, cut below his mouth. The face was wrinkled from age, and some scars showed on his forehead. The eyes were colored blue, and one of those eyes were looking across the small bumps on his crossbow, aiming directly towards the cold-blood.

He was much dangerous than the other humans, Michukha knew. His scent wasn't around him, the air wasn't flowing away from him, he just had something that blocked it.

„Who are you?" Michukha asked. It wasn't normal that he asks the names of his kill, but this one was different, more power showed from him.

„The name is Sir Gerhart, cold-blood."

Seth gasped when he heard the name.

„It's him, he is the grandson of a legendary hero!" Seth thought to himself.

Michukha growled at Gerhart.

„I have been hunting you down since ever you woke up, you will not flee from me!" Gerhart shot his arrow, piercing the shoulder of the beast.

Michukha roared. But he didn't attack, he knew he was a much greater foe. He roared towards the sky and made a reptilian growl, hoping to be heard.

He will only have a minute or two. At that time, he will try and kill the lesser humans.

Ayla fired her arrows.

„Run! Your arrows aren't refined as mine!" Gerhart shouted.

Michukha threw his second spear, piercing the leg of Ayla. She couldn't move far now. She yelped and held around the wound after dropping the bow. She isn't able to draw the spear out due to the pain she would feel.

Michukha quickly dashed towards Keaton after he dug down into the dirt with his claws. Keaton tried to run away, but the lizard was faster. His limbs were torn apart when the ax was forced down upon him again and again.

Eskiask laughed when he could feel his weapons being used. Grinning at the thought that his blades were still being used to kill his enemies.

Sir Gerhart fired his arrows, piercing the skin of the beast, drawing blood, actually drawing blood from the cold-blood.

His roar was heard miles away, birds flew to flee, animals turned and ran. And Seth moved quietly to cover, hiding from the monster.

„It killed Cole, now it killed Keaton," he thought to himself.

He glanced at his bad arm.

„I can't do anything. I'm so useless!"

Michukha faced the powerful hunter, managing to block his arrows with Ardao's gauntlets. Only the armor of his ancestor can block them.

Through the forest, a call was heard. A loud reptilian roar passed the trees towards them, and Michukha knew it was time to run.

Michukha quickly ran and grabbed the spear near Cole, then ran to the direction of the roar.

Then it emerged, a giant reptile on four legs, bigger than Michukha, bigger than a horse. Scales of dark green and grey, eyes yellow, teeth larger than the cold-blood. Reins of brown hung over its mouth.

„Bastri! To me!" Michukha hissed.

Bastri, the reptilian steed that only obeys to cold-bloods, ran towards his master. Michukha held the reins and hopped on. He steered Bastri towards Ayla, who still had the spear in her leg.

Ayla froze in fear, her words only stuttered, and she went pale. Bastri trampled over her, crushing her skull, and Michukha grabbed his last spear.

Bastri quickly dodged the arrows of Gerhart, following his tracks back to were it hid before. Vanishing through the trees, Gerhart couldn't see them any longer.

Seth walked out from his hiding spot and knelt down next to Ayla. His eyes damp, he moved her cloak over her splattered head.

„I'm sorry, I thought we could have beaten it," Seth muttered.

Gerhart held his shoulder.

„Son, don't cry. You will only show the cold-blood your weakness if you shed tears."

Seth glanced up at the old man.

„She was my love! My life!"

„Shut up and calm yourself! If you want to help me hunt it down, then stop your whining and be strong!"

Seth stared. Thinking of what the old man said.

„Help you?"

„Yes, though my weapon can make it bleed, it still is powerful enough to kill me. I didn't understand why it ran away, maybe fearing that it might die as the last of its kind."

It was the cold-blood's instinct, he didn't want to face a hunter that could pierce him. He wanted to flee so he could fight another day after it gets stronger.

Seth moved towards Keaton, who was still twitching with limbs that were torn off of him. He was still alive.

Keaton had his eyes towards Seth with tears. He knew that he wouldn't survive with these many injuries. He wanted Seth to end him quickly. Seth knew that without hearing his words, but he couldn't do it as he held his dagger above his neck.

Gerhart noticed and helped. The dagger saved Keaton from agony, freeing him from the pain he felt.

Gerhart stood up and held out his hand to Seth.

„So? Will you help me hunt down the beast?"

Seth glanced up at the open hand. He took it and nodded. His mind filled with hatred for the murderer. His friends would not find peace until the bastard cold-blood is dead. He joined with Sir Gerhart, and they helped each other burying the bodies. Seth gathered their adventurers' tags, so he could bring them to their families.

„Don't worry my friends, I will hunt the cold-blood down!"