Playing with Death

In the Kingdom of Rhuth, knights and soldiers are preparing for the treat of war, mages preparing their arcane along with a strategy at hand.

King Buthward Rhuth II is preparing for his ultimate weapon to attack the Kingdom of Beramuth. A weapon forge to destroy anything to its path.

but what is it you may ask? well...

"I want my honey biscuits now!"

"Yes sire, you'll have your biscuits in moment, "just wai-"

"I want my biscuits!! Now!"

King Buthward, the current King of Rhuth.

He is a spoiled child to begin with, growing up as a sheltered prince. He is what's left of the past king greatness.

The past king was a great leader and in the same time a marvelous hero, but with his past traumatic experience of his past childhood. He made sure that his one and only child will not grow in the same pain as he did. Which leads to a great mistake.

"King Buthward, he has arrived."

A man in a luxurious tuxedo entered the room with a very smug face and a the time an evil grin.

"King Buthward! Always fat as usual.

"

"You dare insult me peasant!"

"Calm down, fatty."

"Guards!'

"Don't do that now king fatty, I'm your engineer you know…"

"I don't care!"

"Lord Buthward, please behave your self. I'm sorry for his attitude Clark."

"It's…all right."

He grind with malicious intent.

In the east of the Kingdom of Beramuth. Luke, Brute, Cecilia and Toru are now in their journey to defeat the two earth dragons.

They went to a small village and ask for the locals for directions and for some extra potions to buy.

"Would it be best to leave them here in this village?"

Luke asked himself and he stared at the two from a distance.

"Looky here buddy! We just want some potion!"

Toru shouted angrily at the shop keeper.

"Toru! Don't be nuisance."

Cecilia spoke in anger to Toru.

"That asshole just called me a dog!"

"No sir… what I said is "Doug", Doug is one of "our potions…"

Said to the shop keeper.

"Oww…"

The day before the three departured from the quest to get rid of the dragon. Arthur spoke with Luke and asked a favor from Luke.

"I thought you need more solders? Why would you let these two tags along?"

"Like I said, we need men. Losing two wouldn't be a problem."

"She is your daughter and the other is the son of a general, yet you put them in a position where they will face a beast that can swim through bedrock like water."

"They've got to experience some way or another, right?"

"By fighting a dragon?"

"Yes."

"Care to explain why is that a good idea?"

King Arthur looked around for a moment and whispered to Luke quietly.

"The Rhuth Kingdom have been imprisoning monsters lately. My spy's report that he has even found dragons in cages."

"I fail to see why that is related to our conversation."

"Just... please... take care of them for me..."

Luke continues to glare at the two while crossing his arms.

"Humans still surprises me with their decisions."

"Ha! These axes are small, unlike mine."

"Please Sir, have you come here to buy or not?"

"These swords are like kitchen knives!"

Toru shouted as he ignored the shop keeper.

"Yes… I'm sorry for his ignorance, I'll take 6 potions please."

"You know, I can cast a low tier healing magic."

"Its better if we don't rely on you to much, especially with that blockhead."

"Ha! Who needs healing when you got muscles as hard as stone!"

"By the way, are you sure your alright with Brute pulling carriage?"

"Brute have carried far heavier objects that even giants can't take hold, I'm sure he'll be fine."

"Here's your potion ma'am, that would be 3 gold pieces."

"3 gold pieces! hold on…"

Luke noticed that Cecilia only has a hint of gold, capper and silvers on her.

Luke sighs as he puts his hand inside his suit and pulled out a block of gold bar and laid it on the desk.

"This should be enough for the potions."

"Where did you get tha-"

"Sir this is to much, we have no change for this."

"No need to worry, you can keep the change.

"

"But that's to much Luke! You could buy like... I dunno like... a lot!"

Cecilia screamed.

"Is that so?"

"Have gold always been the plentiful?"

Luke asked himself on his mind.

"How much can I buy with this bar?"

Luke asked the shop keeper.

"Umm... my entire stock maybe..."

"Then take I'll take it."

"Ah- okay."

The shop keeper turns around to begin to stock the crates with potions he has on the shelves.

'Who in the world is this guy? Is he a Noble?'

The shop keeper questioned himself on his mind.

Luke then went outside as Cecilia followed Luke.

"Luke, where did you get that gold bar?!"

Luke then turns his head slightly just enough to see Cecilia.

"Where? I…just have it, I keep a lot on my packets."

"But you don't even have packets!"

"Sir…this is all my stock left."

Luke then turns around as the shop keeper lays a crate full of potion.

"There are 5 lesser healing potions, 3 greater healing potions, Arcane potions...only a few though, about 3 there and lastly a few magic herbs and shrooms."

"Great, will take those. Turo take this to carriage."

"Why do we need this many?"

Asked Toru.

"Cecilia suggested it, ask her instead. Come on, we have dragons to hunt."

Back in the kingdom of Beramuth, Nichole came to visit Luke but could not find him anywhere.

She then went to her father and asked him to where to find Luke.

"What! Luke is gone!?"

"Yes, I send him to do quest for me."

"But…I didn't get a chance to say bye."

"Don't worry sweetheart, Luke will come back."

"I want to come as well!"

"Sweetie, that's too dangerous. and you'll just slow Luke down."

*Angry little girl noises*

Nichole was frustrated to her father for not telling her that Luke has gone off and thus she ignored her father for that rest of the day.

The moon has bitten the night and Luke and others are making a camp and a bonfire. They sat near a large swamp with fish swimming nearby.

Luke ordered Brute to hunt for food in the forest while the others are fishing for fish.

Luke sat close to the bonfire and watched them fail miserably on catching fish while also watching their back for any danger lurking by.

"Why didn't we buy food at the village? More importantly, why didn't your dad stock us food for our trip!?"

Asked Toru towards Cecilia.

"He has his reasons... reasons that I don't really know."

"Because he knew we'll pass the forest."

Luke answered Toru's question.

"Why is that a reason for not giving us food?"

"He wants you to find our own food, like what you're currently doing."

"Thhc…"

Suddenly, a strong tug pulled Cecilia's line and starts dragging her rod.

"I got a line! And… it's… big!"

"I'll pull the line!"

As Cecilia struggles to pull the rod up, Turo pulled the line and a big alligator jumped at the rail snatching the catch away.

The two stood in shock and dropped on their knees as Luke softly giggles on their failure.

"Wha-what the hell!"

"An alligator… that was unexpected…"

"Hahahaha"

"Why are you laughing?! Where out here fishing and you're just sitting there being a worthless piece of-"

"Calm down Turo…. he's just testing our abilities."

"True indeed, but even me didn't expect that your rail would be stolen by a lizard."

"Why you…"

"Worry not, for I am hunting for prey as well."

"Hunting? Your sitting!"

Said angrely by Toru.

Brute suddenly came back with a dead bear on his mouth and sat back down next to Luke.

"Waaa!"

"Waaa!"

"Where did you come from…? Is that a… Bear?"

"Good job Brute, now sit there as I skin first our meal."

Both of them we're shocked at what they have seen as Luke calmly ripe off the leg of the dead bear carcass.

"Here, cook it."

"Okay…"

"I could've killed that bear if I was there."

"Sure you do Turo, now cook it."

The two began to cook the leg and as they finished cooking, Luke came to eat with blood on his hand and face resembling a murder scene.

"I've finished skinning the bear, now maybe Turo can wear the bear cloth. Are you alright with that Turo?"

"Yeah…"

"Doesn't it take a while for the hide to dry?"

"A yes, drying... I guess you could say, I have ways to make a turn and skip that process."

"What do you mean?"

"Time does not...bother me too much."

Luke went to the swamp to wash his bloody hand.

"Be careful Luke, the alligator may attack again."

"I'll be careful"

He washed his hand clean and splashed a handful of water to his face but then in the third time we splash his face, a alligator jumped and pulled Luke in the swamp.

"Luke!"

"Hey!"

They watch in horror as they saw bubbles of air appeared in water.

"Well...do we wait to recover his body or do we just leave?"

Asked Toru.

"I don't...know... maybe we'll just leave and report this back to the king."

Cecilia turned and starts walking away, as Turo walks with Cecilia complaining.

"We told him not to! but NO! He didn't listen, now yah dead."

Suddenly, they feel a cold breeze slithering down their neck and with the horror and fear along with the strong urge to turn around and look.

They then hear the bubbles popping behind them as they finally turn to see the noise and see the place that Luke was dragged into bubbling and boiling uncontrollably.

Then slowly, a bright light glows on the boiling water and a blast of electricity came bursting out and blew the boiling waters up.

They dropped in shock and fear to the lighting like noise as the boiling drops of water drop down like rain and slightly burn the ground and the two.

"Ouch!"

Shouted by the two.

The carcass of the burned body of an alligator then crashed back down on the swamp, followed by other dead small creatures floating motionless.

Luke came out of the swamp and walked slowly as fragments of electricity lingers in his hand.

Luke remained untouched by the waters of the swamp.

"A surprise that is expected...My reaction speed has becoming dull."

Both we're shocked as they saw no scratch was even inflected on Luke.

"What...the..."

Luke notice their black shocked expression and e them snap out of their current state.

"Don't get tongue tied now and stuff you stomach with food. We still have a big journey tomorrow."

Both looked at each other nods in agreement.

They all happily shared a meal together and Toru began to ask Luke about being one of the Students of Death.

"Are you really one of the students of Death?"

"Yes… yes indeed I am…"

Toru's eyes glaze in diamonds.

"If you have questions, you may ask, as long as it's only related of the topic."

"Really?!"

"Start before I change my mind."

"What adventures did you guys go?"

"Adventures? Well…I remembered that our first task ever given to us, was to escape the stomach of a giant hydra."

"A giant hydra!? Like those 3 headed sea monster?!"

"Yes, however we failed in a landslide. Even with our rough training, we were no match the hydra's stomach."

"How long were you guys stuck?"

"Three days and we had nothing to eat.

"

"Three days?! With no food?!"

"Yes, it was hard indeed. But at least we're still alive."

"How did you guys get out?"

"Our teacher came and saved us."

"How did he save you guys?"

"We don't know also… They- *coughs*... I only remembered that a bright light came and when I opened my eyes, we were surrounded by giant ribs."

"Wow… If you're that strong, I can't imagine how strong is your teacher…"

"He strong, to be honest… the strongest person I know."

Luke then stood up.

"Rest now, we have much work ahead of us."

They sleep in the moon light but with a exception of Luke.

He carefully guards them both as they are vulnerable from attacks.

The morning light finally struck, and Cecilia and Toru woke up with a smell of cooked meat in the air.

'is it morning already?...'

"Morning! Good morning! What a sweet aroma!"

"Good morning Toru."

"Morning Luke, what's cookin?"

"Just some alligator meat."

"Alligator meat? Yea- wait…"

"If you ask if it is the same alligator that got shocked, it is not, the alligator body disappeared without a trace."

"It got eaten?"

"Alligators are known to be cannibals… never mind that now, eat. Our journey is up ahead."

"You got it, Luke!

"Why not just eat bear's meat leftovers? has it been also scavenge?"

"I've...stored the meat for later use, like i said, never mind it and eat."

They all peacefully eat and as they finished eating and ready to hop in the carriage to head to Mount Vergun.

Before the two got in the carriage, they we're meet by the hide of bear and the eyes were staring right at them.

Luke notice their fear and proceed to taunt them to encourage them both.

"For a warrior, you two are so easily get scared by some dead animal's carcass."

"Wa- I'm not!"

"Yeah! Watch us!"

The two hopped inside but moved the hide by their foot.

They we're riding the carriage and Luke act's as the driver and they start to head to Mount Vergun.

"By the way Luke, you have no weapon on you. Are you sure attacking an Earth dragon with no weapons a good idea, not to mention there's two of them?"

"I don't plan on killing them, so you don't have to worry on me."

"And why's that?"

"Because you two are going to do that for me."

"Wha-"

"You think you could just slack off? I will disable their mobility as well as dragon's defenses. That is where you two comes in and finish the dragon for me."

"You can lower the dragon's defenses?"

"Yes however, it's only for a moment."

"Haha yeah! I can finally kill a dragon!"

"Why are you not going to kill them yourself?"

"Then both of you would be useless. Moreover, I don't plan to be famous. You two will take the popularity and fame."

"You don't want to be famous?! You should show your power to the world!"

"We held promise to our Teacher that we should not be bragging our power to any one, especially for those who can do the task on there own."

"What… that's a shame."

"A shame indeed. You two can dispatch those dragons with ease as long as I'm on your side, so don't worry to much."

As they journey forth, they came across a man shouting and waving both of his hands. A man that appears to be in distressed by something and in a need of help.

They came closer to the man but the man also came running towards them.

"Help! Our village!"

The man reached them with panic and with shortness breathing.

"Mountain bandits have taken captive to our village. I'm the only one who escaped."

All of them looked at each other and nods in agreement.

"Where's your village?"

"Just on the side of the road ahead of you, hurry!"

"Hold on tight, I'll use my magics. You'll be alright being left behind for a moment Brute."

Brute smiles at Luke with his tongue out.

"Magic?"

"Just try not to throw up."

"I don't care, just please help my people!"

"Fear not brave young man, we'll save your village."

Luke stood up and shards of electricity begun to come out on his hand. Then a small bolt of electricity shoots out and went to Cecilia, Toru and the man, wrapping all over there body.

"What's this Luke?!"

"I don't know what is this but I like it allready.

"

Said Toru.

"What's going on?!"

Shouted by the distressed man.

Then suddenly, Luke turned into a ball of lightning and the three got sucked in and blasted straight into the road with lightning speed.

Luke stopped at the side of the road and at the entrance of the village. And they came out of the ball flying.

"That was awesome!"

"Please don't ever do that again..."

Then man puked at the ground.

"Is this the village?"

"Ye-yes…"

"Cecilia, Toru. Time to make some noise."

"Haha yeah!"

"Try not to kill them please."

"I'm coming in!"

"Wait Toru! We need to make…. a…plan."

"It's too late now, we should help him before he gets himself killed."

"Yeah sure…"

The two walked together to entrance and they can already hear a metal clanging.

Cecilia went fast and saw Toru fighting four bandits at once.

Cecilia jumped into action and the two puts their backs to one's another to guard each other.

"You idiot! You know they got hostages there, they can use them to their advantage!"

"too late for that, now swing your sword like it's your last!"

"Get them boys!"

The bandit commands his troops.

"What's this commotion about!"

"Boss, knights. The cunts showed out of nowhere."

"Knights? They seem to be stupid, coming with only two of them."

Cecilia and Toru saw a sinister aura to one of the bandit and focused their attention to the bandit.

"Are you the leader of these mountain bandits!?"

"Yes! I Am! Little knights…You got some guts to come here with only two of you."

"Your wrong! We're three!"

"Idiot, don't say that."

"Your comrade is especial is it? Haha… If so, is the other one trying to free the hostages? Well… it won't be a problem, I have my men guarding them. He won't get close."

"Now then…I don't want get my hands dirty. So, I'll let you both play with my pet."

"Pet?"

A strange circle immerged in the ground of the man and a large reptilian creature slowly raised up in the circle.

"What the!?"

"Coward! Your sending a pawn to fight you, come here and fight like a man!"

"I'm a bandit for a reason, you imbecile. Now then, kill them…I want them to scream!"

Meanwhile, in the house where they kept the hostages.

"All of you will stay in this house and don't come out until the commotion is over."

"Have you seen Snay?"

"Snay?"

"He's the boy who escaped here."

"That man? Well yes, his at the entrance."

"Is he safe!?"

"Yes."

"Thank God!"

A loud knock on the door began to bang and followed up with a man's voice.

"Hey! Open the door!"

"I'm sorry but I have to clean up some troubles."

"Hey open the door! If you don't will blast this open!"

The bandit outside shouted whilst holding a dynamite on his hand.

"No need to do such a horrible things, young man."

Luke spoke behind the bandit.

"Where did yo-"

Luke then smacked the bandit with back of his fist drops the man unconscious instantly.

The other bandits saw this and pointed this crossbow at Luke.

"My my…"

They pulled the trigger on their crossbow at the same time and flungs the arrows towards Luke.

When the arrows flew in, the arrows stopped in air in just a foot away from Luke

The bandits stood there in shock as the arrows slowly turns around and faces the bandits.

The arrows then flew back at the bandits with great speed.

Each arrow pierces the left and right shoulders of the bandits, dragging them and impaling them to the walls.

"Stay here for a moment, I'll be back later".

While Luke was walking trying to find the two, Cecilia and Toru we're taking on the reptilian and both of them are severely injured in the fight.

"I didn't know knights could be this weak! Hahaha!"

Toru saw an opening to the creature and kicked it's belly to have him enough range to swing his axe.

He swings his axe at the top of the creature, but a barrier of wind stopped his attack pushed him back.

"Non-non-non-non… don't get to slimy now. Hahaha!"

While the man was busy taunting Toru, Cecilia went behind the man slashed his shoulder.

"YOU BITCH!!!"

The man then blew Cecilia away in a fiery explosion and putting her in a critical condition.

"Cecilia! You bastard!"

Toru swung his axe but immediately got stopped by the wind created by the man as the creature charges towards Toru and bites down on Toru's arm.

"AAAA!"

Toru punched the noise of the creature to let go of his arm in which it worked.

"You damn annoying shit! You'll pay this! kill them!"

The creature lounges forward to attack Toru again but with an injured arm, all he could do is block with his other hand.

"Having fun, bandit?"

The creature suddenly stopped just before he bits Toru when it heard a voice.

"Both of you are hopeless."

The creature then slowly sat down then laid down and starts to glow in a bright light and disappeared.

"Wh-who the hell are you!"

"Me? The man who's about to teach you to just how long is a minute last."

"Luk-Luke…your late…"

Toru fall down on the back and laid rest.

The smiles as he saw Toru falls on the ground.

"And you're next!"

The man turns around with a fire ball already on his palm and aimed to where he last time he saw Luke and found no one.

"What the?"

A green light shines in the corner on his eye and turned around to see Luke already on thr body of Toru with Cecilia's body already healed at full but still left unconscious.

"Take a break for now, I'll handle this for the both of you."

"Where did yo-how did got there!"

"A sorcerer, a talent such as that is laid waste for this kind of profession, dont you think?"

"You bastard! I'll kill you!"

The man lifts his arm facing Luke and a fire ball pointing at Luke.

"Burn!"

The fire ball stayed on his palm and tries to contemplate to what is happening with his magic.

"What the- fire! Fire! Fire dammit!"

Luke then slowly walked towards the bandit as his fire ball slowly fades away right before his eyes.

"Wha-what did you do!?"

"It best to not think about it to much, for far worse is still to come."

"Now then, it appears you like to play with animals."

"Guys! Attack him! What are you idiots doing!?"

The man looked everywhere but could not find even a single bandit around but only him.

"Where did they go…?"

"I took cared for the other loss bandits."

"What did you do...?"

"Not dead, which they'll hope soon to beg."

Luke stopped at the front of the bandit looking down on him.

"What do you mean...?"

"Worry not on them, but worry on yourself."

"What are you going to do to me?

"

He said with frightened words as he gulped his spit in fear.

Luke grinds with a murderous thoughts.

The bandit then tried to run away but as he ran the ground burst and formed a wall of dirt.

The bandit puts his back on the wall of dirt as he watches Luke glaring at him.

"You enjoy watching people suffer while you stand there enjoying, correct?"

"Don't please! I was just joking around. Please…don't kill me, I can pay you!"

"Your fate was decided at the moment you lay your hands upon them. Blood for blood, as the old saying goes."

A sound of foots steps suddenly walks forth and with a terrifying growl.

"Wha-what is that!"

Brute walks in the side of Luke with blood red eyes and a thick growl.

"I'll enjoy your screams of agony."

"AAAAAAA!!!"

Brute jumped at the bandit and bites his arm and started swining all over.

Bones cracks and the bandit screams echoes on the village.

The bandit tried to fight back by punch Brute's eye.

His arm rips off, dropping him in the ground.

"YOU...MONSTER!"

Luke took down the wall of dirt as to torture his mind that thinking he can get away.

The bandit stared to crawl.

"Aaa! You already took my arm! let me be!"

Brute started to eat his arm whole.

As Brute finished, Brute starts to run towards the bandit and bite's his leg.

Luke watched with a smile on his face with no sympathy with the amount of blood spilling.

The bandit screams again and the bandits back was stumped by Brute and forcefully peel off the bandit's leg.

Brute's leg then pushed through the back of the bandit and with the sounds of bone getting crashed and quickly made the bandit quiet.

"I guess that's the end of you. Brute, drop the leg. That's disgusting."

Brute drops the bandit's leg and he walked away.

Luke then casted a fire magic the burned the bandit's body to ash instantly.

Luke went back to the two and he heal Toru back to full health.

"Is it all over?"

"People of this small village. The threat is gone."

"It's over!"

"Ly!"

"Snay!"

The young man came in the village with smile on his face and hugged the girl.

The people cheered in happiness.

"Thank you, Sir, for saving us.

"

"It was not a problem. However, my friends are knocked out in the battle. My you help them."

"Of course! All of you, take the Injured two to the house and bandage their wounds."

"Thank you again. What do we need to do to thank you even more?"

"No need too. Just help those two."

"Please Sir. Let us show appreciation."

"Well…can we stay here for the night?"

"It would be our pleasure."

The villagers took Toru and Cecilia to the infirmary.

The next sun come Cecilia and Toru woke up with sun on there eyes

"What happen?"

"I fell like all of my bone of my body broke..."

"You got defeated."

"Luke…"

"Luke!"

"You two seem to be in a good health."

"What happened?"

"We defeated the bandits or should I say I defeated while you two sleep."

The door opened and an old man entered.

"You two seems to be in jolly…I'm glad your wounds is healed, even if there wasn't any scratches on you body."

"Why is there no wound on my body? I was blasted by a fire ball."

"And I got bit in the arm."

"I healed you before it became a permanent damage."

"I wasn't fast enough."

"Dammit! I was strong enough to kill the thing!"

"That reptilian creature was no ordinary creature, well…no need to dwell in the past."

"Village chief, can you tell us what happened?"

"Did the mountain bandit destroyed your village?"

"No…the bandit came here two days later after the earth dragons attacked.

We were caught of guard and attacked us and even killed a few of us."

"Earth dragons attacked your village just recently?"

"Yes…we don't know the reason of the attack but bandits took advantage and invaded us, then you heroes came to saved us."

"Hey, heard the Cecilia? We're heroes."

"Shut up."

The two whispers.

"Why is it that the dragons are so active?

"

"Once every decade, a dragon mates and we think it's for this reason."

"Hmmm…earth dragon is known to be defensive to their den…"

"But why are they going out on the den?

That's the question that we still have yet to answer."

"But we believe that the only possible reason is that… someone stole the dragons' egg."

"Stole their egg!?"

"But that's impossible, it's stupid to risk your life over an egg being guarded by an earth dragon!"

"Not to mention there's two of them."

"True, but it's the only logical explanation we can think of."

"The village chief is not wrong, but I can't say his right either... It's only a theory after all.

"However, I strongly believe it the correct reason."

"Why's that Luke?"

"Earth dragons are very hostile creatures and very territorial. But there's other reason for them to go down in the mountains.

the only way we can find the truth is keep going forwards and hope for the best that we'll find clues..."

in an unknown place, Clark was disappointed that the bandits didn't kidnap the princess.

"That's a shame…. I could've used her to mock their king."