Chapter 09 Layon’s Friends Part 2

After the Cameleon members leave, the old man notices that all of the children are staring at him, the fear and exhaustion are very noticeable on their young faces but a will to survive can also be seen, then Yuki asks the old man.

"Who are you? What do you want from us?"

"Is that how you talk to your savior?"

"Sorry, but I can't just blindly trust you even if you save us, and also, I want to know why did you save us what is your motive?"

The old man stares at Yuki who is very different from the other kids with some interest.

'Ohh, this one has some potential he is brave but also smart I like him, but a pity I already have someone to teach'

"I don't need to explain myself to you"

The old man withdraws his stare to Yuki and looks to Lake who is carrying Rose, then the old man speaks.

"Hey, kid! Bring that girl here and lay her down facing the ground"

Lake didn't do what the old man said but look at Yuki, when Yuki nod at him like he is giving his approval he finally did what the old man said, he walks to the old man and slowly put down Rose on the ground and step back when the old man pulls up Rose clothes Yuki and Lake frown and yell.

"What are you trying to do with her?!"

but the old man ignores them and starting to cut the bandages to see her wounds, after examining the wounds the old man put his right hand on the top of Rose's wounds, and suddenly the old man hand start glowing and Rose wounds starting to heal after few seconds Rose wound is gone with no trace of any scars, the children become amazed to what they see and stares to the old man with amazement, then the old man speak.

"Don't worry about her anymore she is going to wake up soon she just needs some rest, now if you want to survive follow me and don't ask anything, but if you don't trust me and want to stay you can stay here, I'm not forcing you to go."

The old man starts walking but the children didn't immediately follow they all look to Yuki because the children already seeing him as their leader, but Yuki didn't talk and just carry his sister and follow the old man when the children saw this, they all quickly follow Yuki, the old man notices this and smile a little, he approves to Yuki even more.

After a few hours of walking the old man stop at the entrance of a forest, when the children saw this they also stop, the old man look at the children and notice that all of them is exhausted.

"It's getting dark it's dangerous inside the forest at night, were going to rest here"

When the children heard what the old man said, all of the children become joyous and start sitting one by one and talk to each other.

"We can finally rest"

"I'm so tired and hungry"

"Me too!"

"Finally!"

Shiro look at his brother and said.

"Brother I'm so hungry"

"Stay here I'm going to find some food"

Shiro nod at him, when the children heard this, they look at Yuki, but Yuki looks at them with annoyance.

'all they know is to rely on someone, but I need them to work so we can search for food faster'

"If you want to eat follow me to find some food those who are not injured but didn't follow will not receive food"

The children look at each other see the reactions of the others are, while they are observing each other Lake stands up and walks towards Yuki when the other children saw this they stop hesitating and start walking toward Yuki too.

When the old man saw this, he smiles a little.

'I really like this kid he is cruel when necessary a good trait for being a leader hahaha'

Yuki, Lake, and the children start walking in the direction of the forest, then suddenly the old man speak.

"where do you think you're going? didn't I said It's dangerous in the forest?"

Yuki replied.

"Sir all of us is hungry we need something to eat and regain our energy for tomorrow, and also there is no place that isn't dangerous to the kids like us, we need to face them if we want to survive"

The old man smiles.

"Kid, you're smart but not smart enough let me give you some advice, you're right this is a dangerous world for kids like you, but asking for help is not a shameful thing if it means you and those closest to you can have a better life, Human can't survive alone they thrive by working together, if you go inside the forest and something happen to you what do you think will happen to your sister?"

"Sir I believe I already know that, but do I have a choice I need to do this to survive!"

"Do you truly know what are you saying? Do you really know the feeling of being alone in this world? You don't have a choice? That's why I giving you this advice so you can widen your choices.

"Then what do you want me to do?"

"Ask for help, beg if you need to if you can save the people who you want to protect pride is nothing, it is useless to you, only people who are strong enough have the right to have their pride, do you understand?"

"Then what if that person doesn't want to help us?"

"Then you choose the wrong person to ask for help."

Yuki stop and try to understand the old man advice and think deeply, after a while he finally understands what the old man meant, he hesitates to make a decision but when he looked at his sister who is starving, he ignores his pride and he bows his head to the old man and said.

"Can you please help us get some food?"

The old man becomes truly please with Yuki.

'This kid is truly amazing ignoring one's pride is a very difficult thing to do, I'm just trying to test him and didn't expect him to answer correctly, but this answer, haha I better reward him later for exceeding my expectation'

"Good you learn fast kid take this"

The old man waves his hand and suddenly a sharp knife and a pile of meat appeared in thin air, this was from the beast the old man killed while they are traveling here, after seeing the beast the children cheer with a smile.

"Wow!!"

"That's a big beast'"

"We can eat a lot today!"

"Yahoo!"

When Yuki saw the smile on his sister's face the unpleasant feeling of bowing his head to someone disappears, he faces the old man again and this time he bows his head and thank the old man with the bottom of his heart.

"Sir thank you very much for your advice and this food I am indebted to you"

The old man just nods and closes his eyes to rest, Lake screams with happiness.

"Guys you know the drill gather some dried woods and branches I'm going to start a fire"

"Okay!!"

"Don't go inside the forest!"

After a while, They all start eating with a smile a lot of the children become energetic some even laugh hard. While the children are chatting happily Rose slowly open her eyes and sit up, she looked at her surrounding with confusion, the first one who discovers that Rose is awake was Shiro, she yells loudly that all of the children heard her.

"SISTER ROSE YOU FINALLY AWAKE!!!"

Shiro runs towards Rose and hugs her, when the children saw Rose is awake, they all run to her and talk at the same time some even offer their food.

"You finally awake!"

"Do you know how worried we are"

"Here eat some I know you're hungry"

But Rose become more confused, then Yuki spoke.

"All of you stop give her some air to breathe she just woke up, Shiro give her some space so she can adjust herself"

Shiro nods and let go of Rose after a while Rose finally gather herself and observe the surrounding, the faces of the children are smiling and Rose realizes.

"Did we successfully escape?"

"all the children nod their heads and point to the old man.

"That Grandpa save us!"

"Yeah he is amazing"

"Yeah, yeah he can do magic too"

Rose become happy to what she heard and smile widely, then she searches the surrounding looking for someone she when realizes she can't find this person she is looking for, she finally asks.

"Uhm… where is Layon Is he shy and don't want to show himself?"

The children's smile froze suddenly all of them become gloomy some even have tears in their eyes, the changes in their emotions are so sudden that Rose becomes shocked.

"What's the matter? Did he got hurt? Where is he?"

Rose becomes more worried every time she asks a question, then Yuki speaks with a serious tone and said.

"All of you leave to let us both talk alone"

All of the children leave even Shiro did Rose becomes even more worried.

"Yuki what's the matter why are you so serious?"

"Calm down first and sit"

After they sit Yuki tells Rose everything that happened, after a while, a sudden cry was heard, it is Rose.

"No! no! that's not true tell me it's not true please!"

Yuki didn't answer.

"Why did you leave him alone!! He dies alone in the dark you should just leave me there with him!! I'm sorry Layon!! huhuhuhu"

But Yuki still didn't answer it's not like he doesn't want to answer it just he didn't know what to say in this situation, when the children saw Rose crying so hard all of them become sad and cry too, Shiro walk to Rose while crying and said.

"I'm Sorry Sister Rose please don't blame my brother huhuhu!"

While almost all the children are crying the old man just sitting in the corner and eyes still close, he doesn't have a plan to tell them that Layon is still alive, because he wants them to know that every action has a consequence, he wants them to feel the pain of leaving a friend to die just to save their own life, they can use this pain to become strong and make sure this will not happen again in the future.

In the morning the children who are so happy yesterday become gloomy and have puffy eyes evidence that all of them cried hard, but the old man ignores it and speak,

"All of you stay close to me and follow me this forest is dangerous so if you want to lived do whatever I say"

The old man walks towards the forest and the children follow, inside the forest they meet a lot of beasts there even a ferocious beast but all of them were killed by the old man in a single hit, after a while they finally arrived at their destination, in the middle of the forest there's a wooden house, there they meet a middle-aged couple, a muscular man and a beautiful lady, when the couple saw the old man they become happy and really respectful, after a few greetings they starting discussing something they look become serious, after a while the couple bow to the old man and walk towards the children, the first one who speaks is the old man.

"This is Jacob Lore and Stephanie Lore their going to take care of you and train you until you become an Aura user don't worry, they are my friends they are trustworthy"

The children greet the couple, and Yuki asks the old man.

"What about you sir?"

"I have some important matter to attend to, maybe we will meet again if fate allows us"

When the old man is going to leave Rose stops him.

"Sir I didn't properly give my thanks yet may I know your name so I can repay you in the future"

The old man stops and answer.

"You don't need to repay me just remember the feeling you felt last night and make sure that feeling won't repeat"

Rose just bow her head and thank the old man from the bottom of her heart All the children did the same and thank the old man.

"Thank you!!"

When the old man starts flying, he remembers something.

'Ah yeah I forgot to reward that Yuki kid'

The old man yells and tosses a short sword to Yuki.

"Hey, kid! Catch"

Yuki becomes surprised and asks.

"Sir what is this for?"

"Just accept it as my goodwill, may we meet again"

The old man finally left and go back to the cave.