CHAPTER 7: DRAIGS

"We won't stay here for long. I just need to erase our traces."

Once inside the hut, the stranger speaks to the father and daughter and points at a pile of drake's skulls in a corner of the hut.

"Those will absorb the remaining mana due to the use of teleportation magic. Proficient magic users can track us down using that remaining mana so it is highly likely that they will find us soon enough."

The stranger explains the reason for the skulls and then removes the big fur he is wearing. Only now does Seraphin notices that he is dressed in a bear's fur. His green hair tied in a horse style gives his face a fierce look while his green eyes are a bit cute, creating a contrast that is difficult to miss.

As he removes the fur covering him, his well-developed upper body is revealed, showing a body sculpted and trained like a knight. Seraphin turns her head while blushing, covering her face with her father's arm.

'She is still a kid, after all.' Hithindil looks at his daughter with deep love and a warm smile. To see her react like this is proof that she is still a little girl, despite the strong and mature attitude she showed sometimes.

'However…' Hithindil now looks at the stranger. He is changing his clothes and putting on a shirt and a trouser he found god knows where like he doesn't care about the world around him. Looking closely, he was about the same age as Seraphin.

'But the atmosphere around him...' Hithindil cannot understand why but the stranger in front of him has a strange atmosphere around him. He is giving an older and extremely powerful vibe but also he looks like he is cursed somehow. A curse of hatred and loneliness.

Hithindil is a veteran blacksmith. He has encountered a lot of weapons so he knows about curses and such. He knows the look of cursed weapons or armors.

"Okay, I am all set now." The stranger looks at both of them after getting dressed. He is now wearing a simple white shirt that is dirty here and there with charcoal and blue trousers. He has no shoes as well.

"Wait, before we-"

"No time."

And they get engulfed in white light again. As it is Seraphin's third time, she doesn't jump from the sudden sensation anymore but her father couldn't help it. The weirdest part is that it doesn't feel like you are moving at all.

When the light dissipates again, they are now in another forest, way more sinister than the first one. A thick fog is covering everything and you can hardly see in front of you.

'This place is cursed.' Without a second thought, Hithindil knows directly that this place is no good, that it is a dangerous place to be. For the stranger to bring them here can only mean that…

"Seraphin, you have to run." He tries to whisper to his daughter while looking at the stranger who is busy looking for something.

"What? Why?"

"This place is cursed. That guy must be a demon trying to bring you to his lord since you were judged to be a heretic."

"WHAT?!!" Unlike her father, however, Seraphin cannot keep her calm hearing that and stands in front of her father. She then takes a piece of wood from the ground and points it toward the stranger.

"You are the one who should run. I will keep him busy."

The stranger turns and looks for a second at the scene before opening his mouth.

"You should release that."

"Why would I-" Seraphin looks at the piece of wood she is holding while talking to the stranger. The piece of wood is all black and has human faces everywhere on it. Moreover, the human faces are moving, without making any sounds. "KYAA!!!!"

Seraphin releases the cursed piece of wood while screaming, launching it in the air. Then, as if to answer her scream, the piece of wood start screaming all over while in the air.

"KYYAAA!!!"

The horrific scream, copied from Seraphin's voice but turned into something way more sinister, fills the air, clearing the fog and revealing the trees around them. All the trees are like the piece of wood, with human faces everywhere. Just like before, the trees also answer the call and start screaming.

"KYYAAA!!!"

The horrific scream gets so strong Hithindil and Seraphin's ears cannot bear it and are on the verge of exploding, but then suddenly, nothing. They don't hear the sound of the screaming trees anymore. When they open their eyes back, they see a transparent dome all around them. Did the stranger do this?

"YOU BASTARD!!"

While Hithindil is trying to understand what happened, his daughter doesn't even bother understanding the clues. After all, the culprit is right in front of her. She runs to him and punches him. She manages to give him a heavy punch with all her strength. But then she backs away. Why? Because she got afraid. This punch was packed with her full strength and rage. She had managed to break down a log with this punch in the academy and yet, the stranger in front of her didn't even move, no, worse, he didn't even flinch. Only his slightly swollen cheek was proof that she punched him.

"Wow, you punch hard for a girl."

The stranger starts to massage his cheek while Seraphin is backing away. Then, she stops, looking behind her then forward, she takes a deep breath, then second, and a third. She finally kneels down with both legs and puts her forehead on the ground.

"Oh, supreme being which us humans cannot even dare to compare to. Please, forgive my act just now and have mercy upon this man standing behind me. I shall obey to your command become what you wish. But please, have mercy to-"

"I think you are misunderstanding a lot of things here."

Hearing that, Seraphin's body twitches, but she doesn't raise her head. Is he not planning on letting her father survive at all?

"Please, I am begging you. Please."

"No, wait, I really think we all need to-"

"Goddammit!! I am already begging you on my knees!! What else do you want?!!!"

As her patience reaches the limit, Seraphin finally raises her head, her red crying eyes glaring at the stranger. He looks at her for a moment then shifts his gaze to the area beyond his shoulder.

"Well, the draigs are here anyhow."