TO ME HE WAS MORE THAN A FRIEND!!! [Part 1]

As they stared at the group of four from a distance, Theo said to his men. "If you choose to follow me there is no turning back."

Unsheathing a dagger from his waist, Theo coldly said. "Those that chicken out won't be spared."

After waiting for some time and not hearing them reply, Theo took their silence as them agreeing to stay by his side.

"Since you all agreed to come along, we'll wait until the child is departing," Theo said before he sheathed his dagger.

****

"Goodbye Addy," Aurora said as a few tear drops streaked down her face.

"I shall return soon Your Highness. And I'll make sure your baby is safe even if it costs me my life." A 17-year-old Elf dressed in a butler outfit said before he walked away.

Walking to a beast that had the head, wings, and hind legs of an eagle, along with the body and front legs of a horse, the butler mounted it before pulling it reigns.

"Yaa!" With his voice traveling through the lush forest, the Hippogriff spread its wings and flew into the air.

"He'd be alright." The Elven Queen pulled her daughter close as she knew it would be painful for her daughter to part with her child.

"Hopefully, he wouldn't be mistreated by the King's other children, concubines, and wives." The Elven King stared at the flying Hippogriff with a stoic face.

"If only most of our Guardians were still awake you wouldn't have been married to that bastard." Full of regret that was soon turning to anger, the Elven King clenched his fists while he talked.

"When our Guardians awaken, we are going back to take my grandson." With reddened eyes, the Elven Queen Alura stared at the gradually shrinking figure of the Hippogriff as she vowed to break their treaty with the Ragnar Kingdom when they were strong enough.

"Let's go in. And we should stop thinking about it since we needed to sign it so that our Kingdom wouldn't be invaded." Astria turned his back towards the direction the Hippogriff left while staring in front of him with reddened eyes.

Were his eyes red because he wanted to cry? No, his eyes were red because he was currently seething in fury.

Leaving the duo behind, Astria slowly walked towards the palace with memories of their compromise flooding his mind.

"Let's go inside." As the clouds gradually got darker than they originally were, Alura had her eyes fixed on her daughter.

Thunderclaps filled the air before it soon started raining. At first, it began as a drizzle until it became a heavy downpour.

Worried that her child would get drenched by the rain, Aurora looked at her mother with worry etched on her beautiful face.

"Don't worry about Adrian, Nand has Water magic. He'd be able to keep them dry." Alura said, trying to reduce the worry her daughter felt.

"So now let's go in." Seeing Aurora nod, Alura patted her daughter's head as the both of them walked towards the Palace.

'Even the heavens are crying with me.' Aurora thought as she watched the rain heavily fall.

'You'll always be in my heart no matter how long we are apart.' Aurora said as she walked into the Palace. 

Watching as the Palace doors were slowly closed, Aurora vowed. 'I'll come take you back no matter what.'

With the Palace's double doors getting shut, Aurora had already performed her role in Adrian's life —giving birth to him and being the one who brought about the start of his legend. And for now, the destines of Adrian and Aurora were different paths.

****

"Tch... They just had to spend this long outside." Irritated as they were barely seeing the figure of Nand's Hippogriff, Theo had a frown on his face as he leaped from tree to tree.

"If we keep moving this way we would eventually lose their trail," Theo said, turning his head to look behind him as he leaped off a tree branch.

"We'll have to use our scrolls." Theo pulled out a cream-colored scroll that had black trims from his pocket, landing on another branch he muttered. "We have to use it this early thanks to them."

Irritated as they had to use one of their escape means, Theo poured his Mana into the scroll with a frown on his face.

"Fleeing Shadow." Theo and his men simultaneously said as they opened the scrolls.

Opening the scrolls, the figures of Theo and his men melded into the shadows as a malevolent aura masked their surroundings.

If someone were to focus intently, they would have been able to see several shadows swiftly moving across the trees' surface.

****

"Hang in there," Nand said, feeling pity for the sleeping boy who lay in his hands.

Nand looked at the water drops that were sliding down the water barrier he had created before saying. "When is it going to stop."

Unlike other Elves, Nand's Mana reserve and Magic talent were mediocre and the reason for that was currently unknown.

After about an hour of flying through the downpour, Nand's Mana was gradually nearing its limit. Due to the rain, their journey was extended since they were barely able to see.

"I guess we'll rest there for now." Nand veered to his right after barely seeing a cave in the mountain range beside them.

Splash... 

As they landed in the cave, the water barrier around the trio immediately dispersed —soaking the ground beneath them.

"Huff... Huff..."

Gasping for air as he barely got off his Hippogriff back, Nand had a weak smile on his face as he took in a deep breath.

"Still the same as always," Nand muttered, collapsing on the floor when he was off his Hippogriff's back.

Even though it was painful to see that despite all his hellish training he was still this weak, Nand didn't feel disappointed as it was something he was already used to.

****

A group of five all draped in black stared at the cave Nand just flew into, ignoring the winds that hit their bodies.

"Let's go. We can't allow that Elven blemish to exist." With Theo's voice reaching the ears of his squad despite the heavy rain, he pulled his mask down before bringing out a pitch-black dagger from its sheath.

The dagger's hilt, handguard, and blade all seemed to be connected while having a completely pitch-black hue.

As ghostly shadows got released from the dagger, they seemed to crawl up Theo's hand and make a slight change to his aura.

Theo jumped off the branch he stood on with his lower right arm having a shadowy aura coating it.

Seeing their leader was already on the move, the other four all leaped out from where they were hiding as they moved toward the cave's entrance.

****

Nand placed a baby bottle in Adrian's mouth before biting into the slice of bread he held.

Nand enjoyed the warmth provided by his Hippogriff as he stared at the shadows that danced on the cave's walls.

As he stared at the fire at the cave's center, Nand ran his left hand through his Hippogriff's back before saying. "Thanks for always being by my side Buck."

"Let's always be together bud," Nand said with a smile as memories of his time with his only friend flooded his.

"Caaawwww..."

Nodding its head in approval and flapping its wings, Nand's eyes widened as he stared at the sight in front of him.

Splash, splash, splash...

Seeing the blood of his friend draw a beautiful arc through the air, Nand slowly lowered his eyes to see Buck having an arrow stuck in its neck.

Nand watched as blood gushed from his friend's neck and as it struggled to breathe, he who had managed to seal his heart from all negative emotions felt a surge of fury course through him.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!" Clutching his head and yelling till his voice became hoarse, Nand's grief was from the bottom of his soul not just from his heart. This was what it meant to mourn.

Looking at Nand who seemed to have lost his mind from a distance, some members of Theo's group let out scornful laughs.

"If you can't deal with the death of a useless beast how would you react when you see your whole family getting murdered right in front of you."

"Haha haha... You always acted tough where is your toughness now."

"I always hated you 'cause you looked cool. But now I can finally get rid of you."

As they walked towards him, they drew their weapons out. It was evident that they didn't care if their opponent was outnumbered.

Slowly standing blood flowed from his throat due to excessive screaming, looking at the people who had killed his only friend Nand said. "To you, he might have been a mere beast, but to me... but to me... TO ME HE WAS MORE THAN A FRIEND!"

Having a dangerous aura surround his body, Nand roared. "HE WAS MY FAMILY!!! BETTER THAN ALL YOU BASTARDS!!!!"

As a tear streaked down Nand's face after sensing his friend was dead, he said with a bitter yet happy smile. "I'll avenge him no matter what."

With his cold voice traveling through the cave, he said with reddened eyes. "And I'll also protect Prince Adrian no matter the cost."

As a Demonic skull tattoo lit up on his back, Nand who was about to charge towards the group clutched his head tightly as his sealed memories flooded his mind.