The Useless Hero

Evening came, and Damon remained undressed while waiting outside Alfie's room. He wanted to cover himself but couldn't use any material items.

After a few minutes, Alfie went out with a battle suit and a heavy bag pack. 

"I'm done! Hero," Alfie smiled joyfully. 

"Okay, I will follow you, Alfie," Damon replied, giving Alfie a thumbs-up. He watched as the kid passed by him, but the question remained on his mind. 

"Are you sure you're coming with me? Aren't you too young to face a Dragon?" Damon asked while they walked in a long, dark corridor.

"I'm not! I'm trained for this day to come! It's my purpose!" Alfie explained delightfully. He kept skipping as if they weren't about to face a dangerous creature.

Damon frowned. He didn't understand what Alfie was saying, but his guts told him it was a bad thing. He remained until they arrived at the gate where Aidan was waiting. 

"You're late," Aiden greeted roughly. He stared at Alfie's face briefly until the kid looked down. 

"You're old, yet you're bullying a child," Damon gritted his teeth in annoyance. He disliked Aiden the moment he opened his mouth to speak. 

"It's none of your business, Hero," Aiden snapped back. Even with a mask on, his rage seeped out of his pores, and Damon felt it. 

"It's okay. I'm alright," Alfie glanced at Damon worriedly. 

Damon flicked his tongue and looked away. He didn't want to cause Alfie trouble if he pushed further.

"Remember your duty, Alfie," Aidan stated before patting Alfie's head.

Damon saw Aidan become gentle to Alfie for the first time instead of slapping or yelling at him.

"I-I will!" Alfie shouted as tears formed into his eyes. 

Aidan stared at Damon in distaste before signalling the two men behind him to open the door. 

A dark portal appeared before Damon, and he wasn't even surprised. Although, he expected to see something more interesting. 

"Go forth, Hero. Do your thing to make the Order proud. As for you, Alfie, don't be a disappointment," Aidan stated sternly before stepping back, letting the two in the middle. 

Damon gulped nervously, but when he glanced at Alfie, he could only see a trace of courage, which he envied. 

"Let's go, Hero," Alfie smiled and gestured for Damon to follow as he entered the portal.

"Your name is Aiden, right? I'll remember you," Damon gritted his teeth and glared at Aiden before he left. 

A dark light engulfed Damon, but it vanished sooner. When he opened his eyes, he was in awe. 

The moon shined brightly in the sky. Trees and grass calmly swayed from the gentle wind passing by. Mountains and wide-open plains, the carefree breeze carried the scent of fresh flowers.

"Woah, this place is amazing!" Damon exclaimed delightfully, but Alfie didn't bother to take a second look.

"We should hurry, Hero," Alfie whispered, pulling the hood over his face. He began running in a specific direction, which Damon followed. 

Damon looked back to where he came from, but it was only a pile of rocks. 

"Hero, do you know how to defeat a Dragon?" Alfie asked before stopping. He looked up and showed a stern facial expression for a child. 

"I…" Damon paused. He had forgotten his purpose and felt he would throw his new life away just because someone told him to do it.

"Alfie, why are you following them? Between us, you're young and can live a fruitful life, but you're here, facing a Dragon. You should be playing with toys!" Damon exclaimed. He wanted his questions answered and his way to prevent facing the Dragon by convincing Alfie to run away with him. 

"I can't… My duty is to assist you, Hero, for this journey," Alfie replied, staring at Damon with a forced smile. 

"Yes, alright, but you don't have to. Who are they to treat you like that!?" Damon sighed in frustration, referring to the Obsidian Order. He looked around and gestured toward his surroundings. "This place is fantastic! You can escape their grasp and ask for help from somebody out here. I'm sure—"

Damon couldn't continue his words when Alfie shouted. 

"My father!… He will get angry at me again! I have been waiting for you, Hero. To prove that I am useful to them! To show that I'm worthy as his son!" Alfie whined as tears fell from his eyes. 

Damon was flabbergasted. He didn't expect Alfie to be so loyal to the people who hurt him.

"But—" Damon wanted to reason out, but he was cut off again. 

"Hero, please… cooperate. Don't mind me," Alfie wiped his tears and beamed gently at Damon. 

"Okay… but I'll be honest with you. I don't have any powers or anything. I'm just… a normal boy who died and was sent here," Damon explained. He didn't want to give Alfie high hopes when he had nothing to offer.

"Huh? What do you mean, Hero?" Alfie was dumbstruck. He shakily walked toward Damon, looking at him as if he was joking. 

"I don't know how to kill a Dragon or have any resources to do so. As you can see, I don't even have a physical body. I'm just a lonely spirit," Damon said lowly. Somehow, he felt ashamed at how useless he was at that time. 

Alfie was silent for a few seconds, which made Damon thought he would give up. 

"I should have told you this before… We can turn around and tell that Duck-masked man the truth—" Damon referred to Aidan. He turned around to leave, but Alfie screamed.

"NO! WE WILL CONTINUE OUR JOURNEY, HERO!" Alfie glared at Damon before running toward the Dragon's territory. 

"Are you kidding me!? Alfie! Wait for me!" Damon explained and followed Alfie. He didn't know what to do, but one thing was on his mind. It was to save Alfie no matter what. 

After several minutes of running, they arrived at a ruined tower. The surroundings looked like the aftermath of a terrible war that took place.

Damon remembered what Wyverna had told him before coming to the post-apocalypse world of Tarynla. Still, he expected the continent to strive without any trace of destruction since the war was over. 

"We're here, Hero," Alfie stated while pointing at the tower. 

"Alfie…" Damon sighed and stepped closer to Alfie.

"Hero… you're summoned by the Obsidian Order to get the Dragon's blood. This might sound absurd, but I want Master Frederick to live long… Even if it cost me my life," Alfie faced Damon with resolve. He grasped his chest to show he was ready to sacrifice himself. 

"Are you crazy!? Why would you do that for an old man!?" Damon shouted in disbelief. He never thought to hear those words from a child's mouth. 

"Hero… I'm only born to serve you today and nothing else. You told me you're useless, but I don't believe you. You're a Hero. That means you're capable of something to offer to your Master," Alfie whispered and went closer to Damon. He smiled innocently before a dark, slime-like texture engulfed his body. 

Alfie's body shrieked and slowly turned into a sword with a black gem in the center.