Emotions

The heat wave coming off my sword, arms and legs scorched the grass and made stones glow. The sphere of heat covered a 30 foot radius around me. The first person I killed was the fire mage who hit me with the fire ball, I generated a bright blue fire ball in my free hand and jammed it into his stomach. I watched as his skin tightened and steam left his body from all the moisture evaporating.

His eyes shriveled and blood began leaking from them, his nose, his ears and even his mouth before it too was evaporated. The fireball boiled his organs burst his blood vessels from the pure heat, and he died almost instantly but surely in agony. I felt a mana fueled arrow be shot my way and just blocked it with a flame covered arm, the arrow melted or burned away depending whether it was metal or wood.

Generating mana into my free left hand above my head I formed 20 blinding blue fire balls each about the size of a basketball. I fired them off to different locations and as they impacted a small explosion of heat and flames were left off, cooking any bandit unlucky enough to be near them, each one taking at least one. Because of thunderclap impulse everything was moving slower in my eyes so I was able to get a look at the battlefield.

My fire ball barrage I let off kills around 30-40 bandits, adding them with ones killed earlier and there are still 50 left. Bringing my sword into both hands i channel lightning into the sword, more mana than I had ever channeled into it before and aimed at the biggest clump of people. The first person didn't even know what happened as his body was instantly fried from the bolt of lightning that was released.

The bolt then continued to jump from one bandit to the next, and while the others were watching their companions being electrocuted I charged at them. I used sound mana to once again attack their ears and throw off their equilibrium, the bandits outside the range of my lightning attack were swaying and stumbling.

With quick and planned slashes, I removed heads, stabbed through the heart or bisected each bandit I came across. Each blending with the last as I just focused on my swings, some were already almost dead because they didn't have mana to protect against the raging ball of heat that was me. Taking a second to look around I don't see anymore bandits standing, I look over to the wagon and see Maverick huddled against the wagon with tears streaming down his face.

I hear the faint sounds of Tuk calling for me over our mental link.

'Hatchling! I'm almost there.'

'No need Tuk… It's over.' I said with an empty voice.

'I-I'm sorry, I wasn't fast enough.' The sympathy apparent, but I just shook it off as I stared at Maverick. Releasing the mana I was controlling I feel much lighter, and approach Maverick.

"S-stay back you monster!!" He screams hysterically while getting on his hands and knees to crawl away. The next moment his left arm was cut off at the elbow with the stump cauterized, and he fell to his face. He looks confused before seeing his arm and begins screaming even louder.

"I'm the monster? You betrayed your party! You caused this!" My sound mana leaked into my voice and grated on his ears.

"Monster." He felt into a trance of just repeating monster over and over as he stared at me with tears streaming down his cheeks. Finally in front of him I send a small burst of lightning to his left leg, bringing him out of it. He screamed again before looking up at me.

"H-how? No one is that strong. How can you have lightning and not me! I'm special! They all told me!" He began to yell at me, so I stomped on his foot.

"I am that strong, and I'm not even that strong compared to things to come yet. You're not special, you're scum." I said with my voice devoid of emotion.

Stomp

Burn

Cut

Stomp again

Punch

Punch

Punch

Punch…

I'm stopped when I feel Tuk land on my shoulder and see the bloody and now dead body of Maverick laying in front of me. Looking out over the "battle" field, as if it could even be called that. I see the fallen forms of my compan- no, friends. I see the fallen forms of my friends I made over the past few months and a pain I haven't felt before welled up into my chest coming out in an agonizing scream i didn't know I could perform. My mana raging all around my body, wind mixing and swirling with fire and lightning mana while the sound bled through into my scream.

When I stopped I was huffing and trying to catch my breath, when heard movement to my side. Immediately readying a fire arrow i turned only to cancel the arrow. My eyes landed on Naomi who was laying in a pool of blood that didn't seem it could come from such a small form. I stumbled to her before running and sliding beside her. She coughed a blob of blood as soon as I made it as she gave a faint smile to me.

"Hey Rez." She croaked.

"H-hey." I responded.

"Did… did you stop him? I tried to fight him off, but I guess I didn't train in self defense as much as I thought I did. Haha. Ugh." She asked before ending in a self deprecating chuckle that results in another cough of blood.

"Rest, Naomi. No I couldn't stop him, rather I couldn't save anyone." She gave me a sad smile, but all I could see was the increasing pool of blood.

"Rez?" She asked softly.

"Yes?"

"What is your name?" This was one question she had never asked. Feeling firm in my decision, I reach for my mask and as I pull it off I begin to speak.

"My name is Jaron Helstea, adopted son of the Helstea's. I'll turn 6 May 30th." The shock was evident from her face whether me revealing what I did or how young I was. It was probably a combination of the 2.

"I feel sorry for all the hearts you're going to break when you inevitably go to the academy." She said and I gave a light chuckle when I remembered something. Focusing my Will into my ring I summon out the dress she had been looking at in Valden.

"You… you got that dress? How'd you know I wanted it." She said in a raspy voice that almost made me choke up.

"You couldn't take your eyes off it. What else was I supposed to do? It was going to be your birthday present." I said with a sad smile, gripping the dress.

"Thank you Jaron." It was weak but she gave me the biggest smile yet, before she exhaled for the last time.

"Naomi?" I shake her slightly.

"Naomi?!" I shake her a little harder, still getting no response.

"She's gone hatchling." Tuk said out loud from beside me. I looked at him with tears that wouldn't fall before, now cascading down my cheeks. My chest hurt, my head hurt, my eyes burned from the salty tears. I wanted to scream and never speak again all at the same time. I wished all over again that the bandits would stand up so that I could kill them all over again because of this pain.

'Mask hatchling, people are coming.' Tuk said quickly, and even for a split second I asked myself if I even should but I grabbed the mask and placed it on my face. The next moment Mr. Zany and his 2 assistants along with the wagon drivers came around, what happened next was a blur as we began wrapping the bodies of our party members and loading them in the wagons.

My pre judgment of Mr. Zany based off his looks was proven idiotic again. One of his wagons was for transporting food items so it needed be kept cold, which meant their was an enchanted storage that was like a freezer. Everybody but Maverick was loaded in there, and once that was done I gathered everything I could from the bandits. Gold, weapons jewelry. Whatever they had would taken and sold and then given to the families of the ones that died.

I used my wind magic to corral all the dead bandits into a pile and cast a fireball at them and a huge bonfire began. We pressed forward to the next town soon after that, as Etistin was the closet village with a gate. The next week and a half was a blur to me, as it seemed the world knew we were grieving and nothing attacked us. Tuk never left the skies during the day, constantly watching over while I slept. I kept watch during the night while he rested.

We eventually arrived at the gates and the guards could tell that something had happened as they gave us solemn nods when we passed through. The wagon with everyone in it was taken to the gate area, while the rest went to the square to sell the wares. Mr. Zany had already "bought" all the weapons and jewelry the bandits had and distributed it between the dead.

I went to the guild hall to send a message along with the bodies, and I saw the Twin Horns party sitting at a table and they saw me. Apparently recognizing me since Kaspian likely told them who they would be traveling with.

"Hey! You're Rez right? Wow you're as short as the rumors say." Adam was the one to speak up, and while I wanted to talk to him I just couldn't right now. And Adam being the kind of guy he his pressed on.

"Hey I'm talking to you! Where's Durk? We wanted to see him before he took off to Xyrus." He asked insistently.

"Not now." I hissed and continued to the receptionist. Adam looked taken aback but seemed to catch some kind of understanding, or the hand of Durden calmed him. I made it to the desk with a receptionist.

"How may I help you?" She asked with a smile.

"I would like to report the death of AA adventurer Durk Cassel, as well as 8 others who died protecting the caravan they were hired to protect. Maverick Marceau is also considered MIA and most likely died as well. Mr. Zany is waiting with a wagon to send them back to Xyrus and already provided a condolences fund for each of the deceased, he just needs to let Kaspian know he is coming." I sigh as I finish speaking and I could here the Twin Horns whispering to each other furiously.

"Take this to Mr. Zany, and have him give it to the receptionist in Xyrus along with the money for each of the deceased. My apologies for your friends." She finished with a small bow that I returned with a slight nod.

"Hey, sorry about before but can you tell us what happened? We knew Durk from a couple missions." This time Adam was much more reserved and calm in his questioning.

"We were betrayed by Maverick Marceau to a group of around 100 bandits, possibly more, I didn't count. He attacked us from behind during the heat of the battle." I said as I sat at the table they were seated at.

"What?! Why didn't you say that to the receptionist?" He asks again.

"Because he's a noble and I don't need them looking too closely at me and try to get revenge against my family. Besides I have no proof as I killed him myself. It would be a fresh adventurer against a noble family." I finish with a bit of venom in my voice. They all stare at me for a second before nodding their heads.

"How did he die? Durk that is. I'm assuming you didn't hold back on Maverick." Adam asked a little quieter this time.

"He was blindsided by a fireball sent my Maverick, that he barely deflected. However it was enough for the people he was fighting to get disable one of his legs and then overwhelmed him." They went into contemplation one more time before a new voice spoke and to my surprise it was Jasmine.

"Then how are you still alive?" 'When they all died' was left unsaid, but I still heard it in my head.

"Because I'm stronger than Maverick knew. He focused the majority of the bandits on Durk and the others at the front. I was in the back of the caravan." I responded.

"Sounds convenient." Helen was the one to speak up this time.

"If you have something to say then say it. I sat down and told you because I know of your party and that you're supposed to be joining the last half of the journey. However I will not sit here and play words games with you all when you're obviously suspicious of me." I said as I began to stand.

"You can't blame us for being suspicious when a new adventurer lived while an experienced one died." Adam tried to defend.

"The more experienced may have died, but the stronger one didn't ." I hissed back and started to walk off. Angela and Durden glared at their party member, and I heard Angels speak as I walked away.

"What is wrong with you 3? I would expect something like that from Adam, but you 2 as well?" I didn't hear anything else as I made it out of the guild hall to deliver the letter to Mr. Zany, so he could take them to Xyrus. What a bad way to start with the Twin Horns, but it's best I got out of there before I said something I would regret. I didn't think they would grill me so hard, but i guess I can't blame them. One adventurer out of 9 lives and the one that apparently caused it is dead and can't be questioned.

I see Mr. Zany and walk up to him to hand the letter.

"Here's the letter Mr. Zany just hand it to the receptionist in Xyrus and they will get people to retrieve them." He nodded and passed the letter to Katarina and hopped on the wagon.

"Thanks Rez, look after the other wagons until we get back. We'll hire another few adventurers to join you and the Twin Horns and you'll be able to get a break." He said as he situated himself in the driver seat.

"Will do, Mr. Zany." I say with a nod, making my way to the wagons. Also I should get a message to my Vincent and Tabitha so they don't worry when they hear the story. Pulling out my message scroll I begin.

"Hey mom, hey dad. Hopefully this reaches before you hear the rumors, but just to let you know I'm perfectly fine. I plan to finish out the journey and then I'll come back home for a month before I continue my next 2 years. Again don't worry about me, and I'll see you when the journey is over. Love you both. Bye."

The message sent, and I waited for their reply.

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Author's Note

Hope nobody is too mad with my interaction with the Twin Horns. They won't always be this hostile to each other. I hope everything else about this chapter was good though. There will be one or 2 more chapters for this journey I think and then we will be back in Xyrus for a month before heading to the beast glades for roughly 2 years. During those 2 years he will go back to Xyrus ever so often though.

I might do 3 more chapters and have one be another letter chapter, but I haven't decided.

I know people wanted me to let Naomi live, but she was actually the main one I planned to die lol. I had thought of like 3 different scenarios where she dies. Also this will serve to further mature MC and spur him to continue to get strong. Yay for no stagnation!

Thanks for reading.

-SocioPhobia