Chapter Seventeen

He was… Quiet normal, even plausible, taking off the fact that he his eyes were completely white, his teeth pointy and that his skin was marked with scars, deadly pale as if they have never been touched by the sun.

He moved like an old man, a little humped, using the cane to support himself, as he made some sounds in a strange language that lead the cane to start shining, the crocked wood having green and yellow veils spiraling up like little snakes on the cracks of the wood.

Them something was suck out of the Stalkers, a grey mass of energy, as if their souls were absorbed by the wood. I used Appraisal, still hiding in the shadows as my brother stayed farther back.

Soul Eater – Necromancer ability, allows the caster to suck off the vital energy off its enemies, keeping in a receptacle and been able to use it afterwards.

The three Stalkers felt down like a rock, unmoving, growing skinny as if sucked off their organs and blood. He limped closer as he moved his staff in circles and made… a crystal float out off one of the creature's bodies.

Magical Crystal – Similar to a soul, the crystal holds the creatures power and element, as well as it's experience. It can be absorbed and increase the consumer status – the more compatible the more it is absorbed – and it has a low chance of carrying unique abilities. The higher the level of the creature or its uniqueness, the higher the possibility of having a crystal.

What, I could gain level by eating those things? But not all creatures had it uhm… that explained why I haven't seen one before. The hooded man turned around again, moving his staff up, and two creatures appeared from another room.

One looked like some sort of panther, the other like a wolf, but they were… rotting. They were just like the corpses of the undead outside, some parts of the bone visible as well as some muscle and veins.

They carried the corpses of the stalkers, but one of them made eye contact with me.

And it was… shocking.

His eyes, they were shining, full of life. I don't know how, not even why, but these two creatures were very conscious and alive, inside a rotting body. His eyes shone a pained light, and I couldn't look anymore.

These eyes… were asking for freedom, they were asking for death.

We sneaked our way out without alerting or seen anyone; beyond the undead; going back to our cave with a restless mind.

~~~~

As we were trying to sleep those eyes kept bothering me enough that I was still on high alert, thinking of the events that passed through inside the castle.

And, as I was lying with my belly up, thinking, my brother started running from inside the cave, screaming:

"Cannon Ball!!!" He said as he jumped on me

"Aght, what the hell!! Stop jumping on me you stupid mutt!"

"Stop calling me stupid, you're stupid!"

"I will stop calling you stupid when you stop been stupid, you stupid mutt! Get. Off!"

He tried to nimble my ear but I pushed him back, not in the mood to play and too tired to care. My brother tried to help me sleep, even told stories like I do to him sometimes to help him relax, but he was the one who ended up falling asleep telling them in the middle, ha.

I was looking at the entrance of the cave, were the light sheds big shadows behind the rocks. I sigh, yet again.

How would it be? Been caged inside your body as it rotted away; the mere thought send shivers down my spine.

But this brought many questions forward; the first one was, should I help them? Or at least try? It would be dangerous, very dangerous, to me and my brother's life, and was it even worth it?

However the thought of simply moving on, living my life as if nothing happened brought stones to the pit of my stomach. But what them? Someone told me, I think, once that for evil to prevail, all that is needed is that the good people do nothing.

That brought a bad taste to my mouth. But letting them in that state too. And then I started to think… the humans, the necromancer, all of them used us, magical creatures. We were always the mistreated, the enslaved, and for what? Greed, from others, and why not? Nothing would stop them, nothing would stand in their way, they could do whatever they pleased and nothing would happen or change.

I clenched my teeth.

I wasn't like my brother; and not in the Good Boy way or anything. I knew I wasn't only an animal, not only from the fact that I was Reincarnated, but because… I wasn't satisfied.

This type of life, sleep, hunt, repeat, was so meaningless that made me think that we should change the away things were, if somehow I haven't been brought to this world to do something… and that made me go back to the first question.

Should I help them?

Could I?

What was the point them? Grow stronger, yes, protect my brother, yes, but what about the others? How could I ever think of protecting him in this type of world that couldn't care less about magical creatures?

There would always be someone stronger out there.

And we were outnumbered…

That's the problem, they are united; for money, for greed, for whatever reason; but that makes them stronger, not only on level, that we can and are changing, but in weapons, in numbers, in knowledge.

That's what made me decide. If we turn our back now, we would do again tomorrow, and the next day, until we were the ones cornered and become the next victims.

We.

Will.

Not.

Run.

~~~~

"You are just overthinking it, again, is actually very simple. To become stronger you need to hunt stronger things each time, that's all. Or what, you think hunting rabbits will do you any good for fighting experience?"

"But is dangerous nonetheless. I wouldn't want to put my brother's life at risk…"

"But there will always be a risk, kid. Every battle is to death, not only for the prey but for the hunter as well. The difference is, what are you going to do about it? Live in a cave for the rest of your life?"

The Voice of the Night sighs. "For now you should sleep little hound. And don't get used to this kay?"

I haven't sleep the entire day, and he knew it; more because of me yawing all the time; so he hummed me a lullaby, letting my heavy eyelids shut tight as my mind settle down.

~~~~

Hellou, I'm very proud of this one, guess you guys are already imagining what the protective brother will become in the future right? Huehuehue

By the way I think I won't be able to post/write the New Year days, so sorry (⋟﹏⋞)

At least will eat a lot of meat, hehe (º﹃º)

ML: Happy New Year. *Monotone voice*

MC:*One month after New Year 's Eve* Wait, we changed years? How I'm supposed to know in the middle of the forest?! Does saying now gives bad luck?

Brother: *Sleep through the entire thing*

Aeglos: *Got too drunk to remember why he drank in the first place* Ding-Weakness found

Author: Happy New Year!!~~ I hope that my story inspires you guys, that you realize how strong yourselves are the same way our brothers need to be in this unfair world!

All: Thank you!! ~~

三('ω')三( ε: )三(.ω.)三( :3 )三('ω')三( ε: )三(.ω.)三( :3 )