Chapter 8: Unsolicited Guests
1417 Words
While everyone was still in shock, Beau seized the moment and swiftly approached Aelia, picking up her weapon from the ground. He used it to free her from the vines and quickly did the same for Hebrew.
"I'll borrow your weapon for a moment, Aelia. Hebrew, take care of Aelia," the two nodded in agreement as their friend astounded them by soaring quickly towards the three casters.
The three casters noticed Beau heading their way and promptly utilized their powers, directing them towards the approaching fairy.
All three had common light magic, but Beau easily dodged their attacks, doubling his speed with his wings.
The casters were taken aback as Beau swiftly closed in on them, prompting them to cast a shield spell as a defense.
Beau transferred his power to Aelia's weapon, causing it to emit a dark glow. He swung it towards their defenses, shattering them easily, and due to the strength of his attack, the three casters also suffered injuries to their chests.
"Goddess Iradel, wielder of the winds! Nature's breath, awaken! Wind, obey my will! Blow!" Beau chanted, casting a wind spell that sent the three flying deep into the forest.
A series of successive explosions resonated around, prompting Beau to glance backward. He witnessed a swift and voracious blue flame consuming all of Sandro's henchmen, courtesy of Hebrew's weapon.
"N-No... No!" Sandro exclaimed in disbelief as he beheld the fate of his subordinates.
"You'll pay for this!" he threatened the three, retrieving a pill from his pocket and consuming it without hesitation.
The pill had the power to enhance an individual's abilities for a few minutes, but the drawback was the temporary loss of powers for an hour or more, depending on the potency of the consumed Amp Pill.
Beau swiftly rejoined his friends upon noticing Sandro's escalating aura due to the ingested pill.
"Prepare yourselves," Beau cautioned the two.
Gasps escaped their lips as colossal vines erupted from the ground, doubling in size compared to before and now adorned with menacing thorns.
The vines lunged toward their positions, prompting the trio to dodge skillfully to avoid getting hit.
However, Aelia's sudden scream caught Beau off guard. They witnessed their friend entangled by the vines.
"Aelia!" Hebrew and Beau exclaimed in concern.
"If you still want your friend to live, join me willingly," Sandro threatened.
"You're despicable! Release her!" Hebrew shouted.
"If you want to get me, release Aelia. I'll come with you peacefully as long as you don't harm my friends," Beau said, but Sandro just laughed at his words.
"Do you think you're in a position to make conditions? You killed all my men, so I won't settle for just you. I'll subdue all three of you and make you reveal where you got your weapons and be my slaves for the rest of your lives."
"Surrender now, or your friend will run out of blood even before the effect of the pill wears off."
The two became more frantic as they noticed a significant amount of blood dripping from Aelia due to the thorns. She even passed out because of it.
Beau clenched his fists in despair. In his current state, he felt powerless and unable to save his friends.
Hebrew glanced at Beau, sensing an intensifying aura emanating from his friend. Something bizarre was happening again to Beau but it was halted as they heard an enraged voice.
"How dare you touch my children!" Sandro was taken aback as he felt a presence behind him.
Beau and Hebrew stood frozen, witnessing the separation of Sandro's head from his body by a glowing sword. And Dew swiftly caught Aelia, who had lost consciousness.
"Dad!" Beau shouted to his father.
Once Dew ensured Aelia was still alive, he gently laid her on the grass and enveloped his son in a tight embrace. He hugged Beau fiercely and kissed his forehead as Beau wept against his chest.
Earlier, Dew had been on his way to the town hall for an important announcement by the mayor, but a sense of foreboding hit him when he saw a massive plume of smoke rising from the direction of their home.
Though near the town hall, he rushed back hastily. Gratitude overwhelmed him as he arrived just in time to rescue his son and his friends.
The sight of their burning house and the forest had terrified him. The scattered bodies in their yard and the sight of his son transformed into a fairy intensified his fear. Tears welled up, knowing he had lost his wife and son, uncertain about the fate of his remaining family.
"Forgive me, Dad! I... We killed them," Beau said amid sobs.
"You're not at fault. None of you are to blame for what happened. It's all their fault. Calm down, son," Dew comforted his son.
Beau ceased his sobbing when they heard a thud. They both stood up to find Hebrew collapsed and unconscious. They rushed to him, relieved to discover he had only fainted, drained of mana entirely. His green bracelet bore no trace of remaining mana after utilizing numerous spells and his weapon earlier.
"Son, it's better if you change your appearance again," Dew suggested, concerned that someone might see Beau in his fairy form.
"Understood, Dad," Beau replied and followed his father's request, returning to his appearance as a beastman.
"Can you heal your friends, especially Aelia?" his dad inquired.
"I can, Dad. Don't worry," Beau reassured.
"In that case, it's better to attend to Aelia first since her injuries are severe," his dad suggested. Beau nodded before going to Aelia's side.
Meanwhile, Dew meticulously inspected the scattered bodies in the area to ensure they were all deceased. He had no intention of letting anyone escape if there were survivors.
They caught sight of his son's true form and he was determined to prevent anyone from discovering it. Revealing Beau's identity could jeopardize them all, especially Beau.
Dew took swift action upon noticing approaching figures drawn by the light emanating from the forest. He swiftly carried the unconscious Hebrew to where Beau was, still in the process of healing Aelia.
Dew felt anxious, as the lights in the dark forest indicated a considerable number of incoming individuals.
He unsheathed his sword again, a weapon forged by his own son. The black sword turned blue as his powers infused into it. He prepared himself for a potential confrontation with the incoming group, possibly comrades of the ones who had targeted his son and his friends.
As the approaching figures became clearer, Dew realized they weren't enemies. They were mounted on horses and wore red cloaks. However, a distinct feeling set these individuals apart from the usual palace knights.
"What happened here?" the Knight Commander inquired with authority.
Dew promptly concealed his weapon as he faced the knights and the Knight Commander, respectfully bowing.
"Our home was attacked by unknown assailants, Knight Commander. I was on my way to the town hall for the meeting but hurried back when I noticed the smoke rising from our area. Luckily, I arrived just in time to rescue my son and his friends," Dew recounted the events.
The commander scanned the surroundings, taking in the scattered corpses and the house engulfed in flames. However, his gaze halted on Dew's back, on Beau, who was still in the process of healing his friend.
Dew noticed this and felt a sense of unease.
One of the guards widened his eyes upon observing the young man. He swiftly dismounted his horse and approached the commander.
"Knight commander, he's the boy. He's the boy we've been searching for," the guard exclaimed. The commander's eyes widened at the revelation.
Even Dew was shocked by what he heard, feeling a strong urge to rescue his son from these individuals. However, he knew he couldn't overpower them.
The commander dismounted and walked towards Dew, his eyes still fixed on Beau, who remained focused on healing Aelia.
"Is he your son?" he asked Dew.
Reluctantly, Dew responded, "Yes, Knight Commander."
Elson's gaze remained on Beau, astonished as he successfully healed all of the girl's wounds.
Beau stood up after completing the healing, having heard voices earlier and quickly understanding the situation upon seeing the guards.
"Dad," he called out, and as he took a step, exhaustion overcame him, causing him to lose consciousness.
"Beau!" Dew exclaimed in concern as he caught his son.
***
[1] Amp Pill - A pill that can strengthen an individual in a limited time.
- Writer
