Chapter 30:
Arthur's Point of View
The Hollow Forest
"While I am glad you are interested, I must admit that I am a tad concerned." The Druid stated. "The forest has been speaking of a vile creature lurking within the shadows." Scanning the area with a more serious look, she seed more wary. "It is near even now."
"And yet, you don't seem concerned." I pointed out.
She smiled softly. "A creature such as this is not sothing I could hope to handle. Life is fleeting for a flower, just as it is for a Druid." The Druid gestured to herself. "An angry beast of so manner would be much more plausible, but this creature is here with purpose." The Druid started walking towards and put her hand on my chest armor. "It is here for you and you alone."
Taking a more serious look, I eyed the Druid. "How would you know that?"
"The plants have told of your exploits against those creatures. Demonic creatures that have not been seen in the world of Crevalis for quite so ti." Removing her hand, she put a hand on my cheek. "Did you truly believe that killing so many of them would have no consequences?"
Removing her hand, I narrowed my eye at the information. "What else have they told you?"
"Nothing too private, I assure you. They don't tell what is said, rely what transpires." Thank god for small miracles. "The creatures you killed, or rather, the ones who hunted you down were likely brought here by the creature that hunts you now."
"You say hunt, but it hasn't revealed itself."
At this point, Typhon was looking everywhere. "I am unsure of whether you would want it to. Unfortunately for you, it is likely only a matter of ti." Then she caressed my arm in fascination. "But you knew that, didn't you?"
Shaking her caress away, I crossed my arms again. "If Ghouls are demonic creatures, why do they resemble the other races?"
"Ghouls?" The Druid repeated as if just hearing the word.
"The demonic creatures. They appeared to be Elves and Humans."
Her arms fell, and so of the flowers in the area stopped blooming as she looked at wide-eyed. "They were?" At my nod, she stepped away from and looked down. "That is very concerning. Keep this information to yourself. The Priestesses likely knew this and did not want others to know."
I nodded again. "I noticed."
Typhon, who backed up against and was pressed firmly into my side, spoke. "So, back to the creature hunting, Arthur..." He said in a shaky voice. "Is it still out there?"
"It watches us even now. I do not know what it is waiting for." The Druid replied. "However, it has clearly been following you for quite so ti. I received several warnings that all of you were getting closer and closer."
"What's your na, Druid?" I inquired.
She gave a small curtsy. "My na is Camoa. It is a pleasure to et you, Sir Arthur Pendragon, and you, Typhon Delmaris."
Typhon started to shakily wave as I replied. "I'd like to say the sa. Maybe I'll be able to when we actually get the chance to sit down and talk."
Camoa pointed off into the woods. "My dwelling is not too far if you'd like to stay."
Putting my hand on Typhon's head, I wiggled him around slightly. "While I would love to have a long conversation with you, it must wait. If I am being hunted, getting him back will be my priority. If we joined you, I'd have to worry about you too."
"It interests that you seem so complacent with your current situation. Being hunted by a creature doesn't surprise you and nor do you care that it is likely demonic in nature." She shook her head in amusent. "Not many would hold such an attitude."
"Not many care as little as ." Giving a nod to show so respect, I gestured to the trees. "We should really be leaving."
"Until next ti." Then she glanced to the side. "If there is a next ti."
Smirking at Typhon's face dropping, I replied. "I'm feeling confident there will be." Then I nudged the Dragon. "Co on, Ty."
He nodded and held close. "Yeah. Next ti." I chuckled as he barely was able to get the words out.
Typhon and I left the clearing with Camoa watching us carefully as she went. A few branches soon closed off the clearing, and she disappeared. Frowning at this, I focused to see if I could feel where the creature was. At one point, my hand started up to my eye, but I glanced down at Typhon and stopped myself.
We were quiet for a bit, but Typhon couldn't stay that way for long. "Do you think it's still following us?"
"Yep." Was my nonchalant response.
"You don't see a problem with this!?" The boy asked fearfully.
I shrugged. "What happened to you're with the Knight of Lestrania, and nothing could happen to you with around?"
He gestured to . "You're being hunted by so demonic creature! We need to tell the Priestesses!"
"Probably not a bad idea, but also not a good one either."
Grabbing his head as he looked around, scared, he continued. "I can't believe you didn't tell you were being hunted!"
"Well, you followed , and once you stepped into the forest, it was pretty much impossible to leave."
"What do you an it's impossible to leave?" Typhon looked up at as we ca to a stop.
Ignoring the child's concern, I looked around. Narrowing my eye as I felt the presence get closer, I removed my wrapping around my right eye. Moving Typhon behind , I began to scan the area. However, as soon as I opened my right eye, fear took hold of . Picking Typhon up startled him but said nothing as he held on tight as I charged my way through the forest.
Gritting my teeth in concern, I was truly worried. Fighting wasn???t an issue for , nor was getting wounded or possibly dying, but I didn't want to get Typhon mixed up in this. It must've been obvious because the Dragon held tighter as I ran. That, and he was clearly able to see my right eye, which would unnerve anyone.
"Arthur, what did you see?"
"Be quiet, Ty." He huddled closer to at that. "Don't worry, I'm going to get you ho."
With my right eye unwrapped, I was able to see all the energy in the area. Unfortunately, it was all overpowered by a vast red and black energy covering the entire area. Almost as if drowning the entire forest in its own foulness. No longer did the trees, bushes, or other plant life have a color of their own. Everything was tinted in a black and red hue.
"Shit!"
Slamming my foot into the ground, we ca to a stop after sliding through the grass and dirt below. Dropping Typhon's legs from my grasp, I held him close with my left arm while my right arm quickly drew Defiance from my back. Bringing it in front of , we twisted around to where I felt the creature was. If murderous intent was real in this world, that was likely it.
"Arthu-"
"Shh!" I shushed him.
It was almost as if I could feel my impending death coming in re monts. The surrounding magical energy seed to get thicker, and shadows started to shift throughout the underbrush and trees. Glancing down at Typhon, I frowned as I knew I had a handicap.
Taking a deep breath and readying myself seed to halt the shadows as I stopped hesitating. Killing my emotions, for the ti being, my gaze focused almost solely on the hidden source still a bit away. However, another wave seed to emit from when I did so, and I readied to kill the creature. Raising my own energy levels seed to put the two of us at a standstill.
The flapping of wings overhead grabbed my attention, and I looked up to see two unhappy Priestesses looking down upon . "Arthur Pendragon!?? Arceana's withering glare as she landed hard almost made flinch.
"Release Typhon at once!" Elincia ordered as she landed behind .
"Sure." Letting him go with my gaze fixed solely on Arceana.
Typhon didn't move as he looked around. "Typhon." Arceana held out her hand gently.
Shaking, the Dragon child held onto as I kept my sword up. "I can't." Was his shaky reply.
"Arthur won't hurt you." Elincia told him from behind . "We should've never made him our Knight. If you were his goal all this ti, then we've thwarted him before he could hurt you!" She declared.
Annoyed, I sighed. "Look, I don't want Ty; I certainly wasn't trying to kidnap him. He followed into the forest."
Pulling her hand back, Arceana raised her scepter in a threatening manner, which I didn't know was possible. "Typhon would never disobey us. He has always minded our words. If he ca in here, it was because you made him.???
The shadows surrounding us were still as if watching us. "Brilliant detective work Priestess, but you failed to realize one thing." Her eyes watched . "Ty is rely a child. Eventually, he's going to disobey you." Then I looked down at the shaking form of Typhon and rolled my eyes. "For the record, I told you this was going to happen."
"I'm sorry." The child whispered.
Shaking my head in annoyance, I gestured to him. "You can literally take him and leave. I'm kind of in the middle of sothing here."
Elincia summoned very familiar swords that started to float around the area. "You are going nowhere until you answer for your cris."
"Oh my god..." I groaned out as my head tilted back. "I don't have ti for either of you."
"Do not resist, Arthur. You will be questioned, and so will Typhon to get to the bottom of this but kidnapping a mber of the Temple and our kin is a serious cri." Arceana pointed her scepter at .
Rolling my eyes, I looked away from them. "To the creature that is watching right now, can you give like..." I glanced to both Priestesses for a mont and then shrugged. "Ten minutes!? Fifteen tops!?"
Arceana ignited her magic in her hands as she focused on . "You underestimate us, Arthur Pendragon."
"This will not go like last ti, Arthur." Her sister then said from behind .
"Alright, so this is happening." Grabbing Ty by the back of his shirt, I yanked him off of and held him off of the ground at eye level. "I bla you for this." Setting him down and pushing him away gently, I continued. "Now, I have to do my job as the Knight of Lestrania."
"And what might that be?" Arceana asked in a dangerous tone as she crouched and spread her wings.
Rolling my shoulders and shaking the limbs loose, I crouched down myself as I took a more combative stance now that I no longer had Ty holding onto . "Putting two Lestranian Priestesses in their place. I'm willing to deal with so uppity bullshit from now and then, but you two are asking for it."
I could feel the glare on my back. "You dare to-" Elincia started, but I cut her off.
"I didn't want to be your Knight." I said evenly and shrugged. "Don't care for any lands or titles you could give , and you still haven't figured that out." Gesturing to myself mockingly, I continued sarcastically. "What happened to being the one from the prophecy!? Look at my eye, Arceana! Is it everything you wanted to see?"
"Your actions starting out as our Knight are horrible and dishonorable." Elincia stated from behind .
Feeling as though energy was shooting at from behind, I stepped to the side where a sword planted into the ground at an angle where I just was. Eyeing it for a mont and understanding quickly that this was truly happening, my gaze shifted behind to Elincia. She frowned as she saw look at her.
"Really, bitch?"
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The new goal for this week is to hit 800 Power Stones again for another extra chapter! We were so close, and I'm positive we should've been able to hit it, so I think it's a fair goal. If we hit 850 as well, I will release an additional bonus chapter for hitting that goal as well! We know we can hit 750 easy, but can we hit 850? Let's find out! Hope you guys are still looking forward to the coming chapters!
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