The ancient dragon and Choi Han exchanged glances before both nodded. Ron, who stood next to the ancient dragon, shook his head as he readied himself to go hunt some rabbits.
The group was currently inside an old building that looked as suspicious as a pregnant woman. Their intuition alone told them that something was wrong with this old closed inn in the middle of a small village, and it turned out they were right. There were many high tech magic devices that secured this building, and even more strong Arm members.
They were different from the members the group faced before, they weren't as naïve and more cautious. They also didn't let their guard down, though there was little to no chance that something might happen. Eruhaben also smelled a strong presence of nature inside this building. Glenn had told him in private that Cale Henituse had many ancient powers so that Eruhaben could small him more easily.
The ancient dragon started to frown. This much security for a single person seemed a little overboard. He wasn't the only one to think that way. Due to the just cast invisibility spell, he couldn't see Ron nor Choi Han, but he could feel that they were just in front of him. Eruhaben looked around. It was the first underground floor and there were ten guards. The floor was rather small and not all too long. Why were there ten guards? It was better not to kill anyone yet.
They turned left and saw a tall metal door. There were only two guards, but they seemed to be on a completely different level than the ones before. Eruhaben spoke into his two companions' minds that moment.
-I think we have to knock the others out.
"I hate being stationed here!"
The ancient dragon flinched. Choi Han and Ron as well, the voice of the soldier simply reeked of hate.
-Ron, I suppose you're enough to do it?
He couldn't see it, but Ron was nodding. He then felt how the assassin left his and Choi Han's side in order to do the job that needed to be done. They already took care of the guards above, either they were knocked out or killed silently. That was the reason why all three of them were sweating. They were a lot stronger than anticipated. Also, they had to stay stealthy and work quietly.
"Yeah, but you know it too. This bastard is too important to just let others guard him."
The first guard laughed.
"In his state, what can he do?"
The other chuckled as well, before turning serious again.
"You never know. And the White Star needs his blood. The others would probably just let him die instead of making sure he still breathes."
The first guard nodded. He looked at his pocket watch and took a potion the other handed him.
"Make sure to check his vitals. If he dies, we die."
The first guard nodded again before he opened the door and entered the very dark room. The ancient dragon and Choi Han with their super human senses were able to hear the painful groans coming from that room. They flinched. The conservation of the two soldiers gave them the chills.
"Hello, doggo, have you missed me?"
They could hear a shallow and cold laugh coming from inside the room. It was a laugh that was unfamiliar to them, a laugh that gave them even more chills than the conservation of the guards. It sounded like the laugh of someone who had nothing to lose and who knew that he wouldn't die.
"Tsk."
The guard clicked his tongue. The sight in front of him was a bloodied mess. It was precious blood to the white star, but as it had already left Cale's body, it was worthless.
"I see you're still healthy enough to smile like that."
"You are all going to die."
Eruhaben was thankful for the fact that no one was able to see him right now. This voice...it made him question what the individual who possessed such a voice went through. He looked at the second guard who flinched but played his fear down.
"Spouting that bullshit again, now are we? Shut up you worthless bastard!"
"What if I don't? You can't kill me, now can you?"
Cale laughed at that fact. His shallow laughter was cold. It didn't hold any emotions. In fact, Cale felt terrible right now. His insides were twisting and he would have gone insane if the guards didn't show up frequently as the voices of his ancient powers were all speaking inside his head at the same time.
-Is that really the person we need to return for the little kid?
He couldn't see Choi Han nod. The swordsmaster still remembered Cale's voice too well. But he too felt that the owner of this voice had to have some sort of terrible past. He thought about how he had first met Cale Henituse. He had come from the Forest of Darkness to report the destruction of the village to the Count. He then banged into Cale who was pretty drunk. He had insulted Harris Village. He had insulted him.
So how could the same lunatic who did that have this creepy voice? Why wasn't there any lunacy? Was his behavior something he did to make Choi Han think he was trash? But why did he let himself get beaten to that pulp? Choi Han couldn't quite understand.
"Laugh as long as you can. You know as well as I do that you will die. Even if I'm not the one who will kill you."
Ron, who just came back, stopped smiling and approached the second guard. As he was a master in stealth, the guard didn't sense him coming. He then slashed the guard's throat without a sound. Eruhaben, who saw that, cancelled his invisibility spell and looked at the frowning butler who pointed at the open door with his chin. Eruhaben and Choi Han nodded at that. They soon entered the dark room in that the only light came from a small candle. But it was enough to see the chained down individual on the other side of the iron bars.
The figure was kneeling on his knees with ripped clothes. He had blood all over his body and clothes. The only indicium that Cale's shirt had been white before were the grey parts that weren't full of his own, dark red blood. Honestly, he looked terrible. The way he was chained to the ground and had no way of standing up nor sitting straight. Even lying down to sleep seemed impossible for him; maybe that was the reason for his dark eye bags. He looked like he hadn't slept in weeks.
It had been a week since their meeting with Glenn and Bud as well as the children and they had informed the group that Cale had been kidnapped three weeks ago, right before the battle in the Henituse Territory, a day before the official announcement of him going missing. That meant that he had been here for a whole month now. It didn't sit right with either of them.
"Hehehehe!"
Cale's shallow laughter made everyone in this prison room feel uncomfortable. He looked like a lunatic – if it weren't for his clear, cold eyes that stared the guard down with this calculating gaze.
"Does he think he'll get my abilities if he drinks my blood or what? Hehehehe! What a joke!"
Drinking Cale's...blood?
Before the guard could say anything else, Ron sliced his throat with his dagger, before he finally approached Cale Henituse, the thin person that matched Bud's and Glenn's description perfectly. He was indeed very thin and pale – if one ignored the blood on his body and clothes.
"Ah, there was someone else here."
Cale didn't seem the least bit surprised, but he didn't seem to be welcoming his rescuers as well. Cale couldn't look up and had to bow his head. He had strained himself by looking at the guard but his body couldn't handle more.
"If you'd be as nice as to free me..."
It wasn't a plea but an order. It didn't even sound arrogant anymore. Ron couldn't move. His young master, his puppy like young master-nim, whom he had tried to protect, was reduced to...to this! There was so much blood! Could a single individual even possess this much blood, especially someone Cale's size?
As the assassin didn't seem to be able to speak and Choi Han didn't utter a sound either, the ancient dragon took over.
"Seems like we win the bet."
Cale strained his body once more as he forced himself to look up and showed his smile to Eruhaben.
"Winning a bet is always nice."
Eruhaben's eyes widened in disbelief. How could this human make jokes while he was in that state? He certainly was interesting. And what about his abilities?
"Ho."
Choi Han moved and broke the jail bars in order to get to Cale. Not long after, he broke the strange chains that were restraining Cale. The redhead let out a pained moan as he fell forward and had to use his shaking arms to not fall.
No matter how the group looked at him, he didn't look the least bit like a trash. The cold and distant look in his eyes was more present than anything and he made eye contact with the ancient dragon, as he was the only new face to him. Eruhaben had to work hard in order to not to flinch at that gaze. It wasn't a gaze just anyone could have.
Cale didn't even look at Choi Han or Ron, nor did he thank the group for rescuing him, as if it'd be a normal think for them to do. He stood up and patted his chest to get rid of the dust on his clothes. No matter how one looked at it, he didn't look like he just spent weeks alone in this jail.
"Don't you want to know who we are?"
Eruhaben was curious as to why this human didn't ask anything at all. And he really seemed to be fine. Could someone with that much blood on his clothes really be fine?
Cale looked at the ancient dragon while he raised his left eyebrow; his look made Eruhaben rethink his question as he felt as if it was unnecessary.
"Why'd I need to know something like that?"
The redhead turned his head and looked at his former butler. Ron still looked flabbergasted and was unable to do anything. He couldn't control himself as he approached his former young master. The old man then attempted to touch the slim male's narrow shoulders, but Cale turned away from him first. He exited his prison cell and left a stunned Choi Han behind, who quickly followed him. It didn't look like Cale was in pain.
Eruhaben chuckled. Why was it that he had to meet Cale when he was so old?
"You, Choi Han, give me your cape."
Cale stretched out his hand in front of the swordsmaster who simply took off his cape and handed it to him before he could even think properly. There was something in Cale's voice that left no room for discussion. As he wanted to ask the younger man something, even though he was optically younger, a waving hand cut him off. This hand was very pale and looked extremely weak, as if even the slightest pressure could break it.
It looked nothing like the hand of this man a little over a year ago. He would never beat someone who had a hand like that. This was something he knew needed protection – needed his protection.
Choi Han shook his head at this thought. Since when did he think about protecting someone or something? And why wasn't he angry at Cale? Where did all this hate go whenever he thought about the disrespectful noble?
"You seem to know Choi Han."
Cale snorted at the ancient dragon's statement.
"I guess you don't forget the name of someone who almost beat you to death that easily."
Choi Han felt a wave of guilt overwhelm him. He looked at his slightly shaking hand at the hilt of his sword and immediately hid his hands behind his back. Ron finally approached his former master and checked on him, as if he was still his servant. Cale just sighed as he took a step back. As he saw the vicious look in the old man's eyes, he quickly stood still.
"Ah."
Eruhaben couldn't help but be surprised. He looked at Choi Han. He himself could feel just how weak this human was, no matter how strong the smell of nature around him was. How could Choi Han beat someone like that?
"Young master-nim...you've gotten a lot thinner...Don't you eat at all?"
Ron's voice was shaking, something no one had ever heard from Ron before. Choi Han had his head down. He felt not only guilty but ashamed as well. This was something he didn't think he would ever feel.
"Yes, yes. It doesn't matter. I eat very well, thanks for your concern."
Eruhaben snorted at that. A human who ate well didn't look like Cale. The redhead chose to ignore the dragon's snort and simply put Choi Han's cape over his bloodied clothing. He ignored the fact that it was too big for him and reached the floor while it was shorter on Choi Han.
He looked like a criminal of some sorts, especially as he decided to pull the hood over his head.
"Well, never mind that. I have somewhere I need to be. Goodbye."
Cale attended to leave the prison room he had been in for weeks, but had to stop as Ron held him back. He turned around to see the usual benign smile of the butler that gave him the chills.
"We'll accompany you."
Choi Han nodded at Eruhaben's statement. He didn't like the thought of Cale departing alone, especially after he felt the urge to protect the redhead.
"You don't have to. I am perfectly fine on my own."
Cale could really live without being watched by his former, vicious old butler assassin and the person who beat him to a pulp a little over a year ago. Especially the third person who he had no information on seemed dangerous. For all he knew, it could be a dragon as well.
"We insist, young master-nim."
Ron's smile got wider and Cale shuddered before nodding. He wasn't ready to die just yet.
"You don't have to call me that, you aren't my butler, Ron."
Ron froze for a couple of seconds before he shook his head, though Cale didn't notice it anymore. The others still did.
"But young master-nim, you are still my young master."
Cale let out a deep sigh that seemed to be stored in him these last weeks. He decided that it'd be the best course of action to just ignore the old man and let him call him as he wishes. In the end, what could he do? Cale started to walk out of the dark prison cell. He ignored the corpses of the Arm members and their slit open throats. Eruhaben observed him while he still looked as indifferent as when they first saw him. Cale didn't seem to be bugged by the dead men.
Ron followed his former – or not – young master and was close behind him. Choi Han walked a bit slower, hell knows why. Eruhaben was the last member who exited Cale's prison cell and looked at everyone's back from behind. Even though Cale had the narrowest back, his seemed to be the biggest. Eruhaben couldn't help but think about what this man was. He had a baby dragon that seemed to be willing to die for him if necessary and his subordinate was the Mercenaries King. Just who was he?
The group soon exited the old looking building and entered the busy streets. Cale flinched at the sudden moonlight, but no one noticed it. It had been quite a while since he had felt the cold air and the soft breeze. It was early fall, he had been kidnapped when it had been warm outside, but now it was fresh and quite cold. Even though it was already night, the streets were full of people who were walking at a fast pace.
Cale looked around. He recalled the moments he had been dragged into this small village. It had been night as well, but back then the streets were almost empty. He found it to be suspicious. Choi Han started to walk, but Cale held him back by his arm. He looked at the people's movements. They didn't seem to be thoughtless like normal people's movements. It was odd, and maybe because he had been held in a prison cell for a little over four weeks, but he didn't think that the White Star would let him supervised with just the guards in the building.
He pulled the hood more into his face and looked down at the ground. His feet were shaking; he wouldn't be able to run away. He was certain that there were Arm members in the crowd of people. He turned around and looked at the three individuals who looked at him with questioning gazes. Cale sighed. Why was it him who had to deal with such individuals while he only wanted to be a slacker?
The redhead cleared his throat as he looked at the ancient dragon, though he didn't really know of his real existence.
"You, you'll have to carry me on your back."
Cale ignored the frown on the beautiful man's face as he turned to Choi Han and Ron who looked at him as if he had two heads. Ron still continued to smile this benign smile of his and ignored the strange sensation he got from Cale's serious, emotion-void face.
"Ron, lie down on the floor and close your eyes, don't move."
"...Excuse me?"
The benign smile of the old assassin finally disappeared as he looked at the redhead as if he was a madman, in his eyes he really was. Eruhaben furrowed his brows as he couldn't understand this human at all. He even forgot that he was the one who had to carry Cale. Cale's gaze then shifted to Choi Han who flinched. He didn't want to play dead as well! He would like to carry the redhead instead.
"Choi Han, you carry Ron...Hm, first go there and buy some red liquor."
Cale waved with his hand and left no room for discussion as he pointed with his chin at the liquor shop some feet away. He, Ron and Eruhaben hid inside the old building where the redhead had been kidnapped, waiting for Choi Han's return.
No one questioned Cale's order, as they doubted that it'd be something useless. Still, him being known as an alcoholic trash who throws away bottles at people...him asking for liquor...that didn't seem practical at all.
Choi Han soon returned with the bottle, not able to hide his suspicious gaze. Cale didn't care about that, as he opened the bottle and looked at the old man. He wore a black suit, but under the black jacket he wore a white shirt.
"Ron, give me your jacket."
Ron was confused with Cale's order, but did it nonetheless. Cale sighed as he handed Ron's jacket to Choi Han before he looked at his former servant once again.
"I apologize in advance."
Before anyone could ask Cale about what he meant with that, the young man poured the liquor over the butler's shirt and hair. Choi Han stared at Cale who then emptied the leftovers of the liquor while not making eye-contact with the butler, fearing his vicious gaze.
"Put the black jacket over your head or something like that. Make it so that you look suspicious."
Choi Han didn't question Cale's order as he put Ron's blazer over his head so that no one could see his face or hair. Cale then turned around to the ancient dragon, who had already a different hair and eye color, as his hair was now a dark brown while his orange-golden eyes were now blue.
"I see. So you are a mage?"
Eruhaben chuckled as he shook his head.
"An ancient dragon."
Cale nodded while his expression didn't change much. The others found it to be odd but didn't question it, after all Cale had his own little black dragon.
"Doesn't matter. You carry me as if I'd be a corpse. Don't let others see my face or hair. Choi Han, you carry Ron as if you were his killer as well. Make sure you attract as much attention as someone who doesn't want to attract attention would attract."
Eruhaben looked at Cale with furrowed brows. He simply couldn't understand why someone would ask him to do something like that.
"My name is Eruhaben."
Cale simply nodded. He wasn't interesting in getting to know the ancient dragon any better. As he saw how Eruhaben hesitated, Cale sighed.
"Haaa, I don't weight that much. Never mind that, change of plans. Choi Han, you carry me, and you, you carry Ron."
Eruhaben just wanted to say that he had no problem carrying Cale, as Choi Han already lifted the light man in his arms. He just wanted to carry him in a princess carry, as Cale let out a sigh.
"Carry me as if I were dead."
Choi Han nodded and put the redhead over his shoulder. Cale let out a pained groan but didn't say anything else, as he simply continued to instruct the ancient dragon and his former butler. Eruhaben soon carried Ron the same way Choi Han carried Cale. They didn't question Cale's instructions at all; they simply had no reasons to. They also noticed how the bloodied man was perfectly fine – at least it seemed like that to them on the outside.
"Alright, now you can exit this town. Make sure to teleport away the very instant that we leave the town behind."
Eruhaben nodded, though Cale couldn't see that. They soon speed walked through the busy streets. Choi Han was the first who noticed their pursuer. And it wasn't just one. The ancient dragon turned around, fully in his role. He looked and acted just like the killer next door. Meanwhile he spoke inside Choi Han and Ron's head.
-We have some chasers. I think that this unlucky bastard knew.
Choi Han just nodded as he couldn't answer without Cale noticing. Meanwhile Ron whispered his answer knowing that the ancient dragon would hear.
"Are they after us or after the young master-nim?"
Eruhaben sighed as he thought about how unlucky the young man in Choi Han's arms was. After all he didn't seem to be older than twenty.
-They don't seem to be chasing after any of us, just testing who we are.
Choi Han nodded a second time while Cale tried not to vomit – being carried with his head upside down while feeling a headache from the many voices in his head was a bad idea, especially in his condition. Even though the Vitality of the Heart, one of his many ancient powers, had healed all the wounds the White Star and his subordinates have inflicted to him, he still had been using many of his ancient powers and his very own ability before. Only the super rock ancient power held his body together, after all he couldn't let himself faint while being kidnapped by the White Star.
After a while, Choi Han and the ancient dragon started to sprint while getting faster and faster with every passing second. Ron stealthily looked behind them and saw how their pursuers weren't following them anymore. He then turned his head to look at his sweating young master-nim. Probably he wasn't used to being carried in such a fast pace.
Finally, approximately ten minutes after they started sprinting, they reached the town's border. The very second they crossed it, Eruhaben teleported them to the Forest of Darkness, to the place where he met Bud and Glenn.
Eruhaben almost threw the old man away as he patted his own clothes. They reeked of liquor and he didn't like it one bit. He then turned his hair and eye color back and looked at Choi Han who carefully put Cale Henituse down. This was the first time he noticed how the redhead's feet were shaking. The dragon frowned.
Was it because of the sprint? Had they run too fast? Cale didn't take off his hood as he turned around and bent over and leaned on a tree that was standing next to him. He didn't look all too good. God, he looked like he'd die right now.
"Where are we?"
Even his voice was shaky. Eruhaben wanted to answer, as Ron anticipated him.
"We are in the Forest of Darkness, young master-nim."
Cale simply nodded as he straightened up again. He looked around the dark trees.
"Good, then you've accompanied me home already. All of you can leave now."
Cale waved his hand at them and waited for them to leave. But instead of that they disappeared, suddenly more people appeared through a teleportation circle that hadn't been there before. There was a dark elf, a red haired young woman, a silver haired boy that didn't seem to be older than fifteen or sixteen and his former cook Beacrox. All of them immediately looked at him, as he was a caped figure, someone they haven't seen before.
Even Beacrox didn't recognize his former – well, not anymore obviously – young master.
"Have you found him? Is that him?"
Alberu looked at the caped figure with lots of interest. He smelled the smell of blood on him and also the stench of alcohol. He looked at Ron who was doused with red liquor. Beacrox looked at his father as well. There was simply no way that his father would look like what he looked like now. He didn't even have the right words to describe the sight in front of him.
"Father, what happened to you?"
Beacrox approached his father and ignored the caped figure as it wasn't worth his attention. Ron smiled benignly, but there was happiness and relief in his eyes. Beacrox, who noticed that, stopped and looked at the caped figure. He really did reek of blood. Immensely much at that.
"Yes, that is Cale Henituse."
It was the ancient dragon who answered Alberu's question after clearing his throat. He ignored the piercing gaze that Cale sent his way to the best of his abilities.
"...That?"
Lock couldn't help but ask this question while looking at the person who was the origin of the stench of blood in the air.
"Yes, 'that' is Cale Henituse."
It was Choi Han who answered Lock's question, who simply nodded without having any response. He couldn't believe it.
"Well...seems like we win the bet."
Rosalyn clapped her hands together and smiled brightly. She ignored everyone's piercing gaze on her as she started to approach the weakly looking figure. She wanted to pull his hood down to look at his appearance, just to still her curiosity. Though she didn't make it that far as Choi Han stopped her from approaching Cale any further than two feet. He himself was much nearer to him.
Cale sighed while he looked at that. He rolled his eyes and let himself slide down as he leaned against the tree. He was now sitting on the cold earth and looked up at these individuals who he never wanted to meet in first place. He knew that some of them were the heroes of the plaza incident, while the other were his former servants, an ancient dragon and even the crown prince in his natural appearance.
He could feel his slacker life waving him goodbye (though it already did the very moment he rescued the kittens, the black dragon and picked up everyone who needed a home and a place that accepted them the way they were).
"What is this bet all about?"
Cale asked as he was curious about what sort of bet they had that involved him in some way. And who was the one who lost the bet? He started to pity him.
"Young master, have you gotten thinner? Are you eating properly? Aren't you eating because I left? If so, I'll start working right away!"
Cale let out a deep sigh as he looked at Beacrox who stared at his pale face with shock. It was rare – no, impossible – to see the collected cook being flabbergasted like that. Cale looked at himself.
"Do I look that skinny?"
He only mumbled it but the others could hear him very well. As the redhead didn't look at the others, he couldn't see them nodding. The crown prince cleared his throat as he approached Cale and ignored Cale. He crouched down in front of the pale looking man whose face and clothes were full of his own blood. He had to work hard to restrain himself from flinching. The young noble in front of him didn't look like a noble at all; in fact, he didn't look like a person at all. He looked like a used slave.
"Well, we had a bet with your dragon. Whether we find you before he does, or not."
Cale raised his brows.
"How do you know Raon? And what does he owe you now?"
The crown prince would like to smirk, but he couldn't do that while looking at the man in front of him. He simply shrugged.
"We met him here, nothing special. Also, not he but rather you and your people owe us some answers now."
Cale frowned but sighed the very next moment. He shook his head as he stood up once again and walked a bit, before crunching down, standing up again, walking back to the tree he had been sitting against, and leaning against it with his back while looking at Choi Han, then at the rest of the group members. His gaze stopped when he made eye contact with the ancient dragon. In the end, he sighed one last time. He just wanted to answer, as a loud shout interrupted him.
"Human! Human! I can smell my Human!"
Cale didn't even flinch once as a black blob flew against him and snuggled into his chest while sobbing. Following him, two kittens; one silver, one red; ran against his feet and meowed at him to lift them into his arms.
Cale sighed as he lifted the two kittens into his now slightly shaking arms. He also carried the black dragon in his arms while frowning. The children weighted less than before he was kidnapped. He wasn't happy with that at all. He looked past the stunned group, at a blue and purple haired male. Bud Illis and Glenn were running at them in a fast pace without showing the intention to slow down.
He sighed and made eye contact with the ancient dragon who was honestly flabbergasted. Cale smiled as he looked at the children once again. He had missed them as well.