chapter 17
#17 of Wolves' Legacy Saga
Chapter 17
Nergora moved his body gracefully between two hellhounds. His sword sliced them in a quick gesture that even his bodyguard couldn't see them. When he finally managed to sheathe his sword he closed his other palm before the hellhounds froze and became chunks of ice when he released the palm. Rubbing his snout, he gave ice cold aura to himself, cooling him down more.
"(This is the third attack for two days)," said Sovarn. "(The rebels are more persistent than I thought)."
"(Aside from Ifrit, I'm another threat to their agenda. I am glad that Ifrit had met Eshdar and some of the sympathizers on their way to Renita. From a scout, guess they are taking a detour in a forest to another spring fest)."
"(A detour to where, exactly? All I know of any spring festival around Adaline region is Renita)."
"(I thought you're going to help me remember things when I forgot)."
"(That's what I'm here for, goddamn it. The spring fest is not happening if those rebels use the place for their base, and you know what, that place is barricaded by some hastily put rocks that some of our spies will see through it, much to find out what's happening in there. What's worse, those rocks weren't put there without reasons)."
"(What reason?)"
"(If you misplaced those rocks you'll know a visitor. Our spies said that the rocks have an inscription of a Hordo language that means 'move it for passage'. Doesn't that feel like a trap to you?)"
"(Uh, yes?)"
"(So, no humans, no spring fest.)"
"(But how about that place you thought rings like a steel?)"
"Stelikan? (But that place is...wait, a spring fest opens there?)"
"(I don't know much about that place, but maybe if I'm into another fight I can remember things again. Some of my pasts are twisting my mind.)"
"(I don't know exactly what happened, so you can stop talking with me about this)."
As they walked through the open pathway out from the city of Vernom the hellhounds had attacked them, apparently knew they were risking their lives walking in the open. The previous fight was the third time, and now, with such danger, they wanted to hire a coach to the next town. Nergora was sure that Ifrit and his newfound friends would be fine, but in his own part, he wasn't sure if he was safe with Sovarn, knowing that he couldn't expose his other comrades. He resolved in using his immense ice power for self-defense, but he knew using them was like a hell to the hellhounds, knowing that ice demons and hellhounds had been on feud for many ages, until what his mother did.
They reached a carriage station with a coach waiting for a fare. Nergora had some good money for him to live well on the surface, and when he did, he realized too late that what he had done was something very unpleasant, even for him.
As they were inside the coach, Sovarn pulled his wig and said, "(Neri, if this goes on we won't gonna win easy from them. Those rebels fight with guerilla and by time we're losing more friends. You're the one that can make decisions, so why are you sticking with this current one)."
"(We don't have more friends, Sovi. We aren't going to beat them with little friends we got. I don't want to risk killing more of them. We must do this together if we want to win)."
"(Neri, winning your throne won't be as easy as assassinating the current ruler. You can't just take that without any legal...)"
"(I keep thinking, maybe I don't need to become a new king. I don't want to support a vile place anymore, but I will try to stop the rebels from taking over the surface world)."
Sovarn went silent for a while, before saying, "(Maybe that's true. Your heart is different from any hellhounds I knew)."
"(The royal families are the nearest to the surface world, and we are all having this problem from seeing the hell as it supposes to be. Meeting humans and Lycans make me realize that citizenship is something only those vile enough to get, not to repopulate a place full of wretched beings)."
"(No other wants to do what you are trying to do)."
"(Living on the surface to follow my legacy is hard, especially with the threat to my family and my friends, I can't hide anymore and say I'm a Lycan. The world needs to know...)"
"(Stop...Neri, your speech is very, very jumbled. Something's affecting your mind)."
"(My past caused this...)."
"(No, something else did this. Your mind are so jumbled that I don't find anything logical in those...shit, get down!)"
The next thing he realized, there was a rain of arrows coming from the forest beside them. They were fortunate there was a time they could get their heads down, but not for the driver. Sovarn pulled out Nergora's sword and opened the door just to find an arrow almost hit him. His crossbow was on the other side of the carriage and if he could just jump to the other side of the carriage...
When an arrow almost impaled his hand upon trying it, he knew it was impossible without any chance. He thought hard on how to move before the carriage was overwhelmed. Just as he thought the shooting had stopped did he heard, "(Get out from there, hellhounds! We won't be this good just to take you)."
Sovarn knew protecting the prince wasn't easy, but he tried not to be killed as he was the only one matter to Nergora as a friend. But now, knowing that Nergora couldn't fight, he was trying to at least shield Nergora before he could be killed and give him time to escape. Just as he took a deep breath and move for the plan did Nergora pulled him and said, "(Stop that! Killing yourself for me is just not good enough for a soldier. Let me handle this)."
"(Neri...)"
"(A weird force makes my head acting weird, right? I don't feel like pouring my heart into it so a good advice; stay behind me)."
Sovarn looked surprised, "(You're not going to survive, Nergora!)"
"(You think my ice is too thin?)"
Nergora, without any warning, jumped out from the carriage ripping the door in succession. He put it between the arrow and the bow and with an unearthly roar charged toward the archers. He didn't quit when the arrows grazed him. The ice covering the door was strong enough to hold as many arrows at they would. Just as he managed to reach the other end did he took a bow, hit the hellhound with it, and in a quick succession, make an ice arrow out of it, freezing those being pierced by the enhanced arrow. Pulling a small dagger he made an ice sword out of it and proceeded to hold another's sword, where his ice broke. Yet this gave an opening for him to use the other hand to touch the hellhound and froze his brain, killing him.
Sovarn went out from the carriage to see how the prince had killed five hellhounds in a quick succession, all because of the use of his ice, which wasn't normal. Coupled with his natural-born survival instinct and his swordsman skill, the hellhound knew this white hellhound could kill him easily.
"(Are you alright, Neri)?" said Sovarn. He noticed the bleeding arm, and said, "(Your arm...)." "(It's just a scratch, Sovi. Are you alright, man?)"
"(For better and the worse, you saved my life. Without you I would be dead)."
"(What are you talking about?)" Nergora then sheathed his dagger. "(You saved me first. You know my head is jumbled and you warn me of it. Now, I understand clearly on what I'm going to tell you)."
Sovarn just smiled, seemingly knowing the question. He just gave Nergora his sword back and said, "(Let's take a walk down the road. We'll talk around)."
The night came after they almost reach another town. Inside the town, the rented a room in the inn and while eating in the tavern, Nergora said, "(I want to make a family)."
"(A family? Here?)"
"(Yeah. I don't really want to return back into Drundas. All I want is to save this place from the hellish army. I just want to meet Ifrit and start a new life up here, maybe with a female hellhound or a Lycan, have offsprings, help people, and so on)."
"(Really, Nergora, your mind is still jumbled)."
"(Maybe I have a weird twisted mind. A mind of a human)."