บท 49: NEW COMPANIONS: PART III

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In the middle of that cold night, a group of people were on the run for their lives. As they ran from the people chasing them. They were out of breath, their knees were all shakily as they've been running for who knows how long.

But, they must not stop. For the people chasing after them was so close that they could hear their fearsome voices.

"Everyone, get them!"

"Faster you idiots! Don't let them get away!"

An old man was leading the run as he checked on his companion. He notices the little girl amongst them was already out of breath and blue. 'She must be cold already, and her small legs must be tired. What should I do, if we stop, we'll all be captured?'

As he continued forward, what he feared soon came into reality.

"Big sister!"

The little girl tripped as she collapsed on the ground as she felt the pain of her fall. Her knees were bleeding and her face was covered in dirt. She cried as she could not tolerate the pain.

"Jocey, quickly get up." The woman told the child as she carried her in her arms.

The man with them ran back to grab both of them, as he yelled. "Esme, Jocey, hurry up! We need to keep moving." He grabbed the child from the woman, as the woman went ahead and started running again.

"Hurry!" The old man yelled as he feared the gap between them was closing in.

As they helped each other escape. They passed through the empty fields which made it an open area for the people chasing them to attack.

Out of nowhere, an arrow was shot as it directly hit the man on his leg. The arrow even went through the other side, as it causes severe pain and blood to pour out.

"AH!"

The man yelled in agony, as he could no longer keep moving and drop onto his knee. Causing him to accidentally let go of the little girl.

The little girl cried as she panicked to see the arrow on the man's knee. "Big brother, big brother..."

On the spur of the moment, the old man turned back as he saw his son suddenly vanish from his sight. As he ran back, he saw the man on the ground with an arrow through his leg. "Boy, get up!"

"Ah- Lance..." Esme dropped to her knees as she saw the arrow and blood coming out of his leg. She shakily grabbed him as she cried aloud.

"Big brother, I'm sorry." The little girl cried as she felt everything was her fault. If she has not tripped, then the people chasing them won't catch up to them that fast.

"Father, take them and run." Lance grabs his father's hand as he bitterly forces a smile on his face to hide the pain he was feeling.

The old man pushed his son's hand as he moved his arms around him and helped him up. "Get up, we are all going together."

The man was bewildered by his father's action. He had teary eyes as he pulled himself together and agreed with his father's words. "Let's go."

The woman grabs hold of the little girl's hand as they all start walking. They were walking at such a slow pace, but at least they didn't give up.

But, their hope for freedom was soon ripped apart.

The path ahead of them was blocked by a wall of flames. Soon, the firewall spread as they were soon cornered.

The four of them looked defeated as they saw no way out of the flames. The old man looked at each of them and saw the fear in their eyes.

"Lance, what should we do?" Esme asked, frightened as to what was about to happen.

"Esme, don't worry."

"Finally, I caught you!"

A tall, huge man appeared. His body was long, broad and slightly hunched over. He was like a giant compared to the rest of his comrades. What's even frightening about the man's appearance was the scar that stretches from the bottom of his right cheekbones, first running towards his fairly big lips and ending under his left eye.

"Now look what we have here boys, we caught ourselves some filthy bug." He ridiculed them as he chuckled with his men.

All the bandits with him laughed as they maliciously looked at them.

"I wonder what we should do with them?"

"Should we play some games boss?"

"Yeah, let's play a game."

They all flaunt with the idea of playing with their lives. They were just inferior creatures and their lives didn't really matter to them. What's important to them was that in the end, they'll be paid.

"Oh? I missed..." A leaned body, yet tall bandit said as he laughed. He was dressed in a hooded cape like robin hood, whilst holding onto his bow. "Hmm, this is no fun." He looked them directly in the eye, with the intention to kill them at that moment. But, he needed to wait for orders from the big man.

"Ha-ha, you missed."

"Ha-ha, such an idiot!"

The other bandits laughed at the man's failure.

"B*STARDS!" Esme yelled with eyes filled with hatred towards them.

It furiate the man as his arrow was caught by the old man. He clicked his tongue irritated to think a stinking old man could easily catch his aura when he infused it with his aura.

"F*cking old man, why can't you just drop dead already."

"Let me do it?"

The man who ordered them to be captured finally step forwards as he rudely grabs the bow and arrow from the bandit which irritated him. But, since he was the one paying them, he couldn't do anything but allow the disgusting man to do what he wants.

He was a skilled fighter who was able to manifest his aura as well as he infused it on the arrow. But, still, they were no match for the old man.

"Lord Chad, forgive me, but I won't let you harm my family." In a blink, the man snapped the arrow into two. He looked the man directly in the eye, which caused him to be taken aback almost losing his balance.

"You- you dare..." Lord Chad was vexed to the point he was about to explode like a volcano. "Get them! Kill that old b*stard!"

To their surprise, the old man was able to keep his ground with the bandits. He was even much stronger than them and his skills were far superior than theirs. He was indeed stronger than them, however, he was outnumbered and was easily distracted when he heard the girl scream.

Both girls were being dragged away by the man.

Esme continued to struggle as she fought with them.

"B*tch, stop moving!"

"F*ck! You dare kick me, wanna die?"

The man pulled and dragged Esme by her hair as she screamed in torture.

"AH! LET GO!"

"SH*T UP!"

Because of all the commotion going on, the old man was unable to keep focused on what's in front of him.

PAW!

GAH!

"Ha- that's what you deserve old man."

The old man was on the ground as he was badly beaten up by the bandits. He was covered in bruises whilst trying to get up on his feet. "Let them go!"

"Ha-ha, old man, aren't you a bit old to be playing with us."

"You should really just stay down there and die."

"Ha-ha, you really are just a pain." He killed the old man directly on the abdomen, causing him to to fly a foot away.

To their surprise, the old man still has a few tricks in his sleeve. He gathered his remaining energy as he chased a wind cutters spell.

The spell was weak, but the high speed wind attack was able to cut the man directly on the neck.

Blood started to spurt out of the man's neck as he choked and dropped dead on the ground.

"Why you- kill the old man!" Lord Chad yelled furiously as he saw one of his men dead cold on the ground. Never did he expect the old man had such hidden talent. To think his men were killed in one hit.

Annoyed by the fact his men died, the man himself went ahead and fought the old man. He was young and agile leaving the old man unable to keep up with him. Eventually, the old man ended up next to his son covered in his own blood, whilst hanging onto his life.

"Father!"