(Zack)

Ugh. I hate war councils. Hopefully, they won't ask me to be at one again anytime soon. I did get a few visions, but none showed me a potential horde size. I did manage to confirm the two known King Monsters would be showing up in the most likely outcome, though.

Now, I'm heading home to see if the twins are there or out in the fields. Either way, we're eating lunch, then I'm taking another nap, because I barely slept last night.

When I get home, something seems off. Scanning the area with my senses, I determine that the twins haven't been here since last night. I look across the street, where Aurum would normally be. He was hanging out with the other servant beastborn last I checked, so he wouldn't know where the twins are.

I make my way out of town, but I can't track their scent, the wind's blown it away. I don't even know which gate they'd left through, and I'm not seeing them in the fields. Dammit, Braden! You weren't supposed to enter the woods!

Closing my eyes, I reach for my sense of Luca and frown. Why is he in that direction? It's pretty distant, based on how weakly I can sense…

Talorn. They're in Talorn.

"Fuck!" I swear, then take off running, tapping my chestplate to send it into my Inventory, then the same for my tunic and sword. "Demon Form!"

I take off flying, pushing my speed to the maximum. It takes me a few 'rests' of running to reach Talorn, arriving in my Demon Form. I can sense Luca's presence even stronger, now, and before I can start working on narrowing it down, a familiar gold light flashes through the air by the Dark Temple.

That was Luca's light, and please don't tell me they're in A'Lutar's territory!

I fly straight there, spotting Luca as he collapses to the ground. Braden's already out, and he's not moving. He's dead. I should've listened to my gut! Luca's still alive, though, but not for long. A'Lutar, the giant, ugly goblin that he is, throws a fireball at Luca as I assess the battlefield.

I swoop down, pulling my sword out of my Inventory and unsheathing it, stopping the fireball as I land. A'Lutar looks stunned for a moment, and I look at Braden. I want to grab him, but A'Lutar is too powerful, too quick for me. He'll stop me.

I sheathe my sword and send it back into my Inventory, then grab Luca, slinging my unconscious healer over my shoulder and taking off, avoiding a few more fireballs and two bolts of lightning.

Thankfully, A'Lutar sticks to his area. He was already at the border of it. Looking back, I find my vision blurring with tears. I want to retrieve Braden's body, but I can't. I'm too weak and pathetic to do such a thing.

Looking forward, I flap my wings again, soaring as far as I can before landing. After adjusting my grip on Luca, I continue running, switching between the two modes to return to Maelnor. I don't stop once I'm inside, though, and head straight for the holy temple. At this point, I'm back in human form.

Demon Form, human form, but no fucking dragon form! Why can't I turn into a dragon at will? If I could, then A'Lutar would be nothing but ash, and I'd have been able to retrieve Braden, incinerate him, and give his ashes a proper funeral.

Why did he go and do that? It was the damn robe! I bet he thought he could handle stronger things! I should've waited to give him the robe until after the meetings, so I could make sure he was ready first. Maybe taken him to Talorn after giving it to him.

I'm so stupid!

"Zack?" Travis approaches. "What's wrong? Why are you crying? Why's Luca in Zero Down?"

"I don't-I can't-they-"

I break down, sobbing. Eventually, he manages to get what I know out of me, then takes Luca for recovery. I stick with him, watching as he puts Luca in a room all by himself. That's how he is now, isn't it? All by himself.

He's got me, though, but here, he's scared of me. Very scared of me. Even calls me 'the scary guy'.

"I think he'll be in Zero Down," Travis tells me. "For around ten days, Zack."

"It's all my fault," I sob. "I shouldn't have given Braden that robe until after the war council. I could've taken him to Talorn, made sure they didn't go anywhere dangerous. I should've been there to protect him. I had a feeling something bad would happen!"

I break down crying again, and the next thing I know, I'm in my room at the Dark Temple again, Gold curled up next to me.

For awhile, I just lie here, quietly crying to myself and into gold's tunic. Why did I ignore my gut? Why did I give Braden that robe before going to the war council? I should've waited on it! I should've waited!

Eventually, Gold wakes up, and he feels the back of his tunic, before sitting up and stripping it off, looking at the wet spot. A moment later, his tunic is sent into his Inventory, then he's pulling a fresh one out.

"It's all my fault," I tell Gold. "I gave him something too strong for him too early. I should've known he would've snuck out and gone after something strong. I should've known! I should've been there when they went for stronger monsters, to ensure they survived!"

Gold wraps his arms around me, hugging me as I cry into him again. Nik checks on us a few minutes after I stop.

"The Fallen Hunters, my team, and I went after his body," Nik tells me, and I look at him in hope. "A'Lutar moved it, and we don't know where he put it. I'm sorry, Zack. Even the fifteen of us were barely able to hurt the beast."

He's going to become a Fallen Adventurer. I need to purge him once he does, if he doesn't hide near A'Lutar. I need to get stronger. I need to make sure my team never, ever goes through such a thing again.

"What are you doing now?" Nik asks as I climb out of bed and start changing.

"Going to Talorn."

"You can't fight A'Lutar," he says. "He's-"

"I'm not going to fight him," I say. "I'm going to get stronger killing the other monsters there."

"Zack-"

"I'm not suicidal," I tell Nik. "Don't think my judgment's cloudy just because-"

"You're charging right in to where-"

"Travis said," I interrupt him. "He thinks Luca will be out for around ten days. I'll be back every night to check on him. If he wakes while I'm gone, I expect someone will track me down and let me know. I'm not going to go up against something I know is going to kill me, Nik. I'm going so I can get stronger to ensure I don't ever lose someone else on my team."

I'm done changing, so I pull on Zack's Blood, then send my other armor – which was sitting on the ground – into my Inventory. I scratch Gold behind his ears, then leave, speeding my way to Talorn. My first stop is the Goblin Giant Bounty Beast that's troublesome.

It isn't actually something that's a full threat to me – I can quickly avoid it. Fighting it will help boost my Endurance and Vitality.

The Goblin Giant is as big and ugly as the last couple of times I saw it, and as soon as I'm within its range, it swings that massive club at me. I stop it with my sword, sliding a few feet as I summon my Demon Form.

As soon as the transformation completes, I bolt forward, stabbing into the monster's gut. It's not enough to kill the thing, unfortunately, but it does damage. I jump back, avoiding its attempt at crushing me, then lunge forward again.

It might be big, but it's also got some speed, and I have to dodge away before I can strike it again, then block another swing of its club. We continue this dance, with me only managing one strike every few attempts, and when Demon Form Ends, I jump out of the beast's range of travel, then quickly move out of its range of attack.

That thing loves throwing stuff at people outside of its zone.

Once I'm a safe distance away, I start cutting up monsters, waiting until my Mana's back to full before switching back into Demon Form. I stop my slaughtering only for lunch, then return to it. At the end of the day, I return to Maelnor and visit Luca in the temple. He's still unconscious, but his Mana has increased, the one positive side to Zero Down.

"I'm sorry, Luca," I whisper to him. "I should've known better. I promise, when you wake up, I'll be strong enough that you won't ever lose anyone again. I promise."

I curl up next to him on the bed. Tomorrow, and the day after, and every day after until you wake, Luca, I'm going to train as hard as I can, get as strong and powerful as I can. I promise.

(???)

Master mad! Me no why. At all. Master mad. Master hurt me. Again. Normal. Plan no well. Now Maelnor. Big City. Few people. Saw beastborn! No slave! Me wish same!

Me hear rumor. Beastborn-Hero here. Also hear he sad. Five days ago, friend die. Or six? Free-Beastborn no sure. They weird.

"Stay here," Master shove ground.

Me no grunt hit ground. Just sit. Beastborn come by. Free-Beastborn. He give curious look. Greet me. Leave. Bye-bye! Think bruise butt. No first time. Master shove ground all time. And wall. Sometime table.

Sometime, Master take knife me. Hurt bad. No cry out, hurt worse.

Scary presence. Look around, spot scary guy. He covered blood. No tunic or shirt. Me think… my age? Brown hair, blue eyes. Black-red armor. Warm flame inside. Sad flame inside.

Scary boy walk by. Stop. Walk back. Look me. Hi, scary guy? Oooh! Dark Knight! He be Dark Knight! Young Dark Knight! Hi! Dark Knight always good. Friendly. They free Slave-Beastborn. Pay Free-Beastorn, me hear.

Scary Boy kneel front me. Stare intently. Not angry. Me see sad. And sense it. Then him! Scary Boy head! Weird. Hi, Scary Boy!

"Zack," he mutter. Tilt head side. What? "No, that's my name. Zack. You… are him."

Me is me! No him! Me!

"Where is your master?" Scary Boy ask.

"Zack," he say. "My name is Zack!"

"Hey!" Master return. "Why are you talking to my slave?"

"You're his master?" Scary Boy stand. Look Master. "I'd like to buy him from you."

"Hah!" Master laugh. It no funny. Scary Boy real. "I'd never sell my slave to some kid who thinks he can be a hero! Did your daddy buy that armor for you? Is that the blood of Rats covering you?"

"Tell me," Scary Boy voice demonic. "Do you serve the Crystals? Or is that darkness in your heart I sense a loyalty to the Shadow of Life?"

Scary Boy know? Cool! Oops. Tail waggy-waggy. Tail, stop! No work. Usually no work. Oh, well. Master beat more later. No new.

"You're not getting beaten," Dark Knight Boy say. "Yes, Finneas, I can tell you serve the Shadow of Life. Let's make a deal. You sell him to me, and I let you leave Maelnor in one piece. You have five seconds to answer, or I take your life."

Oooh! Scary Dark Boy threaten Master! Wait! Dark Knight Boy want me! Me want be Dark Knight slave. Much better no Dark Knight Slave. Nitwit headpats all time! Me want headpats! Me jealous Nitwit!

"You have no evidence," Master say. "Of what you claim, child. And you clearly aren't a Dark Knight, as much as you wish to pretend."

"You haven't heard of Zack Noruva, have you?" Dark Scary Boy ask.

Zack Noruva? He Beastborn-Hero! Where he?

Master laugh. Something ridiculous? What?

"Time's up," Scary Knight Boy say.

Master head fall ground. Then body.

"I will never," Dark Knight Boy growl at Master head. Former Master Head? He new master! "Forgive anyone who serves the Shadow of Life. I'll enjoy collecting your bounty especially. Nik, I know you're there."

Bigger Dark Knight appear. That so cool! He also warm flame. Nice and cozy. Concerned flame.

"I take it this is him?" Bigger Dark Knight ask.

"Yes," Scary Dark Boy say, then look at me. "It's Zack, you dolt! My name is Zack! Stop changing what you call me every half-second!"

Okay!

"Anyway," New Master say. He new master, right? He kill old master, he new master. Yeah! That how work! "Finneas here served the Shadow of Life, there's a bounty on him of five thousand diamond. I'll take… the beastborn home."

"You're not going to go visit Luca?" Big Dark Knight ask.

New Master sigh, rub head.

"It's been five days, Nik," New Master say. "And he'll probably be out for another five. I've got a new teammate to take care of. Big Flame told me to come by this way, he probably planned on this. He's been… arguing with me about my new version of training."

"I have, too," Big Dark Knight say. He Master-Master? "Zack, are you sure you're ready for this?"

"No," New Master say.

Wait. New Master Zack? New Master Zack Noruva?

"Yes," New Master look me. "I'm Zack Noruva, and don't call me 'Master'! You're not my slave."

Collar say otherwise.

New Master sigh, kneel front me. Pull out knife. Cut off collar.

"See?" Master say. "You're not a slave anymore, and if you want, you can be on my team."

Me on team? Oooh! Me team slave!

"No!" Master exclaim. "As a full member of-never mind, we can talk more at the house. Nik, I'm going to take him home. Make sure I'm alerted the moment there's a change in Luca. I'll probably take my new teammate to visit him tomorrow. If you want to be a part of my team, come with me."

Me Master slave! Me come!

"You're not a slave anymore!"