Isn't that blood?

He's covering his mouth by his right hand and there red liquid leaking out from his hand and his left hand serves as his support not to fall to the ground.

He looked at me, his eyes seemed tired unlike his common smug eyes or sometimes cold eyes. It's like begging me to leave.

But how can I leave now?

My mind's running wild, imagining weird things like is he drinking blood or is that his blood? The ground's full of red liquid and it's weird enough that he's still alive if it's his own blood.

The rusty smell of blood reached my nose that didn't bother me much, I smelled worst than this before.

"Do you need help? What should I d—"

He grabbed my hand that made me fall to the ground but not enough to make me lie down flat. I was on my knees and now our faces are on the same level, but still one foot away from each other.

He looked so miserable.

"L-leave me alone.."

Aish this idiot. I should call Leione.

"Let me get Leione for you."

But he stopped me again.

"No— cough, just leave. D-don't tell anyone." He's coughing blood, so it seems it really is his blood.

"No, you badly need help. I must go and tel—"

And a loud bang was heard that made me stop from speaking. My heart started pounding again and I seem not to calm down because the loud explosion heard..

..came from the direction where I came from earlier.

The village, the explosion was on the village.

"Sh-t." Derick cursed and coughed up some blood.

He smudged the blood off from his lips and forced himself to get up.

"No, you can't get up and don't talk anymore. You're in a bad state." I said trying to stop him from taking another step.

"Monsters. Monsters are lurking around. I must—" and he coughed another blood. This idiot!

"Don't try to be a hero! You're like this and you're still worrying about the village.. I— I must be the only one to go back. Alright!? Leione.. Lin.. and Cloud.. the villagers."

I am worrying about this idiot but I then just realized, what can I do? Just what can I do right now!?

"At your back!" Derick shouted.

I instinctively looked back and a huge mouth full of sharp teeth welcomed my vision.

Is this how I'm going to die?

How.. pitiful..

I closed my eyes and was ready to be eaten but after few seconds nothing happened. I just felt some droplets on my face.

So I opened my eyes again and saw the big monster with awry appearance lying down on the ground, dead. And black liquid came out from its body that seems to be it's blood.

I looked back to Derick and saw him reaching his hand and now panting hard. It seems he killed it, but how? Without any sound?

"Sh-t, now I've done it. Nevermind now, lets escape before they reached us." He then suddenly grabbed my hand and run.

He's still panting but kept on running. I tried to stop him many times when we were running so that he could rest and catch his breath but he didn't even listen to me.

"Derick, how about Leione and others?"

"They'll be fine, just worry about yourself."

"Talk about yourself first, idiot."

And I thought we could run far more, but my body couldn't take it anymore too.

Derick seemed to noticed and he suddenly knelt down, positioned himself on a piggyback..?

"What? No! You're injured." I tried to argue but I can't win over him this time. So I just did it, and for instance I think I heard him say,

'Whatever, whether he'll know or not right now, it doesn't matter anymore! Whatever happens surely will happen.'

Or I just misheard him? So I brushed the thought off, and it seems he's kindof fine, for now.

And after moments of running, we then reached a road at the middle of the forest, then we saw lights from torches. But when we came nearer, people in black knight's uniforms welcomed us. And the crest was, the Hanlon Empire's crest.

"They knew that fast!?" Derick mumbled.

What is he talking about?

And those knights seemed to be in a hurry, are they chasing.. wait isn't that Leione!?

"W-why is Leione.."

I gasped as I saw how miserable she looked. She had few injuries and her right eye was close, and blood's dripping down from there.

We hide from the bushes, I asked Derick to help Leione out.

But he's still regaining his magic and he's injured to, and I still don't know where.

"L-leione.."

She kept on running, we're a bit far from the road but still enough to catch a sight of her.

But she was then caught.

The knight in command shook her and asked some questions. Leione just smiled at them mockingly and said some words.

She was then hit and kicked.

I was about to stand up when Derick dragged me down, and shook his head.

No! Leione is.. Leione... She needs our help, she badly needs our help.

But what can you do?

You're weak.

No magic.

You're a child.

You can't do anything.

No!

I didn't even know myself, there were tears falling from my eyes. My view became blurry, but before it got blurry I caught Leione's glance at my direction.

She smiled.

She then mouthed.

'Leave. Survive.'

What I saw on that dream collide with what's happening in front of me.

She was facing the ground and a knight was stepping on her back.

Leione's crying, before my vision became blurry because of this tears.

So I wiped them off, but tears still keot on flowing.

But after I got my clear vision back, and looked back at her and attempting to leave but Derick didn't let go.

The moment I turned my head to see Leione. The sharp blade of the sword stabbed her from the back, continuously.

And she didn't stopped smiling even though blood kept on getting out from her mouth.

No.

"NO!!!!!"

***

Hello hello, sorry for the wait. Future updates will be like this again, maybe after a week then update again. Busy days 😭 But still thank you and we've reached 3k+ reads now and 200+ voted! Yey! Thank you for supporting this story, I hope you'll still look forward to what'll happen in the future about them. Have a nice day!

— adorablepen