When we were running, Lezlie then started talking to me at the same time when she was trying to stay at the same pace as me, and raised her head,

"How did you know they were affected by the fire?"

"The creatures we have fought in the first kingdom were creatures of the shadow lineage, and these are the same lineage as them. Everything about how they look and act is similar to each other, from their reaction to fire, to even being able to move this fast. However, there is still something strange that I don't understand."

And just our conversation was going, Babu then joined and talked with a hasty voice,

"It's really not good for us to get caught up with these monsters again! I hope they'll let us go soon!"

"These ones are wilder than the ones before. They won't run after us like two dogs like that and let go a couple of miles away." was Hiroshi's voice, adding up right after Babu, as he got closer to us too.

The prince also participated in the speech in a way that he gave the right to what Babu was saying,

"Panda is right. If we keep running like this, we'll get caught sooner or later. These creatures are extremely highly experienced and cruel creatures. They just won't let go of their victims, so it is not even the case that we can get away from them that easily."

Meanwhile, suddenly Lezlie shouted with great enthusiasm and excitement

"I see it! There is a fire burning ahead!"

"We've got to get fast to that fire! They're still after us!" Babu replied right before Hiroshi directed us,

"Hurry up and move to the fire!"

With the fact that dozens of creatures were following us behind us, we had to suppress our current fuss and give all our attention to the flame for a short time. So on, the fire that was fanned and growing in front of us never went out under the raindrops, it was almost a point where we needed to go, and it shone like a light that called us.

Of course, I couldn't see anything that was happening behind me at the time. Along with the sound of our feet hitting the ground, the sounds created by raindrops and small ponds covered all the sounds that my ear could cover, keeping my attention there the whole time. I was also confused by the creature's sounds, going back and forth behind us. I couldn't look behind and wasn't able to see what was happening, so I thought it was just them hitting the trees as Shou cut them and protected us.

But it was much different.

When I looked back, I saw Mila, pushing her arms forward, lifting herself from the ground, and having problems since her hands were slipping every second from the rain. But not to my realization, the biggest problem she had at that moment was that her foot was stuck in the ground. Softened by the rain, it had brought the soil to a point where it could change shape quite a lot, and it had caused it to fall deeper into the ground. And while Mila was the one who stayed at the back, and after all the weights that we put running on it, it had finally collapsed.

Just then, a shadow beast that had approached Miila from behind and positioned itself to attack, approaching her close enough to almost catch her. And if I didn't go there, Mila's life would have been in danger.

I couldn't leave her behind. I had to go back no matter what, but I had to do it with her. Even if I didn't succeed, losing track of one of our comrades at such a point would make it extremely difficult for us to find her, and it would put us in danger and waste time until we would try to reach our goal destination.

That's why I had started to think of a way to save her.

But how was I going to get back?

I was at a moment when the thoughts in my head seized me again and my worries got in the way of my actions again. What I wanted to do was get in the way, of what I needed to do once again. My head was thinking about the consequences that other consequences can offer us, as a result of wrong actions that can be dozens. The pain, the anxiety, the wrong moves, all of it.

But just then, when thoughts were decimating my mind, Shou had acted before me, passing through the raindrops like the wind and gradually reaching her. Turning the softened soil into a more open shape with his sword, he pulled Mila by the arm and freed her, and taking her on his back, he managed to catch up with us quickly once again.

"Are you okay?" I said looking at Mila's tired and nervous face,

And she replied, just as her sweaty face became much clearer,

"Yes. I'm fine."

We ran together for almost minutes. As if we had entered into an endless time for all of us, we were actually trying to save our lives in just seconds. And that fire, shining brightly in front of us, had been the only hope for all of us. As we approached it, a fire was burning in our hearts.

And luckily, we found something right behind it.

A huge village appeared in front of us, right in the middle of the forest as it came into our field of vision. It was a small area covered with thorn boards, and dozens of tents were set up.

*How is this possible?*

It had left me in a situation where I was in deep shock once again, from the danger behind us and the unknown lands in front of us. I even didn't know how a village could be in the middle of such a danger. But still, from the surprise, we still couldn't see a region that sounded safer from that side.

So keeping our pace, we ran past the path under us, and aimed for the village.