Chapter 63: The Long Eared Guardian 3

She dances around using the roots of the trees hidden around the field to advance to the scaly folks that turned their eyes at the kids. The hunter who was with the kids also saw the werelizards and has readied himself. But the werelizards were creatures that could not be easily killed without strong weapons. Their scales are hard as steels and they are hunters that even the dire could not kill.

But even so, this person did not lose courage. He held his bow tightly and shot one of the werelizards right in the eye. Their scales are hard as steel but their eyes were not. He manages to hurt one of the werelizards but it only angered them.

One of the werelizards hissed and lounges with the spear in hand. The man with the bow wasn’t able to dodge in time and got eviscerated by the werelizards. His entrails spread on the white ground. The children who had bows on their hands trembled as the werelizards approached them.

But Lafiel has already arrived just in time. He saw her raised the roots around the werelizards and uses it to bind them. After that, she shouted for the kids to run away which they did. The werelizards struggled as the vines tightened around their necks. Their scales were sharp so when they popped their scales the vines and roots got easily cut. Lafiel, however, didn’t panic and simply turned the roots and vines into stakes.

The werelizards got pushed around by the impact but their scales were too hard. They resisted but he could see that they are taking damage. Lafiel obviously knew so she continued the barrage of stakes against the werelizards that they weren’t able to move at all. She has put her hands together as if in prayer. Kneeling on one knee she continued the barrage of stakes at beneath the werelizards.

This continued for a while. He doesn’t know what she was planning but seeing her tire out the werelizards. He got an idea and indeed after a few seconds, the roots started to crawl on the holes of the werelizards. The vines and roots acted like hands and cruelly it pulled the eyes and rips the tongues of the werelizards. He could even see some of the roots going up the rear of the werelizards.

They are indeed hardened with their scales but still, their weakness was easily something she could exploit. But the werelizards aren’t easy prey. They chuck their spears at her and even injured her left arm. Their spears are coated with poison and it immediately kicked in enough to make her lose focus. Lafiel didn’t falter, however. She kept up the roots and even uses the stakes she summoned to truly bind the werelizards into a still.

The werelizards were being gutted completely by her and the way the roots pull the werelizards guts out of their eyes, mouths and even their rears made even Arden a bit shock. But still, he thought that the way she manages to kill them was a cruelly creative.

Exploiting their weakness is a thing but doing something like that is impressive. He can’t help but glance at her figure with praise. Although wounded she was a half blood. And he could that she already used her own powers to detoxify the wound.

After that, she went to the hunter who was killed. She showed bitter eyes as she then snaps her finger and let the vines she summoned to carry the body back to the Camp. Arden couldn’t see her expression with her mask on but her eyes were all he needed to know that she was feeling sad.

With the werelizards dead, he pocketed his telescope and went down the hollow tree.

...

Lafiel carried the body back to the Camp and informed the hunters about the incident. The hunters got mad at her for failing and she could not even raise her voice to defend herself. But still, even with that, they thanked her for saving the kids.

She went back to her tent and hugged her legs. The snow was falling and in the camp, she could see the funeral pyre of the hunter that got killed. Death is something that always happens in the tribe and even with that seeing the widow of the hunter grieving near her husband’s burning remains pricked her heart. She wasn’t powerful or fast enough but to her, she did her best to arrive faster.

She manages to kill the werelizards and save the kids. She should be happy about this result but still, she cannot help but be saddened. It was her duty to guard them while they hunt. She was occupied with all the beasts around but even so for her to miss a group of werelizards that were out in the open was too careless for her.

Her lips frowned into a bitter smile. She’s feeling down and now she can only just stare at the pyre and wreck her own heart. After the funeral pyre was done she stood up and opens her senses again. She looked at the surroundings and checked if there is any beast around. From the riverbanks to the forest, she scanned the area and confirmed that there was no beast around.

Of course with how the werelizards went around undetected. She checked the snow landscape and listened in to the shivering roots underground to see if there are any monsters lurking underground. There was nothing to found so she pulled her senses out of the vines from the underground and turned her left eye above the surface.

As she does this she saw Arden walking back to the tree he slept in. She’d notice that he moved into the hollow tree and probably saw how it happened. Thinking about that, she thought that maybe he saw what happen. She remembered the tale that he spoke and since she was alone. She strides to where he is.

...

She arrives at where he is. With a gloomy mood around her, he could not help but gesture her to sit down. The wind was cold so he lit up a fire. He was hungry so he pulled some meat from the fur bag he made and started cooking them. She watches silently as she roasts the food.

There was silence, the two didn’t speak. He just focused on the food while sometimes glancing at her. She was staring at the fire as it dances. The smell of the meat being roasted attracted her nose. She didn’t want to say anything at the moment so she hugged her knees and waited for the food to finish.

He didn’t want to speak when she was looking like she is in thought so he silently roasted the meat until they were perfectly brown. He’s rather satisfied how he grilled the meat so he took the meat and passed it to her. She accepted the roasted meat. She sniffed it and felt that it was good. She removed her mask and put it on the ground. She ate the meat while forgetting that he was in front of her.

He saw her face finally. Seeing her face made him wide eyed. From her round eyes, thin eyebrows, and ethereal face made him stunned. He was a beautiful woman before in the Academy and even the Lady of Asmara was beautiful, but the woman in front of him had an ethereal face. It was one of a kind and he could only look at her in a stun.

She ate quietly and halfway she realized that she removed her mask. She stops eating and looked at the person in front of her whose mouth was frozen. His eyes were wide open and his jaw felt like it was going to drop. He was staring too much so she looked sideways. He noticed that he was being rude so he looked down and apologized.

“I am sorry.”

He said.

“It’s fine...I get that a lot.”

“I see...”

She was already used to have someone look at her face like that. But instead of fear or disgust, this was the first time that someone looked at her as if he was charmed. She didn’t really know how to react to it so she just took a bite of the food on her hands.

Arden was still surprised at her beauty. He figured out that she must be really pretty but seeing her face. He felt like he was underestimating her too much. Her face was ethereal and mystical to him. He felt that it was a unique and so rare that it shook him. His brittle heart really never got moved like this ever since the day he met someone in that garden atop of the noble district in Mesh.

He was feeling bothered. He’s rather nervous so in order to combat it, he devoured the food on his hands. The two did the same thing to hide their own shock and surprise. Under the tree, while the wind blows from the north. The two of them ate.

...

After eating the meat, the two warmed their hands on the fire. Arden got used to her face so he was feeling less nervous. She too was okay with him seeing her face and was calm as he is. She got over it and because of that, she remembered the dead hunter she failed to protect. Her lips formed a bitter smile. He noticed it and asks what’s wrong.

“Are you okay?”

“Ah, I am, it is just that awhile ago I failed.”

“Oh...I saw that.”

“You did?”

He pointed at the tall hollowed tree in the distance.

“I was watching from afar.”

“I noticed.”

She said.

“You were good at fighting them. If that was me I probably would have taken time. I probably would have failed and had some of the kids killed. It’s shameful but I am kinda jealous that you can hold off a group of werelizards.”

“I still got someone killed. I was too late.”

She said sadly.

“Indeed you were.” He said. “But that doesn’t change that you save the kids. If that was me then I would have failed.”

He said.

“So please cheer up. You failed but you can’t mope around too much. Because believe me, it will just pin you down”

“I know. I have been protecting the tribe and even though there are days that things like this happen. I just can’t help but feel sad.

She said, resting her cheeks on her knees. Her eyes were glassy.

“Death always happens. We get used to it but never can we really accept it totally. I have no qualms about killing or seeing people die but still...our inner conscience still thugs our heart. So my advice is that just accept it, just don’t let it drag you down.”

She didn’t say anything and just looked at him. He continued speaking.

“After all, it would be odder if you don’t feel anything. It’s that thing that differentiates us from animals. Although me, speaking about all of this makes me feel odd.

He said while scratching his head.

“It’s okay...I really appreciate it. You are a good guy.”

“Not really.”

He said.

“I am rather cruel you know?”

“Well, it doesn’t matter. To me, you seem like a nice guy. You wouldn’t speak all of those if you weren’t.”

“I don’t really know. I am just saying what is on my head.”

He said.

“Still, I really appreciate it. The food you made was also good. And my tribe says that those who share good food and good words can be a bit trusted.”

“I see.”

He smiled.

“Yeah, that’s why thank you. Your words are appreciated and I will note about it in my heart.”

“No problem. I am not really the one to speak but cheer up. The world is already sad that having someone as pretty as you saddened doesn’t help.”

Arden said. Hearing him, Lafiel can’t help but smile.