Chapter 110 - One-Hundred-Six (1/2)

My gaze is fixated on the woods where the attack came from, attentive to any movement, but I still could sense when the red hound changes back to her canine form and all of the hounds make a semi-circle over me, surrounding the woods where the attack came from, snarling and growling.

”Who is there?” I ask, the only answer being the rustling of leaves. ”I think you lost something here pal, let me give it back to you!” I say, taking the gigantic double-edge silver ax out from the tree and leaving a dent half the size of the trunk behind only to launch the ax back into the woods with force, making it fly with satisfactory crashes and hits along the way.

When it finally stops everything turns silent once more, even the birds were scared by the sudden attack and flew away, the remaining wind rustling the leaves in an attempt to cover the defying silence. I try to sniff them out but discovered that they were against the wind, and that as such their approach was planned.

Hunting us down uhm… I think, narrowing my eyes. Got your eyes on the wrong 'prey' there pal.

As I was about to show just how wrong they were for trying to hunt us they take the initiative and advance, light footsteps mixed with heavy ones, trained and untrained paired together.

And I wasn't expecting the faces that come out of the leaves first.

”Seiroe? Eyope? What the hell are you two doing here?” I ask the antshiva twins, but before I could ask about the ax and Eyope's health the Templar comes shimmering of the woods, followed by other strange people.

People from the North.

And only one of them I recognized, not because he was a friend of mine, no, on the contrary, the situation that made us meet was the type that ends with us furiously staring each other down.

Well, down for me, but very, very up for him.

Because the last time I saw him was on the battlefield, when I, in my Terror form, freed all the magical creatures owned and forced to battle by the northern people.

Which made them lose that battle.

Just what I need, a resentful barbarian from the north chasing me down.

I didn't even need to look at his hands to confirm that the ax belonged to him, and beyond the always present wolf cape he wears over his shoulder with the snout turned to the side and the claws swinging freely with his moves over his shoulder, there is the characteristic qualities of the people from the north; the shaved hair on the sides while the middle grow into a long brand, complete with a beard that made his already strong jaw look even more protuberant, and that permanent frown.

Wow, I'm impressed, so scary~, note the sarcasm.

We stare each other down, my heart pumping fast, ready to react, the blood flow sounding raspy up close to my face.

And out of nowhere…He laughs, a full throw the head back laugh.

I just raise an eyebrow.

What the hell is wrong with this guy?

The guy sneer, raising his lips and showing his teeth between his stick beard, frowning at the same time and making quite the intimidating face, almost predatory.

”So this is the so terrifying Terror? Uhm, I'm not impressed.”

”Thought he would be taller.” The guy on his side says.

Wait, wait, say what? Say that again! Y-you fat bear man!

The younger twin, however, comes in between and intervenes before I could say anything; or maybe do anything: ”Thilgon, meet Wolfhammer and his group. They are messengers from the North and they want to speak with the elves.”

”Well, good luck with that.” I say, still staring them down.

”They want an alliance with the elves against the humans and demons from the south, and I thought that-”

”That what?” I say, now looking at him, not satisfied with how things were turning up to be. ”I send you to search for information and you came back with a bunch of useless people.” One of them tries to speak but I only raise my voice louder. ”From the North of all places and, beyond that, you expect me to help them, is that it?”

At this point my voice starts to grow dangerously grave and my hands clench into fists, but the twin does not back down.

”The demons have slaved my people! I just discovered that they have control of the entire island and that it is only a matter of time before the antshivas country, 'my' country, disappears of the map! The fellow here, the 'people from the north', are the only ones that had been rescuing my kind, so yeah I'm up to give them a hand.”

”… Is that it? But it surprises me that your kind wants to work with mine, especially me.” I say, this time looking at the bear looking guy in front.

”Who would want to have anything to do with a beast like you? You are only good as food and battles.”

”And some times a good show.” One of them say, moving as if imitating a fight.