"We've been here all night... damn it... I should've never come with you. Are we ever gonna find this girl?" Lunan groaned, knee-deep into some mud that they were hiding in.
Ireciez moved his finger toward Lunan, gesturing for him to stop talking. He then moved his fingers, pointing forward.
The entire island was shrouded in tall trees that limited sunlight, and there were only some areas were those trees were not present. Utilizing this darkness to their advantage, and the recent rainfall, they were positioned in a way that erased their scent and made it especially hard to be found.
Ireciez knew just the right position that would make them nearly absolutely concealed. He was simply good at things like that.
"Look," he mouthed.
As he said this, Lunan turned his head from Ireciez to in front of them. There was an open spot, where light could shine. In that field of grass, three people walked.
They began to listen in.
— We must be... deeper into Sar territory than I thought...
Ireciez sank deeper into the mud.
He caught the interest of a familiar face. Sarmaer Mistesta. An incredibly famous spirit contractor, one of the great three spirit contractors to ever live.
Besides him, in the middle of the trio, was an individual shorter than Sarmaer. They wore a large white cloak, appearing to have a very hunched back and large frame.
And besides that individual, was another familiar face.
— Rosi Unahar!
His heart began to beat just a little faster, his mind enveloping with fear. But he shook it off. Now was not the time for that.
Lunan noticed his discreet change in emotion that lasted for less than a second.
"Okay, Taerys. I'm not sure how well you understand me. But I believe I've taught you a good amount of combat. Now, it's time to test that skill out," Sarmaer spoke to the person beside him in the white cloak, named Taerys.
The white-cloaked individual understood him to a degree.
Rosi stared at the duo, backing up to give them space. "This'll really be interesting. A literal machine of war, versus a war machine!"
— War machine...? Sar's developing human war machines?
Lunan thought to himself. He understood that Rosi was called Sarmaer a war machine due to how skilled he was as a spirit contractor.
—But... what about that fat guy in the white cloak?
The person in the white cloak finally threw it off, revealing that what was thought to be a hunched back, was a set of wings.
—!
—!
Lunan and Ireciez looked at each other, then back at the trio. Even Ireciez appeared visually shocked, emotion on his face being rare.
They got a closer look at the girl.
She wore a specially made large white shirt, with holes in the back that allowed her wings to breathe.
Her hair was grey and buzzed, and her skin was a darker grey. Ram-like horns shot out of her head. Her eyes were piercingly red.
"A... dragon?" Ireciez spoke very quietly, just loud enough for Lunan to be the only one who could hear him.
"My hunch was right... experiments are being conducted on this island."
"Test 1. I'll just throw a regular boulder at you. This should be pretty simple for you, with the training I've been giving you, and how strong you are physically, despite your frame."
Sarmaer picked up a large boulder, the size of a house, with one hand. He tossed it toward Taerys.
Taerys did not look shocked, surprised, or even stunned as the large boulder came hurdling toward her, at alarming speeds. For such a large object to be able to move so fast that Lunan was having some trouble tracking it, and standing still?
As soon as it got close, Taerys struck it, with claws that had ejected out of her knuckles just milliseconds before. Shattering the boulder into hundreds of pebbles.
It rained rock, in the skies.
— Terrifying...
Ireciez and Lunan both thought.
"Not bad," Sarmaer clapped lightly. "but you also should remember that not everything you do has to be something that is commanded to you. If you've noticed anything off, it's your responsibility to eliminate it. Understood?"
Taerys nodded. She turned her head toward Ireciez and Lunan, at almost neck-breaking speed.
Fwsh!
[Cast: Flashstep]
Her mana-enhanced movement allowed her to clear the distance between Lunan and Ireciez in minimal time. Sharp claws were bared, ready to swipe at the duo.
Sarmaer smiled.
"Senses sharp as well."
With the duo being stuck in the mud, they could not move. At all. It was a horrible position to be in. They were dead, for sure.
Clang!
A loud ringing echoed across the field. The sound of two strong blades, clashing.
"Oscar!" Lunan yelled, with a shaky voice filled with relief.
"..."
Ireciez didn't say it, but he was also glad.
Oscar's white coat fluttered vibrantly, as the gust of wind from the clash made it act this way.
"You guys... sneaking out to go on some kind of solo mission... If it wasn't for my nosiness, you guys would be dead."
Oscar spoke through gritted teeth, as the dragon hybrid pushed hard onto his sword. The strength needed to resist the dragon's force was tremendous.
His odachi flashed in the sunlight. His skin was already beginning to grow pale.
With help from Routhu, he could tap into that 'state' a lot faster.
"What an interesting change in events. This'll be your first actual battle, Taerys." The old man, Sarmaer, who stood a few meters away beside Rosi, watched intently.
Oscar's position shifted.
He twisted his foot, dashing toward the duo.
"Interesting!" Rosi's eyes widened.
— Why did he... do that!?
Ireciez panicked in his head.
Lunan smirked.
"Right now, he's viewing it as a 3v1. If he strikes quickly and catches them off guard, we can use that time to get out of this mud and help him. Oscar's more of a remarkable guy than I originally expected. What are you waiting for, Ireciez?"
Lunan wriggled his way out of the mud.
Ireciez was lost in thought. He quickly escaped the mud, as well.