Urs sniffed at the ground and then onto a tree. She went back to Nero and he put the hat out for her to smell again. She turned and started running again. Nero looked back at Baethan trodding behind them with a glum look on his face. "She should be able to find him in no time."
"Don't worry about me its just a part of being a father." Baethan looked out at Urs. "Amazing their sense of smell is amazing. How did you teach that Domaku to track?
"Urs? I didn't teach her how to track."
"Are you kidding me! Then what is it doing?"
"She's looking for your son."
"How do you know that's what she's doing?"
"I gave her the hat and asked her to."
"This is ridiculous. I should have went with him or started searching sooner."
"That's right." Nero looked back at him. "Children are children and adults are adults. Children are supposed to be curious and unaware of the grave nature of their actions. That's where you come in."
"What are you saying?"
"Scold yourself, then when you see your son scold him. That way he can learn, its what it means to be a parent. Come on we're losing Urs. She is your best chance at finding your son."
Urs ran back to Nero. "You need the scent again? Geez." He pulled the hat from his waste again and put it up to her nose again. She pushed the hat away and whimpered. Nero looks down at the hat and then Urs muzzle. "Shit!"
Nero dashed ahead. Baethan chased after him. "What is it?" He looked back at Urs and started to ran faster after Nero. "Iziah!" Nero stopped just before the trees and Baethan ran past him. "Iziah..." He whispered.
There is blood sprayed on a near by tree. Directly across from that is a pool of blood soaked into the dirt beneath Iziah's mangled lifeless body. One of his legs is missing and the other has been eaten down to the bone. "IIIIIZIAAAAAAH!"
His cries reaching Elle and Ouran. "Ouran! Keep up." Elle slipped forward only to have Ouran right on her heels. They burst through the branches to the sight of Baethan, kneeling before his son. He reached out to Iziah's body unable to touch it.
Elle put her hand to her mouth stifling a bleating cry.
"Is that him?" Ouran dropped to his knees and hurls.
Frides jumped down from the trees. He looked around and towards a disturbance in the trees. Nero caught his glance. He Glowed a dagger and threw it at the opening. "We're not alone. We should leave."
Nero Glowed his staff, deflecting the dagger into a tree past Elle and Ouran. "No."
"What are you doing?" Frides heard a hiss come from the bushes behind Nero.
Nero turns to the bush. "Raaarr!" There is a tussle in the bushes and the animals run off.
"Why are you letting it get away." Frides looked past Nero into the bushes.
"Stop it!" Frides, Ouran, and Elle looked at Nero. "I don't know what that was but it didn't do anything wrong and does not deserve to die for this."
Baethan stood up and Glowed a sword. "Get out of my way."
"No."
"Get out of my way! I'm going to kill that thing, For Iziah." Tears violently streamed down his face.
"What did it do?"
"Are you kidding me. Look at my son!" Baethan turned his head but closed his eyes pointing down at his son. He pointed his sword towards Nero and cried. "It murdered my son. Now, get out of my way or I will kill you, too."
Ouran wiped his mouth. "He's right that thing killed his son! We have to kill it." He Glowed his two daggers.
Nero looked at Ouran then back at Baethan, and released his Glow staff. "It ate your son."
"Nero!" Elle yelled. "Stop."
Frides put his hand between Baethan and Nero. "Stop it Nero."
"It ate your son! You don't expect a cow or a pig to seek vengeance!" Elle gasped and shook her head. "It was hungry so it ate your son."
Baethan dropped his sword to his side. "But.."
"You were supposed to be watching over him." Tears streamed down Nero's face. "Fathers are supposed to teach their children!"
Baethan released his sword and dropped to his knees.
"Look at your son. This is the last lesson he learned. Teach him!" Nero screamed.
Baethan turned to his son and looked down at the dirt. "Iziah." He sobbed. "Don't go into the woods without daddy. It's dangerous. If I'm not there to protect you...." He reached out his hand and brushes his hand across his sons forehead and cried. ".... You can get hurt. Please don't leave me." He leaned over his sons body and whimpered uncontrollably.
Nero walks over and places a hand on his back. "We can help you burry him."
Baethan held back his tears long enough to look at his sons face. "Burying a son is a punishment a parent has to bare. I hope you never have to bare it, cause it hurts so much..."
Nero walked past Frides. "Lets go guys." He looked down at Urs and leaned down to while the blood from her nose. "Sorry Urs. You did a good job though."
"Wait. Where are you going?" Baethan turned to Nero.
"I'm going to have lunch. Where are you going?"
"I thought you were going to help me."
"You found your son."
"You have to help me kill that thing."
"Why?"
Baethan stood up and pointed at Nero. "Because you scared it away before I could kill it."
"You need to bury your son."
"That's not what my son needs. He needs that thing that killed him to pay."
"He is right. You did let it escape." Frides said.
"What his son needs....?" Nero said in between Frides and Baethan.
Baethan looked over to Frides. "Can you track it?"
"Yes. Follow me." Frides affirmed.
"Okay." Baethan got up.
"Ouran, do you know how to track?" Frides asked Ouran.
"Yeah kinda. I used to track squirrels."
"Come with me. I'll show you how to track." Ouran walked over to Frides and they walked into the Forrest. Baethan follows behind them.
"I'm going too." Elle walks past Nero. "Are you coming?"
"No I'll stay back with his son." Nero took off his cloak and laid it over Iziah. "You're father sure is stubborn."
"You can't expect everyone to treat everything so casually. He lost his son." Elle followed after Frides and Ouran into the woods.
To Be Continued...
Thanks For Reading!