"That's enough, Zephyr." Damien coughed out, rushing in to grab Felix away from the time ticking bomb.
The moment Felix spat out those insults, Damien could tell that the atmosphere had changed for the worst. The temperature felt like it was decreasing rapidly, as if matching with Zephyr's overflowing rage that he kept within the impassive face of his. Branches began to writhe as if they could feel fear. Leaves began to rustle loudly, as if they were trying run away.
Damien successfully managed to rescue Felix by swiping him off the ground and dashing away. He felt a strong sense of relief that he didn't have his head chopped off and handed to his liege on a silver platter. He figured it would be better to walk away rather than trying to calm down Zephyr who stood still, unbothered by the fact his victim was taken away.
Suddenly, Zephyr raised his arm and pointed a finger at Felix who was as pale as a ghost, shivering. Felix immediately hid his hand behind his back and prepared a wind protection barrier, in case anything goes wrong.
Zephyr pointed to his own throat and mimicked a cutting through his neck, he tilted his neck to represent his head dropping off of his body. A strict warning. He walked into the dark forest that seemed to pull him in and enveloped him into its comforting shadows.
Felix however, had different plans. He pushed Damien away and felt his hands moving faster than his mind could handle. Wind starting blowing harshly throughout the forest, knocking the leaves off its branches. Before he could even release his power, he was stopped by a familiar voice that could send him to his grave.
Felix stopped whatever he was doing and turned around, bending down and bowing. Keeping his head as low as possible while he trembled. "My...liege." he respectfully acknowledged.
"What do you think you're doing?" the man said, his red eyes glowing with dominance. He flicked his hand and immediately, two people came to his side.
Felix gulped and glanced at Damien who showed no signs of helping him get out of the situation he was in. "I... was disciplining the newcomers. They ought to know their place, my group thought and so did I." He slowly said, making sure that he had not made any mistakes in his choice of words.
"Don't you know they're S ranks?" the man questioned, walking closer while his black shiny boots made contact with his bleeding fingers. "You disappoint me, Felix." The wind howled heavily, replicating the liege's feelings.
"From now on, you won't hurt the newcomers Damien brought. Even if they aren't registered in yet, that's an order."
"Rules are set in stone. You allowed us, no, encouraged us to discipline newcomers to put them in their place. If you hand me such a order to not hurt them, isn't this favouritism?" Felix said, making sure that his point was made while still saying it respectfully.
The person started chuckling while everyone remained silent, feeling a chill crawl up their spine and into their mind. Their thoughts turned dark, creating the worst scenarios in their mind. Will they be burnt up and turnt to a crisp right then and there? Or will their vision go black and their hearts stop beating in a flash?
"It is." He paused and folded his long black sleeves. "But who are you to judge? I am Draven, Thanatos heart and core. If you aren't willing to comply, I wouldn't mind sending you to the depths of the earth." He said, pulling out a shiny item out from his sleeves. "Haven't I been too lenient on you pests?"
"It is my mistake. I shall comply with your orders." Felix answered immediately, bowing his head until it hit the dirty floor. He was terrified out of his mind, how could he dare talk back to someone like that just because he felt angered? He must have gone mad.
"That boy is a cheat sheet. And he'll be more superior than you'll ever be, Felix. He wiped out your whole group of 15 man, alone. He's younger too." Draven said, snickering. "You're pathetic. Exactly why you aren't my right hand man even if you're wickedly strong."
Draven said his last words and turned his heel and walked away. The moment he left, the lingering feeling of death faded away and allowed Felix and Damien to take a breather.
Felix and Damien whispered their goodbyes. "Blessings and Honour upon the core of Thanatos."
"You heard him." Damien said, turning his back and following the traces Zephyr left behind. He needed to bring him back as soon as possible. He can't wander around these forests alone, especially in the deeper regions where the larger animals inhabit themselves in.
Damien rushed through the forest with great speed, looking out for any sounds or marks that could've been Zephyr. However, he failed his task. He searched as far as he could handle doing but he hadn't spotted a sight of the small boy anywhere. Feeling defeated, he left and hoped that the boy would be able to get back to the base on his own. He looked back at the forest one last time and contemplated whether he should go in deeper but small flashes of memories flickered in his mind. That stopped his contemplation and he returned back to the building.
While defeat dwelled on Damien. Draven was busy making plans for the newcomers, he had a lot in mind for them. Now that the set is finish, the games can begin.
"I'm sorry sir, but do you really think that we can place 2 young kids inside a team without the minimum training years?" Killan nervously asked after looking at the sketch.
Draven glanced at Killan and broke the tip of his pen with one small press. "Are you doubting me?" he questioned.
Killan lowered his head. "I dare not. But they are young and inexperienced. They'd be a liability to the team missions." He said, knowing that Draven wouldn't be too ridiculous to not take whatever he said into consideration.
"I agree but they already have experience, don't they? A little tuning up in a year or two and they'd be monsters, especially the green eyed kid. All he needs is to improve on his fighting technique and have a tutor for his powers, and he'd be even able to overpower you, Killan. In a real fight to the death." Draven said, his red eyes glistening with anticipation. "Though, I do have different plans for him."
Killan kept quiet for a while before coming to a decision. "I hate to admit this but you're right. What do you plan to do with him?"
Draven smiled and leaned back on his throne, one leg over the other and puffing out smoke from his mouth as the cigarette left his lips. "I wanted to buy him as my own from his owner, such a shame he refuted. I even said I'll pay a good million or two." It sounded as if he was speaking to himself.
"Well then, which team should we place the two in for their training?" Killan asked, taking out another pen from a drawer as he flipped to another page.
"Our main team. If we want them to be the best, might as well place them in the best teams we have to make them have a feel of what their lives would go on from there." Draven said after a short period of consideration.
"Roger that." Killan said, scribbling down messy letters as his hands raced across the paper. "Say, you wouldn't mind if I have that silver haired boy as my disciple? I think I can make use of him very well."
"Do as you wish." Draven said. His mind rotting with plans. He was a mastermind, no doubt. People who have teams of special mutates feared him but always tried to find a way to get closer to him for the Thanatos team support. It was hilarious to see them try to befriend him, they look like tiny little prawns on land.
Draven name was feared outside of the main world, everywhere. He was the resurrection of the devil himself. All his plans were wicked to the core, leaving no gaps or holes in them for people to infiltrate.
if he wanted something, he'll get it in one way or another. His most remarkable trait is his patience. No matter how long his plans took to execute, he stays calm and undisturbed. Just like how difficult it was to get to Zephyr, finding a person who wasn't even a proper citizen was rather arduous.
'I've got you now right in my lair, Zephyr. Time is ticking for you to come to me, alone.'
Zephyr was resting on top of the trees before he heard a voice sounding in the back of his mind. He woke up from his daydream and sat up immediately, breathing heavily as he rubbed his forehead to ease his headache. "Give me a break." He murmured, thinking about the voice while looking down at the long gigantic snakes wiggling up the trees to get to him, bearing their nasty fangs and forked tongues.