The guards watched their surroundings closely and offered the Prince and his close servant water as they found a spot in the serene yet rocky landscape. Arlen wiped his mouth after quenching his thirst.
"Master Arl- I mean, Julius," the new Arlen, had to get by in remembering his name and status. The old one was patient with him, saying that Julius would get it right once he was not around. "Have you decided which path to take?" Julius peered at the omega with concern.
"I was thinking of seeing the misty borders of Ingram before we part. It's been so long I've forgotten how standing in that dark fog feels... but I might get off in the next town. Your men say it's not far from here." Arlen grinned. "So this is part of No-Man's-Land. It's not as scary as they say it is. It would have been nice to test Moon in these deserted lands." he pursed his lips playfully as he looked around. In his mind, he believed this forbidden place could be peaceful for someone like him.
While they wander away from the others, Julius studies Arlen's reaction. "I know that look, Arlen, do not attempt to live here. Not everything can be controlled, remember?"
"Pfft! My Ju...*Takes a deep breath and grins* Master Arlen, I won't live here, so don't worry," the omega answered, boldly taking Julius' hand.
Call it pain or fear, but Julius felt an anomaly at that moment. He yanked Arlen forward and enclosed him in his arms. "Why can't you come with me? If you won't be my Master, why not be my servant? Arlen, you and I are not meant to be separated." his plea came out as a low whimper.
Arlen hugs him back, not estranged from the pain of being separated from someone important. He suddenly became conscious of a bitter truth: he had the Loughtys, but Julius had only him.
"What will your men say if you cling to a mere servant like this?" Arlen could not confess that he was abandoning his beloved friend. And when his conscience judges him, he believes that Julius will be taken care of.
"They will say that you and I have a bond beyond gender and status," Julius said.
"My Prince, it's time to continue the journey," Reed said. 'Why does the Master keep an omega as his servant? Are they a couple?' the thought did flash through his mind.
"Alright," Julius answered without breaking contact with his friend.
They had only taken three steps toward the horses when an arrow came flying in.
"Take your positions; we are not alone!" Reed stood before the Prince while his men tried to form a shield around them.
Julius panicked when a handful of the men shifted into their beast form. "Im here, nothing bad will happen to you," Arlen squeezed his hand.
The attackers emerged from hiding in full force, causing Ingram's soldiers to break into formation. Reed's fingers grow into thick claws when he says to the Prince's aid, "Get the Master to the carriage and ride as fast as you can; I'll be right behind you!"
They were outnumbered, and he needed to keep the attackers distracted. Arlen nods without hesitation and strengthens his hold on Julius. The omega picks up speed, but Julius' strength needs to be improved.
"Wait, what are you doing!" Julius was adamant when Arlen crouched to pick him up.
"You heard the order. Don't worry, I got you." Arlen heaved him onto his back and sprinted.
Julius fastened his arms around Arlen's neck. He shut his eyes as the strange men and beasts charged toward them. Arlen withheld from using his unnatural abilities for apparent reasons and resorted to wits.
With his weapon in the wagon, tucked away in a spirit pouch, all he could think of was to conjure spells secretly.
He snapped his fingers and ducked when two grey wolves jumped at him. He was fast. One kick from him sent a beastman flying and crushed another's leg.
"Sit still," Arlen said when he got Julius inside the carriage.
"Master Arlen, no! Don't go out there; it's dangerous!" Julius held the omega's wrist, his voice shaken with fear. He promised Ari he would look after Arlen. How could he, the servant, let his Master face danger?
But Arlen saw a different picture; there was no way those men in red, navy blue and white uniforms could be bandits after a loot. They had to be warriors from the other kingdoms.
"Julius, I have to protect you," Arlen explained.
"No, I won't let you leave...I," Julius froze when Arlen knitted his brows, landing a finger on his trembling lips. As the beta held his breath, Arlen slowly took his spirit weapon.
Moon was made of a unique stone that helped Arlen control his powers. It could take the form of any weapon its wielder envisions within a split second. Once Moon's double-edged blade was entirely created, it tore through the curtain to face the enemy lurking behind.
It matched the foe, blade for a blade, but Arlen's spirit left him when he faced the person. Julius saw it, too, shrinking in the corner like a confused kitten.
'It can't...it can't be you.' Arlen gave up almost instantly, stoned at the sight of the alpha that gave him sleepless nights. 'It can't be you; why must it be you?' He gnashed his teeth in silence, already hating himself for what he was about to do.
Owen veers his neck sharply when he hears a blast. He couldn't tell who caused it until he caught sight of his Master's servant drawing symbols in the air and exhibiting complex techniques only mages from Ingram could pull off.
For someone that young to harbour such control was rare, especially when they were servants- who carried a sweet smell.
Luca did not take it easy on the disciple standing in his way. The enemy is the enemy, no matter how they look or smell. "What do you want? Why are you attacking us?!" This one got chatty and loud but did not stop him from swinging his blade, purposely to kill. Luca did not care; he only focussed on getting the target in the carriage.
"Arrrgh!" Arlen stumbled when the blade slashed his sleeve.
Julius was overwhelmed by the ordeal. He could not imagine what his Master must be experiencing, given that the omega idolized Luca Beaumont. 'I have to help him.' Julius scurries for the fake Moon, recalling some of the tricks Arlen taught him.
Julius took hold of the object and sucked in his breath. As it began to change shape, the wagon started to move, and he was thrown off by the force.
"Wait, no!" It took a while to crawl out front since he kept banging against the walls. Reed had taken charge of the wagon, leaving most of his men behind to deal with the ambush. His ears and face were captured by the hairy traits of his beast form. Julius had never seen a werewolf change up close. "My servant, you have to save him!" Julius said, holding onto the window to survive the rough movements.
"Im sorry, your highness, that won't be possible."
"What? I order you to save him this instant!" Julius yelled. Reed clenched his jaw, shaking the reins to make the horses run faster.
Meanwhile, Luca became irritated- a pesty devotee was hindering him from carrying out his duty. What pissed him off the more was the fact that he was being held back by a kid! There was no mistaking it; this person was obviously in his teens. Arlen was determined to keep his friend safe, jumping in front of Luca anytime he caught up with the carriage. No matter the degree of hits he took, he would get back up and fight.
Fed up, Luca puts away the weapon to use his natural strength. Just one punch in the face, and the disciple was thrashed out of sight. With that out of the way, he uses a crossbow to shatter a wheel.
Beaumont flew up high with a jump and landed metres ahead of the carriage. There he looks at Ingram's heir before lifting the crossbow.
Reed was undeterred by the threat. He hangs in there, yelling his heart out at the horses with fire in his eyes. Luca had a perfect shot when suddenly, a peculiar sword stuck his bow in half. He lifts his head and is befuddled by how fast it took for that annoying servant to return.
Arlen stood there, breathing like a bull. He was yet to discover his beast form, but he could at least make a lucky jump. Well, he may not have been fortunate in the end.
Luca's face was flushed with anger when he caught the person by the neck.
The real Arlen dangled in the air, finding it hard to summon his weapon. He struggled, clutching the alpha's wrist, clawing at it to disconnect the hold. His face was turning purple, eyes bloodshot and damp.
Luca was not fond of playing with his kill. A quick death in battle is the norm, but this person had vexed him. When the one he came for shouts at the top of his lung, passionately pleading for the devotee to be released, Luca is a little bewildered. This person was essential to the Prince of Ingram?
"Let him go, Beaumont!" Julius refused to hide.
'He knows who I am?' Luca's gaze widened slightly.
"Ngh...M...Master, you have to carry on without me," Arlen said with difficulty, his teeth bloody and sore. The hand around his neck kept crushing his throat, and no amount of wheezing could stop the outcome.
It was a total eclipse of the heart once the omega understood that Luca came here purposely to end his life. But it was already too late. The best he could do was protect the innocent beta he dragged into this.
"I can't lose you!" Julius climbed onto the driver's seat, trying to take the reins from Reed as he waved to the enemy. "Beaumont! It's me you want...take me! Leave him alone!"
"Idiot! Ngh! Go!"
Luca was even more confused by the servant cursing his Master plainly at the brink of death.
Reed sees a silver lining when the omega stretches his hand backwards. A ball of flames pulled out of nowhere, heading in their direction. Smoke erupts from the collision, mixing with sand and dust to hide the carriage.
Luca was compelled to look away. He turns to the person in his clutch, registering his distaste with a grimace once he has control.
Arlen's lips curved upward, thinking of how much he wished that frown was a simple smile.
*Snap!*
There was a crack in his neck, and then Luca's hand slid off for his body to fall to the ground. Arlen saw nothing else at that time. The world was pitch black...peaceful.
Luca dashed into the smoke, but the people inside were long gone when he discovered the carriage.
He had failed...
*
Most of Luca's men survived the encounter. That could not be said for the other party, who lost many beastmen. The rest fled, and Luca assigned some of his men to trace them.
"Your Highness!" A soldier reports to him for instructions.
"Send up a signal to alert the other groups and burn the dead bodies," Luca said. They were too close to the forbidden lands, and the negative energy could raise them as fierce corpses seeking revenge. And so the men piled them up at a place.
"Hey, I think this one moved." The words of a soldier caught Luca's attention.
"Is it changing into a zombie?" Another asked.
"He looks fine to me; I think he's still alive. Let's finish him off then," a third person suggested.
Luca would have ignored the discussion if the person in question was not the pest that robbed him of victory.
"Sir!" The men gave way when Luca chose to meddle.
Lowering himself, Luca examines the body, watching for any colour change. That was when he took note of the faint fragrance. 'A flower.' He paid no attention to this during the battle.
Up close, this person had strikingly yet delicate features. He looked more like a noble than a servant, even in a simple plain uniform.
'He did not want to part from you; I would like to know why?... If he is this willing to give up his life for you, then you may not be entirely useless.' Luca deduced as he touched the neck he bruised for a pulse. For someone to survive this, they would require a strong healing ability.
"Tie him up and bring him along." Luca wiped his hand with a hankie and left the scene.