"Is that so? Then you die!" The leader said before he gestured two of his minions to attack Parish. They nodded at him and unsheathed their shiny daggers before approaching to where Parish was standing in circles.
"Kill him," the leader yelled pointing at Parish. The two men charged at Parish simultaneously from the opposite direction but what happened next left them jaw-dropped.
Parish had closed his eyes tightly anticipating for what was about to happen but he was no fool to just wait for death. He could hear the footsteps of the two men approaching with each passing second. A smirk appeared on his face but he knew he had to be perfect and precise in his actions. A single silly mistake could render him dead. Would he die in the first place? That, he didn't know and didn't have the courage to test.
Now! He shot his eyes open and just when the tip of the dagger was close to his belly, he vanished into thin air and materialized behind the leader. Everyone was looking around confused except for Mike. He was in a position just behind the leader such that he could see Parish standing in front of him. So it was true? Parish was the one that had rescued him and not Azazel! But how? Wasn't Parish a normal snakeman just like himself? His gaze momentarily shifted to the excellent pair of legs that stood in front of him and wait…
Parish had legs. Parish was not human…still. What was he then? A snakeman who could teleport? Wouldn't that make that snakeman the legendary...snakeman god! Not that Mike had seen one but Parish just acted like one. The aura he was exuding was one Mike had never experienced before. Was this why Zed and his power hungry father wanted to so much get rid of him? That couldn't be. It must have to do with the fact that Parish was the next in line, right?
"What happened? Where did the human go?" The leader questioned but who could answer that? Everyone was at a stance or looking at the place Parish was standing a few seconds ago in disbelief.
Parish unsheathed the knife on the leaders hip slowly before he placed it on the his neck. "Don't dare do a stupid thing or I'll have his neck," he thundered catching the attention of the other men. He could feel the leader tremble in fear under his clemency. Where was the arrogant man behind this big frame?
The other men began drawing closer and this angered Parish to the core. Were they deaf or something?
"Tell your men to stand off or else…" he said pressing the dagger harder on the nape of his neck. A thick line of blood could be seen forming on the shiny blade. The leader saw that it was serious. His life was on line here and he couldn't afford to lose it because of a single snake boy.
"Drop your weapons and stand back," Parish added. Mike had already regained his composure and was now standing behind Parish though so much was going on in his mind. He had a train of questions lined up for Parish but this was just not the perfect time. They needed to get out of this place first.
"Do as he says," the leader ordered his reluctant minions. Couldn't they see that his life was in danger? Must he state the obvious?
After looking at each other in confusion, the men dropped their blades on the ground and retreated back.
"Don't you dare follow me," and turning to Mike, "go and collect the daggers." Mike nodded and swung into action by the order of his liege. He slithered forward and collected the scattered daggers while maintaining a safe distance from the men. He was still cautious. His life had been in danger, twice! If not for Parish… He sighed at the thought. He could have been served on a plate today. He didn't know he could be someone else's food.
Mike slithered back behind Parish who narrowed his gaze at the devastated men. Should he kill him, the leader, or just let him be? They were just doing what they thought was right. But what would happen if he let him go? They had the advantage in numbers and would definitely attack them. Letting him go would not be a wise decision. Not that he was going to kill him anyways but having him acted in their favor.
" Don't follow us or I'll kill him," he warned and started retreating. But funny enough, the other men didn't follow them it show the interest to. On the contrary, they were fascinated by something they never thought would happen in their entire lives.
"How is that possible?" One of them asked as he silently watched the retreating silhouettes of his master and captors.
"A human working together with a snakeman. I never thought such a scene would ever come into existence," another one chimed in confirming the fears of the rest of the crew.
"What if that snakeman is under a spell? You know humans and their magics, and by the looks of how that human did now, he should be a magician," another one reasoned out.
"I don't think humans can do that either. They can only bewitch themselves and not other creatures, or maybe they deemed it worthless to spellbound a weaker species to do their bidding. That human boy could be said to be the first to spellbound a snakeman" a red haired guy in their midst stated thoughtfully, probably an adventurer due to his curious features, the other's interest were piqued.
"And where are they taking our boss. Are they going to kill him?"
"Was that…" the person next to the adventurer asked showing how Parish disappeared into thin air with his hands, "..did humans have such advance magic spell to vanish?"
"I don't think so as well. And if yes, then he might be a very powerful magician." He answered narrowing his eyes at the direction that Parish and their leader had taken. "I'll enquire about this from the humans. If it's not true, I'll have the luxury of making some money from the humans. They do like to hear airs about powerful magicians, both adventurer guilds and merchant guilds are focusing on airing 6th class to 10th class magicians. But it's just that now 6th class magicians are hard to come by and 8th and 10th class magicians no longer exists," he added grinning at his fellow colleagues.
But the fact that Parish, a 'human magician', worked together with a snakeman and even spared his life remained edged in their minds forever.