"Jasper you reached safely as the moon wished." Reed called out to me as I walked towards him.
"Where is he?" I questioned.
He just stared at me for quite a while. He sighed and then took a deep breath "Jasper I understand your obsession with the lord but do understand that my loyalty is with him not you. I have no reason to answer you."
'Right what did I expect from Reed. The loyalest dog.'
"This is between me and Kaan. Just tell me where he is and I will go. And if you want to know why, I can tell the reason."
"I don't want to know. If the lord has not said anything about the reason then I am not worth knowing."
"huuuuuu. Then what should I do for the information."
"Just stay with the original plan the lord created Jasper, you are our vice commander, the lord's bodyguard and shadow. Your actions are not justifiable any more."
"What do you mean justifiable, huh? I am just trying to protect him... Do you even know that his said plan was to kill himself?"
Reed's eyes twitched and he showed some shock in his expression.
'He did not know....Kaan still can not reveal it with them.'
"From the look on your face, he did not mention it right?"
"Stop playing Jasper, moon's curses are bad."
"That's what I want to say. Tell. Me. Where. Kaan. Is?"
"Over my dead body."
"Fine."
I removed my sword and Reed's claws came out as well. We got in our stands. I released my mana and my sword got covered by electricity. Reed got ready to take action.
We stared at each other and then came the sound of a fallen branch crack. And that was the moment we dashed at each other. My sword swung to his right side but he deflected the attack with his claws and using them as cages he moved the sword to the left on my bad side.
I used some force and pushed him back, using electricity to make him let go.
Gurrr....
We had distanced ourselves again.
"You know we don't have to do this, If you just tell me where he is then I can go."
"And as the moons say, we wolves don't cower."
"I am not calling you a coward."
"I know but if I tell you where lord is then I would be backing off from this fight hence I will be a coward."
"Now you are just talking nonsense."
"Less talk, more fighting. It's you who wants the information, not me."
'they never make it easy. Kaan, why do you have these kinds of people as allies.'
I take a breath and so does Reed. And in the next second we come at each other again. I use my sword to swing to his lower neck again using all my force but his strong paws and claws catch it again, while his other hand goes to cut my right side.
I turn around to my left, it just barely scratches my side and then I drop my body while using my right leg to make Reed fall. But he dodges it by jumping back. I stand up and using my shoulders, I bump into Reed making him lose his balance from not landing properly.
But with a back roll, he got up quickly. With lightning speed, Reed lunged at me, his claws extended like deadly daggers. I paired it with my sword as it started ringing against Reed's claws. We both staggered a little.
Seizing the opening, I swing my sword which barely missed Reed and scratched his check. I raised my leg and kicked him. He went slamming on the ground.
Before he got up I stand on top of him and placed my sword on his neck and we both breathed heavily.
"huu..now...where...is...he?" I ask between my breaths.
Reed just smirked, he put his head back on the ground and relaxed his body like he was giving up. Noticing this I move and give my hand to him. He takes it and stands.
I looked at him and figured why we just fought, It was not that Reed didn't want to tell me.
'It was to buy time.'
"It's...been...long....since we fought."
"Still...I won."
We both caught our breaths. and Reed just chuckled and said "No, As the moon's wished I accepted my defeat."
"Still a win though."
"My lord is on his way to the magic tower, Rexa. He is going to meet Edward."
I nodded and moved to walk away now that I know where to find Kaan.
"Jasper please protect lord. You are chosen by the moon to do that."
"You don't have to say twice." I waved my hand and departed towards Avala. It will be easier to use the teleportation gate at Avala to reach Rexa.
'I am coming soon Kaan. just you wait.'
Kaan was my everything. After the grand fire at the Mabuz house and the late duke's death. He and I became the only ones for each other. I still worry about him as much as I did when I first became his eternal friend.
I didn't want him to play with others, in case he got hurt; I made sure the servants as well as nobles were nice and respected him. This was kind of my second nature to be his shadow but now that we are not together it's getting harder to control.
I just want to leave everything and hide away with him but he has no intentions to take my help on it. So all left to do is pressure him to know how much he matters to us and use guilt as insurance to keep him alive.
And if absolutely necessary I will even keep the king alive so Kaan can not fully fulfill his revenge. Or ruin the plan so we have more time to revise it. But that is the most difficult because of everyone's trust in his words.
'In the end, they were all just puppets, dancing to his tune.'