With a defiant roar, Zachary broke out of his ice prison and rushed straight at Damien who still only looked at the two.
He did not even spare a glance to Zachary who became enraged at the sight of this disrespect.
"Wanna see something cool?" smiled Damien at the two of them, he did not even wait for their answer as he concentrated ice towards his hand, instantly forging a stunning ice blade with a curved edge.
With one swift strike, he severed his hands but before Zachary could even regenerate his lost arms, Damien stomped on the ground, creating ice spikes beneath Zachary.
"This is not enough to kill me, heh..." scoffed Zachary, despite his smug expression, he knew that this fight could not even compare to fighting his previous two opponents.
Just before he could break out of his new prison made of ice, Damien said something that made his blood run cold.
"Thank god, I wouldn't want our little fun to end so quickly, and hey, I have to show off the little ones. So hurry up, break out. I don't care just don't waste my time."
After that, being truthful to his promise, he just casually stood still, waiting for Zachary to break out of the ice.
The amount of disrespect from Damian made his blood boil, Zachary lost all reason as rage clouded his mind as he broke out of his prison once more and blindly rushed Damien.
Throwing punches that could crush nearby houses, while Damien elegantly danced around him with immaculate footwork.
"Observe closely, both of you. Blind rage solves nothing, if anything, it only makes you predictable."
The two could only marvel at Damien's style as he continued to effortlessly dance around Zachary while landing strikes of his own, every strike, slash, and stab caused frostbite, slowly freezing Zachary entirely.
Unluckily for Zachary Damien got bored easily, so he wanted nothing more than to end their little scuffle.
With a cold expression, he stabbed his blade directly into the heart of Zachary, while destroying or damaging his heart never did any real damage to this monster.
The ice blade froze him instantly, this time he could not break out as the blade was firmly planted deep into his chest, almost coming out on the other side.
Already looking bored, Damien clapped twice. At the same time, two terrifying-looking men walked out of the dark alleyways, they wore black fabric underneath a light layer of armor. They were Hunters, every Gifted's worst nightmare.
"Will you guys please be kind enough to escort our guest to the dungeons for a little small talk? Damien winked playfully at the Hunters, but their only response was a look of disgust as they walked past Damien and picked up the frozen Zachary.
As they were walking away Damien ran after them and whispered so that the two could not hear him:
"Torture this one extra hard and don't give him that choice, he is not worth our time. Just make something out of him." after that, he just tapped their shoulder and then walked back to the two.
"Oh, and by the way what should we do with that one?" pointed Damien at the tied-up Dale.
The boy, recovered a bit, so speaking wasn't that painful to him anymore so he tried to mutter: "Please don't-" This only worsened his condition as yet again he broke down into a series of violent coughs, which only made his friend beside him panic.
"Will he be alright? Asked the girl in panic on the verge of crying.
"Don't worry, it's not a rare thing among the gifted, he probably received a backlash. In worst case, he will faint again and be out cold for the rest of the day, so you don't have to worry about him."
Damien waited by their side until the boy's physical condition improved and helped him get up.
His expression turned serious, as he turned towards the two of them.
"I will be honest. We have been following you two for three days, and we even heard your plans about running, so you could never escape the hunters."
Their eyes widened in shock, and fear crept into their expressions.
All this time, they believed they were cautious enough, yet now the realization of being under surveillance for days sent shivers down their spines.
"Is this really what the two of you want, running away every single time?"
Damien's tone softened, he knew all too well what they had been through.
"I get it. Both of you have been on the run for far too long without anyone to lean on but each other. But you can't keep doing this. The hunters here want nothing more than to see the two of you scream while getting burned alive. I want to help you two. If you join me, they can't hurt either of you. Granted, you won't be completely safe either, but this is the best chance you two ever get."
The girl locked eyes with her friend, neither of them thought that their plan could fail in such a catastrophic manner.
"We don't have to get separated if we go with you, right?" asked the girl, her voice laced with uncertainty.
"You don't have the worry, the higher-ups won't like the idea but it's not like they can go against me if I say so." declared Damian smugly while lightly chuckling.
"Aren't they the higher-ups? Why is your word worth more than theirs?" The boy could not contain his curiosity so he asked Damien.
"Listen here boy, no one cares about what kind of political power they hold. I can beat the shit out of them if they go against me."
Yet again Damien's smug smile widened.
"Because I'm the strongest in Rondor!"
After their last worry vanished thanks to Damien's words, the two of them said in unison:
"We agree to go with you" Hearing this only widened the smile on Damien's face.
"I'm happy to hear that! Oh, and by the way we have to call you two something. You can't remain nameless while being the part of the hunters."
Damien's smile faltered slightly as he looked at the two. "Names are important, you know. They give you an identity, a sense of self. What should we call you?"
The boy hesitated, his expression changing ever so subtly. "I... I don't want a name," he muttered, almost to himself.
Damien raised an eyebrow, noticing the discomfort. "No name? Well, we'll figure that out later. For now, let's get going. There's much to discuss and prepare for."
The two walked beside Damien. "If you have anything to pack I wait here while you get it." Said Damien, expecting the two of them to go, but they just stood beside him without saying a word.
"You know," Damien began, "A name is more than just a label. It's a part of who you are, a reflection of your identity, and something that I need to add on your registration form, those bastards are serious about paperwork."
Damien tried to lighten the mood. "Look, I get that you might have your reasons for avoiding it, but it might be time to face whatever's holding you back."
The boy's gaze dropped to the ground, a mix of hesitation and discomfort evident in his eyes. The girl, sensing his unease, gently squeezed his hand, offering her support without saying a word. The boy wrestled with his own feelings then he muttered:
"I… I had a name once," then his muttering ended, replaced by fury as he continued, almost shouting, "I threw it away just like that…"
Suddenly, a jolt of pain struck his missing eye. He instinctively grabbed it, but the pain did not subside. Then he continued, almost sobbing:
"I just want to forget, forget everything" the boy pleaded while tears began flowing from his eyes, even from his missing one.
Damien placed a comforting hand on the boy's shoulder and said:
"Don't forget, remember your pain, let it fuel you. And when you are ready to overcome it, the pain of your past won't hurt as much."
Damien stood silently, his gaze shifting between the two. His expression, usually playful, now carried a hint of genuine concern. "What about Talon and Thorn These names resemble both of you, and I can write something on those damn forms too."
He laughed, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. As he waited, hoping for a positive response, the two locked eyes with warm smiles on their faces.
"That would be perfect." they chimed in unison, a mixture of relief and gratitude evident in their expressions. They don't have to run anymore.
"It's settled then, Talon, Thorn. Welcome to the hunters."