Ugh.....why is my head hurts so bad?
Wait, why was I unconscious?
Come on, Matt. What happen before-
I realizes that there's a group of people suddenly appears out of nowhere. People throwing a gas bomb that knock me out. Andri said it's spirit hunters.
Wait, Andri!!
I try to open my eyes as my vision slowly returned. I notice that my body is tied up and in front of me there's a pair of thugs drinking their beers while cheering.
"To think that our struggle staying hidden is successful!" One of the man roared happily while drowning himself into alcohol.
"And we got a winter spirit! Worth the money!" Money!? These bastards did all of these just for money!?!
Calm down, now, Matt. Stay calm...I can't let them know if I'm awake.
"So, what are we going to do with the kid?" I froze, not expecting them to discuss about me.
"As a backup plan. If one of the villagers manage to corner us, we'll use him as hostage, forcing them to let us escape." I can't believe this, they seriously think I willingly let them use me as nothing but meat shield?!
"Will that even work? I mean, he's a random kid." One of them voiced the flaw of the plan.
"I saw how the villagers act. They're too soft to even let one of them get hurt or killed." Shit, to think these thugs even know basics of psychological tactics.
Okay....I may have insult them too much. That logic is something that even a young kid would know.
Wait, why am I debating about how smart/stupid they are with myself!? I need a way to get out of here.
Ugh.....how did they even stand to breath so many alcohols around here-!?
Wait, alcohol....should I....?
Nope, too dangerous. But, what if I...
Yeah, I got to know more about the situations more, especially about where Andri is. I can't leave him alone with these sick bastards.
I'm no hero, but I don't need to be one to have a human decency, something that these scums don't understand.
"So, how much would we get if we sold the spirit?" The thug casually asked. I try to hold myself from growling in anger at how n
casually he speaks about selling a living being like some sort of merchandises.
"I heard that if we get the spirit in auction, we might get a million gold." One of them giddily said. "minimum."
...that'll explain why they go through such extreme length, but it's still no excuses!
Wait, there's a trail of liquid behind me. I slowly move my hand and to my surprise, there's a box filled with glasses inside and there's trail of liquids from it.
Beer stocks? Geez, they sure love to waste themselves.
I try not to flinch as I saw someone enter a room. He's bald with eye-patch on his left eye, bushy beard, and has an imprsssive muscle but it was ruined with the beer guts and the strain on the armor around the belly.
I seriously tried not to laugh at how ridiculous it is.
"B-boss!" Wait, it's the boss!?!? Calm down, now, Matt. Take a deep breath. Don't. Laugh.
"We're going to leave soon, so prepare yourself." I tensed. They're plan to leave already?
Now that I think about it, it does make senses. Getting a spirit with high value in auctions already satisfied them enough, so they have no reason to leave.
I need to find a way to stop them, and at the same time, warn the others.
Wait, mana can be sense by most magic users, and magic radiates mana. If I can emits a large scale spell, I can incapacitate them and act as a huge mana beacon.
Come on, Matt, think, think, think! What spell can I do-!?
Wait, I don't need a high level spell for this, I just need to cast a spell while using tons of mana.
Wait, can I even use water magic with beer?
Well, there's no time for tomorrow.
I let loose my mana as beers and melted snows starts to rises around me, catching the hunter off guard. I use all of my willpower to launch the water at such powerful forces that it sent them crashing through a stone wall.
I tried to fight off my exhaustion as I grab a knife the guy dropped and hastily cut off the binding. It did leave some wounds on my hands, but eventually the binding is off. I made a quick run, trying to find a way to Andri.
"There he is!" I didn't give them a chance as I control the alcohols on the ground and hits them with a water shaped whip. It caught them off guard before I control them to hit them on the face and slams their head to the wall.
I panted in exhaustion before went back to find Andri. It was easy as I found Andri, but a bit horrified to what they did to him.
He was in a cage, chained up and shackled like he's some sort of animal. I was even more horrified when the cage starts to emit purple electricity.
I didn't find a key, but found a hammer. I didn't think much as I slam the hammer onto the cage. I was shocked by it but the cage manages to break and the elevtricity stops.
"Fuck..." I mutters before trying to break the cage and get Andri out of there. God.....he didn't deserves this fate. To think they did this before sold them.
They didn't just sold them for high price, they break them by torture so the new owner could command them and they will obediently follow the command.
I was never expecting such dark moment appear in my life. Then again, I saw my birth and adopted parents perish before my eyes every birthday. But still.....this is wrong.
"I got you, Andri.....let's get out of here." I mutter before turning around and suddenly, I was choked as a chain wrapped on my wrist. Their boss is in front of me and he is pissed.
"To think that you're a mage with such caliber, even for a three years old." I gasped as he puts more pressure on my neck. It hurts...
"Don't bother to try to use your mana, that chain prevents any mage from accessing this, continuously disrupts their mana flow." Fuck, I'm screwed
Fear start to took over me. I'm helpless again, just like when I can't do anything but watching my parents perishes in front of my eyes. Damn it, Matt. Is there any other way-!?
Wait, the knife!
"I should've killed you, but since you're a mage, I think my buyers would love a cvild slave." As I heard that, I snapped. Child slave!? Oh, hell no!!
"Akh!!!" I stop struggling and use the knife on my pocket to stab on the man's right eye. Not only that will force him to let go, it'll be a perfect karma for this bastard.
As he continuously scream in pain, I crawl towards Andri, who wheezed painfully. Fuck, after that torture and falling from my grasp, his body is in extreme pain.
"I'll kill you brat!" I barely dodge an incoming axe swing and hastily grabs Andri before run. But, I didn't go far as the chains on my wrist stop me from going further.
Oh gods....I'm going to die.....
"Did you think you can escale, you stupid brat!? I'll kill you for-!!""
SLAM!!!!
The hunter boss and I stop before looking at the source of the loud noise. I widen my eyes as dad walks into the room while holding a hoe stained with blood.
Holy shit...
"Get your hands off my son, you damn dirty ape." I was shivering at dad's cold tone before noticing the man shaking crazily. He roared and charge at dad.
Before I could warn him, suddenly a golden energy wrapped around the hoe as dad swiftly swings it like a graceful swordsman. And in an instant, the man's right arm, and the shackles on my wrist sliced up. And the man yelled as bloods continuously flows out of his wounds.
"D-dad...." I choked up while looking at Andri painfully breaths. Dad saw this and immediately let the same energy flows into Andri's body. I widen my eyes as Andri's body slowly healed and he's breathing normally. I sigh in relief as he feel asleep.
"Easy there, son. Daddy's going to bring you home." As he said that, all the distractions are gone and I finally cried as dad pulls my head close to his shoulder.
I didn't feel scared until the moment that man starts to choked me and made me vunerable. It feels like I was back then in my past life. I thought I was going to die at that moment, I thought I failed as Andri was going to meet a fate worse than death.
"H-how did dad find me...?" I asked as my lips trembled.
"Whatever spells you use, it helps mom and I found you." Dad said while ruffling my head. "I'm so glad that I came in time, son."
"M-me too...." I lied my head down on dad's broad shoulder while hugging sleeping Andri.
"....dad, if I unlovk aura, would you teach me....?" I mutters while hugging dad.
"Of course. Now, go to sleep, son." I did as everything went dark.
To be continued