James chuckled at intervals as he, Aziel, and Powder engaged in idly chatter. He couldn't shake them off no matter how hard he tried. More so, the topic they raised piqued his interest.
"Well, I can't say for sure, but it's a strong possibility," he shrugged, slouching under a lowered branch.
Aziel hummed, "I hope not. Hazel would be devastated."
James raised a brow and tilted his head to the side, stealing a glance at her. He returned his gaze to the path before him and scoffed, "It was only an assumption. Richard and the Princess have never been close. But yesterday, I saw them leave the class together. They returned with cold faces and didn't say a word to each other. Well, it's not like they had the time to. Elora's personal coachman was already waiting for her."
"What do you think happened between them when they left?" Powder asked as she inconspicuously gesticulated her fingers. This subtle act intensified the rustling of the tree leaves, and the creaking of branches. She needed the noise to distract Hazel's keen hearing ability.
"I don't know, but it's probably something serious, since Elora herself came for him today. I'll ask Richard tomorrow," James answered and narrowed his eyes. He felt a familiar presence inching closer to them.
"Do tell us what he tells you. We can't let out cousin hope for a lost cause," Aziel said, flicking her hair.
Hazel and her parents were walking behind them, their eyes squinted as they surveyed the forest with keen attention. Their raid would be futile if the Black Meelo slipped out of the forest and entered the district, while they were busy chasing nothing here.
Hazel's father, Alaric, had lustrous deep green hair, that was so long, it had to be braided into a ponytail. It dangled and softly caressed the belt of his trousers behind him. In contrast to his lady-like hair, his rugged face had deep contours, casting shadows that danced with the tales of his conquered battles. His chiselled jawline was covered with full groom beards that were a much darker shade of his hair colour.
His wife, Achlys, stood close to him with half-closed eyes as she chanted some inaudible words under her breath. She had a striking resemblance to Hazel. Her hair was black though, and also very short. Unlike everyone else, she had no form of armour on her. At least not physically. Her robe had various inner pockets that were filled with charms, potions and other peripherals that an elven witch would need.
A subtle gust of wind blew past every advancing squad. Simultaneously, Achlys's eyes flitted a mild crimson glow. She suddenly stopped chanting and halted in her tracks.
Alaric and Hazel also stopped and turned to face her.
At the same time, James also stopped walking and gestured for Aziel and Powder to stay back.
With the same hushed tones, he and Achlys chorused, "He's here."
"Who, the Black Meelo?" Hazel and Powder asked Achlys and James respectively.
Achlys shook her head, gazing into the distance, "No... Something much bigger."
Alaric and Hazel turned to look in the same direction, their brows scrunched. The other squads behind them had also stopped and waited in anticipation for whatever was coming.
A loud thud boomed from the distance, quaking the forest ground and causing the birds to flee from their nests. Then came another thud that was more profound and bone chilling.
The thuds continued, sounding closer with each passing second. The elves began drawing their weapons, and preparing defensive spells.
James was the exemption. He wasn't an elf to begin with. He knew the cause of the earth-shaking thuds, and would normally run towards it on any normal day. But he wasn't alone this time around. Whatever was coming would see the elves as a threat, or worse, prey.
Stretching and squeezing his hands, and his gaze fixated forward, James hollered, "Everyone, please sheath your weapons! It'll only make things worse!"
The elves turned to Alaric with raised brows. They were only going to follow his orders. Sheathing his broad sword behind him, he raised his right fist and opened it with a nod.
The elves understood and did as James had said.
In less than a minute, the trees before them collapsed in different directions, riling up dust. This was followed by a deep bellow.
The dust cleared and the elves' eyes went wide in wonder. Standing buoyantly before then was a red-furred, bipedal beast. It stood at a towering height of thirteen meters with black tusks curving out of its mouth. Its eyes were pitch black and spirally as though they were a void that could suck anyone in at a simple gaze.
James smiled wryly, noting in thought, 'Tusk. He's in his full form. Not good.'
Tusk on any normal day was about 2 metres tall, but at the moment, he had instinctively grown to curb the intruders that had entered the forest.
Tusk was more or less a legend in Ostaria's history books, that has helped fight wars in the past. But after suffering a life-threatening injury, he lost most of his strength and size, and was said to have disappeared for over a century.
James was the one that found him about a year ago, carving different diagrams in a cave. He almost died in their first encounter, but Tusk was impressed by his durability and warmed up to him.
They weren't exactly friends, but they were close for a human and beast relationship.
James took a decent leap upwards and planted his boots on the tallest tree closest to him. He raised his hands and waved, "Hey, buddy."