Huff!! Huff!
"Is this really… the right choice?"
Screech!
Panting in fatigue, Thawne gripped his shirt firmly. He had grown confused about what the right choice would be, however, his injured state wouldn't be of any help.
Woodlock strutted aimlessly through the thick forest, his head bent in thought. What was he to do? Leave his master in the jaws of a dreadmourn, or assist with as little as he could.
Devastation had caught up with the lad, and his mind was culled into a blank state. Thawne knew not what to do, as his redeemer was fastened in the chains of battle.
"If I step in right now, would I be of any help? I can't get my mind fixed on an answer. This isn't how my revenge was supposed to turn out."
Thawne clutched his fists in a dilemma and paused. His rumbling mind couldn't get a grip on what to do. Seeing his will shattering as time dragged on, Thawne smacked his cheeks in pursuit of clarity.
"Which warrior breaks his oath to end the enemy? I yearn to be a knight of my word, and this is a defiance of that fact. My life may be short-lived in this turn, but I would be filled with joy if I still fought for a cause."
"I know you would have preferred I ran away, Mum. However, if Dad was to see me being cowardly when an opportunity for redemption arose, wouldn't I be too ashamed to meet him."
A burst of passion filled his heart once more, and the stale boy finally took control. Gritting his teeth in pain, he tore off a piece of his attire and wrapped it around his belly.
Although he had life-threatening injuries, Thawne felt it wasn't enough to steer him away from his true purpose. If the tides of fate struck the events towards his awakening, he gladly accepted it wholly.
Thawne glid his feet back a few meters and heaved a sigh of despair. Yet in it lay certainty and bravery, two acolytes knights of strength truly cherish.
In pace, he ran back to his sensei, with a tensed mind and battered body. Naturally, the pain weighed down on his injured body, yet the lad pressed on.
"I have to get to Master!! He might be a knight of strength, but against such a beast it might prove difficult. It's said even the basic dreadmourns are too dangerous to take on alone, and a trio is the least number to take one on."
"As it stands, he's only a single knight, and I prefer not to leave his life to fate. Move your limbs Thawne, you can't let your master die in the grasp of that beast."
Thawne drove his body through the woods in a relentless pursuit of the monster. His white hair glided through the cold air, and a firm purpose lay evident in his fiery eyes.
"Huh….."
Stuttering upon seeing his master drawing forth another shot, Thawne slowed in momentum. He was captivated by the sparkles that brushed through the arrow, and his eyes declared passion for the order.
"By the vine's embrace and the moon's soft glow, Dionysus, grant me the craft to conjure your flow. In this sacred moment, let wine's magic bestow", Shen incanted.
Shen's eyes turned golden, and drops of wine scoured through his body in embrace. The dreadmourn approached in momentum with a bite, however with a quick reaction Shen evaded.
"You should have holed yourself within the caves you were pressed into. Why bother come into our lands when survival was impossible, tsk!!"
"Innate skill, Vine weaving!!"
In Master Shen's enraged motivation, he released the arrow with a threatening force. The monster attempted evasion, yet its movements were slow in comparison with its opponent.
"Dionysus?? Isn't that the god of wine? How lame?", Thawne gasped.
In his amusing demeanor, the student grew disappointed with the skill of his teacher. The god of wine was one known for merry-making in Thawne's previous world, and seeing that lad's blessing on his master was depressing.
Thawne's overwhelming joy turned pale, and with a disappointed look, he kept the eerie smile on his face. The arrow spun in a threatening manner, and with a force so suppressing, it rushed through the thigh.
Thwack!!!
A scream echoed through the woods, but this wasn't a human's. The dreadmourn had been injured with another strike, yet the effectiveness was great in the current turn.
However it wasn't down yet, and in a growling mood, it sprang once more to end Shen's advances. The knight stood with an annoyed face, and with swift footsteps, he drove to the left.
Tsk!!!
Thawne realized the battle had not ended yet, and ran towards the hunt with his axe. There was little he could do, but that fierce look in his eyes told the extent of his determination.
The dreadmourn rushed in for another swat, and this time was a lucky turn. Shen had little space to evade and preferred protecting his weapon to using it as a shield.
With a thrust of his feet, he attempted a stamp, however that was a foolish action to take against a being evolved within intelligence.
It drove its head to the right swiftly, and in a successful evasion, it drove in for a clean bite. Shen felt his cards had finally been drawn to a close, and with a tense demeanor, he fell back.
Ugh!!
Clang!!
Skidding through the Thawne reacted fast enough to save the man he cherished as a mentor. In a burst of strength, he precisely struck through the jaws of the beast.
Woodlock's little action of strength proved useful, and it saved Shen from nearly getting bitten. The knight quickly rose from the ground and leaped to the side in an escape.
Dreadmourns have a keen sense, and as such it noticed the kid was the one he chased. Its growls turned fierce, and a blue-colored mist began pouring from its scales.
"It can't be? A ranked dreadmourn? That isn't supposed to be around these plains. Ran away Thawne!!! That beast is evolving into a Soul siphon!!"
"Oh shi*"