...

After regaining common sense, we followed Tetra to the outside of the Second Ark. A large dragon laid down from the empty land. A true dragon is not something you see every day. Crimson scales in color and his eyes were chartreuse magnifying power.

"Hey, Bruuteer! Can you give us a ride just outside of the 'Forgetting Forest'?" Tetra easily smacked his hand to the dragon's neck.

"Sure..." Bruuteer groaned...

'Whaaa...'

"The dragon can talk?" I shouted in amazement.

"I'm no 'dragon', I'm Bruuteer!" Bruuteer lifted his upper body. He was quite annoyed by the fact that I didn't call him by Bruuteer.

"Haha... Bruuteer it is..."

'I thought he would spit fire at me...'

"Why did you name him Bruuteer, Tetra?"

"Because it brought me to tears?"

"... Haha, it's not funny."

Tetra joked around. I didn't pry any further. Bruuteer finally stood up spreading his crimson scaled wings that covered 30 meters. I was shocked in awe at how long it was. Is Bruuteer an ancient dragon perhaps?

...

"Are you all ready?"

Bruuteer's voice was deep.

"Yeah, let's go Bruuteer!"

In a mere flap of his wings nearby trees were swinging; trying their hardest to not get blown away. Swooosh... we were flying up above the clouds. And with a dragon on top of it. I tried my hardest to not fall. While Koukei and Tetra were perfectly fine.

They converse like they weren't affected by the speed of how fast we're going at. I cling tightly to Bruuteer's scales. We would go on like this for an hour and Bruuteer dove down from the clouds. I tried to look at Koukei and Tetra who was, "How come you're able to drink tea like this?" I shouted angrily.

"We're here already? I wanted to enjoy the ride a little more." Koukei sipped his tea.

"If you wanted we could go on until Oaphyllis." Tetra beckoned.

"Aaahhh... Help me...!"

The rate at which how fast we're going down only felt like death was awaiting for me down at the lands.

Swooosh...

Bruuteer abruptly stopped and remained standstill in the air... I fell down from the sudden change of things.

"Gah... those are holy knights. I'm sorry but I can only go this far."

"That's fine, Tetra you've done more than enough. Let's go, Astral... Astral?"

They all searched for me who was falling down helplessly.

"Hahaha... that adventurer is really fun to be with."

"You bet. Thanks for the ride. We'll see you sometime again, be careful out there Tetra."

Koukei our stuff and jumped from Bruuteer. They immediately flew back from the Second Ark.

"Aaahh!"

"What the heck are you doing falling down from Bruuteer like that?"

Koukei stopped me with mana making me float.

"You think I wanted to? What're we gonna do now, I saw holy knights from the east side."

We landed successfully and I carried my stuff. Relieved I wasn't dead yet.

"Well, what else call the Scaled Salamanders?"

Koukei gave me a scroll and it spawned out two Scaled Salamanders. I wanted to asked how it happened but from everything that has happened so far, I wasn't surprised anymore. We quickly ride the Scaled Salamanders and head from Oaphyllis using another route just close from the holy knights we saw a few minutes ago.

 

After traveling for hours, the sun was already ready to set.

"Haven't we traveled quite far back where Tetra and Bruuteer landed us?  Shouldn't we find a place and rest?"

"We will but we haven't gotten past the outskirts of the 'Forgetting Forest' while this place may seem harmless it is also filled with different monsters who could gobble you up in an instant."

I sighed and kept following Koukei who also seemed tired. We kept traversing this endless forest.

...

It was already nightfall and Koukei chanted an orb of light to gave us sight to this pitch-black forest. My eyes were slowly closing down to sleep...

After a few minutes, I opened my eyes.

...

I was still behind Koukei who was awfully quiet.

I tried to call him but he wouldn't look nor say anything. I quickly paced and tried to look at his face.

He didn't have a face it was pitch-black. I was startled and fell down from the Scaled Salamder I was riding.

"What the heck... Where am I?" I quickly get up and carried my stuff.

"...! Who's there!"

I could hear noises from nearby trees. Somewhere around here, someone is looking at me. I used 'keen sight' and chanted an orb of light; I learned from Koukei.

My eyes were scanning the surroundings. I was short on breath as I gasped. I kept walking and observing my surroundings noticing every little faint sound. I was paranoid.

After a few minutes, I stumble upon a shadowy figure.

"...! Who's there! Go away!" A voice warned me...

I kept walking closer to the shadowy figure. I controlled the orb of light and pushed it to the shadowy figure.

...

It was an elf... blood splattered across her and a body of another elf... it was gasping. The elf was holding a dagger with gritted teeth. Every step I take she would react and gripped the dagger tightly.

"Relax, I won't hurt you... Isn't her condition bad? I have medical potions; I could help her. What do you say?"

Her eyes were clearly doubting me. I slowly laid down my bag. I took out a few potions that can help the little elf girl.

"Shi-nna-san I do-not  th-think he's b-bad." The little elf girl panted.

The elf—Shinna slowly laid down her dagger. I walked a bit closer and she was staring intently at me she was clearly hesitant.

"Drink this."

I helped her slowly drink the potion and wrapped up bandages around her body. The cuts were quite deep. I wasn't a healer but I have a scroll that lets me perform a basic healing spell. I poured mana and I used the spell to help the little elf girl. After a while, her breathing went normal and she wasn't in a dire condition anymore.

I looked at the other injured elf girl and tried to help her.

"I'm fine..." She hesitated.

"I won't hurt you just let me do this, okay?"

I gave her another potion and used another healing scroll. I only have a few remaining. Then, I wrapped bandages to her legs. She probably took most of the damage.

"Th-thank you..."

She soon fell asleep. I moved her and the little elf girl to my sleeping bag. I cleaned the area where there was blood everywhere.

...

I took a deep sigh and created a fire to keep us warm. I walked a bit far and tried to locate where am I. I couldn't see Koukei anywhere.

I sat at the cold rough floor and used my bag to relax my head. I would close my eyes and wake up every few minutes. And soon it was morning...

...

I checked my bag and found a few wrapped food. They were still sleeping in my sleeping bag. I checked the surroundings for quite a while and decided to wake them up.

As I get back, the elf girl was awake.

"Can you stand now?" I asked.

"Th-thank you for helping us. I'm Shinna."

"You can call me Astralish or Astral."

Now that I looked closer, she's pretty. Her vividly smooth flesh-colored skin, her eyes were amethyst, Shinna's hair was like an emerald; bright green in comparison. I was flustered for being near a gorgeous girl especially an elf.

"What happened to the two of you if you don't mind me asking?"

"Since you saved us it's fine to tell you."

Shinna sat near me and continued. 'Did she... just sat near me? I may die today.'

"We ran away from the lower regions of Oaphyllis where May was." She looked at the little elf girl. So her name's May...

I remembered what Koukei said that I shouldn't go to the lower and upper regions of the Oaphyllis. It made me curious.

"Why did you ran away?"

Shinna reacted quite strongly. Did I perhaps hit a sore spot?

"They were... the Hu-humans were... buying elves from the lower region."

"..."

"We tailed the Humans and found their hideout. Since the nobility of the Elves didn't care for the lower region. There were no guards in the lower region. That's why the Humans can illegally buy Elves. May, was one of them... I was with another elf— Ray stayed so that we could escape. But there were other Humans who caught up to us. I could only fled from the 'Forgetting Forest' where they will not dare to go."

It was hard to take in, what Shinna has just said. I couldn't believe something like that was happening and we Humans were doing it.

I didn't say any word...

"And then you found us Astralish, I was ready to sacrifice myself to let May escape but it turns out you aren't one of them."

I gritted my teeth.

"Say, what are you going to do now?"

"I would probably go back to my Master's hideout with May and wait for Master to come back."

"Master?"

I looked at Shinna.

"My Master is the 'Huntress'."

"The Legendary Huntress? The one who fought against the Crownless Heroes?"

"Y-yeah, although Master couldn't win against any of them."

To think that the Legendary Huntress of the Oaphyllis couldn't win against the Crownless Heroes. Just how strong are they?

"So where did your Master go?"

"I don't know, she's been missing for a year now. After she stopped training me she said, 'she has something to do'."

"Well, shouldn't you get May back to her family?"

"For what? Just so she could be bought again? The Humans control the lower region of the Oaphyllis!" She exclaimed. May woke up from the noise.

"I'm sorry, waking you up May and sorry for shouting at you, Astralish."

"It's fine. I am the one who didn't realize the situation. Then let's go!"

"Go where?"

Shinna and May looked at me in confusion.

"To the lower region of Oaphyllis!"

"Hah, I told you the Hu"—

"Don't you want to get back at them?"

I stood up and extended a hand to Shinna.

"Just the two of us?"

"I am with someone but we got lost to the Forgetting Forest perhaps. I'm strong you know?"

Shinna accepted my hand.

"Fine, I'm in."

May smiled at us and ran towards us hugging us.

"Hehe... you make up Shinna-san and Astralish-san."

'Dang her smile is so cute.'

I took my bag and stuff the sleeping bag inside.

...

"Shall we go?"