The knight's destiny

Episode 3

The sky was clear with the sun shining warmly, accompanying the steps of a pair of humans. Both Luragorn and Lithia wore hoods that covered their bodies except for the face.

Luragorn carried a longsword and a rather large bag on his back while Lithia carried nothing but the hood she wore. The day was quite long as they had not found a suitable shelter.

The dirt road in the middle of the vast grassland area became a pointer for the two of them to find another place to settle. There were only a few trees that were at sight and there was no sign of any resident settlements. Not a single person had passed by since morning, neither pedestrians nor chariots.

The surface of the ground that gets sunlight is suddenly replaced by dark shadows. Thick clouds covered the sky and strong winds blew swiftly past Luragorn and Lithia. The two men looked back and found a black cloud carrying wind and thunder.

Although the distance was still quite far, but both of them could feel a cold wind blowing through their skin. A great storm is coming and it is coming. Flocks of birds seemed to fly away from the storm clouds and some animals immediately ran away and hid.

Luragorn and Lithia continued their steps in a slight hurry. The air grew increasingly cold and rumbling sounded not far behind. The raindrop slowly descended after the flash of light that appeared along with the thunder.

Slowly the rain that fell more and more rapidly. Luragorn and Lithia ran through the millions of water that kept falling soaked them.

The second effort to avoid the rain paid off with the cave not far from view. Without thinking any more, Luragorn and Lithia immediately rushed towards the cave.

The mouth of the four-meter-high and five-meter-wide cave welcomed the numb Luragorn and Lithia. The cave is rather humid at the foot of the mountain which is quite high, being a perfect stopover while waiting for the storm to end. The cave is deep enough even after lighting a fire for lighting and warming the air.

Luragorn used twigs and branches of wood he found to make a bonfire. There are no matches that can be used to burn. Fortunately Lithia could use simple magic like a small flame.

As Lithia warmed herself in front of the campfire, Luragorn went around to make sure they were not alone in the cave. Luragorn walked in with a burning log in his left hand and a sword in his right. Gurgling puddles sometimes accompany Luragorn steps while tracing each side.

Lithia approached the embers to dry her wet body. When Luragorn left, he planned to change his clothes to those in their travel bag. Just now that he wanted to take off his kirtle, the sound of footsteps approached and made Lithia undo her intentions.

“Why is that fast? I just wanted to change clothes, wait for–”

Luragorn was at the end of the cave after walking for fifty meters and found nothing but a few bats sleeping on the ceiling of the cave.

“KYA!”

Lithia's shout instantly made Luragorn wary and immediately returned. Just a few meters before meeting Lithia and Luragorn strengthened both grips on his longsword. Instantly Luragorn fell silent after seeing Lithia move away from the campfire and an unknown person approach the campfire.

A white-haired man was wet. Squatting while advancing both hands towards the embers, he curled up in front of the campfire and warmed himself with trembling and a face of deep fear.

The round face and round eyes in lemon green were staring at Luragorn, giving a look like a child lost in the middle of the forest, only that person was an adult and he was terrified.

Luragorn sheathed his sword and Lithia hid behind Luragorn while looking at the stranger in front of them. Luragorn approached and started a conversation with the 170 cm tall man as well as the fairly ordinary body.

The outfit she wore was a bright blue doublet with long black nylon pants. There was no luggage other than a small flute and a white capeline near the flute. The man was a traveler and musician from the observations of Luragorn and Lithia.

“Hai traveler, what is your name?” luragorn asked in a quite friendly tone.

“Al, just call Al,” replied the traveler with a body still trembling.

*DROAR!

Thunder rumbles followed by a flash of bright light, making Al suddenly hug Luragorn while frightened. Luragorn was suddenly surprised by this sudden action. Luragorn then calmed himself down slowly while Lithia tried to approach towards Al.

“What are you ... afraid of thunder?” ask Lithia curiously.

“A ... i. yes, I hate storms like this,” replied Al with flowing tears and pale lips trembling.

Lithia laughed out loud at the sight of an adult man who was afraid of thunder like a child. Lithia took out the rest of their supplies and gave them to the bomber.

“You want? Let's wait for this storm to pass,” Lithia said with a big smile.

Luragorn resigned to Lithia's decision. Although his indiscriminate kindness was a good demeanor, Luragorn was worried that Lithia's kindness could be a weakness that would endanger her own life one day.

“Mau?” asked Lithia while giving a leftover meat wrapped in large leaves.

With a slight tremble, the wanderer took the meat. Just as his hand touched the surface of the leaf, Al immediately shouted in shock and ran away.

Luragorn and Lithia were astonished to see the actions of the wanderer and looked carefully at the meat. A brown beetle walks on the surface of a leaf, rather large but neither harmful nor poisonous.

For a while, Lithia and Luragorn fell silent and finally understood what was happening.

“You, not only fear gunutur but fear–,”

Not finished Luragorn spoke, Lithia took the beetle and chased after Al while pointing the brown beetle to Al's face.

Luragorn just silently observed the behavior of the two, even though Al and Lithia are adults but their actions and nature are really like children.

“See! It does not bite,” said Lithia with her spirit showing beetles.

“AAA!!! Nah! Keep it!,” shouted Al who climbed the cave wall while holding on to one of the raised rocks.

“Ayolah~ this is only a friendly beetle.”

“NO! I HATE INSECTS!”

***

The storm continued until nightfall and forced Luragorn, Lithia and Al to settle in the cave until the next morning. The night, the storm subsided and the storm stopped completely.

Lithia had fallen asleep first near the campfire with a dry blanket covering her. Only Luragorn and Al are awake in the dark of the night.

“You didn't sleep, Al?” ask Luragorn.

“No, no. I'm not sleepy yet,” replied Al.

“Hooh, I thought you too would fall asleep fast.”

“You mean?”

“Fear of storms and insects, just like a child. I thought you would also sleep fast,” said Luragorn smiling as he felt Al was friendly and did not harm Lithia.

“Hehe ..., forgive my fear. I can't stand those two things. I'm not as good as princess Lithia.”

“Ya .. yes ... princess Lithia–.”

Luragorn was suddenly shocked by what he heard. Even if he and Lithia did not reveal their true identities including the status of Lithia's daughter, and this traveler said it fluently as if he knew it very well. Luragorn pulls the sword from its sheath and attacks Al.

“Oh yes, by the way Lithia's daughter–,” Al's sentence was interrupted when Luragorn's sword-eye was right in front of the wanderer's neck.

*BLASH!

Luragorn swung his sword strongly and quickly, a moment after which Luragorn fell silent in shock. This big-switched man slashed at nothing but empty air. A palm touched Luragorn's shoulder and made him turn back slowly.

“Lura-lura~ is not good at cutting off other people's conversation, it's not polite,” said Al who was standing behind Luragorn with a smile on his face.

Luragorn could not see Al's movements at all. It was Luragorn who launched a surprise attack, but even he who was surprised at the result.

“This person ... who is he?” inner Luragorn.

“Contact Lura-lura, let's talk for a moment.”

Luragorn once again tried to slash at Al and only empty air was cut off as the sword swung. Al was behind Luragorn and the wanderer took his white flute and capeline.

Luragorn furrowed his brows and did not respond to Al's question, the firm-legged man instantly slashed at Al once again and the result remained the same. Luragorn slashed at the void and Al was now standing outside the cave playing his flute.

Al's distilled voice was very melodious and delicate, caressing the night air with a gentle whisper. The dancing foliage revolves around Al in the moment the tone is played.

Luragorn no longer cared who Al was and only one thing he knew, that the wanderer was a dangerous threat. Luragorn raised his sword and intended to finish off Al, no matter how long it took.

The fresh green leaves spiraled slowly around Al, following the chant of the tones emitted by its distilled sound. His fingers moved quite gracefully, giving it a special appeal to anyone who saw it.

Luragorn launched his attack towards Al, but a leaf greeted his sword. As if dragged by the leaf, Luragorn's sword fell pushed away from Al.

Luragorn did not understand what had just happened and decided to try again. Once again a slash was launched and once again Luragorn's attack failed due to the leaf hitting his sword.

Stringing continues to sound, as well as the movement of leaves that keep spinning slowly. Luragorn increased his attack speed and performed quick slashes many times. Too bad every slash always ends the same. A leaf touched the sword's eye and made Luragorn's actions useless.

Although the leaf rotation looked slow and dabbling, the cluster of leaves continued to resist Luragorn's rapid attack. Luragorn's slash seemed to flow away from Al with the direction the leaf came from, making Luragorn slightly annoyed while breathing heavily.

Luragorn was exhausted and Al stopped his flute.

“Lura-lura, can you stop seben–,”

Luragorn slashed at Al before the wanderer could finish his sentence. Unfortunately, the results were as expected even more severe. Al stood at the end of Luragorn's sword which was raised horizontally. Luragorn was startled once more and his shock grew as Al had disappeared from view and stood behind him.

“It seems a bit hard to talk to you now. Huft~, let's just say it,” said Al with a long sigh.

Luragorn slashed Al again many times quickly, but the wanderer simply dodged casually as he continued to tell stories.

“Begini ...,” says Al while dodging Luragorn's attack, “Do you know? If princess Lithia is not just an ordinary noble daughter, she is the cursed daughter of the human race.”

“What do I care about? It has nothing to do, princess is princess,” Luragorn said furiously as he continued to slash Al.

“Alright, it looks like you won't be surprised for the information I'm about to tell you.”

“Be quiet!”

Lurgorn's slash did not stop, nor did Al's mouth continue to tell stories while dodging attacks.

“Begini Lura-lura, Lithia is a royal princess as well as the official successor of the throne of the human race.”

Luragorn swung his sword at Al and the wanderer dodged easily.

“She was framed by insiders and her family was slaughtered and hunted down one by one.”

Once again, Luragorn launched an attack and got the same result.

“You will also need information from the beastman who attacked you a few days ago.”

Luragorn continued to attack while Al continued to speak.

“Ituloh, fox beastman. She is assassin if not mistaken.”

“And also this, actually the prolonged war in the past has to do with the game dewa.”

“Even until now, although now rather peaceful and somewhat boring.”

“Yes, sooner or later you will know.”

“If you don't believe, just try to see the back of your hand.”

“Yellow horse chess piece symbol

“And also the yellow king chess piece symbol on the chest of Lithia.”

“You still don't know what it means, do you? I think Lithia's grandfather knew something about it.”

“That's it.”

“Lura-lura, it's rude if someone talks and you keep attacking him like this. I like you though.”

Luragorn pulls something behind his pocket and throws it at Al. A large green caterpillar the size of a big big toe with a length of ten cm.

Al who had been talking immediately stopped when he felt something creeping on his forehead. Walking slowly and tickling the skin, the caterpillar moved towards the eyes of this wanderer and slightly swerved across his face. Although this caterpillar is quite large, it is not dangerous at all.

“KYA!”

Shouted Al frantically while running in uncertain directions. Luragorn did not waste any chance and directly launched an attack towards Al's exposed back.

Luragorn's attack instantly bounced when it hit Al's body. His sword that could slash through anything at once seemed useless at all. Luragorn felt no magic whatsoever, no tricks or auras whatsoever, not even a protector once, but his sword bounced around like it was attacking a very hard diamond.

Luragorn improved his position and was firmly convinced that the opponent in front of him was not a human. Sweat drenched his face and cold air pierced his spine. His hair stood up imagining how strong Al was, Luragorn swallowed his saliva while watching Al's behavior.

The wanderer was still running in panic and instantly broke Luragorn's reverie of Al's fearsome abilities. Al kept running until he finally curled up under the tree while shaking.

The look at Al went from alert to pity. Luragorn did launch an impromptu attack in order to get a gap, but after seeing Al's apprehensive state, made Luragorn feel guilty.

“A ... Al, I'm sorry. You okay?” ask Luragorn.

“I'm afraid of insects, keep them away,” replied Al with a tremble.

“Sorry. It was just a reflex, so ..”

“I'm afraid of insects, terrible insects.”

“Al–”

A fog suddenly came shrouding the view. Thin moist white fog that thickens. Slowly the view diminished until Luragorn could not see the tip of his own foot.

Luragorn raised his sword and was suddenly on guard. Not long after the fog blocked the entire vision, this cloud-like water vapor instantly faded away. Along with the whereabouts of Al who was lost in the darkness of a cold night.

Astonishment, must be astonishment. Luragorn could not stop thinking about Al's true identity, his abilities or his ways disappearing.

Luragorn sheathed his sword and ran into the cave where Lithia was. Luragorn made sure that the princess he was escorting was okay, making this man breathe a sigh of relief after seeing Lithia.

Luragorn discovers that Lithia is fast asleep, unharmed or a threat from anything and anyone.

“If princess Lithia is the main royal family, means princess Lithia is part of the cursed family that caused disaster on Midfraz,” said Luragorn staring at Lithia.

“People who–” Luragorn stare intently at Lithia.

“If Lithia is the norm ...”