Winter Festival in Theapan (Part 18)

[ W...ning! ] [ ….ng! ]

The voice called out desperately to Vorbuk even though he slept. It sounded urgent and pressed him to begin to wake back up. The wolf's body flinching as he listened to the voice that called out to him.

[ WARNING! ]

Eyes widening suddenly the wolf stared at the bold red warning in front of him that none but himself could see. From the side he could feel his body leaning against the side of Prince Leo. The prince had been startled by the wolf suddenly jolting awake.

"Vorbuk, what's wrong?" Prince Leo whispered to the wolf while the others continued to chatter among themselves where the group sat.

[ Bandits spotted in the vicinity. ]

The wolf was silent as it watched the urgent words in front of him before responding the the prince, his words slightly dragging as he spoke, "I suddenly feel that the gods do not wish to let me sleep in peace."

[ Invalid. ]

"What are you talking about?" Prince Leo was confused by the wolf's sudden remark about the gods. He was not aware that there was the voice of one inside the wolf's head. Though the wolf did not care if the voice was truly one of the gods or if he was simply going crazy from adapting to this world. The voice was something that made him feel exhausted both mentally and emotionally so he could only cast the words it sent to him a casual glare. At times the wolf simply wished there was a mute option.

Vorbuk listened to the surroundings for a moment before responding to the prince, "We're not alone out here."

"Someone else..?" Prince Leo thought out loud as he went quiet. It seemed the others were starting to notice the presence of others nearby as well. The prince could see the wary look on their faces as they heard the sounds of approaching hooves. People on horses were nearing the location quickly.

"His majesty has awoken?" Duke Heket asked while glancing over at the wolf and noticing that the beast was not returning to a human form, as they all rose to their feet the duke spoke bluntly. "It seems you're not going to shift to human form?"

"He doesn't need to waste the mana on you." Prince Leo's words were like a stab to the duke's pride. The prince was not going to easily tell the duke that Vorbuk drained his energy in order to use that form. There were more pressing matters closing in on them.

Are you trying to start a fight with the duke right now? Vorbuk shouted in his mind at the prince's cold treatment.

At the sound of a horse's neigh they all turned their heads in the direction of the approaching people. No, they weren't just simply people. They were bandits that were commonly found among Theapan Kingdom. When King Luke ruled over Theapan his management over the people was weak. The kingdom of Theapan naturally had a high population of criminals and that made it difficult for common folk to live among the kingdom. The king had been too heavily focused on following the god, Chynir, as if he was a puppet on strings and failed to protect his own people from the bandits that ran free among the kingdom.

After Vorbuk took the throne the crime rate had drastically lowered over the months. He could not allow the same risks to Theapan as the previous king had done. Many criminals were removed but that did not mean the threat could be taken care of so quickly. Bandits still naturally hid among the kingdom. That was something Vorbuk knew would take a long time to clean up properly. It did not surprise him to see bandits showing up in front of him.

The thing that bothered him was naturally the words that he heard the others uttering under their breath around him.

"Should I burn them all?" Bredret's cold question under his breath.

"You? I could take care of them much more efficiently." King Micah argued with the dragon.

The Prince's voice could be heard adding on, "I've been practicing my fire control. I can take care of them."

Those pyromaniacs! Vorbuk screamed internally as he feared the surroundings around the lake might be burned down. The only one among them that wasn't a fire element beside him at the moment was Duke Heket. Vorbuk wasn't sure what the duke's ability was but the fact that it wasn't fire made him the least dangerous one. At least the duke doesn't intend to burn the forest down!

Why am I thankful the enemy working alongside us is the most calm person here?! Vorbuk felt frustrated beyond his own understanding. As he glanced over and saw the duke smiling calmly his own body chilled. He felt in that moment that perhaps the duke was just as crazy as the rest of them. The only difference was his unknown ability wasn't fire. Inside the duke was still just as dangerous as the rest of them.

"What's wrong?" The prince whispered down to the wolf as he noticed it freezing up where it stood beside him.

"Can we at least try not to burn down the area too badly?" Vorbuk sighed heavily as he spoke to the prince. The only two that could understand him in his wolf form right now were the prince and the dragon. Duke Heket and King Micah couldn't understand a thing he said in wolf form.

"It's just some trees... They would grow back..." Bredret muttered under his breath at the sound of the wolf complaining to the prince. He did not like having restrictions put on him. Though a few bandits were still nothing compared to himself even if he had those limitations. Because I'm a dragon limitations are useless. The dragon felt pride in his bloodline for being mighty.

"It might grow back but how do you think it will look if the new king burns down his own kingdom over a few bandits?!" The wolf scolded Bredret for his grumbling.

Bredret had a blank expression as he walked towards the sound of the incoming horses. Trying to tune out the sound of the frustrated wolf behind him. In front of them they could see the group of bandits slowing down the horses they rode. It felt like time had slowed down around them.

Watching without a word Vorbuk began to walk out behind Bredret who stood in front of them all. He could feel Prince Leo keeping his pace to remain by the wolf's side as well. It felt like the wolf's body was burning as he saw the bandits the closer they came into view.

Behind the bandits were starved and beaten slaves being hauled in cages. Chains dangled from their weak limbs. Some of them may have been legal slaves in the beginning that came from real slave merchants. From the look of the bandits it was impossible to not know from a glance that it was not true for them all. They weren't simple bandits but slavers. These bandits captured and sold people for a living as long as they found the person profitable and capable of being caught.