The Beast-man and Elf

Wary of my surroundings, I searched everywhere I could with my spiritual sense. Who knew what could jump out of the trees and attack us at once.

Hugging Fiona with one arm and clasping Heartbreak with the other, I stepped softly on the ground, trying to to keep as low-profile as possible. It was a good thing this forest seemed normal. Things were of proportion and I wasn't stepping on human flesh or attacking Fiona.

Being an assassin whose profession is to kill, even I wasn't cynical enough to step on my victims. Just remembering that the sensation of the soft flesh was like quicksand, swallowing my foot into the ground was nauseating, and then there were also the flashbacks of Fiona... I shook my head, warding away those evil thoughts.

The forest was dark, only the moonlight from the moon shone through the canopy, illuminating it.

Fiona reached out and caught a beam of the silver moonlight onto her palm. It complimented her silver hair perfectly. "Daddy, this place doesn't seem all too bad. It's very peaceful to one's mind," she said with a smile.

Uh, no, Fiona. I'm here racking my brains off trying to forget some things. I sighed, hoping that this heart demon of mine won't stir up too much trouble. We continued walking for a while, through the forest. After a while, I had to agree. The ambience of the forest was tranquil, as Fiona warmed up the cool, night breeze. Her hands kept reaching out, trying to catch the moonlight.

I watched her, my eyes softening, but my ears twitched. A faint thump against the ground sent sparks throughout my body as I felt my senses sharpening—it was as if I was in third-person view. Something or someone is here.

"Very peaceful, you say, huh Fiona?" I stopped and murmured into her ears. Behind us, through the trees, I felt the presence.

I looked over behind my shoulder as Fiona stopped squirming under my gentle caress and her gaze turned serious.

One, two people, standing right behind the trees. The wind rustled some leaves, leaving behind a tense atmosphere that my nerves did not like. I drew a deep breath, trying to calm myself down, but a hand grabbed my shoulders.

"Daddy," Fiona whispered, drawing a dagger. Her face was glowing along with a reassuring smile. "We can do this."

I closed my eyes and sighed, berating myself. She's more confident than me, and I'm the one who's supposed to protect her. That can't be right, I gotta pick up the slack.

I lifted Fiona up and threw her onto my shoulders, her hands around my back. I patted her back and gave a kiss on her cheeks.

"No, I got this, Fiona," I mumbled into her ears that was flushing red. I don't know if it was because of my breath or the kiss, but it didn't matter.

Turning around, I twirled Heartbreak with my other hand, and asked, "Whose there?"

Two figures appeared from behind the trees. The shadows shrouded them in darkness, but I could make it two distinct features from their silhouettes—one had long, pointy ears, and the other had a bushy tail.

I tightened my grip on Heartbreak. An elf and a beastman—I need to be on guard. As much as I was curious about the other races of this world, our safety was the priority. Anyhow, since the other races may have a vendetta against human cultivators like us, a battle is inevitable.

The beastman growled. "Another human, a different one. I can't believe we lost him."

"Humph, weren't you proud of your nose?" The elf replied, and they stepped out of the shadows.

Their lack of hostility shocked me. Although their words were aggressive, I could tell from their gazes they were more curious about us. And their appearances... they were exactly what I'd pictured them to be. The elf donned a metal battle suit and a crystal bow, her white hair flowing behind her ears. The beastman, well, tiger wore a hide that covered his muscular frame with stripes on his face and tail.

Fiona widened her eyes as I turned my body to face them. "And you are?" I asked, trying to steady myself. I couldn't gauge their strength, and the tiger-man looked darn ferocious. I could smell the dry blood on the hide.

The elf observed us up and down and nodded. "Composed but wary and judging by your reactions... you're surprised? You two are different."

The tiger man snorted, his words leaving me speechless. "At least the two of you don't look like you're after my p*nis. I still remember that damnable human years ago whose eyes never left my crotch."

He pointed downwards. "I'm half-human, half tiger! It's the same down there!"

"..."

I covered Fiona's ears as the elf rolled her eyes. "Cut it out. That was years ago. Besides, he was probably after that gold plate you wore."

He smacked his lips as he glared at me, his bloodthirsty, savage pressure erupting out of his body. "HUMPH! You humans are all the same. So, what about you, huh? What more do you want from us?"