The Unexpected Attack on our Pack

It was indeed, Mister Rogen who asked her to spy over me as I train. Even though, isn't she bothered by the fact that I am way below her progress scale? I'm slowing her down and perhaps it will be morning by the time my exhausted self ends the 20 said laps. I'm done for life. This is the maximum of my limit.

It was around the seventeenth lap when I began perspiring like a dying soul dissolving in lava. That's the best image I've got to describe. When I turn my head and look beside me... Oiko wasn't even bothered by a single sweat drop on her face.

Huh...?

Is she immortal or something? Even with the armor on, she should at least be breathing shallow or struggle like me. She's built different, for sure.

As I imagined, it was four in the morning when I finished my 20th lap. Kudos to me! I'm such a loser.

"O-Oiko... are you- alright-t?" The stutter was mortifying. Perhaps she couldn't even grasp what I was meaning to say.

"I'm fine. You need sleep. I've heard Kal won't take classes tomorr- today in the morning. Might be another group task, but I'm not sure." Says Oiko. She is one that everyone considers a teacher's pet. Maybe I'll believe her and set back for the day. I cannot risk dying through exhaustion now.

Well, that's not true.

Oiko... you set me up.

"Run 10 laps around the village with your armor! For those who haven't made it to the ground in time—"

Shoot.

Mega-shoot.

Kal Rogen glares at me from the side of his eye. I gulp ferociously, anticipating the punishment he wants to give me. My body is still sore.

Let me tell you how I was late to the training...

"G-goodnight..." I mutter, the sound coming from my throat worse than a roar. Oiko raises her eyebrow and silently walks away, but I couldn't see that because my mind was forced into slumbering out of the blue, anywhere at all.

I don't even make it to my dorm when I collapse in front of the animal shed. The horses welcome me, despite me ruining their slumber so early. And so, I sleep above a semi-dried pile of horse-crap.

In the morning again, the sun wakes me up. It seems that no one bothered to wake me up for the training. I was slightly furious, until sounds of warm-up count comes from a specific direction.

Shoot.

Mega-shoot.

It was a given.

My body is sore all over and every step forward that I take was like walking on needles. I could cry at this moment, but what's the use of shedding my precious tears? This is training. This is reality and this is life.

Unexpectedly, I have learnt a lot through Kal Rogen himself. This training exercise too, imparts life lesson to me.

Even if there are hardships in your life, you keep running.

That's the literal meaning I could perceive.

Back to the scenario where Kal Rogen is glaring at the soul inside me, I immediately join behind Oiko. She seems to be functioning just fine. Was I the only one who made a big deal out of it? Maybe she didn't set me up after all.

As I keep jogging behind her, she is well paced. Unlike myself. That confuses me. Or rather gives me the idea to think she was really an immortal being.

"Oiko?" I call her name. A few friends of hers turn around too, making me feel out of space. Maybe I'll talk to her later.

No, it's now or never.

"H-how come you're still able to run with the armor? I am rotten meat already." I say to her. She hums, not quite answering my question.

"It's just her with her Yelene blood, Riley. Don't mind her determination." I think her friend gave me the answer. Her determination.

What was her resolve?

Was she perhaps, driven to seek revenge?

That must be the case.

There's a sudden feeling in the air. It's almost suffocating. Out of the blue, a body drops down dead. The girls scream in shock. It was right behind me as a few more bodies begin falling out from the air.

Is it an attack!?

Oiko and I look at each other as I cry out loud. My body wasn't allowing me to run.

Shoot. I'm useless anyway. Dad was right.

When I was about to run behind Oiko who quickly grasps the location of a few dragons, Kal Rogen sprints in front of me and covers me using my own shield.

"Be careful here, Riley. Don't shift. As long as we know, there must be the kidnapper who's seeking you." He says. Of course. I was told that I will be kidnapped by decree by the 'dragon-rider'. Their existence is so mysterious to me. I want to pursue them on my behalf, but that only allows way for complications.

I can't risk anything else again. Just me in this pack house and around my people was risky enough. And now, the consequences of seeking shelter among my pack members is to watch each one of them die in front of my eyes. Unreasonably.

Why was this happening?

"Don't stand out too much." Kal says.

"I understand." I say to the man who whistles in a practiced tone. There's a horse that sprints it's way towards us. It's a black stallion with a white patch on its neck. It's the stallion of Ages who are a different, most unique breed of loyal horses. Hencewhy, rare to find.

"Eugene!" The man sprints towards me as I hug him. I was scared of course. I blamed myself.

"Call down, Riley. We have to think through this." He says. Covering me up as best possible to not seem suspicious, he takes me back to the stable and wipes my tears.

"I feel so useless, Eugene." He halts his actions to stare at me.

"I know how you feel, Riley. Just suck it up for this once. We... have a plan for you." What? He had something planned for me so these things can be avoided? Why didn't he tell me that any sooner!?

"Stay." He growls and shifts into his signature brown wolf to chase off the small level dragons from the hostile preys like women and children. The pups are naive and aren't familiar with potential danger.

That being said, a child who I believe boasted about wanting to be the best Dragon-Slayer was caught in front of the fire that surrounded her.

"Uh-oh." Removing the jute drape from around me, I use it to blow the fire off and enter the circle to escape from the cramped space with the kid. She was so tiny. Her fists hold my collars as I sprint back into the stable. Sliding down and holding the girl to shush her, I miss to notice something.

My cover has been blown. I was out to the world, for the dragons to see me.

The scary face of a level 3 dragon, red scaled, yellow teeth and definitely an ignition-type monster. Is this my end?

The monster was ready to blast us to pieces. The kid in my arms cries even louder.

Can I weep too? I am as helpless as this child right here.

How fortunate was I? I was not dying alone but with a kid in my arms. I will be grateful to her, for one she saved me from eternal loneliness.

Well.

My prayers don't reach God.

A skilled sword technique snaps the throat of the dragon and it's hot purple blood spills out and on our faces.

"Hot! Hot! Hot!" I scream, my back being the protector for the both of us.

As I turn back, there is a short bob-cut hair silhouette standing beside the dead dragon's head.

"What are you doing there, Riley?" It was Oiko...

I was saved by... Oiko.

This was celebration to my heart. But the way she is staring at me with disappointed brimming makes me teary eyed. Does she see me as a failure? Slowly, she approaches me and lends me her hand to take. What... was she doing?

"Get up."

"For... what?"

"We're going to fight them off, idiot."