Chapter 24: An Oath

"I had no choice! You know me, Klaton! I would never have done something like that if—"

"They were going to kill me," Klaton interrupted, a fierce look in his eye as he stared into the depths of Mino's own.

"We both know that's not true! You're a Yoret!"

"They would have done much worse than that!"

A look of anger suddenly flashed on Mino's face, and even his tone changed as he growled with hatred in his eyes.

"Don't lie! You were using us! Every time we fight them we die, not you! Santors like me. You call yourself—"

But Klaton didn't allow him to finish his sentence before sending a huge flaming ball of fire his way.

Mino was petrified, unable to move as he instantly tried to use his hands to cover his head.

"Aargh—" he screamed from the bottom of his lungs, the smell of burning flesh cascading into his nostrils.

"Kla—" he struggled to speak, planning to beg as he heard a sharp ringing like the sound of a sword pulled out of its scabbard.

He barely had enough time to pop open his eyes when he saw a sword descend on him.

Again, instinctively he used his hands to shield himself.

But Klaton wasn't aiming for his arms.

"Aaaaaaaaaargh—" a gut-wrenching sound poured out of his mouth, as he gasped for air.

The metallic smell of blood filled the air between them as blood dripped from the sword Klaton had picked up.

'I've killed everyone! Killing him would be stupid yet-" a sad look in his eyes as he stepped closer to Mino, who was still screaming his head off, his left arm soaked in blood as he touched the empty hole in his shoulder where his right arm should have been.

"I should take your wings—" Klaton said, Mino scrambling back as fast as he could with a look of dread in his eyes as he watched Klaton tower over him.

"— instead I'll take your eyes!" Klaton declared and Mino screamed almost like he had instantly gone insane even before the flames descended over him.

His voice pierced through the desolate village, as Klaton touched his face, channeling his ability of flames into his eyes.

Mino tried to scramble back but couldn't as the flames from Klaton's hands slowly set his face and eyelids ablaze.

Klaton could have killed him but somehow he was confident that with the extent of Mino's injuries as he watched Mino fall unconscious on the ground, from the pain.

'I should kill him with his eyes gone and everyone dead, no one would be able to identify me!' Klaton thought to himself, only for his heart to skip a beat as his gaze slowly fixed on someone hiding close to the cart, some steps away from Mino.

His identity as a Yoret and the bounty anyone would get from handing him over to the authorities were enough for them to live the life of a king, especially since he wasn't sure that he wasn't the only one left.

Instantly, as quickly as he could Klaton rushed forward.

His powers were dwindling, considering he had drawn out the potential of his body just to kill everyone.

The moment he couldn't move any longer, he wouldn't even be able to move a muscle before he dropped to the ground.

With a sword in his left hand, he walked forward until he was standing right in front of Rye, who had been hiding there.

"Please— I'll disappear. You'll never see me again! I can also swear to serve you! I just don't want to become a slave!" Rye begged, kneeling on both knees.

The screams were enough for her to know that everyone was dead, a fate she wasn't prepared to share.

"I-I'll do—"

"You're a human! You're going to become food for a Red," Klaton responded, his words triggering Rye a little as she felt a stormy heat in her belly.

She was pissed and even though she knew better she suddenly began to speak.

"I- I might be a human but does that mean I don't deserve to live a normal life?"

"I don't know what a Yoret is, but I'm sure you'll like nothing more than to live a normal life too. One where you can protect your family and—"

"SHUT UP!"

Rye's face was fixed to the ground but the deep way of his tone was enough to know that she had touched on a very touchy topic for him.

'I-I fucked up!'

Unable to think of what she could say to stop him from using the sword in her hand against her, Rye hurriedly began to speak again.

"As long as I live, I'll do whatever you ask of me! I swear!"

"Of what use is a —"

"You never know!" Rye interrupted, raising her gaze for the first time, shocked to see his eyes slowly turn back to their golden color compared to how red it had previously been.

"I'll owe you a favor, even if it's my life," Rye swore, meaning everyone's word as she stared at him trying to convey her sincerity.

The last thing she expected was to see him use the sword in his hand on himself.

Slashing his wrists until blood slowly dropped out.

"Open your mouth!" He ordered in a commanding tone that Rye couldn't refuse even if she wanted to.

She had barely opened her mouth completely when she watched him move his wrist, hovering it right over her lips.

She felt and tasted the metallic tang of his blood, and instinctively wanted to close her mouth only to watch his deep and cold eyes bore into her own, willing her to keep them open.

Slowly she felt her mouth fill up with blood, one she refused to swallow.

"Swallow!" Klaton ordered as he took his hand off, raising the sword in his right hand to convey how much of a threat his words were rather than a request.

Squinting her eyes tightly together, Rye swallowed feeling a little squeamish at the thought that she was swallowing someone's blood even if she didn't understand the meaning behind it.

"Repeat your previous words and use your name and mine!" Klaton ordered, confident that Rye knew it.

This time around, Rye didn't hesitate.

"I Rye swear that I would obey a favor that Klaton requests from me even at the cost of my life," Rye repeated the exact way Klaton asked her to.

The last thing she expected to feel was a tightening on her neck, one that felt strangely like she had been bound, only for the feeling to loosen and disappear.

She had been careful with her words but she was even more shocked to realize that she was bound by the words she had just spoken.

'He can conjure fire in his hands, of course his blood wouldn't be ordinary,' Rye thought, realizing that she now owed him a favor, one that she had no choice but to obey.