The White Demon

A few days had passed since they fled from the Leynum Kingdom. Abby was feeling better, although she was still recovering. Now, they were heading to a distant village to stay hidden for a while...

"Abby?" Greg asked with concern.

Abby seemed very thoughtful about the future ahead: where to go, what places to visit, or how to train...

Abby was truly overwhelmed by not knowing what to do with Greg. She had no idea, but she had to make a decision.

"Hey, Abby, don't worry, everything will be fine."

"Hm, and what do you propose?" Abby asked, giving Greg a slight smile.

Now it was Greg who was wondering what to do, but he made a quick decision.

"How about, as soon as we get to the village, we take on some jobs to settle down, and from there, we'll figure out what to do?"

Greg's suggestion seemed to convince Abby, as she thought for a moment and found it reasonable. She nodded.

"Sounds good, Greg. You're very smart, huh?"

Abby started to smile, but in the distance, a strange sound could be heard...

"Greg, do you hear that?"

Greg turned in all directions but saw and heard nothing...

"Hear what?" he replied, confused.

Tersi, Abby's animal, perked up its ears, looking in the direction of the sound. Abby deduced that it was a cry for help... so they quickly headed toward the source of the sound.

"Greg, get ready."

As they approached, Greg could hear voices that seemed to be shouting...

"DAD, RUN!"

When they arrived, they saw an incredible scene: a giant snake, the size of a house...

The snake was attacking a family's house. Inside the house, there was a 6-year-old boy with brown hair, and a 10-year-old girl with pink hair. With them was a woman in her 30s with pink hair; it seemed like a country family...

The father was right in front of the snake, fighting it, but he was already badly injured...

In a second, a sound of speed was heard: it was Abby, who made a quick leap toward the snake, landing relentless attacks with her sword, but the snake's skin seemed to be armored, so Abby couldn't do anything...

"Greg, help me, throw something hard to break its armor."

"Yes!"

Quickly, Greg began forming a large gray rock, and when it was big enough, he launched it like a cannon...

BANG!

It hit directly, but didn't break a single scale of the snake...

"Another one, Greg, quickly."

Greg formed another rock, but this time, the stone wasn't round; it was cone-shaped, and he launched it with great speed...

WHOOSH!

Another direct hit, but this one was able to wound the giant snake, leaving a large injury and breaking its scales...

Abby quickly rushed toward the wound, making a huge slash, cutting the snake in two... and it fell dead...

"Are you all right?" Abby asked the family.

"TH-THANK YOU SO MUCH!" The woman burst into tears, thanking Abby.

The mother of the family gave Abby a big hug in gratitude... and for a moment, the children approached their mother...

"Tell me, what is your name, miss?"

"I'm Abby, and that magician boy is Greg, nice to meet you."

"I'm Nish, and these are my children, Landi and Cristi."

A loud shout was heard...

"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?"

Nish's husband, Trevor, was very angry and walked straight toward Abby with bad intentions...

"Hey, Trevor, they helped us, they saved our lives."

"We didn't need their help, I could've defeated that damn snake."

"Sir, I apologize."

Greg quickly entered the conversation with a firm stance, standing in front of Abby, saying...

"Oh, yeah? Well, it didn't seem like it. All we saw was that the snake was about to kill you, your family could've died, and you don't care."

"YOU LITTLE BRAT!"

Trevor tried to strike Greg, but before he could land the blow, Abby knocked him out with a hit to the neck, leaving him unconscious...

"Greg, why did you say that?"

Greg simply ignored Abby for a moment, then Nish approached Abby, explaining that Trevor had been like this since an accident with their older daughter, Gyli. Apparently, Trevor had taken Gyli, but lost her in an ambush in a forest...

"Oh, I see, but why is he attacking his husband? Snakes don't usually attack people for no reason."

"It's because my husband does missions in a guild. He usually accepts missions to kill or capture rare animals, but in his last mission, he stole a snake's egg."

"Hmmm, that's dangerous for someone with a family."

"I know, but Trevor says it's the most efficient way to make extra money, with which he could start a search in the forest to find Gyli."

After hearing the story, Greg understood Trevor's actions, why he needed to make money quickly...

"We can help look for Gyli."

Abby looked at Greg, seeing that he had calmed down. It seemed like she agreed to go search for Gyli and bring her back safely...

As night fell, Abby and Greg were inside the house, having dinner while Nish asked them some questions...

"So where are you two from?"

Abby looked at Greg, knowing they would have to lie. If their secret was revealed, it would put these people's lives in danger. So she said...

"We're just on a journey."

While they were talking, Trevor was waking up from Abby's hit. He stood up, a bit sore, and when he saw Greg playing with his kids, he approached, apologetically...

"Hey, kid, I'm sorry for what happened. I didn't mean it, it was just an impulse. I'm sorry."

"Don't worry, Mr. Trevor, I understand your situation, and I want to tell you that we'll help you find your daughter Gyli."

"What? How do you know about Gyli?"

Nish turned to Trevor, telling him everything Abby had said about helping with the search. Once Trevor learned about this, he looked Abby and Greg in the eye, saying...

"That would be really helpful. You defeated a snake easily. Not many people accomplish such a feat, but... the forest where Gyli is, is a special one. Its trees are dragonblood type. It's a type of tree that emits spores that block all magic..."

"I see, well, that's not a problem for me, but Greg..."

Greg was sitting, looking at the ground. His best attacks are magic, and it's dangerous to go somewhere where he can't defend himself... but he made the decision he thought was best...

"I'll go, Abby, I'll stay behind you in case anything happens."

Abby agreed that Greg could come, as they would need the help. So that night, they made a plan... to head to the forest the next day.

The next day, they were on their way to the forest. When they arrived, Greg could see that it was a gloomy and eerie place...

"Mr. Trevor, what were you doing with your daughter in this forest?"

"Hmmm, you see, Greg, they say there's a unicorn in this forest, and my mission was to find it. But Gyli insisted on coming along to see the unicorn with her own eyes."

"A unicorn in this forest? Well, unicorns are creatures that possess a gift with magic, so it's understandable that they can't leave here, they are defenseless."

"Alright, let's go in. Stick close to me, stay alert. There are often spiders, scorpions, and the most dangerous of all, red bears. They're enormous and have brutal strength."

Once they entered, a dark aura enveloped them. Greg stayed close to Abby. He tried to cast a little magic, but it didn't work. No matter how much he tried, nothing happened... They encountered a few spiders, but they weren't an issue for the team...

They walked on, finding nothing, until they finally came across a clue. It was a large bear paw print, and next to it, a tennis shoe belonging to Gyli. Trevor was saddened, clenched his fist, and said...

"Gyli, I'm sorry."

"Trevor, let's keep looking."

They continued walking, and in the distance, they saw a small cabin. The team started forming a plan to investigate who was inside...

"Abby, go left. I'll go around back, and Greg, you go right."

Everyone nodded and slowly began to approach. Abby looked through the window and saw something horrifying. Her eyes widened. It was a white demon with black markings... and it was holding Gyli.

Trevor also saw Gyli, and without hesitation, he jumped in to rescue her, knocking down the wall...

"NOOO, TREVOR, GET OUT OF THERE!"

When Trevor entered, he saw Gyli, weak and almost skeletal...

Trevor was about to face the white demon, swung his sword, but the demon didn't even move, simply stopping the attack with his fingers, effortlessly breaking the sword... Then he dragged Trevor out of the house...

"Greg, take Gyli and run... NOW!"

Greg stood frozen, while Abby rushed forward to face the demon, shouting...

"LET HER GO!"

"Hmmm, you do seem a bit strong. Tell me, who are you?" the white demon said in a truly menacing voice. He spoke slowly.

"I'm Abbyrris, and you?"

"Let me introduce myself. I am Drazak. A pleasure. Tell me, do you want that little girl?"

"Yes, if you hand her over peacefully, we'll leave. If not, blood will spill."

"I can't give you the girl. You see, she's special. I drain her mana and grow younger and stronger. HA-HA-HA. That girl has incredible power, so... BLOOD WILL SPILL!"

In the blink of an eye, Drazak struck at Abby, but she dodged with a quick movement. Abby gripped her sword tightly, made a fast attack, and managed to cut a bit of the demon's chest, but it wasn't enough...

Greg knew he couldn't leave. He put Gyli in safety and then went to help Trevor, lifting him up...

"Wait, Greg. I'll stay. I have a plan."

Abby and Drazak were in the middle of their fight, both launching powerful attacks. Drazak's agility was astonishing, managing to dodge some of Abby's strikes, but now it was his turn to attack...

"I've danced enough, now it's your turn."

Drazak grabbed Abby's left hand and snapped it, followed by a powerful punch to her face, sending her crashing into a tree.

"DAMN YOU!"

Greg lunged at Drazak, using his sword with incredibly fast cuts. The mark on his shoulder began spreading across his arm. Drazak couldn't keep up with Greg's speed, so he delivered a direct blow, knocking the air out of him and forcing him to his knees. Greg could barely breathe. Drazak grabbed Greg's sword and pointed it at his neck...

"You danced well, boy, but not enough."

Drazak was about to deliver a fatal blow when Abby appeared from behind, driving her sword through his chest...

"AHHH, YOU DAMN MONSTER, YOU WILL DIE!"

Drazak pulled the sword out and, in one quick motion, impaled Abby through the chest...

"ABBY!"

"You'll die here with me, you damn demon."

It was Trevor who, with great courage, threw himself at Drazak, grabbing him tightly. Trevor was covered in explosives and was about to detonate them with Drazak...

"Boy, take Gyli and please deliver her to her mother."

"Abby, get up. Let's go, please," Greg cried, his eyes red.

Abby started to rise slowly, leaning on Greg. She could barely walk, but she couldn't stop bleeding. She could only cover the wound with her hands. Meanwhile, Greg quickly went to get Gyli, and the three of them began to flee...

After they had distanced themselves a bit, a huge crash was heard. A massive explosion—it was Trevor and Drazak...

"G-Greg."

"Don't talk, Abby, we're almost there, hang on, please."

"I can't walk anymore."

Abby fainted... Greg didn't know what to do, so he had to make a quick decision. He left Gyli hidden in a bush while he carried Abby. Greg ran as fast as he could to the exit and finally made it out. He left the forest and healed Abby with magic...

"Renew the light of life, let the wounds close," Greg murmured, his voice trembling.

Abby's wounds began to heal, and she started breathing normally... Hearing this, Greg rushed back to find Gyli. The path was clear, so he quickly reached her. He found her and managed to take her out without any issues...

They were all safe now, and the only thing left was to return to Gyli's house. Greg had been healing Gyli during the journey...

When they finally reached her house, Abby was searching for everyone, but something terrible was happening...

Everyone was dead, and there was a note that read:

"A gift for Gregory Bleyt..."