Chapter 5: The Unknown Creature

After finishing his chores, Arkin politely asked Mr. and Mrs. Adolfus for permission to leave.

"May I leave for a while? I want to check on my brother—he might be worried about me," Arkin said respectfully.

"Of course," the couple replied.

Arkin headed to his brother Zasp's house, and when he arrived, he saw Zasp preparing to leave.

"Where are you going?" Arkin asked his brother.

"I'm heading off for the mission the king assigned to me," Zasp replied.

"I didn't know you were leaving today," Arkin said.

"Hmm. By the way, where were you last night? Why didn't you come home?" Zasp asked Arkin.

"At Mrs. and Mr. Adolfus's house," Arkin replied.

"It rained heavily, so they let me stay the night," he added.

"Is that so? It might be better if you stay there while I'm gone," Zasp said.

"Alright, but when will you come back?" Arkin asked his brother.

"I don't know," Zasp answered honestly.

After that, Arkin packed his clothes as he prepared to move to Mr. and Mrs. Adolfus's house.

Arkin and Zasp left the house together.

"Goodbye, brother. Please take care of yourself on your mission," Arkin said with concern.

"You too. Take care of yourself," Zasp replied.

After that, Arkin went to Mr. and Mrs. Adolfus's house.

"Mrs. Lina, may I stay here for a while?" Arkin asked politely.

"My brother left to carry out the mission the king assigned him," he explained.

"Of course, you're more than welcome to stay," Mrs. Lina replied warmly.

Arkin brought his things up to his room and started organizing them.

A little later, Mr. Roger called him.

"Arkin, come with me. Let's go fishing," Mr. Roger said.

"Sure," Arkin replied eagerly.

The two of them went to the river and started fishing together.

Zasp was traveling with seventy palace soldiers to complete the mission given to him by the king.

For three days, they journeyed before finally reaching their destination. Upon arrival, they were shocked by what they saw.

"What is this? It seems like no human could have done this," Zasp said in disbelief.

He immediately commanded his soldiers to search the area for clues about what had happened.

"Soldiers, spread out and see if you can find anything that might help us understand what happened here," Zasp ordered.

"Understood, Captain," the soldiers replied.

The soldiers began searching the area and eventually found a man who looked terrified.

"Captain! Captain!" one of the soldiers called out to Zasp.

"What is it?" Zasp asked.

"We found a man, and he seems absolutely terrified," the soldier reported.

"Bring him to me," Zasp ordered.

"Yes, Captain," the soldier replied.

"Everyone else, prepare our camp for the night," Zasp instructed.

"Yes, Captain," the soldiers said in unison.

"Here he is, Captain," the soldier said to Zasp.

"I see. Thank you," Zasp replied.

Zasp turned to the trembling man. "What's your name?" he asked.

"We need to leave this place while we still can!" the man said, panic-stricken and on the verge of tears.

"Calm yourself," Zasp told him firmly. He turned to a soldier and commanded, "Get him some water."

"Yes, Captain," the soldier replied and hurried off.

"You don't understand!" the man cried, tears streaming down his face.

"Then explain to me—what happened here?" Zasp demanded.

The man took a deep, shaky breath and began to speak. "A man with one eye... he attacked us. He had giant lions with him, their claws sharp as blades. They tore apart the soldiers who were guarding the goods meant for the palace. I was lucky they didn't see me. I overheard them saying they would return here. We need to leave while we still can!" the man explained, his voice trembling.

"I see," Zasp said thoughtfully. He stood and addressed his men. "Soldiers, prepare yourselves! Alert me if any monsters approach. We'll leave at first light!"

"Yes, Captain!" the soldiers replied in unison.

Zasp turned back to the man. "What is your name?"

"I-I'm Luis," the man stammered.

"Alright, Luis. Get some rest. We'll leave early in the morning," Zasp said reassuringly.In the dead of night, a gigantic lion-like beast suddenly attacked the soldiers camp. With its swift movements and razor-sharp claws, it quickly killed twenty soldiers in an instant.

"Captain! Captain! We're under attack!" a soldier shouted, filled with fear and panic.

"Everyone, prepare to fight and attack!" Zasp commanded, hoping his men would unite against the threat.

"Yeahhh!" the soldiers shouted with courage as they charged at the beast.

But no matter how many they were, their numbers were no match for the ferocity of the monstrous lion. One by one, they fell under its sharp fangs and claws until their forces were almost completely wiped out.

"We should've left earlier!" the man yelled, trembling as he watched the gruesome scene unfold.

"This is all your fault!" the man shouted at Zasp in anger and fear.

Zasp struggled to stand despite the deep wound in his side. Blood dripped from his wound as he spoke, "I should've listened to you..." His voice with regret