The living armors and I set off again, leaving the Orphanage behind us. Two beastkin children, that was enough to help Weiss start, right?

My plan wasn’t to hurt them or keep them in cages anyway, I was going to find them and use them to simply help advance magic and technology. I knew Weiss was too arrogant to make potions that would kill anwyay, though I didn’t care, but if they survived I would also let them leave.

"Jake, John... where do you think two beastkin children would run after leaving a village like this."

The two armors shrugged back at me.

Of course, what would they know. Tracking was the domain of a thief.

"Follow me."

***

"Delly, we’re stepping out, don’t make a sound, okay?"

The whispered, hushed voice soke to the younger beastkin as the two peered out from the wooden floorboards, lifting it up. Their tails swayed around behind them.

Nobody outside.

The older boy, Treska, pushed himself out of the ground and gave a hand to the younger boy, lifting him out. He had become much larger than his younger brother, but it was only due to his genes working a little better. In truth, their age gap was barely of three years.

13, and 16.

Two young boys, that’s all they were. Yet...

Treska bit his lips as he guided his younger brother Delka, toward the door of the church. All around them they could see signs of people being inside and ravaging the place.

It was horrible. They had barely escaped.

Treska’s ears were perked up and his chest kept racing as he moved toward the door, Delka was too sick to be alert at this time, and all the responsibility was on him.

"Damned CEF bastards..." They were after their life. Even this abandoned church of the very deities that they were getting authority from they didn’t spare.

Treska pushed the creaky wooden door open carefully, making sure to not let any sound leak.

His eyes widened.

A glint of silver shot right past him. A spear, embedding itself right in the ground in front of his feet.

"AH!"

Treska immediately grabbed his brother and jumped backward into the church. He rolled on the ground and the doors closed once again. His heart was racing, his teeth came flaring out and so did his claws.

Enemies.

There were enemies.

More spears came flying in from the sky. Treska’s heightened senses made him see them first, grasping his younger brother in one hand, he jumped around and avoided them.

Front, from his left, from his right. Directly from behind, Treska jumped into the sky and twisted, another spear, he tossed his brother.

Treska landed, and dashed. Up the chairs, grabbing his brother again, and out the window from the side.

"Treska..."

"Shush... We’ll run."

Mana gathered around his feet and claws. Treska shot out. Trees faded behind him as he hopped through the ground with fierce speed, nothing could stop him.

"Hahahah!" A voice came from behind. "Foolish fucking beast!!"

Maddened. It was a maddened voice. Treska tried to ignore it and dash ahead, when a fist came right at him.

He lowered his head and slammed his foot to the side. A knight in silver armor was struck by his kick. At the same time, a rope came from behind him.

It was late, it would get his neck.

But...

Not while he had his brother! No matter what!!

Treska extended his neck and bit the rope with his teeth, tearing it before it could wrap around his neck.

A battle broke out. Two knights, and a one-armed beastkin with a child in his arms. A dance, a ballet in the middle of the forest. Punches rained down on Treska, he twisted and moved to dodge, and what he couldn’t he tanked and hit back harder.

Treska stepped ahead again, and—

A spear. Coming from underneath his feet. Blood spurted out in all directions as a scream ripped through his throat.

"GAHHH!"

Treska turned behind and saw. The maddened laugh coming again. A brunette knight was swaying side by side as he smiled and walked toward them. A magic circle had manifested around his fist, the same magic circle as the spear was stemming out of.

"You—"

"Too late~"

The CEF soldier swung his hand, dozens of spears came from all directions in the air and cut through the boy. His skin, his hands, his muscles, just enough to draw blood and bring pain but not enough to incapacitate any part of him.

Dozens of small cuts. Bleeding him.

Treska leaned down. His brother was heaving in his arms, the fight had been harsh, especially harsh on a boy that sick.

The blonde beastkin didn’t know what to do. His eyes narrowed on the man approaching him, at the scar running down his cheeks all the way to where the armor on his neck covered him, disappearing behind it.

"Hah... I’ll kill you... you don’t get to touch my brother..."

"Oh fuck off, I’ve heard many many."

The man licked his lips and smiled, he was bopping around with a groove almost.

"Give me your eyes, and your tongues! I like tongues!" he said. "Beastkin tongues that I will burn... you monsters, corrupted beasts."

"Grrrrrr!"

Treska growled.

His heart was racing.

The man came closer. He stopped right in front of Treska. The big-looking young boy fell on his knees, pain and exhaustion filling him.

The CEF knight raised his foot, and placed it square on Treska’s forehead. He kicked the young boy down, even on the ground, Treska didn’t let his brother fall. As soon as his back hit the ground, Treska twisted around to protect his brother with his body.

"It’s over, for both of you. Especially this sick little fucking leech."

"Hah..." one of the other knights also laughed, and shook his head.

"I’ll kill you..." Treska said. "Delka... it’ll be fine... Delka..."

Treska’s desperate mind grabbed at anything and everything. He could feel it too. It was over. This was the end of the line.

The knight reached to his waist. To finish them. With his own hands. He gripped around his sword—

"Huh?"

It wasn’t there.

His sword... was gone, stolen.