Age of Beast Tamers and Exorcists-Chapter 64: Do Not Do it!

Zmey had no idea how it happened. But he opened his eyes to realise he had appeared somewhere else. As though he had been in an abyss, moving so fast that he couldn’t see anything else. A second ticked by. And he realised that the atmosphere was cold unlike the warm one... Woosh... "Where am...?" He turned around, mumbling. He paused mid-sentence, his eyes on the presumed Minister of Defence: Asmodeus Ithaqua. The cloaked man he trailed now appeared to have scars on his face. At this moment, Zmey didn’t even know how to react. He found this environment strange, and also how he had got here. But his number one enemy and target was right in front of him. All he could do was clench his teeth or jaw for now. While he use five seconds to find out what happened... He glanced around. The only thing that stood out was a wide river below them. It had pushed rocks into its midst. Surprisingly, the high ground was a cliff, a black one at that, with holes out of which insects moved... A cliff? Zmey shot the cloaked man an icy glare. In the next second, he grabbed him by the collars. He groaned, boring his intense glare into the pair of neutral ones, "Having fun? Uh, Asmodeus? Getting me down here to make me remember how I died last... must be a way of entertaining yourself, I suppose?" But, angering to the face of hell, the man’s eyes shifted away from his. Like he ignored him. Zmey wanted to at least see that uncaring look on his face as he had seen it 112 years ago. "..." The man remained lingering over Zmey’s shoulder. At first, Zmey wanted to punch him in the face. But his fist hovered before his face as he wondered what was happening. This man was too engrossed. There had to be something that beholding of a sight, or the madman was up to his cunningness again... Right away, Zmey turned his head backwards... His jaw dropped. And his eyes widened. The whooshing of the nearby river played like an instrumental of a suspenseful kind. His heart beat with a weak rhythm in his chest. There, close to the lower ground of the cliff, was a damsel in a white lotus dress. The cool breeze swept the flower-like sleeve of her gown across her face. She had moved her hand over her face to block something, perhaps dust, with a small dagger in her hand. Zmey realised this even when the person hadn’t revealed their face. ’It’s her.’ Though dumbfounded, he never let go of the man’s collar. Well, it gnawed at his senses why this man had been passive since. Both when conversing with the other and even now. This wasn’t the Asmodeus he knew. Time must be that powerful to change even the strongest minds... ... The cloaked man swallowed, eyes glued to the distant damsel. He mumbled, "A dark Soulforge mage. A Celestial Dragon too..." Right at that moment, the lady moved her hand down her face. She revealed her own face. But Zmey didn’t appear surprised - not creasing his brows as he always did when confused or surprised. Or serious. Instead, his face told the air that he wanted answers. "What are you doing here? I thought you stuck to your promises," he queried. Aura Drakeborn bowed straight away. This made the cloaked man shift his glance at Zmey right away. His lips parted in a slight manner. ’She bowed...’ Aura pleaded, "Forgive me, Lord Zmey... But I understand that your safety matters more than the oath we took..." Deep down, Zmey understood. He didn’t need to bother with the dragon or its companions at this point. He had needed to do so until today. But now, he believed he had reached the end of his own mission. If anyone should worry about the dragons or Infernosphere, he shouldn’t be among He ordered, "Stay out of my business." Then he turned his head to the man. Before anyone could take a breath, he had sheathed his sword and pinned it against the man’s neck. The cloaked man felt the metal send warmth through his neck bones. He clenched his fist, shutting his eyes as he felt pressured by the attack. Yes, right now, he should attack. Besides, the motto of Necrots was never to hold back, no matter the cost. Doing otherwise tarnishes the name of their legacy. You aren’t allowed to have a heritage of yours if you belong to the Shadow Legacy. If you eat, drink, cultivate and laugh, you must do so to favour the legacy. Everyone works in teams and were very close. The members of the Shadow Legacy formed the largest family since the beginning of magic. But it’s their common goals that made them so. A common goal. Yet, not personal ones. The man knew he had more than one reason to resort to violence straight away. Zmey pressed the metal tighter to his neck, drawing a trickle of blood down his neck. But the man still never took action. He groaned, frustration and rage overwhelming him, "Why are you pretending, Asmodeus? WHY!? Stop holding back because you have no idea just how pathetic you seem right now...!" Aura strode closer and faster. She cautioned in a loud tone, "Lord Zmey, please you have to stop now..." Zmey dragged in air and shot a backward glare at Aura. "Don’t you dare intervene. You have no say here. I said, step back!" Aura said back immediately, "You don’t still get it!? You mustn’t kill him!" At that moment, the man voiced his words in a deep manner into Zmey’s ears. "Are you a dragon too? Like her?" Zmey pressed the sword much closer. Blood oozed, trickled down the neck of the man and even painted the edge of the sword. Yet, the man remained resolute. He, for one, knew his neck was losing blood. But he didn’t feel even a sting. That’s how it has always been. "I told you not to play tricks with me. You must have been waiting for me too, or you never did so. This isn’t the real you at all. You would have wanted to show me your immense power. You would have wanted me to kneel at your feet and marvel at my vulnerability. I know deep down that that’s what you want. Those eyes that night told me more than anything...!" His heart experienced a sudden ache. He couldn’t hold back the tears streaming down his face. Aura’s mouth fell wide open. "... that you saw me as nothing! That my life didn’t matter. You made me question why I ever existed! That why did I ever work hard and hope for my hard work to yield! I needed a motivation at that time. I wanted someone to tell me that I was doing okay... that I would for once get to my goals very soon. I never had believed such a day would come either, yet, I still did when I waited for someone to motivate me. But... but, all you did was shatter everything I have got left. You shattered the childhood I could never go back to, the family I could never build no more.... AND the world I could never revisit any more!" "Lord Zmey..." Aura was short of words at this moment. Nothing of all that listed resonated with the childhood of the dragon she knew. But still, it felt too real and emotional for someone to have fabricated it. She sniffed when she realised this, wiping the hint of tears away from her face. Zmey gritted his teeth. Tears welled down his face. "Why, you bastard!? Why did you do it!? What have I ever done to offend you!? Tell me... you damned arsehole. Speak!" Withdrawing the sword from his neck, Zmey gripped the other side of the handle with his second hand. And he drove the sword into the man’s abdomen. Stab! Aura screamed out, "Lord Zmey! NO!" Zmey sobbed. He looked straight into the man’s eyes... Looking at the hopelessness there, the same as that which he had to face in the face of death. It befitted him! All too well! Blood gushed down the man’s mouth, falling thick on the blade. It spread from his abdomen across his black dress. He could see the satisfaction in the young man’s face. He had met justice; the man knew that’s what he would have in mind. But... "Too bad I can’t die from your blade alone. Use your magic with it, and I shall be gone." Zmey swallowed. He placed a gentle pat on his shoulder. He smiled, "I can’t tell you everything. I know how wrong your justification is. But I guess this is my own punishment for how many lives I have destroyed for my son to continue to live. Don’t hold back. Do it..." Aura interposed, "Don’t, Lord Zmey! You can’t kill a Necrot... or else..." "She’s right; you mustn’t kill a Necrot. But ask yourself deep down if you want to abide by such a law. Do it if that’s what you want to do...." Zmey asked, his tone sober, "Why are you so different, Asmodeus? You bastard... this shouldn’t be you..." "I already told you. I’m not Asmodeus," the man replied. Zmey gaped. "But killing me will drive you closer to him. The good news is that he’s also waiting for you. So, if he doesn’t get you himself, thousands are ready to do so. Now, do it. Killing me drives you closer to your goal.... and gives me the punishment I deserve for killing many people. I want redemption...." ... Zmey’s tone dropped into silence. He asked in a serious yet soft tone, "You aren’t him?" "No, I am not. Kill me." Aura cautioned more, "Please, don’t, Lord Zmey..." Zmey swallowed. Then, he whispered, "Rest in peace. You might not end up in heaven, though." The man smiled and nodded. Zmey pulled the sword out of his abdomen. Clasping it close to his shoulder, he sighed. He closed his eyes. In an interval of a few seconds, flames lit up the weapon. An orange gleam was cast on the surface. He shifted his weight leftwards, and in that instance, he drove the sword towards the man’s neck in a slow manner. He said in his mind, ’First, slow down...’ The blade neared the neck. Then he said, ’And make the final move so fast they can’t realise it.’ Slash! The man’s head fell out of the cloak’s hood. It rolled on the ground. The remaining body stood there for a few seconds, after which it fell as well with a thud. Seeing he was lying flat on the ground, staring at the sky, the man could tell that the young man had beheaded him. ’I must have lost my body. He did it so fast I couldn’t feel the pain,’ he thought. Then he smiled, ’Thank you for this.’ Zmey fell to his knees, clasping his palms to the ground as tears fell down his face. ’I thought I had him! Oh no! Why is my life always like this!? Why!?’