Hunters: The Prequel - Chapter 281

The house of the Village Head was located at the centre of the village. It was a beautiful house with a large compound filled with ornamental plants. And it was also the only house in the village with two floors – the ground floor, and the first floor.

The first floor had a huge balcony. If one stood atop the balcony, one would be able to survey the entire village without much issue. This was the reason why the only house with two floors in the village was given to the village head. It was made that way so that the leader of the village could easily observe everything happening in the village. This way if they were to be attacked, the Village Head would be able to see where the attack was coming from, from atop the first floor balcony. The other houses were one-floored, and expanding beyond that was an offense to the village’s security.

Right now, there were two figures on the balcony. These two people sat on the ledge as they swung their feet. The cool breeze made this place an ideal setting for a discussion. One of the figures was Samoa. He had a small smile on his face as he tried his best to put the deaths of his friends behind him and focus on the task at hand. He knew that he needed his full focus to handle the Overflow. The second figure was new. This person had short black wavy hair and green eyes. He had a well sculpted face and a chiseled chin. He was shirtless, exposing his well-built upper body. On his right c.h.e.s.t was a tattoo of a lion, and his right arm was inked with a picture of a snake. This man was the son of Village Head Fan and the most talented youngster of the village. Arthur was his name.

“So they are all gone. It is still hard to believe. I mean, I spoke to them this morning. Lax even promised to buy me a drink when he returned.”

Arthur sighed sadly and took a gulp of the large mug he was holding. The mug was filled the best of his father’s mead collection. He wouldn’t have been this daring normally, since taking his father’s mead was equivalent to slapping the older man. And his father would not spare him for that. But he didn’t care. Three of his friends were dead and he needed a way to process that. Even his father couldn’t fault him for that.

“Yeah. I don’t want to believe it either. But I saw it happen with my own eyes so their deaths are etched into my brain.”

Samoa had a sad smile on his face, his eyes slightly unfocused. He could still see the images of his friends’ deaths whenever he closed his eyes. It was going to haunt him for a while. But he was trying his best to get over it. At least he wanted to be able to focus on something else before the big battle. Once that was over, he could wallow in fear and guilt all he wanted.

“If only I was there. If I was with you, nothing would have happened to you.”

Arthur balled his fists in sorrow as tears slid down his face. Samoa sighed when he saw his friend’s emotions burst out. He grew up with Arthur, so he understood him better than anyone. Even Arthur’s own father, Village Head Fan, didn’t know Arthur as well as Samoa did. Arthur was extremely kind. He loved his friends and would do anything for them. Samoa could still remember the events of his 16th birthday. At the time what he really wanted was to taste mead for the first time. Samoa had tried wine and beer, but was curious to know what mead tasted like. After all, something made of honey had to be better, he thought at the time. Samoa’s plan was to try to procure some the next time he visited Iris City on a mission. But he wasn’t a Tiger, so getting a mission to Iris City wasn’t going to be easy. And since he was a scout, his missions seldom sent him to the city.

At the time he had only been to Iris City once. But Arthur had another plan in mind. The son of the Village Head stole mead from his father’s collection and presented it to Samoa on his birthday. All because Samoa wanted to have a taste of this rare brew that only Village Head Fan possessed. Arthur had been beaten black and blue by his father when Village Head Fan found out a bottle in his collection was missing. Arthur was a horrible liar, so Village Head Fan could easily tell the boy was lying when he said he took the mead for himself. But Arthur refused to give up Samoa’s name. He told Samoa it was his decision to steal the mead and no one else’s, and warned his friend not to mention his involvement if he valued their friendship. Samoa could still remember the bright smile Arthur had on his swollen face after the event. The boy was happy as long as his friends were safe.

“Don’t blame yourself. I was there and I could do nothing. Although you are a Predator now, you are young and just broke through. It wouldn’t be easy to take on a Giant Black Mamba.”

Samoa took a large gulp of his own mead. He wiped off the mead stains on his lips with his sleeve. Arthur was the youngest Predator in the village’s history. It was a record he would likely hold forever. But he had only broken through the Thrasher rank into the Predator rank a few weeks ago, so his power wasn’t stabilized yet, and he wasn’t strong enough to kill a beast like the Giant Black Mamba. In fact, his breakthrough was so recent that only Village Head Fan, Samoa, and his master, Frowning Tiger, knew.

“It wouldn’t have been easy. But it would have made it possible for us to escape.”

Arthur shook his head and countered. Samoa only sighed in response. Just like him, Arthur was very intelligent. The reason Arthur was friends with the members of the Enchanted Forest’s Scouting Party was simply because he was interested in Magical Beasts. His father didn’t allow him to leave the village, so Arthur explored the world by reading. Books were rare in this world, so it cost Village Head Fan a fortune to procure them. But it was better than keeping his son cooped up with nothing to do. If that was to happen, Arthur would most likely sneak out of the village.

But even books were not enough to satiate Arthur’s thirst. Luckily for him, the members of the Enchanted Forest Scouting Party taught him everything they knew. They taught him the behavioral patterns of several Magical Beasts, including rare ones like the Giant Black Mamba, and they even taught him how to scout. It was a pity that Arthur never had the chance to put his skills to the test since he wasn’t allowed to hunt. Especially since his was rich in knowledge.

And it was because Arthur was knowledgeable on Magical Beasts that he knew that although he didn’t have the strength to kill a Giant Black Mamba, he had the power to restrain its movements. He wouldn’t be able to kill it, but it wouldn’t be able to kill him either. They would have restrained each other’s movements, and the others would have been able to escape.

“I have stayed put because Father said I wasn’t ready yet. Because of his evaluation, I have been patient. I never went against his wishes, and only trained within the village’s walls, but no more.”

Samoa had a bad feeling as he listened to Arthur’s words.

“What do you mean,” Samoa asked?

“I wouldn’t make the same mistake twice. I wouldn’t be sitting like a little boy as you guys go out and fight a war. I am a Lion Cub now. I may not be strong enough to challenge a Tiger, a Cheetah, a Snake, a Mongoose or a Lion.”

“But I’m still a Lion Cub. Sooner or later I would grow into myself and become a Lion. And for that to happen I have to stay true to myself. I wouldn’t be able to grow any stronger if I hide behind others. It would be a psychological burden I would never be able to rid myself of.”

“You know your father wouldn’t allow you to fight. Even if you go against him, he would knock you out easily and lock you in”

Samoa sighed. He understood his friend’s feelings. But it wasn’t going to be easy to convince Village Head Fan to allow him to fight. After all, the man was a father, and he wouldn’t be comfortable thrusting his son into a large scale war for his first real life battle experience. Besides, this wasn’t the first time Arthur had expressed his will to fight. It had happened several times, and he had been shot down each time. There was even a time when Village Head Fan knocked the boy out and tossed him into a fortified room underneath the house when the boy threatened to sneak out and join his friends – the members of the Enchanted Forest Scouting Party.

“I know. That is why I need your help. I am not going to tell him. I need your help to sneak out during the chaos”

Arthur smiled and said.

“I see,” Samoa smirked. “We finally get to see Durandal in action.”