Drollo, Brika and Dalex

As the King was contemplating the reason for childbirth, a woman was making her way from the city of Palagra to the capital. It was a long way but she was determined to reach there.

She was wearing light leather armor that was grey in color and had fair features. She kept her hair in a ponytail style so it could not distract her in a fight.

She had something to protect that she was carrying on her back. It was a baby that was calmly looking around with curiosity at the changing environment as she ran. It was a boy with black hair, not the usual brown which was the norm in the Dragarian Kingdom.

He was only a month older than Arkan.

He was held secure by a cloth as his mother did not want to always protect him when fighting an enemy from the front. By the blood on her front and on her armor, you could tell that she had been fighting ever since she left the safety of where she came from.

'Damn, there are still lots of monsters roaming around close to the main road because of the beast tides.'

She thought as she ran past a beast that was like a mountain lion but bigger. She dodged its claws at the last second and then turned around and launched multiple wind lances at it as it was turning around.

It died with just that first barrage. She took out a dagger and cut open its stomach and retrieved its core which was the size of the baby's pinkie. After doing so, she started running again.

She knew that she could not sleep out in the forest while the beasts were active and so, she went to the nearest place that she and her husband had past many times deep in the forest as she needed rest.

The only problem was that there was someone who lived there already, and they were on the same level as her.

It was perfect for her as she wanted to be in the solid stage before she made it to the capital. She was sure that many people would challenge her and she needed to be at the pick of her Circle of power, which was the solid state of the third circle.

When she was in front of the mid-sized house, she stopped and took a breath.

"Ok, now my little star, this is it. I have to kill this man if we are ever going to get what you need."

She said to her son and then entered the gates of the house. There were spell formations on a tall wall that surrounded the house and arrays on top of the walls that kept monsters out.

It was something the Dragarian Kingdom did not usually use as they always wanted a fight. 

After entering the tall gate, there was a very spacious garden that was well maintained. She had to say, the house did look good. She entered it and after exiting the hallway, there was a large space meant for guests to sit and a man was waiting for her there, facing her and eating a fruit that was like an apple.

The baby was still quiet and his mom stopped as she sized up the man. He cut a piece out of his fruit and eat it while looking at her.

He was wearing close combat armor complete with Arm Guards and Leg Guards together with gauntlets. He had a hood on which hide his features but you could tell that he was in his thirties with a rough unmaintained low-cut beard.

He motioned her to take a sit but the mom stood her ground. He put down the fruit that he was eating and spoke. His voice was not that deep, but it was manly and commanding.

"I see that you have been fighting beasts for almost 4 days straight now. Don't you want to rest?"

The man said like he was concerned for her.

'How did he know that I have been traveling for four days? Well, anyways can guess that it takes about four days from Palagra to get to this place while running and fighting.'

She thought.

"I am here to challenge you, per the rules of the kingdom."

She said with a confrontational tone.

"I know."

The man simply said. His carefree attitude took her by surprise.

"Will definitely do that. But rest a bit. I won’t attack. We need to talk about that baby. I am sure that you do not want to fight a life-and-death battle while he's on your back."

The man said.

She was still taken aback by this man but she knew better than to trust an opponent. Thing is, she needed some rest. She would have rested outside but she did not want to waste her energy on the beasts when she was about to fight this guy.

"My name is Drollo. What is yours?"

The man said with a smile. 

The mother chose to play along just so she could have some rest, even if it was just a little.

"Brika."

She said while still on her guard.

The man laughed.

"Ahh…. that is what you get when you have a kingdom ruled by barbarians. All the names of the boys start with a 'D' because of Draga while all the girl's names start with 'B' because we were once called Barbarians. How original."

Drollo said.

Brika just shrugged her shoulders.

"Anyways, nice to meet you. Where is the boy’s father?"

Drollo asked.

"He died in the last beast tide. I had to stay and protect the baby."

She answered like she was guilty for staying behind and protecting their baby. Their house was outside the city and so their house was not protected from the beast tide. Her husband had killed almost all the beasts before he depleted his mana and they killed him.

Brika was fortunate enough to have to only deal with less than 20 that were left. She was lucky because in a beast tide, about 90 percent of the beasts a low ranked while many of the high raking beasts do not even partake in the beast tide, choosing to stay in their territory.

"Well, sorry for that but we need to talk about the boy."

Drollo said as he pointed behind her as a boy's curious head was trying to get a better look at him.

Brika become even more protective and her mana flared but she controlled it so that the boy was not affected by it and got mana poisoning.

"No, no, no. Aren’t you rushing this without thinking?"

Drollo added as he lifted his hands beside him like he did not want to harm the boy.

"We are about to get into a life-and-death battle. Which means one of us is about to be killed. What do you think will happen if you get killed? Don't you at least want to prepare something for him or words for him if you get killed?"

Drollo suggested.

"I will not lose."

Brika said without batting an eye and with a straight face like the possibility of her losing was non-existent. Drollo laughed and shook his head.

"But, there is a possibility, right."

He added.

"No."

Brika again said with a straight face.

Drollo let out a huge sigh of defeat.

"Ok, at least tell me his name."

He finally said.

Brika thought about it and finally relented.

"It is Dalex."

She said.

"Owe, what a peculiar name."

Drollo commented.

"If you defeat me, you have those and the house."

Drollo said as he through samething at Brika out of the blue which did not catch her by surprise because she was on guard. She saw that the throw was not an attack and so she caught what he threw.

There were two things in her hands and they were identical to each other.

"This?"

Brika was speechless. She looked at Drollo with curiosity and now was even more on guard to him.

"With that, there will be no need for you two to travel all the way to the capital."

He said with a cheeky smile.

'Does he know why I had to go to the capital?'

She asked herself as a realization come to her. The man sitting in front of her had also known that her baby was a boy.

She had left Palagra because Dalex had a very high affinity to the Dark Element. They did not have quality element stones in Palagra or a place where such an element was neturaly concentrated.

So, if she wanted her child to grow strong and not get left behind, she had to go to the one place that was guaranteed to have what she needed, the capital. The only problem was that there were too many powerful people in the capital.

So, she chose to go right after the beast tides had stopped and the queen was back at the capital. This way not that many people if any would challenge her and she might be at the pick of her Circle of Power when she got there which would allow her to have an advantage over any challenge.

This was exactly the reason she was even challenging Drollo just now.

But, in her hand, she was holding Twin Dark Blades that were so concentrated in the Dark Element that dark mana was flowing out of it like dark smoke. If a person was cut by these blades, it would be like getting poisoned, but for someone whose affinity was the Dark Element, they were better than Element stones.

Brika tried to compose herself. She now knew that this opponent of hers was not simple.

"So, we do not have to do this. He could call me uncle from now on."

Drollo said with a smile.

"Never."

Brika said. She was stubborn as hell.

"Then friend."

He tried again.

"No!"

She said with a stern voice. 

Drollo sighed again.

"So you really want to do this?"

He asked.

"How did you know that Dalex was a boy and that we wanted Element Stones?"

She said with an accusing tone.

Drollo just lifted his hood and revealed his head.

On top of his fluffy hair were two pointed ears. Brika was taken aback for a second.

"You are..."

She could not finish her sentence

"My mother was a Dragerien and my father was from Suna"

He said as he stood up.

Now that she got a good look at him, he was shorter than the average Dragerien and more light-skinned. He was a handsome faller. He was Draka’s height.

For the first time, Brika was rethinking her challenge but her Dragerien blood filled her desire to get stronger.

"I see. Just like every pure Dragerian, you look forward to a challenge. How I wish to know that feeling."

Drollo said as he took a step back to give them room.

"Put him down. He will be safe here. I am sure we both do not want to destroy the house. It will be a fair fight."

He said and Brika could not help but take his offer.

"You still have not told me how you knew all those things. Infect, I am now starting to think that you were waiting for me."

She said as she carefully took Dalex from her back and put him down. Dalex was still not crying or whatsoever. He was more curious about what was happening than anything.

"Let me give you some advice instead."

Drollo said with a smirk.

"You have a special child there. One that is meant to follow someone in order for him to reach his full potential."

He said as he fixed his armor.

"Do not teach him any cultivation technique. If you do, you will greatly limit his potential. He who he is meant to roam and challenge this would with will come for him and when that day comes, do not hold him back. It is fated. If you do, you will be dooming them both."

Brika listened to him but did not know what to say to his words.

"How do you know this and why should I trust you?"

She asked as she stepped forward, allowing her and Dalex from space.

Drollo took out a necklace from under his armor and showed it to her. As soon as she saw it, her mana spiked as she now knew she was in for a fight.

She had seen a drawing of such a necklace when she was young and learning about the Sanu Kingdom.

"Let’s just say that my father was not just a nobody."

He said as he put it back. It still did not explain how he was able to know what she wanted, wait for her, and give her advice but it seemed that the old man did not want to reveal his secret.

"If I lose, tell Dalex that I love him."

She finally said. After sizing up Drollo in that shot exchange of words just now, she knew that this was going to be a tough fight, if not the toughest she would face. It was the first time she contemplated loosing.

Even when facing 18 beasts on her own she had not contemplated losing. This was when she came to a realization once again.

'This man really knew how to dull a person's fighting spirit.'

She thought, but maybe it was the fact that if she died in this fight, she knew that Dalex would be taken care of and not be sold into slavery.

Without warning, and using wind to power her leap forward, she was in front of Drollo in the blink of an eye, taking even him by surprise.

He expected a punch but she tackled him and the two crashed into two walls and then ended up outside as they rolled and got up in less than a second.

Drollo looked at the house that he had stayed in for some years now and cried inwardly.

"Didn't I say we should not destroy the house?"

Brika had changed and now looked fierce. The time for small talk was over and Drollo noticed it in the split second that he saw her oozing with killing intent.

He took note as he took started to emit a killing aura fueled by the destruction of his house, only his was much more visible, turning his immediate surroundings in a red hue.