Guardian Of Midgard

Chapter 8: He's Back

Even Cedric's smile froze.

A powerful pressure descended from above. The killing intent was so overwhelming that countless spectators felt their knees weaken.

A deafening roar split the heavens.

ROOOOAR!

The clouds churned as a colossal scarlet dragon descended from above, its massive wings blotting out the sun. A suffocating pressure swept across the colosseum, forcing countless spectators to stumble back in terror.

Every head instinctively tilted upward. 

"...A dragon?"

"That's the Ravenhart Clan's Guardian Covenant Dragon!"

Suddenly the dragon let out a deafening roar that shook the entire colosseum.

ROOOOAR!

The colossal dragon descended toward the arena before coming to a halt in midair, its enormous wings casting a shadow over the entire colosseum.

Only then did the crowd notice two figures standing atop its head.

A lone man cloaked in black stood at the front, his hood concealing his face, while a little girl stood quietly beside him, clutching his hand.

The man's face remained hidden beneath his hood and his cloak fluttered wildly in the wind.

He frowned as he watched everything. How did he get hold of the Ravenhart Clan's Guardian Dragon? Who was this? Cedric wondered. 

But whoever this person was, they definitely weren’t on his side. He could feel the hostile killing intent earlier coming from this strange man. 

Suddenly attacking the dragon was not the wisest thing to do as long as it was still airborne, he barely had a chance, he would have to use his trump card so he braced himself up.

But the next thing that happened shocked Cedric. The dark hooded man suddenly leapt from the back of the dragon and softly landed on the stage, a few feet away from him with a little girl in his hands. 

The stone beneath his feet shattered.

The giant dragon gave a low growl. Its crimson scales shimmered beneath the sunlight.

Golden eyes overlooked the arena and every magical beast within miles lowered their heads but then it turned around and soared back into the clouds, heading towards the mountains.

Only after it disappeared did everyone finally see the duo. Kael and his daughter. Lily clung to him.

Who’s this man? What is he doing with the servant's child? They all wondered.

Immediately, Lucy laid her eyes on the little girl. Her eyes sparkled and she sprang to her feet. Kael slowly reached for the edge of his hood.

The entire colosseum fell deathly silent. Even the elders leaned forward, their eyes fixed on the mysterious man who had arrived atop the Ravenhart Clan's Guardian Dragon.

He pulled the hood back and for a heartbeat, no one spoke.

An elder suddenly staggered to his feet, his eyes widening in disbelief.

"What..."

Another noble's wine cup slipped from his fingers and shattered on the floor. "It can't be..."

The crowd erupted and murmurs swept across the arena like a tidal wave. 

"It's Kael!"

"Kael Fenrir!"

"He's alive?"

Thousands of people shot to their feet, staring at the man they had believed dead for six long years.

The second Elder's face changed. At this age little things moved him but this, he slowly adjusted in his chair.

Time had left its marks on his face. But those eyes, they had never forgotten them.

He was once named the greatest genius of their generation. But he had gone missing six years ago, and after a lot of searching, everyone believed he had died but not Lucy. 

As long as she hadn't seen his corpse she didn’t believe it. She held on to the belief that he would be back one day.

Lucy stared blankly at him. She had never believed he was dead and always held to the thought that he would return one day but seeing it all play before her eyes seemed like a dream. 

A thought flashed through Lucy's mind. As well as everyone in the coliseum, even Cedric. 

How had Kael survived all these years?

Ever since Midgard fell, surviving outside a faction was almost impossible. Exiles rarely lasted more than a few months.

Back then, every major faction had searched for him. A once-in-a-generation genius would have been welcomed anywhere, and whichever faction took him in would have announced it to the world.

But none ever did. Had I survived six years alone? Even now, the thought left everyone in disbelief. 

Lucy's lips trembled. "...Kael?" She blinked.

Afraid that he would disappear like every dream she had clung to for the past Six years.

Kael looked at her with a solemn expression on his face. The elegant noblewoman he remembered was gone. Her clothes were stained, bruises covered her slender arms and legs .

His lover was so lean and pale, dressed in near-ragged clothes with dirt smeared on her body, but she wore that beautiful smile that warmed his heart.

“Mother!” A tiny figure rushed past Kael."Mother!"

Lily threw herself into Lucy's arms. Lucy instinctively caught her daughter.

"Lily." She hugged the little girl tightly. "You... you're safe..."

"Yes. I am, Mommy.” She pointed at Kael, who was approaching them. “I met Daddy, and he brought me here.”

Kael stopped right in front of them. There were a lot of things he had wanted to say at this moment he decided to let her process everything.

Jade buried her face against her mother's shoulder. "I missed you..."

Lucy could no longer hold back, and tears streamed down her face as she hugged her daughter and looked at him. 

Not the quiet tears she had hidden for years. She let out all the pain she had been holding onto for six years. All pouring out at once.

Only after several moments did Lucy slowly lift her head. Her tear-filled eyes met Kael's.

"You came…” Her voice trembled. "Kael..." She gently stood up.

Kael took a step forward until he was right in front of her. He could even hear her breathing. 

He looked at the bruises covering her face, blood staining her clothes and the wounds she had tried so hard to hide. Something inside him broke.

Slowly, he reached out and wiped away the tears from her face. "I'm sorry. I came too late." He finally said. 

The moment she heard his voice, Lucy's body trembled. That voice, even after hundreds of years, she could never forget it. It was ingrained in her mind. 

“I’m sorry, I had not been here for you both.” He said as his hands held her shoulders.

Lucy shook her head. "No, you came back finally. That’s enough.”

"That's enough."

Kael gently held both her and Lily.

"From today onward. No one will ever make either of you suffer again." His voice was calm.

At the same time, Cedric and everyone else in the colosseum were still reeling in shock for a brief moment. 

Lucy completely broke down.  Lucy buried her face against his chest. The tears she had held back for six years finally escaped. She no longer had to pretend to be strong.

 Kael hugged her so passionately, pulling Lily into a big hug. 

Suddenly, applause broke out, and they both turned to look at Cedric, who was standing a few feet away.

"What a touching reunion." Cedric's lips curved into a smile as he slowly clapped his hands. 

His smile was filled with mockery. "I truly didn't expect you to survive."

His eyes narrowed. "You've actually saved me quite a bit of effort. I was planning to hunt you down after becoming Lord. "But instead..." He smiled coldly. "You delivered yourself to me. Now I can defeat you right here and make my name known as the only generational prodigy."