Chapter 3

Then Frederick directed his attention back to me and uttered, "Finn, I want you to conceal yourself"- he gestured towards a bush located behind the tree- "and hide over there."

I glanced back and forth between Frederick and the bush, perplexed, as I furrowed my brow at him. "Wh-why should I hide over there?" I inquired.

Frederick proceeded to explain, "When I engage the creature, I will divert its attention while you attack it from behind. However, I want you to strike it with all your might until it becomes unconscious, understood?"

Ah, I get it now. I gave Frederick a slight nod. "Understood."

Without delay, I positioned myself behind the bush and observed as Frederick charged directly towards the monster with a spear. Upon hearing his battle cry, the beast ceased its assault on the injured elderly man and emitted a cry of agony when Frederick thrust his spear into its back. Blood splattered through the air, descending upon the ground like rain.

The creature swiftly turned around and caught sight of Frederick, who grinned and taunted it, provoking the beast to scowl and roar in response. Despite the weight of the spear impeding its movement, drool escaped its mouth as it prepared to lunge towards Frederick.

As I witnessed the monster pursue Frederick and attempt to attack him, he skillfully evaded its every assault. Fear coursed through me, causing me to tremble and my mouth to dry, as I readied myself to launch my own attack.

This is it, Finn. This is your moment to demonstrate your worth. It is time to do this. After all, this is for Aldora.

As I emerged from my hiding spot, I let out a scream and raised my makeshift weapon high in the air, glaring at the creature. Just as the monster was about to turn around, Frederick caught on and swung a massive rock against its cheek. The creature redirected its attention towards Frederick, roaring in fury. It swiped its claws at him, but he managed to evade the attack, causing it to strike the empty air instead.

Recalling Frederick's instructions, I knew that all I had to do was strike the creature forcefully enough to render it unconscious. I trusted that I wouldn’t disillusion him. The thought of what Frederick would think of me if I failed was unbearable. I simply could not bear it.

When I reached the midpoint of my objective, the monster's tail forcefully struck me, propelling me backwards and causing me to collide with one of the trees. "Aaaaahhhhh!!! Oofff..."

Amidst my pain, I heard Frederick calling out my name in a concerned tone. I turned towards him and saw the creature endeavoring to swipe its claws at his chest. "Whoa!" He skillfully evaded the attack by jumping backwards, narrowly escaping harm, although he also accidentally collided with a tree.

Although I felt relieved that Frederick had managed to avoid the monster's assault unscathed, I realized that my current strategy of targeting the monster's head was ineffective. I had to come up with an unused arrangement quickly. My look meandered around, looking for an elective, until it landed on the monster's tail.

Alright, it's time for some plan B.

Despite the pain coursing through my body, I slowly rose from the ground and focused my attention on the monster's tail. After a brief moment of catching my breath, I tightly gripped my stick with both hands.

With a scream, I charged towards the beast's tail, swinging my weapon with all my might. Finally, the impact connected, causing the monster to emit a cry of pain and swiftly change direction. As it roared at me, Frederick seized the opportunity and forcefully struck the beast's head multiple times, causing it to collapse to the ground.

Observing that there was no blood flowing from its head, Frederick turned his attention back to his spear. He climbed onto it, pushing it further into the monster's body. Once he withdrew the spear, he turned to me with a constant smile and exclaimed, "Congratulations, Finn. You did an excellent job in battle."

Returning a grin, I replied, "You did too."

At that moment, an old man approached us and inquired, "You two aren't from around here, are you?"

Frederick, still wearing a grin, responded, "No, certainly not."

The old man then shifted his gaze towards me and remarked upon my peculiar attire, saying, "And you're dressed quite unusually, aren't you?”

Frederick elucidated my predicament to the elderly gentleman, who responded, "Ah, I understand. Well, heal me first and I shall accompany you to the village to procure clothing and suitable weapons for the young man."

Frederick performed a healing spell on the old man, who then decided to guide us.

"And finally, we have arrived!" shouted the old man as he motioned towards our destination. As Frederick and I reached the old man's village, we both expressed relief with grins on our faces.

There, we witnessed the sunlight casting its beams upon the wooden, hut-like structures. The roofs seemed to be constructed from hay, and the muddy road indicated recent rainfall. Numerous individuals traversed the village in different directions, while children engaged in playful activities.

The air was filled with the echoes of people's conversations and children's laughter, as a refreshing breeze blew in from the west, caressing my senses.

"Alright, I’ll take you to my workshop," the old man instructed as I glanced up at him. He walked around to show the heading. "This way, at that point."

Frederick and I exchanged glances before following the old man's guidance. As we trailed behind him, the villagers paused their activities and cast curious gazes in my direction, whispering amongst themselves. While they greeted the old man and Frederick with waves and hellos, I was left unnoticed.

Despite Frederick and the elderly gentleman remaining unfazed, I meticulously observed my surroundings, causing me to shiver and furrow my brow in response to the onlooking crowd. The act of being stared at was something I found highly displeasing, to say the least. Each gaze directed towards me seemed to trigger memories of a disastrous public speech I delivered during my elementary school years, a regret that still lingers within me to this very day.

It appears that villagers are quite curious about me, huh? I had hoped to evade their prying eyes, but alas, it proved to be an impossible feat at this juncture.