The Drake Blood Tales

A

After some time, Maltufa wakes up.

She is tied in a carriage, and as she looks around, she sees Fordragon tied beside her.

"...So much for the famous 'Crow,'" says Maltufa to Fordragon, disappointment on her face.

"Well, at least I tried to save us. There are like 50 of them—all elite, trained samurai, not some random goons," replied Fordragon.

"So... what now? You're probably going to get executed, and I'm going to be a slave for those Yarinaga. What a day. I thought failing the contract was already bad enough," Maltufa says angrily.

"Relax, you're in the right hands," says Fordragon with an optimistic tone.

"Or, in the right carriage, to be precise," he adds.

Maltufa then notices they aren't exactly on the road toward Kashima's region.

One of the samurai following behind smirks.

"Oh no, you two aren't exactly going to Lord Yarinaga. We're taking you to White Cloud Country."

"Oh..." Maltufa realizes what's happening.

After two whole days in the carriage, the two arrive at White Cloud Country.

They were taken to meet a monk.

The monk was a tall, bulky orc with a long brown beard.

"Wow, typical," said Maltufa.

"I was hungry. Can't we have something first?" replied Fordragon.

However, the monk immediately silenced the two by putting duct tape on their mouths.

The monk then began praying to a tree.

After some time passed, he removed the duct tape from their mouths.

"The Crow... famous mercenary and so-called hero... I know what you are. Despite your human looks, your kind is the worst," says the monk.

Fordragon tries to hold his grudge. "I'm beginning to have enough of this daemon racism."

Maltufa, shocked, asks, "You're a daemon?"

"SILENCE!!" the monk shouts angrily.

"I will give you two a chance to repent and be useful to Lord Yarinaga.

Should you accept, we will allow you to live.

Should you reject, you two will be burned," says the monk.

Hearing this, Maltufa begins to shake. She tries to seduce the monk.

"Oh... please, great wise monk... I'm not his subordinate. On the contrary, he was trying to force me to work for him. I wish a brave, strong orc would come to save me... and guide me on a better path."

"SILENCE, WENCH!!! Your lustful, second-rate body shall not tempt me. I'm no outer god cultist, and I don't follow the so-called gods. I am a man of faith in our god Nagi Okami, and in service to Lord Yarinaga. For too long, this land has been in bloody conflict, but Lord Yarinaga will bring an end to it. He will create peace for this continent."

"As much as I don't like it, I have no doubt that Yarinaga wants to end the civil wars.

All they've done is actually working towards it," says Fordragon.

"So, you agree to be in service to Lord Yarinaga?" asks the monk.

"However, if your way of bringing peace is to massacre others in the name of peace...

I will not just stand idle," Fordragon continues.

Fordragon then stands up, his hands still tied behind him.

He looks into the monk's eyes.

"And what will you do about that?" says the monk.

"The Night Raven Guild will stop you," calmly says Fordragon.

The two continue to stare at each other.

And yet, nothing happens. Fordragon looks around him and shouts,

"I said, THE NIGHT RAVEN GUILD will stop you!!"

"You were expecting your friends, weren't you?" Maltufa asks with a plain expression.

Fordragon then said,

"Hm... strange, ush..."

Before he could finish his sentence, the monk hit his head so hard with a kanabo.

He was thrown back, his head starting to bleed.

"Wait, wait, please! We accept! I don't want to die a virgin!"

Maltufa panicked, begging the monk.

"Wait, you're actually a virgin?" Fordragon asked, his face bleeding.

"Yes, I am. I made up all those stories about my relationships so people wouldn't look down on me," Maltufa answered.

The monk grabbed her hair.

"Then be proud, for you'll die pure... and yet guilty.

I'll ask you one more time, the Crow—what's your answer?"

Maltufa begged Fordragon to just take the offer, but he still refused.

"Guards, take these people and burn them... I guess it's no use trying to bargain with these savages," the monk said, tossing Maltufa's body aside as he left.

The guards then grabbed the two and prepared to burn them.

"Crow, you idiot bastard!! I don't want to die with you!!"

The two were tied to a pillar.

Before long, a flash of light appeared in front of them, blinding everyone.

The samurai covered their eyes.

A barrage of arrows launched toward them, and two shadowy figures appeared, attacking the guards and samurai alike.

In no time, the shadows cut the ropes that bound Maltufa and Fordragon.

Fordragon unsheathed his blade, and began defeating the samurai one by one,

killing them with a combination of holy and dark magic.

Maltufa, startled by the sight of the Crow's abilities, watched in awe.

As Fordragon tore through the samurai with ease, he noticed a giant shadowy figure behind Maltufa.

"MALTUFA, BEHIND YOU!!!" the Crow shouted.

A large naginata stabbed into her stomach and pulled her up.

The monk revealed himself to be the shadowy figure, and with a flick of his weapon, he threw her body off the cliff.

Fordragon immediately shouted,

"BLANCHETTE, GET MALTUFA!"

The white-haired elf jumped onto Fordragon's eagle and flew toward Maltufa.

"Saya, Kaya, Maya, you three take care of the guards. Saito, prepare our teleportation!"

Fordragon's teammates nodded and split off, each going their own way.

The monk laughed.

"You were very brave, prioritizing that assassin over your own life."

Fordragon taunted him,

"What's wrong with my life? They all have their own dangerous tasks to do. I'm here safe—the only threat I face is some old, harmless orc."

The two then clashed.

The monk's powerful strikes easily overwhelmed Fordragon's physical strength, but Fordragon kept using his dark magic, summoning a barrage of spectral swords.

The monk kept chanting barrier spells to deflect all of Fordragon's attacks.

As the monk jumped into the air and tried to strike Fordragon,

Fordragon evaded by jumping to the side.

He followed up with a powerful eruption from his left hand.

Fordragon punched the monk, but the blow was deflected by the monk's kanabo.

But Fordragon didn't stop. He kept punching until the kanabo shattered.

With a swift motion, he stabbed the monk in the chest.

Before the monk could say a word,

Fordragon twisted his blade, and a surge of fire erupted from it, completely obliterating the monk's body.

As his teammates approached him,

"I got the girl, but she's unconscious. We need to treat her immediately," said Blanchette, riding on Fordragon's eagle.

Saito then chanted a spell, opening a teleportation portal.

The team was teleported to a hut, finally away from danger.

Fordragon immediately tried to heal Maltufa's wound, but it was no use—she was no longer breathing.

"..."

Fordragon stared at Maltufa's body in silence.

Blanchette approached him.

"You did your best, Crow. I can't even sense that monk anymore."

"I should have killed that guy the moment I saw him," the Crow said.

"Maltufa huh..." Said kaya

Saito asked "you know about this assassin?"

Kaya nod " we come from the same orphanage. I heard she was there with her younger brother ever since she was 10. It was like 3 years old in human years."

"Do you know where her brother's live?"

Ask fordragon.

Kaya nod again " yeah he was still in orphanage. It kashima's region."

Kaya added " his name is dekisugi makoto if I weren't mistaken. As for maltufa I don't know her real names. I heard she take that name after an insect which it's poison she use".

Fordragon then gets up. "I will tell her brother a visit after this. As for no...."

Fordragon then collapse into the ground.

His teammates immediately rushed towards him try to find his wound.

Meanwhile fordragon dreamt a strange vision .

As he wakes up he realize his instinct tells him his brother is in danger.

"FALLION!!". shouts him.

This immediately surprised the team.

Blanchette asked "crow are you alright?. If you were hurt just get back to the guild we take care of the mission. Dad won't forgive us if anything happened to you".

Fordragon then dismissed that idea

"No it's alright . However I will need your help guys."

Saito curious "what is it?"

"A weeks from today someone will arrive at this continent. I want you to look for him

He is my brother. He looks like me.

I'm afraid I have a vision where Yarinaga hold him"

The team without hesitation agree

But blanchette insist fordragon to not go solo.

Fordragon assure her " it$ alright I have a friend's not far from here. He still owe me something. But for now I will buried maltufa first you all focus on every port for my brother".

As the teams were saperated. And fordragon burries maltufa. He feel sadness within him

"Darn it you fordragon....your recklessness keep costing other people's their life".

After finish burying maltufa " why can't I be more mature like my brother.....

Fallion what in the world you doing in here...

Or maybe he too.....

No .let's not think about that. I have to meet gan hua first. He knows what to do"

.

"Maltufa, huh..." said Kaya.

Saito asked, "You know about this assassin?"

Kaya nodded. "We came from the same orphanage. I heard she was there with her younger brother since she was 10. It was like 3 years old in human years."

"Do you know where her brother lives?" asked Fordragon.

Kaya nodded again. "Yeah, he's still at the orphanage in Kashima's region."

She added, "His name's Dekisugi Makoto, if I'm not mistaken. As for Maltufa, I don't know her real name. I heard she took the name after an insect, the poison she used."

Fordragon got up. "I'll pay her brother a visit after this. As for—"

Fordragon suddenly collapsed to the ground.

His teammates rushed to him, searching for his wound.

Meanwhile, Fordragon drifted into a strange vision.

When he woke up, his instincts screamed that his brother was in danger.

"FALLION!!" he shouted.

This immediately startled the team.

Blanchette asked, "Crow, are you alright? If you're hurt, just go back to the guild. We'll take care of the mission. Dad won't forgive us if anything happens to you."

Fordragon dismissed the idea.

"No, it's alright. However, I'll need your help, guys."

Saito, curious, asked, "What is it?"

"A week from today, someone will arrive on this continent. I want you to look for him. He's my brother. He looks like me.

I'm afraid I had a vision where Yarinaga was holding him."

The team, without hesitation, agreed.

But Blanchette insisted, "Fordragon, don't go alone."

Fordragon reassured her, "It's alright. I have a friend not far from here. He still owes me something.

But for now, I'll bury Maltufa first. You all focus on every port for my brother."

As the team split up, Fordragon buried Maltufa.

He felt sadness welling up inside him.

"Darn it, Fordragon... your recklessness keeps costing others their lives."

After finishing the burial, he muttered, "Why can't I be more mature, like my brother...

Fallion, what in the world are you doing here...

Or maybe he too...

No. Let's not think about that. I have to meet Gan Hua first. He knows what to do."

.