FSE

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I might tell the back story later, but right now, I am activating something inside me. Fuck, that feels so good to finally let something out of your chest. Discord abilities works like that too, huh? Then all of the knowledge from my ability goes into my head, rushng in like instantly. Then at the last moment, I find the name of my ability, again mysteriously told to me like it has a name by itself.

Right at that moment, Jethro shoots his bullet at me. The sudden burst of my Discord ability takes effect on the bullet and it stops mid-air. Wow, so that's what a shot bullet looks like.

"Hey, Jethro," I said. "You lost something?"

Whoo, I feel like a badass saying that. Jethro is clearly surprised and tries to move the bullet (wow, I don't know if he can do that). I then reposition the bullet towards him and said, "Right back at you."

The other knowledge of this SpeedRunner (yes, that's its name. Weird, right?) ability is to enforce kinetic energy to an object, forcing it to move again. Yes, this ability does not work to something that's initially stops because it only manipulates kinetic energy, which can force one moving object to stop and move it again. It's like some sort of a limited time stop, except time does not stop.

Just as I thought, my ability is not perfect yet. While that bullet moves in quite a speed, a trained eye can still see it. Jethro dodges the bullet just before it hits him.

"Oh, now you pull out your ace in the sleeve," said Jethro. "Never thought everything escalated so quickly. Tell me, why did you managed to stop my bullet and throw it back while I've shut off your mana flow?"

"That's one polite demand there," I said while smiling. "This is a Discord ability. With it I can manipulate kinetic energy, so those bullets you can bend cannot touch me."

"Kinetic energy, huh? Something tells me this is not going to end well."

"Now, get ready for the second round!"

Still, unlike Jethro and my other companions, I am still relatively weak, meaning, I can only manipulate the energy, but I need to 'correct' the bullet's path manually, which is a problem. One thing for sure, I know that I can indefinitely stop the bullets mid-air unless I lose concentration, during which the bullet will continue moving, regaining its kinetic energy (I know this seems mouthful and full of crap, but trust me, it's better than using a stereotypical time stop. There is a creativity in my form of Discord).

Knowing this fact, I have a great idea on how to trick Jethro.

I try shooting Jethro with the same slow bullets, which of course, he can see and dodge. I am still trying to find out how to control this manipulation ability.

"Jet, you might want to be careful around those bullets of yours. If I get it all to you all of the sudden, you'll be a pin cushion."

"You are underestimating my ability, Hal Trixija. As much as you can stop my bullets, who is the one using an automatic rifle."

Damn it, I forgot! He is spraying those fucking bullets at me!

"Motherfucker! Hey, that's cheating!"

"I thought you know how to stop bullets!"

"Well, I am!"

That is an empty threat by the way. I am grazed by one of them, but somehow I am more or less different than before since accepting my old, mouthful self.

"Hey, I still want to fly with my wings, you know! Guess I'm gonna shoot you!"

Now the timing is correct. He does not realize that the bullets behind him stops in the air. But then, by the time I want to execute the plan, a fireball comes out from nowhere and hit Jethro whole. He is clearly getting burned. Amidst the chaos, I can see Segara's open palms.

"I thought you have a problem with the mana flow!"

"Pull the bullet out, and there is no problem about that," said Segara. "Now, Jethro Kabani, tell me..."

"Do you think fire magic can kill me? I am tougher than that!"

He pulls something from his pocket, which unfolds to become a shotgun.

"Just why the hell do you have folded guns?!" I exclaimed. "Isn't that too bizarre for this story?"

"I invented them myself, fucker! Now, die!"

I am too surprised that I unknowingly throw a knife towards Jethro. Now that he is too occupied with Segara, it stabs him through his side (just so you know, Jethro throws that knife away). It makes him throw out blood, which somehow made me realize that I throw at a wrong place.

"Oh, shit. I wish I don't have that dead-on accuracy. That helps, though."

Before Segara can pull out a finishing offense magic, a young goat runs towards Jethro and blocks Segara's move.

"Don't kill Jet, please!" exclaimed the kid. "Mommy's right! You are as bad as they say!"

"Whoa, talk about a goddamn prejudice drama shit scene. Hey kid, stop making this story into a normal soap opera story!"

Obviously he does not understand, as does Liza and the rest of the group.

"Hal, what are you talking about? You look...different."

I ignore her for a moment and come closer to the kid, who is slowly being flanked with the rest of Solitude's End.

"I demand you to leave!" said an elder goat Anima. "You are all the same! You have guts to gang up on..."

"Blah blah blah, shut it, geezer!" Wow, that's pretty harsh. Everybody went silent. "I don't give a shit about your prejudice, but please, just stop making it look like we are the bad guys here! Your personal Punisher here just shot my friends and almost kill me with a hail of bending bullets. Gods, this is 2013, not 1813!"

"Still, you are ganging up on a goat!"

"Just because we are born dragons does not mean we are the one starting this! You don't get away by becoming a racist in this world! Even then, this guy is an assassin!"

"Liar!"

"I don't like where this is going..."

"Stop it, you people!" Jethro stands up and walk in front of me, still clutching his side. The goats are clearly disgusted.

"Why are you defending these carnivores? Don't you see that they are trying to kill you?"

"This wyvern is right," said Jethro. "I am being employed by a person named Zenido Moghes to kill this group. Also...you all should blame it on me...for being a liar."

By then, he bared his teeth and shows claws by his hand, which surprised the group of townspeople, including me. Now that's one hell of a mix. Even if he has those teeth, I fail to realize that they are also very sharp in some places.

"I am not a pure goat Anima. I am half-lion," said Jethro.

"a half lion? H-how is that possible? Not to mention, why didn't you..."

"Like this guy said, don't judge the book by its cover. I cannot show you my other heritage because if I do, you guys don't have anyone to guard from this desolate wasteland. Now that the cat's out of the bag, guess I am guilty with that, huh?"

There is a long pause after Jethro says that, including from both Segara and me. Though predator-prey relationship is not a taboo anymore, it is very rare to see the product after consummating the relationship. The townspeople are, of course, divided between letting Jethro get away with this revelation or becoming angry that he has been duping them for many years. But then, a young goat child approaches Jethro and says, "You are a good person, Jet. I don't care if you are a big mean cat. Jet is still Jet to me."

"Y-yes, that's right," said one of the goats. "Jethro may be a jerk, but he has saved us from raiders and wildlife. We have been isolated from society for too long to the point that we actually hate those meat eaters while we have a meat eater protecting us for so many years."

"Jet, we don't care if you are a half-lion or not. Don't worry, we don't blame you for trying to do this thing."

"You guys..."

Then they turn to us, who are hurt from the fight but still strong enough to walk away.

"Meat eaters...we're sorry for causing you so much trouble. This town was founded by our great grandfathers for their hatred to lying meat eaters. We cannot let our young continue this meaningless culture, seeing that Jethro himself is the proof we need. We are truly sorry."

Well, that escalated quickly...again. Even though I feel this is a bullshit gesture, I understand why.

"They are confused as to whether they want to trust predators or not," said Segara. "Not something that's entirely out of place, seeing that we have such big world. Yet, they are ready to accept us because they don't find any true danger with predators due to Kabani. That is why they didn't shoot us on sight."

"But why they readily accept us is beyond me."

"I don't know. I guess, by nature, we are evolved beings, and we don't need to remind ourselves that we don't operate solely on instinct."

The fight lasted less than an hour, seeing that the whole chapter is dedicated to capture all the details of the fight. Jet (I think I'll call him that now) asks the doctors to mend our wounds with him, then we get on to go take a drink at the bar. Since Art is underage, he drinks some juice while talking with the younger goats. Seeing a human like that make me feel out of place, seeing that due to my Hidden Beast transformation, I am trying to acknowledge myself as a wyvern (no, it's a subspecies of dragons).

After getting well acquainted with some of the patrons, I decide to get out and see the moonlight. I really wish this is a good day to watch the sky without any events, since out in this desert, the moon looks so big and clear. If I was a wolf, I would howl at it, but I have another thing that captured my ears.

"Are you sure the one who employs you is Zenido Moghes?"

"I am very sure. This dragon Mythar has been around for almost 10 years. His name is known even to us, despite of this settlement's isolation. I cannot see his face since he is always standing inside darkness, but just seeing him make me realize that he is not your average dragon."

"Where did you meet him?"

"We went to Deserted Heaven to resupply. Before you ask, only me and some of my squads went there, because no other wanted to get into business with the other races. My group are tolerating, and I honestly don't care. When walking around the market picking up the shopping list, I could feel something very peculiar happening in that market. I felt like two clawed hands swooped to my shoulder and wanted to eat me like a dragon swooping up its prey. His voice was so...smooth, almost like flirting. I shuddered with it. I felt like I was being covered in ice and freezing.

"He gave me his name, then gave me the contract. He knows Solitude's End is very isolated and practically does not know much about what is happening to the world. He wants to give me a sum of money for the local clinic, but in turn, he wants me to kill you guys, giving me list of names from one of his servants, alongside the photos of them. He threatened to destroy this town if I betray him or even tell that I am half-lion. Now that I have told you that, and basically did not try to kill you, I feel this town will not survive."

"But why are you employed? I know Moghes. He is not someone who pull out anyone out of the blue."

"Yes...he knew my past. I was freelance, just like that nine-tail vixen in there. I kill people for living, but after getting into this town, I retired. I don't want to make money out from people's blood, but that threat is spot on. I cannot refuse, but now...I think I fucked up."

"So you are surrendering because..."

"Who will be guarding this town without me? I appreciate your offer in guarding this place but this is not your job. Your job is to put a bullet through his head, then everything is over."

Wow, he has a lot of problems, huh?

"Then Jethro, I have a good idea on how to make this place practically covered. I heard you made your own weapons, right?"

"I like to make things myself since I don't really like conventional weapons. They are hard to upgrade and illegal to tamper."

"Then it's settled, then. The human in my group is a blacksmith. He can help you with preparing my idea. I can help with the arcane relay. Let's go to your workshop and let me help you with it. We don't have time to waste."

I cannot see what Segara is planning, but I bet it is something cool. Somehow both of them does not see me watching and overhearing them, but I'm not an integral part of their discussion, so let that be, okay?

The night goes on without any incidents, but Segara told us to move the car closer to Solitude's End (possibly to not interfering with his plan). With the car thoroughly damaged by Jethro's bullets, it does not look so new anymore, which still make Segara mad. The next morning, the old purple dragon Mythar walks to the outskirt of the town and put something that looks like a beacon, with the help of Art and Jet. After a while, some futuristic warping sound goes out and there is this line of light that engulfed the whole town. It is transparent, but when I touch it, it is solid, like a glass.

"Now with this shield it can at least stop anything Moghes comes at this town, except if his Discord ability is to cancel out magical properties," said Segara with a small laugh, which is not funny. "Jokes aside, we have around two months, then this shield will lose power and Solitude's End is vulnerable again."

"Nice idea," said Jethro nodding. "I don't give a shit with your mumbo jumbo, but yeah, this looks like it will do. So, what are you going to do next. I am not going to stop you this time, but surely you have a plan?"

"For now, nothing. We just going cross-country, avoiding as much assassin as we can, and take a plane to the next continent. Anyway...thank you for understanding our mission. I hope you choose well."

"I can't leave those who I need to guard, right...huh?"

Some of the older goats are approaching Jethro, and they talk within themselves. Jethro seems surprised and seems to be protesting, but after a lengthy talk with them (which I cannot hear since it's so silent), Jethro relents and said, "Chance of plan. I'll go with you."

"But, don't this place needs a guardian?"

"The elders believe that it is time to make the town open to all races. Being solitary all their lives, they feel the outside world is wrong, but for the sake of the young ones, they want to make the town a flourishing rest stop. Don't worry, I have my friends taking my place, so I can rest easy while going with you. In fact, I want to see how you guys are doing in this journey, I'm just curious."

Is it just me, or this whole chapter feels rushed? Also, I don't think breaking the fourth wall too much will make this story better. Ah, who am I kidding? I also like to see how the events unfold, though I am not sure how since I am the one narrating the story.

Anyway, now that we have a whole team coming along nicely, it is time for the travel to continue, with more danger to see to, and dramas unfold in our journey.

I ain't gonna lie. The true story starts now.