'Darn it Kaira!' Jagu scolded mentally as he continued to quickly pursue the scent of his younger sister through the jungle.
The sun had now begun to set and even for someone with vision as good as his it was hard to maneuver through the dense trees at that speed with lowered visibility.
However he couldn't bring himself to slow down when he thought of what could happen if she and her group encountered Aron and Lady Rose.
So he continued forward a little longer until he could finally see his sister not too far in the distance. "Kaira!" Jagu yelled out to her causing her and the group she was with to turn.
Since they had been disease stricken it was hard for them to move so they hadn't gone too far luckily enough.
"Jagu?" Kaira looked back with a confused expression as she saw her older brother rush from behind her. Upon seeing her and her group unharmed, Jagu could only sigh in relief before showing his sister a stern expression.
"What do you think you're doing heading out when you're sick? Until this disease is sorted you shouldn't even think about scavenging. It's too dangerous, especially when we don't know what causes it." Jagu scolded with a ferocious gaze but she simply turned her head away from him and humphed.
"I was just trying to gather some extra food so we could celebrate your coming home and mother's evolution but fine! Let's return everyone." She yelled in dissatisfaction before turning away and leaving, the others who came with her couldn't even look Jagu in the eye and just quickly walked past him fearfully.
'I can't sense them at all... they shouldn't be far however...' Jagu looked into the jungle and thought with a hint of worry before following his sister behind.
....
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtMeanwhile on the island he had separated from Aron, two cloaked figures could be seen quickly making their way through the jungle with a green bird in the lead.
Soon the bird came to a stop at a nearby clearing and settled on a branch causing the two figures following it to also come to a stop.
"There it is... finally." The tall cloaked feminine figure in the lead muttered with enthusiasm in her groggy voice. Alor who stood beside her couldn't help but also feel more at ease now that they had reached their goal.
"Congratulations my Queen... what happens next?" Alor was also excited to see what'd she do next because all he saw was a sort of burial stone in the middle of the jungle.
"Nothing yet... we are being watched." The Queen replied with a stern coldness in her voice.
Immediately after she said those words, Lady Rose's scouters emerged from the jungle and began rotating around them about 5 meters away.
"Well I guess you're not stupid in following us after all." Lady Rose's voice appeared on the scene as she, Aron and Evanora arrived in the clearing in which the stone slab they had discovered earlier laid.
Upon seeing these three, Alor was the first to show a look of great worry under his cloak and assume a battle stance while the woman beside him remained calm and collected.
"Normally I wouldn't dare intervene with such a gathering of individuals whose pasts are shrouded in mystery but I'm afraid I'm left with no choice." The Queen's groggy voice didn't falter in the presence of Lady Rose which also made her be cautious around this unknown cloaked woman.
If they were simply being followed by some ambitious organizations, Lady Rose and Aron wouldn't have hesitated in getting rid of them and the same could be said for those who were confident in their strength.
In this case however, Lady Rose chose to observe first and see their intentions in following them. After she saw that the two specifically came for the stone slab then her and Aron immediately knew they weren't simple and could at the very least lead them to some answers.
p
"Then let me provide you a choice, tell us what you know and we may reach a conclusion in which no one has to die. It may even prove beneficial to both parties." Lady Rose suggested calmly and indifferently while Aron and Evanora calmly observed.
The cloaked woman however didn't seem at all moved by this and went as far as to chuckle at Lady Rose. "You seem confident that we're the ones at the disadvantage right now, I'm sorry to inform you that your assumption is quite wrong. Alor?" The cloaked confidently replied before turning to Alor who immediately understood what she meant.
Without hesitation Alor suddenly took out a fist sized orb and threw it to the ground at an incredible speed. Upon making contact with the ground the orb shattered and a green mist burst out.
Aron, who was ready to react at any moment, was about to lunge forward when suddenly one of Lady Rose's scouters hovered above them and provided a barrier. "Don't, that gas will corrode your skin faster than you can heal." Lady Rose warned, stopping Aron in his tracks.
Aron was about to reply when Lady Rose suddenly flicked her wrist and caused the other scouter to start absorbing the corrosive mist rapidly.
In a short moment the mist had been entirely absorbed however the scouter now looked to be in a poor state as it was unable to even hover.
As for Alor and the cloaked woman, they were nowhere to be seen. The surrounding vegetation that had made contact with the mist had already been corroded badly while the stone slab at the center of the clearing remained intact.
"Tsk. I take back what I said, perhaps they aren't so smart. That burst should have already been seen by the natives so we need not bother with stealth, go ahead and we won't be far behind." Lady Rose suggested to Aron who gave her a nod before turning in the direction he sensed they fled in.
Their mana had long been locked on to so it was only a matter of catching up now. His muscles tensed up and his pupils shrunk before he suddenly burst forward leaving behind only a fierce gust of wind.
....
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmNot that far from the clearing, Alor and the cloaked woman could be seen hurriedly making their way towards the other islands. "We're already being pursued! How?!" Alor showed a look of panic as he saw Aron's figure fast approaching.
"Don't ask useless questions and just slow him down!" The woman scolded and Alor immediately took out more orbs before throwing them back.
*boom!*
Numerous bursts erupted as a line of corrosive mist blocked Aron's way. 'Tsk. You're only delaying the inevitable.' Aron thought as an irritated expression appeared on his face. He quickly shifted directions and decided to go around the mist instead and tested just how corrosive it might be on his body.
"That should slow him down my Queen and if he gets close I still have plenty more." Alor reassured the woman but she only scoffed at him. "Check again." She muttered and Alor immediately turned back but saw no signs.
It was only when he looked to his far side that he noticed Aron was still in pursuit and was quickly catching up. 'He wants to cut us off....' Alor thought with a panic stricken expression under his cloak.
Aron saw that Alor was looking in his direction and he showed a small smirk before vanishing into the jungle. This caused Alor to show an even more worrisome expression as he got more orbs ready in hand.
*Argh!*
Suddenly Alor yelled out in pain and fell to the ground while holding his leg. He quickly looked at it only to find a circular shaped wound had appeared seemingly out of nowhere. 'An arrow?' He thought in confusion before quickly turning to the cloaked woman who had also come to a stop.
"My Queen! quickly leave, I'll hold him back as best I can." Alor pleaded but the woman didn't move and turned in the direction the shot had come from. "It should be very clear by now that we cannot escape Alor, you've done enough." She said indifferently and watched as Aron emerged from the trees casually.
"You've succeeded in catching us so we have no choice but to oblige. What are your questions? I will answer as best as I can." The woman suddenly offered as Aron sheathed his arcane gun.
However Aron snickered at this response while shaking his head. "So this was your plan?" He asked all of a sudden, causing Alor to show a confused expression.
"Whatever do you mean?" The cloaked woman responded with confusion in her voice as well but Aron's expression remained cold.
"Did you really think we couldn't tell you are a mana clone?"