Kill The Beast

The Battle of Endless Shadows

As Wolfgang and Dragon Master journeyed towards Aayan, Wolfgang retraced the familiar path he once traveled with Parth. However, everything felt profoundly altered now. Parth's absence weighed heavily on Wolfgang's heart, his ashes held within a cloth draped over Wolfgang's shoulder.

Now its Dragon Master who walked beside him, a tall man with a glistening, sweat-covered upper body, the sunlight highlighting each droplet on his abs. Those who caught sight of Dragon Master were momentarily stunned by his presence.

Once more, Wolfgang and Dragon Master traversed the ruins of the settlement. The streets lay deserted, with the sun blazing overhead, its energy palpable. The hot wind carried a light dust that stung the skin as they walked. Surrounded by desert, they approached the city in the center, now nothing more than a destroyed shell, a tragic testament to its former existence.

"What happened here?" Dragon Master asked, his voice echoing against the desolate landscape.

"They were fighting and burning each other for the very temple where you were lying under," replied Wolfgang.

"You've got to be kidding," said Wolfgang, looking at him in surprise, incredulous at the senseless destruction.

"No, it's true. I didn't believe it at first either. This is what Parth told me," she said, touching Parth's ashes. "It was difficult for me to believe what he said. But up north," Wolfgang pointed in the direction, "we met some people whom we helped, and they confirmed his words. The same thing happened there."

"So you've been here," Dragon Master asked in his deep, gravelly voice.

"Yeah, just a few days ago. We traveled the same path to find you," said Wolfgang.

"Hmm..." Dragon Master grunted, acknowledging Wolfgang's words.

"You've been lazy, Dragon Master. You didn't wake up even after all that bloodshed," Wolfgang asked.

"Humans are not my affair. What they do to one another is their problem. This world can survive without them. I am only responsible for ensuring this world's survival. The death of one species won't affect the grand axis on which this world is moving. I was better rested in the shenanigans," said Dragon Master.

"It's easy for you to say that; you haven't been in their world. I have, and so has Parth. It's tough to ignore the situation sometimes. They don't have the long life they used to. Their lifespan is shorter now, so their desires increase. I feel like they know from infancy that they are going to die soon, so they show a kind of love that, even though you know it's all a lie, you can't ignore it. Yes, there is malice also, but only they have the capability to show you the purest form of love," said Wolfgang, reflecting on the complexity of human nature.

"It seems like you've spent a lot of time with them," said the Dragon Master, noting Wolfgang's deep understanding of human behavior.

"Yes..." Wolfgang's voice trailed off, a sudden sadness gripping his eyes. "I have been here a lot. I loved a woman, and she became my wife. I tried not to love her because she was the daughter of the King of Xandia, but the king insisted. He wanted to cement the alliance with me. Even though I refused, he gave me his daughter as my wife. To be honest with you, Dragon Master, deep in my heart, I wanted her to be my wife. But I knew I would lose her someday, and I would have to carry on.

"When we got married, she told me that she had persuaded her father for my hand. I was ecstatic to know that I had someone to love me. I thought it would be selfish to refuse her the love she deserved. I made a pact with pain and decided to give her joy all her life, knowing I would suffer the pain after she died in old age. I was so naive and foolish to think that would be possible. She was taken away from me by that wretched witch Minerva and Lucifer. Even though it happened thousands of years ago, her memory is still fresh in my head," Wolfgang said, his words heavy with the weight of loss and longing.