"Mahahahaha." I laugh mincingly. "You stand before the great Tyrant Astlong."
The group of five stood before me with complete confidence. "Astlong," a golden-haired youth speaks, his sword risen into the air, "Your fear that drowned this land will be no more. I Voteze can promise this."
"We of the Heaven Rose Knights will win." The other four speak in unison. "In the name of our order none shall survive our might."
My claws flex through the air, my eye twitching in annoyance. I am tired of this. Lifting my hand a blue ray of water forms, it shoots forth only stopping after it nails the healer through the heart.
The other four rush at me, and we clash, then the air shook, and by the end I am left with a few new scars, but nothing really changed. Stepping over their corpses I watch the hall. It was once my throne room, once a prosperous place, a place of joy, a place of love, now beast folk are scattered over the floor, their bodies rotting in the morning sun.
"Damn." My claws bite into my hand.
That stupid lease on this stupid castle said I must be the last person to fight. If I just fought these five stooges from the start, then none of this would have happened. Screw being a king, I ain't no good at that anyways. It's not like allies grow on trees. I had to travel the world recruiting from countless villages to build this army, now what? Perhaps I should just kill the man who gave me this lease, screw the demon king, and his demon posse.
I leave the castle behind, setting out into the country of swords, Thornwood. The very place where the Heaven Rose Knights came from.
I stare down into a lake. The reflexion speaking wonders of my appearance.
Large mussels that could be found on a bodybuilder, a proud mane raps around my shoulders like a scarf, resting on my head are two prominent cat ears, and on my butt a lush tail.
A true beast folk, my blood one of the pure in any of the lineages. That was something I took pride in, now I just look like a joke. Like a beast trying to wear the clothes of man.
"Uh!" A voice squeaks out behind me.
I slowly turn around. There is a boy bridging into being a man. He was on the floor, his legs trembling in fear.
"Child of man, I am Astlong the mighty." My voice cuts the air.
He takes a long frigid gulp. "Uh!" He repeats before passing out.
Humans are weak feeble creatures, how they have survived this long is beyond me. Maybe this thought should be taken by me, perhaps I can figure out why.
The young man had a sword resting on his hip, but it was shortly made, not even of the quality to cut my skin. His body was light, only about two hundred pounds, and as such he wasn't a pain to carry around. It felt like my youth when I would lug around sacks of potatoes.
I traveled for an hour and the boy awoke. He stares at me dumbly, causing me to set him down.
"Child of man, I am Astlong the mighty." I speak once more.
"I am Ling the swift." His voice is even feeble.
"Ling is an adventurer?" I ask.
"Is that a question or a statement?" He asks back.
I frown. "Man tongue can betray my meaning."
He smiles tension leaving his body. "It's not too hard if you get the hang of it."
He stands and I begin to follow him. "Do you not fear Astlong?"
Ling scoffs. "Of course, I fear the great tyrant Astlong"
"Not tyrant." I correct him. "Mighty, I am Astlong the mighty."
"One of the strongest cursed folk alive." He rests his hands behind his head. "And he is following me like a lost puppy."
"Not one of." I correct him again. "Strongest."
"I, Mick the red, have come to slay you." A man dressed in ranger's clothes jumps out of the bushes, firing an arrow that pierced straight through Ling's heart.
We both just turn to stare at him, an embraced expression devours Mick's face.
"You shot Ling." I watch as the intangible wispy essence begins to leave his body, but I just catch it midair, holding his soul within my hand. "That is not nice, Ling did no harm to you." Pulling the arrow from his corpse I shove the soul right back in. "Luner mending." I chant as his body is devoured by light, and Ling sits up rapidly headbutting me. I felt no pain, but Ling was left rolling on the floor holding his head.
"Well." Mick begins to creep away, before breaking out into a sprint.
"Should Astlong catch him?" I ask Ling as I point where the man ran off to.
"No!" Ling stands still holding his head. "I saw it, a heaven beyond this world. All the women I could want, food and drink galore. Take me back."
"Astlong can't, once taken from after, can never return again." I insightfully inform him.
There was a stunned silence that raped around Ling. It almost looked like he was going to cry.
Even more proof humans are weak.
"Why cry?" I ask. "Astlong gave you second chance at life."
"But the woman." He mopes.
"Weman? We shall get, food we will eat, wine we will drink. This life can match the eternity above."
"Eternity!" He grumbles out. "Unlike you cursed folk, humans don't have long life spans, I bet you can't even guess my age."
That isn't too hard. "One hundred and seven." I am good at these kinds of things, so it was a very simple question. Even Ling nods along with my answer.