Extra O(r)dinary Story Part1.5

Resolution

Ep: 1

Eril’s clone crawled away from the battle scene as the fight ended. Her whole body became weak yet she was still alive. This must be a conflicting logic between Eril’s seal and Odin’s seal. However, she did not bother. All she sought now was salvation. She wished someone would just end her life right now.

As her head lifted, she saw a town. She stopped. Thinking back how she was tortured by those humans she wondered if this was the right path. She was too weak to walk now; should some human come, she would be totally defenseless. Footsteps were heard heading her way. She gave up. If this was her fate, so be it.

“Eril.”

She looked up and saw Evil Lord in his new body. “Aren’t you dead?”

“No, but Evil Lord is. I am not Evil Lord.”

She huffed, trying to catch her breath. “What do you want?”

“Do you want to live?”

---

It had been weeks since the last battle took place. Evil Lord was gone for good now or at least till the next time he revives. The souls in the weapons were gone too. Odin’s copy of Eril’s seal was not strong enough to withstand this defeat. That was already predicted by Eril when she felt Evil Lord’s ending life span. The Gods were sad, for the next time Evil Lord comes back, would be the last time they will see Eril.

Jit Meng laid lazily on the bed. Throughout their journey they earned so much money they could stay here for years without working. So, money was not an issue anymore. With Excalibur gone, he just did not felt like doing anything. Ee Hwa chided him a few times already but there simply was no motivation. At times, he felt Ee Hwa resembled his mother somehow ... when it comes to nagging.

Morph poked his side. “Go market?”

He stared blankly at Morph for a moment. Ever since the final fight, she became more sociable. Though still soft spoken, she does not hide behind Eric when she was with them anymore. Eric once told him Morph was still a baby, she was afraid of any unfamiliar things, especially human. When she finds a common link between herself and another person, her trust in that person would grow.

“Hm,” Jit Meng wondered, “What link do I have with Morph?”

Eric was the one preparing their daily meals hence Jit Meng had to get the ingredients from nearby market. Since Morph had been living here for so long, she was his guide around town. Whenever they were in town, Morph would cling on to Jit Meng. Then, Eric’s words about Morph would come back to his mind. Since Morph had put her trust into him, it became his duty to shield her in town.

As they were heading back home, a gigantic monster stopped before them. Jit Meng quickly summoned his equipment from Sirch and then ... Morph went ahead conversing with it in deep growls. As the monster left, Morph explained this monster was lost.

Jit Meng felt ridiculous. This was simply too weird to accept. He knew some monsters were harmless through Sirch’s special ability. He even evaded some fights by giving out peaceful thoughts but this ... was simply too hard to swallow.

On the ground they found a big mango. Morph picked it up happily as they returned to the cottage. When Eric saw the fruit in her arms, he snickered. He gave her a few pats on her head giving encouraging words.

“Don’t worry, you’d get the biggest slice later,” Eric ensured.

Morph nodded happily.

“Will Ee Hwa come back for dinner?”

“Yeah. You should follow her around this world you know? Look at the scenery and such.”

Jit Meng shrugged. “Why don’t you follow her?”

“Who will be preparing your meals then?”

---

Ee Hwa stepped into the Blue Dragon Cavern calling out to Brenda. The ground trembled with deafening stomps and then the Blue Dragon appeared in her human form. She dressed in full body armour while wearing her claws and shield on both hands. This was the Blue Dragon’s human form. The weapon and arm shield was made out of her excess energy this body could not hold.

“Welcome!” She wrapped her arms around Ee Hwa passionately.

“Thanks,” Ee Hwa returned greeting with pats on her back. “How’s Kim?”

“Doing fine, I’m doing my job as a mother,” She smiled gleefully.

As she followed Brenda to meet the baby dragon, she wondered if it was a good time to share her plans. Brenda brought her into a big room where a lot of hay was --- dragon’s nest. The little white dragon squeaked in joy when it saw Brenda and Ee Hwa. It flapped its wings excitedly while throwing a small stream of fire into the air.

Brenda chuckled. “Show off.”

Ee Hwa smiled ruefully. She went on to give the little dragon a few pats on its head before pouring her plans to Brenda. “We need to talk.”

Brenda sensed nothing good would come out of this conversation but did anyway. When they left the room, Kim was still squeaking excitedly.

During her stay in Armaia, Ee Hwa came to acquire this baby dragon through an incident. That was how she inherited the Dragon Spirit. However, this incident had left remorse in her heart for she destroyed another person’s life. Red Chiseve was his name, he was a Dragon Knight. Dragon Knights were born and raised in a secluded area where they were trained with dragons. Without one, they would be expelled. Thus these Knights protect their dragons with their lives.

After the incident, she absorbed the dragon’s soul which she could summon anytime she wanted. This came with a price; a human’s MEG could not withstand or match up to a dragon’s. Hence whenever she summons it, she faced the possibility of death.

When the spirit could not drain any more MEG from the body, it would absorb the soul as substitute. Without Era’s aid, she would not have survived.

Brenda wiped off the smile on her face when Ee Hwa put on a grim look.

“I’m planning to let Chiseve have the dragon.”

“NO!” Brenda’s arms swung across in retaliation. “Chiseve is not fit to have a dragon!”

“Please Brenda, listen to me, I have Kim’s mother in me, she is telling me to give Chiseve another chance!”

“I won’t accept it!”

Ee Hwa let out a sigh; she knew it was pointless to argue so she left the Cavern hoping she would calm down. Jit Meng and Eric were concerned when she returned for dinner but did not want to say anything. That night’s dinner was a quiet one. No one spoke a word. After they finished, they returned to their own rooms to rest. Eric and Morph were left alone to clear the dishes.

---

“Brother!” Micheal barged into Eril’s room calling out to Saine.

“What?”

“The results ...”

Eril’s body was laid in her own bed in Armaia since the last fight. The wounds on her body fully healed but her consciousness had yet returned. All the Gods in Armaia were worried, Saine especially. They would visit her once a while to check on her while forcing their brother to get some rest. Saine would only reply coldly that Gods did not need rest.

Micheal on the other hand had been analysing Eril’s body for weeks. Nothing good came out. Though he was Eril’s personal doctor, he could not find out what went wrong. Not even her ‘other body’ could give any clue on her condition.

Centuries ago when Eril’s world was destroyed, her physical body was mutilated to the extent it could not recover itself. Hence Odin kept it in a large capsule filled with healing water. At the same time she was given a new body of a cat.

Over the years her old body healed itself back to the perfect state. However Eril already achieved evolution with the cat’s body thus did not need her old body anymore. Since then Micheal had been using that old body as a reference to Eril’s conditions.

Then again, the cat’s body made by Odin was of different structure. Perhaps that was what hindering the process of the analysis.

---

Next morning Jit Meng woke up to some discussions. He saw the Blue Dragon talking to Ee Hwa by the door. He unintentionally overheard their conversation.

“I was thinking over what you said last night,” the Brenda lowered her head, “and I consulted Whyane this morning.”

Ee Hwa pat her sides. “I know the consequences. If you don’t want to go through it, I understand.”

“Whyane told me if he could receive blessings from Odin like we did, he will live for as long as we do. So Chieve will be his trainer instead of life companion.”

As Jit Meng turned away from the conversation, he freaked out at Eric standing beside him all this time. Ee Hwa looked at them with an annoyed look. The boys shrugged and made themselves scarce.

No one spoke a word during breakfast. The atmosphere was tensed. Then Ee Hwa let out a sigh saying she was giving the baby dragon to Chiseve. Jit Meng was confused at her words while Eric simply kept silent. Morph on the other hand, was still ignorantly enjoying her food. The words ‘ignorance is bliss’ came into Jit Meng’s mind.

“How true”, he thought.

During lunch time Brenda returned. She spoke to Ee Hwa personally. This time the boys did not dare listening to their conversation again even if it was unintentional. After they finished their conversation Ee Hwa returned a big hug. Everything went well. The boys sighed with relief. However this meant they had a new mission --- to locate the Dragon Knight.

Eric was reluctant to let Ee Hwa go on this mission as he had to look after this house. This meant he could not be by her side again. This meant something dangerous might happen to here again. This meant she might end up in another life threatening state again. The many ‘agains’ piled up in his mind. He did not want to imagine what it would be this time.

Morph at his side sensed his trouble. She pulled his shirt lightly and looked into his eyes. Without another word, Eric knew what she was thinking. ‘No’ came into his mind. He already had his mind full on Ee Hwa’s safety now Morph too? What would Apocalypse or Era say if they were still around?

She pulled Eric out of his thoughts again. This time, she squeezed his hands. He uncontrollably pulled her into his arms.

“How can I not worry for you? You’re still young Morph, I don’t feel safe when I’m not around you!”

Jit Meng standing at the door saw everything. He was touched at this scene not knowing what to say. The playful Eric he knew ‘months ago’ was replaced by a sentimental one. After a while he picked up the courage to speak. “Eric.”

Eric looked up at his friend as he released Morph from his hug.

“You don’t have to worry about them,” Jit Meng shrugged. “I won’t let anything happen to them.”

As he spoke those words, memories of Ee Hwa shot by megic from the Ogre came flooding in. He was supposed to protect her in the end she was almost dead. Then, Eril’s defeat came in. If he had not been rash things would not have turned out this way. He was nothing but trouble yet in front of his close friend he promised to take care of the two.

This made him felt like a hypocrite. At that moment he wished he could take back his words and chew on it before Eric says something ugly.

Eric sighed with relieve. “Thanks.”

Jit Meng was taken aback by his words. Eric actually said ‘thanks’ despite what he did. Was he giving him another chance or was he too desperate for their safety? Not that it matters now Eric put down his worries.

During dinner time Ee Hwa announced she was going to search for the Dragon Knight alone. It was a personal feud hence she did not want anyone to interfere. Jit Meng raised his objection saying he wanted to go to. Morph copied him exactly. A hint of amusement touched her face. She did not realise these two were such busybodies until now. Taking a deep breath, she announced her decision.

“Okay.”

The two rejoiced while Eric sighed with relieve.

“On one condition. If I end up in a fight with him, don’t interfere.”

The two nodded vigorously.

That night was a busy one. Everyone was preparing their own rucksack for the journey. Rations, healing items, clothes ... etc. While Jit Meng and Ee Hwa made their own, Eric did it for Morph as her needs were different.

This was the first time he left Morph on a journey without him so he made sure everything was more than enough. As he packed everything into the rucksack, he glanced over at the broken blade. This weapon was a gift from a monster. It was said to boost a monster’s power when holding it. He wondered if this could be her talisman for the trip.

Finding some light but durable rope, he tied the blade firmly in a way Morph could carry it on her back. When asked if it was heavy, she said ‘no’. Perhaps this was one of the powers behind Monster Blades --- heavy when carried by human but light when held by a monster.

---

Next morning, the three set off to their new journey. They waved Eric goodbye and left for the port town. They would take a ship to the neighbouring country where Dragon Knights live. That would be their first clue of his location.

When they were finally out of sight, Eric turned into the house. Then, a massive thump came from outside. He rushed out to see a hideous looking bird monster the size of a troll. Instead of attacking Eric, it growled at him lightly.

He sighed. “Morph’s not here anymore, she went on a journey.”

The monster seemed disappointed and flew away.

To Be Continued