King of Dragons

Ch.2: Morgan Le Fay (Prologue)

Living in a forest, they had to do whatever it took to survive.

The food had to be hunted. The home had to be protected even at the cost of kill people.

It was the survival of the fittest that ruled the world. The strong ruled over the weak. And this was true both in relations between humans and between humans and other species.

That's how Yuto protected himself and Claire for the last three years. He had never been able to find a suitable solution that would guarantee Claire's safety. Eventually, they found themselves living under the same roof for three years.

"Well, from today, you're going to get your food," he said, and he gave her a bow and arrows. "And then I'm going to teach you how to cook it."

"Why?" Claire protested.

Yuto grimaced. Perhaps he pampered her a bit during that cohabitation, helping her with food and cooking it and defeating all the bandits who dared to get too close to the hut.

"You must learn how to survive on your strength," he said.

"But you will always be with me... ouch." Claire massaged the back of the head to ease the pain of Yuto's fist.

It was true that he did not intend to leave that forest in the next future, but Yuto did not possess clairvoyance that would allow him to peek into the future to know what would happen. That's why, if they ever split up, he wanted Claire to at least know how to defend herself. And also the reason he taught her how to use a bow.

An archer was someone who hit from a distance, concealing its presence from the enemy.

"Neh, Yuto, why don't you want to move to a human settlement?" Claire asked.

Yuto turned to her.

"Is it because you are a magician?" she asked.

Although it was more correct to call him "magus", she probably saw no difference between him and a magician from that world. And, in the end, she was right. They had seen people beaten and arrested on the charge of witchcraft

"Do you fear for your life?" he asked.

Yuto took a deep breath. Unlike those he had seen captured during his travels in the capital, he knew how to defend himself. At worst, he would cause bloodshed and at best trace the Hades' Cap of Invisibility to flee.

Yuto turned to her and stooped to her height. "Just like you, I too lost my family because of someone. I was adopted by a woman named Rin Tohsaka and she treated me like I was her son," Yuto said remembering when he had met Gilgamesh and her master during the Sixth Holy Grail War. "Because you were like me, I wished you wouldn't become like I was, and so I tried to act like Rin did with me."

Claire listened while Yuto gently caressed her head.

"I couldn't forgive myself if you got into trouble because of me," Yuto said, his lips bent in a gentle smile.

Besides, there was the fact that he felt a certain magical affinity from Claire. He wasn't sure, but it could have been that they were looking for her the night of the massacre, also based on what was said by the bandits who were escorting her.

"I get it," Claire smiled sweetly. "And then we should abandon our secret hideaway."

Yuto chuckled. That's how Claire referred to that old dump that Yuto had rearranged to make it habitable.

"Now let's move," Yuto got up and grabbed the black bow. "Today I thought I'd change hunting ground."

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