Heroes of Xevida

Chapter 8

It was a stupid idea to follow after Hugo, a beats shifter he knew nothing about. But no matter how sketchy that boy is, Aiden had no choice but to tag along, even if it was only for the safety an extra person could provide.

Though he couldn't ask, what Hugo meant by the hunters. It was too little information to imagine what that was all about. He walked a meter behind the older boy in front of him.

In comparison to the mage the beast shifter didn't flinch at every sound. In the contrary, he actually acted as if he was the only predator in this forest who should be feared, him and him alone.

Aiden wondered why a person with a walk that oozed out confidence like this wanted to avoid the hunters all cost. "Uh, Hugo. I've got a question. Who are the hunters?", Aiden asked sceptically, then continued, "And why are they after you?" The darker skinned boy's steps came to a halt.

He didn't move for a few seconds, then turned around with his apparently signature pearly white smile. "They're headhunters, obviously. From the Moonshine's Guild, I assume. Whoever would name a guild like cheap booze is beyond me, but that ain't my business.

As to why they're after me... I might have or might have not killed somebody whose family didn't take that act too kindly. But hey, I got paid for it, business is business. I do mine, they do theirs.

I just don't wanna die to some head-hunting hooligans, is all.", Hugo answered honestly, and sauntered onwards, with his arms propped up behind his head. Aiden didn't know how to react to that.

The beast shifter openly admitted to killing someone in front of somebody who was basically a stranger. "It just sucks that they have money on my head now, luckily just on my beast, not on my shift.

My colleague died a while back, so I wasn't focusing on the job as much as I should've. I did manage to kill the target though, but her father saw me run off.

Not my most brilliant performance, I dare say.", he let out a barky laugh, then turned to Aiden, whose face was ghastly pale by now, "And what's your job, little fire bug?" Perplexed the younger one stared at the freckled face in front of him.

The bright lighting of the fire ball in his hands seemed to accenturate Hugo's facial features even more. Realising that a light in the darkness was easy to spot, Aiden quickly slammed his magic into the dirt road.

He didn't want to end up on a menu he wasn't meant to be on. "I'm just a mage with basic knowledge, there's nothing to it, really. I'm planning to join the adventurers guild in Bramen though, our village is too small for a branch office.

Besides, are you always oversharing like this? You've got money on your head and the first thing you do is telling me, a stranger, about it? That's... Fucking weird, dude, not gonna lie.", Aiden told Hugo, uncomfort visible on the former's face.

"Oh, but I could bite your jugular out in ten seconds tops. I don't think there's a problem in telling you, I can just kill you whenever a problem regarding that would arise.", the beast shifter said, then seemed to find a flaw in what he said, as he immediately added more where his threats came from.

"It's not like I will kill you for real right now, as long as you zip your mouth shut, I won't harm you. I'm rather happy to have a new companion at the moment, but just in case you do want to tell somebody, rest assured that that's not very advisable.

On another note, can you even see the road in front of you now, or are you just following my voice?", Hugo said in a tone much to cheerful for what he just told his companion.

Only then did Aiden realise that the boy he followed couldn't be heard at all, unless he blabbered on and on. Hugo's steps were as silent as a feather fall and without the light to guide his path Aiden was basically dependant on the killer in the lead.