Eiser's eyes widened as Arkas proposed to join hands. A slight smirk showed his intent as Arkas quickly followed up.
"It.. Its Temporary yknow!!. Hmph! As if I'd want your help."
Arkas walked past Eiser as he said that who couldn't help himself but smile in gratitude.
The two made thier way back from the graveyard through a linear path that Arkas intorduced Eiser to. Casually talking with eachother they made thier way back to Arkas's house. Arkas invited Eiser in where he met Chloria who looked as someone who had lost her very meaning of life.
Arkas introduced Eiser to his mother, who firstly humbly apologised for all the commotion that had been caused because of him then introduced himself as a friend of Arkas. Chloria smiled as she saw her son finally being comfortable with someone after that long. Yet the hard part came as Arkas told her about his mission to take down the Chained dogs and avenge thier beloved.
A cold breeze ran through Chloria's body as she heard that — For she could not risk losing her son just after losing her husband. For her it was almost as if experiencing jugdment twice. Yet she held her voice as she remebered her moment with Icaris where he advised Chloria to let Arkas go freely if he ever asks to. Thence outting her husband's jugdement over her cowardly emotions once again she forced a smile on her face and appreciated the thought.
So Arkas too embraced her mother and promised to come back alive. They left, leaving the feeble and scared Chloria behind who couldn't show her fright onfront. All Chloria could think about were the times when they ran for thier lives in the desert or the horror of seeing Icaris's body haging on top of a pole—Chloria couldn't speak as all darkness surrounded her. Yet in all that darkness there was a blue light, a firefly like light that cleared for Chloria a path. The sole path of light that guided Chloria towards Eiser. Perhaps that light wanted to tell Chloria to let Arkas go freely—the same words that Icaris had already told Chloria. Perhaps that light asked Chloria to trust Eiser. So Chloria did that and putting a stone on her heart, She let her son go.
After saying thier farewells, Eiser and Arkas came inside the Julia's house—which was inface the neighboring house of Arkas—The two were surprised to find nobody home. They wondered where could they have gone off to as the sun had already set and the gloomy fog had spread throughout.
Eiser closed his eyes and his instincts rose, he started to suspect something. Arkas on the contrary went outside and stood in the middle of the street as if searching for them. He could see nothing but haze in the dense fog as even the street lights of that area were broken.
Some moments later, Arkas noticed a shadow coming straight towards him while screaming and asking for help. Eiser also came running from the inside after hearing the voice which suddenly vanished and it all went back to normal. Yet Eiser and Arkas were cautious now, as they replied to that voice but got no reply. Arkas snapped his fingers and created a fire as the both decided to chase after that voice.
They split up and searched through the area to some extent but found no clue. It was as if the voice came from a ghost who disappeared without trace. Dumbfounded Arkas got frustrated and started to lash off
"Haahh Are you making fun of me Huhh??"
He said, in spite of anger.
To which he heard a voice again. This time of someone being strangled. He followed that voice immediately and saw two men clad in black attires with a sack on thier back. The voice was coming from inside of the bag. Soon enough Arkas noticed some chains on them tied along thier waist and it hit him that those guys were the Chained Dogs kidnapping a kid. Arkas couldn't help but feel immense rage as he saw those two men. As the death of his father flashed infront of his eyes when he saw those two men.
The two men weren't bothered by the fact that they got caught instead they were happy that they could get ahold of Arkas aswell.
"Oh well... Its just a kid"
Said one of the guys.
"Yeah... And if we capture him the boss will be very happy. He has fire attribute you see."
Said the other.
"Hmmm.... He might even forgive us for losing this brat."
The two chattered among themselves as if conspiring to take Arkas with them aswell. Then one of the guys got ahead and stretched his hand to surround his hand with rocks and threatened Arkas to some with them swiftly or else.
Arkas gave a demeaning look at the guy as he said that and enveloped his fist in fire and threw right in his stomach. The man was sent back dome distance but taking on the challenge seriously the other guy took the sack down from his shoulders and stood beside the other guy to support him.
"Give up tough kid, you think you can take on both of us at the same time. Huh?"
He said as if to mock Arkas.
Arkas grinned as he said that and charged towards them with his fists loaded with fire he shouted:
"SPIRAL FLAME!!!"
And a big spiral of fire came out of both of his fists that hit them in thier guts and they hit the back wall which cracked and break a little. Both of the guys fainted the instant they were hit with the Spiral Punch and blood came out of thier mouths.
Arkas grinned again and started to admire his strength while the kid was constantly screaming inside the sack. Them came a panting Eiser who rushed towards Arkas after hearing a loud crash.
Then Eiser opened the sack and freed the ropes the boy was caught in and freed him. The boy started to breath heavily as he got freed and said:
"Hey couldn't you release me sooner? You masochist!"
While Arkas just rolled his eyes away and dodged the questions.
Then Eiser asked him about his whereabouts and the boy told them that his name is Sandy Lotson and he is from Peninscilla country. He was captured by the Chained Dogs a while ago but he would sneak out again and again hoping to escape but he was captured every single time, only this time the outcome was different.
After hearing his story Eiser decided to take the boy home with them thinking Ana and Julia would have come back. On thier way back Arkas and Sandy constantly argued as Arkas said the he beat two men wearing full black clothes and they were members of the Chained Dogs while Sandy insisted that anyone could beat those two guys. They reached home and and thier shock grew thick as Ana and Julia weren't home even then.
Eiser's discomfort grew and his sharp senses signaled obscurity. Then he thought about what Arkas said about beating two guys of Chained Dogs.
"Arkas? The guys you beat.. Are you certain that they were Chained Dogs?"
Eiser inquired in growing suspicion.
"They sure were! All Chained Dogs members wear dystooian clothes!"
Arkas replied as if starting to glaze himself again.
But Eiser's eyes grew narrower as he said that and asked Sandy to take them where the kids were captured.
And so the three hurried to the place where the the Chained Dogs of the Cut city were enslaving thier kidnapped children and to the place where Julia, an Executive of the Chained Dogs had taken Anastasia to.
*******
Tips:
Sandy Lotson is about 13 years old.
The place where the kids are enslaved is in District 2 of Cut city.