[Arc 3] Ch. 3 Miracle is Needed - Dan's P.O.V

Danish Kuwichiru Ti'en

When I saw Ryo perk up at the dinner table, the expression he made sent a chill down my spine.

"Ryo, what's wrong?" I ask fearing the worst.

He doesn't answer, he only hops over the table and opens the front door.

Then my ears perked up at a familiar sound. It's a howl from Zion, that's the signal he give when he supposed to send if they run into trouble that he can't handle.

"That's Zion! Somethings Wrong!" I announce getting ready to leave.

Ryo makes eye contact with Shiina, "I have to protect her." He says then he takes off.

"Huband!" Shiina calls to me and I understand her worry.

"Ryo has already killed the most dangerous thing in the forest, love." I strap on my sword. "And he's no fool. I trust his instinct, but I also promise to bring him home alive."

I grab the horn by the door. I run outside and blow it.

HUUUUUUUUUUNGGGGGGGGGTTTT!

Since the incident with Ryo a year ago, and the increase of staff. We are now able to round up a lot more people fast in case of an emergency. Zion has also told me the hunting grounds he plans on visiting. We won't be caught with our pants down again.

Almost immediately men and some women begun to gather outside my estate. There are many on the job and many who are told to keep their swords strapped to their waists on certain days off.

Jingkaku may be gone, but this forest is truly expansive, and the number of beasts only ever seems to increase. They may attack the town less and less, but that just makes the forest itself that much more dangerous. Especially at night.

I start giving out orders to the arrivals. I will be the leader of the first party, and i assign a trustworthy individual to lead the second. I also assign someone to guard my house since i'll be taking Nelfa with me.

The first party will be the combat and immediate aid unit. The second will collect and carry supplies.

I decide the best course of action is to follow Ryo's scent.

*

When I reach the sight in question i see something impossible.

It's Zion's Hunting party. A bunch of teenaged youths are moping while a familiar sight surrounds what looks like another Jingkaku.

It's Ryo's unique magic called Sagittarius belt.

Zion approaches me. I ask him first where my son is.

"He's protecting her." He points at Jingkaku. I notice that it's too small to be Jingkak.

"He's in the cave trying to save her cubs."

I ask him to start from the beginning.

It starts with this young hunting party. They weren't too fond of Ryo making fools out of them.

They wanted to hunt something just as big to lord over him.

Their arrogance got the best of them. When they found another dire panther, they disobeyed Zion's direct order to pass it by.

Several of them got badly injured. When it was obvious they weren't going to last much longer without experiencing casualties he called for back-up. He didn't want anyone to lose their lives over such a foolish thing.

Moments later, their weapons were broken, and a gust of wind blew them away from the cave.

Ryo had swooped in and stood between the party and the beast. Then he summoned the Sagittarius belt to cut them off from him and the panther.

Many of the hunters grew upset thinking he was going to steal their kill. And each one that complained fell to Ryo's Chantless magic. He then successfully approached the panther, and healed it. Just when they thought she was betraying him, it turned out that she was asking for him to heal her cubs.

Ryo came out of the cave and proclaimed that the panthers were under his protection and began calling the big one Jingka. Zion asked him why, and the way Ryo explained it, made it out that the hunting party was in the wrong. Zion decided to give him the aid he asked for since he had originally planned on leaving the obviously nursing mother alone but couldn't control his pack. Ryo took two from the hunting party and Joy inside the cave with him, and they've been waiting out here ever since.

A young pale huntress comes out from time to time to empty a bowl into a hole, and then returns to the cave.

Soon I start to see lights in the wall fizzle out.

"Nelfa, you're an elf." I said.

"And you're as observant as always." He chides.

I roll my eyes in response. "If Ryo was able to make it passed Jingka, do you think you could find a way?"

"I think if she's calmed down enough, I can ask permission."

"That'll work, I'll make sure nobody out here doesn't do anything stupid."

I see Joy came out and stands by Jingka. Then the Sagittarius belt disappears. When it's gone everyone tenses.

Nelfa makes his move, he approaches Jingka. He talks to her and she makes noises back. When their exchange is done he moves into the cave.

Good, it worked..

Ryo is the next to come out and he is wobbling. He looks like hell covered with blood and ooze, but i let out my relief when i discover none of it is his. He approaches Jingka. Wait, she's moving there is something under her.

Another Cub.

The cave flashes with fire magic and Ryo takes off his clothes and burns them. Then he uses water magic to wash his body before looking over the cub.

I didn't know that he knew water magic yet. Those lessons with Nelfa must be paying off.

Nelfa comes out a moment later and joins him. They talk and when they come to an agreement about something that makes Joy visibly worried, but Ryo places his hands on the cub.

His hands glow green for a second and then nothing, The cub doesn't move, there is no magic.

Jingka's tail sags and Joy begins crying.

But Ryo doesn't move. I hold my breath. I know Ryo is extraordinary, but I can't think of what more he can do.

My heart was pounding in my chest. Ryo was such a tender soul. His noble nature ran deep, and he was able to overcome impossible odds before. Whether it was befriending someone who hated him on their first meeting, slaying Jingkaku at the age of three, or dealing with my wife's absurdly clingy nature.

But even Ryo couldn't reverse death.

He'd done so much, protected so many people. What would he do if he failed?

He'd be so devastated.

My heart ached for him.

Just when I was ready to go comfort him. Something strange happened to Ryo.

Something he had never done before.

He... Started glowing.

********

A/N

Ahh.. I was suppose to make this Chapter a Two part Chapter but Forced it to be a Full Single Chapter and Write the Next Chapter.