26 Specific Targets

Of course, if those strange animals were edible, then that's another matter. But no, these eel-like creatures are not edible. Even the creatures themselves seemed to be starving as they seemed to be examining every shell they found.

Vir had never passed through a coastal path like this before when he wanted to go to the Eastern Lands by crossing the Southeast Lands. It was only because Aira had come along on this trip that Vir had chosen this route in the hope of finding food.

With nothing else to do there, Vir decided to just go back and approach Aira.

"Hey," he said. "Can you turn those spiny eels into food?"

Aira snorted in response to Vir's question, which she knew was just teasing her.

"Unless you want them to multiply in your stomach," she said, "then I'd be happy to cook them for you!"

"Damned!" Vir chuckled and shook his head. "Let's forget it!"

Vir walked over to Aira, and Aira got off the cart.

"Looks like we'll have to endure some hunger," he said. "What about your water?"

"There's still a little left," Aira replied.

"Let's leave this place!"

They continued on their way. Vir pulled the cart and Aira stepped on the left side of the cart.

Not long after, they saw a dragon cub who seemed to be starving and was looking for something on the beach.

"Hey!" Vir spread his arms while keeping an eye on the surroundings. "Don't be rash, there might be a mother around here."

Well, Aira knew this better than Vir himself. "Did you forget that I'm an Asurry?"

"Damn it!" Vir laughed silently. "You're mocking me, you little punk!"

A dozen meters ahead of them, the dragon cub seemed to be despairing of finding anything he could eat. But suddenly it gasped and glanced to the right.

The dragon cub let out a frightened roar and then ran away from the shore, jumped, and disappeared into the sand.

"Looks like it was frightened by your presence," Vir grinned.

"What do you mean by that?" Aira glared at Vir. "I think that cute creature is even more afraid of you. You're a monster!"

"Damn it!"

The man just laughed and continued on his way, as did the nine-year-old girl.

"Can I ask you a question?"

Vir glanced at the little girl, grinned, and then snorted. "What do you want to know?"

"Why didn't you try to catch the dragon?"

Vir frowned. "You want to eat dragon meat, is that it?"

"I'm just curious," Aira said. "Don't you love eating dragon hearts? And now we're running out of food. So," she relaxed her shoulders a little, "I thought you might be interested in catching that one."

Vir took a deep breath. "I would never kill a wild dragon."

"Oh, really?"

"Look," Vir said. "I only eat the heart of the dragon that is the rider's mount, that's it!"

"Got a special reason?"

"Who are you anyway?" Vir chuckled and shook his head. "An imperial investigator, is it?"

"I told you, I'm just curious," Aira said. "I thought you were a man without a heart. Killing dragons, then eating their poisoned hearts."

"Hey, hey!" Vir let out a long, heavy sigh. "Why are you always judging me badly, huh? You're so annoying!"

"Do you know what kind of dragon that was?"

"You!" Vir was furious at the little girl. "Yeah, that's very you!" he said. "Instead of answering my question, you're answering me with another question, dammit!"

Aira glanced at Vir who was grumbling about her attitude. And that made Vir seem to lose his temper even more.

"Argh...!" he snorted. "Of course, I know!" said Vir. "That was a Terrac dragon, a Grey Basilisk. You're happy now, huh?"

Aira smiled slightly and nodded. "I thought you were just rude and stupid, but it turns out you're pretty smart."

" Jerk!" Vir snorted again. "I don't need your praise, and what's more, I don't need you to lecture me. You damn little girl!"

Aira suddenly climbed onto the cart, and of course, that made Vir even more annoyed.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Vir glared at Aira. "I'm already tired of pulling this cart, don't you add more burden to me!"

"I'm tired!" Just like that, and nonchalantly, Aira took out her thick book from inside her bundle.

She opened the page that had a picture of a dragon similar to the dragon cub they had seen earlier, the Grey Basilisk. And it was a type of Earth Dragon or Terrac that had no wings and no legs.

Aira seemed happy to read the writings in the ancient Asurry script. On the page, there was also information about the Grey Basilisk, its nature, and its territory.

Vir, meanwhile, was still ranting and raving while pulling the cart with the addition of Aira on it.

***

Vir and Aira finally reached the border between the Southeast and the East. The two regions looked so contrasting. The region behind them looked dry, barren, and dead. Whereas the region in front of them was so green with its lush and dense forests.

Vir growled and let out a long sigh. The edge of the forest was like a long line dividing the two regions.

"How can one be so lush while the other is barren and dead?"

Aira glanced at the man to her right. She knew Vir knew the reason for sure. He said so probably just to not become more upset by the situation.

"Those al-Banix," Vir said with eyes like a pair of sharp swords and his jaw twitching. "They must be using some kind of black magic. It can't be with just the dragons that a land," he glanced back, "becomes as barren as it is now."

Well, that's true, Aira thought.

Although the dragons had fire breath, they could only be used as a weapon to destroy people's homes or soldiers, for example. Not to make a land cursed, parched, and no longer livable.

There was only one answer.

Vir was right, she thought. The al-Banix must have some kind of terrible magic. Perhaps, that was also the reason why their people could suddenly flourish, then dominate all life in this world.

In the end, there was nothing Vir could do, nor Aira. They entered the wilderness, leaving the miserable Southeast behind.

"Hey," Vir said as he stopped walking. "Help me collect firewood."

Aira understood that. Vir had always disguised himself as a firewood seeker to trick everyone, especially the imperial soldiers.

And the dense forest had provided it all. Aira also found some edible fruit.

Vir grinned as the little girl approached him. "I see you're quite useful," he said as he looked at the fruits in the girl's hand.

Aira snorted when she saw Vir with the large yellow fruit she was familiar with.

"At least," she said, "I'm better at finding good fruits."

"Damn, you!" Vir chuckled and put the two flavirum fruits that were as big as a baby's head into his cart.

The cart itself was almost full of dry branches.

After that, Vir and Aira continued on their way. However, a dozen meters later, they were startled by a shout.

"Did you hear that?" asked Aira with a scared face.

Vir pulled Aira to hide behind a large tree as he pulled the cart along.

"Shhh!" he put his index finger to his lips and then watched the situation ahead.

And when Vir saw what was going on ahead, he quickly covered Aira's eyes.

"Don't look!" he whispered.

Vir was furious because up ahead, a woman was being raped by three riders. And a man who was probably the woman's husband was being victimized by the three dragon mounts of the riders.