It had been two days since the fight between Demios and Troubadour, but there was no sign that things were improving. Demios gazed at Troubadour who stubbornly avoided looking at him, showed all the disrespect he had for him now. Demios could have used brute force to obtain the respect he deserved or disciplined him, but the situation felt pointless.
They looked at each other's and said nothing. Demios was glad that his buddy wasn't there now or he might ask a few questions and he didn't want to answer or try to lie about it.
Troubadour stood up and walked away, making his other soldiers turned towards him as if they were question if he should do something about it or not. They all noticed that their leader didn't react.
"We have unfinished business," Demios said as he stood up and walked away, I will get to the bottom of this. If Troubadour continued to act this way, I might put my position in danger or Troubadour might talk to Tasuku about his suspicion. I have no second to lose.
He decided to investigate about it and end the risk of Troubadour saying too much.
Chapter 117: Bonding
Demios walked toward his buddy, but was still thinking about Troubadour. The lyrical dragon behavior was a potential risk of ending his relationship with Tasuku and it was not something he could get out of his mind. He considered Tasuku as the idea partner he could have to use the spellcards and as a soldier by his side. He knew of the boy's quality and that gave great interest in him, enough that he wasn't about to lose him over his conflict with Troubadour or Jackknife. As he thought of Jackknife, he knew he had a few disadvantage over the green dragon if their path were going to cross again. There was a strong bond between them, even if it was a wounded bond, it can always be mended while his was weak and even more with the very few little things he knew about Tasuku. He saw the boy in front of him and casted his thought aside for now, except the last one.
"Hello Tasuku," Demios said.
"Hello Demios... Is something going on?" the boy asked when he saw the leader of the Purgatory Knight pissed off face.
The darkness dragon was a little nervous when the boy was clever, but replied, "It is the weight of a leader. When there is a problem, it is on the shoulders of their leader."
The boy nodded.
Demios had noticed that Tasuku wasn't really talking with anyone else, his soldier or the other members of the Disaster. He was a little glad that he didn't talk with Troubadour right now or it could have been problematic.
"How did you become the leader of the Purgatory Knight?" Tasuku asked.
The dragon gazed at the boy. He believed that Tasuku thought about it for a while and smirked, "That is a good question boy. I became the Purgatory Knight because of an intense training I have. In the Darkness Dragon World, you can only become a leader of the Purgatory Knight by showing that you are more powerful and clever than the others who wants to rule the group. It has been four generations that my family was the leader of the Purgatory Knight."
"It looks like you inherit it a little," the boy replied.
The dragon chuckled, "It only looks like. I have many rivals before I defeat all of them, including my father," Demios said, "Come. I think it's time to know better our comrades. You met them, but you really didn't talk with any of them."
Tasuku didn't reply as he followed Demios. He did meet Troubadour when he came here. He also sighed when he didn't bring Jackknife yet. The news about his ex-buddy and father figure ending in a hospital was still really worrying him and he couldn't have any news, Jack... Jackknife. I hope you'll get better. It's my fault you were greatly wounded. I'm sure you searched everywhere for me.
They joined the other Purgatory Knights and they were talking loudly. A few of them were sparing against each other's and they tried to become stronger.
Tasuku watched the many soldiers under the command of Demios. He remembered seeing them and becoming one of them, but he didn't know any of them except Troubadour, who was absent. Demios grunted and the soldiers took position in front of him. Some didn't follow the quiet order and the leader grunted loudly, the heard it and took position.
"You all know our new... friend Tasuku," Demios said as he thought of how introducing him. The boy was still considered way too young to be called a soldier.
"Yes. This young boy is one of us," one of them replied.
One of them walked forward as he stood out a little from some of them. That dragon still had his white scale, amber eyes, long white hair, large white and gray wings and a pair of purple horns. He wore a black and bronze armor with purple spikes on it and a long chained sword. He took a step forward and said, "Permission to speak Demios."
"Yes Purgatory Knight, Chain Sword Dragon," Demios replied, giving the full name and title for Tasuku. He knew well about his soldier and how direct he was with everyone. He knew he would be blunt with Tasuku and was ready to intervene if it could potentially hurt the boy.
The white dragon looked at Tasuku and said, "Demios speaks highly of you boy," in a way that meant that he only saw a kid among them and not a warrior.
Demios internally frowned when he heard his tone, but said nothing else.
Chain Sword continued, "I do not know why Demios took interest in you and why you became one of us, but know that you will have to prove yourself in my eyes to accept you."
Tasuku looked in the eyes of the white dragon and replied, "I will show you what I can do."
Chain Sword smirked at the reply, "You are really a boy, eager to show what you can do while knowing little about actually fighting like a Purgatory Knight."
"I will show him our way once he settled among us Chain Sword," Demios told his soldier.
"I think he settles well enough," he replied to his leader.
Another one tapped hardly the back of the white dragon and said, "He might be a kid, but you know Demios sees potential well. You forgot how bad you were with your sword when you started?"
Chain Sword grunted loudly as he looked the other side of the dragon who slapped his back, "It never happened," he replied, implying that the other dragon lied, but Tasuku noticed the white dragon lightly blushed.
"As for me, you can call me Purgatory Knights, Iron Gerd Dragon," he presented himself. He was a bulky gray dragon with amber eyes, black spikes on his back and shoulders. He wore a black and bronze armor. His weapon is a chain attached with a chain to a small sharp ring at the end of it.
"Those two don't like each other's that much," Demios added. He put his tail on the shoulder of the boy, "And don't worry about Chain Sword. You will prove yourself when you are ready. Honestly, fighting so many criminals and monsters on your world at your age should be proof enough, but not with Chain Sword."
"He has a really hard head," Iron Gerd Dragon said before chuckling.
Chain Sword turned at the gray dragon and replied, "And you have a much harder head than me. Yours is a little empty after all."
"Said the old grandpa," the gray dragon replied.
"Don't call me that!"
"Enough you two!" Demios ordered.
"Yes sir!" the replied.
The leader of the Purgatory Knight sighed when he saw the two glared at each other's before presenting the rest of his soldiers to Tasuku. After this, the boy talked with them for a while before they went outside the manor, in search of criminals to arrest while the Buddy Police Force didn't do a thing.
After the day, they returned to the manor.
"It's time to eat Tasuku. I saw you ate little before we began hunting the criminals," Demios said returned inside the manor with Tasuku.
"I wasn't that hungry," the boy replied.
The dragon sighed, "Is it about Jackknife? You have lost your appetite since you've learned he was gravely injured."
"It's my fault. He must have searched for me and someone wounded him gravely. I feel as if I was the one who attacked him," the boy replied as he thought, I wounded his heart and someone else wounded his body. He couldn't cast aside the guilt of his decision when he felt a hand on his shoulder.
"Tasuku. Do you want to see Jackknife again?" Demios asked. He knew it was a risky suggestion, but he didn't want to see the boy hurt himself like that.
The boy took a few seconds before replying, "No. It's better that way."
"Then. We are going to find the one responsible for hurting your ex-buddy," the leader of the Purgatory Knight declared.
"Thank you," Tasuku said, feeling a little better.
"Now come. We will eat with the others," Demios said.
When they entered, they saw the dragons eating loudly and with the lack of manners that they always had. Demios turned toward Tasuku and nervously said, "Maybe only this time."
Tasuku nodded as he never saw anyone lacking manners. Even Jackknife ate with more than them, but thought it was a little funny that someone as great as Demios had reliable soldiers who aren't always reliable.
As they were eating, the boy noticed that Demios was making sure that he ate everything he was served. The boy wasn't talking, but listened to what the Purgatory Knights were saying, mostly under Demios grunted as one of them started, "No dirty joke!"
"Those are the best," the other one grumbled, which attracted the furious glared of their leader.
The boy noticed that Troubadour wasn't with them. He found it strange that the lyrical dragon wasn't among them with his personality, the boy thought he would be often along his comrades. "Where is Troubadour?" he asked.
Demios didn't reply.
Iron Gerd Dragon replied, "He said he wasn't feeling good, but I think-" he noticed the gaze of his leader, "-there is something else. Troubadour is cheerful, but doesn't share his personal problems."
Demios was glad his soldier understood his quiet order; I had to make sure they don't say anything of our conflict to Tasuku or let it slip. I really need to end this problem as soon as possible. It was becoming more difficult of even thinking of the possibility to lose Tasuku as they passed more time together. He was still satisfied of their day, despite Tasuku not really talking to his soldiers, who were pretty intense except a few of them, was starting to know them and integrating himself as a part of the Purgatory Knights.
He closed his eyes and silently thanked the chance he got to have Tasuku as his buddy, no matter who strange it sound for those who knew little of the human world, "Tasuku. Starting tomorrow, we will begin training and make you a better warrior, so we can fight easier against the criminals and enemies."
The boy turned toward Demios and nodded with resolution.
"I wonder how long this boy will hold on. He's not a dragon," Chain Sword said.
"Surely longer than you grandpa," Iron Gerd chuckled.
"Enough you two!" Demios ordered.
Tasuku looked at them and thought that it was a strange, but fun troops his buddy got under his command.
AC: This is the end of chapter 117.
Next: Consequence of Mischief.