The boy in front of the half-wolf had an unusual appearance. His eyes looked totally white at first glance, but in fact, his iris, and pupil were a very light blue shade, almost white. In addition, the brown-haired boy had a large scar that crossed his face horizontally.
On his shoulder, a brown owl with a strange symbol on its forehead was illuminated by the moonlight, which penetrated into the chamber through the drains.
"You are at least a day late." The boy spoke with his voice placid.
"Who are you?" Luke asked, still in battle stance.
The half-wolf's instincts continued to warn him of danger, even though it was only a child in front of him. The child kept the uncertain expression on his face and revealed:
"I'm not the type who likes to reveal my name to strange people, but it's okay if it's you, Luke Lange. My name is Lescar, and I am part of the Twelve Thrones..."
Instantly, Luke tightened the handle of his axe even more. Only a few people recognized him by his real name, and that was precisely why he used a title to participate in the Tournament of Legends. Not to mention that he didn't even know what the Twelve Thrones was.
"Tell me which side you are on, and I will decide if I kill you now or not."
The owl on the boy's shoulder spread its wings and leaned forward, getting into an attack position. However, Lescar calmed it down by caressing its neck.
"Rest assured, I am here to help you..." Lescar said. Luke continued to stare at him in a fighting stance. "I believe you already know that Yoelona was here and that she took both Alexis Dmtiry and Matthew Oliveira with her. Am I correct?"
"That was one of my assumptions. How do you know that?"
"My responsibility is to know about things." Lescar spoke, looking into the half-wolf's eyes. Luke didn't understand what he meant. "Anyway, you need to know that Meredith Scully, Ynosuke Zhao, Zack Olsen, and John Eduardo are also with your past Master. She has taken them to a Fort in the North..."
Even with this crumb of hope, Luke did not relax his posture. "Why should I believe you? I don't know who you are..." Luke evidenced; still, a bit shaken by the sudden revelations, but still firm in his principles of not believing just anyone.
Lescar suddenly appeared in front of the half-wolf's eyes and touched his forehead before Luke could even move a muscle. In the next moment, a vision invaded Luke Lange's mind.
In that flash of heightened awareness, Luke saw his Master. Yoelona was a beautiful woman with black skin and white eyes; although she looked slightly different now, with white strands forming several braids in her hair, Yoelona seemed to have aged very little.
The former Master of the half-wolf was putting wood on a fire, and next to her was Matthew, looking fixedly into the flames. Alexis was slight to the side, sleeping soundly. Matthew's mouth moved, and he seemed to start a conversation with Yoelona, but Luke couldn't hear anything coming out of his mouth. Then the half-wolf's consciousness was transferred to a vision of Meredith, who was looking tense, looking down, while Zack, John and Ynosuke seemed to be enjoying themselves at a long wooden table.
Finally, Lescar moved his hand away from Luke's forehead and stepped back, staring at the half-beast from the bottom up because of his short height. "You could see it, couldn't you?"
"Yes, they're fine... They're alive." Luke spoke and smiled at the boy, almost dropping tears of relief and happiness. Not even in his wildest dreams did he expect to see his friends so at peace.
Lescar, for the first time, smiled and turned away to go back into the sewer tunnel. "Your friends are at the fort I mentioned, near Forge Hill, and Yoelona and the other two are now a few miles from Oukiwa, heading toward that same fort. I hope you will reunite them..."
"Why did you help me?" Luke questioned before the boy started to walk away.
Although it took him a few seconds to answer, Lescar turned around and looked into the half-wolf's eyes wistfully. "In the future, when you need help, when everyone needs help, I want you to call my name and tell me you are ready. When that time comes, I will make you the strongest man that this world has ever seen."
The half-wolf didn't even have to think long to deduce that dark times were approaching. The boy's voice still seemed to echo in the empty chamber even after minutes of him disappearing in the blink of an eye.
Luke was very happy that he had finally been able to see Meredith's face again; if a few more months had passed, he would surely have forgotten how beautiful she was.
"I have to remember that name: 'Lescar'... I'm sure I'll never forget it."
Luke didn't even know how he would travel north since Forge Hill was a few thousand miles away, and Luke knew little about this large city either.
Upon returning to the Strogueher estate near midnight, Luke found Ayumi awake, pacing back and forth. When she saw Luke, she widened her eyes and trotted over to hug him.
"Where were you? I was so worried about you taking so long..." She spoke and hugged the half-beast tightly.
"Sorry for worrying you." Luke returned the hug.
"Did you find anything about them?" Ayumi inquired, realizing that Alexis was not standing next to the half-beast.
Then Luke told her everything that Lescar told him, how he did to find Alexis and Matthew's tracks, and also told her that Alexis and Dmitry were 'captured' by Yoelona, his former Master.
The half-wolf couldn't understand why Yoelona had done that, but he knew more than anyone that maybe it hadn't been with bad intentions, because he knew her very well during the months she trained him.
"The Twelve Thrones? Um... I've heard about it at the University, I just can't remember which class it was in."
"So, you think I should follow his guidance and go to the North?" Somehow, Luke trusted Lescar, mostly from seeing his friends and the inscrutable tension that the mysterious boy emanated.
"I have no doubts. Go find them and when you return, I will be waiting for you." Ayumi spoke with a smile. "Just make sure you don't delay, otherwise I might find another super talented half-beast..." She crossed her arms and turned her face away.
Luke clasped her around the waist and turned her face, so she could look into his eyes. "I love you, wait for me."
"I love you too, I will wait for you." The Strogueher Matriarch said, smiled and kissed the former thief.
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