In another part of the forest, Rudra stood on a rocky outcrop, scanning the horizon. His piercing eyes narrowed as he caught the faint echo of a struggle near him.
Rudra thought that it might be one of his siblings so, without hesitation, he sprinted toward the sound, his gauntlets gleaming in the faint light.
Arriving at the scene, Rudra's expression became cold as he saw the giant wolf towering over a broken and bleeding Thor.
Something in Rudra snapped as he wasted no time, charging at the beast and kicking it away with {Tail Disk}, leading a whip-like strike into its side!
The beast was sent flying away and its rib cage was broken. It whimpered in pain as it stared at Rudra in fear.
Rudra didn't feel the pain or fatigue from his earlier battle, he only felt an overwhelming anger! Rudra glared at it with pure unbridled rage, making the beast feel like Rudra wasn't as easy a target as Thor was.
"Thor," he muttered, his tone equal parts anger and worry. The youngest Dragoncrest sibling had always been a reckless genius, but Rudra hadn't expected him to be in such a miserable state. "If you've gotten yourself killed, I'll drag you back to hell to kill you myself."
"I'm..sor..sorry" Thor muttered, he was barely conscious and Rudra saving him broke his spirit.
Rudra's lips curled into a snarl. "Pathetic," he muttered. But beneath the scorn lay a simmering protectiveness.
He turned back to the wolf and launched at him, his glistening claws slicing through the air. However, although he stopped feeling it, the wounds from his earlier battle remained.
He felt a stabbing pang of pain in his arm as it slowed down his attack, enough for the beast to dodge it and run away.
A vein popped in Rudra's head as he was furious! However, he chose to get his battered brother to safety instead of chasing the beast.
Thor struggles to his feet, finding his halberd and using it as a crutch.
"Stop," Rudra barked at Thor. "You've done enough."
Thor, still clutching his halberd, collapsed to the ground. "Rudra? I can't—" His voice broke. "I can't see."
Rudra didn't respond immediately, focusing instead on the entire depth of Thors' wounds. "Blind or not, you're still a Dragoncrest," he growled. "And Dragoncrests do not yield."
"I didn't," Thor said defiantly, his expression becoming stern as he gestured toward the body of the first wolf that he had slain.
Rudra turned to Thor, his expression unreadable. "You're an idiot," he said flatly. But there was a softness in his tone that belied the harsh words.
Thor struggled to his feet, swaying unsteadily. "I—I didn't pack everything. I thought—"
"You thought wrong," Rudra snapped. "You thought you were untouchable. Now look at you." He grabbed Thor's arm, steadying him. "You're lucky I found you before that thing finished the job."
Thor's head hung low. "I was scared," he admitted. "I still am."
Rudra's grip tightened. "Good. Fear keeps you alive. But you don't let it control you." He pulled Thor's arm over his shoulder. "Come on. Let's get you patched up."
As Rudra finished saying that, Thor fell unconscious in his arms.
Shaking his head, Rudra grabbed his younger brother and the dead wolf's body. He thought it would be a shame if Thor went through all this suffering only to fail.
The journey back to the starting point was grueling. Rudra stumbled often, and his injuries and added weight made every step a challenge. Usually impatient, Rudra adjusted his pace to ensure Thor was comfortable and steady.
By the time they reached the clearing where they had begun, Iris was waiting. Her sharp blue eyes widened as she took in the state of her brothers.
"Thor!" she exclaimed, rushing forward. "What happened?"
Rudra gently laid Thor down as he said, "He was reckless. Got himself blinded fighting a beast he had no business taking on."
Iris shot Rudra a glare. "And where were you?"
Rudra crossed his arms, unfazed. "Saving his sorry hide."
He then helped Iris bandage and clean his wound as best as they could. After patching him up, Rudra woke him up.
"Thor!" Rudra barked, kneeling beside him. His gauntleted hand gripped Thor's shoulder, shaking him. "Wake up, you fool!"
Thor's head lolled to the side, a faint groan escaping his lips. Rudra frowned, quickly assessing the injuries.
The claw marks across Thor's face were deep, and the blood still oozing from his eyes made Rudra's stomach tighten. He wasn't one for sentimentality, but seeing his younger brother like this struck a chord.
Thor woke with a sharp inhale, the pain in his face dragging him back to reality. His body felt heavy, his limbs sluggish, and his eyes... there was nothing but darkness.
"Rudra?" he croaked, his voice barely audible.
"About time you woke up." Rudra's gruff tone was unmistakable. "You don't have my permission to die anytime soon, little brother."
Thor shifted slightly, wincing at the pain that shot through his body. "I... I fought a beast. I killed it."
"And nearly got yourself killed in the process," Rudra retorted. "Do you have any idea how close you were to dying?"
Thor swallowed hard. "I couldn't see. It... it took my sight."
Rudra sat down beside him, his arms crossed. "Yeah, I noticed. You've got nothing left up there but bloody sockets. You're lucky it didn't take your life too."
Thor's hand moved to his face, fingers trembling as they brushed against the rough bandages Rudra had applied. The realization hit him like a tidal wave, and his composure cracked. "I'm blind," he whispered, his voice breaking. "I'm blind."
Iris gasped, her hands flying to her mouth. "Oh, Thor..."
"He'll live," Rudra said gruffly. "Barely."
Iris shot Rudra a glare. "You could be a little more supportive."
"I was supportive," Rudra retorted. "I saved his life."
Thor chuckled weakly, cutting through the tension. "He's not wrong."
Iris sighed, her gaze softening as she looked at Thor. "Come on. Let's get you both cleaned up. You've earned a rest."
Although she wasn't exactly one to talk as she was just as beaten up as the two of them.
Thor felt discouraged, but the love he felt from his family, for the moment, made him feel like he would be okay.
Eventually, the golden glow of sunset settled on the forest, marking the official ending to their testing period according to Agni Igris.
A low rumble broke through the stillness of the moment. With a gust of wind that blew their hair, Agni Igris descended from the sky in front of the siblings.
His wings, shimmering with a red metallic sheen, folded as he landed, his glowing red eyes scanning the dragoncrest siblings.
"Well," he rumbled, his voice resonating like thunder. "You've returned."
He had seen all the trials that the three had been through. The pain and struggle, the victory of their hunt, he had watched it all without any intention of interfering.
Thor sat stiffly beside his siblings, his face turned toward the sound of Agni's voice, though his sightless eyes stared into nothingness.
Rudra, battered but standing tall, stepped forward, presenting the head of his lion to Agni Igris.
Iris rose gracefully, though her bandaged arms hinted at the brutal fight she had endured.
Agni's gaze settled on each of them in turn.
He had seen the strength that Rudra demonstrated, and he could only wonder how the boy was so cocky.
The only reason that Agni Igris had yet to correct it is because, so far, he had proven that his blind confidence in himself is not misplaced or overly arrogant as he backs up his words with strength!
He had watched Iris overcome her trauma of being unarmed and felt pride in her struggle. She had faced a psychological shock and despite it, managed to kill a beast stronger than herself.
He had seen the pain that Thor went through, the mistake that he had made. Although he felt displeased to see him in such an injured state, he simply continued watching, his heart cold.
Agni Igris's piercing gaze softened as he said, "There is no need to tell me anything. I could not interfere but I was with each of you from the very start. I knew that you would all succeed"
The kids all smiled as they received his praise. Having someone to acknowledge your efforts and suffering was a feeling that felt very good.
However, another feeling came for Thor.
Thor swallowed hard, his fists clenching at his sides. "I fought. I killed the beast... but I lost my sight."
The Dragon Emperor's eyes softened slightly, though his tone remained even. "You survived, though you were pushed to your limits. That is all I asked of you."
Thor felt a mix of relief and resentment. Surviving wasn't enough. Not for him.
Agni stepped closer, his towering form radiating an aura of immense power. He placed a clawed hand gently on Thor's shoulder. "Your sight is gone. It will not return anytime soon—if it ever does."
There were many ways to heal Thor's eyes. However, most of those items and potions are filled with immense amounts of Ki.
Trying to use such high-level items on Thor, as an unawakened child, would undoubtedly kill him. By the time he is strong enough to use those incredible items, it might have been too long for them to work at all.
Thor's chest tightened. The finality in Agni's words was like a blow to his already fragile spirit. "Then what use am I?" he whispered bitterly.
Agni Igris felt a bit helpless, as there were a few ways to heal his eyes slowly as an unawakened, but too much time had passed since the eyes were ripped from the sockets.
Because it happened during the hunting trial, Agni Igirs was powerless to help him.
However, he knew that if Thor could overcome this setback, he would gain a strength that the world had never seen before!
"You are more than your eyes," Agni said firmly. "This loss will forge you into something greater if you let it."
*****
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