"Your words will be the death of you, and you'll have only yourself to blame!"
Mikangleo's declaration was followed by a powerful charge. I never understood where this man got his throwing knives from, but he manifested three of them out of thin air. He launched two of them at me, and they clashed before dispersing in two directions. I barely had to dodge them since his aim was off.
He must've accounted for that as he kept one of them in his palm for when he approached. Mikangle lunged forward, aiming to stick the knife into my chest. Hatred blazed in his eyes as I sidestepped the attempt. No matter where Mikangleo placed his knife for an attack, he would find air instead of my body, which made the man's wrinkle even more.
His attacks were careless and indicative that he had no plan. This man was lashing out from pure rage. I managed to avoid one of his wilder slashes and get behind him. Mikangleo couldn't react in time, and my foot found its way into his back.
"I'll put you down! I'll kill you! I'll kill you for messing with me?! You don't know a damn thing about me?!" he roared after recovering his step. "I won't have you looking down on me!"
Before Mikangleo could perform another attack, I jumped several feet in the air and then crashed a fist down onto the man. I expected him to avoid it, but Mikangleo was soon planted onto the ground. The man was heaped in the accumulating mud as the rain continued to barrage us with drizzles.
"I-I'm not d-done!" I heard him shout, but his voice was weakened.
"I will overlook this, too," I said softly as I approached him.
As his hostile gaze shifted my way, I noticed a tear escape the man's visible eye. He shook with rage as he pushed himself to his feet and desperately wiped his eyes with his sleeves. "I'm not a coward, and I'm not a fool," He said softly. I was only able to hear that because of my enhanced hearing.
"Then what are you, Mikangleo? What would my death even gain you? What would you prove from your actions, and who are you trying to prove them to?"
There was no response as the man continued wiping his tears. Shaking my head, I turned my back to him and moved to where Claire was lying. With the rain beginning to build, I didn't want her to become unnecessarily wet in her current state.
"Silence speaks volumes," I told him as I scooped Claire over my shoulder. It took a second to regain her sword and fix it to her waist, but she achieved it. I draped the cloak over her head to shield her from the drizzle. "You won't answer those questions, but know this. You may return to Astana, but that man, The Ravager, as he is labeled, will kill you once given the chance. He views you as Claire's ally."
I would turn to point toward the road to Astana with the assistance of a wooden sign. Following that, I will point in the direction of Sturburg. "Head that way, and your life will be uprooted, but you'll have a better chance at living. It is the optimal route for a coward. Continue running from whatever ghost is haunting you, but know that the grim reaper will come eventually. That man is likely persistent, so consider him another thing that you have to run from."
I watched out of the corner of my eye as Mikangleo weighed his options. His eyes still blazed with hatred as his fists once again clenched. Unfazed by his actions, I would begin my journey toward the path to the Hidden Grotto. My steps displaced the mud underneath my feet with a satisfying splatter, and I reclaimed Cataylst.
"I would like to point out your best option," I said when I arrived at the familiar yellow road. "The time of running away is over, as the mistress of opportunity has come to your door. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and the defining event in your life. You want to prove that you aren't a coward? You want to prove that you aren't a fool? Then your decision should be obvious. Join us, lend Claire your strength, and explore your potential! The yellow brick road is right here, and you'll find me on it if you have the courage."
With no response from the man, I turned and began to travel the yellow dirt road. It was unbearably hot when I traveled it the first time, but now the humidity of the rain and the air was choked with a smog. However, that didn't deter me from my path ahead. I will return to where my journey in this world started, alone if need be, to gain the tools I require to properly begin my journey. My ears would flicker as Mikangleo made his decision, and a grin appeared on my face.
'Q...Bonner... fear not, my brothers. I'll get it done, no matter what it takes.'