BOOK 1:THE BEGINNING:CHAPTER XXXIX:FINAL RUMINATIONS

"So he got bitten on the shoulder instead of you?",
"Exactly. He sacrificed himself to save me at the last minute",
Melizzar replied peering at Bella who seemed spellbound at his unraveling fight with against their enemies.
"He really did save your life",
She mumbled still in deep thought and lowered her head down as she sat beside Melizzar.
"Of course, he did",
"But he did not mention it to me before he left",
"You look dejected. I thought he did tell you",
"No, he wouldn't say anything about it when I asked him",
"Maybe he has reason for doing so",
"Still he should have told me what actually happened at the first mission against the Sao clan. I didn't realize he honorably put himself in grave danger to save you, Master",
"His actions were truly noble and those who survived with us knows that including Azgaz",
"If they knew, why didn't they stop the elders from sending him to the city?",
"Because that was the only way to save him being executed",
"You mean—",
"It's strictly against our code that we let anyone bitten by a werewolf live with us. It's forbidden for everyone dwelling here and this also applies to you as well",
"So, leaving the hideout was the best choice to keep him alive",
"Sadly, yes",
"That's so cruel",
"Terrifying as it may seem, it is a pure way of strengthening our beliefs interwoven with the main reason why our sect want to wipe out those creatures from existence",
"All I see is a stringent rule that isn't always the best solution",
"Take it the way you see it. It's better not to argue with the elders decision, not currently when you still have a little experience in the way things work in the outside world",
"You want me to accept that the others could be killed if they get bitten by any of those beasts",
"Yeah and if Pennant hadn't save my life , I would have faced execution according to our code instead of being allowed to be turned into one of those creatures or leaving the hideout",
"What do you mean by that?",
She questioned amazed to hear his own explanations of how things would have turned out if He wasn't rescued from the Omega's ghastly bite.
"Compared to acolytes, the rules are more stricter when you are an advocate and such a case for us advocates only means death as a penalty for such incident if it were to be an advocate that got bitten",
"That means, if an advocate like Azgaz were to have received a bite, we would have witnessed an execution instead of a banishment",
"Yep. That's what would have happened to me as well if he didn't step in the way, just in time to save me",
"Well.... He really did a good thing saving you from death",
"And I owe him a lot for that",
"He has always been reckless when it comes to combat but this time, it looks like he is brave enough to save his master from harm",
"His commendable efforts have kept me alive and I will not let him down while he completes his mission as a spy",
Melizzar replied and got up to leave from the bunker bed as he recall that he was keeping her from partaking in the training at the other hall.
Bella knew this and got up as well but she didn't make a move to leave either like he had expected to.
"Let's go the training ground where you ought to be",
"Alright, Master",
She beamed a little reassuring smile at him as soon as she stood up from the bed. He led her out of the room into the silent hallways which was fairly dark and empty with nothing but statues and flaming torchwood erected on the concrete wall at either side of the corridors as they head to the stairs without being intimated by the serene silence.
"I guess it was really tough for you guys on the first mission",
"it was quite difficult for all of us fighting those wolves for the first time since the last war decades ago and we were almost annihilated if not for Azgaz quick intervention",
"Quite disturbing, isn't it?",
"I admit it really was appalling for a few including myself to return back without the head of the Omega wolf as a sign of our victory",
"Was the leader really that powerful?",
She asked in sheer curiosity as they slowly approached the stairs.
"I can't say for now but from what I observed, he was a difficult opponent and we had to flee for our lives taking Pennant with us when we couldn't continue the fight",
"Then we were defeated afterall",
"Not quite",
"How so?",
"His pack was already wiped out by the time he realized that it was too late to chase us",
"Using Wolfsbane?",
"Yes, one of the three deadly toxic plants that can kill a werewolf and we have them stored in large quantities inside the storage rooms",
"I'm sure he mustn't have seen it coming",
"Neither did I. I forgot to take it with me but Azgaz didn't and his efforts really helped all of us from being killed",
"Master Perez told us that the other two are not to be used until we know how to control its poison",
"He's right and only the elders as well as a few of us already know how to use it because it is very lethal to humans if not properly handled with care",
Melizzar explained and went down the stairs ahead of Bella who followed behind him, descending down the corroded spiral stairs but they were still a long way off from the exit which was at the bottom of the building.
"From what happened at the last mission, It's quite clear that our targets are quite tougher than expected",
"Things will be different from now on with the others, now that Pennant's gone",
"Possibly ad not only that will change but our training as well. The elders have ordered each training to be made harder than before considering the casualties we incurred from our last battle",
"Is that so?",
"Yep. Not just physical combat will be intensified but our inner chi power as well. This also includes us advocates because it clearly seems to us that the elders wasn't impressed with our performance",
"But you guys won",
"Huh.... Let's say they consider it to be a tie rather than a square win",
"So much for putting your lives in danger just to please some old people",
Melizzar scoffed and stiffled a laughter after he heard her response as they climbed down the stairs together.
"Watch your footsteps",
He ordered after noticing that her foot was about to slip on the next step and she quickly reacted in time to avoid making the wrong the step.
"Thanks, Master",
"You'll welcome. But remember this, now that you know how we lost some good comrades in the previous battle and how we were almost clawed to death, you really should take your training seriously. It's better if you're strong out there to be able to protect the others from danger",
"I'll do my best to focus harder on training and get Pennant back",
At the mention of Pennant's name, Melizzar stopped abruptly which got Bella perplexed and a bit apologetic for saying something that she had been nursing in her mind.