Shield Of Vengeance

### Chapter 2: A Tragic Death

The sun was sinking low as Arie walked home, the familiar path winding through the village. It was a quiet afternoon, and his mind was on nothing more than getting home to his family.

But suddenly, a loud, deep roar shook the air. Arie froze, his heart pounding in his chest.

He looked up, and his blood ran cold.

A massive dragon, its wings spread wide, flew through the sky toward the village. Arie's body tensed, the roar still echoing in his ears.

He had known dragons were real—the stories had always been true—but seeing one in the sky like this was something else entirely.

Without a second thought, Arie turned and ran toward the village, panic flooding his veins.

The dragon was close, too close. He had to get there in time, warn the villagers, help them escape.

But when Arie reached the village, it was already too late. His feet stumbled to a stop as he stared at the flames. His village, the only home he had ever known, was burning to the ground.

Thick black smoke filled the sky, the fire crackling loudly, swallowing everything in its path.

"Mother? Father?" Arie shouted, his voice lost in the roar of the flames. He ran through the village, his body aching with exhaustion, his heart hammering in his chest.

He could barely see through the smoke. His throat burned from the heat, but still, he ran.

"Where are you?" he cried, desperation creeping into his voice. But there was no answer.

Everywhere he turned, fire and destruction. Houses were crumbling, the familiar streets now just piles of ash.

The warmth of the flames felt wrong against his skin—he couldn't get close enough to save anyone.

Then, through the smoke, he saw them.

Two figures were standing in the middle of the street, grinning like they didn't have a care in the world. Arie's stomach twisted. The bullies. The two boys who had made his life a misery for as long as he could remember.

Arie had never seen them so calm before, not even when they'd been teasing him or pushing him around.

But now? They were standing in the middle of the burning village, like they owned it.

He couldn't believe his eyes. How were they still alive? Why weren't they running?

Arie went closer and to ask

"Look who made it out alive," one of them sneered, his voice thick with contempt. "I thought you'd burn with the rest of them."

Arie's chest tightened with anger. "What are you doing here?" he demanded, stepping forward, his fists clenched. "Why are you still alive? What did you do?"

Without warning, the bully rushed at Arie, swinging the knife. Arie quickly stepped back, just barely avoiding it. His heart pounded as he asked, "wha-what are you doing?" Arie shouted

The taller bully gave him a cruel grin. "This village is rotten," he said. "It deserves to burn, and so does everybody with it"

Arie's breath caught in his throat. "You did this? You brought the dragon here?" he asked, his voice shaking with disbelief.

"Of course we did," the smaller one said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "This place needed to go. It was full of fools. We just helped it along."

The words hit Arie like a punch. The dragon. The fire. The bullies had caused it all. His home, his family, everything—destroyed by their plan.

"Why?!" Arie shouted, his voice rising with the weight of his confusion and anger. "Why would you do this? This... this isn't right. Why kill everyone?"

The taller bully shrugged, a smirk still on his face. "Because it's what's deserved. This place was too cruel. But also too weak." He reached down to his belt, pulling out a knife. "And people like you? You don't matter."

Before Arie could react, the smaller bully lunged at him again, this time faster, the knife flashing through the air. Arie stepped back, panic flooding his veins, but he knew he wouldn't be able to dodge in time.

But just as the knife came down, someone pushed Arie aside.

He turned in shock to see Sara, standing between him and the blade. The knife plunged deep into her side, and she collapsed, her body going limp as she fell into Arie's arms. Blood poured from her wound, staining his hands.

"Sara!" Arie cried, shaking her gently, his heart racing. "Why did you do that?"

Sara's eyes fluttered open, her voice weak as she whispered, "You have to be strong, Arie... Don't let them win." She smiled faintly before her body went still.

Arie's heart shattered. Tears welled up in his eyes, and he cradled her close, her lifeless body in his arms. The bullies, uncaring, turned to walk away.

"We don't have time for this," the taller one muttered. "Our master is waiting."

Without another word, they disappeared into the smoke, leaving Arie alone with the ruins of his village and the body of the only person who had ever been kind to him.

The rain began to fall, soft at first, then heavier, mixing with the smoke and slowly putting out the flames. But it couldn't wash away the emptiness inside Arie. His home was gone. His family was gone. Sara, the one person who had always believed in him, was gone.

He knelt there, holding her, his tears mixing with the rain. His mind was numb. His heart ached. But then he realised, the bullies couldn't have destroyed this without companions, and they wouldn't destroy the village without a reason, there must be a reason why.

He didn't know how long he sat there thinking, but in the quiet, something inside him started to stir. A spark. Anger.

"I'm not gonna give up yet, I'll be strong and I'll kill everyone responsible for this, with my own bear hands! "

The bullies had destroyed everything, taken everything from him. And they were going to pay for it. He would make sure of that.

This was just the beginning. Arie wasn't done yet.