《Demon Warrior》


 The beginning...and the end

    One evening, a child was lying down on the ground. Happily watching the evening sky.


    Sometimes the boy would get up, and check on his fishing rod. He would stay and inhale the fresh air, the beautiful scenery of the river, and lie down again.


    Suddenly¡­


    ROAR!!!


    The boy was unperturbed. He didn''t even got up. Only his head was turned to the left. ¡°Oh, hello there Mr Tiger.¡±


    The tiger, with its majestic golden fur with black stripes, stared hungrily at the small child. The growling of its stomach rivaled the growling of its throat. Anybody would have soiled themselves if they even caught glimpses of the tiger the size of a motorcycle.


    But perhaps, this boy is not just anybody. He certainly did not act like anybody else.


    ROAR!!!


    The boy smiled as he slowly got up. ¡°Are you hungry, Mr Tiger? Do you want some fish?¡±


    The tiger''s pose was worrisome. Muscles clenched tight, body lowered to the ground like a frog, clearly a sign its about to pounce and maul the boy. And he just joyfully laid out some fish that he caught. Right in front of the tiger''s nose.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    Weirdly enough, the muscles on the tiger relaxed. It sniffed on the fresh fish, and chomped on it.


    ¡°Awhh, pure kitty. Eat up, Mr Tiger. Don''t worry. I have more.¡±


    As the tiger was enjoying its first meal of the day, the boy came and stroked the back of the tiger''s neck. ¡°Hmmm, so soft. No wonder in the television, they turned you into a carpet.¡±


    The tiger stopped eating, and glared at the boy.


    ¡°Hehehe, sorry Mr Tiger.¡± The boy chuckled awkwardly. The tiger continued eating.


    Just then, another voice called out for the boy.


    ¡°Izzy! Izzy! Where are you?¡±


    Izwan stopped touching the tiger, and turned around. ¡°I''m here, mommy.¡±


    From the forest path, appeared a lady in her thirties. ¡°What did I tell you earlier? I told you to come home earlier!¡±


    ¡°Awh mom¡­! It''s still early. And the house is right there. I could run home in a minute.¡±


    ¡°Pfft, a minute. Who? You? The only time you ran is when dad told you to practice your kuntau.¡±


    As Zarina and Izwan kept bickering, the tiger continued eating. What a peculiar sight? Even the mom was not the slightest bit alarmed with the presence of the tiger.


    Finally, Zarina had had enough. ¡°Enough! Just go and take a bath. You need to get ready for tonight.¡±


    ¡°Fine¡­!¡± Izwan retorted. Then his smile returned as he turned back to the tiger. ¡°See you tomorrow, okay Mr Tiger?¡± And left to go home.


    The tiger watched the boy run home. He may not reached the back door in a minute, but the short distance made his travel last only a few minutes.


    Zarina took a few steps towards home as well, before stopping. ¡°Oy you! You overgrown pussy!¡±


    Suddenly, a chilling sensation invaded the tiger. It was like being jumped by a rival tiger challenging its autonomy on this land. The lady was scary for sure.


    ¡°If you ever threaten to harm my son again, I will turn you into a carpet myself. You got that?!¡±


    The tiger nodded. Had this not been a serious warning, it would be very comedic.


    ¡°Finished eating, then go back!¡± And she left.


    The tiger, thankful that there''s only one fish left to finish, did not linger as well. It grabbed the fish with its mouth, and ran away.


    In its heart, the tiger gave its thanks to the lord.


    It does not want to be turned into a carpet.

 Dead tiger...live dog

    HUFF! HUFF!


    The majestic tiger looked completely disheveled. He looked more like a stray cat than a prideful tiger. Regardless of its size.


    And you can''t blame it either. It had swam across the river, and immediately started running to get as far away from the scary lady. Ramming through thorny bushes and rough twigs and branches, no wonder its beautiful fur was in disarray.


    It was worth it, though.


    A delicious smell suddenly filled the forest. The tiger, having just finished its triathlon, was now hungry. The fish it ate was completely digested and turned to energy already.


    The tiger turned on its stealth mode. Crouching low to the ground, the tiger now looked more like a lizard. Getting closer and closer to the source of the mouth watering smell.


    It stopped and hid inside a bush near the clearing. If it was a human, it would be smiling right now.


    On the clearing, five people sat circling the fire. Cooking their dinner.


    The tiger licked its lips. It lost the chance to dine on human flesh before. And thanks to its good luck, fate has given him five larger meals for it.


    The tiger began waiting for the chance to pounce.


    Little did it know, somebody else was waiting to pounce on the tiger as well.


    ###


    The best food when going for a mission, was good old American chilli.


    Kem smiled as he spooned a mouthful of white rice coated with minced beef and bean chilli. His old boss used to always say that every time they had to camp out for prolonged tasks. Now that his boss is dead, Kem held on to those words tight.


    ¡°Wow, your chilli is almost on par with old man Wen. Hahaha!¡± Peyr chuckled, along with three other comrades of his.


    Kem smiled bitterly. ¡°Hahaha, eat up guys. Plenty of time left to digest all of it.¡±


    All of them burst out laughing. They were mercenaries. There''s not a lot of merriment in their lives. Good chilli, and good beer, there''s nothing better.


    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°Haiz, if only boss Wen was still alive¡­¡± One of them suddenly sighed.


    That one sentence turned the mood down in an instant. Everyone hung their heads in bitterness. Thinking of their old leader.


    Kem and the others were a part of a well sought after group of soldiers-for-hire called the Ati Itam. Those who entered will go through a blood oath that binds their loyalty to the organization. Those that betray the organization will find their blood drained by the malevolent spirit owned by Ati Itam.


    Problem arise, when the malevolent spirit was taken. Who knew what sort of magic the new leader had, but the spirit got a new master now. Thus, Ati Itam also have a new master.


    What''s worse is that the old owner boss Wen, the one who originally inherited the malevolent spirit, died a violent death. The result of a forced break of the contract with the spirit. When Kem and the others found Wen''s body, he looked like the corpse of a cat squished by a car on the road.


    Kem clenched his fist tight. ¡°If I could, I would''ve skin that bastard alive. Fucking traitor!¡±


    The rest also have an enraged expression on their faces. Boss Wen treated them well. Although with the possession of the malevolent spirit he could order them to do anything he wanted, Wen has never abused his power.


    But now, Ati Itam¡¯s headquarters had turned into that coward''s personal castle. Their comrades, his own servants.


    ¡°You know, maybe we should find a way to take that spirit from him.¡± Peyr suggested through his gritted teeth.


    ¡°Hmph! As if that''s possible.¡±


    Peyr was unrelenting. ¡°Well that bastard did it. Why can''t we? I mean, who the hell even is he? He''s just an outsider. If anyone deserved to be a leader, it wouldn''t be him.¡±


    Silence. Yet everybody nodded. For a while, they had these thoughts. Unfortunately, the mirror gave then a brutal face slap to reality. They are weak, and they cannot break the blood oath.


    But now, Peyr¡¯s words ignited the thirst for revenge they had buried. It sounded logical too. That bastard did it, why can''t we?


    Suddenly¡­


    ROAR!!


    All five of them looked towards where the sound came from, and immediately recognized the yellow and black fur.


    Only, it might''ve been a little too late. For the tiger was already in the air, about this sink its teeth into one of them. They don''t even have the time to grab the hilt of their dagger.


    BAMMM!


    Just as sudden as it appeared, the tiger disappeared from the air. And appeared moments later under a tree. Dead!


    Poor tiger. It thought it had escaped death before. If it only knew how dangerous humans are, it would scold at its desire for human''s flesh and chase it away. Now, it did not have the chance to even be a carpet.


    ¡°Wow, a tiger. This is good stuff!¡± A mocking tone could be heard.


    All five of the mercenaries turned apprehensive. They have mixed feelings when they hear the voice. On one hand, they are grateful to be saved. On the other hand, they are afraid if the person hears their fiery discussion.


    ¡°Hey, why are you suddenly quiet? I thought you wanted to take this spirit from me? What are you waiting for?¡± The man continued to tease.


    The face of the five turned even paler than when the tiger attacked. He heard us, they screamed in their hearts. All of them shuddered thinking of the probable punishments waiting for them.


    ¡°Oh relax. I won''t do anything. I know boss Wen is a great leader. It is natural for you to want revenge for your dead master. Even I can understand that.¡±


    Buds of relief began to sprout in their hearts. Yet, they still did not put down their guard. They are not stupid.


    ¡°Hahahaha, it''s good that you are this careful. Don''t worry, as long as the spirit hold the leash to your necks, I won''t do anything whatever it is you say.¡±


    All of them nodded. It is indeed logical. This new boss does not have to worry about betrayal. The malevolent spirit would instantly attacked and drank their blood in its entirety.


    ¡°Now listen up. This old Shir only care for money. As long as this old Shir had money, I don''t care about anything else. Naturally, as long as I had enough, I won''t care what you do.¡± He said with a laugh.


    ¡°How about this, after this mission is over, I will not interfere with Ati Itam''s daily affairs. Feel free to do anything. Use the money in the coffer to do anything you want. Just don''t touch my part of it. How about that?¡±


    Kem was enlightened. If that''s true, his brothers and sisters no longer had to be his personal slaves. Only the bullets for him to kill his enemies. And that''s something they could easily live with. ¡°We agreed. And will be eternally grateful for your arrangements.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha good. Then, as for my last few orders, skin this tiger good. I want the pelt for a new coat, and the meat to be roasted for all of us. Let us dine for this new wonderful symbiosis between us.¡±


    Everybody raised their beer bottles. They don''t want to. But for the sake of their brothers and sisters in the headquarters, they had to.


    After all, better to be a live dog than a dead tiger

 The Last Dinner

    Izzy''s mouth was salivating once he sat at the dining table. For all of the food on the table was his favourite dish. Cook by his mother and father.


    There''s his mother''s beef and bell pepper cook in blackpepper sauce.


    There''s his father''s shrimp and pineapple cooked in coconut broth.


    And the most heaven defying dish of all, Three Flavoured Fish. A holy amalgamation of spicy, sweet and sour. Served with mixed vege.


    ¡°Wow! What''s the occasion, mum?¡± He could not help but to ask.


    With a smile and a frown on her face, Zarina answered with a question. ¡°Huh? What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Oh dear mother, you can''t fool me. There''s only two reasons why you made this Three Flavoured Fish. When I aced my quarterly school tests, and after dad came back home after being stuck at work for a few days.¡±


    ¡°So?¡± Zarina¡¯s voice was strained with rage.


    ¡°So, again I ask, what''s the occasion? It''s the beginning of the year, and dad have stayed at home for a few months now. Why the feast?¡±


    Shuib chuckled watching Zarina roll her eyes. ¡°You smart mouthed brat. Can''t you just be thankful?!¡±


    But this eleven year old boy was unrelenting. ¡°Dad always taught me, good things always come with a price. Right, dad?¡±


    Zarina''s sharp gaze turned and stabbed at Shuib. The meaning is clear. Are you on his side, or me?


    Shuib knew that there''s only one answer for that. The answer which have been true since the beginning of human civilization. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Yet, he can''t just disappoint his beloved son. Not when Izzy''s been diligently practicing what Shuib¡¯s preached.


    Hence, diversion is the key.


    ¡°Hahaha, son. There''s no harm in taking things for free, as long as you are prepared for any possibilities. Isn''t there an old saying: Don''t look for death, don''t run from wealth?¡±


    This boy actually stopped to ponder, like a great philosopher. Moments later, his gaze was sparkling. ¡°I''ll take that into consideration, dad. Hehehe.¡±


    ¡°Good boy. Now say thank you to your mother, and let''s eat.¡±


    Izzy, knowing he had offended his mother, turned his boyish charm and went and hugged his mother. ¡°Thank you mother! Love you!¡±


    ¡°Hmph! Eat your dinner.¡± She said that. But her lips were quivering in her effort not show how touched and happy she is.


    And so, the three happily ate their dinner.


    ###


    ¡°Is there¡­really nothing special to tonight, dad?¡±


    The dinner is finished, and the trio are enjoying their dessert. Shuib''s delicious caramel pudding. Creamy yet light, dense yet delicate. It was just wonderful.


    Shuib and Zarina looked at each other, and btoke into giggles.


    ¡°Heh, when did my son get so smart?¡± Shuib jokingly scoffed. ¡°You guessed it. It''s a happy day today.¡±


    ¡°Oh? What could it be, dad?¡±


    Shuib gave his son the biggest smile of all. ¡°Son, from now on, your dad is retired. With big pension too. Isn''t that great news?¡±


    Unfortunately, Izzy did not share his enthusiasm. ¡°Oh¡­¡± he said nonchalantly.


    There''s a reason for that. Izzy naturally knew about his father''s occupation. Yes, he did work in the King of Kedah''s office. Yes, he did serve the office of the last monarchy in Malaysia.


    But Shuib was just an account clerk. He''s not a¡­a soldier defending the royals or something. He just did bookkeeping. In charge of figuring out wasted expenditure of spoiled nobles.


    And to this day, Izzy did not get a satisfying answer as to why an account clerk would sometimes spent days in the office without coming home.


    ¡°Oh?! What do you mean oh?! You should be happy. Your dad is going to be at home more. Isn''t that a good news?¡± Shuib frowned. Conversely, Zarina''s shoulders shook with amusement.


    ¡°Cheh. What''s so great about that. Now I gotta train my silat every evening now. Haiz, goodbye TV¡­¡± Izzy spoke in a melancholic tone jokingly.


    ¡°You ungrateful child!¡± Shuib was enraged. And then, to Izzy''s horror, an evil smile formed on Shuib''s face. ¡°Hehehe, just you wait. I''ll make sure you won''t have the energy to think about cartoons.¡±


    ¡°Oh no.¡± Izzy hurriedly went down and kowtow to his dad. ¡°Father. Dear sweet, beloved father. Forgive your idiot child. This child will work hard. Just¡­don''t deprive this child of his budding childhood.¡±


    Hearing that load of nonsense, both husband and wife started laughing. ¡°You¡­where did you learn to speak like that? Hahahaha, sit down and eat you damn brat. Alright, don''t worry. There''ll be time for TV and cartoon.¡±


    ¡°Fuh, I''m relieved. Dad is wise. Dad is the best.¡±


    Zarina did not want to lose. ¡°Eyy, what about me? What about mommy?¡±


    However, before Izzy could say anything, both Shuib and Zarina turned serious. Startling the young Izzy. He never saw his mother and father looked this angry in his life.


    If the tiger was here, and was still alive, it would have recognized the man suddenly joining the dining table. For that man was the one that killed it.


    But, frankly, Shuib and Zarina did not need the introduction from the tiger. They recognized this man.


    ¡°Shir¡­!¡±


    Bashir smiled. ¡°Hello, family.¡±