Age of Heroes (Age of Heroes Chronicles)

Chapter 177: Encounter in acro

THE CITY

She finally reached the city of Acro. She looks around closed her eyes and take a deep breath before opening it back and smile

The city life. The city of Acro is the same as always with its marble road and beautiful building. The roads are all designed in a way that enables the people to move their cart easier.

As she looks around she could see many new building is being constructed. all of them have the emblem of the dragon as a sign of respect.

'I should rest myself before going to the castle' she thought to herself.

She looks at herself. She dresses perfectly like a man; she even hides her breast. Arial will never know!  She couldn't help but giggle a little.

She keeps riding and looking around the city

Even from this far she could see the high castle from here. Meeting Kyle, Lisa even West would be good.

She did not fight with them on the final battle of the war. She wants to blame Arial for this since he is too worried about her.

But she knew that is just irrational. In the end, Arial is the commander of the military force of that war.

Arial for some reason have a hatred toward Alderam that Helia could not understand

She hates Alderam but she could not hate the people that fight for him. And Arial saw that in her. He doesn't want her to hesitate in the battlefield

Helia as it had always bene known come from a very noble lineage that traced back to the Old Kingdoms.

Her blood relates her to most of the ancient houses in Vangua and there are some noble houses in the north that is related to her and her house.

That is why Palais family was so cautious and wanted the support of his father when they were clashing with the Vermont in the past.

She knows Arial said that she would be doing a favour for him if she could survey the South border for him but she couldn't help but feel that she was being protected.

She feels a little side-lined. Lisa on the other hand, is a little bit different.

She would follow Arial even if he was going to hell. She is fiercely loyal to Arial. Helia had always wondered what inspires her to follow him so...fiercely.

she never understands. Then as she was thinking of all of this her stomach growls.

'I need to eat.' She thought to herself. After all, she did just go on a long journey for a few days.

'Hmm. Where should I eat?' she thought to herself and then she remembered a grand restaurant that she and Kyle went once called Thousands Tastes. She should eat there.

Their beef is one of the best beef she has ever tasted and they use many spices in their soup. She quickly arrived at the restaurant.

She looks at the restaurant and it seems even more prosperous than before. She tied her horse outside the inn.

Then she took a seat on one of the table.

'Your order' a young man come to her table to ask her of her orders. She looks at the menu and saw that they have Zicheng beef and sweet peach.

This is a menu from Vern. Helia smiles a bit and was about to place her order

'I would like some- 'when suddenly some old man accidentally rammed himself against her table.

She quickly rushed up to his help

'Are you alright Mr?' Then she felt it. A hand around her hips.

When she turned she saw a scarred man holding her pouch and he flew out from the windows. He stole my gold.

'Oh no, you don't!' Helia yelled

'SIR' the young man yelled as she flew outside chasing him.

'STOP THIEF!'

Whoever this man is, his size doesn't mean he is slow. He jumped to the roof and she followed suit. He was slightly taken aback when he saw that she could follow him

He spits to the tiles of the roof and then jumped to another rooftop. Helia only smirks and push her feet forward, flowing as he run from rooftops to rooftop

Until finally after playing a game of cat and mouse he stopped at this one rooftop. He seems to be tired.

He is panting and one could see that he had lost a lot of breath trying to shake her off. Thankfully her martial arts training with Arial prepare her for this kind of event.

The street below is full with people seeing them facing each other. Helia sighed

'I do not want this kind of attention' she whispered to herself. She then shouted at the thief

'Give me back my pouch and I will let you go!' The thief looks at her and there is a smirk on his face. He shakes his head and said

'Dream on kid.'

'Then don't blame me.' She could see that he is bigger than her but this is the first time that she has taken down people bigger than him.

Following Arial on his journey always make her encounter insanely crazy, strong, serial killers, rapist, and so many more types of dangerous people roaming around the world.

Since he won't give her back her pouch, and she could not just let that person go, they began battling in the rooftop.

The areas on top of the rooftops alone are small but if he did not give her back her money than he will pay. A narrow space. Accidents can happen.

The man brought out his spear and she frowned. 

'A spear user' she whispered to herself. In her minds right now she is tying to think of a way to counter spear strike. Usually she is more proficient in reflecting sword or saber attack

But she does know a few spear movements. Arial teach her before. He also teaches her blade and sword technique which is fundamentally different.

She also once fought a man using a spear barehanded. She nodded at herself as her eyes glint with confidence and determination

She gathers internal energy in her hand and begun to charge. The Scarred Man was not flustered as the scarred man move his spear forward executing an attack

the tassel on his spear hook spins creating something that looks like a spiral attack movement. Her eyes beamed

This technique! She has seen it before. And then a smile formed on her face.

'Excellent, Snake Slithering from the Ground.' This is Songwu technique. This is a martial artist wandering the martial art world.

She immediately made the connection the moment she saw that spear technique. Now, that she knows her technique she is more confident with her victory.

She charged again and move her body along with the spear and dodged to the right when that thrusting motion were thrusted toward her.

Her footwork was exquisite and subtle that it almost looks like she got stabbed by that spear but she is not

She immediately also takes the initiative to attack. Her right palm spun around and came up to meet the spearhead in an attempt to grab it.

This is the chance to use Arial most favourite technique. After learning this technique from him, she rarely uses it so she is going to try it on this man

'Lion Bite!' she yelled as she quickly grabs the spearhead and employ internal energy in her grabbing motion.

The scarred man widened his eyes in shock but quickly regained his calm as he realizes he made a mistake and quickly feign his attack and at the last minute manage to keep his spear.

Then like they agreed it beforehand they both jumped away from each other taking some distance.

There was silence for a few seconds as they look at each other. Helia was the first one to spoke.

'Songwu Sect? Long way from home.' She snickered. The scarred man did not show much reaction but Helia could see his eyes twitching.

Then she looked at her hand and said with disappointment

'It seems I did not yet master this technique.' Lion Bite. When Arial does it, it seems flawless. Wherever he goes, he could grab any weapon even if that weapons belongs to another.

Is there something wrong in the way she practices the technique?

Or is it because the amount of the internal energy. Maybe it required strong and pure internal energy. When she thinks about it, Arial internal energy is tremendous and maybe that is also a requirement.

When Arial dashed forward and uses the Lion Bite technique, he was fast and swift like lightning.

Wind would swirl around his feet for a few seconds the moment he moves and the wrist movement that he uses to take a weapon form the enemy is crisp and forceful.

Control isn't his style. As she was thinking of this, the scarred man suddenly charged forward. The title beneath his feet cracked.

The people inside that house had already moved outside as they watched the battle on top of the rooftop.

The scarred man moves are swift and agile, changing and faking his movement as they were an illusion. Snake Hissing in Dark Night stroke.

Once again, she recognizes the technique. Her eyes narrowed.

'This is Songwu Sect technique' The more she fights him the more she is confident of her guess.

The technique that the scarred man is using is The Spiralling Snake technique. But since she sees it before it is hardly a threat now

Her foot moved quickly and her body followed the spear around, easily dodging forward and back making her almost impossible to hit.

The patterns have already been memorized inside her head.

Then suddenly from nowhere another man a little bit older than the Scarred Man jumped into the fray.

'What are you doing Zhiwu! You should have defeated him fast.' She immediately recognizes the other man

That is the old man that rammed into her table! And at that moment she realized what is happening before

'So a two-man operation' and she almost want to laugh. the older man has a halberd in his hand. So a spear and a halberd. This could get harder for her. But not impossible. She fights many more than this before.

'This isn't fair!' some shouted from the bottom. 'Let's go' the old man said as they try to flew from the scene.

She could not let them just go like this.

Then suddenly before she could give chase she sees someone from the bottom of the building flew up with such incredible speed, and landed on the ledge of the roof and trip the old man.

An Eastian she remarked looking at that person.

'Stealing money and going away, that is unhonorable especially for a martial artist.' He said looking disgusted at the man.

'Who are you!' the scarred man yelled mostly because of the shock seeing the man suddenly on the roof.

'Just a passer-by that wish to help.' Then the young cupped his hand to her

'I hope you do not mind. My name is Zhang Liao Bao.' he said introducing himself.

Is this the martial artist that came from the martial arts world? Helia once heard that even in the martial art world there are the righteous sect and the dark sect.

Considering the way, he carries himself he doesn't look like a bad person.

'People of the martial art world?' she asked. He nodded. She then cupped her hand towards him following the same gesture he did.

'I appreciate your help, Mr Zhang. I'm Helia" she said

Then as both of those men get up they have been surrounded from their means of escape. They then looked at each other and decided to charge towards them.

She smiles at the young man and he smiles back at her. And then they both charge from opposite direction.

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