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Book 1 - Chapter 1 - Part 8
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With the Cerberus defeated, Alexandros pulls the rewards from the chest and carefully equips his new armor and sword. He looks at his rusted sword and wonders if it would be best to leave it behind. Shaking his head, he puts it away, deciding it would be best to keep it for now.
Taking a look at his health, he notices it is still low. “Of course,” he mutters before looking for something to heal himself with again. Nothing stands out to him, so he walks over to a small patch of plants and inspects them. He can feel his body relax slightly as he plucks a leaf and sticks it in his mouth.
New Plant Discovered!
Med-Leaf: A small leaf produced by a bush found in the forest. Upon consumption, it can help the user regain lost HP. If used independently, it will only offer a small +5 HP. It can also be combined with other plants to craft powerful potions.
He glances at his health bar, but unfortunately, it barely moves. He knows he will need more than leaves if he wants to feel better. Knowing no one else is in the caves, he finally decides to make his way out. Part of him was angry with himself for getting sidetracked, though, at the same time, he was thankful for the experience.
After looking around, he realizes nothing can help with his dwindling health. Deciding he needs to find a way to get his hands on some health potion or potent herbs, he turns and sees that all the exits have reopened.
Worried he would be trapped again, Alexandros quickly crosses the space and slips back out. He is relieved when he finds himself back in the cave, though his celebration is short-lived as men dressed in all-black armor begin walking toward him. Realizing they are bad news, he turns to try and run away, but one catches his arm and yanks him back hard, nearly throwing him to the ground in the process.
Once he regains his balance, he glares at the man before him. “You need to come with us, kid,” he says. His tone is calm, but his eyes are aggressive. Alexandros knows this man isn’t trying to help him and spins away from his grip before taking off. He runs as fast as his legs can carry him until his stamina disappears, and he is forced to take a break. He wonders who the soldiers dressed in black are and what they are doing. One of them shouts at him from behind, and he takes off running again.
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Alexandros does his best to lose them by zig-zagging across the open space before dropping to the ground and sliding into the bush. Since he was a child, he always loved playing in the bushes. His mother often scolded him for such things, but he always loved being around her.
He can hear the men getting closer to him as he hides in the bush, and when they are practically on top of him, he covers his mouth with his hands. His body trembles as he tries to remain calm to no avail. Alexandros has no idea who these men are or what they want, but something about them left a lump in his throat. Both men curse loudly when they don’t see him anywhere and start making their way back to their camp.
When they are a few feet ahead of him, Alexandros decides to follow them. He wants to know why they’re even here, to begin with, and figures the best way to find out is to try and listen to what they are saying. As long as they don’t suspect anyone is listening, he is certain he can get the information he needs.
Using the terrain to his advantage, he stays out of sight until they reach their camp. More men dressed in black walk up to greet them, and Alexandros’ stomach churns as stress takes over. He knows things won’t end well for him if he is caught, so he can’t afford to mess this up. Taking a deep breath, he inches closer to hear what they’re discussing.
“Did you catch that kid?” one of them asks, his expression stone.
The other soldiers shake their heads, and Alexandros cannot speak the next few words. He inches a little closer to try to hear it all, but they speak in whispers. “We can’t have that kid wandering around here. If you find him, kill him.”
He hears a few mumbled replies, though he has no idea what they are saying. He only knows that something strange is going on, and he wants to get to the bottom of it.
Deciding he doesn’t want to get into trouble, Alexandros slowly and quietly makes his way back through the forest and away from the village. He knows if he is recognized, he will be taken back, so he does his best to hide his face as he moves.
By the time the sun sets, Alexandros is completely out of stamina and knows he needs to rest. He begins scouting the area to find a place to sleep. Just as he is about to give up hope, he comes across a small opening between two rocks. It seems like a good place to hide, especially if he can gather some foliage over the crack to conceal him. He nods as he thinks it through before deciding it is the best option. Once confident that he is sealed inside, he falls asleep instantly on the ground.