It was nighttime when Thamuz slowly began to open his eyes. Darkness enveloped him, momentarily disorienting him until his pupils adjusted to the dim light. As he turned his head, he noticed his father’s bed was empty, the disheveled sheets the only evidence of his previous presence.

"Where could my father have gone?" he wondered as he sat up with heavy movements.

He sat on the edge of the bed and rubbed his eyes with his knuckles, letting out a deep yawn that betrayed the exhaustion still lingering in his body. The wounds and bruises from his confrontation with Korro had healed significantly; only a few superficial cuts and scrapes remained, gradually fading from his face and body.

With renewed energy, Thamuz stood up and made his way to the door of his room. As he wandered through the silent hallways of the house, he passed by Vixkard's room. The old man was fast asleep, snoring loudly as he hugged a pillow like it was a treasure.

Something in the room caught his attention: a photograph carefully protected in a glass case, adorned with a frame of radiant stones. The image depicted a woman of extraordinary beauty, with orange hair and peculiarly small horns, similar to those of a Yhamak child. Her warm, welcoming smile seemed to light up the entire photograph.

A loud snore from Vixkard startled Thamuz, prompting him to move away from the room.

As he walked toward the courtyard, he noticed a growing warmth in the air. Upon arrival, he found his father and Korro sitting by a crackling campfire. Behind them lay the lifeless body of an imposing beast.

The creature, massive in build, bore a deep cut along its side that exposed ribs and muscles. Its limbs, thick as tree trunks, ended in sharp claws, and its mouth was filled with pointed teeth. Two tentacles covered in spines jutted out from its sides, completing its fearsome appearance.

Tawnylon and Korro, focused on the fire, used the beast's sturdy scales as a surface to cook meat suspended over the flames on makeshift grills. Both men looked up as they noticed Thamuz standing at the entrance to the courtyard, watching them with curiosity.

"Hello, son," greeted Tawnylon, stifling a small yawn. "Care to join us?"

"It would be my pleasure," replied Thamuz, stepping forward to take a seat by the comforting fire.

Korro grabbed one of the scales holding the meat, completely ignoring its blistering temperature, and began devouring its contents ravenously.

"What is that?" Thamuz asked, pointing at the beast lying behind them.

"This is a Grhunthar. They are large and ferocious nocturnal beasts," Tawnylon explained as he picked up one of the scales serving as a plate. "But they are also delicious if cooked with their scales and some spices. Here, son, try it."

Thamuz grabbed the scale and moved it frantically, feeling the intense heat radiating from it. His fingers burned as he tried to cool it by blowing on it.

"Eat it while it’s hot; it’s more delicious that way," Tawnylon remarked.

When the scale reached a tolerable temperature, Thamuz took a piece of the meat, which melted at the touch. He brought it to his mouth and began chewing, adjusting to its peculiar texture.

"See?" said Tawnylon. "How is it?"

Thamuz continued chewing, gradually discovering he liked the taste. He took another piece and began devouring it, his long tongue licking his lips to avoid wasting a single morsel.

"It’s delicious, the best thing I’ve tasted so far," he exclaimed enthusiastically. "Where did you find an animal like that?"

"I got hungry early this morning and went to hunt it outside the city," Tawnylon explained, showing his forearm, which bore a deep claw wound. "It put up quite a fight."

Thamuz looked surprised and concerned about his father’s nonchalance regarding his injuries, but he felt reassured when Korro pulled out a large bottle filled with bandamenas water and poured a glass for Tawnylon.

"Thanks," said Tawnylon after drinking. "I feel much better now."

Korro filled another glass and offered it to Thamuz, who accepted it and drank, feeling the refreshing liquid soothe his throat and restore his vitality.

"Seriously, Vixkard has to explain how he grows such potent bandamenas flowers. I’ve never felt anything like this," Thamuz commented, glancing toward the garden.

"Speaking of the old man, did you see if he was asleep or awake?" Korro asked.

"Yeah, when I came out here, he was asleep, clutching a pillow," Thamuz replied, taking another sip. "Although I saw something that caught my attention—a photo of a woman. Saying she looked beautiful would be an understatement."

Tawnylon, sipping his water, looked at his son upon hearing him mention a woman. He lowered the glass and rested it on one of his legs.

"Do you two want to know who that beautiful woman is?" Tawnylon asked, as if expecting an answer.

Thamuz and Korro exchanged glances and nodded, responding to Tawnylon’s question. He leaned back, placing his hands on the ground behind him, and gazed at the starry sky.

"That woman was Vixkard’s wife. Her name was Ellie, Ellie Benavides. She was as sweet as the ripest fruit of the season and as warm as the liveliest flame one could imagine. She came from a wealthy family and was captivated by the different ways people behaved. She never judged or felt repulsion toward those less fortunate than her—she was simply someone with a kind heart," Tawnylon began recounting. "Her curiosity about people made her fall madly in love with Vixkard—well, back when he was young and dazzling, of course. How they met is a mystery to me. Everything I’m telling you is based on what Vixkard shared with me back when he was still my mentor—and when Ellie was still alive."

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"She’s dead?" Thamuz asked.

"Yes, she passed away, but it was a quiet departure," Tawnylon explained. "An illness was silently taking her life. Yet, every time I saw her, she always had that characteristic smile on her face, showcasing her quality as a person. I even came to see her as a mother during my time in Vixkard’s combat stables. It was devastating when I heard she had died. I had never seen Vixkard so enraged, so sorrowful, and so weak."

Thamuz and Korro exchanged glances again as they listened to Tawnylon’s story, their gazes eventually returning to the blazing fire that grew stronger with every passing minute.

"But it wasn’t all sadness and despair. Vixkard managed to have a daughter with Ellie before she passed. A daughter who completely changed him—so much so that he left the city’s outskirts, abandoning the shamonak life and all distractions to focus solely on raising her. From that moment, I didn’t see him again until now," Tawnylon concluded.

Tawnylon grabbed another scale and devoured all the meat inside it, as though he had just recounted a casual story, though it weighed heavily on the minds of the two young men.

"I never knew that part of your story, Father," Thamuz said, surprise evident in his voice.

"There’s much more you don’t know about me. I’ll tell you everything when the time is right," Tawnylon replied, tossing the scale behind him. "You know, I’ve been talking with your friend, Korro, about our stories. It seems we’re not so different."

"Though I was smart enough to take the easy road instead of the hard one," Korro added, devouring another scale and drinking from the bandamenas water.

"Everyone is responsible for their own actions. You chose the easy path but now find yourself in a difficult situation, whereas I took the hard path and eventually lived an easy life. After a life of suffering comes an end—it could be bad or good, but it’s still an end," Tawnylon said, sighing as he closed his eyes.

"Yes, sure, very clear," Korro said, growling between his teeth. "I hope that 'end' comes very soon for me, accompanied by lots of pamtan and houses in the city's high zone."

The time they spent together passed slowly, the stars of the night fading with each word and story the three men shared. Tawnylon spoke about his family, memories of his past, his earlier battles, how he met Aolani, and even moments when he cared for Thamuz as a small child. Meanwhile, Korro recounted his past as well, narrating events and incidents from his criminal career. Although these tales were not to Thamuz and Tawnylon’s liking, they were nonetheless intriguing due to the perspective of someone who had far fewer opportunities than they did.

As story after story unfolded, the stars vanished from the sky, which began to glow faintly. The colors of orange blended with red, signaling that morning was reaching its peak.

The beast they had hunted was picked clean to the bone, with scraps of meat still clinging to its skull and the other side of its ribcage.

The three had fallen asleep after telling tales and eating without restraint, only to be awakened by the sound of trumpets and what seemed like someone striking a wooden pillar with a staff.

They abruptly woke up and stood, looking around to find the source of the noise. It was Vixkard, blowing the trumpet with his back turned to them.

"Wake up!" he shouted, striking the wooden pillar next to him harder with his staff.

Thamuz immediately realized that Vixkard thought they were still asleep inside the house. He approached Vixkard and slowly extended his hand to touch his shoulder. In response, Vixkard spun around and struck Thamuz’s face with the staff. At that precise moment, the staff broke in half, leaving Vixkard stunned.

"Who’s there?" Vixkard exclaimed, confusion evident in his voice.

"It’s me, Mr. Vixkard, Thamuz," he explained, rubbing his face where he had been hit.

"Oh, Thamuz. Right, kid. What are you doing here?" Vixkard asked.

"Don’t you remember? You said we could stay, and that you’d teach us about the shamonak. Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten," Thamuz replied.

Vixkard seemed to scrutinize Thamuz with skepticism, his scar contracting in a gesture that reflected his doubt. Then his expression softened entirely, and he smiled.

"Right, I forgot about that," Vixkard admitted.

"Vixkard isn’t used to waking up this early, which causes him a brief moment of memory loss," Tawnylon whispered into Korro’s ear, carefully observing the clumsy movements of his former master.

Vixkard adjusted his wrinkled clothing and headed toward the yard with unsteady steps. He descended the stairs with extreme caution, leaning on Thamuz as if the young man were his makeshift cane. Upon reaching the ground, he placed his hands on his hips and inhaled deeply, allowing the scents of the environment to fill his senses.

"Judging by the smell, you’ve been grilling meat, and you didn’t save me a single bite," Vixkard remarked as he approached Tawnylon and Korro with a firmer stride. "The aroma tells me it’s you two, without a doubt."

"Exactly," they responded in unison, exchanging knowing glances.

Vixkard walked past them and made his way to the improvised combat arena. With precise movements, he kicked the sandy ground, raising a cloud of dust until a sizeable hole formed at the center.

"Come, Thamuz. Your first training session begins now," Vixkard announced, positioning himself next to the newly created pit.

Thamuz obeyed the command and approached the designated spot, curiously inspecting the excavation before him.

"What’s the purpose of this hole?" Thamuz inquired, suspicion evident in his voice.

"Step inside," Vixkard ordered firmly.

Despite his misgivings, Thamuz complied, standing in the hole with his feet together and hands on his hips. He had barely begun to voice his next question when Vixkard started kicking sand, methodically covering his legs up to the middle of his shins.

Suddenly, Vixkard walked away toward a small cabin in the yard. From within came the sounds of objects falling and the master’s own exclamations.

Tawnylon and Korro approached Thamuz, who remained motionless, arms crossed, with a puzzled expression.

"What’s he planning with all this?" Thamuz asked his companions.

"I don’t know, son. This is the first time I’ve witnessed training like this," Tawnylon replied, mimicking his posture. "Though I must admit, your current situation is rather peculiar."

Korro examined Thamuz closely, circling him while humming an unsettling melody. Suddenly, his eyes widened with recognition and concern.

"It can’t be... could it be that kind of training?" Korro murmured in a trembling voice.

"What exactly do you mean?" Thamuz asked, lowering his arms, his unease growing.

"You mentioned that your style is based on taking hits to learn how to counterattack, right? Vixkard has a special method for that. I once saw one of his students undergo this same training... he didn’t last long before succumbing to the pain," Korro explained, his voice laden with apprehension.

The creak of the cabin door interrupted their conversation. Vixkard emerged, holding an imposing whip with multiple straps ending in small daggers, designed to tear flesh with deadly precision.

"Let’s see if your philosophy of taking hits to counterattack holds up to the test," Vixkard declared with a grim smile, as the whip writhed menacingly in his hands.