The morning was gloomy. Gray clouds hung low in the sky. I was greatly pleased with such weather. Walking in armor under scorching sun is a questionable pleasure. I washed up and descended the stairs to the kitchen. Lira was in charge here, and the smell of delicious food filled the air.

"Good morning," I greeted the lady of the house.

"Not so good," exclaimed the elderly woman in response. "Explain yourself, Evan! Why do you need to go to the forest?"

"I've already told you. I want to become a ranger. I just need the practice of being in the wilderness."

"That's what he said. He wants to become a ranger," muttered Lira. "Just imagine! A child heading into the Great Forest for hunting."

"Don't exaggerate, grandma. There's nothing scary there. Just a regular forest. Quiet, peaceful, birds singing... I've lived close to it my whole life," I said as I quickly ate my porridge with fried sausages. "Very delicious, thank you."

"Don't make a fool out of me!" she retorted, hands on her hips, furrowing her brow. "Since when did the Great Forest become ordinary? Warriors who perish in it constantly don't think so."

"Well, of course, things happen. How many people die in the city every day?" I took a sip of tea from a large cup. "Should we not leave our houses because it's dangerous?"

"Oh," she waved her hand at me. "In the city, the dangers are understandable and familiar. In the forest, it's a whole different story."

"No argument there," I sighed. "For you, that's true. But I've lived next to the forest my whole life and seen a lot. Many things are very exaggerated by city dwellers."

"Just come back! I... I don't know what I'll do!" the woman turned away towards the stove and began scrubbing something fiercely. "Men! Why can't they just sit in warmth and comfort... Why are men always drawn somewhere else?"

Under the quiet muttering of Lira, I finished my breakfast. I thanked her and went upstairs to gather my things for the journey. In half an hour, I was ready. I put on the armor. I felt the weight of the metal, and it became uncomfortable to move. Kilograms of metal on each arm were no joke. Perhaps it was too much. I would use this armor for training; the actual battles should be lighter. The first changes were already evident, even before leaving the house. I wrapped my hands with green ribbons.

I packed camping gear, a cooking pot, a water flask, and some food into the backpack. I put on the backpack and descended downstairs. On the ground floor, Lira stood there, dabbing the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief. She looked tragically, as if bidding farewell to a son or grandson going off to war. It was amusing.

"Oh, come on, enough of that" I didn't hide my irritation. "Just a regular camping trip for a few days in nature. Stop dramatizing it."

"Why are you so grown-up, Evan? " Lira exclaimed, throwing her hands up.

"Life is like that. Don't bury me prematurely. Everything will be fine, " I waved my hand and left the house, leaving behind the worried woman.

As soon as I closed the door, a boy leaped off the fence opposite. He was around seven years old. The tanned child looked at me intently and quickly ran off somewhere. A great adventure must have begun. I headed towards the city gates that led to the side of the Great Forest.

I soon left the city. As I passed through the gates, I could feel the bewildered gazes of the guards on me. Nothing surprising. A teenager going alone from the city towards the dangerous forest. A child with good equipment, armor, an expensive backpack. Everything in shades of green. The only weapon I had was a knife on my belt. A very strange teenager. I probably overdid it again and drew too much attention to myself. How many times have I scolded myself for it, yet I still make simple mistakes.

I looked back and saw three men exiting the gates shortly after me. The trio was leading horses by the reins. Two of the pursuers were dressed in regular legionnaire attire, and the slender man wore a worn-out quilted jacket. Just as I suspected, the assassins decided to act outside the city. It's much more convenient than doing their dirty work on the streets where there are many witnesses. It's very unfortunate that there are three of them. At first, I thought it wasn't about me, but I recognized two of them, and my doubts vanished. Perhaps the men were impressed by how I dealt with the three teenagers and decided to bring reinforcements. And once again, I made a mistake.

I continued on my way, feeling nervous and entertaining thoughts of escape. As I distanced myself from the city walls, I encountered fewer and fewer people, carts, and riders. After a few hours of travel, a hamlet came into view, consisting of merely ten houses. It was the last settlement before the edge of the Imperial Forest. There was no one else on the road except for me and the trio of pursuers. The men weren't in a hurry; they calmly followed behind me. On the right side, there was a small grove rustling with leaves. It seemed like a convenient spot to me, so I veered off and headed towards it.

Despite my dark thoughts, I didn't change my plan. I intended to confront the men. I had spiritual energy, and at any moment, I could surprise the assassins and attempt to escape. Either way, I had no way out. I couldn't abandon my training, and hiding from the killers for long wouldn't work either. In the city, they could easily ambush me, as they did before. It doesn't take much intelligence to stab someone in the ribs in a crowd.

In the grove, I quickly found a convenient clearing. I dropped my backpack under a tree. I put on elbow guards, and gauntlets. I stuck the totem in the ground, sat beside it, placed my hand on the runes, and began to wait for my guests.

Soon, the trio of pursuers arrived at the clearing. The men made no attempt to conceal themselves; they walked openly onto the clearing. Everyone understood what was to come. The men tried not to show it, but my behavior unnerved them. They couldn't understand why a young boy had chosen to engage in a deadly battle. I didn't resemble a submissive victim. The unknown frightens us the most. The men were alert and focused. The warriors handed the reins of their horses to their short companion and stepped into the middle.

There were two men standing across from me. The sturdy man was armed with a regular sword and a legionnaire's shield. The second one, a tall and strong man, had a massive sword on his back and a round buckler on his belt. The warrior looked incredibly dangerous. He moved smoothly and effortlessly, despite the heavy armor. It seemed that the armor didn't hinder him at all.

"How can I assist you, dear sirs?" I stood up.

"Don't put on a circus show," said the stern warrior, unsheathing his sword.

"Show some mercy..." their faces contorted in disgust. They were probably among those who despise weakness, even when it comes from a child. "Just give me a name. Who asked me to kill?"

"The code prohibits disclosing the client's name," said the third assassin. He had already tied the horses at the edge of the clearing and joined his companions.

My lips curled into a contemptuous smirk. Do they have the right to mention any codes and regulations? They came in a threesome to kill a child. Perhaps the burly man agreed with me or simply held a low opinion of his companions. He pushed both men towards me while staying in place himself, crossing his muscular arms over his chest. It seemed that the warrior would not be joining the fight just yet.

The former legionnaire raised his weapon and started approaching me. His companion glanced back at the tall man, disappointment distorting his face. Then, the man pulled out two long knives and began circling me in an arc. He planned to catch me off guard and simply slit my throat from behind. I expected something of the sort from him. He didn't seem like someone who would fight fair. He was a representative of the criminal underworld. When did thieves ever engage in open and fair combat?

I waited a bit and jumped towards the perpetrator. The man began slashing the air with his knives in front of him. I couldn't discern any particular system in his movements; they seemed rather chaotic. I blocked his blow with my left forearm. The thief's left hand was raised above his head. He grinned unpleasantly and tried to chop me.

I spun around through my left shoulder, my right arm completing an almost full circle. My armored gauntlet connected with the enemy's head, delivering a powerful blow. The impact was crushing, and though the assassin tried to dodge, he lacked the speed and skill. My movement was too quick and unexpected. The killer collapsed into the grass.

The former legionnaire turned out to be nearby, his sword was raised over his head. I somersaulted forward, narrowly avoiding the blade that whizzed past my back. I quickly got back on my feet, turned around, and assumed a defensive stance. The legionnaire couldn't pursue me immediately as the fallen body of the thief was obstructing his path. Stepping over his fallen comrade, the warrior lunged at me. I kept retreating and dodging his sword strikes, blocking a few light attacks with my steel-clad hands. I attempted to seize the moment and close the distance, engaging in close combat. However, each time I was met with skillful defense. The legionnaire used his shield to block me and attempted to thrust from below. It was a dangerous move. We danced like this for some time, competed in a battle of skill and agility.

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Once again, I attempted to break through into close combat. The legionnaire blocked my attempt with his shield, and his sword slid across my brigandine armor. I tried to capitalize on the moment and get closer, but the warrior deftly turned his blade and slashed at my right arm. The sword gratingly scraped against my steel vambrace. In that moment, my wide hook landed on target. I finally struck the man's head. My blow was heavy but futile. The warrior's helmet bore a small dent, and that was it. We recoiled from each other, frozen for a moment, and then lunged back into the attack.

The legionnaire began to press me again. He was making repetitive attacks and strikes. The man was a dangerous and experienced opponent but predictable. With each passing moment, I felt more confident. I was faster than the enemy, I saw all his movements. We circled the battlefield, trying to outwit the enemy. Finally, I managed to seize the right moment. When the legionnaire raised his sword overhead, I instantly closed in on him and grabbed onto his shield. The warrior was taken aback; he had never been taught to deal with a situation like this, and he felt uncomfortable. The legionnaire tried to push me away but couldn't. I held tightly onto the edge of his shield. In that moment, I clearly realized that I couldn't defeat my enemy with simple strikes. No matter where I hit him, he wouldn't feel a thing. All vulnerable points were protected by sturdy armor, and I wouldn't be able to deliver a fatal blow.

The legionary's sword flew into my hand. The enemy aimed to bring down his weapon onto my fingers, which were gripping the edge of his shield. What happened next happened in an instant. The Legionnaire missed a bit, I yanked him shield to the side just in time. The blade of his sword struck my forearm. My right fist hit the enemy's ribs from the left side, and I pushed forward with my energy blade. The enemy's weapon bounced off my defense, but it was very painful, as if I had been struck with a hammer. It was not in vain that I insisted on increasing the thickness of the metal when ordering my armor. I recoiled from the enemy. The warrior froze for a moment and began to settle on the ground. Blood gushed from his mouth. His glassy eyes indicated that he was already dead.

Throughout our fight, I tried to keep an eye on the big guy. I was afraid of missing the moment when he would decide to engage in battle. The man stood still during the brief skirmish. After my victory, the enemy clapped his massive hands several times, mimicking applause.

"Well done, kid," the big warrior said loudly. "I never would have believed it if someone had told me that an unarmed child would kill two men in a fair fight. How did you take down Brusha?"

I shrugged. I could feel my left hand quickly returning to normal. The totem was still in effect.

"Now I don't even know what to do," the man said. "On one hand, it's embarrassing to fight an unarmed child... But I saw what you're capable of."

"Why did you come with them? Did you not know why they were coming?" I asked.

"I knew," the man shook his long hair. "I thought this was going to be a lot easier. I'll walk out of town in their campaign and get ten gold pieces. They were supposed to handle you themselves."

"But they invited you for some reason."

"The fools spun a tale that you instantly killed some misfits with their own weapons. But... back then, it sounded like nonsense," the warrior admitted.

"Are you going to turn around and walk away?" I scoffed.

"You're right," the warrior drew his massive sword from his back sheath. "Sorry, kid. There's no other choice."

The sword was enormous, seemingly larger than me. Approaching the warrior will be impossible if he chooses to keep his distance. The length of the sword, coupled with his massive hands, left me with little chance.

The big guy quickly closed the distance and swung wide. The blade rapidly approached me, at the level of my chest. I stepped forward too and put my hands under the approaching sword. In my mind, someone screeched disgustingly, hurling insults at me and demanding that I immediately abandon the foolish idea. I ignored that voice. I have a very strong defense on my hands. The giant's blow is about to hit my block, but I believe the thick metal will hold, I won't take much damage. Plus, I've shortened the distance. His sword would strike with part of the blade closer to the hilt, weakening the him blow even more.

Within an instant, the massive sword crashed into my vambraces. The weapon recoiled, and vibrated. In my head, someone with a whiny voice said, "Didn't penetrate." It felt like a train had collided with my hands. But my defense held strong, the thick metal didn't fail me.

I thrust my right hand towards the big guy and released my energy. Four fingers of the enemy fell into the grass, and the hilt of the sword was severed. Part of the weapon flew off to the side. The enemy was left with a shattered hilt in his left hand. He glanced at his mangled hand, from which blood began to flow. A sea of astonishment splashed in his eyes. Closing the distance, I struck upward at the man's chin. It wasn't a classic uppercut, given our significant height difference, but a powerful strike wasn't necessary. My energy did it all. The giant collapsed. Blood gushed from the clean cut onto the ground.

I stepped aside and sat down next to the totem. It was still working. My hands were numb, I couldn't feel them.

"It was the stupidest idea ever." I muttered. The pain was terrible. "Broken arms? And what now?"

After about ten minutes, it became easier, and sensitivity slowly returned. I struggled to undo the straps and removed the protection. My forearms were bruised and greenish-blue. The massive hematomas looked terrifying. I infused energy into the totem. Gradually, it got easier. I think I was very lucky, my arms weren't broken. My arms were still shot through with sharp pain and I couldn't use them fully, but I knew I was going to be okay.

"I hope I never do something like that again. Fool... What if I had regular armor? It would have been split in half," I sniffed. "In hindsight... I should have taken his strike tangentially. Why did I make a hard block? We're all geniuses afterward... Making the right decision in a matter of moments is difficult."

Soon, I rummaged through the pockets and bags of the defeated killers. I became twelve gold richer. Ten of them belonged to the big guy. Perhaps he had been paid before leaving the city and hadn't had a chance to hide them. I pondered what to do with the horses. Should I take them and sell them? It would probably attract too much attention. On the other hand, it would be a shame to abandon them. The animals were valuable. I agonized over it for a while but eventually made a decision. I untied the animals from the tree and let them go. Greed is a bad thing.

I glanced at the corpses of the villains. I drew my knife and carved Uzay runes on two of the enemies. After a few minutes, I felt relieved, the loa had accepted my payment. I hadn't realized how much this debt weighed on me. It felt like a massive stone hanging around my neck. What should I do with the last corpse? Just leave it there? Perhaps I could trade it for something with Leshy? I approached the nearest tree and placed my palm on the trunk.

"The shaman calls upon Leshy."

"You again? " Leshy emerged from behind the tree.

"Sorry, just this a convenient and quick method, " I shrugged.

"Be more careful. At the site of your battle with the harpies came... People. Saw a lot."

"Did they find anything?" I darkened.

"They found... your hand on the tree, they took it with them."

"What?" You promised to remove it.

"I forgot. I have so much to do... I just forgot, " the forest's owner shrugged." They carved out a piece of the tree and took it away... Barbarians."

"The runes on the harpy were also found? " I glared at Leshy. Leshy nodded. - "Why didn't you remove the corpse?"

"Where would I take it? There's nothing more to do."

"Great... Did they also come to the ruins?"

"Of course, I don't know what they found there. Atzhas is there..." the forest's owner waved his hand.

"Well, you..." I was deeply upset. The news was dreadful.

"I'm not a janitor! And I have little time. Why did you summon me?"

"I want to trade... Interested in a fresh corpse?" I pulled myself together and pointed at the big guy. "in exchange for magic protection."

"No, that's too uneven of an exchange. I can offer you the totem of stone skin."

"What is that?" I became interested.

"It's similar to the lesser healing totem. It makes it difficult for you to be harmed by ordinary weapons, " the spirit of the forest shrugged. "It provides some protection."

"Tell me more... How long does it last and what is its range of effect? What can it protect me from?"

"Very much like a common totem. Will stop one or two weapon strikes. I don't know. It depends on the force. The range is about seven meters."

"Nonsense," I rendered my verdict. "If it were an amulet..."

"An amulet is weaker than a totem," Leshy said.

"But it exists!?" I exclaimed. "You're a loa! You should be helping shamans! We're not enemies; we're supposed to support each other, and yet you withhold, twist, and turn."

"Knowledge..." Leshy gave me a strange look. "Information can bring problems, but it can also help avoid troubles."

"Why..."

"Shaman, everything has its price," the spirit interrupted me. I don't get what he's talking about, but Leshy is clearly hinting at a deal.

I pondered. Was he trying to sell me information? What the forest's owner had told me was very unsettling, but at the moment, nothing posed an immediate threat to me. As far as the rangers were concerned, I was dead for them. The main thing was not to accidentally come into the authorities' field of vision. To be honest, I was doing the maximum I could for that. I looked at the corpses of the killers and the imprint of my palm on the tree trunk. How little I know, but I wasn't willing to pay such a high price for information. I need to try to talk to Avdot and see if he would be more open and less greedy.

"I'll trade for the stone skin amulet," I finally made a decision.

"It's simple... You carve a circle out of wood. Make a hole in the middle and insert a stone into it. A piece of granite will do. Then you carve runes around it, " a runic pattern lit up before my eyes. "You moisten the runes with your own blood. Try to do it evenly. It affects the quality. The amulet doesn't work all the time. Shamans activate it before battle. It's similar to a totem, but weaker and more mobile."

"Is there an amulet for protection against magic?" I quickly asked. Leshy nodded. "How much will it cost?"

"Five, but I don't recommend it..." Leshy warned.

"Why?"

"Mages... If they suspect that you know." the spirit widened its eyes and drew a claw across its throat. "Don't forget, the runes..."

Leshy took a step behind the tree and disappeared like a magician. There was no time to be surprised. I quickly carved Leshy's runic name on the big guy's corpse. I carefully scraped off the imprint of my hand from the tree. What should I do with the bodies? I'll be digging pits for them for a week. And I don't have a shovel. I glanced at the spot where the imprint of a child's hand had been not long ago.

"Also a way..." I muttered and took a step towards the first corpse.

A knife was clutched in my hand. Soon it was over. I grabbed my belongings and walked across the field towards the forest. In my hand were the severed pieces of human skin with runes. Fresh human blood dripped into the steppe grass. Insects swirled around, but I paid no attention. I purposefully walked away from the battleground.

"I am inexorably turning into something horrifying," I whispered softly. "Were all shamans like this?"

My thoughts were troubled. Soon I entered the forest. I planned to spend a day or two away from people. I wanted to be alone, try to understand myself a little better, and simply rest.