What made me wake up was the smell of food being made. It didn't smell like anything special but just the smell of food made my mouth water. Don't know why but my stomach was making sounds I have never heard before and my hunger was next level.

Looking down on myself I was somehow more skinny then I remembered. And somehow my wounds have closed up and almost healed completely but sadly enough some of my nails were still missing but feeling around in my mouth I could feel that all my teeth seemed to have grown back or have been fixed in some way.

“You done Inspecting yourself” Turning around I could see the same wild woman sitting by a fire and grilling what looks to be a leg of some sort of animal. I said “Hello again miss barbarian” A deathly silence appeared after I uttered those words. Stupid stupid what woman wanna be called a barbarian.

Before I could apologise I could hear her staring to laugh. “HAHAHAHA a barbarian you say, well I have let myself go after being alone out here for quite some time. But please don't compare me with does brutes, you would be lucky to be alive if I was a barbarian”

Taken back by the sudden turn of events I laugh as well “Good to know you can take a joke, but what should I call you miss” i said. “Drop the miss act, the only thing that truly matters in this world is power. You can call me poly and I guess you have some questions. I will give you ten answers so don't waste them, some things I will not be able to tell you because you're not ready.”

* Okay then Poly I guess first of all I guess I need to thank me for saving me back then. And my names is James thanks for asking

* Stop being a smartass James and what do you mean I saved you.

* Well Poly first I need to thank you for saving me at that hill and the second time by the cave opening when that beast appeared

* So you noticed that boy, quite smart of you. But before we continue, why don't you put on some clothes and eat something? It looks like you are about to eat me with those hungry eyes.

I looked around for something to wear and sure enough there was a pair of dusty clothes in one of the corners of the cave. As I walked up to them I started to take in the scenery of the cave, well I don't know if I can really call it a cave as it was more like a perfectly cut out room with one of the walls facing outwards into the valley.

It was very sparsely decorated as well with just one of the corners at the back of the room filled with quite the sizable bed that was covered with what looked like fur pelts from all sorts of animals. I lifted up the clothes and looked back at Poly who nodded. I put them on and it was a black pants coupled with a black t-shirt. “Hear take this” Before I knew it I was covered with a coat made from some sort of black fur and when I put it on it covered my entire body it was a bit shorter at the front presumably for running in it, it also had a hood it smelled quite nice as well.

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“It smells kinda good and do you have a thing for black” I asked when I walked towards the fire again which was situated by the foot of the bed which was made of stone. “What a weird thing to say, and why it's black is because blood doesn't make it look weird” as she said this I paused when she mentioned the blood but then I just shrugged my shoulders and sat down on the other side of the fire directly facing her.

She gave me a piece of meat, sadly quite small. I Think she saw what I was thinking and said “Don't look so sad, it sours the mood, eat it before you say anything and you will understand. Never ingest more than your body can handle remember that”

Well I don't have any reason to not trust her so I guess I will just eat it. But just to be on the safer side I took small bites of it and when It entered my mouth it was actually quite sweet like it was marinated in honey. As I swallowed the first piece of meat It felt like before it could even reach my stomach it had already vanished filling my body with energy making my sunken in cheeks already slowly starting to get filled in again. Amazed by the effect I just sat there quietly eating the meat.

Poly seemed to approve of my way of things and started to speak. “Hope it tastes good. It's my favourite type of meat you're eating. It comes from the honey squirrel and it gets its sweet taste from its special diet of flower larvas. I guess you are quite Interested in knowing what happened to you during the climb up, right?” She looked at me and I nodded but kept eating. I was still hungry and this meat was addicting.

“I won't disturb your eating, with what you went through it would be more weird that you didn't eat anything. I will speak and you will listened” I nodded “well I guess I first need to admit that it was me that lured that Braken in your direction” I showed a surprised look but went quickly back to eating. She seemed more surprised by my reaction than anything else. “Well that was a bit weird, thought you would react a bit differently, but I guess that anybody she sends is going to be a bit weird.” that piqued my attention a bit but I will let her speak.

“Good I don't like to be interrupted, well let's just say that I lured the Baken to push you to your limit. And it seems like it worked better than expected, it did push your body to the initial cadet level well the berserker plant did most of the work but what is done is done. The berserker plant was that grass-like plant that you use to rub your wounds to make them numb and help them heal. And if i'm honest it was really the only reason you could escape the Brakes intent like you did. Even if its intent was the most crude way of using it it was still intent on something quite special in the animal kingdom so I commend you that you even had the ability to overcome it at all even with the help of the plant.

The plant first races your heart rate to make the energy of it get around faster and then it dulls the feeling of fear which in turn helped you survive. The rest was up to your will power. But your breakthrough is what's called a raw one and that's quite good. The berserker grass also helps you get an edge over the other cadets and you will need it. From what I gathered it seems like your body has never been exposed to zeal and that puts you way behind your peers in many ways.”

She stopped to take a drink out of what looked like a small wooden cup but she paused and her whole demeanour changed. She put down her cup and slowly stood up. She muttered under her breath “He dares”, it felt like the wind started to pick and the room's temperature dropped. “Stay here James and whatever you do do not leave this cave i will be back shortly” As she said these words her tone became colder and colder. Before I could even react she was gone like she was ever there. Having experienced everything that I have today I became numb to her disappearing act and just kept silently eating, thinking about everything she just told me. And before I knew it I was already asleep.