I get cooped up in the workshop for days... I can't find a single moment when to go see Emerald. So, I do the only natural thing. I sneak out at night. It makes it a little more difficult to tend for her. I can only manage to clean the wound up a little and feed her a fish or two... She hasn't eaten meat in about a week now... I don't think she even moved from her lair ever since... We never had so many custom orders come in... Why now! I crawl back to the house and crash in my bed.

    “Era!” I call into the tree. “Are you here?” I listen. A rumble. “I'm coming down!” I tell her. I take the candle out of the bag and light it. She's on her side.

“Ok, let's take a look.” I take the meds and the gauze out. It's getting better... A little red still...

“Maybe I shouldn't have used the thick leather thread...” I pour the solution on the gauze and gently pat the wound. Era growls at me.

“Bear with me, just a little longer... Sorry that I can't stay longer... But I'll be back as soon as I can! I promise I'll make you better!” The pussing has stopped, but... “I'll make it all ok...” It's all my fault anyways...

    I feel stranded… I’m suffocating at this desk… I barely get to leave for quick errands. Like gathering wood or something... Never long enough for me to check on Era while it’s still light out… I leave the woods with my bundle of sticks. I notice the hunched over Gramps, struggling with his haul. I quickly run up to him.

“Here! Let me!” I take the wood from the old man.

“Oh, Wykren. Thank you.”

“No problem.”

“I hear you've been plenty busy these days, something about striking big in Astri?” The elder laughs.

“Tell me about it! It's so boring!” Wait a sec. It dawns on me! “Hey, Gramps, got any interesting stories for me? Something to entertain me while I work?”

“Ooh? Think that's a good idea? Won't it distract you?”

“Not at all!”

“Hmm... Is there a story left that I haven't told you, I wonder?”

“Oh like you could ever run out of stories! You're the only actually old person here!” I tell the shrunken Noxian. Once a Noxian goes past a certain age, they age... The hair goes grey, the face wrinkles. Even their posture changes... It rarely happens, but there are some others like Gramps here. Or so I’m told…

“Ha! Very funny...” He thinks it over again. “Have something special in mind?” He looks up at me.

“Hmmm... Something magical and legendary!” Hope that does the trick... I'm not sure if it's a good idea to ask about a cat or a tiger... I'd rather not lie to Gramps...

“Magical... Magical... Legendary... Oooh! Legendary, huh. Well. Do you know about the Sabers?”

“What's that?”

He laughs. “That's a no.” He chuckles. “Sabers are an old legend around these parts... They are tiger like creatures, but bigger, stronger, magical...” Bullseye!! Thank you, Gramps!!!

“Sabers, huh?” I play along…

“Yes. It is said that they used to live in our land long, long, looooong ago...”

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“How long ago?”

“Who knows. Some believe long before our race even came raining down from the sky… Others believe that it was our magic that made them.” He says, in his groggy voice.

“Which side do you believe in?”

He shrugs his shoulders. “Either one works. Since it's a story only.”

“Why?”

“No one has seen a Saber in ages.”

“How so?”

“Who knows... Maybe they all got killed? Or their home has been destroyed because our people expanded their villages and fields?”

“But, Noxians are so close to nature... We are able to live in harmony with it? We don't even abuse it that much?” I try to argue, but then again, what do I know? I’ve been here all my life…

“True, little one, true... However... The bigger the beast, the more it needs... Mice can live in tiniest spots, but a tiger...” Right... But... Era's been living in that tree? I'm worried... Just how long she's been there, exactly?

“So? What happened to the Sabers?”

Another shrug. “They could have simply retreated to more remote areas. Somewhere the hand of man hasn’t touched, yet. Nobody knows... Ah! But! There is one thing!” He says in an earie tone...

I lean in. “What?” I whisper.

“They say that a spirit of one still roams these parts... You can see the pawprints in the dead of winter...” Oh no.

I give the gramps a look. “If that were true, then someone would have seen a Saber by now.” I hold my breath...

He laughs again. “Whether the Saber is real or not, is not the issue.”

“Then what is?” I hold my gaze.

“Sabers are sacred. They are not to harmed.” Good to know...

“Why?”

Another shrug. Ugh! “No idea. Maybe because they are just a legend. Or maybe they are a legend because they lived here once and became sacred?” Useless. I shake my head. Gramps laughs loud. “That's what you get for magical and legendary!” He laughs some more. I put his bundle of wood down, next to his feet.

“You'll manage now, right?”

“Sure sure.” Sorry for the trouble.

“No problem. Just have a better story next time.” I tell him.

He laughs again. “You got it! Say hi to your parents for me!”

“Will do!” I nod and return with our wood back home. Pawprints in the winter? A spirit? That's definitely Era... Lucky us, Noxians respect all things of Nature... Legend or not, sacred is sacred... Perhaps that's why she was able to live here for so long? Sure her lair is deep in the woods, but... I wish she could talk...

“Something on your mind?” Mom's voice reaches me.

“Elder says hi. I helped him carry some wood.”

“Oh, how nice of you.” She smiles at me.

“It's nothing. I enjoy his stories.”

“Which one he tell ya this time?” Dad asks.

“The one about the sacred Sabers?” I wait for a reaction.

“Oh! Yeah. Nobody knows if those beasts ever even existed in the first place.” He says.

“Wait, you knew?” I stare at him.

“Everyone in the village has heard the same stories.” Mom adds. “Gramps enjoys telling them and kids love hearing them.” Right...

“So? What do you think?” I test the waters, carefully...

Dad shrugs his shoulders. “Would be interesting to meet one? Maybe?”

“Uh-huh. Mom? What about you?”

She blushes. “I'd love to pet one...” Both, Dad and I burst out laughing.

“Mom's such a girl!” I laugh.

“Well PARDON ME!” She blushes again and leaves the room.

“I'm sorry! I'm sorry!” I run after her, but Dad stops me.

“Alright, you had your fun, time to work.” He sits me back down.

“Oh, come oooon!!” There goes my good mood... I pout..