A large smile appeared on Basil's face. He approached his master and asked, "Master, is it alright if I take the original stone this time since I defeated it?" Basil was eager to claim his first prize from defeating a magical beast and couldn’t wait any longer.
The master sighed at his eager student and replied, “Fine, go ahead since enough time has passed for the bears I killed to regenerate.”
Basil leapt with joy and hurried to the bear’s corpse, opening it from the chest and taking out the stone before the body vanished. The stone was light blue, glowing faintly with an unusual energy that seemed almost white. Holding the stone in his hands, about the size of his palms, Basil finally felt the fruits of his efforts. He turned and asked, "Master, last time we didn’t take the stone, and the beast revived in about a week. How long will it take this time since I took the stone?”
“Ah, let’s see…about a month,” his master replied, then added, “I let you take it since it’s been nearly three weeks for some of the bears I killed, and they’re due to regenerate in just a few days. So, even if this one takes a while to revive, other bears will be back within a week.”
“Oh, I see. Some bears will return in a week,” Basil said with a light smile, looking at the stone in his hand. Suddenly, he opened his eyes wide, hesitating. “Master, does that mean I’ll be fighting these bears next week?”
The master chuckled, “Of course.”
“And…how many will there be?” Basil asked, the corner of his mouth twitching.
The master answered again, “Hmm, on the last day of the week, the third one will regenerate.”
Basil’s shoulders drooped in disappointment. He had struggled against just one deep bear, yet now, in a week, he’d face three at once. Thoughts flooded Basil’s mind. I wonder how my mom is doing now. Is she having a hard time since I disappeared without telling her my location? He recalled his mother’s tearful eyes the morning he left home, and a pang of sadness struck him. But he reassured himself, It’s all to make things easier for her in the future. Then, another image came to his mind: Well, as long as she’s with her, I shouldn’t worry too much.
---
*(In Basil’s Village, "The Market")*
There was a girl with golden hair that captivated hearts as it danced with the breeze and eyes as blue as the open sky, inviting one’s imagination to soar. She wore a white dress, adding to her beauty and lending her a regal aura. She looked like a fairy from a world of wonders.
“Oh, Anmar,” “It’s Anmar,” “Welcome to the market, Anmar! Looking to buy something? If it’s potatoes, come on over; I’ll give you a 20% discount just for you!” “If it’s tomatoes, I’ll drop the price by 70%!”
Offers from vendors came at reduced prices from every direction, showing her popularity in the area. All eyes, from boys her age to those older and younger, were captivated by her beauty. She didn’t only have fans among the boys; even the girls admired her and saw her as their role model.
They whispered among themselves, “Ah, she’s as beautiful as ever,” “No, isn’t she even more stunning than yesterday?” “She gets more beautiful every day,” “I wish she’d be my wife someday.” At that last comment, angry, murderous glares were thrown at the speaker from every direction. Seeing this, he quickly corrected himself, “No, no, I didn’t mean it like that!” But the hostile looks didn’t fade. “Ahhh!” He fled, pursued by a mob of boys of all ages, like hungry hyenas.
A distant scream from him implied that his soul had left his body.
Anmar went around the shops, buying all the ingredients she needed, and while she was at the carrot seller’s stall, he asked, “Where’s Basil these days? Haven’t seen him around at all lately.”
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Anmar replied, “Oh, he…”
Before she could finish, she heard the sound of many footsteps approaching, growing louder by the second until a group threw themselves on the carrot seller. “Did you just mention Basil?” “Speak up!” “Answer us, old man!” “Where is that rascal?” “If you see him, let us know, or else…” Suddenly, Anmar interrupted them.
“Everyone, please calm down. He doesn’t know where Basil is; he asked me, after all. So, please leave him alone.”
Everyone stood aside, scratching their heads and blushing while murmuring, “Oh, right, if our angel Anmar says so, then it must be true.” Once settled, they surrounded the carrot seller, red-eyed, and one spoke, “Listen, old man, our angel saved you this time, but don’t mention that rascal’s name in front of her again, or else…you know what will happen. And if you see that troublemaker, make sure you tell us.”
(Meanwhile, back with Basil, he shivered and sneezed.)
After the scolding, they lined up and bowed to Anmar, saying, “Alright, we’re leaving now. Sorry to disturb you, our angel Anmar.” They left, bickering amongst themselves, “Ah, she looked at me!” “Don’t dream; she was looking at me!” “No, it was me! I was standing right behind you two, and you misinterpreted it.” “Who do you think you are?” And fights broke out among them.
Anmar always wore a gentle smile, incredibly popular in the village. She was everyone’s angel, and anyone trying to approach her met their end at the hands of her crowd of admirers. This group, calling themselves the “Angel Anmar’s Guard,” was dedicated to protecting her.
Everyone in the village knew this, and no one dared confess their love for her, for rumors would spread before they could act, and they’d soon face the wrath of her guard.
The guards kept a vigilant eye on anyone attempting to get close to their angel and put them on a blacklist. At the top of this list was Basil, the “rascal” and “troublemaker” despised by every boy. The reason? His closeness to their angel, Anmar. Everyone knew she liked him, so they envied his luck and couldn’t stand his arrogant attitude. Basil treated them like insignificant pests, uninterested in their admiration for Anmar or her affection for him, making them despise him even more.
Anmar finished her shopping and headed home.
---
“Mother, I’m back,” Anmar called as she entered her house.
Her mother, Samira, replied, “Oh, welcome home! Did you bring everything I asked for?”
“Yes,” Anmar said, unloading the fruits and vegetables. “I’m off to Aunt Latifa’s to give her what she needs.”
Anmar left and walked to Basil’s house, which was right next to hers.
Knock, knock.
“Who is it?”
“It’s me, Aunt Latifa. I’ve brought the vegetables and fruits.”
Latifa opened the door, and Anmar handed her all the items. “Aunt, is Basil still visiting that friend, staying out late every day?”
“Oh, I forgot to tell you,” replied Latifa, “He left to train, and he won’t return for two months, it seems. He’s been gone for two weeks already.”
Surprised, Anmar pondered, Two months? With a friend? I doubt he’d leave Aunt Latifa alone that long just for training with a friend. There’s something more to this.
Anmar knew Basil well. After all, their houses were connected, and they’d been together since childhood because their mothers had been friends from a young age. Before coming to this village, they’d both lived with their husbands, who had also been childhood friends, until a demon attack forced the wives, one carrying baby Anmar (Samira) and the other pregnant with Basil (Latifa), to escape. Their husbands sacrificed themselves to save their families.
Since then, Samira and Latifa had leaned on each other to raise their children, and so Basil and Anmar shared a close bond from a young age.
When he returns, I’ll question him, and if he doesn’t answer, I’ll just follow him to see where he’s going, Anmar thought to herself.
Latifa said, “My dear Anmar, thank you so much for your help. You’ve been a tremendous help. Oh, tell your mother to join us for lunch.”
Anmar stopped thinking and replied, “Alright, Aunt, I’ll let my mom know.”
---
*(Back in the Dark Valley)*
A week passed since Basil defeated the deep bear, and it was time for the three bears to regenerate.
Thud, thud, thud.
Basil quickly took down dark bats one after another. It only took him five minutes to finish off the entire army of two hundred.
The master commented, “Well, it looks like your speed has increased again over the past week. Keep it up, and you’ll be fully prepared in a year.”
“Yes, Master,” Basil replied.
“Now let’s head to the ‘Deep Bears’ Cave,’” the master ordered.
“Yes, Master.”
They walked, with Basil defeating all the creatures along the way until they reached the cave. The moment they stepped inside, the three bears roared.
Basil clenched his fists and resumed his fight with the creatures until they reached the bears. The master approached them and instructed them not to
interfere with Basil, who would fight alone.
And so began the fierce battle between Basil and the three deep bears.