"Do you remember where we left the horses?" The soldier was walking up the hill, sweating under his armor.

“Yes, I have a better memory compared to yours.”

"If it wasn't for these damned steeps, we wouldn't have to walk. Ahh… I think I'm getting old.” A few white hairs above his ears confirmed his words.

"I'm more worried that we'll have horses when we get back." They were taking a huge risk leaving them in the middle of a forest famous for being teeming with beasts.

“We have no other, investigating that noise has priority.”

“Surely it was a tree or rock that fell, with the recent rains the ground will have softened too much.”

“I think the same, anyway, we have to review it. The faster the better, there's something I don't like about this forest.” Look around carefully.

“It's just an ordinary forest to me. Nor did we find any trace of beasts or even wild animals.”

“Exactly, there's nothing, the forest is deathly silent and that's not normal. Whatever caused this, we don't want to run into it.” He recalls his past experiences trying to discover similarities.

They reach the top of the hill and begin to descend at the same place that Ezer did.

“The footprints...” Looks carefully at the ground.

“Three people, and one of them a young man. It might be the one we're looking for.”

He Avert his gaze to the clear marks on the ground left by the log as it rolled down.

“Fit, I'm sure it was intentional.” His expression turns solemn as he senses that his target is close.

“I think the same, whoever was chasing him did not have good intentions.” He runs his hand through the hair to adjust it and when he takes a step, makes a small expression of almost imperceptible pain. “I'm definitely getting old.” He continues, ignoring the pain in his knee.

They soon discover the two bodies and examine them carefully looking for any signs of use.

“The reports said that the boy had no training, I'm beginning to doubt if it's really him.” He says it with a slight sigh.

“That was months ago, and in that time he could have learned to fight. Send the signal, it's Ezer Inmerlan, I have no doubts.” The slight fatigue he felt is replaced by a sharp aura emanating from his body.

His partner rushes over and picks up a small red stone with his glove and points his palm at the sky. A strong flash shoots out and stops in the air lighting it red, the soldier's leather glove is blackened from the heat and he quickly throws it to the ground before it burns his hand.

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"Do we follow his trail or wait for the others?" He shakes his hand quickly, cooling it.

“There is no need to waste time, we look for him and leave marks for the others.” It was clear that he took the leadership role thanks to his experience and reputation.

They continue to follow the trail, but Fit was getting more and more nervous and looking over his shoulder. Each step felt heavier than the next, the forest was silent as if trying to erase its existence and make believe that it was never there.

Fit stops abruptly and takes a deep breath having made his decision.

"Why did you draw your sword?" What's going on?” His partner noticing the strange behavior cannot help but feel alarmed inside, it is the first time he sees him with an expression of terror on his face.

"We retreat NOW!" He was about to turn around when he freezes in place and stares at his partner.

“What? When he finishes saying that word, a huge white mass compresses his head throwing him to the ground and cracks the bones of his chest just by putting a paw on it.

Blood and bits of brain run down the beast's reddened teeth. He slowly turns his head and focuses his attention on Fit who has his sword raised but unknowingly trembling.

A white bear with a blood-red snout and one eye missing stands on its hind legs and peers at him.

Strength, indifference, death, that's what Fit felt when he was in front of that beast that stood before him. At that moment, contrary to all expectations, his sword stops shaking and a laugh escapes his lips that grows stronger and stronger until it becomes a scream.

"If I turn my back on him, I'm dead, that's for sure So there is only one option left.”

Lunges at his enemy and before he can take a couple of steps, claws rip into his flesh and the force sends him flying meters away hitting a tree. He gets up, finds his sword on the ground a few meters away and takes it with his left hand before charging the beast again.

Running was difficult for him now that his balance was broken. Without his right arm, which was now hanging from his body lifeless, he has no choice but to use his less skilled hand and fight.

The bear is undeterred and simply strikes again with its claws in a cruel and merciless manner. Fit dodges, slipping to his knees and arching his sword back, then springs up, driving the blade into the animal's chest.

Instead of feeling the familiar sensation of meat being cut, he is only met with a thud that shakes his arm. The bear used its other claws to block the blade and even damage it in the process, showing how incredibly tough they were.

Fit backs away quickly as he notices that his attack had no effect, now the bear is back on all fours and begins to move slowly in circles around him.

If he were an ordinary person, he would already be on the floor without strength from blood loss. But his veteran as a soldier and the years of accumulating magic in his body showed his strength at this moment, every fiber and bone was full of energy waiting to be released.

His training gave him almost total control of his body, meaning that controlling the bleeding in his arm was a task that only required a portion of his concentration.

“If my fate is sealed…I will make it shine in the end.” Without hesitation he begins to breathe in a rhythmic way but almost imperceptible on the outside. At that time, every cell in your body extracts all the energy is stored and circulates it throughout the body through the blood.

"Looks like I won't have to age another day." With those words he opens his eyes and begins to run twice as fast as before, leaving great marks on the damp forest floor.

The bear does not underestimate his enemy having learned his lesson thanks to the scar and the missing eye. He adopts a much lower position bending his knees slightly and awaits the assault of the man in front of his eyes.

The first attack comes over his head and at an alarming speed, the bear quickly raises his claws and blocks it, generating cracks in the blade of the sword.