As Ezer entered the first few kilometers of the mountain range, Erk closes the eyelids on the mangled body of his companion.
"You fought honorably to the death, I am witness to that." The combat marks in the area and on the body itself made it clear that he did not surrender until death.
“You can't underestimate this forest. If I don't take enough precautions this search will have more casualties.” Losing two men was already a failure of his leadership skills, and losing a well-known veteran soldier like Fit weighed on him even more.
“I remember that he was one of the first to accept me as a leader and help me gain the trust of others.” Erk was young, but he had a couple of years of experience leading his men.
“Sir! We finished checking the area and found nothing but the tracks of the beast going into the mountains.” The soldier reports with slightly agitated breathing and a few drops of sweat on his forehead.
“Don't chase him, that beast is at a much higher level than ours, going into the mountains will be dangerous.” He didn’t need to think twice, his men and the objective are higher priority than revenge for their comrade.
"Sir... Umm... The footprints follow the same path as Ezer Inmerlan... I and the search party believe that the beast may be chasing the boy."
He reports slightly nervous, his head can leave his body if he is wrong depending on the personality of his superior. Despite being new and being told by his peers that the captain was a good man, he couldn't suppress the slight insecurity inside him.
Erk frowns upon hearing the report. If this was true, his objective was in danger and therefore the entire mission that was assigned to him. If he decides to enter the mountains, he is sure that there will be more dead men, and is not even sure that they will be able to capture him alive before nature does its merciless work. On the other hand, if he did the opposite, the child would probably die from the beast or any of the dangers that exist in the mountains.
Erk takes his time choosing the difficult decision, after almost ten minutes of analyzing the pros and cons from a personal point of view, as well as those of his subordinates, he decides what he thinks is right.
"Pass my orders, that the fifty... No, forty-seven soldiers gather together and also look for a suitable place for a long-term camp."
“Yes sir!” With those simple words the young soldier leaves to carry out his orders.
“Oh! Just a moment!” Erk remembers an important task that he left pending.
The young soldier is surprised for a moment being several meters away from him, but he turns around ready for any order from his superior.
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
"Have four men prepare their horses and be ready to go in minutes." His eyes take on a colder hue showing his murderous intent.
"Y-Yes sir!" The sudden change in Erk's gaze surprises the young soldier, but suppresses it and waits a second making sure he doesn't have another order, then quickly leaves.
“I have to create a line around the mountains in case the boy comes out of them, but that can wait for now.” The assassin's eyes did not go extinct at any time
"Don't think you can fool me and get out unscathed... Relen." The image of his subordinate being trampled by goats as a result of the hunter's deception still remains vivid.
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The days passed since Ezer recovered the memories of his past life, now summer was beginning and sunny days were more common than ever. Next to a small tributary, Ezer practiced the same movements that he practiced for days.
“Tern, do you think my technique improved this time?” Ezer asks motivated to the rock to which he named. Tern derived from Ter'n which means earth in the elvish language.
“It definitely improved a bit, anyway, you lack combat experience to polish those techniques.” Tern was right, no matter how many times you repeat the moves, it won't do any good without a mentor or opponent to put them into practice.
“There are no people for hundreds of kilometers in this place so I have to be content with the wind.” Ezer continues to move his staff, imitating the smooth movements of the mural.
"You also need a sword. Why don't you create one yourself?" Tern sits in the middle of the water diverting it completely and disturbing the passage of the fish, but it doesn't seem to matter to him.
“Is seriously? Do I look like someone who has years of hitting iron with a hammer? Also... Where would he get the tools, material and forge for that?”
"I haven't had much contact with humans, but those five fingers seem versatile enough to create anything." There seems to be a slight envy in his words, although difficult to recognize in his almost flat and unalterable tone of voice.
Ezer had already seen Tern's hand which consisted of just a thumb and a finger, the only movements it made were grabbing things and forming a fist, definitely not very useful for creating items.
Ezer stops his training because of a sudden question that pops into his head and he thinks this is the best time to ask it.
"How is your species born?"
“Like yours, we need a male and a female to join their core and give life to a new being.” He opens a cavity in his chest where there is a stone of a yellowish color that pulsates with a regular rhythm surrounded by what appear to be veins of the same color.
"It's not exactly the same for humans, but it has its similarities... Weren't you supposed to have no memory?" Ezer asks again, slightly raising an eyebrow.
“I know what I know, I forgot many things about myself… but others just come naturally. Like the language we speak or my duty as a guardian, for example. I don't recall seeing any females, at least after losing my memory, and neither do any of my kind...”
"If I ever run into one I'll let you know." Those words were trying to cheer up Tern who seemed depressed, at least that's how Ezer saw it.
“I'd appreciate it. Although you have your own problems. When will you leave?”
"In a few days, when I have everything fully prepared. This time I have time to prepare rations.” He resumes his practice. “But first I have to overcome an obstacle.”
All this time he did not take a step out of the valley, since a beast was lying in wait for him outside of it. The white bear caught up with him, although he didn't go further into the valley, probably because of Tern's presence.
“I can't help you in this boy, I can't leave the fortress unprotected, it's my duty. You have to do it on your own or you can never get over these mountains.” He warns, saying the same words as when he informed Ezer of the beast's presence.
"I know, it's time to free myself from that shadow." He ends his training with a determined expression.