The Second Trial (7)

Dane fell in beside the old man, who quietly moved through the forest. Despite his age, he was rather quick, and the boy had to jog at times to keep up.

"What do you mean by train? Are you some martial arts master?? Like in the stories where the kid meets them by chance, and they teach them some secret technique?"

The old man glanced over at him, and rolled his eyes, "This is reality kid.. If I had some secret technique I wouldn't have been stuck on this floor for fifty years.."

"Fi-fifty years!" Dane said in shock

"Yep.. Everything I've learned, I've learned myself.. and I can teach you a little but one thing you need to know.." The old man gave him a serious look, "Not even learning comes free here.. I can teach you, but it's up to you as to whether or not you will get anything out of it. Besides, that's assuming you survive..."

"I'll survive! Don't worry about me!" Dane said, and he meant it..

The old man said nothing in response. Dane, being a rash child, switched between extreme caution of a wild animal, and the pride and courage of an outgoing child seemingly at will..

The old man could see the two were at odds with each other in the boy.. and he wasn't sure which was his true nature.. But that wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

"This boy has potential" he mumbled.. "and talent" he whispered to himself..

The old man felt something he hadn't in a long time: hope...

"So where are we going?" Dane asked, his curiosity rising with each step. He couldn't bare to be left in the dark.

"To my home.. There you can decide if you want to learn, or you want to go.."

"What can you teach me though?"

The old man looked at him again as they moved through the dark wood. Somehow, the bleak world, full of monsters and killers, hadn't broken the boy's spirit..

"It's not about what I can teach you.. it's about you learning for yourself. I can start you on the path, the rest is up to you.. just wait and see."

"Ok.." Dane said. He understood: he wouldn't get anymore out of the man until it was time...

"Oh, my name is Dane, what's yours?" He said, reaching out a hand.

The old man shook it, and Dane senses that strength again in the frail hand.. "my name.. Hmm... I don't have one anymore.." he replied, giving no more, "old man suits me just fine.."

"Alright then, 'old man' it is.. Oh have you seen my friends? Liza and Ward are there names?? I want to get back to them, I wonder if they are alright.." his eyes pleaded, and carried a sincerity that shook the old man..

There was a humanity in the boy's eyes he hadn't seen in decades.. It almost made him stop right there and do everything in his power to help this boy find his friends, to reunite them.. But he couldn't do that..

"I'm sorry to say I haven't.. The second trial is huge, and people tend to keep to themselves: well hidden, quiet.. and above all they fear others, because of the ravagers.."

"Oh.." Dane said, clearly defeated.

"But.." the old man said, to which Dane shot his head up.

"I think you might be able to find them yourself.. If my hunch is right, you will have all the power you need to not just find your friends.. but keep them safe.."

"Really! I knew it!" Dane said, punching the old man on the arm, "you are some martial arts master that's gonna teach me some crazy technique! What is it? The sword?? A cool fighting style!?" The young feral boy, covered in dirt and grime, smiled a wide smile and made chopping motions with his hands and jumped around, mimicking martial arts.

The old man laughed himself.. a genuine, real laugh.. He hadn't done that in ages either.. "haha, well you will just have to wait and see" he said.. He turned his attention back to the dark wood ahead, and slowly the two made their way through the Fain...

...

Ward huffed and puffed through thick brush and felled trees.. The area of the wood he was in had been cleared somewhat, leaving behind the corpses of unused logs and treacherous terrain.

He occasionally glanced back over his shoulder, only to find that no one was in sight..

Ahead, he spotted three undead.. one was a skeleton, the other two zombies.

He quickly turned and ran to his left, avoiding the skeleton in particular.. From his time with Liza and Dane, he had seen just how scary skeletons were... They were fast, agile, and couldn't be stopped or killed very easy..

Luckily, none of the undead seemed to notice him and he kept his eyes on the wood ahead for any monster or person.

"Huff.. Huff.." eventually he grew tired, and feeling secure enough in his distance from the ravagers, he slowed to a walk.. The boy caught his breath and moved cautiously through the trees, taking great care to avoid the darker areas, and the large plant monsters here and there...

The wood was dangerous, but only if you were unprepared..

"I need to find Liza and Dane now.. but where am I?" He thought.. The last thing he wanted to do was get even more lost, so he made sure to keep a mental map of where he was in relation to the camp.. In doing so, he hoped that he could retrace his steps if need be..

Not even ten minutes passed before he stopped in his tracks and turned his attention to a spin in the distance: rustling..

Immediately he thought "Ravagers..." and hid behind a tree.. Sure enough, the footsteps grew closer. He was prepared to run or fight if need be, he held his staff close...

"Crunch.. crunch.. crunch.." the footsteps grew closer. It was only one person, and he knew it must be Rold.

"The bastard caught up somehow.." he thought to himself, "well he's got a surprise coming.."

Ward knee his personality well enough at that point.. He had no memories, and all the experiences he had in his life were of the Fain.. But he knew a few things about himself:

His name..

How to speak..

Roughly his age..

And his personality..

In short, compared to Dane and Liza and the few others he had come into contact with: he was much more reserved, quiet, and cautious.. He found it hard to speak up and discuss his feelings.. the opposite of Dane..

But he had them.. and the rage in him burned bright. "Almost a year.." he told himself, "almost a year they kept me there.. they took me from Dane and Liza.. they kill others, for no reason..."

His grip tightened on the staff. He took a deep breath and calmed himself, "no.. I can't die here.. Then what would be the point?"

Reason returned, and he abandoned the idea of surprise attacking Rold.. He wasn't sure he could beat him, and he didn't know his skill.. If it was anything like Mary's, he would be in trouble in a one on one fight...

Shaking, he stood waiting.. "they will hear me if I move or run.. I have to wait for them to pass by.. but can they track me through the leaves and the branches? I'm sure there is a trail..."

A million thoughts raced through his mind at that moment, as the footsteps drew nearer.. His heart pounded fast and hard.. He hated waiting.. he hated the fear and anxiety...

"Ward.." a voice called out.

He stood shocked.. "that's not Rold's voice..." he thought.. it was a full ten seconds before he realized who's voice it was..

"Liza?" He thought, "what?" His instincts urged him to look.. urged him to see with his own eyes what his ears and brain were telling him were true.."

"No.. it can't be.. how?" He thought.. then the voice came again, this time closer,

"Ward.. it's me, Liza.. are you around here?"

His eyes grew wide and all reason left him as he stepped from around the tree. Sure enough, ten feet ahead, the dark skinned teenager with her pulled back black hair and piercing brown eyes stood..

She recoiled slightly at the sight of him jumping from behind a tree. Then the two simply stared at each other for a moment... It was the stunned silence two long time friends have before meeting each other in the streets, as if fate itself brought the two back together...

"Ward!" She said, dashing forward. She dropped her blue lantern and snatched him up in her arms in a big hug.

Ward hugged her back, the tears already forming in his eyes. "Liza!" He said, his voice shaking, "you are alive!..

"how?..." he began to ask, but the words didn't come.. not then.. He was far too overjoyed, and she was too.

The two merely embraced for a long moment before collecting themselves.

She gave him a big smile then, in her usual fashion, smirked and punched him on the arm saying,

"I knew you'd ditch those bastards!.. after all, you are my little bro!"

"Wait, how did you find me? How did you know?"

"Ha! We can talk all about that now that you're free.. and look at you now.." she said, gripping his biceps and squeezing his shoulders, "you've grown up a little huh.."

She then put him in a headlock and rubbed his head viciously with her knuckles,

"Hey! Stop!" He laughed, far too happy at their reunion to care about her usual roughhousing.

"But you still aren't a match for me!" She said, laughing historically as Ward struggled to get free.

Eventually she let him go and Ward picked up his staff and dusted himself off before the most glaring question arose,

"Liza, do you know what happened to Dane"

The young woman grew serious then, and a look of sadness crossed her face, "I wish I knew... I only saw you and managed to follow you.."

The atmosphere grew quiet and moody, but Liza changed that by saying simply, "But now that you are free.. We will just have to find him together"

Ward smiled, and nodded in agreement before saying,

"You are right.. we will find him together.."