Silver Wolf

The two men quickly returned to the city. They separated, each wandering off with his own business. Eiji decided to visit the city, especially the market. He was looking for a new sword.

Although he had brought one, it was an old steel sword. His main weapon had been shattered by Tahrren during their confrontation in Ninakami. Since he was embarking on an adventure, he wanted to acquire a sword worthy of the name before leaving the region.

To this end, he wandered the market alleys looking for weapon sellers. Although there was no shortage of steel equipment dealers, not all of them sold swords, and the quality was far from good enough, especially for someone as demanding as Eiji. In reality, no member of Ninakami's guard would have bought a weapon here. After all, a soldier's weapon is his soul, his lifeline. If it is lost or broken, it usually means the death of the fighter, especially on the battlefield.

Disappointed, Eiji walked into an alley adjacent to the market. There, the stalls were less numerous, some even in bad condition. Things were presented here and there without any order, like a bazaar.

On the ground, sitting on a small staircase, a young woman with long black hair was playing a beautiful biwa melody. A melody so soft and light that it had the power to transport the spirit. Out of the corner of his eye, Eiji saw her beautiful green watery eyes between some of her curls. He also noticed her reddish and swollen face.

He couldn't help but explode with anger, at least inwardly. Unfortunately, there was nothing he could do about it. He could not solve all the injustices of this world on his own. He clenched his fists and continued down the alley.

His gaze wavered from left to right, searching for what he had come for. Only after passing a few stalls he finally noticed some weapons. These swords were stockpiled in a barrel, and only a part of the blade was sticking out. Their scabbard was on a table next to it.

Eiji approached the blades, wanting to examine them more closely. The quality was very different. Some of the blades were already damaged, while others looked like they had been forged by a first-class craftsman.

Among all these blades, one, in particular, seemed to call to him. Every time he looked at it, his heart was pounding and slight shivers were running through his body.

He brought his hand close to the weapon. Once in his hand, he felt a connection to it. He also felt a slight flow of mana entering him. Unconsciously, Eiji smiled. He knew that he had found a jewel. He approached the elderly shopkeeper whose eyelids were closed.

"Old man, how much for this blade?"

The man slowly opened his eyes.

"Thirty gold pieces," he murmured.

Eiji did not try to bargain. In fact, the price was rather low, even for a steel weapon of medium quality. For such a blade, the shopkeeper could even have asked for twenty gold coins more, and he wouldn't have flinched.

He took thirty gold coins out of his pocket. His wallet had shrunk by half, but he did not regret his purchase. He desperately needed the weapon. He was also eager to learn all its secrets.

Without hesitation, he returned to his room, where he put his new sword next to his belongings. Not knowing what to do with his old sword, he decided to sell it later to a local merchant for a few coins.

Finally, he sat down on the ground. For the rest of the day, he did nothing but meditate. Right now, all he wanted to do was to become stronger. To defeat the Immortals, to avenge his sister and his mother. He also wanted to know how strong he could become.

In the evening, Tahrren and Eiji met on the first floor of the inn for dinner. Ayano greeted them with a wide smile and her usual cheerfulness. After another meaty meal, they went to bed with full bellies before waking up with the first rays of sunlight the next day.

By the time they put on their armor, left the inn, and crossed the few hundred yards that separated them from the stable where their horses were resting, the horses were already ready to mount.

They paid the groom for his services before leaving the city on their horse. For three days they crossed the eastern plains, following the main river of the region: the Elena.

The currents of this river were swift and unpredictable. The sediments of the soils that make up the basin were light, which caused variations in the shape of the bed and therefore the paths in the vicinity.

This made crossing the plains even more dangerous, with frequent and unexpected landslides and regular floods that hit the area. That's why the locals called the main river bed "Elena's Lament".

Near this river stood a single mountain. Isolated from the rest of the world, Mount Elena shared its name with the river. But unlike the river, its slopes were incredibly dry, swept by hot winds from the south or colder ones from the north.

Eiji and Tahrren did not see a living soul during those three days. It was not until the middle of the fourth day, when the sun was at its zenith and Mount Elena covered the sky with its snowy peak, that they saw a caravan for the first time. Eiji pointed to it.

"Tahrren, finally we see someone! It has been a long time. Even the shelters were empty..."

"Not many people use this road. Usually, the merchants take the path along the Saintess' Garden, which is safer and faster, but requires a pass, which we don't have."

The men quickly approached the caravan. When they were only a hundred meters away, Tahrren stopped.

"Wait, Eiji. There's something strange."

Focusing his gaze on the target, Eiji noticed it too. The caravan was stopped. One of the horses pulling it was lying on the ground next to another person. Finally, three people surrounded them, looking panicked. One was leaning over the person on the ground, while the other two were scanning the tall grass that faced the river.

"Let's approach slowly." Tahrren ordered.

They approached at a brisk pace, keeping an eye on the tall grass and on the caravan. The passengers quickly noticed their presence.

There were two men and two women. Eiji quickly recognized one of the women.

"Ms. Watanabe? Watanabe Tamiko?"

She recognized him as well.

"Oh! Eiji! By all the gods, thank you! We are saved!"

The middle-aged woman held back tears. Her tunic was covered with mud and some blood, which was not her own.

"What happened?" asked Eiji.

Tamiko's face quickly turned pale, her eyes filled with terror.

"Monsters! They attacked us! We were running away from Ninakami after some Bloody Eyes killed my husband, but those abominations slaughtered one of our horses and tried to overturn our caravan! Look! My daughter! She fell and hasn't woken up since! Please help us!"

Tahrren dismounted and approached the girl. He crouched down beside her and checked her vital signs.

"She's still breathing, don't worry about her. Tell me about these monsters instead."

Among the men in the caravan, one appeared to be a knight of Ophelia. He wore steel armor, made thanks to a technique not mastered by the Higashito, and a sword with a whitish sheen.

"It was three wolves! Three huge wolves with grey fur as sturdy as steel. Swords can't pierce them. I couldn't do anything against them. I had never seen such creatures before!"

Tahrren flinched at these words. With a dark look in his eyes, he stood up and faced his apprentice.

"Eiji. Change of plans. We'll hurry to Ophelia."

"Can't we help them?"

Tahrren looked at him with understanding and compassion.

"There is nothing we can do for them. They are safe and sound, that is the most important thing. Besides, the wolves won't come back. They're already gone."

"But..."

"Eiji! These monsters aren't just any monsters. I told you. Normally, no monsters are roaming around here. A few predators roam north of the Saintess' Garden, where the divine influence wanes, but they never come near the roads. I'm sure of it. These monsters were born under the influence of an immortal's anima."

Eiji was silent. He hardly knew what to say.

"Get back on your horse. We have to hurry. We're still a few days away from Ophelia."

Tamiko suddenly stood up and clung to the elf's arm.

"Please, you can't leave us here! I will pay you! I have money with me, jewelry, and gems!"

Tahrren pushed her away.

"I'm sorry. We can't take care of you. If we don't hurry, Ophelia may experience tragedies similar to Ninakami's."

At these words, she took a few steps back. Tears gathered in her eyes. She knelt and let out a loud cry of despair.

"Eiji. Saddle up."

Although he wanted to help these people, Eiji knew this was not the priority. Tragedies could strike Ophelia at any moment. He hated the people of Ophelia for their army that had once plundered the cities and fields of the Higashito. But the people had nothing to do with it.

Resigned, he mounted his horse. The two riders rode off, and in a few seconds, they were nothing more than a dot on the horizon for the passengers of the caravan.