3 II.

Nobody knows exactly how the first human came to this world. Some claim that the species inhabits this place from the beginning. Others claim that they came from the heavens, in the second fleet, along with other species. Either way, the truth is that the race of the humans is doomed to decline. And they are going to be extinct, for they no longer come from the heavens and those who are here just keeps killing each other. Today numerous, tomorrow they will be only footnotes in history books. Their mortality keeps coming through wars risen between themselves. This is the hope of other races, which can relegate men to a weakened existence and an inevitable end.

* Bermal Sagmo – A Gnome's Reminiscences *

*

The metal armor weighs on Thiago's shoulders. A strong soldier like him, on other occasions, would not bother carrying the weight of the iron of the shoulder pads, or the sword on his waist. Besides, other soldiers would have placed their weapon in the holder on the horse's back, however, the idea of separating from his sword seems too risky. He could not remember the last time he placed the weapon away from his waist in the middle of a journey and he was resolved to not do that now. Not when his horse is on the edge of the Great Forest. Everyone knows about the countless dangers that inhabit the Forest bordering the Kingdom of Vivre.

That forest was the shelter of creatures as ancient as the world itself. Home to nymphs, satyrs and lupines. It is said that you can find dryads and beasts there. Aracnes and werewolves. And those were the creatures that could be dealt with.

In order to avoid going through the forest, the soldiers left the capital of the kingdom – Fiandel –, in a journey that passed along the entire eastern border of Argalya's Kingdom, crossing the mountains that separated Markav's Republic from the desolated Red Desert, going by horse until a village near Lake Martha, in the East side of the continent. Then, in the best boat they could find, the soldiers crossed the lake and bought new horses in order to keep going. If the Red Desert and Great Forest did not exist, their journey would have never taken more than a month – without resting. Not to mention the fact that they had five conflicts with bandits hidden in the road. And bandits who attack a group of 30 soldiers are usually strong enough to justify such confidence.

In addition to the physical exhaustion, they lost six companions in the battles. That helped to increase the mental exhaustion. All of this in the "safe" road, made inside Kingdoms who were commanded and protected by alliances made by Humans, Elves and Dwarves, the most organized between the civilized races.

The long trip, the battles and deaths along the way, plus the fear of the Great Forest, made Thiago so tired that, when he saw the sea, feelings overflowed him.

The sight of the sea brings calm and memories of times when he could be just the son of a fisherman. The memories that come to mind are those of a time when life let him live days of tranquility in the East Coast, sitting on the edge of the boat for the whole day, watching his father throw the net and set up fishing rods; the smell of the sea is the same as the kitchen back at home, where his mother prepared the fishes to be sold the next day, in the center of the village, where artisans, warriors and employees of noble families would take the fish and leave the gold.

He misses the time that preceded the destruction of all that, in the war between Fiandel and Argalya. Before his life became a hellish mixture of sweat, soil and blood.

But the bad memories are not the ones in his mind right now. All he feels are the memories of his childhood. That is why he takes the first position among the soldiers, keeping himself as close to the beach as possible. He is the first to see the sand and listen to the sea. Now, not even the Great Forest have space in his mind.

The sand is a few meters ahead. The horse wants to stay on the rocks, but its desire is ignored. Thiago wants the sea. He wants to be closer.

That is why he is the first to notice something on the sand. Someone who was unconscious in the middle of nowhere, on the edge of the Great Forest.

*

-Hey! Boy! Can you hear me?

"What is this voice in my head?"

Something heavy hits the sand. Heat. Moisture in the feet.

-Thiago? What is happening? Did you find something?

"Whose voice is this?"

-Barsen, sir, he seems to be unconscious. We are far from any village. What is he doing so close to the Great Forest? And his clothes…

-Have you ever seen something like this?

The voices are close. Arthur's ears are disturbed by metallic sounds. Someone touches his shoulder and pulls his shirt, using the index and middle fingers to stretch the material.

"What are they saying? I am wearing sweatpants and a white T-shirt. What's so special about that?"

-I don't remember seeing this type of clothes in Vivre, sir.

-I see... Thiago, go get the captain. Or Yvanna. This is a strange situation; I don't know if we should interfere.

-Yes, sir!

The sound of someone moving away. Then, something heavy hits the ground.

"Maybe I should- "

-You are awake, aren't ya? You don't seem to be hurt. Come on. Hey! I said, "come on"!

Arthur's eyes open, in the most part, because of the kick that is delivered between his ribs. The pain awakens him immediately from his sleepy state and the boy quickly gets up.

-Hello.

The voice is now accompanied by a slap against Arthur's neck. Using all his strength to avoid falling, he turns to the aggressor and is faced with an unusual figure: The individual ahead is at least two meters tall, is using a metal armor, adorned with rounded and blue symbols. His legs are covered by leather and, in the non-folding parts, protections of metal plates are placed, with the same blue symbols. His head is covered by a metal helmet, with and angled shape and closed on all sides, with a small opening for the eyes, where is possible to see a yellowish glow hidden in the dark. He holds a huge ax in his right hand.

The view frightens Arthur. The boy steps back.

-Who are you and what are you doing sleeping alone in a place like this? And, by the deities, what are these clothes?

He cannot speak in the first attempt. Arthur coughs until he feels that the throat is cleared. He spits – the soldier does not seem to bother – and tries one more time.

-What are you talking about? I… Where am I? Who are you?

The soldier does not react well to the answer. He moves the ax in his hand, suddenly aware.

-Boy, it is not wise to play games with strangers. Even less when talking about such subjects. Believe me, it is better with you tell me the truth. Come on: Are you a vassal to which kingdom?

Arthur's nervousness is amplified by the situation. He seeks, desperately, for a way to get out of this conversation, in which he did not even know how he got stuck. The soldier is much bigger than him and, a few meters away, it is possible to see a group of other individuals wearing armors with blue symbols.

-I don't… I don't know what you want to hear.

The hand of the soldier moves the ax slowly. The helmet cannot hide the yellowish and cold look. Arthur's know he will not be able to fight.

"Run"

Arthur turns away and run in the opposite direction. The opponent has a horse but had dismounted before approaching him and the heavy armor would surely slow him down. As he moves as fast as he can, Arthur sees trees forming the edge of a forest. The trees are very spaced between themselves, displaying a view of several meters ahead. Running in a zigzag pattern, he hopes to avoid any projectiles that could hit him in the back. Looking back one time, he sees that the soldier did not try to chase him. It does not feel right, but it is not enough to make him stop. He needs to get away.

The forest is right there.

Desperate, he throws his body forward, running through the trees and, when he finds himself stepping on rocks instead of sand, hope burns in his heart. At this rate, the soldier would not be able to catch him. There is already enough distance between them and there is no sign of a pursuit. There is only the sound of stones at his feet and the swaying of leaves in the trees.

"I will make it."

The thought is immediately followed by a weight that falls on his back. Before he can even understand the situation, his face collides with the rocks and a hand pulls his arms back.

He tries to scream, but a gloved hand covers his mouth.

-If you like to be alive, it is not wise to scream in this forest, boy. – The voice in his ear is feminine. – Things much more dangerous than soldiers can hear you.

The voice hides a threat in the soft tone. It is like a menacing song sung by a sylph. An order disguised as advice.

He tries to use force to get free, but her arms, though thin, are stronger than his. He tries to use the whole body, but she uses her own knees to restrain any movement, keeping his chest glued to the floor.

Arthur struggles and time passes. Seconds become minutes. She does not say a word, waiting for the inevitable. Soon, he realizes the situation and gives up, waiting for her next action. Something approaches the back of his neck and her breath makes him shiver. Her hair falls over his face, red as intense flames. He turns his face and see hers. She has brown, round eyes, with supernatural focus. Her face is pale, with a delicate complexion. She does not wear armor, like the soldiers, but a black robe, with a hood that covers her face partially, allowing the red curls to flow over her shoulders and take a leap towards the light.

She comes closer to him, opening her lips and showing protruding canines. With the corner of her lips, she smiles menacingly.

-Is this how long it takes for you to calm down? – He remains paralyzed. It seems to be the response she wanted, because the girl lifts him by the arm, with extraordinary strength, forcing him to stand up. – Nice to meet you. I am Yvanna.

-What… What is happening? – This is the only thought Arthur can translate into words. She does not answer, guiding him in the direction he came.

-I can tell you this: You have just been captured. Interesting way to start the day, don't you think?

*

-Commander!

The creature in the center of the soldier's formation in the middle of the road is an elf. Her haughty posture would indicate her rank among the others even to the most inattentive passer-by. Her horse is saddled with a piece ornamented with the same blue symbols that decorate the armor of her men and the sheath of her weapon displays lines of gold and silver with pure ornamental intent. She uses as armor a chain mail covered by a piece of blue fabric, thrown over her body as a cape.

That was not something she wanted. Rinlia would never have accepted an ornated armor, nor such an expensive saddler or sheath. Since she was little, the elf was never interested in appearances. They do not win battles. Those who make a difference are people and the weapons they wield. Well-trained soldiers are what she needs, not those decorative pieces, nor objects that are only feared by fools and underestimated by bandits.

However, well-trained soldiers are not cheap, and the kingdom could not afford to give her too many of those. That is why she ended commanding a bunch of young soldiers, who could barely deal with roadside bandits and would probably die in that same state: Young.

And, if bandits were not enough of a problem, now she would have to wait for her subordinate to capture some tramp because of a soldier who were unable to just let someone sleep on the shore.

The elf shakes her head, making the ponytail wiggle with the movement. She has pearly blond hair and protruding cheekbones, complemented by an upturned nose, all in an attractive face, a tradition among the elven race.

She gives orders to some soldiers to search the proximities for clues that could indicate that the boy who was found could have prepared some type of ambush. She calls for the soldier who found the tramp. The one who came forward was a young man who had been incorporated into her forces shortly before the journey: He is strong and tall (for a human) and do not wear a helmet, revealing a square and young face, with brown hair and almond-shaped eyes, colored with an ocher tone, between brown and green.

-What is your name?

-Thiago, madam commander.

-Thiago, that boy will be captured soon. Find a companion between the other soldiers and go ahead in this road. A little further you will find the ruins of an old village. I want you to search the place to see if it is safe. After yesterday's storm there may be magical creatures in the region. When we capture the boy, we will set up camp for tonight in those ruins.

-Yes, commander.

He leaves immediately, leaving her with her own concerns. She did not want to camp so close to the forest. During another storm, the situation could become a more dangerous undertaking than she could be able to deal with.

She finds peace in the fact that the last storm was very recent and the fact that the morale is low after so much time on the road. A rest is necessary. Besides, this would be the last one after arriving on their destination. The journey is almost over, so it is better to take care and be ready for any last surprises.

The vice-commander came out of the edge of the forest, with the hood over her head and the boy by her hand. Rinlia keeps to herself the smile she wanted to show after seeing the prisoner escorted by the arm as if he were a child.

The woman with red hair hands the prisoner to Barsen, the tallest and strongest soldier among those present. With only one hand he immobilizes the boy, who, now, has his eyes on the elf and was staring with remarkable curiosity.

-Barsen. – She calls, while he uses his free hand to wrap ropes around the prisoner's arms. – You said that he cannot remember to which kingdom he serves?

-Yes, commander. That's what he said.

The boy did not object. To her, this could mean several things. Ideally, he was just an idiot. But the world is almost never ideal. If that was the case, the boy could represent something more than just a nuisance.

-Very well. – She addresses the prisoner in a low voice, as if in confidence. – Since you interrupted our trip, let's talk a little. You will either say something that makes sense, or I swear by the Pantheon that I will separate your head from this human body of yours.

*

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