The little demon appears sit on an armchair, in a maple dressing gown old man style with a thick leather book on his lap, waiting to be noticed.

-Hello children, gather around once again. Let’s continue with this story – the demon reveals the book’s cover, where his face is printed on it -cool design huh? I chose it, I think it got close to the real deal, but this cuteness cannot be so easily expressed. Look at these eyes, this smile… I’m such a heartbreaker. -the demon was looking to his reflection on a hand-mirror, before yelling at it -Oh, time to go back to the story, don’t distract me! But I am ruggedly handsome, aren’t I? I think I will leave you with a little time skip, 5 years should do. Yeah, good times – the light fades away as the demon loses in his thoughts.

*****

Five years have passed since the havoc on Asmund city due to the presence of one of the most wanted man in the whole Nation, Luther Darkmore. The Nation spread the news that he was taken down and killed on Asmund city by Commander Cosmo Gibbon, which served as an example of what to be expected when challenging the Nation nowadays. Not even the “Red Prophet” could stand against the Nation: there was no better propaganda for promoting the outstanding and unbeatable Nation status.

Several dissidents and other enemies were persecuted and killed for defying the Nation. Almost all the Nation’s foes were wiped out, but there is always some resistance. Even though that the Nation have control over nearly every city and person in the world, there are some exceptions to it.

Guilds are associations of individuals for mutual aid and protection, which maintain their standards to protect the interests of its members. Guilds are usually hired for turf conflicts, trivial tasks or black ops missions, events that the Nation has no interest or can’t be related to. As the world authority, to a guild to be founded it is necessary the Nation’s permission to be officially registered, which leads to the delivery of every guild’s member information to them. This data includes the member’s Essentia abilities mechanics and the family history. From the moment the guild is registered, a monthly tribute and a trimestral routine checkup is made to the Nation. Even though that the guilds become somewhat independent, the Nation can still vet their access to certain places, data, or people.

The big guilds established commercial and warfare agreements with the Nation, leading to a no aggression pact between them. This way, there are some areas controlled by guilds instead of being in the hands of the Nation, exchanging for a higher monthly tribute. There are Nation's surviving enemies who were welcomed by guilds who saw a good opportunity in their talents, providing them with protection against the Nation.

In Asmund city it is time for the annual mercantile expedition around Jarwen Country. The Nation emits a license for every merchant business that met its requirements, which includes an awfully large contribution to the Nation.

Jarwen has a very high crime rate in this season, and the most wealthy merchant associations hire the Nation’s contractors to protect their cargo; the mid class merchant also hire Guilds to guard their investment, knowing that they could easily lose half of their total shipment. On the other hand, the small businesses don’t have the same finance power and can’t employ powerful guards after paying for the license; As such, the vast majority of them don’t even try to make profit with it, as it is a very high risk gamble. However, there are those who bet it on the thin chance to conclude the trip safely, making use of free lancers or even small guilds to warden them. These free lancers and small guilds usually do not have a great income return in terms of gold, but this is an opportunity to gain fame if their protection is successful. This could lead to being scout for bigger guilds or even for the Nation’s ranks.

DONG! DONG! DONG!

The gong’s sound breaks the silence at the Asmund city’s entrance, announcing the start of this year’s Asmund Commercial Campaign. Every 15 minutes a new group advances to their journey, and the order is predetermined based on their Nation’s tribute. Statistically, the first and last parties to go are more prone to be attacked so no one want that place. Even so there are some good points for the first merchants, that have the entire market at their disposal before the others, ensuring a highly profitable return when the event is successful.

This year, the 3 larger Asmund’s merchants association (Lee’s Syndicate, Sleipnir Company and Asmund Co) would join hands to hire Nation’s top teams to suppress any threat, as they made a pact for selling different products. This mean that they could be the first wave to leave Asmund and capitalized the profitable return of being on being the opening group. The multiple wagons from this association’s coalition were already escorted by the distinct gold and white Nation’s colors. There were big hero war names among them, like Sir Alex “Hawk” Gates or John “the Madman” Alistair. Everyone was in awe seeing the protection group: certainly no one would attack that traveling unit.

This would lead to a big commotion on Asmund’s exit, as the other traders refused to be the following group to leave, since that would mean a higher chance to be attacked and robbed; but the order was already decided. The hired escorts tried to ensure their employers that would be alright, but they knew that the thieves would target them.

One of these traders was Atsushi Kai, a young merchant prodigy in Asmund. He is a really cautious man, despite his carefree appearance with a rebellious hair and 3-days beard. His bleak brown eyes would match his bland clothes, which contrast with other merchants. Kai has been working under Asmund Co, and for some reason he was dismissed despite his good aptitude for business. He had to work for the past two years in Asmund bakery and spend his lifetime saves to create his own trade company and buy its stock. The gold left was not sufficient to hire some well-established escort group or to secure a good exit position, meaning that Kai would hire some locals that were searching for gaining some fame and glory, and a battle veteran and longtime friend, Dominik Turk.

Turk was known as the Warrior Ape in the past, due to his Essentia ability: gibbon deviant. This ability granted him a significant physical upgrade, being on his strength or in his reflexes. His arms’ length would also increase, giving him a bigger reach. The downside of his ability was just like any other mutation ability: primitive instinct. The overuse of his ability would grant a vast fight improvement, but his mind would slowly be taken over by his animal instincts. Another drawback of it was possible to notice just by looking at Dominik. His fuzzy eyebrows, his prominent canines, his noticeable shape beard, and hairy body resembled the embodiment of a gibbon. Now he’s just a former shadow of himself, nonetheless he was someone who Kai could trust.

-Yo, Kai. I’m getting really bored, do you have some of that blueberry pie that you used to do? – asks Turk while laying down on one cart.

-You are always the same Turk – says Kai with a smile on his face. He reached for his backpack and retrieved a box – Here, eat before we depart. I think you’ll have a truly hard workday, for a change.

-Yeah, I guess so. The gold makes everything possible, huh? – says Turk while taking a bite on his favorite sweet – Who knew that the 3 Biggies would join hands to prevent any stock casualties. Even though that they are at each other throats all the time when it’s business time.

-This just shows how this expedition is important. I heard that in the next year the Nation will reformulate the Red Continent’s power, which means that war is inevitable. This might be the last year for this event, that’s why I bet everything I had on this.

-Hmm, and this is the group of people that you could gather? You were really low on the gold… - declares Turk.

The merchant Kai’s expedition group consisted of two wagons with his chosen stock (vests, supplies, and some weaponry), guided by his recently new trade company only two employees Chu and Yu; these two twin brothers were Kai’s errand boys in Asmund Co, and follow him anywhere. The rest of the group was 4 hired escorts, who accept a low payment from Kai: Buck, Keith and other 2 teenage boys close to the adulthood. He didn’t expect for them to defend him from the robberies successfully, but they could buy some essential time to make him get away with their lifes.

-Boss, why did you recruit him, he’s like the weakest guy in Asmund – trash talks one of them – I could take his cut and protect you without him.

-Screw you, baldie. You don’t even know how to throw a fucking punch. You cheap shot fuck.

-Oh, yeah? You wanna go now?

-Hell yeah bitch. Put your money where your mouth is, egghead.

Turk shakes his head in disapproval and lifts the two men on the air by their clothes collar, just like children.

-You know that you have a job to do, even if you are some local thugs you have to deliver right?

-I guess so. -says one of them nervously. The size of Turk was scary for him.

-Okay, okay I get it. Put me down now, you ape. – said the other one fearlessly. – what about the two kids there? What the hell do you expect them to do? They are still wet from their ears; they don’t seem even capable of holding a weapon.

-You have a really big mouth, if it weren’t for Kai saying that you are important for this job, I would hammer you to the floor. – said Turk giving a flicker to him. -If he hired you, he trusts in all of you, no exceptions.

-I guess you are right. I think he had a good eye to have chosen me, so I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt.

Turk slips close to Kai while Buck was boosting himself, whispering to him: -You only get these guys for buying time in case of ambushes, right?

-Right. – says Kai with a smile, while checking if was all in order to go.

-They were really that cheap, huh? – says Dominik with a frown face.

-Yeah. - says Kai with a nervous smile – I didn’t have more funds to hire better help, that’s why you’re tagging along, Dom.

-But two kids really? One of them seems to be out of breath sometimes and looks like he’s a bookworm, will he even hang on until we reach to the next town?

-Don’t judge a book from the cover. Among the guys I hired, the two kids were the most impressive. – says Kai with a serious look.

-Huh? What is it, do they have Essentia abilities like us? – asks an intrigued Turk.

-I don’t know.

-Then how are they impressive?

-They didn’t ask for gold; they only want to travel with us and have something of their choice from our stock when reaching our final destination.

-…you cheapskate.

-If only we could gather more guys like them - sighs Kai.

The three big trade companies already had left Asmund, being the turn of the next ones. Kai received the signal approving their departure, along with other traders.

– Guys gather up, it’s time for our farewell to Asmund city. Our expedition starts now!

*****

Kai’s group journey has started. As it was said before, the expedition team is not really numerous. At the rear of it the two younger guards were enjoying their first trip outside Asmund. Like the sun was shining, the untamed golden hair boy was smiling from cheek to cheek. His outfit is as simple as it gets: a pair of simple black pants and a red shirt with a simple design. He also has a black hood coat surrounding his waist and some pouches around his waist. At his right leg is attached a small pocket bag, ideal for concealing small items, and his right arm has some kind of black leather bands that covers from his right forearm to the pulse. He seemed to be enjoying his trip, not worrying about their situation. At his side was his brother. The bookworm boy, as Turk called, was reading an old notebook, which seemed written by hand. The boy used a black high neck gaiter hood just like his hair, with some orange lines designs on it, which could not hide his feeble physical. He travels with a custom-made black and white sling bag on his back and has a pair of gloves following the same design as his outfit. As he turns other page of the notebook, he starts coughing.

-Jax, are you okay? - asks the golden hair boy worried, while holding on his right hand a shining blue rune.

-I’m fine, don’t worry about it. You have to keep low profile Leo; how do you explain to have this type of item in your possession. – says Jax while making Leo hide his item.

-I don’t really care about that, but your symptoms seem to be getting worse. Just like the old man said, he only did a patch-up to your body.

-I know Leo, but I’m fine really. I just can’t use my power so often. I have to put my training on standby until we get this. – Jax points to a draw on his notebook, revealing a rune – Darkmore wrote that this is an Essentia Adamant sealer. With this I can seal up any Essentia bursts for the time being, until we reach Azure Continent.

-And you really believe that this Kai guy can help us get something like that?

-Yes, I heard rumors about him and in this moment, he’s our best shot to get one now. It’s a really rare item, but because it seals back Essentia no one wants something to stop his own Essentia flow. Usually this type of item makes part of high-grade range weaponry, to strike down heavy Essentia users, and that is why it’s considered as forbidden to anyone that doesn’t belong to the Nation ranks. But we have to be patient, if we reveal ourselves as Essentia users, the merchant could very well scam us, or even sell us out to the Nation. I think this can get dangerous. Specially you Leo, you are wanted man after all.

-Well, you know I got your back. So, take it easy until we get this done, don’t worry about me. – says Leo smiling.

*****

-Guys, let’s call the day here. By this time tomorrow we will have reached path’s halfway to Swallow’s Nest. – announces Kai, while getting the camp up.

-Nice, time to eat! – an enthusiastic Leo is salivating – what’s the dinner?

The drive Chu gives to each of the escorts a little box, containing a little potato curry portion. Leo seemed sore.

-Really?? Where is the meat?

-Kid, this is not a leisure trip and mister Kai spend and bet everything on his stock and hiring you guys. Stop whining about it and be grateful for your meal. - lectures Turk, while taking a bite to the curry. His expression was nauseated. He then stands up and goes to Kai and mutters – Kai, you expect me to eat this every day? The boy is right, where is the meat?

-You glutton! Did you hear yourself preaching the kid? I bet everything on this, I couldn’t spend more on food. Be grateful for what you have.

-You scrooge…

-You damn monkey!

Kai and Turk start arguing, while the others were grinning and eating the curry.

-Jax, do we really have to eat this every day? I need meat!

-Leo, endure it. After we reach Swallow’s Nest, we can eat something good.

-But did you eat this? This is so bad. – complaints Leo, as he drops curry from his spoon to see its viscosity. – Better than nothing, I guess.

Kai’s travel crew soon falls asleep after having dinner. As they rest, something is lurking in the night shadows. It’s a thief’s guild, the Angry Boar. This is a group formed by Nation’s outcasts, that heists merchants from big cities. They make use of this season to gather materials for waging war against the Nation, or they seem to say so. Headed by Peter Grimm, known for riding on a wild boar, this group aims to rob and ravaging travelers’ camps. This night they would attack Kai’s group, at the nightfall.

-Men, attack!

They never stood a chance. The sleepy Chu and Yu were trampled by some of the Angry Boar’s goons and rendered unconscious. Kai tried to yell, but it was gagged before he could warn anyone of the attack; Turk was immediately surrounded, and all tied up with chains.

-You think these puny chains can hold me back? Think again – says Turk while struggling to get out in vain – What? No, it can’t be … you have Essentia Chains.

-Say nighty night, monkey – says one of the thieves, as he strikes his head with a mace, leaving Turk bleeding and unconscious.

The only people left were the four new hired guards. Buck was too scared to move and was easily subdued; Keith tried to fight back, only to be knocked down easily. Jax and Leo fight it off 2 guys each themselves, but they were getting surrounded.

-Seems like we have some feisty boys right here, huh? – says Grimm, as he approaches them grinning- Can you surrender now please? We have more appointments to attend to.

-I knew this was being too easy Jax. What do we do now? Should we flee?

-I don’t know if we can conceal ourselves anymore, but we have two choices: we get out of here by ourselves without what we came for, or we have to take care of it and hope Kai doesn’t make it harder for us after we handle this.

-Hmmm, I don’t know Jax – says Leo crossing his arms, trying to think. Then he whispers to Jax’s ear– I think our priority is to get that rune you need, right? I’ll talk to him first then.

Two thugs of the assault crew approached Leo and Jax.

-You little brats, are you so scared of us that you would freeze up? – asks one of them while licking his knife menacingly.

-Be right back fellas, don’t do anything before I got back ok? – says Leo as he jumps over all Angry Boar’s crew easily, a distance easily larger than 20 meters. Everyone was in shock.

Leo got closer to Kai, who was lay down on the ground gagged, but just as astonished as the others. Right by his side were 2 Angry Boar members, that were stunned by how quickly Leo get there and didn’t even try to prevent Leo from ungagging the merchant.

-Hi there, do you have time for us to talk? – asks a merry Leo.

-Kid, how…who…

-That’s not important mister. Right now, we have been ambushed and things aren’t looking good to your supplies. So, let me ask you something: do you have an Essentia Adamant sealer as we have discussed earlier?

Kai was still in shock, so he didn’t answer. At the same time one of Angry Boar’s goons tried to attack him from behind, but Leo avoids it effortlessly. He continued to attack Leo, but he kept evading smoothly. Leo didn’t seem to care about it and carry on with his talk.

-Mister can you answer me. I really need your reply to know what my next step is.

-Yes, I do have something like that.

-Well, I think I can take care of this situation right here, but we have to review our deal.

-huh?

-Yeah, so here’s the deal: I take care of this assault with the promise that none of you reveal anything about what happens here. We will continue escort you only to Swallow’s Nest, not for the entire trade expedition. In return we get that rune. I know we are not honoring our previous arrangement, but we could take away the rune without helping you. So, in the end we are good guys, I think -Leo grins – Do we have a deal?

-You think you can take all of these thugs? Alone?

-Yeah, leave it to me.

-If you can take care of this and make us arrive Swallow’s Nest safely, you got it boy. I even will treat you to some BBQ there. But do you even know about Grimm’s a…

-You said it mister, no take backs. Shake it. – said Leo interrupting, while stretching his hand to Kai. They seal the deal with a handshake. – Time to get this party started.

Leo’s feet start to glow under a blue light. Before the two Angry boar followers could do anything, Leo roundhouse kick both of them. Then he disappeared, leaving only blue traces; he suddenly appeared 4 meters in the air, right where he was surrounded before.

“Ice Burst: Chill Touch”

Leo touched every Angry Boar member with his hands at a frightening speed. Before anyone could even react, the body spaces where Leo touched started to freeze. In a few moments every Angry Boar was freeze, unable to move, and Leo rendered them unconscious with swiftness and precision. The only one left was Peter Grimm, who didn’t look beaten yet; instead he looked confident.

«Wait…I heard about some Ice Essentia guy that run havoc around this area and is wanted by the Nation. I can’t believe my luck, it’s payday! »

-An Ice Essentia User, huh? You wouldn’t know anything about someone who has an identical ability to yours that goes by the “Frozen Drifter”, would you? Hehehe. I try to score on jobs that don’t involve fighting guys like you, or if it does, I have that special chain to suck that Essentia up, like your big friend right there. These guys don’t know how to handle someone like you, but I can do something about this.

Grimm drinks some kind of potion, and starts convulsing. His body starts to mutate, where he gains fangs, and his body morphology resembles a wild boar.

-This form is not good for getting ladies but is the right one to take care of you. And I can see your arms trembling, that freeze area attack took its tool huh?

Leo’s arms were indeed shaking due to the use of his ability. Element Essentia skills are rare and powerful, but the drawback to control elements is much more severe than other abilities, even with all the train that Leo had.

-I’m cool thanks, no need to worry about me.

-I’m not worry about you – says Grimm while positioning himself to tackle – but who knows what will happen to that guy over there? – he looks at Jax, who seems unfazed- that kid will make a fine hostage. hehehe

-Jax, get out of there. I can take care of this, no reason to exert yourself. Give me a moment.

Grimm starts getting impetus as he runs towards Jax. Leo tries to freeze Grimm to the floor, but his arms start to get frostbite, making his attack more fragile and Grimm breaks out of his thin ice trap continues to target Jax.

-Leo, I’ll take over now. You can’t use more Essentia without getting seriously hurt, you have done more than enough. – says Jax while a purple light appears on his eyes.

-Yo kiddo, I will try not to kill you, but I will not promise hehehe. – says Grimm with a sadistic face.

“Dusk Force: Sorrow Fall”

As Grimm gets close enough, Jax fiercely gazes Grimm and points his left palm hand towards him and waves it down. Instantly, Grimm halts and crushes to the ground, like he was pound against the ground with a huge hammer. He seems to be squeezed by an invisible force. Grimm tries to get up, but he seems to be stuck to the floor.

“Dusk Force: Compact Punch”

Before Grimm could get up with extreme difficulty, Jax suddenly appears and smashes Grimm’s back with a left punch surrounded with purple Essentia, leaving him unconscious. Jax coughs up some blood and get on his knees, while his Essentia dissipates. Leo runs to him worried.

-Jax! I told you, you can’t use so much power!

-Leo, you worry too much about me. Stop being so bothersome and help me get up. – says Jax smiling – did you see that? I totally got him.

-Yeah, yeah. Change the subject, like I care about it.

-You are just bummed that you didn’t take out that guy. – replies Jax with a senseless face.

-You are turning into a cheeky brat. – Leo lightly punches Jax’s head.

-You wanna fight? I will leave you like that dude on the floor.

The two brothers started to kid fight, yelling at each other. Kai was speechless as he still couldn’t believe what he has witnessed. Not even in his wild dreams he thought that the two youngsters would be this strong and would even be capable of using Essentia. The only thing in his mind now was how he could convince the two brothers to travel with him. If he could get their protection until the end of his journey, the trip for his real goal would definitely be much safer.

-Boys, I have to thank you for all you did. If it weren’t for you, everything that I work so hard for would be in vain. – Kai bows to them – Let me reintroduce myself to you: I’m Kai Agnelli, an honorable and humble Merchant. I am known for having an eye for every good potential business. And as the time has…

-Let me stop you right there. We know who you are, and we know that you will try to trick us into follow you if we did reveal our powers– says Leo while pointing to Kai – however we made a deal, so we are going to honor it.

-I guess so, I honor every deal I made. -Kai goes to one of his wagons and takes a black rune of it. -Here, take it. Be careful to not activate it as it can swallow essentia of nearby users in an instant.

-Sorry mister, its activation is our purpose.

Jax catch it and activates it, to the surprise of Kai. As soon as he does, he feels his Essentia being drained. Purple Essentia starts to be released and the rune starts glowing, absorbing the energy. Jax seems astonished.

-It- it worked… it worked!

-Yeah baby, we did it!

Jax felt like 5 years ago, when Darkmore sealed away his Essentia points temporarily. He trained during this time to improve his abnormal Essentia center, but every time he would concentrate his Essentia control, the energy would take over and overflow, cracking a little bit further Darkmore’s seal. This rune was serving as duct tape to his Essentia vessel fissures, trying to contain it. But a few moments later, the rune would explode releasing all the accumulated Essentia; that rune could not tap the necessary essentia levels.

-What the hell. -Leo was stunned by the Essentia released, just like Jax and Kai. Jax restarted accumulating Essentia on his body, returning to his original state and dropping on his knees. Leo would turn angry to Kai -You bastard! You didn’t give what we agreed to.

-How is that possible? Even if that rune is only a forgery of the real deal, no one could gather so much Essentia to make it explode. – says Kai scared, getting some distance between them– Essentia Adamant Sealer is used for sealing through top rank forces, no one would use it on himself because it can mean death if your whole Essentia pool dried up, yet you purposely did it. Who the hell are you?

-Give us what you promised, you sly fox. I knew you couldn’t be trusted – says Leo with a petty face.

-I give you the best suppressing Essentia rune that I had and yet you destroyed it! That’s a rank B rune. This is something used to seal elemental ability people like you, I don’t understand how he could break it. This doesn’t make any sense.

Jax gets up after catching his breath.

-Leo, let’s go. If he can’t help, we are wasting time here. We already left Asmund without raising suspicions, so we have some freedom to travel for a while without the Nation breathing in our necks.

-Ok Jax, but you can’t continue to use so much Essentia. You have to be careful.

Just as Grimm noticed, Kai finally remembers that there was indeed a bounty for an Ice Essentia user, he is considered an enemy of the Nation. To earn such notability, he has to be someone much powerful than any other guy he could hire to protect him.

-Wait! You guys, wait. – pleads Kai – I need you to help me, please.

-You deceive us and try to fool us more than once. Why would we help you?

-I know that you are the Frost Drifter and …

Leo coldly stares to Kai, condensing essentia on his right arm once again.

– And you are trying to blackmail us now? Forget it, I don’t think I can spare you.

-No, no. It’s not what I mean.

-Leo, let’s go. When we reach Swallow’s Nest, I’ll buy you some porkchops. Goodbye Mr. Kai.

-Guys wait, I really need you goddamn it.

-Swallow’s Nest is close, it’s 2 days tops like you said before. Good luck.

Kai could not take a no from them, not from someone who could help him reach his true goal. He would have to trust them with the whole truth, or at least with more truth than he told.

“Third Partition: Open”

As he pronounces these words, his body start glowing in his torso area, and a drawer open up from his chest. The two brothers were surprised, Kai also was an essentia user.

-This is why I need you. -declares Kai, holding a manuscript and a strange shape object - I have to deliver this at Hollow Bay city.

-That is in Muir, it’s not even on this Country. And that’s not in the direction that we need to go.

-I know is too much to ask, so I’ll give you everything I can in return.

“Second Partition: Open”

A new drawer is open from his abdomen this time, and from there Kai takes a silver egg with slashing dark red stripes, no bigger than a fist.

– This is my most valuable possession, and I would like to sell it to some wealthy collector or even to a noble, but I will invest this on you. This egg contains a spirit companion, at least of A grade rank. Its size can be deceitful, as hellfire dragons can grow from them if you’re lucky. You can keep it or sell it.

-Wow Jax, that’s so cool! – Leo takes over the egg, hugging him – I always wanted one!

-If that’s it, it doesn’t amount to the troubles that we would get for traveling with you. I’m sure for you to be trying to recruit us whatever the cost that the Nation have an eye on you already, and you’ll be persecuted, am I right?

Kai swallowed hard, Jax read him perfectly.

-That’s why I will offer you two more things. -he throws two little emblems to them – this is the proof that you are traveling by the Nation merchant status, this pin grants you passage to any city on this continent without the need to be identified. It’s really a good deal for you as wanted men, huh? How can you say no?

Jax throwed back his pin to Kai

– No thank you. With more or less work, we can get in and out from Nation’s cities, even without that. If you don’t have nothing more to offer, we wish you a good travel. Leo, handover the egg to him.

-But Jax, I would like to have a companion and for the looks of it, I think it will be stroooong – replies Leo, looking like a little kid.

-Leo, can you mature some more? It seems that I’m the older one, all the time!

As the two brothers were fighting about what to do, Kai did his last effort to convince them.

-If you help me out with this, I can get you an Essentia Adamant Sealer.

Jax and Leo stopped fighting and looked back to Kai.

-You’re lying again to us, aren’t you?

-No, I’m telling the truth.

Leo looks at the egg and returns it to Kai.

-You should be ashamed of being such a liar.

-I’m really telling the truth; I can get a rune like that.

-Goodbye Kai, Jax was right. You are not worth to help.

-I know someone who can do it in Clay Town, trust me…

-You would say anything to convince us.

-Garen Fullbring.

-I don’t care whatever name you say, our answer will not chan—

-We accept. - declares Jax, without letting Leo even finishing his response.

-What the hell Jax, you said it wasn’t worth the trouble and now you’re taking back?

Jax gives Darkmore’s log to Leo.

-Page 25, it’s the one about the rune. Read the left corner.

«This type of rune is hard to find and even more hard to forge. The only people who can do such a finesse work (and are a real pain in the ass to deal with) are Zeke Kilt, John Longsoul and …»

-“Garen Fullbring” … no way.

-Yes, if we can meet Garen and make him do the rune, I can control my power.

Kai understands that the boys were convinced with that, and sighs of relief.

– Thank you boys, I promise to take you to blacksmith Garen, I will honor my promises no matter what.

-We choose to believe you for now, so let’s gather up everyone then. We have a big journey ahead of us.

-Yes, and who knows the danger that we will have to face…

-No worries, no matter what we have to face, we’ll take whatever comes to us.

*****

The night falls, as the sun comes up. The Angry boar crew was waiting for its remaining members to recover before hitting the road again. Grimm was left with Jax’s punch print on his back and was still hurt and angry by that. As the crew was getting ready to leave, a wagon was arriving at the site. The cart was driven by a hooded figure and standing by his side was a little light pink hair girl with strange clothes, seating in an awkward way, playing with a bad sew up teddy rabbit. The perfect target to get Angry Boar on track once again.

-Greetings everyone. I need some info if you could – says the hooded one, which sounded like a mature yet artificial voice -We travel from far away and we are searching for someone.

-Oh yeah old man? Looks like you don’t know us then, so for that mistake you can leave the cart here and live for another day – declares an Angry boar guy.

It was possible to hear a mitigated voice from inside the wagon, but not clearly. As the voice ceased, the little girl stopped playing with the doll and started mumbling.

-Yoh, little girl, didn’t you hear him? It’s time to get out of the wagon.

The girl continued to mumble.

-Guys, they don’t seem to understand- says Grimm while a devilish smile -can you take him down of the cart nicely?

The two Angry Boar members more close to the cart were ready to rob them, however the hooded guy extended his wooden arm and hit everyone on his reach, knocking them down. The little girl stopped mumbling and calmly jump off the cart and walk to Grimm. As she reached him, her gaze was terrifying, just as her crazy smile.

-None of you is him, so I can play with you.

As soon as the little girl uttered those words, the hooded figure’s arm expanded and changed to a blade, cutting down the members of Grimm’s group, leaving only Grimm standing. As the blade arm leaked bloody red drops on the floor, Grimm was assaulted by a fear he never experienced. As he looked closer to the hooded man, he noticed it was a faceless wooden puppet.

-What do you want? I can help you get anyone you need; you don’t need to hurt me – pleads Grimm.

-He’s already gone, what can you do now?

-I’ll help you find him and do everything you say.

-You don’t even know who I am talking about. – says the little girl pouting- So I’ll play with you too.

As soon as she says it, the puppet extends one of his arms and wraps around Grimm, restricting his movements. He continued pleading, but in vain: the girl’s face was devious as the puppet use its left arm to chop his head clean spreading blood spatters all over the girl, who licks it.

A hand covered in bandages emerges from inside the wagon.

-Samara, let’s go. We have things to do.

-You heard it, Mr. Jones. Playtime’s over. – says the little girl to the puppet, as they return to the wagon.

One of the Angry Boar members who luckily had to go in the woods to puddle, was still alive and was now hiding in fear on the bushes, as he watched the wagon leaving after the massacre. He noticed the girls shoulder tattoo, a black frog head, a really well-known feared organization.

-Why…why? I heard about them, but I thought they were all killed. But she is… - before he could finish his sentence, the girl’s teddy rabbit stabbed him on his neck, killing him.

At the wagon, the girl smiles and lays her head on the Mr. Jones puppet’s arm.

-Mr. Whiskers has found a friend. I’m getting sleepy, when he arrives wake me up Mr. Jones. – asked the strange girl as she peacefully falls asleep while tasting the remaining blood on her face.