After they exited the building, Alz followed Polon back to his place where he would be staying in for the next three days. There were many empty huts around the village and he could have easily requested for one, but there was much less hassle if he just went to stay with Polon.

They had been living together for a long time from the days in the care center up until the day of the attacks. As such, they were extremely comfortable with each other's presence and Polon naturally welcomed this decision, allowing them to relive their days as room mates for this short period of time.

The three days went by in a flash, and the two elves were now approaching the field, where they would soon part ways. Alz would be setting off for the elven capital and Polon had decided to return to the fourth village, to fulfil his end of the promise.

During this time, the council had sent two more waves of elves for the restoration of the fourth village, but Polon was not issued any orders in the entire duration, something he silently felt grateful towards council for.

In this time, Alz and Polon had done many things together. They had visited the care center which had housed them for nearly ten years together, walking around the places they used to play while reminiscing of the carefree days when Caila and Link were still around.

Polon had also requested Alz to spar with him, eager to get back at him for the defeat he experienced. However, Alz simply accepted with a sly smile on his face at this, his body shaking trembling slightly as he tried to stop himself from bursting from laughter.

Polon was angered by Alz's reaction, but this was quickly replaced by feelings of helplessness and dejection. He had always thought that the only reason Alz managed to take him out back then was because he had been overcome with rage, resulting in him being unable to react Alz's actions.

Of course, he later understood that this couldn't be further from the truth. He was quickly taken out by Alz in this bout, and in no less time than before. The same thing happened as before, and he found the world flipping before him before his mind had even recognised what was happening, slamming his head on the ground.

Refusing to give up, he stubbornly requested rematches each time but had been mercilessly thrown onto the ground each time. He eventually succumbed to despair after the gap in their abilities was repeatedly beaten into his body.

However, inwardly, Polon also felt relieved at this result. He hadn't mentioned it to Alz, but the first time he saw Alz's crossbows made his blood run cold, causing him to shudder in fear, an emotion that had long since been a thing of the past for him.

Hence, he was confident in Alz's ability to protect himself when he was prepared, but he had qualms about Alz's ability to defend himself in close quarters, something Alz had clearly proven that he was capable off in the past three days.

To this date, he still couldn't understand how Alz had seemingly effortlessly defeated him each time despite being physically outmatched. He was not one to brag, but he knew that there were few elves who could match him in strength and speed and even fewer who could take him in a fight.

Yet, none of this mattered in the face of Alz and his confidence was mercilessly shredded each time they sparred. Alz had tried to explain the reasons behind it but it was too technical for him and his eyes became droopy each time he tried to focus.

Polon had never read too deeply into his fights as he had always allowed his instincts to dictate his moves, not bothering to think about anything with his head. He immediately understood that this wouldn't help him and cut Alz off after a few minutes with a bitter smile.

His gaze towards Alz now held deep awe and respect within, from the unbelievably large changes in his friend in the short period of five years. After all, Alz's biggest change was in his knowledge, something he had learnt about and witnessed first-hand along the trip.

Alz helped him sharpen his spear beyond anything he had seen before, he started fires effortlessly with materials he had never seen before and his equipment was incomparable to any of those found in his tribe.

They were walking at a slow but steady pace as they approached the field that had been in their sights since a while back. There were many elves gathered on the field, male and female alike. Some were standing while most were seated as they engaged in conversations with one another.

All the elves appeared to be in their prime, with no teens or older elves amongst the group. They were all just lounging around, but the mood in the air was slightly tense at the same time.

This was to be expected though, as this was the group that was about to set off for the capital, the group Alz would soon join. At the front of the field a distance away from the crowd, the council members were currently gathered.

Ever since its founding, the council had always been present when the tribute left. They would give a short speech containing hopes and blessings for their futures and then see them out of the village with a prayer for their good fortune on the road.

This was one of the many decrees set during the first generation of the council that continues to be upheld today. Even the system of the council was decided and passed down from then, existing for more than a century.

The council consists of twelve members, with one appointed as the chieftain and all decisions they made went through a voting process where the chieftain had the right to vote twice. Hence, the chieftain might be the leader of the tribe, but he was not too powerful.

As such, the other council members were not afraid of raising their options in discussions, even if it conflicted with the chieftain's own view on the matter, allowing the council to function properly thus far.

"Polon, I'll definitely return, so make sure you're still around to welcome me when I come back." Alz suddenly turned to Polon and spoke in a serious voice when they were one step from the field.

Polon instinctively raised his hands slightly in an attempt to cover his head, but hurriedly put his hands back down when his mind caught up with a dry laugh. Alz chuckled slightly at this, wiping the solemnness off his face with a smile.

Ever since the many bouts they had, Polon had developed a small trauma towards Alz and would shrink his head back each time Alz suddenly looked towards him, giving Alz a good laugh about it when he first found out.

"Don't worry, I'll be here to get my revenge for sure! Let's see who is the one throwing who when you come back! Hehehe." Polon looked at Alz with a challenging gaze as he responded.

Seeing this, Alz lightly cracked his knuckles and looked at Polon with a wide grin, causing Polon's face to drain of its colour. He tried to back off immediately, but the familiar weightless sensation quickly assaulted his mind turned his world upside-down, his head landing lightly onto the field.

"I WASN'T READY!!!" Polon shouted while pouting as he rolled about on the ground while grabbing his head in his hands. However, there were no signs of any actual injuries as Alz had pulled him back slightly right as he landed, as he had done so each time in the past three days.

"Now you have one loss to pay back, make sure you don't go anywhere before you return this debt."Alz responded after an evil laugh with a smile on his face.

Polon stopped flailing and spread his arms wide with a helpless smile on his face as he said, "I'll get you back for this, on this very spot. Both, me and the field will be waiting for you to appear, so we can get our revenge!"

Alz laughed loudly at this and walked towards the group, waving one hand above his head in farewell as he spoke in a voice only the two could hear, "Live on no matter what."

"You too." Polon mumbled as he gazed at the blanket of darkness that lie overhead, but his voice so soft that it was lost in the wind, unable to make its way into Alz's ears.

All the elves had their gazes locked on the pair as this played out, shocking many of the spectators. Polon was well known in the village due to the disturbances he caused and the many times he was sent to visit the council, and most that were present knew of his strength.

Yet, he was flipped over so casually by an elf seemingly close to his age that most didn't recognise, a feat they would have never thought possible. The council members were especially stunned because they knew of his identity, which made them doubt their eyes even more.

Suddenly, one elf from the group called out in an uncertain voice, "A-Alz? Is that you?"