“I will carry out your orders personally, there are other matters I must take care of.” After a few moments he decided to accept the order realizing that he would not lose anything, just as his father advised him.

"And these matters have to do with your new puppet?" His father looks straight into his eyes, showing him that he can't hide anything.

“He even knows about it.” Boron's face is slightly distorted.

But thanks to this, he perceives that the traitor is one of the knights who accompanied him on his journey to Inmerlan castle.

"That's right, he won't live more than a few weeks if I don't gather enough life essence and transfer it." There was no point in hiding it if her father already knew about it.

"How much power will it have?" Asks his father, abandoning the pen with which he was writing, clearly the subject interested him.

“Added when he was alive… he'll be able to beat opponents of a higher rank and hopefully hold back enemies two ranks above him.” Boron was excited to try it, everything related to magic was his obsession.

His father raises his eyebrows slightly, almost imperceptibly, showing slight surprise.

“If you're going to gather life essence, remember to do it from the commoners of the Inmerlan. I do not want missing persons and bodies on my land.”

“I know, I'll keep it in mind. Goodbye father.”

After saying goodbye, he goes directly to his study, after a couple of minutes inside, he leaves with the same speed with which he entered Erk's room, who had barely taken off his boots and was about to rest after a long trip.

"My lord, what do you require?" Erk forgets his fatigue and performs a knight salute with his fist to the chest.

"I have orders, all the details are here." He hands a scroll and leaves without another word.

Erk opens the scroll and carefully reads its contents twice, then sighs slightly.

“I have to look for this boy again.” He resigns himself and puts on his black boots, stained with mud, and prepares the trip while he thinks about how many and what men he should take.

Knocks on the door of Berner's study are heard again, Erk was the one who was standing waiting to be given permission to enter.

“Come in.” A muffled voice comes from inside.

“Mr. Berner.” The same greeting, but this time with a deep respect that was impossible to hide.

"My son will have given you the orders by now." Saying it as a half question and affirmation, he completely diverts his attention from the papers and books and focuses it on Erk.

"Yes, my lord, I plan to leave within a day at dawn if you will allow me."

"Sure, I leave the matter to your discretion. If you don't find it by late spring... call off your search and come back. Considering the snow-clogged passes and the difficulty that creates, three months of spring is more than enough to find him dead or alive."

“I will comply with your instructions.” He turns and walks toward the door, but Berner has a few last words for him.

"How is your wound? I hope our doctor hasn't lost his skill.”

“I'm already in perfect condition, the wound was properly treated in a town and the doctor of this place did wonders. Also, I was always strong since I was little.”

“Hehe… that's right, even a broken bone didn't stop you.” Berner smiles, a rare occurrence, remembering the past.

"I bid you farewell, my lord."

“Be careful. Something is different, something is coming, the world is going to change once again... my age predicts it" You can clearly see the concern on his face.

“I will do it, thanks.” Completely forgetting formalities, Erk smiles and leaves the room.

“If only Boron wouldn't be obsessed with magic, he wants personal power, nothing else matters to him, including family... I have to change that.” Leaning back in his chair, he slumps his shoulders and watches the snow fall through the window, at that moment it seemed as if he had aged several years in a few minutes.

---------------------------

Eze’s head was dropping while holding his body with the bow so that he did not fall to the ground and fall asleep on the spot. He was sitting in front of a small fire that barely served to heat him, if he fueled it any more, there was danger of being noticed by the beasts.

Common sense is that wild animals fear fire, but beasts do not have this fear and replace it with curiosity. Ezer was able to verify it his first night only two days ago, he managed to escape thanks to the fact that several beasts were entertained fighting among themselves and did not notice him, but since that day, he has not been able to sleep more than small naps during the day.

"I have to get away from the mountains... the further... the better. I hope I've lost it...” Ezer talks to himself so he doesn't fall asleep.

The mountains and their surroundings are plagued by beasts, the closer you are, the more chances you have to die. It is a general knowledge in the North, there are no clear records of what lies beyond them, it can only be assumed with the legends or stories of some crazy person who claims to have crossed to the other side and returned safe and sound.

"I don't understand... how do normal animals avoid being killed by the beast? Maybe because they only cross the mountains in the fall and come back in the spring?" I'd love to… research… maybe write my own book…” His eyes close and, after a few seconds, open again, trying to push away sleep.

“I don't feel anything, surely I lost him. I'm just going to rest... my eyes... a moment...” Ezer was afraid to sleep because since that night, two days ago, he constantly felt that someone was watching and persecuting him.

But the accumulated fatigue overcomes him and he falls asleep on the floor as if it were the best velvet bed. Almost a minute passes, when an animal with white fur slowly advances towards him.