While the awkwardly grinning boy and the soaked grown-up that was carrying the three large fishes, were pacing higher up the hill towards the village up ahead, as the sun was beginning its descent over the horizon, while the stars in the east were becoming somewhat visible, with the moon that was increasing its luminosity, with a tinge of red over itself.

“It is almost night. And I can not believe that it took me so long for these three bastards, which are not even as big as the ones I would normally buy, it makes me wonder how the fishermen catch so many during the day. However, with this, we can have some warm and acceptable meal tonight, not the dry meat covered in salt, that sucks all of your saliva, leaving your mouth dry. Although all I have is nothing more than salt to condiment them---, ahhh what a bummer, if I knew that the blockhead would take only that, I would have prepared the provisions myself.”

However, as Hubert was rumbling non-stop, while speaking to himself, he took a glance at the kid next to him.

As he truly had no idea, on how to cheer up the boy, that had just dug up the graves of his village's dead, while writing their “names”, and then filled up those same graves by himself, putting him at a loss of words, as the only thing he could say and do was the normal stuff, talking about the food, as he was trying to wrest his mind away from whatever he was thinking. As he knew that the show of emotions was a fake pretense, as no normal human could change his emotions on the moment that easily.

But as they entered the village, Hubert looked around before turning his head towards Levis, as he began to speak again.

“We will make a fire in front of that building, I have noticed firewood almost everywhere, you can go and fetch some. I will make a fire pit, and —we need some stone too, can you carry some to make a circle? I will see to the fishes to be ready for the fire, it’s that alright with you?”

“Yes, I will bring some half-dry wood for the fire, as we need embers to cook it.”

“Ah, yes. That's right, you do that.”

Whereas Levis was moving towards a house in the distance to take the wood, Hubert was moving towards the center of the village to make the pit, as he was relieved at Levis’s words, as he had been ready to put the fishes on the flames of the fire to cook them.

Yet, as he was done with the pit, the boy had carried numerous pieces of wood, before leaving to search for rocks to surround the pit, as Hubert was removing the guts of the fish and cleaning it with water from his jug.

As it did not take long to make several round back and forward, as Levis completed the circle of stones, Huber could begin to start the fire, but a he was looking close, he could see a red stone in his hand pushed against the wood, after which a reddish glow came from it, as a moment later flames sprung from the wood, starting the fire.

“Alright, see that it does not die.”

As the task of keeping the fire alive was given, Levis sat on one of the two logs that Hubert had carried, from a nearby house to use as seats, as he did not enjoy sitting on the ground, like a certain someone.

However, as Huber was occupying himself with preparing the fishes, Levis was looking at the fire that was spreading all over the wood inside the pit, and he began to lose himself while watching the fire burn.

[Do you feel regret? Do you feel remorse? Do you feel powerless?]

[Yes.]

Though at the words of the voice began to talk to him like an old relative that he had not heard for a long time, Levis was feeling some kind of closeness, that even he could not understand.

[How can I not feel this way?]

[That—, no emotions, might as well mean the death of the individual, and transformation of something akin to the forces of the world and the universe, just random chaos of no desire. That is not the path to proceed.]

[Then what?]

[Power, power, and more power! Learn every skill and memorize every single thing that can help you in growing into a better version of yourself, and then do it again!]

[Will that help me?]

[Yes, with that power, you will be able to hunt and kill everybody responsible for what has happened here, because what you need is power, more power, and an unimaginable amount of power, in order to wield your own fate and those that you want to protect. Throw aside your humanity, because on this road only monsters can walk, if a thousand you need to kill, a million will die, if you are afraid, then this is where we part because at the end of this road there might not be anything good for you. So I will ask you again will you walk this road? ]

“Yes.”

“Hmmm, what was that?”

But as Levis was looking at the fire while conversing with the voice in his head, Hubert was already preparing the skewered fish to be roasted by the fire. But as he was putting the fish closer to the burning cinders, the soft “Yes.” that came from the boy's mouth, drove him to question the boy, but as there was no answer from the kid that was fixated on the fire, he himself turned to his own desire at the moment.

[Good. If that is the case, then I, Urger Blan will lead and follow you, till the moment that I will perish.]

However, as the oath of the now named voice, was echoing in his head for the first time, the two different voices began to overlap with one another, into a refined and dignified unique voice, that could mute all other sounds, but as his body trembled and then stopped after a few moments, the eyebrow of the boy was raised, as the name that the voice had given himself, was finely registered in his mind.

“Urger Blan?”

“Hmm.”

But as the words came out of his mouth, Huber did not give much attention other than the usual soft exclamation, as he knew that inquiring about, would not give any results from the out-of-sorts and unfocused boy.

[Is that your name?]

[Yes, I just remembered it now, though I don’t know why I have forgotten it in the first place.]

[Strange indeed, however now that you are our disciple—, hahaha, it’s time for your first lesson and task.]

[Good, now little Levis, remember if you want to know one's true nature, you must see them in their moments of danger as that will be the time when they will reveal the hidden core personality, ahahaha.]

[What do you mean?]

But as Levis was getting confused at Urger’s words, he notice the strange-looking and startled Hubert that was looking towards him, but as he looked closely, he could comprehend that where he was truly looking was to his right and not him.

“Huuuuhhh!”

However, as he turned to see what was the thing that had made Hubert look strange, he immediately heard the sound of a long exhale while also noticing a pair of legs and the shape of a large human next to him, but as he completed his turn of the head, what greeted him was the face of a half smiling old man, full of a head and beard of white hair, breathing hard, as though having run for a long time.

“Ahaha, sorry for interrupting you, young lads, but this old man had run from eagles for a long time and could not miss your fire and cooked fish, as I might have to add, that I am quite famished.”

But in this moment both Levis and Hubert had their eyes wide open and their jaw dropped. The sudden appearance of the old man, was far too spooky, as none of them had sensed him arrive, much less sitting down close to them, as Levis himself had no passive warning from his senses.

“If you don’t close your mouth, you might begin to eat flies, or is that what you are doing!?”

Nonetheless, at the words of the old man both of them relaxed slightly, as there was no ill intent coming from the old man, despite the less desirable entrance.

“A— old man, you know you could avert us before approaching, I could have attacked you.”

“Hahaha, sorry, sorry but it’s been a while since I have seen friendly faces, so I just dropped myself onto your little fire.”

Yet, the flustered guard and the boy had no choice but to accept the old man’s words, as there was no way to investigate him.

“Alright, if you are lost you can stay here with us.”

“Many thanks, lad.”

“---.”

“What is it, young one?”

However, as Levis was staring at the old man, the man felt obligated to speak to the boy, about his intense staring.

“You said eagle! How can an eagle chase a man?”

“Hahaha, that's simple young lad, they drop from the sky and try to wrench your eyes, and tongue out, with their claws, they are far more dangerous than what you know, stealing one or two chickens would not be easy, they don’t butcher their prey but letting it bleed out from the wounds inflicted by their talons.

“And you run from them.”

“A-a—, ahamm, but of course, I am but an old man, how can I fight powerful and fierce eagles? I might be old and not be capable of fighting but I can run for “gurgle”---.”

However, as the old man was about to end his words, the rumbling of his stomach, made the two of them look at the embarrassed old man, that was patting his belly.

“Are you hungry?”

“A—well—I am embarrassed to say, that I truly am.”

“Old man don’t tell me that, what you are after, are the fish that I have personally captured and cooked?”

“I—mhhh, yes, I have to admit to the truth.”

“Hmm, I see you have good eyesight, so I will give you a fish to feast on.”

Nevertheless, as the three of them continued to converse, the spiked fishes were finely giving off the smell of being ready. As Hubert gave the old man and Levis a fish each, but as the old man took a closer look, at the cooked fish that seemed to have come from a lifetime of war, as it had many visible wounds and the tail bend strangely, before turning his head with a half-serious face towards Hubert.

“Young lad, you have fought too much with these fishes, when you hunt, you must kill in one strike, don’t try to catch with your hands as they will be slippery and lose them, so hit them hard, because if they run, it is better to have them wounded, then they will bleed to exhaustion or death, otherwise you’ll be left with this kind of fish, half beaten to death, one strike, no more.”

“Hmmm!? Are you a fisherman?”

“Something like that.”

Nonetheless, as Hubert was devouring his fish, he did not mind the old man too much, as he did not want to talk about his day, as he was ashamed of the meager catch after a full passing of daytime.

However, as they were eating, Levis was again, fixed on the old man, making him reveal an awkward smile, as he had no idea how to react to the curious boy.

[Who is he? Why did I not notice him? How powerful is he? Are there eagles nearby?]

[So you need the danger, to eat alongside you, in order to be interested by the person?]

[ [Hard to say if he's uninterested or just a fool?] ]

[Kid analyze the situation by yourself, I am not a magical answering god.]

[Alright—.]

[ [He's staring at him, he is actually staring like that, aha he is a true fool.] ]

[ [Ahhh, this is so embarrassing, I will absolutely punch him one of these days.] ]

“Levis! Stop staring, it is bad manners.”

“A— yes, sorry for that.”

[ [Ahh, another little boy, to the rescue of my face, we really need to teach him how to behave, if he's going to embarrass us like this every time, I might kill him once.] ]

“It is not me, that you should say sorry.”

“Yes, I am sorry for staring, senior.”

“Aahaha, no need young one—.”

Nevertheless, just as the old man was ending his phrase, the faces of Hubert and Levis suddenly became pale and frightened, as their bodies were experiencing an alarming cold sensation, as though their surroundings, had just become a freezing hell.