“ERHART! LET’S PLAY!” Yadina suggests, swinging her flame like hair as she runs around the clearing looking for the currently bold head young boy. Erhart ignored her, not only because that he feels he is too old for such thing (JAWPB’s note: you know biologically, you are technically seven…DON’T STAB ME!). Also from some unfortunate past experiences he learned that Yadina’s so called ‘play’ is basically beating each other up ‘Kids in this world…..Once I thought I was violent.’ Sitting on top of a tree’s branch, lying his back softly against its truck. He hides his presence by camouflaging himself to somewhat similar to his surroundings. He takes out a metal arm guard, carefully appraising the traces carved across it, while flicking through Zotoady’s notes.

“ERHART! What are you doing?” Out of nowhere a pair of crimson red eyes materialises behind of Erhart shining out glimmer of curiosity, Yadina have finally found him. Erhart sighs, he closes his eyes and compliments, “Your [teleport] is getting better.”

“Like, Thanks.” Yadina says, patting Erhart on the head tenderly.

“what are you doing?”

“I am like, enjoying my reward.”

“What reward?”

“Like, the reward for finding you. “

“ZOTOADY!!!!!” Erhart shouts, He does not need to ask any questions he just knows, somehow.

……..

“Are you sure about this?” Erhart asks.

“Yes” Zotoady replies

“Ok? But Yadina would probably lose…Horribly…”

“No she won’t” Zotoady speaks with confidence. “Don’t worry, just go all out I have set up wards, so you would not do much damage.”

“Ready?” Erhart prepares himself, hand on the hilt of his green sword, ready to attack at any time.

“Just a moment!” Zotoady waves his hand, signalling Erhart to stop, but before Erhart is able to ask anything.

“*Wind Shield V*, *Extreme speed V*, *Obsidian Sharpening V*,*Carbon nanotube Skin X*, *Magic Damage Repeal III*, *Star Flame Aspect III*, *Strength V*, *Elemental Protection I*, *Poisionous Blade V*, *Mana Regeneration*, *Immolate*….” Zotoady says, at the same time showering Yadina with flasks of different coloured potions.

“Now go! Erhart I believe in you! Also Yadina activate your [Domain] all ten of them.” Zotoady says waving at Erhart, “Good luck.”

“…..Well, I am screwed….” Erhart’s jaw drops and his face turns pale, he can already feel the pain.

As Zotoady’s ward gradually fads away, Zotoady watches Erhart slowly crawls out of it with a bruised face and body, most of bones in his body crushed, despite He is not in any real danger with Zotoady being here, but still the pain implied on him is unmeasurable. On the other hand, Yadina is unscratched, celebrating in the background, clearly she did not go easy on this young boy. ‘Grand pa told me, go all out in all fights’ .

Zotoady ducks down in front of the young boy, he says, “You know you could have used ‘Swords Mind’ back there right?”

“On en innosent gier did nothing wruong… No..too…cruel.” (On an innocent girl that did noting wrong, it is too cruel)With the last bit of strength Erhart squizzes out a few unclear mumbles.

“Foolish child.” Zotoady rises up, pouring down a bottle of pink solution onto Erhart. “Why can’t you be a bit like your father.”

………

“I always thought a night out in the wild must be freezing and swarmed by insects.” Erhart comments will looking up into the vast night sky. Without much light pollution or dusts accumulated in the atmosphere. Erhart is exposed to an entirely different sky that is beyond any of his knowing or imagination. Instead of individual stars he remembers from his old word. Every night he sees milky spirals twist into the shape of vortex, constructed solely of diamond like stars, glaring, glimmering, sparkling out light from light years away.

Sometimes if Erhart is haunted by nightmares or simply cannot fell asleep, he will look up and stare at these wonders of creation for hours and hours on. Often he cannot help himself exclaim ‘no wonder my ancestors are so entranced by these gems of the night sky, they are such exotic scenery.’ But tonight, Erhart cannot help but bites his teeth.

“Paper, Scissors, Rock! HA REKT, LOL” Zotoady swings his hands in excitement.” SISSORS. I WON”

Yadina stares down at her own fist, looks to be somewhat puzzled, she is locked in contemporary for a good two minutes, before she realises something is wrong. “Like, Wait a second? Doesn’t rock like beat scissors?”

“Does it?” turning his head towards Erhart, Zotoady asks. Seeing Erhart nods, Zotoady lets out an sigh, filled with disappointment.

“Can you guys just sit down and enjoy the scenery? FOR GOD SAKE!” Erhart complains, he somewhat regret teaching those two this game, so they can stop bothering him every five minutes.

After hearing that, Zotoady rubs the back of his head in confusion, “What’s so good about these fiery helium gas balls? They are not that rare to see …”

Yadina looks at Zotoady curiously at first, but never less nods in agreement.

“IMAGINE! How could you not be amazed by such wonders of Nature?”

“Do you want a star?”

“Sure!...Wait What?”

“Do you want a star?” Zotoady says again, from under his cloak, he snatches out a black bird. The thought of it being a crow first enters Erhart’s head. But as he observes closer, he sees this black bird have three foot.

“WHAT DO YOU WANT WITH ME OLD BASTARD!” the bird shouts angrily.

“It can like, talk!” Yadina somehow reacted faster than Erhart this time.

“OF CAUSE I CAN. I AM THE THREE FOOT GOLDEN RAVEN! THE OLDEST CREATURE OF THIS UNIVERSE!”

“Shut up crow.” Zotoady says, grabbing the bird by its foot and begins shaking it continuously.

“THREE FOOT..GOL..DEN RA..VEN!”

“Now here is a deal, this young man here wants a star, give him one. If you cannot, well then become his contract beast. As technically you are the first star.”

“YOU KNOW THAT I CAN NOT MAKE STARS ANYMORE WITH MY CURRENT STATE! YOU BASTARD? SIGN A CONTRACT WITH HIM? A WEAKLING LIKE THAT? NO THE…ONLY...TWO PEOPLE…I….RECOGNISE IS…WAIT?” the raven pauses, struggles out of Zotoady’s grasp, flipping its wings towards Erhart. Hovering before him, its black eyes rolls up and down, scanning the young boy all over again and again as if a drowning man had seen a floating log.

“Why can I sense those two’s presence in him…” The Raven asks

“Have you changed your mind, crow.” Instead of answering, Zotoady says.

The raven did not bother argue with Zotoady any further, it lands softly onto Erhart’s shoulder and replies, “I will!”

“Good! If you said no, you would probably become, out next day’s breakfast.”

“……”