It's late. Manel opens his eyes, the moonlight illuminating his face. He sees Illari and Ikari guarding the sleeping group. With a smile, he stands and says, "What a beautiful night, isn't it?"
"Manel! Are you feeling much better?" Ikari asks.
"I think so."
"Your fight was impressive," Illari comments calmly.
"I didn't do it alone; you all were a great help."
"Don't be so generous; we couldn't even hurt that guy," Illari replies.
"He was huge and had a massive sword. That wasn't normal, was it, Manel?" Ikari says.
"No, it wasn't normal."
"That sword was special, right? As special as yours. He even said it himself, it was one of the eight legendary swords of the kingdom of Zylor. I hope you won't avoid the question this time," Illari says calmly.
"Didn't I tell you this sword was a gift from a dwarf? I think I remember telling you that."
"But how were we supposed to believe you? We've never seen them; they only exist in stories!" Illari exclaims.
"That's a serious mistake, assuming they don't exist when you don't even know ten percent of what surrounds you."
Illari looks down, a bit confused.
"This sword was given to me by one of the last remaining dwarves. To be honest, I don't know if any escaped. What I do know is that the wielder of Clarent was sent to exterminate them once they completed the eight swords of the kingdom, to prevent retaliation. I was fifteen years old. Every night, I would sneak out of the orphanage into the lush forest to gaze at the moon. I just thought about what my life would be like; I had no goals or purpose."
"Then I heard a cry of pain in the distance. I followed it and saw him, almost dead, missing both legs, as if he had dragged himself there from very far away. He looked at me with desperate eyes and said, 'We killed him, we did it. You... I entrust this sword to you...'"
"His eyes widened, imposing authority. I froze; it was something I'd never seen before—a sword that didn't seem normal. With his last breath, he said, 'AVENGE US! KILL EVERY LAST WIELDER, CLARENT!'"
"When I took it, I saw the sword's memories: wars, murders, until its previous wielder was killed by an explosion prepared by the dwarves, after they sacrificed themselves. But there was something very strange; I felt as if it had a life of its own, as if it were crying. When I woke up, it was already day. I dug a grave, and when I tried to bury him, I saw that he had a small list in one of his pockets with names and short descriptions:"
Nevaterna:A frozen sigh, that doesn't kill human flesh, but freezes the soul in its last doubt.
Drakhal:Fragment of dead stars, condemns the light and reveals horrors.
Pira:The skin chars at its presence, it burns with infernal fury and devours life in its wake.
Goliath:Brutal will expands, growing in strength with each wound or death until it transforms into a beast.
Vendaval:The wind blows in its favor, sweeping away echoes.
Clarent:Oath of truth carved in steel, lethal with feeling, weak with thought.
Seraphyra:Close to heaven, purifies pain and suffering.
Elarineth:Life in pure hands, heart putrefied in corrupt hands.
"So you knew all the names and abilities?" Ikari asked.
"And why did you never tell us?!" Illari said.
"You can't tell instantly; reading their abilities is very different from facing them. It's Goliath; his sword grew after he killed the merchant. Then, when I noticed his drastic change in speed and strength, it was too late. He hit me so hard in the abdomen that I could barely speak. It's impossible to stop it once it's in that state; it's practically indestructible."
An atmosphere full of mysteries covered the breeze.
"Why are you on the side of the Saqras, Manel?" Mirelle, who had just woken up, asked, having overheard the conversation.
Everyone was surprised.
"What?! You were awake!" Ikari whispered.
"You heard everything?!" Illari said.
"Yes, I heard the whole conversation."
Manel remained serious, looked at the youngsters, and replied to Mirelle, "Perhaps it's time to tell you the truth... I'm not on anyone's side; I'm just an adventurer, but I like to say I'm a wandering soul."
Manel crossed his arms, his gaze firm under the dim light of dawn. The fresh air dissipated the evening mist but not the weight of his words.
"I have no ties to organizations or outside causes; I'm just a simple man eager to discover every detail of this world. I had no purpose, but ever since I was given this sword and this list, my world changed. I became a bounty hunter of magical weapons. Eradicating the seven swords? Why not? I've spent my whole life looking for them, trying to kill them one by one. Now that I've finally stumbled upon one of them, I know the others are so close. These corrupt individuals will get what they deserved from the beginning."
The silence grew heavy, laden with the cold of dawn and the magnitude of Manel's revelation.
The young people looked at him with awe, but with the hope of leaving the place, as they had planned from the beginning. Hadrian got up after being unconscious from Rob's blow and said, "Bounty hunter? Killing wielders of magical weapons? Sounds interesting," Hadrian said, his voice still hoarse, but with a hint of certainty.
"So? Are you joining my objective?" Manel said, his gaze full of conviction illuminating their young minds.
The dawn breeze intensified even more, that small speech from a truly free man?
The young people looked at each other, thinking about what they would answer. It was what they had been looking for from the beginning, but in this situation, it was totally unexpected. Then, Hadrian suddenly said, "I'm in," his voice still hoarse.
The others thought for a while, and then the three decided to give him their answer by nightfall.
"No problem, guys," Manel replied with a slight smile.
Manel looked at Illari, Ikari, and Mirelle, a spark of expectation radiating in his eyes. He didn't pressure them. This decision wasn't easy. He knew that a bounty hunter's life was not a peaceful one. It was a path of no return, full of constant dangers and hidden truths.
"Alright. We need to move. Rob is surely looking for us everywhere. We need to get back to town."
The walk through the lush forest and up an endless rocky incline was long and silent. Dusk arrived, and Manel was in the lead, guided by his instincts.
Finally, they arrived; the entrance to Saqra village was before their eyes. Manel quickly spoke to Illari: "Hey Illari, give me the gold bags you got."
Illari proceeded to hand them over without saying a word. Manel took them, walked towards the entrance, and shouted to the guards protecting it: "Open the gates, it's us!"
Noticing him, the guards opened the gates. As they entered, one of the guards approached Manel and said, "You have to report to the leader. You and your team were tasked with stealing a large amount of gold, and it took you almost a day!"
"Yeah, yeah, don't worry, I'm on my way," Manel said somewhat unenthusiastically. "See you at nightfall, wait for me at the bar," he said, bidding them farewell with a smile.
Tired, the young people went to the relative safety of their rooms. The atmosphere was anything but relaxed. The fatigue from the fight was insignificant compared to the whirlwind of thoughts racing through Illari, Ikari, and Mirelle's minds.
Hadrian, on the other hand, was completely thrilled, as if Manel's revelation had set him free at that instant.
Illari flopped onto his bed on his back, frowning... Everything was overwhelming.
"I don't know what to think," he murmured, covering his face with both hands. "Bounty hunter? Is this really the right path? But I don't know why my heart feels good, as if all the suffering we experienced here—death coliseums, unjust executions, Luca's death..."—he trailed off, a few tears escaping Illari's eyes.
Ikari, lying on his stomach in bed, thought, "We've been looking for a way out, a different life, but I don't feel like being a bounty hunter is that different. But I guess it's much better than being locked up with crazy people who don't value human life."
Mirelle, sitting at the foot of her bed, looked up, staring into nothingness. Her eyes, which were once full of innocence, now reflected a thoughtful depth.
"What's the right alternative?" she whispered firmly. "Go back to the mission that couldn't be completed? Continue invading villages and killing innocent people? What's next... killing children? This is what we were escaping from, isn't it?" A few tears escaped her eyes. "But with Manel on our side, it's safe, right?"
As if time had sped up, nightfall quickly arrived. The young people, realizing this, got ready. They met downstairs, looked at each other with certainty in their answers, and went directly to the bar where they had agreed to meet Manel.
Upon arriving, they saw several Saqras drinking mugs of beer. They sat at an empty table and waited.
"You know what you're going to say, right?" Illari asked.
Everyone nodded somewhat tensely, except Hadrian; he was brimming with confidence.
Then, a loud explosion rocked the bar. The young people, consumed with worry about what was happening, rushed outside. Smoke covered the entire village. All the young people immediately thought: Had Rob discovered our location?!
A little scared, they cautiously ventured into the smoke that was billowing everywhere, drawing their weapons. In the distance, they saw two figures fighting fiercely.