Old Scars and Bitter Truths
Ecatrice observed the man before her. The marks of time on his face were like a map of forgotten wars.
"You truly have changed... who would have thought the great warrior would become this peaceful hermit," she remarked with a melancholic smile.
"Everyone changes, Trice. In my case, I simply accepted the weight of the years," the Old Man replied, adjusting his posture.
"Age? Don't be a fool. Age is merely the accumulation of time; what changes a man is experience. Otherwise, any human would be an ignorant child compared to an elf or a demon. But look at you... those wrinkles and old bones carry something that the banal romanticism of time cannot explain."
The Old Man laughed softly. "You are still terrible at accepting the kindness of others, though your soul overflows with it."
"I possess no such weaknesses, you grumpy old man!" she retorted, looking away. "War leaves no room for kindness. It consumes everything until nothing is left."
"That is true, in a way..." he sighed.
"Then tell me: why did you steal this child?" Ecatrice's question cut through the air like a blade.
"It's a long story, Trice. As long as all stories worth telling. But this one, I will keep to myself for now."
"Do not take the world upon your shoulders again," she warned, concerned. "You have already done more than you should for all of us. You should rest."
"Do not worry. I do not seek revenge, nor do I intend to be the world's savior again. We are too old for such nonsense."
"Did you really dare call me old?" She feigned indignation but soon smiled. "But... you are right."
The Hunter's Lesson and the Deal
The sun punished the mountain peak as the Old Man and young Leonardo walked. The twelve-year-old boy dragged his feet, exhaustion etched into every gesture.
— Grandpa, please! — Leonardo pleaded. — I want to see people, visit the cities, Albion! Why do we have to come to these boring places over and over?
— The world out there is for those who are ready, Leonardo. Polishing your skills is the only guarantee that you will return alive.
— But Aunt Ecatrice said I'm already strong!
— That witch calls anyone strong if they survive the curses she uses as tests — the Old Man smiled faintly. — She wants lab rats in the real world, not warriors.
— Being her lab rat seems less repetitive than this training... — the boy grumbled.
The Old Man stopped and faced his grandson. — Want a deal? If we camp up there and you do well, you'll get two days in Albion. But it will be your annual vacation in advance.
— Yay! — Leonardo's fatigue seemed to evaporate for a second.
— Don't get excited. If you fail, the punishment will be doubled. Sit down.
With a casual gesture, the Old Man materialized two luxury armchairs in the middle of the packed earth. Between them, white and frigid flames sprouted from nowhere, illuminating the twilight without warming the air.
— Now, the theory — said the grandfather, his voice shifting to a cold, analytical tone. — Forget that I am your grandfather. I am a Hunter. Imagine that something is approaching. Something that is not human.
— An enemy? — Leonardo grew alert.
— Can you hear it? Can you see it? — The Hunter questioned.
— No...
— Then how do you defend yourself against what you do not perceive?
— I... I can't.
— Exactly. Therefore, never define something before you know it. The unknown is a potential enemy. Anything that can hurt you is a threat. Do you understand?
Leonardo thought for a moment, his gray eyes shining under the light of the white flames. — I understand the logic of safety, Grandpa. But in this woods, even a cub is stronger than I am. If I treat everything as a threat, I'll be devoured simply because I can't fight everyone. Survival here requires more than fear; it requires camouflage or affection.
The Old Man smiled, genuinely impressed. — That is why the academy is useless. There, logic is absolute. Here, a gust of wind topples your knowledge if you are not adaptable.
The Solitary Awakening
Night fell heavy. Leonardo felt a frigid shiver, a dark foreboding that made his hair stand on end. He clung to his grandfather's legs, seeking a safety that seemed to be slipping through his fingers.
— Do not be afraid. I am here. Rest; tomorrow the training will be hard.
Leonardo entered the tent, but his mind was screaming. He tried to keep part of his consciousness focused on his grandfather's presence outside, fighting against sleep. Suddenly, a sharp pain pierced his temple—a precise mental strike. Darkness claimed him before he could cry out.
When the sun hit his face the following morning, the silence was absolute. Leonardo ran out of the tent. There was no fire, no armchairs, and no grandfather.
Upon a wooden stump, only a map and a sealed letter remained.
— NOT AGAIN! DAMN IT! — The boy's shout echoed through the Elinor Woods, startling distant birds. He already knew that ritual. His thirty-second survival mission had begun.
The Letter of Instructions and the Iron Rules
Leonardo held the yellowish paper with trembling hands. His grandfather's handwriting was firm, each letter looking like a sword stroke driven into the parchment.
The Letter of Instructions "My dear grandson, confident in your latent survival skills, and given the non-negotiable importance I devote to your education, I now confer upon you your thirty-second mission. Your objective is simple, though the execution requires everything I have taught you: return home safely.
On the back of this note, you will find an enchanted map that will trace the path necessary for your evolution. I asked your aunt, the witch Ecatrice, to weave a Space Restriction Magic upon this parchment. Your location will be updated in real-time, but be warned: the map is your judge. If you try to stray from the trail or flee the established path, the geometry of the woods will bend, and you will instantly return to the starting point: the beginning of everything.
The map will guide you to meet the Three Great Leaders of this region, beasts that rule the ecosystem with iron fists. The most powerful among them, the absolute sovereign, is the Great Glyph of Saiglad.
Your task is not extermination, but precision:
The First Leader:Find the hidden marking on its leg.The Second Leader:Locate the seal engraved on its wing.The Third Leader:Identify the marker on its cub's body.
There are spiritual markings at these points. Your mission is to remove them using only your magic, passing through them without being detected or killed.
The Iron Rules of the Mission:
If you try to cross the borders without removing the seals, the map will send you back to the beginning.If you use brute force, lethal violence, or any offensive magic beyond the simple removal of the seals, the map will understand your character flaw and send you back to the beginning.
You are now in the heart of the Elinor Woods. For a trained knight, this place is trivial, but for you, its danger rating is 4 Skulls.
I wish you the success your discipline allows.
Urgency Note: Time is a resource that does not forgive indolence. Should you take more than a month to cross the threshold of home, Ecatrice's spell will transmute. The map will stop guiding you to safety and will teleport you directly to the Grotto of Death, in the Kingdom of Darkness. There, the danger is absolute, rated with 8 symbolic Skulls. If this occurs, you will have only three months to survive and escape on your own.
Do not disappoint me."