"You should beware of the old man, in a profession where many men die young. Don't let his age deceive you; he is old for a good reason"
-Unknown.
Nina raced the last few hundred yards towards the village, trying to beat the last remaining sunlight before it completely set behind the mountains and win the imaginary race against the King star. She waved happily at Verkan who waved back at her from a couple of hundred yards down the road, celebrating her victory.
Verkan arrived with just a few seconds to spare. Soon enough, it was completely dark already. The moons were not visible at the moment due to the dense layer of clouds, although their light could still be seen faintly behind the clouds.
Both of them were received by the village's chief, an old man named Utios, who was informed beforehand of their delay due to the late Lord's passing. A mounted messenger had given him the word of their imminent departure before the Trial took place. After a few formalities, he guided the pair toward one of the huts that were prepared for their use.
The young girl inspected their accommodations, nothing fancy for sure. A pair of rooms, one for them each. Each room was fitted with a bed and a small table, and another adjacent room they could use as a bathroom. Before they could lock themselves in their rooms, however, the chief invited them for dinner. It wouldn't be polite to decline.
Verkan introduced the newest priestess to the heads of the village, Utios the village chief who received them earlier, Garen the head shepherd, and Garf, Garen's younger brother and also a shepherd. They were in charge of taking care of the cattle around these parts, nothing really exciting but a very important job. Handling the thousands of heads of cattle required considerable skill and no small amount of manpower.
They shared stories for a little while, since the bisons were quite docile animals and there were no natural predators around, work was not too difficult. Nina found herself a little bored, but it was nice to see how these strangers looked up to Verkan. The old man was very well known everywhere.
The dinner itself was not bad. It was a soup that has been obviously reheated, with some herbs, peas and a bit of meat. Not bad at all, but palling in comparison with the fancy dinner they had last night, courtesy of Nana and her girls. Verkan shared some of the bread he had stored early in the day, that albeit not fresh anymore, was still delicious.
The conversation was not of interest for the young priestess, until they mentioned the dragon part. She immediately put her attention to it. It turns out that the dragon has been around for quite some time now, perhaps a couple of weeks. Nobody had seen it, but their tracks were found around the places where the villagers reported some strider eggs stolen. Striders were a giant type of flightless birds that were appreciated for their large eggs, their feathers, and if one could grow large enough, they would make fine and exotic mounts.
Apparently, the dragon was drawn to the other village by the smell of the banquet, where it stole some of the food. Since nobody has seen it, the villagers didn't take it seriously and assumed it was not dangerous, they started treating it more like an annoyance than a threat.
Verkan however, wasn't so sure. Maybe it was a legitimate concern, at least for him, or maybe it was just him trying to mess with her again. But as he pointed out, the tracks were quite large for a ground dragon. Either way, Nina was quite tired and could use some rest now, they could talk about the dragon tomorrow.
The villagers also thought the same apparently, saving her the trouble of having to excuse herself. They headed to their own huts but let the fire burning for the night. Both the old man and the girl walked towards the hut that was prepared for them to take a bath and get some much-needed rest.
-"Finally some rest!" Nina yelled while jumping onto her bed. She hugged the comfy pillow against her and turned around to face her friend.
-"Rest for me you mean, you will heat up the water for our bath, as punishment" Verkan commented, leaning against the doorframe, smiling fondly at her.
-"Punishment? For what exactly?!" the young girl asked confused, not sure what she did to earn a punishment. She smiled, thinking it was probably just another of the old man's jokes.
-"Let me see... Secret at the Palace" the old man replied, and Nina's smile instantly vanished.
-"The Gallant Adventures of the Knight of Hope" he continued, counting with his fingers while the girl's expression dropped each time he pronounced another title.
-"The Forbidden Adventures of the Knight of Hope" he added.
-"Did you know that the Knight of Hope wasn't originally a knight in the imperial version?" he asked her. Even though his expression was calm and collected, Nina knew she was in trouble.
-"He was someone just pretending to be a knight so he could deceive noblewomen. He refused money because he preferred… How do I put it? A different kind of reward" he continued.
-"They changed him to an actual knight in the censored version. Oh, and I almost forgot, The Legend of the God Slayer, they could excommunicate you just for that one, you know" the old man finished.
The young girl's expression couldn't be described in words. It was like someone hammered a nail through her head each time one of the titles was mentioned. She knew they were forbidden, and she would probably be screwed by now if she was discovered by some other priest. Lucky for her, Verkan was not the snitching kind.
-"Can I ask something, sir?" Nina asked trembling. The old man replied nodding his head affirmatively.
-"How do you know all that?" the young girl could barely ask, embarrassed and on the verge of tears.
-"Those were your mother's books" Verkan replied quite calmly.
-"Oh… I see" replied the teenager, lowering her head.
-"Switching the covers for those of the Imperium Genesis tomes. That was clever" the old man commented and couldn't help to laugh a bit at her ingenuity while motioning his hand in the air.
-"I'll get the water ready!" the poor girl couldn't take it any longer, she jumped from her bed and rushed outside. Verkan laughed hard at her flustered reaction, giving her a small pat on her back on her way out.
-"Good girl!" he yelled at her from inside the hut.
The young girl went outside and took a deep breath to calm down a bit. Her warm breath formed a small cloud of moisture in the cold night air. Even though the clouds didn't let the sunlight pass during the day, the day was still warm. Now that the night has fallen, however, it was followed by a quick drop in the temperature.
She took the largest cauldron she could find and walked towards the water well that was in the middle of the central square. She filled the cauldron with water only to realize that now it was too heavy to carry. She had to pour all the water out of the cauldron, feeling lucky that no one was around to witness her silly display.
Nina took the empty cauldron to the fireplace and hanged it off the hook that was prepared for such use. She then walked back towards the water well and carried buckets filled with water enough times until the cauldron was full. She cheered up and made a gesture in victory with her hands for completing such a simple task and now could wait for the water to heat up.
The young priestess sat by herself next to the fireplace and looked at her surroundings, this village was considerably larger than the previous one, yet it has so few inhabitants. Many of the so-called houses were in fact shelters for the bulls they used as rides. It was strange and funny at the same time; these people had more luxuries for their animals than for themselves.
She watched a man with a lantern at the other side of the square who waved at her; it was Garf. She smiled and waved back at the man who began walking towards her. Before he could say anything, however, something caught his attention behind one of the huts. "What could have got his attention? She thought. Could it be our elusive thief?"
-"Raiders!" the man yelled at the top of his lungs. Nina jumped from the log she was sitting in and fell on her butt at the sudden outburst. She was trying to stand again when she witnessed the man who previously waved at her tussling with an unknown man. He took a step back and hit his assailant with the lantern he was holding with such force that it broke, spilling its flammable contents over the man and setting him on fire.
Nina was left in a daze, her legs refused to respond to her commands. She could only watch as a handful of other men appeared behind the huts, although it was dark, she could see some of them clad in leather and fur and wielding swords; some of them threw torches at the buildings, setting their thatch roofs on fire. Garf then grabbed a large axe that was next to the chopping block and launched several broad swings at the raiders, trying to hold them at bay.
The villagers quickly responded to the call and appeared from inside their huts, armed with whatever they had at hand to fight against the raiders. Nina could only watch in horror as the villagers joined the fray and fought for their lives. Everything was happening so fast that the poor girl was unable to tell what the heck was going on. She could hear their loud shouts and taunts; desperate battle orders and calls for help. Along with the metallic clashing from their weapons and the cracking noise of the flames, all of them combined in a terrific choir of insane chaos.
One of these so-called raiders, as Garf had called them earlier, singled her out from the rest of the villagers in the middle of the battle. She froze in horror and her heart almost stopped when he began walking towards her. Instantly, everything went from happening way too fast to a disturbingly slow motion. She could see in vivid detail the hulking and imposing man closing towards her.
He sported long fair hair, some of it covering his face, piercing blue eyes, and a young face. His expression was of complete seriousness. If she wasn't shaking in terror she would dare to say he was rather handsome. The man grabbed her by the hair and dragged her away, making Nina cry in pain. She tried in vain to free herself but the man's grip on her was very strong.
But suddenly, Nina was relieved from his grip and from the pain when Verkan came to the rescue and tackled the man down from behind with a strength she didn't know the old man was capable of. He quickly stood up and grabbed her by the hand, helping her to stand on her feet. Another two raiders were closing in, so Verkan kicked the cauldron hanging at the fireplace, knocking it down and making its content to pour out onto the fire, which created a large cloud of steam and smoke.
-"Are you hurt?" Verkan asked her in a concerned tone.
-"No... Thanks to you..." the young girl replied.
-"Good, now follow me" the old man commanded, and dragged her by the hand to the hallways, away from the central square where the fight was taking place. The young priestess promptly followed suit.
-"Who are they, Verkan?" Nina asked.
-"Northmen" the priest replied coldly.
The young teenager froze in her tracks after hearing her mentor's response. He had to pull her arm to keep her running behind him. Nina had heard about the terrifying raids of the northmen, but what were they doing here this far inland?
-"Listen! I won't let them take you, okay!?" Verkan reassured her.
-"Okay" was all Nina could reply.
Nina was still trying to figure out what was going on. She had read that raids of northmen were common in the coastal zones in the lowlands. Their attacks were brutal; they kill, sack and rape their way across the shore towns, leaving very few survivors. What could they possibly want this far inland, several dozen miles away from the shore? For Verkan, however, the answer was very clear; they were after either him or her.
The girl looked behind her, although just briefly, she saw very clearly how Garf, the man who waved at her earlier, managed to land a killing blow against the raider he was battling against. His victory was short-lived, however; when his large axe got stuck between the north man's ribs and she watched in horror how another raider ran him through from behind with a sword.
The poor girl was giving in into despair. Verkan had to pull her again to keep her moving, but they were cut off by a pair of raiders that suddenly popped up in front of them. The old man looked behind him for another way, but another pair trapped them in the hallway.
They closed in and one of them grabbed Verkan by the neck and held him against the stone walls of the building, pointing his sword at his stomach. Another one grabbed Nina by her hair, making her cry in pain again. They were talking in a language she was unable to understand, but the old man did. He tried to talk with them in their language but their only response was a fist blow at his face.
The poor girl could only cry when the man holding her licked her face, making the other raiders laugh in mockery. She looked away in disgust but turned again to look at her mentor, who was still being restrained. She saw him also looking at her with a worried look and a frightened expression. Verkan closed his eyes just for an instant, his expression turning into one she has never seen on him before.
But she recognized that look. It was the look of a warrior.
The old priest took a grip at the raider's sword by its edge with his left hand, protected by his gloves. And with his right hand produced a small knife he had stored in his boots. With an incredibly fast motion, Verkan stabbed the raider that restrained him straight in the neck. A large squirt of blood reached several feet away, splashing against Nina's face and garbs.
The dying raider tried in vain to put one of his hands over the wound. Verkan then took his sword away from him and quickly finished him off with an amazingly fast slash at his throat with the raider's own sword. The other raiders could only stare at him dumbfounded as the old man killed one of their own, but they quickly reacted after a few seconds. While one of them held Nina fast, the other two charged at him with all their fury.
Verkan changed his grip over the small dagger and stepped out of the way of the charging raider with one swift movement. The young north man missed the priest's neck by just a few inches. The old man, however, cut the man's stomach open with a powerful slash of the sword almost effortlessly, making the raider fall on the ground, crying in agony. The priest then deflected the second raider's attack with the small knife and ran him through his chest with the sword, piercing his heart and taking him down.
The young priestess tried to free herself in vain. The north man was holding her strongly against his body, trying to shield himself from the rampaging old warrior. He yelled something in the north language, probably trying to reach out to the others. He then pointed his sword at Verkan and yelled at him:
-"One step closer old man and the girl dies!" the north man threatened with a fierce tone.
The old man wiped the blood from his face and looked at the raider straight in the eyes with a defiant look. The north man put his sword against Nina's neck in response. As tough and fierce the raider was; the young girl could feel him shaking in fear. Nina herself wet her pants in fear just moments ago but watching Verkan mow down those raiders almost effortlessly made her feel a small amount of hope.
-"Nina" the old priest reached out to her. His voice had an immediate calming effect as if he were reassuring her that everything would be okay.
-"Hold still" Verkan commanded her in a soft yet firm tone. She knew something was about to happen, but put her complete trust in him. The girl held her breath and closed her eyes, signaling her submission to her mentor's command.
The old priest let go of his sword, tossing it into the ground. He then flipped the knife in the air and quickly grabbed it, when it was in the correct position. In the blink of an eye, Verkan threw the knife with all his might, with such accuracy that Nina could feel it pass right next to her head and pierced the raider's throat. The raider released his hold of her, suddenly finding it impossible to breathe, making choking noises. Meanwhile, Nina took the chance and pulled the raider's sword away from her neck with her gloved hands.
The young girl ran away and hugged her mentor in relief, but Verkan gently pushed her aside. He walked towards the remaining raider that fell on his knees and with a violent motion; he pulled the knife out from his throat. He stabbed the north man in the eye with that same knife, piercing his skull and killing him instantly.
Verkan then grabbed her by the hand again and dragged the poor girl that was in shock after the carnage she just witnessed. Everything happened so fast, Nina looked at her mentor and then at her own hands, she could taste it on her lips. Both of them were covered in still warm northmen's blood.
Her mentor then kicked open the side door of a barn that was still untouched by the fire and dragged her inside. They both hide behind the lots of chaff that were stored inside.
-"Where did you learn to fight like that?" the young girl asked.
-"Listen carefully Nina, we don't have much time. There is something important I need to tell you" the old man told her in the most serious tone she ever heard from him.
-"Before being a priest, I was known by another name. I used to be a warrior when I was young, my name was Rudo" the old man told her.
-"Rudo?" Nina asked, before turning dead white in recognition. Her eyes shrunken in surprise and she began to shake. If what Verkan was telling her was true, that means he was…
-"The Vanquisher!?" the young girl asked fearfully.
-"I'm sorry for lying about it before" the old priest apologized.
-"I wouldn't have believed it. The legendary Vanquisher… the young girl commented in awe.
-"It was you?" Nina asked again.
-"A whole lifetime ago, I was a young and proud warrior from Clan Harmak. I fell in love with a beautiful princess. I fought and won many Trials, and her father had promised me her hand" Verkan began to tell her his tale.
-"But one fateful night, warriors from an enemy Clan attacked her village. They kidnapped her, and took her to their Clan domains"
-"Our Clan was weakened from a previous war, and our Lord didn't want to start another one. So instead of sending warriors to rescue her, he just demanded a prize in exchange"
-"Her father was enraged; I had promised him that I would take care of his daughter. So I went after her alone. I rode through the frontier and into Clan Malcroft territory"
-"I went from village to village, trying to find where she was held. When I finally found her, her captor said he would pay the price our Lord had demanded"
-"But I was there on my own volition. I challenged him to an honor duel. He refused, and ordered his warriors to attack me"
-"So I killed them all" Verkan paused for a moment.
Nina was listening very carefully to the old man's tale. He was speaking low to avoid being heard. They could hear the northmen speaking to each other in their language just outside the barn. They kept quiet for a moment until the noises stopped.
-"He didn't have another choice than to face me in a duel, or he would be branded a coward. Our fight was brief; I defeated him but showed him mercy" the old priest continued his tale.
-"I was free to take my beloved back, to her family and Clan. But to my surprise, she sided with him"
-"I realized the whole kidnapping was just a farce and that she had come with him willingly. She broke my heart in a thousand pieces, and when I was distracted, the warrior that took her tried to attack me from behind"
-"I killed him in a rage; even though he had left me with no choice but to defend myself. She cried over his body, I waited some time to let her mourn him before we returned. I knew she would never be mine, but I wanted to at least bring her back to her father"
-"But before I could do anything, she killed herself with her lover's sword. She cursed me with her last breath. Part of me died with her that night"
-"I took her dead body back to our Clan. I lied to her father, to spare the old man's feelings. I told him that she killed herself to preserve her honor"
-"But I couldn't live with that lie. So one day I left my Clan and went to the Empire. I changed my name to Verkan and started anew with the help of the Church. I've been a priest ever since, to atone for my sins" the old man finished.
-"I had no idea. But why are you telling me this?" Nina asked.
-"Because the Gods have given me the chance to make amends. Every warrior tells his story before his last stand" Verkan told her.
Last stand? Nina was visibly affected after hearing her mentor say the last part. But before she could say anything, he continued.
-"You have to make it to the forest Nina! Follow the edge of the mountains and you will find a stream. Follow it; it will take you to the nearest village" the old man commanded.
-"But what about you?" the young girl finally asked.
-"I will hold them off as long as I can" the old priest told her in a very somber tone.
-"But Verkan! If you do that, you will die!" Nina tried to explain.
-"I know" was her mentor's response. The young girl gasped loudly and finally broke down in tears. She covered her mouth with both hands, trying to remain quiet.
-"But if I don't, we'll both die! And you will suffer an even worse fate! I can't allow that" he explained.
-"Please Verkan, no! Come with me!" she begged among sobs at her mentor and friend.
-"DO AS I SAY, CHILD!" Verkan yelled at his young friend. The old man immediately regretted raising his voice. He felt deep remorse and pulled her into a tight hug, which the girl reciprocated. He didn't want their last moments together to be on a sour note.
-"You have to run, you hear me?! Don't look behind, don't stop no matter what!" the old man urged his dearest friend.
-"I'm sorry!" the young priestess replied, crying out.
-"I shall tell your mother what I've seen you become. I'm sure she'll be as proud as I am" Verkan told his friend sincerely.
-"Now go!" the old man commanded and let her go.
Verkan handed Nina his knife, just in case. He kicked the barn gate open and walked outside, heading towards the central square at a slow pace. He stomped over a leftover sword from one of the raiders he had killed previously, making it jump from the ground and flip in the air. The old warrior grabbed it mid-air. He took another sword from the last raider he killed, and armed with a sword in each hand, he stepped into plain view of at least a dozen northmen that were searching the huts for survivors.
-"Are you looking for me?!" the old priest spoke loudly, drawing the attention of the northmen around the central square.
-"Where is the girl old man?!" one of the raiders demanded.
-"You will have to excuse me, young warrior, I'm already quite old and I get tired much faster than before" the old man replied, excusing himself.
-"So I'm afraid I will have to kill you quickly" Verkan finished the sentence, boasting in open defiance.
-"Bold talk for an old man!" the north man replied and then sent a couple of raiders towards the priest with a motion of his hand.
Nina took her chances after Verkan got their attention and ran away as fast as she could. She ran out of the village and through the tall grass that surrounded the buildings to avoid being seen. The young girl raced towards the edge of the forest that was just a few hundred yards away and quickly made her way through the woods.
Since the raiders were roaming free, setting buildings ablaze and looking inside all the places, Verkan could assume that the remaining of the villagers were already dead. The old man waited patiently as the two northmen approached rather slowly. Apparently, they didn't saw how he massacred the other four from earlier, so he had the element of surprise. He would have to show these raiders again what a true clan warrior was capable of.
The nearest northman raised his sword for a diagonal swing against the old priest, which Verkan dodged quite easily by moving only his upper body. The old man countered with a swift strike of his own, taking the raider by surprise and cutting his hand off.
The raider cried in pain after the sudden loss of a limb, but the old man quickly finished him with a slash at his throat. The second northman that came after him launched a powerful blow aimed at the priest's head, but Verkan deflected the attack almost effortlessly using one sword, and stabbed the raider right through his chest and heart with the other.
The northmen were left in awe and could not believe their eyes. They just watched how an aging priest of slim figure and mild manners killed two grown, vital north warriors with frightening ease. The band of raiders remained in silence for a few seconds before exploding in uproar and indignation at the old man's defiance.
-"What are you waiting for? Kill him!" the eldest northman ordered to the others.
The northmen did not follow a strict code of honor or conduct like the highlanders and were certainly no match for the highly trained and disciplined Clan warriors. They were, however, incredibly strong, resilient, fierce, and fearless to the point of recklessness.
At least a dozen raiders charged towards Verkan at the same time. Each one of them craving a piece of the old priest and were eager to prove their worth as warriors. What they weren't taking into account, however, was that the old man used to be a warrior as well.
What ensued next was certainly not expected by any of the northmen. Verkan charged headlong, surprising the nearest raider and stopping him completely on his tracks. The old warrior cut through the handful of foes that were in front of him with the grace and accuracy of a master artisan. It is not said in vain that warriors are just another kind of craft.
Verkan was a warrior after all, and death was his business.
After watching another handful of their comrades fall at the old priest's hands, the raiders charged at him with increased ferocity. They completely surrounded Verkan but the old priest took advantage of their hesitation to enter inside his reach to deal killing blows at the slightest opening with frightening speed and precision.
While the northmen swings at him were wild and predictable, Verkan refrained himself to strike until he saw the perfect opportunity. The old man had more than enough experience and could easily anticipate his opponents' attacks like if he were reading a book. For the poor northmen facing him, however, the old priest strikes came suddenly from nowhere.
Fatigue was taking its toll on the poor Verkan. He was far past his prime and could not be able to keep this pace for much longer. The old man took advantage of every second of hesitation the north men were giving him to catch his breath and relax his muscles. By this point, the raiders already lost a dozen men at the priest's hands and the rest were extremely reluctant to step into his reach, as the old man would strike at the slightest opportunity with deadly accuracy and baffling speed for his age.
But Verkan was aware of this. He didn't waste a second to intimidate their opponents with sudden steps towards the northmen, making them fall back a few steps to stay out of his reach.
-"I'm seriously disappointed! I thought you would have killed me by now!" the old man yelled at the northmen in mockery.
-"I had almost forgotten what fine sport you barbarians could provide!" he yelled again, making the northmen even madder.
The old priest and warrior had already made peace with the creator of all. It has been a long and fruitful life, if only he could crown it by giving his apprentice and best friend as much time as he could as the last good deed before dying, it would be worth it. Verkan only hoped that Nina could make it. But for now, he would focus on giving his ancestors the best spectacle possible. It would be disrespectful not to, he thought; they were watching him after all.
But after several agonizingly long seconds, nothing happened. The remaining northmen gathered around Verkan and the central square after searching for the girl and setting every building of the village on fire. The fire could be seen from miles away in the night and would certainly call the attention of the recently appointed Lord and a band of very pissed Clan warriors if they hadn't been drawn elsewhere previously by a very well-planned diversion.
-"That's enough!" a rough and commanding voice interrupted the northmen bickering in their own language, leaving everyone silent.
A strange-looking man then stepped into the field of view. He was wearing a long dark leather coat, long gloves, and boots of the same material. A pair of leather bandoliers crossed his chest, over a fancy-looking vest, each holding pockets and other small storage compartments. The lower half of his face was covered by a mask and the strangest of hats covered his head, adorned with a white feather.
Despite having his face covered, Verkan has seen and fought his kind before. He recognized him as an imperial. The old man's eyes widened in shock, the man that was standing in front of him wasn't just a sharply dressed individual. It was a wizard, either a mercenary or a high-ranking member of the Empire.
-"The God of Death sent a wizard to claim my soul? I'm flattered" Verkan spoke at the unknown man.
-"You fight well old priest, tell me where the girl is and I might let you live" the unknown man demanded.
-"I know your kind, wizard! Even if I knew, I would never tell you" the old priest replied defiantly.
-"Are you so eager to die?" the wizard asked in a threatening tone.
-"I'll rather die and face my fate with honor, than to side with the likes of you!" Verkan replied loudly for everyone to hear.
-"As you wish..." was the mage's answer.
Verkan took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He knew this would be his last fight. He made a small prayer for himself and for the poor girl that was now all alone in the forest. A wizard was after her for some reason and he didn't know why. He wished his dearest friend the best of luck and commended his soul to the Gods.
The old man cried out the mightiest roar and thrown one of the swords he was holding at the wizard, who was already expecting an attack like that. The wizard moved his head out of the way and dodged it at the last second. Verkan then took the remaining sword with both his hands and charged at the mage with all his might. The mage kept his composure and raised one of his arms at him.
Meanwhile, at the forest, several miles away, Nina could hear a loud thunder coming from the direction the village was. She stopped and turned to see what it was, but couldn't see anything in the dark and through the thick forest. She knew something has happened and could only think about her mentor and the battle that was taking place back in the village.
The mage walked towards where the old priest was laying. Verkan was hit by a powerful blow in the chest that knocked him down and charred a small spot on his leather tunic. The old man felt an acute pain over the wound and suddenly found breathing difficult. The mage's blast went through him like a hot knife through butter.
-"Any last words?" the mage asked.
The old man could feel the blood pouring onto the floor and taste it in his mouth, flooding his lungs; he was choking in his own blood. Verkan realized that these were his final moments; he looked at the wizard squarely in the eyes and said:
-"My ancestors... are smiling at me... Imperial" but was interrupted by the urge to cough, and a sudden gush of blood coming from his throat that he had to spit out. Verkan raised his head in defiance just slightly, one last time, and asked the mage with the last of his strength.
-"Can you... say the same?" Verkan asked the wizard, grinning.
The young girl heard again the same powerful thunder coming from the village and had to stop running. She sat against the nearest tree and buried her face in her hands, crying inconsolably. She could feel deep in her heart that her mentor, best and only friend Verkan, was no longer among the living.
She was now all by herself.