So I let that thought go and followed her out into the yard:
"Here, these are your keys, they are for opening the two front doors. The one here and the other one that leads to the garden. I said, holding her hand.
"Thanks, but you can keep them."
"What? Why do I have to keep them?"
"Don't ask questions and keep them.
"Then why did you buy my house if you don't want to keep the keys to open it.
"I told you to stop with your questions." She replied with a serious look.
"Well, shall we meet his hunters?" She continued as if nothing had happened.
"Its working, follow me."
So, we went into the forest in search of his hunters, but I have no idea where they are and even less if they will accept the offer I am going to make.
But with 200,000 euros in my pocket, even if they offer me a very high price I am sure I will manage to keep at least 100,000.
Another thing I don't like is that it is very likely that their camps have changed forest or that they have already sold their weapons, because other people have probably had the same idea as we have met them before.
[ 04/07/499 14 h 45 ]
It has been over an hour since we entered this forest and we have not yet found any trace of a camp or any trace of passage.
"Are you sure you know where your famous hunters are, because we haven't found anything that could interest us yet? Alia asked me, tired.
"I know they are in this forest, but considering the size of it, it's almost impossible to find them without any help, but with a map, it would be a little easier to know where they are.
At the same time an idea came to mind.
"Yes, we have a map! We both exclaimed in unison.
"How did I forget this map, it seems so logical now that I think about it, I have one in my pocket.
"In your pocket? Didn't you mean the one in our brain? Alia asked, confused.
"Oh yes, that one I thought of when we entered the forest, but unfortunately for us, it doesn't show anything but our point, the cities and the war points. Nah, the map I'm talking about, I got it from a merchant in the village of Taïki. It's a map that shows everything that's useful within a 30 km radius. So this forest and the camp must be there.
"Yes, but the problem is going to be finding us in this jungle."
"Nah, don't worry about that, just find a clearing or a river and I should be able to tell where we are."
"But we passed a river earlier, right?"
"Yes, we just need to find it."
While Alia turned back, I took the map in my bag and looked at the river.
"It's okay, I know roughly where we are. I said after a few seconds.
"Already, how did you do it."
"Oh, nothing too complicated, I just remembered the curve the river took as we passed it and from that I was able to deduce where we passed it and how far we've come since we left it.
"And, how far are we from this camp?"
"Well, I can't be sure, but we have to retrace our steps for about twenty minutes and then walk for about two hours before we meet their landmarks.
"Well, since we have a lot of time left before we get there. We'll take the opportunity to eat a little."
"Nah, we need to get to that camp as soon as possible. We'll eat later."
"Nah, you stop talking and listen to me. Since last night at least you haven't eaten anything and I bet since the war was announced you haven't eaten or drunk anything. You've only got to look at you walking to see that your body is shaking and you're almost falling over.
It's true, since the first day of the announcement, I hadn't eaten anything yet, yet in 4 days, countless exhausting events had taken place. But strangely enough, with her pointing it out, I hadn't been hungry or thirsty once and hadn't thought about it at all. The only plausible explanation is that the stress has created a kind of knot in my stomach that prevents me from being hungry.
"Okay, I'll take a bite, but in thirty minutes we're out of here."
"As long as you eat something, I accept."
She took out four sandwiches and two bottles of water and handed them to me.
"And you, aren't you eating?" I asked her.
"No, I ate this morning before I left. It's all for you, you can eat anything.
I took the sandwiches and the water bottles in my hand and put them next to me.
I took two sandwiches and a bottle of water in my hand and held them out to Alia.
"Here, you have to eat something too.
"Nah, I already told you that everything is for you."
"Stop it, I don't want you to swallow anything and watch me eat."
"Oh, you're worried about me? See, you're starting to like me."
"Nah, I just don't want you to slow me down because you didn't eat, so take them."
With that, she took them and we started eating in silence.
But after the first bite, my vision became blurred, I could hear less and less, my throat was dry, my whole body seemed numb, I was unable to say a word and sharp pains came to various parts of my body: my back, my stomach, my head, my neck, my arms and my legs.
This succession of events was so fast, lasting no more than three seconds, I didn't have time to react that my eyes were already closed and I felt my head hit the ground.
Then nothing.
[Six months later]
[ 01/01/500 13 h 30 ]
[ Teto - Capital of Patria ]
"You wanted to see me, Mr. Number One?"
"I already told you to call me by my first name Valento. And stop being so formal.
"I'm sorry, but I don't think I'll ever get used to it."
"Now, about the surprises, are they ready?"
"I'm sorry, I may be your personal adviser, but the other Great Patriarchs have refused to tell me their surprises.
"They'll never change, those fools. Answered N°1 slightly annoyed
"I beg your pardon? Who are you calling fools, my little Mars? replied a rather sensual female voice, which seemed to be mocking him.
"Always snooping around, aren't you, Mrs. No. 2?
"Yes, I have to keep busy before I know what great surprises you have planned for the war. And don't worry, even if you don't know them now, in 15 minutes you will and you'll be able to appreciate how this supernatural war will turn out. And to top it all off, you'll finally see a stratospheric change in the nature of human beings.
AH, HOW I CAN'T WAIT!" She finished by saying in an almost orgasmic voice.