Nosil, Aya, and Vika, along with five of her men, crossed the verdant fields, making their way toward the river's banks.
"Look, Aya... that's our village. It looks so tiny from here," Nosil said, pointing with his finger.
"I can see that... I don't need you to show me," Aya replied.
Vika couldn't hold back her laughter and intervened, "You two are so cute when you argue... Are you in love by any chance?" she asked.
Aya found the question rude, but since Vika was helping them, she held her tongue.
For Nosil, it was different. He felt embarrassed and turned red, even his bandages couldn't hide his blush. "Stop it... it's not like that. I mean, we are friends, just friends," Nosil stammered, struggling to explain.
"Is that so..." Vika replied with a skeptical tone.
"Now that we are approaching the place where horses gather up, we need to make a few preparations... You guys, collect sturdy wood poles from the trees... We will build a rectangular cage with them and add wooden wheels so it can be moved like a cart... Once we capture two horses, we'll put them inside the cage and lead them to the hideout for taming... Do you understand?" Vika instructed.
Her men, some of whom had experience working with wood, nodded in understanding. "Don't worry... we'll finish it quickly," one of them assured her.
Turning to Nosil and Aya, Vika said, "You two have to help me catch the horses. Are you ready?"
"Sure, just leave it to us," they both agreed.
The men dispersed in search of wood poles, while the trio continued toward the river, having agreed on a rendezvous point before parting ways.
As the men ventured deeper into the forest, they began to express their thoughts. "I don't get it… why is the boss so attached to these kids? I haven't seen this happiness on her face in a long time," one of them mused.
Another added, "True… something changed in her since they arrived... She seems a lot livelier lately… I'm happy for her... We should do our best to finish this task for the boss… we should preserve her happiness for as long as we can."
"Alright, let's do it, guys," another man agreed.
With great resolve, the men committed to their mission, determined to maintain the newfound joy of their leader.
Meanwhile, crossing a vast field of green grass, Aya was walking a bit slower than the others. The beautiful landscape and warm weather made her feel so relaxed that she decided to throw herself into the grass.
Touching the tall, green blades, gazing at the blue sky dotted with white clouds, and listening to the sounds of insects and the breezing wind, Aya felt at peace. She wished she could stay there forever.
Nosil and Vika stopped, watching Aya as she lay in the grass like a carefree child. The sight prompted them to take a deep breath and admire the nature they had so often overlooked.
After a while, Aya broke the silence. "It's so nice here… like a heaven… don't you think so?" Nosil agreed, saying, "Hard to deny it… it's so beautiful"
For Vika, the scene was even more poignant. It reminded her of playing in the fields with her grandpa, running barefooted in the grass into his arms, the springtime smiles, and the flowers she would put in her hair. Those memories brought a smile to her face.
Understanding that moments like these were precious, especially for someone as young as Aya, who had been forced to grow up too quickly, Vika moved towards her. Leaning down, she said, "If you're going to be this lazy at a time like this, you'll receive a suitable punishment from Vika."
Vika pounced on Aya and began tickling her mercilessly. Aya couldn't resist and burst into laughter, her hard and cold mask shattered so easily.
Her futile resistance was no match for Vika's tickling, and her laughter echoed across the green plain, blending with the sounds of the wind and the creaking of spring.
Nosil, watching the girls play, couldn't help but enjoy the scene. Realizing it would continue for a while, he sat down, wishing he could join in the fun.
His mind was set at ease, momentarily forgetting the stress of the mission they had been sent to accomplish.
Several minutes passed without warning when a pack of wild horses galloped by. There were at least eight of them, most looking strong and young. Vika immediately stopped teasing Aya, knowing it was time to get serious.
Putting her finger to her lips, she signaled Aya to stop laughing, then looked at Nosil, indicating for him to take a position and get ready.
The trio crouched low, hiding as they waited for the right moment to attack. Vika chose a target: a strikingly white horse with a long mane that shimmered in the sunlight. Its appearance was captivating.
Since they aimed to capture rather than hunt, traditional methods wouldn't work. The main plan was to use their numbers to subdue the horse with ropes. However, with the men not yet returned, their numbers were insufficient for this plan.
Vika hesitated, torn between taking action or waiting for the men to return. It was a chance too good to miss.
"What are we waiting for?" Nosil whispered to Vika.
"Not now, we need more people to handle it," she replied.
Nosil disagreed, knowing Vika was still oblivious to their true strength. "We don't need them… I can do it by myself... Aya can catch them all at once if she wants to, right Aya?"
"Nosil is right… it's a piece of cake," Aya answered. Vika looked at her incredulously. "What are you talking about? These are dangerous creatures... Don't be fooled by their cuteness."
"Just watch me," Nosil said, standing up and preparing to attack. "Aya, send me up."
Aya quickly activated her curse, slamming her hands together forcefully. "Curse release."
In the blink of an eye, Nosil vanished from his spot. The horses heard the burst of Aya's hands and started to run.
As for Vika, she was in a state of astonishment, frozen in place as if she had entered a state of shock. She could not believe what she had just witnessed. In a split second, Nosil had been standing in front of her, and then he had suddenly disappeared, reappearing on the horizon above.
Vika began to realize the extent of their unbelievable powers. "You have to be kidding me!" she commented, a smile creeping onto her face.
When Nosil reached the height, he looked down and located the white horse they had chosen. Once he found it, he activated his curse to form a cage-like structure using ropes made from his blood. Once hardened, these ropes would be as strong as steel.
"Curse release…" he declared.
Just as he was about to throw his blood ropes towards the white horse from above, a strange sensation stopped him. He paused the attack, scanning the surroundings to locate the source of this feeling.
Aya saw Nosil hesitating and shouted, "What are you doing? It's going to escape, hurry up!"
Nosil, still trying to pinpoint the direction of the sensation, diverted the blood coming from his body to his back, shaping it into wings.
As the formation of the wings was completed, Nosil, still in free fall, struck the air with his large wings made of blood, propelling himself like a shooting star at high speed toward the source of the strange feeling.
Each strike he made cut the distance quickly, and within seconds, he found the source and landed.
Vika and Aya began running after him, concerned because he had not said anything before taking off.
"Where's he going?" Vika asked Aya, "More importantly, what the hell was that I just saw... Was that blood?..." She added with a terrified look.
"I don't know… that stupid moron," Aya replied, frustration in her voice.
Nosil touched down to a harrowing sight.
A pack of wolves circled a magnificent black horse, its coat marred by injury, its legs buckling beneath its weight. The horse, a creature of such power and grace, whinnied in pain, its cries echoing through the desolate landscape.
Nature's brutality hung heavy in the air. The wolves saw the horse as easy prey, their growls a chilling reminder of the food chain.
Nosil, an observer by nature, felt a pang of sympathy for the dying creature. Yet, a part of him acknowledged the order of things – the predator claiming its prize. It was only natural.
Hesitation gnawed at him. Should he intervene, or allow nature to take its course? Nosil took a few steps back, resolving himself to witness the inevitable.
But then, the horse unleashed a scream that tore through Nosil's resolve, a primal plea that resonated deep within him. An inexplicable urge surged through him, a war against the cold logic he usually embraced.
Turning back, he met the horse's gaze – a mixture of terror and a flicker of hope. Ignoring the growls intensifying around him, Nosil marched towards the injured animal.
One wolf, bolder than the rest, lunged at him. Nosil met its challenge with a fierce stare, a surge of power coursing through his veins. The wolf faltered, sensing a dangerous energy emanating from this creature before them.
The entire pack mirrored its action, whimpering and cowering before this unexpected display of dominance.
Nosil approached the horse, but his initial intent – a swift end to its suffering – wavered. As he looked into the horse's eyes, he saw not just fear, but a desperate plea for help. A strange tenderness bloomed in his chest.
"An odd creature you are," he murmured, his voice rough but gentle, "to call for aid from one like me..."
The horse, as if in response, nudged its head against Nosil's hand, a gesture of gratitude that transcended words.
"Aren't you afraid?" Nosil asked, surprised by the creature's lack of hostility. "You're supposed to be wild... Aren't you?"
"So do I".