January 25, 1739
Fenris awoke, his eyes snapping open as the fresh scent of damp grass enveloped him. He sat up slowly, looking around. He had no idea where he was or how he had gotten there. In fact, he couldn't remember anything—just a single name that floated in his consciousness: Fenris.
Cold droplets splashed against his face, making him blink. He looked up, expecting clouds, but to his surprise, the sky was completely clear. Confused, he turned his head and noticed a nearby waterfall cascading forcefully into a river below. The sound of the rushing water was hypnotic.
He approached the riverbank and knelt down, seeing his reflection for the first time. A boy of about twelve stared back at him. His messy red hair and piercing yellow eyes were striking. A white scarf wrapped around his neck, fluttering slightly in the breeze.
"Are you Fenris?" he whispered, touching his reflection with his fingertips. The ripples distorted his image.
Deciding that staying there wouldn't help him, he resolved to look for answers elsewhere. He stood, feeling his legs stiff as if they hadn't been used in a long time. He ventured into the forest surrounding the river, following a barely visible path. The towering trees formed a green canopy, filtering the sunlight. As he walked, a loud growl from his stomach reminded him of how hungry he was. How long had it been since he'd eaten?
With each step on the forest floor, his hunger seemed to intensify. After walking for what felt like hours, the forest began to thin. In the distance, he spotted a village.
The cobblestone streets of the bustling settlement were packed with people coming and going. Every corner was occupied by merchants displaying goods of all kinds: exotic fabrics, gleaming jewelry, and most enticingly to Fenris, freshly baked bread and ripe fruit.
The clinking of coins and the murmur of conversations blended with the laughter of children darting through the crowd. The tempting aroma of warm food made Fenris's stomach growl louder. He clutched his abdomen, trying to quiet it.
As he ventured deeper into the crowded streets, his eyes locked onto a particular stall. A pair of siblings stood out among the other merchants. The elder brother, a young man with black hair and several scars crossing his face, was advertising their wares with persuasive words and natural charisma.
"Come, come! We have all kinds of fresh fruit, straight from the Kingdom of Imporia!"
Beside him, a young woman with coral-colored hair and emerald-green eyes smiled as she held a tray of samples.
"Try our fruit! Sweet as honey and juicier than any other!" she called, catching the attention of passersby.
Fenris felt his stomach rumble even louder at the sight of the juicy fruit on display. Without thinking much, he approached the cart behind the stall. The curtains were slightly parted, and the sweet aroma of fruit beckoned him inside.
Inside, crates and baskets overflowed with all sorts of fruit. One in particular caught the boy's attention—a large green melon with dark stripes. Unable to resist, he grabbed the watermelon and took a huge bite. The sweet flavor flooded his mouth, and what started as one bite quickly escalated into more.
Meanwhile, at the stall, a man armed with a spear approached the young merchant.
"Do you have watermelons?" he asked.
"Of course! I'll get them for you right now," the young man replied, heading to the small cart behind them, hidden by the curtains. Pulling them aside, his eyes widened in shock. Among the crates, Fenris was stuffing himself with fruit.
"Who the hell are you?!"
Fenris glanced up from the watermelon, his lips smeared with juice. After swallowing his bite, he smiled innocently.
"Hi, my name's Fenris. I was hungry, but luckily I found this red fruit. Want some? It's delicious," he asked with childlike sincerity.
"Do I want—" The young man's face turned red with anger. "What the hell are you talking about, you little thief?! That's our merchandise!"
"Really? You looked so busy I thought it'd be easier if I just helped myself…" Fenris frowned, eyeing the watermelon he was devouring. After a moment's thought, he took another big bite.
"Stop eating that right now!" the young man yelled, lunging at him to grab him. Before he could reach Fenris, his sister stepped in, grabbing his arm.
"Wait! Leave him alone—he's just a child," the young woman pleaded.
The young man lowered his fist, deciding to let it go. When he turned back to Fenris, however, the boy was still eating.
"Hey, are you deaf or something?!" the young man shouted, grabbing Fenris by the collar of his shirt. Fenris didn't respond. To the man's astonishment, he realized the boy had fallen asleep mid-bite.
His fury reached its peak, and he finally smacked Fenris on the head.
"Ow!" Fenris cried, rubbing the spot where he'd been hit.
"Brother!" protested the young woman. Ignoring her, the young man leaned closer to Fenris, glaring at him.
"Listen carefully. You're going to work for us for three days to pay for what you've done. Of course, you won't be getting paid."
"Ehhhh…" Fenris grumbled.
"What's wrong? Don't tell me you thought I'd let you go just like that."
"Hey, brother, don't you think his parents might be looking for him?" the young woman suggested.
"Well, then maybe next time they'll learn to keep their kid under control. If we find them, I'll ask them to pay us for what he ate."
"I feel like you're being too harsh on him."
Fenris's presence unexpectedly turned out to be helpful for sales, making Eric reconsider their encounter with him. They walked together through the bustling streets of the bazaar. Fenris carried a sack of potatoes over his shoulder, gazing in awe at the endless stalls and the crowds of people.
"Wow! There are so many stands," Fenris exclaimed.
"Well, of course. This is a bazaar, after all," Serena replied. "People gather in the city to sell goods from across the kingdom."
A small squirrel began to approach Fenris.
"Where did this squirrel come from?" he asked.
"It's my brother's guardian. His name is Chuck," Serena answered.
"Guardian? What's that?" Fenris asked, surprising Serena. It was the first time she'd met someone who didn't know what a guardian was.
"A guardian is a spirit that grants power to binders."
"Really? And are binders strong?" Fenris asked excitedly.
"Of course they are. Binders are the strongest people in existence," Eric interrupted before Serena could reply. The small squirrel climbed onto Eric's shoulder.
Seeing her brother's demeanor, Serena leaned closer to Fenris and whispered in his ear.
"The truth is, my brother was expelled from the academy. Even though he's a binder, he's not that impressive," she said, laughing.
"Hey, Serena. I heard that!" Eric said angrily. Chuck seemed annoyed too.
As they walked, Fenris noticed a wall covered in "Wanted" posters. He wondered who these people were.
"Why are they looking for these people? Are they lost or something?" Fenris asked innocently. Serena moved closer to explain.
"No, Fenris. These people are criminals. That's why there's a reward for them. They've done a lot of bad things."
Fenris nodded, understanding Serena's explanation, though the posters still caught his attention, especially one featuring a young man who stood out for being much younger than the others.
As night fell, they headed to the outskirts of the city in their wagon. They set up a small tent and stored all their belongings inside. While Serena carefully prepared the beds, Eric stood still, focused, staring intently into the darkness of the surrounding forest.
"Is something wrong?" Serena asked, confused by her brother's behavior.
"Silence," Eric replied softly, not taking his eyes off the forest. "Stay in the tent with Fenris."
Eric bonded with Chuck, scanning his surroundings carefully. He could feel something moving among the bushes. Soon, five figures emerged from the undergrowth. They were bandits, clad in improvised armor made of worn leather and rusted metal. Together, they surrounded Eric. One of them, the leader, approached him with a grin.
"You'd better surrender and hand over everything you have. If you want to get out of here alive, that is."
"Unfortunately, I can't do that," Eric replied firmly, maintaining his composure despite the situation.
Inside the tent, Serena trembled with fear, holding Fenris tightly in an attempt to protect him. Despite it all, he watched with curiosity, showing no fear.
The bandits attacked immediately. Eric dodged their blows with surprising agility. One of them, armed with a rusty sword, charged at him. Eric avoided the attack with a swift movement and responded with a direct punch to the bandit's jaw, sending him to the ground with a groan of pain.
"One down," Eric said with a confident smile, eyeing the remaining bandits.
Seeing that Eric seemed to have control of the situation, Serena relaxed a little. Fenris, on the other hand, watched the fight with excitement. The bandits quickly realized that Eric's agility and strength were far from ordinary. It was clear he was a binder. Even so, they didn't back down. Two of them launched a coordinated attack from different directions. With a leap, Eric moved out of their reach, leaving the attackers confused. While in the air, he gestured with his hand, and sharp rocks emerged from the ground, striking the bandits and knocking them down.
Eric landed on top of them and turned toward the leader of the group.
"You're the only one left," he said, pointing at him.
The leader smirked, sending a chill down Eric's spine. Something wasn't right. Suddenly, a massive dog appeared behind him and lunged at Eric, who barely had time to react.
"Damn it, he's a binder too," Eric muttered as he got back to his feet. The dog, which had been hiding in the undergrowth, approached the bandit leader and bonded with him.
"Eric!" Serena shouted, rushing out of the tent to try to help her brother.
—Stay with Fenris! I'll handle this. —Eric ordered, not taking his eyes off his adversary. Though worried, Serena obeyed and returned to the tent. —Sorry for keeping you waiting. Now, where were we?
—Don't worry, the fight is already over. —the bandit said with a confident tone.
Before Eric could understand the meaning of those words, a scream from the tent provided the answer.
—Ah! —a female voice cried out.
Eric turned and saw one of the bandits holding his sister by the arms. He hadn't even noticed where the bandit had come from. He'd been so immersed in the fight that he hadn't realized it. There had been five bandits, but he had only defeated three. They must have snuck into the tent while he wasn't paying attention. Fenris lay unconscious on the ground, seemingly taken down with little effort.
—Cowards! —Eric growled, glaring at the bandit holding his sister. At that moment, Eric felt his bond with Chuck weakening. He couldn't sustain the link any longer. The leader of the bandits laughed as he watched Eric collapse to the ground.
—Seriously? —the bandit chuckled. —Is that all the time you can maintain a bond with your guardian?
The bandit approached Eric, delivering a series of kicks while Eric lay on the ground, unable to move.
—Brother! —Serena screamed, struggling to break free from the bandit's grip. Her efforts were futile.
Fenris slowly opened his eyes, scanning his surroundings. He wondered what he should do. Near him, he spotted a sword lying on the ground, possibly dropped by one of the defeated bandits. A deep voice resonated in his mind.
"Let me handle the rest."
Fenris felt as though his head was going to explode. For a moment, he seemed to lose consciousness, but he quickly came to. Slowly, he moved toward the sword. The bandit at his side looked at him, confused.
—Hey, kid, where do you think you're going?
Fenris didn't respond. He grabbed the sword from the ground, and when his hands touched the hilt, he looked up. His eyes, once yellow, turned a vivid emerald green, and an arrogant smile spread across his face.
He darted toward the bandit leader with a swift movement, but the leader managed to block just in time with his sword. The bandit was taken aback by his attacker.
—A kid? —he muttered, turning to one of his companions. —Why did you let him out?
—Well, we...
—What's the matter? —Fenris interrupted with a defiant tone that even surprised Eric. —Afraid of a sword in the hands of a "kid"?
Annoyed by Fenris's attitude, the bandit thrust his sword forward, but Fenris evaded it with a graceful backward step.
—Is that all you've got? I expected more from a binder. —Fenris taunted.
Instead of getting angry, the bandit let out a mocking laugh.
—I thought I could end this peacefully, —he said, extending his left hand. Suddenly, the air around him distorted, and a series of translucent crystals emerged from the ground, glowing with a violet hue. —Behold, Crystal Magic.
Fenris watched as the crystals multiplied, forming a shimmering barrier around the bandit. The crystals began to vibrate, emitting a high-pitched hum that reverberated in Fenris's bones, almost paralyzing him. It felt as if his entire body was being shaken from within.
Taking advantage of Fenris's momentary confusion, the bandit hurled one of the crystals like a projectile. Although disoriented, Fenris managed to dodge the first attack, but the crystals kept firing, forcing him to stay in constant motion.
—You won't dodge them all! —the bandit shouted, intensifying the vibration of the crystals. Eric, watching from the ground, grew increasingly worried as Fenris struggled to block the crystals with his arms.
—Fenris, run! You can't stand up to a binder! —Eric yelled.
However, Fenris seemed unwilling to give up. A wide grin spread across his face, even as he was struck by numerous attacks.
—Give up now? Come on, this is just getting started. —Fenris replied. His eyes glowed intensely as flames began to engulf his sword. He charged forward, using his weapon to deflect the approaching crystals.
—You're a binder too?! —the leader exclaimed, astonished.
—No, that's impossible... —Eric murmured.
To any onlookers, Fenris might have appeared to be just another binder, but Eric knew something didn't add up. Fenris didn't even seem to know what a guardian was, and even if he were lying, Eric hadn't seen one with him. Could it be that he'd been bonded with one the entire time? No, that was impossible. Even the best binders couldn't maintain a bond for more than an hour. Prolonged bonding could destroy a person's soul, leaving behind an empty shell. But then, how was Fenris using anima? Who was this boy?
As Fenris drew closer, the leader condensed all the crystals into a single point, unleashing a burst of energy. The attack struck Fenris head-on, eliciting laughter from his adversary.
"What did you think of that, kid?" mocked the bandit, confident in his victory. "My power can tear you apart inside and out. Someone like you can't do anything against—"
"Did you say something?" Fenris interrupted, emerging from the explosion. The flames enveloping his sword intensified. With a loud shout, he channeled all his energy into a single slash. The blade cut through the crystal field, disintegrating it in a burst of sparks and light.
The leader barely had time to react before the flaming sword struck him, shattering his armor and sending him flying through the air, crashing into the wagon with devastating force. The fire surrounding Fenris slowly extinguished, and the sword crumbled in his hands.
The bandit holding Serena began to falter, terror gripping him, and she seized the moment to kick him between the legs, making him collapse to the ground. Eric stumbled toward Fenris, unsteady.
"Fenris, that was incredible!" Eric exclaimed. "How did you...?"
But Fenris didn't respond. His body began to sway, and then he collapsed, unconscious. His eyes had returned to their yellow hue, while a voice echoed in his mind:
"So this is all you can handle for now. No matter—you'll need me again soon."
Eric and Serena hurried to his side. The battle was over, but the questions were just beginning.