Using stealthy steps and the ring he had received from his master, he jumped from branch to branch toward a camp he had spotted from afar. A middle-aged man, black-haired, with a short sword at his waist and a strong body. His height was about 1.85m. It was incredible that the branches didn't break after his jumps, considering he weighed 90 kg. The secret was dark magic—control over gravity. His name was Alex, an Epírio.
He approached as much as possible, stopped, and watched a commotion—it was coming from the people of that camp. He had hit the mark; they were the Níbiras. No one detected him through magic because of the ring on his finger. Hoping to find what he was looking for, he decided to infiltrate the Níbiras' territory, knowing that if he was caught, it would be a death sentence.
During the commotion, it was the perfect time to act, he presumed. Getting in and out would be easy, he affirmed. But before going in, he became curious about what was happening.
He saw a boy standing inside the circle of people, his head lowered, confused about the situation. "Could it be an eyesight problem?" He couldn't tell, but he noticed the boy's hair was a light gray color.
He decided: "I'll invade quickly and continue observing what's happening."
He then descended from the tree and swiftly infiltrated the camp. Moving toward the tents far from the Níbiras' gathering, he searched for the one containing the most valuable items—this was an indication that what he sought was there.
He quickly scanned the tents and, further north, there it was—the largest and most beautiful tent. "This must be the leader's tent," he thought. He entered and saw a golden candlestick with a single candle, along with a painting of a faceless being of light, holding a trident piercing a beast while using a shining chain around its neck to restrain it.
The leader's bed was further inside, and he walked past sturdy wooden tables that could be easily dismantled—a well-crafted engineering feat for those who constantly wandered across the continent.
Alex checked the drawers and the chest supporting the candlestick—nothing. Then he decided to look under the bed. There was nothing there except dirty clothes and shoes. He wondered, "Where else could I search?" Facing the bed, he thought, "I've already taken too long. I need to leave now, but I'll check under the mattress first—then I give up."
Lifting the mattress, he saw a leather pouch in the far corner, on the side opposite the entrance. Alex grabbed it, opened the bag, and there it was—the Desert Compass.
Quickly, he left the tent and returned to the forest without being noticed.
…
Zeno was taken by the instructors to the camp, and Baz ordered everyone to gather at the warriors' dining area. Climbing onto a table, Baz addressed the villagers:
"I hope none of you lose heart or despair."
Everyone began whispering among themselves.
"He really was a vain person…" someone murmured.
Another added, "What happened for him to be born with hair nearly white? What is he good for, then?"
Baz interrupted the murmuring and continued:
"We dreamed too much—I feel ashamed. But no, he is not a vain person. I wish he were."
The crowd responded:
"What? What do you mean? He can use magic, then? What's the problem?"
"In fact, to our misfortune, he is a user of dark magic."
The crowd gasped:
"I don't believe it."
Some said, "It can't be! A dark mage born from a Níbira couple?" Others added, "That's illogical! His hair isn't dark or black. He was born from a Níbira!!!"
And chaos erupted in that place. With the help of a few others, the leader, Bell, climbed onto the table and asked everyone to calm down.
He began to speak:
"What we must do is expel this profane being from our midst, for he will surely become a pawn of Dev-rah to destroy us. The birth of a Níbira who is a user of dark magic is something never mentioned by any of our people—not even by the missionaries."
"We will investigate what happened. Marduk remains in the tribe, and we will determine what might have happened with Semiramis—if there was betrayal. That she gave birth to him, I can testify."
"Take him, Baz—you and the instructors. Leave him far away, in the deepest part of the forest."
Semiramis felt ashamed and cried. Marduk tried to comfort her, saying:
"I trust you. Forget Zeno—he is not one of us."
"But he's just a child."
"We won't raise a beast only for it to devour us later. You must be strong and accept it. This is fate—this is the will of Eassed."
Blindfolded, Zeno was escorted away. He could hear the people:
"He's a disciple of Dev-rah—if we do nothing, he will rise against us…"
"Destroyed from within—this is Dev-rah's tactic. That boy must die…"
"We must warn the other tribes about what happened to us—maybe it will happen to them too…"
"Disappear, profane one…"
"May a wild beast take him far away from us…"
More and more insults were hurled at Zeno.
He did not cry out loud like a child but silently lowered his head, tears streaming down his face. He waited, hoping that everything would be fine and that he could live among his tribe, loved and praised in battle. This was a child's dream, but reality was not a fairy tale. This world might have magic, but socially, it was no different from the one he knew before.
"I want to disappear… I want to go far away from here… Will I die again? Yes… die…"
He allowed himself to be led by the most skilled of his people. With his eyes blindfolded, he heard the sound of breaking branches beneath their steps. At times, they made turns; other times, they jumped—probably over rocks, he thought.
Zeno knew it was getting dark, as the little light that passed through his blindfold had faded. Then they stopped. Baz spoke:
"This is your departure, profanator. May Eassed never allow you to grow and rise against us."
Zeno thought:
"Revolt is too small a word for what I am feeling…"
"But we won't just stand by, waiting to see if you'll become an adult and come to attack us. We won't be here anymore," one of the warriors clarified, revealing that the tribe would leave the area.
"If you are truly descended from pure Níbiras, you are an abomination."
Then they left, and Zeno looked up at the sky, seeing only parts of it, as the trees covered most of his view. Wiping his tears and stopping his crying, he looked around and started walking.
He considered lighting a torch, but his magic was too strong to use, and if there was light, he would become an easy target. He found a large hole, big enough for a body, and hid inside until morning. Just as he was about to fall asleep, he heard voices saying:
"You are a fool."
Lights began to appear gradually—it was already daytime, and clarity could be seen. Zeno decided to leave the hole and search for water and food. As he walked through the forest, he marked the trees with a sign to ensure he wasn't walking in circles. He continued on, his body frail—after all, he was just a seven-year-old child. If he encountered a monster now, it would be fatal, but he kept going.
"I need water," he said. Stopping to think for a moment, he quickly deduced that he should pause at different points and try to listen for the sound of flowing water. And so he did.
At each stop, he closed his eyes and listened. This way, he could hear the sounds of animals, the rustling of trees, and even footsteps breaking branches along a path. Naturally, he chose to avoid the footsteps he heard—until he finally picked up on the sound of water.
"Now I just have to follow the sound," he said. "And after that, I'll find an animal for lunch."
At last, he found it—plenty of water. A wide river flowed through the forest. One of two things would happen: either he would find a village downstream, or he would come across a waterfall. But that wasn't important now—he needed to regain his strength. He remembered his fight with the goblin and how much his body ached.
He drank the water and set off to hunt an animal. In the depths of the forest, he spotted a deer but dismissed it as too large. An eagle flew overhead. A herbivore would be better. Then, amid the movement of the forest, he saw a hare—perfect.
He grabbed a stone and stealthily approached. Aiming at the hare's head, he threw the stone and hit it. The hare staggered, and he quickly grabbed it, breaking its neck. He carried it back near the river.
Zeno removed the hare's fur and roasted it over a fire he had built.
After finishing his meal, Zeno followed the river downstream, moving toward the right side of the current. He walked all morning but never reached the river's end.
During his journey, Zeno heard rapid footsteps approaching from afar. He quickened his pace. Judging by the sound, it was a large animal. He ran as fast as he could.
"If only I could use enhancement magic," he lamented for the first time, regretting that he couldn't wield light magic.
Zeno began to see the river's descent. As he got closer, he realized—it was a massive waterfall. There was no way to climb down.
Just then, the noises revealed the approaching animal. With a powerful leap from the forest, a giant black bear appeared.
Trapped by the beast, Zeno decided to jump from stone to stone across the river. He hopped onto one rock, steadied himself, then jumped to another. In the middle of his crossing, he heard another voice.
"Boy, you're brave—but be careful. I'll handle the bear."
Zeno thought, "Who could that be? A Níbira who followed me? I can't look back now, and I won't stop."
The bear turned toward the man who had appeared. It started charging, but the man swiftly dodged and cast dark magic—Ignis Pila. A fireball shot from his hand, striking the bear's chest and knocking it off balance, forcing it into a quadrupedal stance.
Zeno reached the other side of the river and looked back. The man was middle-aged, black-haired, fighting the bear. Curious, Zeno noted—he was not a Níbira.
He thought, "Should I run? Should I watch the battle and try to talk to him?"
He scanned his surroundings. Ahead was the river, to the side was the waterfall, and behind him lay a dense forest. He didn't know what to do, but talking to the man seemed like the most reasonable choice.
The man refrained from using overly powerful magic, wary of the forest. He continued launching fireballs until the bear lost the strength to remain standing. With the bear weakened, the man drew his sword and thrust it into the beast's chest, ending its life.
The mysterious man spoke loudly enough for Zeno to hear:
"It's over, boy. Look, I'm putting my sword away—I have no intention of threatening you. I just want to talk."
Zeno hesitated, scratching his head, wondering if it was a good idea to speak with a stranger. But he also remembered that being alone in the forest wasn't a good idea either.
"Alright, we can talk," Zeno agreed.
The man made a high leap, effortlessly crossing the river.
"First, let's make a fire and hunt for something to eat. I saw you eating earlier, but I haven't eaten yet."
"So, you've been following me?"
"Yes. Since the settlement. I was curious about what was happening, and when I saw you—your hair color—I became even more intrigued. Help me find something to eat, and then we'll talk."
What should I do? Will I trust this man who suddenly appeared? Zeno wondered.