Valenus awoke, his forehead hot, warm, and damp.

He found himself of clothes, covered only by a cotton blanket.

Looking around, he could only discern vague forest shadows, lit by the flickering glow of fire flames.

The only sound was the crackling of the fires. Struggling a bit, he began to survey his body and noticed that his chest was wrapped in thick bandages, constricting his breathing.

He glanced around the forest, but there was no sign of others. With a loud sigh, Valenus tried to gather his bearings.

“You are alive,” a voice suddenly said from behind him. Startled, his body tensed as he reluctantly turned to see who had spoken.

Emerging from the forest shadows was a man, and to Valenus' relief, it was Salintus.

Valenus smiled, a gesture that quickly faded as he remembered Salintus's smirk before he lost consciousness.

He simply stared at Salintus, who leaned back against a tree, their gazes locking and causing Valenus's heart to pound.

Though he wanted to question Salintus's true intentions, as his trust was not fully given,

Valenus chose to remain silent, thinking it wiser to keep his thoughts to himself until he understood more.

Salintus shifted his gaze back to the fire and spoke sternly. “I wasn’t sure you would survive. Your wounds were infected, which is why you passed out.” He paused, then added, “Thankfully, I was able to tend to them and stop the spread.” With a more serious tone, Salintus continued, “Now that you are alive, can we start? Can we discuss the deal we talked about? You tell me about the creations of your people that could help us survive, and I'll provide you with tools and directions to another town where there will be people who will help you.”

Valenus, seizing the opportunity, began to share everything he knew about electricity, phones, guns, hunting gear, and anything else he thought might be useful for Salintus.

After he finished, Salintus smiled and said, “Thank you. This information could be very helpful for my people. I have what I need now. I'll give you one of the high-tech gauntlet, but it's back at the camp where my people are resting.”

Looking at Valenus's bandaged chest, Salintus inquired, “Are you well enough to travel?”

Valenus nodded in affirmation.

Salintus then threw a tunic to Valenus, which had been hidden next to a tree.

As Salintus began walking deeper into the forest, Valenus quickly donned his tunic and followed.

Noticing a fox trailing him, Valenus turned to face it, but the creature darted into the forest. As they ventured deeper, a barely visible wolf's face appeared, followed by a howl.

Valenus's body trembled slightly with apprehension, and he quickened his pace to catch up to Salintus.

Eventually, they arrived at a camp in a wide, sparse forest with only a few trees.

Man-made tents constructed from branches and fabric provided shelter.

There, amidst his people, was Salintus people. All around, Valenus could hear whispers and see the people, dressed in tattered tunics and dirty pants, while the women wore torn black dresses.

Their faces were dirty yet gaunt, with bones visible beneath their skin.

Valenus, feeling a pang of sympathy, lowered his head as he followed Salintus through the camp.

They reached a larger tent, taller than Salintus. Inside, Salintus retrieved a high-tech gauntlet he had promised and handed it to Valenus.

Although Valenus considered returning it, realizing he needed anything he could get to survive, he simply nodded in acceptance. Salintus then walked over to a pot boiling over a fire, scooped up some solid soup, and offered it to Valenus.

Despite his desperate hunger, Valenus initially refused, but Salintus insisted, "Take it, you'll need it for the journey. It's not much, but it's uncertain when you'll find food again."

Valenus accepted and quickly ate the vegetables as he sat by the fire.

Looking into the flames, then turning to Salintus, Valenus asked, "Why are you and your people here? They look starving and weak. Isn't there a better place for you?"

Salintus nodded somberly, looking at the ground. "Yes, we had to flee our home after it was attacked. We've been trying to find a new home, but the journey became too dangerous, so we stopped here to rest and recover, especially since many were wounded. That's why I wanted to know about your people's knowledge. It might help us make my people stronger so we can travel and find a new home. I've marked a place called Zina to the north for you to start looking for help. I can't offer much more than that, except..."

Salintus then fetched a sword from the tent and handed it to Valenus, who caught it and asked, "So you aren't coming with me?" Salintus simply shook his head and said, “I need to stay with people. I am all they have.” Suddenly, Salintus started coughing and collapsed, unconscious.

Valenus's eyes widened in shock, and then he saw a hooded woman with bright, wine-colored hair appear from the shadows, who disappeared. In the corner of his eye, he noticed a fox staring at him.

As smoke swirled, the fox transformed into the hooded woman, who then vanished deeper in the forest with a sinister laugh, followed by a whisper, "Follow me, Valenus. Follow me." Valenus's body shook, hesitant to follow, but realising that if she had wanted him dead, it would have already happened.

He slowly started following the voice until he stood before the woman.

She removed her hood, it was Eleantra from the prison cell who was grinning face, and said, "We meet again,Valenus"

Notes from the Author:

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