The road to Lioren led them through dense forests and increasingly rare villages. Night fell quickly, and the cold intensified with the shadows. Renji and Tiberku walked in silence, alert to every rustle.
Renji felt his body heavy, but his thoughts were even more burdensome. The image of the child who had run away, eyes full of fear, would not leave his mind. Each step made him wonder how long it would take before all of Tarhal found out that he was there, the hunted, the one carrying the guilt.
— "I don't like this silence," said Tiberku, raising his eyes toward the treetops. "It's like the forest is hiding something. When you hear neither birds nor animals, it means something else has driven everything away."
Renji clenched his fists.
— "If the rumor spreads, every person we meet will be a threat. We won't even need demons. The mere fact that I exist will be enough for them to hunt us."
Tiberku glanced at him from the corner of his eye and answered briefly:
— "That's why we need to reach Lioren. There we can find out where Eris is and what she knows about Kaede. If we stay on empty roads, we're just two easy targets."
As they walked, in the distance the pale light of some torches began to appear. A small inn at the forest's edge seemed to have survived. The door creaked, and the thin smoke rising from the chimney showed it wasn't completely abandoned.
Renji and Tiberku stopped, exchanging a silent look.
— "Here we can get the first news," said Tiberku. "But also the first dangers."
Renji fixed his gaze on the inn and bit his lip.
— "If we go in, we have to be someone else. Not Renji, not the hunted. We need a story that anyone who asks will believe."
Tiberku nodded, adjusting his bow on his shoulder.
— "Then let's see how good we are at being someone else."
Together, they moved toward the inn, not knowing if inside awaited a warm meal or the beginning of a new danger.
The inn door opened heavily, creaking under Tiberku's hand. Inside, it was warm; the smell of smoke and cooked meat lingered in the air. In the corner tables, a few people sat, faces shadowed by hoods and hands always near the handles of their weapons. The den smelled of mercenaries.
Renji and Tiberku sat at a table near the stove. An elderly woman with tired eyes brought them two cups of warm water. She didn't ask anything but measured them carefully with her gaze.
At the middle table, four men in light armor laughed loudly and slammed their fists on the table. Besides the visible swords, each also had a knife strapped to their boot or belt. They spoke loudly, not caring who listened.
— "I said Tarhal is only good for looting," one spat on the floor. "People flee, villages are empty, but money still has to flow."
Another replied, in a deep voice:
— "Watch what you say. Those with red eyes aren't just stories. I've seen them tear a man in two without blinking."
Tiberku and Renji exchanged glances. Any talk about those creatures meant the mercenaries had witnessed what had happened in the villages.
When one mercenary slammed his cup on the table and stood up, the tension in the room increased. His eyes slid toward Renji, then toward Tiberku's bow. He measured them for a few seconds, enough to feel as if he had already put a price on them.
— "Hey, nice bow you've got there," he said with a mocking smile. "Paid a lot for it? Or did you take it off someone dead?"
Tiberku didn't move a muscle, but his hand was already on the table, near the bow's handle. Renji felt that any moment could erupt into a bloody fight.
Another mercenary put his hand on the standing one's shoulder and pulled him back.
— "Cut the nonsense, now's not the time," he said. "We got orders. We're expected at the field by the river; we can't be late."
The group stood noisily, put on their hoods, and headed for the exit.
Renji froze for a moment. Among their voices, he heard something that chilled his blood: a thin, sharp, unmistakable voice. The voice of the elf who had helped him when he was injured.
Renji closed his eyes briefly to make sure he wasn't imagining it. But the voice rang clearly, with the cold, calm tone he could not forget.
When the mercenaries left, Renji jumped up suddenly.
— "Tiberku… I heard it," he whispered. "The elf. He was among them."
His eyes burned with determination.
— "We have to follow them. If the voice I heard was the elf's, then they captured him and are keeping him with them."
Tiberku nodded, rising as well.
— "Then we'll let them think they left peacefully. But we'll follow in the shadows; we'll find out where they rest."
Night covered them like a cloak. Renji and Tiberku moved among the shadows of the trees, a few dozen steps behind the mercenaries. They made no sound, only the wet leaves softly crunching under their feet.
The path led them to the field by the river. There, under the pale torchlight, about ten mercenaries had gathered. Some sat on stumps, others sharpened weapons or talked among themselves. They seemed to be waiting for someone.
Renji and Tiberku stopped in the thicket, hidden behind thick trunks.
One mercenary, a tall man with a scar over his eye, stood and took a crumpled piece of cloth from his pocket. He opened it abruptly, and from it fell a small, thin figure: the elf. His mouth was bound, hands tied with thin rope.
The mercenary lifted him by the collar like a trapped animal and waved him in front of the others.
— "Found him in a border village," he said with a wide grin. "He kept hiding in cellars like a rat. When he saw me, he tried to run. But look at him here. Small and helpless."
Loud laughter erupted around. Other mercenaries approached and surrounded the elf, throwing insults.
— "These are only good for playing the flute and acting wise. In front of a sword, they shake like rabbits."
— "You're right," another added, giving the elf a shove. "But maybe he can bring us some money. Nobles seek all kinds of rare creatures, and this one is perfect for sale."
Scar-over-eye raised his voice again.
— "An elf captured at the border… that means money. Nobles and collectors pay well for such trophies. If we take him to the slave market, we'll come out with full bags."
He lifted him by the collar again, letting him hang helplessly.
— "Small, but valuable. I like it when luck comes to us on his own."
The mercenaries burst into laughter again, some shoving the elf, others mocking his pointed ears.
From the thicket, Renji felt his blood boil. He clenched his fists until his nails dug into his flesh. He saw the pale face of the elf, mouth covered, eyes full of fear.
Tiberku glanced at him briefly, then whispered so low it was almost inaudible:
— "There are too many to attack now. We need to find out who they intend to sell him to. Then we can strike where it matters."
Renji bit his lip until he tasted blood but did not move. His gaze remained fixed on the elf, and his determination strengthened with every mocking laugh of the mercenaries.
The mercenaries settled around the fire, drinking and laughing, while the elf lay tied next to one of them. Time passed slowly, but Renji and Tiberku did not move from their hiding spot.
Renji lowered his voice as much as possible.
— "We can't attack ten armed men. But judging by how they drink, they won't last long. When they fall asleep, we go into the camp."
Tiberku nodded, eyes tracking every movement of the mercenaries.
— "You approach the fire and free the elf. I'll distract if any wake up. If we're discovered, we don't fight. We run with him."
Renji nodded.
— "We need a signal between us. If you see I can't get him out, throw a stone in the river. That's how I'll know to retreat."
Tiberku gave a brief smile.
— "Alright. But let's hope it won't be necessary."
They turned their gaze back to the fire. The mercenaries sang now with deep voices, and two or three heads were already falling back, asleep. The alcohol did the work Renji and Tiberku had expected.
Renji tensed his muscles, ready to move at the right moment. The elf was a few steps from freedom, but ten swords stood between him and salvation, ready to be drawn at any moment.
The plan began. The mercenaries slept deeply by the fire, torches flickering weakly. Tiberku crept near the camp, eyes fixed on the mercenaries, ready to intervene if something went wrong.
Renji approached the elf and began freeing him, carefully cutting the ropes. At that moment, a sharp pain exploded in his chest. Ubik's cold voice echoed in his mind:
— "Rise. Kill them. They do not deserve to live."
The pain and words in his head made him scream, a cry mixing fear and rage. The mercenaries, asleep until then, began to wake. The voice continued dictating his movements:
— "Take the sword and cut them down!"
Renji snatched a sword from one of them and, with a swift strike, instantly decapitated two mercenaries trying to rise. Their heads fell to the ground with a wet thud, blood spraying on the stones.
Tiberku jumped immediately, trying to stop him:
— "Renji! Stop!"
Renji, blinded by the voice in his head and by rage, shoved Tiberku hard, sending him over a log. Tiberku fell on his back but quickly got up and stayed close.
Renji continued to strike mercilessly. Any mercenary trying to get up was hit, cut, or thrown to the ground. Every movement was guided by pain and the voice commanding him to show no mercy. Eventually, all mercenaries were eliminated, some decapitated, others beaten or thrown to the ground.
Tiberku ran to Renji, trying to restrain him, but when he reached him, Renji no longer recognized him. His eyes burned with hatred, every movement precise and deadly. With a brutal impulse, he struck Tiberku's stomach, sending him backward.
Renji raised the sword, ready to kill. At that moment, the elf flew behind him and struck Renji's head with a stone. Renji fell unconscious, blood running down his face, and the shadows of night fell again over the camp.
Tiberku rose with difficulty from the ground, wiping the blood from a small scratch. The elf stood trembling before him, still scared of what had happened. Tiberku looked at him with wide, confused, and alarmed eyes.
— "What happened to Renji?" asked Tiberku. "The plan was to free you and leave unseen. How did this happen?"
The elf was frightened and looked at the ground:
— "I don't know… but Renji… he had something in him. An aura… demonic. I felt it in the forest before. When he started fighting… it was like he wasn't himself. Like something was controlling him."
Tiberku froze, feeling the weight of the words. It wasn't just Renji's anger anymore; it was something foreign, dark, that had taken over him.
— "We need to get him out of here. If that's what you feel, I have to isolate him and understand what's happening before it's too late."
He bent down, carefully lifted Renji, and laid him on his back. Through the shadows of the night, Tiberku crept toward the nearby forest, with the elf following closely, still trembling.
Once they reached a small clearing, Tiberku found a thick, stable tree. He set Renji down and tied his hands and feet with ropes he had.
— "You have to stay here," said Tiberku. "We need to see what happens to you before we return. If we lose control… we don't know what could happen."
The elf approached slowly, looking at Renji with fear and respect.
— "His aura… it's not like any demon I've felt before," he whispered. "It's… strong. Very strong."
Tiberku sighed, looking at the tree where Renji lay tied. The night was deep, and the rustle of leaves and Renji's heavy breathing merged into a moment of oppressive silence.
— "We have to be ready for anything," murmured Tiberku. "And we must stay close. We can't let this get out of control."
The elf nodded, still scared, and Tiberku sat beside the tree, guarding Renji and trying to gather his thoughts.
After a short while, Renji opened his eyes. At first, his vision was blurry, but he immediately saw the elf's figure nearby. A wave of relief washed over him.
— "You're… safe," murmured Renji with a weak smile, feeling relieved the elf hadn't been hurt.
Then his eyes dropped and noticed the ropes tying his hands and feet to the tree. Confused and uneasy, he tried to understand what had happened.
— "Tiberku… what happened?" he asked, voice trembling, eyes wide. "Why… why am I tied?"
The elf approached slowly, with a grave expression:
— "You started fighting the mercenaries, and something was different in you… your aura became… demonic. I felt that power in the forest and Tiberku tried to stop you, you tried to attack him, he brought you here and tied you so you wouldn't hurt anyone… and to protect you."
Renji remained silent, trying to comprehend the elf's words. His mind was disturbed, the emptiness left by the control that took his power still made him feel lost and helpless.
— "What… exactly happened? I… don't remember anything," he murmured, voice shaking.
Tiberku leaned beside Renji, looking worried.
— "Renji… is this the first time this has happened to you? What's wrong?"
Renji took a deep breath, trying to gather his thoughts, still feeling confused and weak.
— "I felt a pain in my chest… and… someone was telling me what to do. I couldn't control myself… it was as if I wasn't me," he confessed, voice trembling.
Tiberku frowned and asked carefully:
— "That voice… was it the one from the necklace you told me about before?"
Renji nodded, pressing his lips together:
— "Yes… but something was different now. It wasn't the same helpful voice… it was something else. A presence that wanted to feed… to use my power. I felt it wanted to control everything."
Tiberku watched him carefully, sensing the gravity of the situation.
— "Renji… I suspect the truth behind the necklace and your power is darker than I thought."
Renji remained silent, gaze lost among the forest shadows. Confusion and fear still pressed on his chest, but a quiet determination grew within him. He didn't know what had awakened inside, but he knew he had to control it before it got out of control and harmed anyone close.
Tiberku watched him carefully and sighed deeply.
— "We better rest now. Tomorrow we'll reach Lioren, and we must be ready for what awaits," he said.
He approached Renji and gently checked the ropes, pulling slightly to test the knots.
— "You'll stay tied for your safety and ours. This isn't a punishment."
Renji accepted the situation. The night air was cold, and for the first time, he began thinking seriously about the connection between his necklace and the demon Kaizen had fought.