Tagu didn't bother to make an air bubble, but Nego was used to it. He liked getting wet anyway. The cold wind froze his fingers and his cloak threatened fly away into the sky. Tagu pressed against him, as if sensing he needed warmth.
Using the rock for cover, Nego saw people in armor sitting around a campfire eating bits of meat with their fingers. 'Dious sends us to look for a boy. Otakia said he's a Greencloak,' said one female. 'Brown hair, lean frame, strange brown eyes, he even said the boy has thin fingers that would be useful for making traps, he also mentioned the boy has the bonding sickness. Someone who can escape with poisoned chest wounds is someone worth finding. Determination is a worthy weapon'
At the mention of those words, Nego felt his chest ache. He had taken out the glass shards which caused bleeding, even with bandages over them, he worried about the poison. There were sounds of contented munching after that speech.
'The bonding sickness … the Greencloaks are slow when an orphan is turning eleven,' said a gruff voice. 'Horrible tales, mood swings for example. Some get fever, others have bonding troubles, even headaches.' Tagu flicked his ear and pressed his bulk against Nego even more.
Nego made the arrow twirl in his hands. The Silverwood sap coating the shaft felt cool against his fingers. They talked somemore, and Nego used his hands to try and warm his ears. He learnt that Dious was some evil person who was at war with the People of the Shadows.
Some were Greencloaks, others wore black clothing and they were a small group thay lead raids and ambushes against them. Dious had named his group the Meridious. That meant 'Evil dangers' in the ancient Niloan language.
'No prisoners, nothing. The shadow people are too stealthy, like the boy we're trying to catch. Like whispers of the shadows.' The people nodded and mumbled amongst themselves. Nego inhaled the salty air, gently took Tagu's muzzle in his hands and closed his eyes. Something sparked in his fingertips, nothing that made him feel more aggressive, nothing that made him feel strong, but he could feel something in him.
Taking his arrow in his hand, Nego took a deep breath and charged. The group of Meridious's were startled. Nego kicked one in the chest and with the end of his arrow, delivered a blow to one's nose. Tagu wove through the path of enemies, which made Nego's heart swell with pride.
Clenching pinecones together and throwing them, their weapons weren't affected, the pinecones took a few hours at least to make a piece of armor or weapon rust a little. It was irreversible but it took two days, to make it officially useless.
Dodging and twisting, Nego found a steady rhythm. The green fabric around his shoulders glittered in the night, like filaments of silver were woven in them. The scratches on his arrow glowed softly, before Nego realized they were symbols, symbols that changed into words like the book, they read the silver warrior.
Tagu carried a silver aura himself, making the Meridious's sleepy and stumbling. Something flew in the air and pinned him down. A black cat barring its teeth. Positioning itself, it swiftly dug its claws underneath his right eye, digging it deeper until its claws were completely buried and jerking its paw upwards before darting away.
Nego let out a cry so guttural it stunned everybody on the battlefield. Nego got onto his hands and let out all his rage. He was a demon. Pain and anger fueled him. He never killed, just wounded. They all ran away, and Nego leaned on Tagu who arrived just in time to catch him.
Tagu carried him back to the cave, gently using his horns to lay Nego down on the bearskin. Tagu took the herbs from the top shelf, gently holding them with his soft lips. Tagu licked the wound from the cat and chewed the selected herbs he lay on the ground before placing them gently on the cut.
'The silver warrior, what does that mean?' he asked softly. Tagu licked the herbs away and looked at him, his eyes had stopped changing color (they were brown) but Nego thought the buffalo's eyes were special. The same voice whispered to him,
Rest, seeker, you have to hide. Those who want power will haunt you by all means. Because of who you are, you have to stay hidden. I promise one day, you will fight, and be who you are.
The wind entered the cave, but instead of the cold sting of it outside, it was a warm summer breeze. Tagu cleverly arranged the herbs back to their original place and looked at him. The buffalo lay down next to him and sighed as the breeze warmed the cave.
As the pain subsided, Nego closed his eyes.
The morning started when he heard the sound of silent footsteps, the crackling of twigs, rustling of leaves, the echo of bare feet on the branches. Nego silently got up, Tagu's ears were twitching. They are not close, you need to treat the cuts on your chest, Tagu's expression was firm.
As quickly as he could, Nego tried to find something that would help.
Top shelf : herbs, a vial of Silverwood sap, dried bear meat, nuts and berries.
Lower shelf : Rocks, bits of wood, a bundle of blast powder, special stone bowl and tools.
Lowest shelf: Clay cups and clay bowls.
Gears moved, spider webs formed in his head as the wildest idea came to him. Hands moving with a determined mind, he grabbed the stone bowl, Silverwood sap, a few leaves from the selection of herbs and roots. He put it on the weird stone that gave convenient heat.
Nego blew on it and it steamed. The heat dissolved the herbs and made thick, silver liquid, barely enough. As soon as it cooled down, he took the little liquid at the bottom and took off the old bandages. With a fresh roll of bandages, he soaked it up.
The heat burned his fingers, but he fearlessly put in on his chest. The bandages stuck, and it felt like fire had turned cold, had been melted down and put in his chest. Tagu nodded in approval and finally let him watch.
In the thick canopy of the forest, barely noticeable, figures were moving, rustling the leaves and moving towards them.
