Our story starts in a forest, with a young Esdeath on the hunt, on her own since she had recently lost her people. As she scavages, looking for her prey, she hears rustling from a tree, as she holds her knife upwards, only to jump back as the figure in the tree, with a grunt, crashes into the ground.
"Ow..." A human boy with raven hair said. He wore tattered clothing; a white shirt, and brown pants. He looked almost as old as she. A weapon, a homemade knife, fell to the side of the boy, as he rubbed his head, "Literally thought you were our dinner... Yeesh. It must have fled."
"Who are you?" She carries her knife in defense.
The boy perks after she calls him, and he raises his hands to show that he is no threat, "oh, hi! I actually wasn't expecting anyone around these parts, ha." Said the dark brown haired boy. "I was just trying to get some dinner." He says as he sheathes his blade. "Graham is gonna be mad when I come late…" He sighs. "Well, anyways, where did you come from?"
She eases up. Thinking that she is at her weakest after losing her whole clan, so she doesn't want to linger on. "It doesn't matter." She scowls.
"Uh, I'd be careful, there's a savage beast around here… Had a bit of a tussle myself, if you can't tell." He says, indicating his clothes.
"Hmph… I can handle it..." The blue haired girl stoically stated.
"Well… Uh… I don't know about that… But if you are sure…" He thought for a moment, "Maybe we can help each other. I help you find what you are looking for, you can help me find what I'm looking for… As they say, we're much stronger in numbers." He smiles innocently, giving a slight chuckle, and rubbing the back of his head
"I don't need help! Only the weak need help!" She said in anger.
He steps back, surprised by the outburst, "Gee- I'm sorry… It's true though, we're strong-" He was cut off by a loud roar, as a big danger beast came out from the brush.
Olmotack readied his own knife "You gotta be kidding me…"
Esdeath readies her blade as well, and jumps in head first towards its arm to climb up and go for the neck.
The boy follows suit, slashing at certain distinct points, working with Esdeath to bring down the beast. She ignores him, trying to focus on killing it very fast, oblivious of the danger she is putting herself in.
Olmotack then sees the creature is about to deal a lethal blow with its arm at Esdeath, and he yells loudly, and runs really fast at it, lunging before stabbing, and slicing its hand clean off. The beast reeled in pain, as Olmotack turns to her and says, "Finish it!" He says, as he distracts the creature to make Esdeath an opening. She didn't see this coming, but out of instinct complied.
She makes a leap and with all the strength she has, slits the creature's throat. She falls down a great height afterwards. The boy pumps his fist in the air and gleams, "Wow, that was awesome! You were incredible!" He said, brimming with an innocent pride.
She lands on her arm, almost breaking it. She struggles to get up.
He stood there bewildered how he could forget she was falling. He helps her up to her feet and dusts her off, then steps back. "Are you alright? That was quite the battle after all… And quite a fall, if I may add." He said with a concerned tone
She groans. "I could have died… Am I really this weak...?" She said to herself, looking at her uninjured hand.
"We both could have… But with enough of our will and strength combined, and with us working together, even us who seem smaller and weaker can triumph, and beat monsters that are bigger than us. But the more important thing is, we survived and came out on top in the end, even if the creature had the upper hand in the moment. Don't you agree?" He says as he studies the damage to his knife, then looks at her with a warm smile.
She thinks about it for a moment. She groans, still feeling the shame. "I survived… That's what matters...I'll get stronger… Yeah… I'll survive no matter what. Then I will be strong enough." She keeps this in mind, trying to push her ego aside to allow allies on her life. She would look at him, although with less apathy this time.
He extends his hand for a fist bump, "That's right! We can only get stronger from here!" He smiles innocently, as he chuckles
She looks at the fist bump. A concept she is unaware of.
He then brings it back, "Er, sorry... It's a thing me and my friend saw some people do it once, so..." He rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. "Basically, you just bump your fist with my fist, gently."
She slowly does so, curious about this.
They fist bump, and break away, "There you go! That's a fist bump, It's a sign of friendship!" He said with a hearty laugh.
She looks at the fist she used to fist bump and is confused. "I do not follow..."
"Just think of it as a way to signify that we are now friends." He says.
She thinks about it. "I will only accept you as an ally." Not liking the idea of a friend, seeing it as a crutch than anything.
"Well if it's your term for friend, fine..." He then seems to hear something, "Oh! I gotta go! I'm sorry... Uh..." He gives her his knife suddenly, "In case we never meet again, keep it as a token of our friendship... Or, whatever you think it is. I can always make another one." The knife looked well made, as if an expert crafted it in the wild. The blade looked worn though, as if it met many battles. "Hopefully we meet again one day!" He said waving, as he sped off into the brush after the far off voice, opposite of where Esdeath's tribe is.
She watches him leave, and takes another look at the knife. His smile did make an impression of her, as she blushed a little. But she shakes it off for now as she keeps the gift. "What a strange boy..."
We cut to the present, as Esdeath is on her horse, slowly striding along a Northern tribe as it burns, this was during her fast crusade to crush each tribe, but after this battle, she yet again found herself looking at the same knife given to her years ago. She always felt the need to keep it close, and took care of it, yet she never understood why. The knife looked like it was many years ago, just when she got it, with the blood dried. She never saw the boy again after that day, as she went her own way, albeit, she did miss him, and had secretly always hoped to bump into him again in some way…
She couldn't stop thinking about him. Although it would be a feeling she kept shrugging off over the years. Recently though, it was not so easy, as her life went on. She wonders if maybe she can allow someone in her life. Someone she can take for herself and never let go. A strong man to fit someone as strong as her, something like that boy.
She quickly puts it away as soldiers approach for her commands on moving to the next northern tribe, as she rears her horse and gives the command to go forth, she wonders to herself where this boy is now.
In a village, the sun sun shone brightly upon it, as a boy was talking to two familiar faces, Leyasu and Sayo.
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Greetings! I do hope you like the chapter! fFinally sending out a chapter, and more is to come! give some love to DynomiteX246, whom helped me make this awesome story! Have a blessed day, and I hope you enjoy the story!