The way back

The boys walked through the forest without fear, laughing and teasing their leader as they took the carriage and the wagons with them.

—Okay, everyone understands, let's change the subject?-Asks the boy with the wolf mask looking uncomfortable with the subject.

—Look! Shiro is jealous!-Says the one with a coyote mask who raises her trapped in his pants, showing his pale face, white hair, and blue eyes that looked at Shiro with surprise and obvious excitement for finding a weakness in his friend.

—I'm not jealous!-Screams Shiro angrily picking him up by the cloak and lifting him off the ground.

—The more you deny it, the more jealous it seems!-Says the coyote's twin brother, whose resemblance was frightening, however, it was easy to identify them by the tribal mask, because their eagle age rested on his belt.

—Shiro, drop Bellator. -Says Rex distracted looking at his necklace attached to his neck, watching the pendant of a stone apparently faded as if something was sleeping inside it.

—What is so special about this necklace? Was "Cherry" who gave it to you?-Question Caerula teasing Rex.

Shiro lets go of Bellator as Rex ordered and goes to his side giving space between the leader and Caerula.

—Stop annoying him! Enough of this!-Shiro says, facing Caerula who needed to look down to pay attention to Shiro.

—I'm not bothered, Cherry is very pretty, but I don't see her that way. -Says Rex simply without looking at his friends who seemed to have won the lottery when he heard him say that.

Bellator spoke to his brother in whispers making Shiro turn to them and growl.

—So, do you like her?-Caerula asks.

—Of course I like it, she is my friend. -Says Rex looking at him with innocence. Caerula lets out a sigh and scratches the back of her head.

—I think you're too young to think about these things yet.- Caerula looking away from Lepus who shook his head in denial, scolding him for insisting on that subject.

—See, I said!-Says Shiro, looking satisfied with Rex's answer.

—But the necklace, you always wore it didn't you? Was she the one who gave it to you?-Caerula asks curiously, ignoring Lepus's disapproving look.

—Damn! What do you have today? He must have exhausted his vocabulary, never hearing you talk so much!-Caerula pushes Shiro with ease, taking him out of the way, pretending it wasn't with him.

—It wasn't her...-Says Rex showing the stone.— It was her brother, his name was Feles...

The boy's voice is shaky, he quickly tucks the necklace under his shirt and takes a deep breath before finishing the sentence.

—He died.

—I see… I'm sorry. -Says Caerula patting Rex on the back comforting him.

—People die. Even if they don't deserve it. -Says Rex trying to keep his voice calm and serious.

—I had a friend, his name was Gusttav, he was really tough! Nobody beat him in a fight, I tried!- Says Caerula, showing the scar on his right arm.—But in a hunt in the assassin clan, we came face to face with Artemis's hunters, the thing was that he had killed a deer in the forest for us to eat, but it was Artemis's, who would have guessed?! It was an epic fight without a doubt he's in Valhalla now!-Says Caerula with a proud tone.

—He?! He was a Nordic?!-Says Shiro, impressed and excited, his tail moving frantically under his wolf fur cape.

—Yes, he was a hybrid, son of Loki, everyone called him night beast! Why did he turn into a gigantic monster but only at night!-Speaks Caerula gesticulating and bragging.

—WOW!-Says Shiro and the twins together.

—I wish I had met him, a Norseman like me! That would be amazing!-Shiro is excited, he looks at Rex expecting to see him also excited about Caerula's story, but Rex didn't seem happy.

—You were murderers, you were ready to die, a Norseman always expects death in battle. -Says Rex with an angry tone that the boys did not understand.

—I just want to say that I understand what it's like to lose a friend...

—Feles wasn't a fighter, he was a class four hybrid! -Says Rex almost advancing on Caerula for having compared the two.—He never touched a sword, he couldn't! He never knew how to defend himself and was constantly humiliated for just being him! Still, he was kind and tried to make everyone around him feel better…

—Class four hybrid?...-Said Shiro surprised.

—You are very similar. -Rex says looking at Shiro who now lowered his head thoughtfully.

—I'm sorry, I think I poked you at some wound. -Caerula looks at her friends who seemed not to know what to do.

—Okay, I don't think I got over some things yet. -Says the boy walking as if nothing had happened.

—By the way, I think it's really funny you're making fun of me. By the way, you were the ones who got beaten up by Cherry. -The boys stop, only now noticing that they lost to a single girl.

—She came suddenly!-Says Bellator quickly.

—That! We weren't ready!-Says his brother justifying himself.

—I took it easy, obviously I knew it was a girl!-Says Caerula crossing her arms in a superior pose

—What a lie!-Says a little boy who carried a crossbow on his back.

Caerula looks angrily at the little one who denied him, Lepus starts to laugh satisfied.

—What are you laughing at?! You lost too!-Says Caerula

—I don't feel less like a man for having lost to a girl. She was good and quite skilled, in fact, her fighting style reminded her of Rex!-Says Lepus with grace and composure.

—Do you have to be superior in everything?-Caerula asks, judging him.

—It is true! Rex, did you and the fire girl learn to fight together?!-Asks the little boy with a fox mask running to catch Rex.

—There's... No, she's the one who taught me how to use a dagger!-He says, laughing. Everyone is silent.

—What?!-Says Shiro shocked.

—See, this is for getting married!- Bellator says to his brother who nods. Rex shakes his head laughing at his friends.

The group arrives at a large wall of tall trees, which covered the sky with their leaves, preventing sunlight from entering. Lepus passes the boys clearing the way, getting in front, the young man raises his staff and the trees dissolve revealing that it was just an illusion letting the boys enter.