Nodded in understanding, Rein stood up again. This time, his face was serious and terrifying. He frowned and growled in his throat. Alongside him, Paley stood on its four feet. Its white fur whirled along the strong wind. His ears pricked up; his nose moved visibly when he sniffed around in the air.
What is he doing?
Not just Rein, but Paley did the same. Both sniffed and listened attentively as if they were sensing something. While August was clueless, both were in their joy and excited. A weirdly terrifying smile appeared on Rein's face. Paley made a low growling sound. Just at that moment when August figured, both had found their prey.
"Get rid of that tiny knife of yours, kid. It's no help." Rein said in low voice.
"What?" August didn't catch Rein's intention. This knife was the only reason how he came this far without dying. It's his first time wielding a weapon, it adapted to him. His first kill came from this knife. The very first wound he ever created come from this knife's edge. It must be a very foolish decision to throw it away.
Is he insane!?
Rein kept his serious yet calm face on, "Too small, too dull, too useless."
"It's working just fine." August tried his best to keep his only weapon without provoking this old man rage. He might or might not be a good man, but his request or rather, his command is very such a dumb thing to asked someone for.
"It will kill you."
How!? It what kept me alive!
Rein walked calmly to his sled. He crouched, in the search of something he asked, "Have you see anything in this sled earlier?"
August was tried to peek into it at first, but that when Paley came so he didn't try to continue. Mostly because he was feared and was froze in place. But instead of saying so, he said, "No. I don't want to pry."
"Hm." Rein stood up, in his left hand was a simple looking leather pant, in his right hand was a strange looking object. It was long and slender, while not as white as the snow nor Paley's fur, it appears as greyish with a slightly yellow tint. August observed it just for a moment before realized, it was a sword.
Its blade was about a meter and a half in length while its handle was only about ten centimeters long. Its handle was wrapped with a black piece of cloth separated it from its blade. Its blade was also slightly curved but remain sharp at both sides.
Rein turned back to August. His eyes were flooded with sorrow and somewhat, joy. August felt like this sword remined Rein of something important. But at the same time, it's not a joyful memory. Rein slowly walked toward August, still kept his gaze on the sword.
"This came from my first hunt. It's a fang of a tyrannous wolf of the Grey Mountain. Sharp, strong, powerful, it's a perfect weapon." Rein described it as if it was the greatest weapon August will ever saw. HIs voice filled with proud and pride. Even if it's not the fanciest sword in the world, it will get it job done. Even now, August couldn't be sure if this old man just wanted to brag about his sword or is there another reason.
Rein didn't hesitate, he only looked at it a few more seconds before handed it to August. August just accepted it without even realized. Rein said with a bitter tone, "Take this."
"What!?" August was flabbergasted. This seems to be an unexpected gift; August couldn't believe his ears. A weapon so important should be given so easily!
August prepared to deny this gift but still hesitated to do so. No matter how he thinks this sword was an important stuff of Rein, he couldn't bring himself to fully reject it. Deep down, he wants it as much. A sword made purely from fang isn't common. While it's not incredibly hard to find, it's still rare. Could worth more than a year of his salary as a history professor.
'I couldn't!', 'No!' were the first two options he came up with, but both were still being kept in his thought. All he could said is, "Thanks."
Again, he added, "Sir."
Rein just nodded, Paley looked at August with a death and cold stare. August let go of his knife. He gently stabbed it into the thick snow below. Then, Rein threw the leather pants onto him. It landed on his head, covered his face and blinded his vision just for a moment. August didn't try to deny this gift at all. He accepted it gracefully.
He wore it immediately. There's nothing unordinary about this pant. It warm, comfortable and most importantly, it's agile. On it's look there's a thick fur, designed to use in the harshly cold weather, but somehow, it's so light.
August wore let out a smile, "Is this also came from your hunt?"
Rein didn't smile back, only wore a grin on his face, "It came from a shop."
Oh...
"Alright."
After admiring his gifts for a while, August came back to his sense. Why would this old man gifted these to him. What with the acted earlier.
August could guess that Rein came all the way here to hunt. But what is it he's hunting for, what could possibly worth the journey. To come all the way into the north, that thing must worth a lot.
August pushed himself up. Holding in his right hand, in place of his old knife was his new sword. He threw his blanket behind next to the bonfire. He's now having a trustworthy weapon and a decent pant. What more he could ask for?
August was greatly grown in his confident. He was an ascender with a high-quality sword, he was basically invincible!
"Don't get ahead of yourself." Rein, after seeing August with full confident, showed a sign of worried. He sighed, "Maybe I might be regrets this, but now, we have a long way to go."
"We're hunting?" August asked, genuinely worried.
Rein nodded, "That's what I came for. I planned to drop you of at my place first. But seems like we don't have that luxury of time we need."
He shifted his gaze to the White wall. While they both relatively close it should take a few hours to reach it. Rein starred at the distant mountain with a calm sight, "Something waiting to be dead. It either you, or it."
"I rather choose anything but me." August answered with a sly tone.
"Then we must move, now."
Immediately, Rein started running. Paley took no time to react, it quickly ran to the piece of meat August dropped which he completely forgotten, it devoured that meat extremely fast. Just a couple second a handful piece of meat disappeared.
Oh...you.
Then, it ran after its msater.
August ran as well. But he only caught them both insights quite far away. The more they run, the more August felt he couldn't keep up. They made running on the thick snow seems easy than it should be. The trees keep getting on his sight. Sometimes fully intercept him in the process. While running, he kept swearing in his mind, how could someone be so fast.
Slow down! Slow down, old man! Shit! How old are you!!!
Even without any fatigue or physical tiredness he couldn't catch up with them. The old man this fast, he couldn't imagine him in his prime. The Northern Fang cannot be a joke, that's for sure.
Luckily, the wind didn't go against him, made it a whole lot easier to ran.
An hour has passed. August could still catch a glimpse of the old man far away. He can't be relied on Paley since it almost completely disappeared into the snow. He tried to shout once in a while, but the old man didn't even look back once. He just kept on his rhythm.
Another hour has passed. August finally reached the foothill of the White wall. Rein was also there, so does Paley. They both look extremely exhausted, but August was doing just fine.
Rein looked at August who followed him just a couple minutes behind, he looked surprised, "So that's quite confirm it."
"Confirm what?" August asked in puzzlement.
"Your pathway belong to stamina attribute." He answered with a tiredness in his voice.
Huh?
"You seem confused. Do you not know anything about ascender?" Rein asked.
August shrugged, "Pretty much, yeah."
Rein took a minute to catch his breath, before he continued, "There was five attributes in the ascender system, strength, agility, perception, intelligent and stamina. Yours belong to stamina."
"So, each pathway will enhance one specific attribute." August caught a concept of ascender system already.
"Not one, not always, one." Rein corrected.
August saw this as a hint to something else.
There's can be more than one!? Some pathways can contain more than one attributes!? Or they can be added in later? Or an ascender can have more than one pathway!?
His mind ran faster than when he actually run. However, his didn't find the answer he wish for.
Seeing August lost in his thought, Rein attempted to pull him back to reality, "That's not important. Focus on what in front of us first."
"What is it that you hunt?" August asked.
Suddenly, a loud roar erupted just in front of them. August focused his gaze way beyond the forest. Near the foothill, there was a plain of snow without any tree. But instead, there was a cave, assumed to be where the roar came from. It didn't take long for the roar to fully disappeared. Left behind only a light echo that lingering in the silence forest.
Rein turned to that cave, "That."
The calm look couldn't cover the joy and excite Rein has. His body lightly shake, he clenched his fists tightly. He took a deep breath before took a step forward.
"Wait, don't you need a weapon?" August asked after seeing Rein stumbled forward unarmed.
Rein chuckled, "Fists and fangs are man true weapons. They are what I need."
Reckless! Are you insane!
But no matter what weapon he uses, August can't win against Rein. He knew that. So, he chose to keep quiet.
August followed Rein, beside him was Paley who's slowly walking but heavily breathing. He knew that Paley was smart, maybe as smart as Rein, even. So, he kept a certain respect for both.
When, three of them reach the entrance of a cave, August heard a breathing noise came from inside. It was surely big, its breath stinks, also. August tightened his grip on the sword, tried to find the most comfortable grip for himself. He tried to calm himself down. Again, that he has to hunt down living being. This time he didn't force to do, but by his own will. Will the Earth Mother forgive him?
It doesn't matter, right? If one's faith was twisted due to the cruel nature of every living being, how could I possibly be forgiven? I ate meat once, I killed a deer once, now I'm going to kill something again. Oh...Great Mother of Nature, please forgive this sinner child of yours. Please redeem your child back to your heaven, please plant the seed of mercy in my soul. Please take every soul I took with you, please look upon us, once again.
After praying, he had finished preparing himself to an upcoming battle.
Rein looked at August one last time, before declared, "Let's the hunt, begin."