･ﾟ ･ﾟ·:｡ ･ﾟﾟ･･ﾟ ･ﾟ·:｡ ･ﾟﾟ･

Scavenger, a being purely born of darkness. They were lower-level creations of those blessed by Falio, commonly called Obscures, mostly used for infiltration or bait. The mobility of these beings depended on the power of their master. They rarely inhabited forests; the forests were only the habitat of corrupted scavengers, divided into two groups: those without masters or people turned into scavengers as punishment.

"Get out! Go away!" he shouted in terror when he saw them circling around him.

The wizards hired by the Empire had been put in charge of the roads, taking care of the control and extermination of the creatures for a good payment. However, being a wizard does not mean being strong, as the scavengers were creations made by a blessed one, a power above the most experienced wizards. Proof of this were the corpses of wizards, hanging among the trees, putrefied and with several melted pieces of flesh.

Siro had to contain his screams when he found them while trying to get out of the forest. Trying to count the dead, he managed to number more than ten bodies; it was then that they cornered him, he tried to escape by running as far as possible, noticing halfway through the escape the nauseating scream that the creature gave.

Stretching its form, the size of the scavenger enveloped the surroundings, from the ground to surpassing the tallest trees, howling in pain with a progressive intensity of guttural and tearing sounds. Its limbs extended like viscous tentacles, entangling in the ground to then emerge from them human hands covered in black slime and moss, with long and bony fingers that waved, seeking to catch something in their desperate grasp. Large eyes opened within the viscous body, numerous and bulging, with dilated pupils and dull reflections that seemed to seek their prey frantically.

Siro felt his body start to petrify from the horror of what he was witnessing. The air was heavy, almost impossible to breathe; it was then that he could observe with astonishment Alian's body suspended within the monstrous being.

"Alian!"

The light radiating from Alian, unconscious inside the scavenger, seemed like a torch in the darkness, illuminating the contours of the scavenger and revealing the twisted folds of its putrid flesh. The scavenger's howl echoed through the air, reverberating down to Siro's bones as he tried to comprehend what he was seeing. How could it be possible that she was still alive? He wasn't sure of the reason, but he was certain that the scavenger's agony was due to Alian, seemingly forcing it to desperately seek another prey.

The problem? Now the prey was him.

"Damn..." he thought in frustration as he dodged one of the bony hands. After several minutes, he ended up exhausted on the ground, unable to get up. Siro had resigned himself to being devoured, so he made no effort to rise.

"Sign a contract, chain the scavenger, you must subdue it."

Siro opened his eyes, gasping for air. The hands began to imprison him, pulling and pressing to break his bones. For a fraction of time, he could see the scavenger. Inside it, the glow that enveloped Alian was gradually diminishing.

"To die in such a dishonorable way, it brings me shame."

He gritted his teeth, holding back the pain. His heart was pounding so hard he could hear it in his ears.

"I recommend you use your blood. They do not consume blood that is not from their masters. Giving it a few drops might help; make sure to shout the contract."

Still dazed, he could swear he heard a voice. That voice, the same voice that had saved him that night when all his loved ones turned into memories. Confused, using the little energy he had left, he only remembered to grab one of the hands choking him and inflict a wound on himself.

The hand recoiled from the blood emerging from his skin, releasing him immediately. Siro smiled bitterly. He was tired, but, dragging his body, he sought to get closer to the scavenger. It continued howling in pain, but he no longer felt fear, perhaps because he was more agonizing than conscious. Maybe because he could no longer hear it completely, or maybe because he simply didn't care anymore if he came out alive or dead from that situation.

"We carry a name of great weight, never forget it. You are the last with our legacy."

At that moment, when his hands touched the thick body of the scavenger, he remembered; he was Siro Grengellt Grengellt, the last of the Grengellt family, a family dedicated to the bonds with the god Falio. The memory of those who perished and proof of the existence of his ancestors depended on him, he still should not die. He still did not want to die.

He breathed slowly, trying to keep the oxygen as long as possible to shout. His lungs were already stable, and his nerves were starting to react as new, but he still felt weak from the wounds and lost blood. The blood was dripping down his arm, but that didn't bother him, as his goal was to make the scavenger absorb as much as possible.

"I've got you," he whispered with a broken voice. "I've finally got you."

He opened his mouth and screamed with all his might. He couldn't hear anything he was saying, but he trusted that everything would turn out well; after all, it had worked once when he was younger.

The scavenger began to shake in agony, its viscous limbs striking the ground forcefully. The size of the monster gradually decreased, and the human hands disappeared, turning into a black liquid, being absorbed by the earth and plants of the forest. The ground trembled violently under Siro's body, and a strong wind caused by the scavenger's fall to the ground raised a dense and suffocating cloud of dust. The branches of the trees creaked, and the trees fell, collapsing under the creature's heavy blow.

Siro covered his eyes and mouth, trying to protect himself from the cloud of dust that enveloped him. When the cloud began to dissipate, he could see that the scavenger was disintegrating slowly, leaving behind only a small, dark, viscous mass that swayed from side to side, seemingly frightened.

The crows that had been on the path perched on the fallen trees, watching the scene.

"You were truly a pain..." Siro said angrily as he stepped on what now seemed to be the scavenger.

"It was splendid! Too bad there were no deaths."

"The boy did well."

"Hmph! He lacked more strategy, it was a waste of energy."

"Would you all shut up?!"

Siro turned to look around, searching with his eyes for who was speaking. The crows remained still, and it was then that Siro exploded, pointing at them with his finger.

"I knew it! Aren't you the five crows from the orphanage?" Siro angrily accused "And why didn't you warn me that there was a scavenger?"

The crows stayed silent and took flight, escaping the situation. Siro frowned, tired of having to deal with everything. Those blessed by Falio had an affinity with the messenger animals of the dark god, meaning they understood and communicated with crows. This had been a great help for Siro in the orphanage, having someone to tell him what was happening throughout the orphanage, so he didn't need to leave his hiding spots; however, at that moment, he was sure he would cook the five traitors for not warning about the imminent danger of the scavenger.

Minutes later, the forest began to warm up again, reflecting vibrant colors and wild animals. He walked slowly with the scavenger in his hands, his wrists still tied, looking for his companion's body, finding Alian lying on the ground, still unconscious, but with somewhat superficial wounds on her feet and arms.

"Hey, where do you think you're going? " he exclaimed darkly as he saw the scavenger slipping away, grabbing the slimy black substance that had taken the appearance of a black slime "Fix what you did, now"

The scavenger screamed in protest, being pressured with the wound on his hand. Obediently, a black puddle appeared beneath them, enveloping the three: Siro, Alian, and the scavenger. A thick bubble surrounded them; Siro felt warmth in his body, noticing that the creature was healing him with a thick slime over his wounds, but it wasn't working on Alian. The scavenger seemed to be trying without success.

After a few minutes, the bubble opened, and Siro noticed that they were no longer in the forest; they were at the entrance to a town. The huge signs and illustrations hanging on a wall indicated the name of the place. The scavenger had transported them to the capital of Mellet, Lize.

Tired, Siro decided to walk to the nearest wall, leaning close to the huge entrance, dragging Alian's body beside him. The air was different from the forest; the sunlight was dim, the wind blew fresh, the aroma of food and wildflowers filled his nose, and the cheerful music that could be heard enveloped the town of Lize. He managed to close his eyes, in peace, thanking the heavens for still being alive.

He had pushed himself beyond his limits, and now he needed a rest.

･ﾟ ･ﾟ·:｡ ･ﾟﾟ･･ﾟ ･･ﾟ ･ﾟ·:｡ ･ﾟ