The scorching droplets collide with my skin. I try to free myself from Ragnar's grip, but I know if I do, he'll fall. As time passes, I feel my muscles begin to give away.

  "Let me go, Ragnar!"

  He only responds with the roaring sound of the fast river. My arms and hands start to tremble. Damn it. Damn it. It seems like I don't have any other choice.

  I know what I must do. Tears stream down my face like rivers.

  Suddenly, I feel Ragnar release my leg.

  "I'm sorry. How can I call myself a warrior if I don’t think I can win fairly? Don’t worry, viejo, I'll manage to climb on my own." He says regaining his usual smile and directing towards me.

  I immediately use Mukkasa's mark again and propel myself until I reach the top, just before my arms can't take much longer. I catch my breath lying on the ground, my chest rising and falling. I see the cinnabar path continuing into a tunnel. Mukasa’s Herencia fades away.

  I stand up using one of the rock walls and start walking. But I stop. I can't leave him. He helped me back at the trials, if he hadn't shown up maybe I wouldn't be here. Now is the time for me to do the same. That is what Avnir would also do.

  I descend the wall. When I reach him, Ragnar doesn't seem able to continue. He lets go of the wall. But I grab his wrist before he falls.

  Ragnar opens his eyes in surprise.

  "What the hell are you doing? I told you to go ahead! Are you not going to allow me to die with my pride intact?!” he shouts.

  " I don't want to leave you behind. Besides it would be less fun if I just go and win like that," I say, with a smile.

  Ragnar smiles and laughs.

  "That is true, but unless you have a plan, the two of us will die here."

  He was right. Despite resting, my muscles have reached their limit, and I can feel Mukasa’s Herencia fading away by the minute. And I don't think I will be able to stand the weight of the two of us. There is only one way.

  "You need to fully trust me. This is gonna sound strange, but I need you to tell me about it, let me see how you got those scars."

  A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

  Ragnar looks confused.

  "I don't underst—"

  Ragnar suddenly stops his words as he sees I am serious. Then, He nods. The moment he opens his mouth to tell me I Immediately feel electricity coursing from my hand to my entire body.

  The images come one after another, and suddenly, I feel unbearable pain in my arms and scream in agony.

  "Look! Look! It's like cutting a rabbit," a child's voice says, followed by mischievous laughter.

  Above me is Kirru, a child the same as me, who holds a bone knife in his hand and uses it to inflict cuts on my arms. His brothers restraining my arms. I scream in pain with each cut they inflict in my arms.

  "What the hell are you doing?!"

  I feel relief as soon as I recognize it’s my sister’s voice. Upon hearing her, the children run off. My sister hurries and carries me home.

  "What happened?!" my mother asks with a worried voice.

  "It was Kirrun's sons."

  "Those spoiled brats. The Great Shield must know about this! I can't allow them to get away with it!" My father's voice explodes.

  My mother takes me to where the Great Shield is after attending to my wounds. Kirrun, his brothers, and his father are also present. My father explains what happened, showing my wounds and demanding punishment, while my mom stands with her arms around me.

  "I see. Those cuts do seem to have been caused by a bone weapon."

  "But Great Shield," Kirru's dad says, " we're not the only family that uses them. It could have been any of them or even someone that stole the weapons to frame us."

  "You..." my mother says, stepping forward to fight.

  "It might be true," the Great Shield says, raising his voice to stop my mother. "However, considering that is a former Adamantita warrior that is claiming this, I choose to believe his words. So I have decided that Kirru will become Ragnar's partner in arms. This will serve as a preventive measure for future attacks, whether he is the attacker or not.

  Kirrun is about to retort, but then one of the Adamantita warriors points his sword at him.

  My mother and father nod satisfactorily.

  Since then, Kirrun's attacks stop. When I turn 16 the Great Shield's decision takes effect, and Kirru becomes my partner in arms. This means that we will take missions together and train together to ensure that we both become strong.

  After a year of training, the day finally comes when we will go for our training near the edge of the Rabbit Forest. Where we fight to obtain a rank within the warriors of our generation. And, although it's hard for me to admit it, we together are a force to be feared.

  However, the Dorados attack us by surprise and start hunting us down. We manage to stop several of them, but our inexperience and their numbers overwhelm us.

  Soon, Kirru and I are the only survivors.

  We hide in a nearby cave, but we know they will find us sooner or later. I try to think what to do, there must be a way to escape to the clan, maybe climbing the eastern wall. But then, I feel the heat on my back and legs, causing me to fall to the ground. I turn around and discover Kirru with his bone swords bloodied. He gives me a disdainful smile and runs off, leaving me at the mercy of the Dorados.