Chapter 4

Chapter 4

What makes us ambitious

He was finally down, the great beast; Chapter fallen to the ground, soaked in his own blood; creating huge curtains of sand with his last strong breaths. Inside, petals fell to the green lawn. The cherry forest soon lost its color, leaving only old branches, raised to the horizon of the Sìth .

It was too large for vehicles to climb on one of its legs, and its large body held the Sìth far above human measurements; naive ideas of entering through its mouth surfaced , but it lay dead with its mouth sealed. Ghaoil addresses the Hunter, taps the tank twice, and he responds by getting out of it.

Good job, we couldn't have done it without you – It was truly a victory, such a creature defeated so easily.

No, they wouldn't have – He reaffirms the obvious, as if he wanted to remember that they are in debt to him.

Silently staring at the carcass, they observed the difficult climb; they thought in their confined thoughts solutions of how they would colonize the Sìth – How do you think we will enter?

We will wait.

What?

We will wait for the sand to cover it – Time would help them, the sands of the World would soon bury the Beast, leaving only its Sìth buried in the ground. There was no other idea, and Ghaoil would not tire his group searching for one.

I'll let the rest of the crew know . After exchanging information, they returned to camp, their engines silent and tired. They would not forget their losses, but they would not torment the survivors with them. They set up camp in the middle of the dry forest, where the light from the campfire made little difference against the putrid darkness of the trees.

Even in silence, the caravan exuded euphoria, in the smiles of the survivors, and in the lack of sleep that they compensated for with lively conversations about eloquent subjects from the past.

The Hunter lay in his tank by the roadside, watching the carcass being covered by curtains and curtains of sand; he watched the Sìth , still intact with its old cherry trees.

And he was watched by a silhouette that came from inside the Sìth , staring at him until they made contact.

There you are...

A visitor's knock interrupted the Hunter, but it no longer mattered; he had confirmed what he already suspected.

It was Ghaoil , he was carrying an offering in his hands.

Hi, I suspected she was hungry and thirsty so I decided to bring her some things – Fruit, wrapped in a clean cloth, and water were in her arms. Even without wasting a word, and with her mask preventing me from seeing her face, he accepts.

He wanted to send her away, but this was his chance to plan his next move; he invited her in, an informal invitation, but she accepted; she thought she would finally get closer to the Hunter. Finally, the mask fell into her hands, and she saw his face, the face of a soldier like her, shame written on his traces of age for the defeat in the War of Fìor. Saoghal , tired eyes that showed no emotion, didn't even care.

Inside the tank, where the Hunter lends his binoculars to Ghaoil while he tucks into the food he unwraps.

When we go in, I'll go first ." Biting into what felt like an old apple, stale but still crisp as he bit into it mercilessly.

Why? – Doubt followed by distrust.

There is something there – With a look, one she has not seen in anyone since ancient times, he reaffirms – something you have never seen.

Is it a danger?

It won't be when I'm done.

Sure.

He looked back through the binoculars, ogling the creature, observing the hill of sand that formed as it covered its large body.

You calculated a lot in the heat of the moment at that time – You took your attention away from the binoculars and returned it to the tank – you have plenty of firearms, out there it is almost impossible to find a functional one, this tank is a model we used in the Fìor War Saoghal ; and I know that Mothachadh is not the first one you have killed – he comforts himself on the floor of the tank, staring at the Hunter – Who are you?

Her doubt is answered with silence, from someone who did not want to reveal himself, but Ghaoil did not accept silence as an answer, even though she was annoyed, she decided not to investigate the man – until tomorrow, that is. She headed for the exit, informally with noisy footsteps.

On the last day of Fìor Saoghal – The mere sound of your voice pierces the silence and catches Ghaoil ’s attention – Where were you?

... In a car with two of my friends, going to my house to pick up my family – Soon her expression changes, she turns her face, hides from the Hunter, rubs her eyes to avoid any sign of tears – My house was destroyed, surrounded by the Aimhreits .

That's enough.

Quickly, she resumes her posture – And you? Where were you?

... Building this tank – The simple sequel that came to mind robs him of the pleasure of eating. Leaving it aside, he gets up and goes to the driver's seat, hugging it as if it were an old acquaintance – I thought I would finish in time to throw it on the battlefield, it made a difference, but it was too late.

What makes this tank so special? Solar power doesn't explain how it can fire beams from its cannon, and in our time there was no idea of such technology.

The Hunter's gaze is lost between two thoughts, one of secrecy, and the other of removing a weight from his shoulders- ... Aimhreits ... This tank is built with Aimhreits .

She doesn't know how to react, she simply leaves the tank without worrying about goodbyes.

It was the big secret, the tank was made with what was once his enemy, remains of something unknown mixed with the most advanced war technology ever created; the capacity and feats that machine could perform were still a mystery, but how he managed to use a previously unknown material, with a degree of knowledge about it, was his biggest secret.

Morning finally arrives; footsteps of people hurrying to gather camps, it was finally time to loot the great beast. The sand had already buried it, only its cocoon remained intact, buried in the ground like a snow globe, on top of a mountain of sand. The caravan continues, led by the old tank, which was now observed by Ghaoil in a different way.

Climbing the mountain carefully, a weight where it shouldn't be and the mountain would crumble in a domino effect. The cannon emits its incandescent glow again, and with a shot, opens the gates to paradise.

They crushed the plants and the living grass with their wheels, and began to park on the enormous cherry trees that colored their cars with their petals; further ahead they saw a lake that continued as far as their eyes could see, with small bushes at the foot of the water, dropping small fruits and leaves that followed the current.

No one leaves the vehicles until I tell them to! – Said openly over the intercom of his tank, it is the Hunter who steps first to the Sìth .

In his hands he carried a military decoration sword, it looked Japanese due to the curvature of the scabbard, old due to use, but still maintained its vintage design.

Dressed in his demonic mask, he also placed extra protection made of a wooden plate over vital points of his body. He remains motionless on the grass, in an open field. He feels a rapid change in the air, vibrations in the ground where he stepped, it was coming from his right, where a pine forest hid the entity.

From a bush that divided the beginning of the forest, it comes out; a white humanoid form, tall and thin, without face or clothes, without organs or bones, running on four legs towards the Hunter. He responds to the creature's attack with an unsheathing followed by a deep cut, throwing the creature to the ground to his right.

Inside the vehicles, terrified eyes and desperate questions about what that identity they observed was. Ghaoil and Creideamh looked at the creature with terror, its mere presence throwing them into unpleasant memories of a shameful past.

Ghao ...

Yes... Aimhreit .

He gets up, the cut has reached a good part of what could be said to be his neck, but it doesn't stop him from confronting the Hunter.

hanta ...Hunter... Cacador ... CACADooooor ! – His face undulated uncontrollably to give life to his voice, as deep as thunder, as echoing as a whistle over a precipice.

He throws himself again at the Hunter, who had assumed an attacking stance, waiting for the right moment to connect his second cut with the first.

But the creature was not without intelligence, and at the last moment, as the Hunter swung his blade for the final blow, it drastically changed its locomotion; throwing itself to the side of the Hunter, who could no longer cancel the blow; its hands reshaped themselves, its fingers joining together to harden and form a point as cruel as it was sadistic. It struck the Hunter's back, but the blow was deflected; the armor was not easily penetrated.

Ghaoil gets tired, he couldn't stand to stay still without helping his old war companion; he heads to the small arsenal in his truck, a double-headed axe was his choice.

An axe? – Creideamh never doubted Ghaoil 's choices , but with so much firepower, risking herself in hand-to-hand combat was not her style.

You know bullets don't work, and I'm not going to blow up that Aimhreit while the Hunter is near him - Ghaoil 's true ability did not come from her training with firearms, but with bladed weapons, in which the black scarf, a military symbol given to the "Celtic Guerrillas", as those who were the front line without firepower were called; that she had placed around her neck before leaving said about her past.

Jumping onto the battlefield, Ghaoil 's contact with the ground alerts the Aimhreit , and consequently, the Hunter notices the change in behavior.

I ordered you to stay inside the vehicle – He tries to cut his enemy, who takes his attention away and shoots himself at Ghaoil .

I've faced these pale ones before, this one won't be any different - Axe in hand, she swings it with as much precision as strength, this time hitting the creature's right arm, which had thrown it forward to hit her.

He is not like the ancient Aimhreits – He runs towards the enemy.

What? – The Aimhreit lay face to face with Ghaoil , his empty face beginning to wave familiar figures in her head, keeping her paralyzed as her eyes took in faces abandoned to the sand on the journey she had taken.

Overcome by the horrors of faces screaming in agony as their lives came to an end and calling out her name, begging for her help, her arms grew heavier and heavier, numb as she fell to her knees before the creature.

The Hunter takes a small bottle from inside his suit, turns around and throws it precisely at a cherry tree, followed by pulling out a stone and scraping it with the blade he is holding, sending out sparks that ignite the Cherry Tree and engulf it completely in flames.

The creature loses interest in Ghaoil , and instantly lunges at the violator in retaliation for the vandalism; in response to the impending attack, the Hunter takes another bottle, this time with oil, from his pocket and douses his blade with it, then lights it by placing it over the fire nearby.

The Hunter's blow comes faster than before, severing one of the creature's mundane limbs, which staggers to the ground in front of it. The burn on the wound prevents any regeneration, as well as hindering the creature's coordination.

The blade surprises him again, piercing his body and pinning him to the ground; the grass soon catches fire and slowly chars the creature, which writhes its last movements before becoming a dead weight on the fire.

The Hunter walks up to Ghaoil , he was still recovering, in shock even though he was aware it was a hoax.

Get up – He extends his hand to her, even with shaky legs, she still gets up.

What.... did he do to me?

It reminded you of the things you want to forget.

I saw people I already knew... faces I –

He let it die.

.

.

.

Since when can they do that? – He supports her, and with a hand signal, signals that it is allowed to step on solid ground.

only after the Mothachadh appeared that I started facing some like that, these bigger ones obey their orders.

He also called you Hunter, as if he knew you.

Didn't you know? It was the reason we lost the war.

What...reason?

...I had discovered on my own, the Aimhreits can connect their consciousness, creating an information network. During the war, the first ones to appear were certainly just spies to inform the rest of us about our defenses.

That, how did you find out about that?

After I killed the first Aimhreit that was sheltering in a Mothachadh , all the others started talking, and knew me as Hunter, that's when I discovered this.

All this time, our technology and defenses have lost to a simple communications trick.

...Yes.

But they didn't do that before – She staggers a little before turning her face to analyze the charred body – And they certainly weren't like that one over there.

I've seen different ones since the war, some were bigger, more intelligent, they commanded the smaller ones.

Is there a leader who commands the Aimhreits and the Mothachadhs ?

Possibly, but it's not something I'm sure of, maybe the same thing that created them, created the Mothachadh . – Retrieving his blade from the corpse, which already lay in ashes on the field.

They begin to march away from the burning Tree, approaching the clear, transparent water of the river. Ghaoil kneels down by the river's edge, and submerges his head, remaining still for a short period of time, resurfacing shortly afterwards with an expression of relief.

I'm better – They both share a friendly silence, with Ghaoil drinking from the river while the Hunter began to gather supplies from the bush next door.

Wait.

Hm?

You looked at him, faced him face to face, how did you not get caught by his hypnosis?

Who said I didn't go?

...

Okay, and... what did you see? - She lies down by the river, watching her people quench their thirst and lie down on the petals on the ground in the shade of the great cherry tree.

Every second of my life – A spontaneous answer, said by a bitter voice, but which seemed unshaken as it was said.

Ah... I...

No need to say anything else – He stands up and looks around – Rest a little, I'm going to look at that pine forest to see if I discover anything interesting.

Sure.

Keeping his extra protection under the shade of the cherry tree, the Hunter heads towards the forest with calm steps. He was already tired, but he chose to put an end to his doubts before resting.

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Walking among the silent darkness of tall pine trees, whose branches were too large for the little space between them, and they crashed against each other; their leaves grew and mingled, creating a green wall a few inches above the Hunter.

Finally, light shines in the darkness. It wasn't as big a forest as he thought. Stepping through the forest, he comes across the rest of it... trunks cut almost to the roots by some precise tool. There were dozens of trees sawn there. Looking to his side, he saw tracks that ripped the grass from the ground and took some earth with them, passing by the river and continuing beyond the hill. Something was taking the trees; the Aimhreit would never harm any creation on Earth. There was only one answer: A human being.

He had two options: Go back and inform the pack, or eliminate any threat before it could act. With only a knife in his boot, he opted for the second option; he began to follow the tracks quickly, running between the trees and river branches, his subtlety being put to the test as he maintained his speed and silence in balance.

In the midst of his frenzy, his attention is stolen from its current focus when a blazing star emerges from the distant sand dunes and slowly makes its way under the orange sky.

Was it a missile? A piece of shrapnel torn from some component by an explosion? Or simply another life taken by the Ùine , making its climb to eternal rest? Such theories are cut short when the light disappears amidst the clouds, which then turn red with the tremendous brightness it emanated, bringing with it a boom that was not prevented at all by the dome that separated it from the Hunter, from symphonizing a horrific force of explosion that echoed through hectares of sand and wind. There was no doubt - ... Flare .

Something, or someone, found the Mothachadh , either by luck, or they were observing the battle that took place, but one certainty emanated: they were coming.

His top priority now was his requested return to the group. Making his way back through the trees that held darkness beneath their leaves, running so hard that he seemed oblivious to the small branches that snapped as they collided with him.

Guided by the glow of the headlights of the vehicles with which he entered the beast, the Hunter emerges from the trees and makes his way, albeit breathlessly, to Ghaoil .

Hunter! – Ghaoil stood on top of his truck, using the higher altitude to better observe among the people who were pushing to look at the reddish sky – What was that?

Someone was watching us outside – He quickly regains his composure, his lungs couldn't take the strain. He leans against the truck's carriage to ease the pain he felt, and then continues his report – And someone is watching us inside.

Ghaoil and Creideamh 's attention at the news – In here? But we got here first.

He already lived here.

Impossible, no one can be in here before we kill Mothachadh . Or are you implying that –

He was here a long time ago, with Mothachadh alive.

Doubt permeates between Ghaoil and Creideamh , exchanging glances between themselves and the Hunter, waiting for an answer from one of them.

Sure, we won't doubt you, but we need to know whether this person is hostile or not.

If it weren't, it would have already revealed itself to us.

Creideamh asks , his voice finally emanating concern.

She's been watching us since we arrived.

The trees began to whistle in the strong winds brought from the lands beyond, the cold began to permeate the leaves and branches, taking them to the sky to fall like snow to the ground. The sun was setting, leaving the reddish clouds to recover their color on their own.

...We just killed this turtle – Creideamh looks around, analyzing everything they conquered – And we haven't even looted half of it yet, it's very cold outside too, if we build a fire here we'll be safer.

I agree – says Ghaoil – but if that is the case, we need to make sure that this extra presence here doesn't plan to do anything against us.

I will go after her – Says the Hunter.

I'll go with you – Creideamh turns and heads to the truck, opening its door and looking for something under the seats.

No, I will go alone -

Creideamh pulls out a beautiful sword, with a slight curvature and a very well decorated scabbard... identical to the Hunter's.

That...

Vice-Leader of the Central-West Twenty-One squad, Creideamh Neo-sheasmhach .

...

Don't worry Hunter, I won't be a stumbling block if you think so – He then turns to Ghaoil – Ghao , leave this to me, we need you here to set up camp.

Always spoiling me with the easiest duties.

Ghao .

I'm just kidding Creid ...Thanks.

With a small smile, which showed euphoria at seeing another war companion, Creideamh and the Hunter silently headed towards the darkness amidst the trees, imposing with their swords, unshakable with their company.

...

... Hehehehahaha

...

He's in there.......go after him.......GO AFTER HIM!

Grain !

Hmph – Waking up from her little delirium, hypnotized by a voice speaking to her, Gràin was heading towards the great slaughtered beast, with Neo at her side, watching her behavior worriedly.

Are you okay?

I am... I am – Even with his damaged vocal cords, Gràin ignored the pain and spat out a few simple words, along with a little blood from the effort he made.

You seemed distracted, and scared, you were looking ahead, but you seemed to be somewhere else.

I... I am – The second warning came out in a more furious tone, and soon Gràin paid the price for his effort.

.... Sorry.

They were almost reaching the beginning of the dry forest, a few more kilometers separated Gràin from his greatest desire.

Grain ....

Hm...

Why did you send that signal and... why are we bringing him ? – Passed out in the back seat was Imcheist , injured but not too badly, tied up with the same rope he used on Gràin .

When we carried out an order, we used the flare to announce the mission, white to announce mission success, and red to announce failure.

Don't force your voice.

It's okay, it doesn't hurt as much anymore.

So... Was that to announce that they failed to kill you?

Yes – Looking back, where the rearview mirror of his vehicle reflected the sky set ablaze by his flare – And when Imcheist doesn't come back, he'll come after me.

And why would you want that?

Up ahead is the man I want to kill, I could catch up to him, his tank isn't that fast, but he's going to a place I've already been... he's going to Beatha 's End .

A confused silence kept Neo uneasy with herself – I've heard that name before, in some stories in the caravan – Stories that someone like her shouldn't listen to, as they weren't false, and much less advisable to follow – What is Beatha ?

We are walking on it, we always have been – Looking at Neo , who couldn't centralize all the information – That's what we call these roads we travel, what was left of the War, remained truly intact, were these roads, contaminated by the sand that surrounds us now, just like the clouds that look down on us from above.

Ah... I see, but then, why do he, and we, want to go there?

With a little rest of her vocal cord, relieving the excruciating pain, she would spit out a few more sentences with blood – It is where the first lives, the Turtle that appeared before all the others, it lives in a desolate place, the only place where there is a sea left, the only place where the trees do not die.

Wow.

But there is a price, no one can survive what is there, white things that fought against humanity a few years ago, walk through those lands, stronger than ever, while we who lost the war when we were at the pinnacle of technology, now live on crumbs.

It doesn't seem like a place we want to go.

Yes, but that man will go, he knows what awaits him – A smile spreads from Gràin 's bloodied mouth , as evil as his iron teeth – And I will follow him, and I will take reinforcements with me.

Reinforcement?...I mean... Dìoghaltas .

Yes... – Malice comes to his eyes, his greed intertwined with his anger, shaping his final plan – A war between them and the beast that awaits at Beatha 's End . The victor... will be me, when all is calm, only I will be left standing, and I will claim that beast for myself.

How do you plan to make them fight this Beast? And why do you think they will win, or not come after you instead of the Beast?

Dìoghaltas is the strongest man who ever lived in history, his name will carry his army as far as we go.

An army? Just to come after you?

No....but that is something that our friend back there will help with, Dìoghaltas will bring an army if he believes that Imcheist was captured by a tribe he doesn't know, which is not difficult, following to the End of Beatha we will pass through the Northern Limit, from there on, no one here knows about the tribes that live there, or the dangers it poses.

Except you, right?

Exactly - She looks triumphantly at Neo - it will be easy to fool Dìoghaltas into thinking he will have an army to face, everything will fall into place in time, when he sees the message I left on the ..... NRGH! NNRGHAH - The effort beyond the limit of his destroyed throat punishes Gràin , his tongue writhing over the blood that gushed uncontrollably from his mouth.

Grain ! To the car! To the car!

With tears streaming from her eyes, she brakes the car in the middle of the asphalt, her breathing begins to accelerate due to the blood that accumulated in her mouth, making her almost choke; she began to cough blood all over her body, both hers and Neo 's , who desperately tried to help her.

Neo opens the door and runs to the driver's side, opening it for Gràin to step out, only to fall to her knees in the middle of nowhere.

Come here, I can make it stop – Holding Gràin in an embrace that squeezed her chest, a human warmth that calmed Gràin , and arms that squeezed a feeling to her body, calming her breathing and preventing her from succumbing to her wound.

...

...

... Neo ...

Can I ask you a question? - Walking through dark trees by the stream, whose current echoed among the silent branches beside them, they had only recently begun hunting, they did not know what they were hunting, but they would kill anything that breathed and could feel fear.

Say – The Hunter, once again, felt comfortable in the presence of someone who had been through the same thing as him, even if not completely, the little similarity they had served as a trace of trust that the Hunter felt in Creideamh .

That tank...

Eagallach

Nice name, but my question is another.

Ghaoil told you? – His voice said with a tone of certainty, he anticipated all the questions that would be asked to him.

Yes, she said – He stops. Such action catches the attention of the Hunter, who also stops – Your tank, the Eagallach , is made of Aimhreits ?

A deep breath – Yes, he is.

...How did you do that?

I don't want to talk about it – He replied, turning and continuing on his way.

You will talk about it.

The winds that blew from the trees and the pure current seemed to play a melody that preluded the tension in which the two men found themselves, facing each other with their swords in their hands.

What did you say? – asked the Hunter.

I said, you're going to tell me - He unsheathes his sword, followed by the Hunter - Ghaoil is very docile with strangers, but I'm not, firstly because someone like you, the way you approached us and judging that you travel alone, wouldn't accept working with strangers, secondly because you knew there was an Aimhreit here, and knowing what your tank is made of, you may have asked for our help just to collect his body to upgrade the Eagallach - He steps forward, slow steps that blended in with the grass that moved subtly with the wind - And finally, a flare bomb explodes outside, and seconds later you arrive making up a story that someone lives here before we even arrived, and now you wanted to come here, alone. I don't hate anyone, Hunter, but I'm always suspicious of anyone who can do more than me – Their blades meet, their tips intertwine, one more step, in any direction, and only one would come out of there – I'll change my question, what do you really hope to achieve by helping us?

...

...

Friends.

...

{{ Creideamh , Creideamh , are you listening to me? }}

Ghao ... – Both of them put away their swords, without breaking their gazes – Yes, I'm listening to you, did something happen?

{{ Aimhreit is gone } }

The aimhreit , what?

{{ He disappeared Creid , we set up camp a little far from him so no one was watching }}

Do you think he came back to life?

He was taken – Says the Hunter.

By whom? – Asks Creideamh .

Whoever we're hunting for, she'll resurrect him .

What? That's impossible.

No, it's not, move! – The Hunter becomes a shadow, throwing himself into the darkness of the trees, leaving subtlety aside.

Ghaoil , let's circle the area in a hurry, I'll keep you posted.

{{ Got it }}

Creideamh joins the Hunter, without exchanging glances, they just followed quickly patrolling every leaf that fell and every deviation that the wind current made, they ran through the darkness as if they were part of it, they predicted where each tree was and avoided them with ease.

They were in sync, they had done this before, and even though they had crossed swords hostilely seconds ago, now they seemed to be reliving experiences, and they felt again the sense of duty that they had lost along with the War.

Noises echo, they notice, without time to deduce what it could be, they head towards the disturbance of the sound. They leave the forest to a small open field, of trimmed grass and soft earth, their boots sinking into it, they are surrounded by trees, and only that small space remains empty, flat.

A woman was there, kneeling, pushing the excavated earth back into the hole she had made with her own hands. She was burying something, hurriedly, not caring about the nails she was losing by putting so much force on the earth.

Creideamh approaches, and with a quick blow, knocks her to the ground, where he immobilizes her mercilessly.

Quiet, or I'll break your ribs one by one – His hold on her was unbreakable, with no escape.

No.... he needs to go back...he needs to go back - The woman didn't seem to care, she looked at the hole and tried to reach some more earth with her hands to throw into the grave.

The Hunter approaches, and beneath the earth that almost finished covering the grave, the burned body of his prey lay inside.

I knew – He sheathes his sword again, and places it on the woman's throat, who was little shaken by her situation – Who are you?

He needs to come back, he needs to come back.

She seems to be in a state of delirium – Creideamh states , which softens his grip as she does not try to fight.

Ghaoil 's eyes , then it can't have been like this forever – the Hunter states.

You're right, hey you, I don't want to hurt you, so I'm going to let you go and you can continue what you were doing, but only if you talk to us.

No – The Hunter didn’t like the idea.

Don't worry, nothing will happen to us on watch.

Okay...

He gets off the woman, she goes back to burying the body, ignoring their presence.

Who are you? – Creideamh asks , coherent and candid.

I have no name.

What do you mean? – The Hunter says.

I never needed a name, no one lives here but me, it's always been like this, it's always been like this.

So what should we call you? People need a name to be called.

Hmmm . Thèar , Neo-Thèarainteachd .

Okay, Thèar , how long have you lived here?

A long time, a long time – Finally, the body lay completely buried, she sat up and began to clean her hands, sometimes shaking them so that the excess blood that had mixed with the earth under her nails fell off – A long time.

What are you doing? – The Hunter looked at the tomb with some anxiety.

He needs to come back, he needs to come back – She begins to rock restlessly, sitting on the grave – He keeps me alive, and I need to be alive to keep him alive, eternal, eternal.

Are you referring to Aimhreit ? – Asks Creideamh , pointing to the tomb.

Aimhreit ... no... Sonas ... he's not Aimhreit , he's Sonas .

She's not making sense – says the Hunter.

We still have many questions that only she can answer – He walks to her side, and sits in front of the grave, just like her – This place is beautiful, don't you think so too? – The Hunter decides to walk away, staying incognito with the wind while his partner tries to extract something from the woman.

Yes, very beautiful, very beautiful.

Is that why you came here? Did you find this place beautiful?

I didn't come, I 'm from here.

...Like this?

I never left, always here inside, never left.

You....were you born here?

I was born, I was small, Sonas takes care of me, dries my eyes when they run, soothes the pain, soothes... – His attention is fixed on the grave, his face slowly lifts a smile – Aaaaaaah ! He's back!

The earth moves, what was buried had awakened.

Oh no! – Creideamh quickly stands up, drawing his sword. The Hunter already had his in his hands, together they circle the tomb.

A hand appears and grabs Creideamh , the Hunter quickly cuts the danger away, Thèar screams in despair and backs away.

Without them having any reaction, the Aimhreit unearthed itself with a huge leap, blinding both of them with the earth that had been thrown at them.

Opening his eyes, the Hunter is faced with his enemy again, his pale face reminding the Hunter of all the anguish he felt during his life. Fighting again against his violated mind, the Hunter recomposes himself and begins to cut his enemy at random.

Creideamh joins in, his face contorted by memories and trauma, yet proving resilient enough to land precise cuts on his foe. The Aimhreit , even alive again, barely posed a threat due to his wounds from the previous combat.

With savage slashes, the Aimhreit is once again tamed by men, the Hunter continues to slash, his head, his mind, his memories screaming at him again, reminding him of his regrets, his guilt, his decision on that fateful day.

NOOO! - Thèar 's desperate scream works as a trigger for the Hunter, who throws himself towards her and inhumanly divides her body into two parts, as well as the tree she was leaning on.

Such a display of strength and savagery, alerts Creideamh , he does not put away his sword. The Aimhreit screams in anguish and pain as he sees the woman falling to the ground, watering the grass with her blood. Such sounds are silenced with the death of the creature – You... killed her – Says Creideamh , sword still in hand.

I....didn't mean to.

Damn, we couldn't get anything out of her.

I don't think we could do it.

...Let's go back to camp, Ghaoil will want to hear about this.

Go ahead.

... Alright then, see you there.

...

...

...

Why?... Why?... I'm a monster...

After the heaviness of the night comes the dawn of morning. Ghaoil wakes to the light breezes that carry the leaves in the wind, the Ùine had not yet spoiled the Sìth , there was still time for them to rest.

Creid , good morning – She heads to the fire, where Creideamh was stirring a pot that gave off a tempting aroma to those waiting there to eat.

Ghao , good morning.

I've been thinking about what you told me yesterday – She sits down next to him – Even without knowing how, it is possible to live with a Sìth without having to kill a Mothachadh , and if that is possible-

Uìne will no longer have power over us .

That's it, we need to know more about this possibility, let's wait for the Hunter to wake up.

He's gone.

What?

I woke up to the sound of his tank engine, when I left my tent, he was already following the road.

But...

That was the agreement between you two, right?

Yes... – She tries to get rid of the disappointment that her face expressed, shaking her head as she looked at the fire - You're right.

Cheer up Ghao , we're leaving here with more supplies than we ever had.

You're right, his help was - Both of their attention turns to the approaching engine, marching over the entrance to the Sìth - Oh crap, everyone get into the vehicles! We have company!

Creideamh , the rifles.

Leave it to me.

Standing tall over the unknown vehicle, not even moving a muscle out of its way – Who are you?!

The engine turns off, and silence hangs over the wind for a few moments, when it is broken by the creaking of the passenger door, and from there a small being emerges – Ghaoil !

Neo ... – His breath catching and his eyes watering, his huge body bending to receive his lost girl - Neo !!

She runs into his arms, a meeting dreamed of by one, and never even imagined by the other. A meeting where words were not necessary to describe the happiness of both, only the long, loving embrace that the two shared.

I missed you – Neo said between tears .

Neo ....are you okay....I thought that-

Me too....

Neo !

Creid ! – She then runs into Creideamh 's arms .

You beautiful girl! Where have you been?! Hey guys! Neo is back!

Amidst the hubbub and celebrations of her family, Ghaoil watches with happiness in her heart as Neo gets lost in the crowd of people hugging her and shouting. The creaking of another door is heard by her, from there, a woman with an eyepatch and a leather mask covering her mouth comes out, walking slowly towards Ghaoil , who despite her appearance, welcomes her well.

Hey.

Hi – She looks back again, another small notion of Neo , really alive, with her again, then turns to Gràin – You saved her, I don't know how, or where, but you saved her.

She's a brave girl, and she's saved me more times than I've saved her.

I am eternally grateful to you.

It was nothing, she needs to be with her family.

Ghaoil notices Neo 's savior's injuries , seeing her neck and her haggard posture – You've been through a lot.

Well, it's not easy living here.

Need help?

What?

That bus over there, there's a professional doctor, she's been teaching Neo everything she knows, but I'm sure you'll get better if she takes care of you.

I... – “Unexpected” was his first thought. “Lucky” was his next thought – I appreciate it.

Thank you, come with me.

Inside the infirmary, Gràin has her eye properly cared for again, and her neck finally finds a respite from the pain, at the price of not being able to enjoy any words for a while, due to the strong sedatives applied to her.

She was resting when Ghaoil couldn't resist visiting her, a short report from Malice about her condition, and an unexpected surprise at seeing her teeth, and she sat down next to Gràin .

Hey, I know you can't talk, so just listen, okay? – Gràin nods.

I never thought I'd see Neo again, I thought I'd lost her forever, but you brought her back. When I can, I'd like to know how you met and how you came to be with us, but right now, seeing her here safe and sound is enough to know that you're someone I can trust, so I want you to know, that if you want a place where you can feel at home, and not alone on that sand out there, the doors are open to you.

... Nrgh .

Don't try too hard, I know it's sudden, but we don't have much to reward you for the joy you brought us back, so I wanted to offer you a place among us, here you don't have to worry about how you're going to get through tomorrow.

I-I ...a . ..accept .

Excellent! – Ghaoil shakes Gràin 's hand euphorically - Welcome! When you feel more rested, you can call me or Malice to help you, now I want you to rest, I'm going out to help collect supplies and then we'll leave this place, we'll continue heading North – Ghaoil leaves, pausing briefly to comment on something that seemed to worry her - Oh, and one more thing... who is that tied up man?

If... you ... traitor .

Kidnapper....of Neo ? Did you keep him alive?... Alright, by your will, he will remain there, for now, I will let you rest.

Ghaoil leaves the infirmary euphoric, with a smile on her face and a small slap that catches Malice off guard from behind. Taking a well-deserved rest, Gràin thinks to herself about where she is, about heading North, knowing what awaits her there, and thinking to herself: That man was here, I know, but these people are here, so they saw that man, they must have worked with him.

He's going North, and so are these people, in the end... Dìoghaltas will find that man, and these people...

Excellent.