Hopes?

He could not believe that his sister was no longer there, he swore he saw with his own eyes how that javelin pierced her chest. At first he thought that his sister might have survived, but then when he analyzed the situation better, he came to the conclusion that she could not have.

When he saw how there was not a speck of blood in the place, but if the javelin stuck, he managed to feel a small drop of hope, he stood up and looked at the sky saying:

- If you are still alive, I will find you!

When you find yourself in this situation, the first thing you think about is going to the gentlemen's office in the capital and asking about your sister, since she may be there after surviving the attack. He has no idea how to get to the capital, but he remembers a fragment of his childhood, where his sister always took the same path when she said she was going to work.

Then you decide to get started making preparations for your trip.

John lived in a very small village in the lands of the kingdom of Katrean, a small kingdom that was in the heart of the continent surrounded by four kingdoms, the kingdom of Cantre'r Gwaelod to the north, the kingdom of Bedford to the east; the kingdom of Keid to the west and the kingdom of Avalon to the south.

Having prepared a weapon, food and water for days and even weeks, assuming that perhaps the journey would last for weeks, he decides to take the road.

Two days had already passed walking along the path, when suddenly a shadow was seen in the distance, not just any shadow, but that of a person running in the opposite direction from John.

As the person came closer and closer, one could see that he was a young man, with blond hair, vaguely older than John and with his clothes stained with a lot of blood, on his right a sword splashed with blood and very worn, on his clothes he had an insignia that perhaps clean would reveal his origin.

-Run!!! Get out of here if you want to live! -warns the man with his poor breath and thirsty throat.

- What?

-They... They come... -When he finishes saying those words, he falls unconscious at John's feet.

John is confused by the words of that dying young man, and not knowing what to do with the man he decides to drag him to the borders of the forest that was near the place.

- Where... Am I?

The man wakes up very dizzy, looks around and the only thing he can see is the green of the leaves of the forest where he was resting. After a while he looks to his left and manages to see a dark silhouette that could not be seen clearly, since the sunlight was shining right on him.

-You finally wake up, I thought you were already dead. -John speaks

- You are one of them, aren't you? ~They managed to catch me~ -The man closes his eyes and in his mind says... -Mother, father, I'm so sorry, I won't be able to keep my promise.

- What do you mean I caught you? You fell in front of me and I didn't know what to do. -After saying these words he proceeds to grab his things and says:

- You have already recovered, haven't you? Then I'm going.

- Wait! Now that I remember, you were the person who was on the way Katrean, right?

-Yes -Why do you say that?

-YOU MUSTN'T!!!

- What? Why?

- That place is now the same hell, only if you want to die you would go there.

Listening to the man, who reflected fear in his eyes, John feels a tingle that reminds him of his sister and quickly cries out:

- WHAT!!? You're lying to me, aren't you?

- Me? Ha-ha. Why would I lie to you? I was a guest of the king, I went there to negotiate some market formalities, but when everything was going well... Those men started to attack mercilessly on everyone in the kingdom, regardless of social class, and with the slogan "The North Conquers" on their lips. I barely managed to get out of there. Heads, arms and blood flying all over the castle, it was a complete hell... -as I told this story, he was holding on to his head looking at the floor in horror as tears fell...

When he finishes telling the story, John falls to his knees, crying as if all his hopes had collapsed, hits the wooded floor and says in a tearful tone:

- What can I do now?

The man, noticing John's lonely expression, wipes away his tears, gets up and walks around saying:

-I guess they took everything away from you, didn't they? -So... I have a proposal for you.

John stares at him, the man enduring all his mental pains while the sun shines on his empty face, he says.

-Come to my kingdom, I am someone important you know, let's become strong and we will defeat those bastards, we will make it! I swear by my last name, no, by the whole kingdom of Avalon.

The man gently and with a weak smile gives John a hand to get back on his feet.

John squeezes the man's hand, stands up, looks at him and says.

- Why such a sudden proposal? -drying his tears.

-You helped me, didn't you? That's reason enough.

-I don't even know your name.

- Oh, my mistake, my name is Ezekiel, but people I know call me "Ked".

- Ked?

-Yes... It's a very long story, but you can call me that. Now... tell me yours!

-My name is John and the people I knew called me John.

-So you're a "no last name" eh...

John answers with fear of being teased - I don't come from a noble family to have one, I'm just a simple country boy.

But the man answers by reassuring him - calm... it is already a little old-fashioned to make fun of those without a surname, besides we are against the same enemy or that is what I think...

Without finishing speaking, Ked feels unusual movements in the branches of the leafy trees and says:

- Hey! You didn't bring us into elf territory on purpose, did you? -he says, thinking of a trap.

- Elves? What's that?

-People of other races that inhabit the forest and protect it from humans. -sighing mildly.

- What are the races?

- (sigh) You don't even know that?

At the end of the conversation Ked turns to look at one of the elves and shouts:

-Sorry us, we had no idea this was your territory, now we'll proceed to take our things and leave this place! -Is it okay?

- (whispering) John, you'd better grab your stuff quickly and run around, obviously if you don't want to die.

Just as the two would start running, a very high-pitched female voice screams:

- (As he jumps out of the tree and falls in front of Ked) - Stop! -as he points a long bow at him.

- Didn't you have a better place to bring me John? -Ked looked at John who was quite clueless.

-Arrest them and put them among the alleged culprits! -Again the woman screams and from the trees dozens of elves with armor, bows and swords begin to come out, all of which had the insignia that identified them (a wooden insignia with a drawing of a tree with many branches).