Split.

    "AFTER THEM !" A man clad in full plate armor shouted at the top of his lungs, behind him were a dozen men also in leather and chainmail chasing two people through a densely packed forest.

    "Young master, we have to split up I will distract them while you run away and find a safe place to reside in, don't worry, I'm tougher than I look." Clarisse looked at Daniel with reassurance, nodding Daniel left off and didn't glance back, even when he heard the battle a few hundred meters away, the intensity hasn't died down even after a minute, running low on stamina, his only friend, adrenaline was helping him through and numbing the pain and exhaustion creeping up to him every second.

    Running and running he didn't know how much time has passed thanks to the density of trees blocking the sunlight and the eerie silence that it provided, the only sign of life was his own panting, slowly his legs started to feel like heavy logs, sinking into the earth with every step he took, and as he was arriving at the end of the forest and enter a plain, he finally lost feelings in his legs and fell.

    "Sniff, khhh, sniff." Daniel couldn't hold it in anymore and started to sob, he promised, he promised Johan, Roland, and most importantly, himself, to never cower in front of an obstacle, to not lose sight of his ultimate goal, to protect those he wished to protect, be it innocent, or loved ones, holding onto the mud and tall grass.

    "GAH, ARGGHHHHHHH !" as he tried to stand up, he ended up just kneeling, in a last effort to reduce the pain he was feeling he struck the ground with all his power, as many times as he could, bruising his arm and wrist, he tried his best and yet he still couldn't change.

Plop, Ploc

    "A failure, remains a failure." Looking up at the Rain which fell from the sky, he felt that even with all the advantages he has, he still couldnt change his stance, his core, his own self, to better fit himself into this world of wonder, adventure, and misery, before he could finish his train of thoughts though. 

  "That will remain a true statement, until you decide to get up and stop pitying yourself, after all, we don't change because we want to, we change because we need to, do you need to change ?" a rugged and coarse voice could be heard from behind Daniel, thinking that the bandits caught up to him, his shoulders slowly and steadily fell, his fate was sealed, he thought, his struggle hasn't even begun and he already gave up, he thought, with every passing thought his anger and frustration has began to boil up in wrath, clenching his fists and steadying his breathing he opened his eyes and out of nowhere a new surge of energy appeared, he didn't know from where, but it didn't matter. 

    "Precision and speed." Repeating the words of his mentor, like a mantra, he kept repeating it in his mind, grabbing some dirt from the ground he got up in an instant and threw it at his self proposed enemy, seeing his enemy in a surprised state he got up and using the centrifugal force from turning his entire body and loosening all his muscles he felt it, this move has become his fastest attack as of yet, with a brutally precise and extraordinarily fast spinning back heel kick, he tensed every single muscle in his legs and core before the attack connected, and when it did, it felt like time stopped, he missed, no.

    "You blocked it !?" Daniel questioned but before he got any verbal answers he got hit on the head by the end of a staff, almost knocking him unconscious, he swiftly retreated while holding his forehead glaring at the person.

    "Youngling's nowadays aren't patient at all, did you really think such an obvious attack would land on anyone, maybe some idiot, but definitely not on a trained warrior." As the dust settled Daniel saw it, an old man with a simple grey and dirty robe was holding onto a spear with one hand while another was held up by the elbow sliding into the robe thanks to some leather straps, his face was mostly hidden thanks to a hobo beard covering up half of it and brows so dirty and long they managed to hide the eyes in a clean and fashionable way, for a hobo.

    "How do I know you're not a bandit who's trying to kill me ?" At this question the old man burst out into a laughing fit and stopped only after Daniel's expression deadpanned, slowly he stopped and looked at Daniel with the most lax attitude that would put even weed smokers and alcoholics to shame.

    "Kid, I don't think even a cockroach would waste his time trying to kill you, stop being so narcissistic." The old man shook his head and approached Daniel, furrowing his old and dirty brows, he observed and analyzed every inch of his body before snorting and spitting onto Daniel's Face.

    "If you complete a mission of mine, I will allow you to pledge your loyalty to me, and I will make sure that I will teach you the necessary techniques to become the best Spearman in the entire world." He said with a giddy essence escaping his coarse voice, deadpanned at the statement Daniel thought about it and approached the old man who was anticipating the answer, opening his mouth Daniel spit onto the old man's face. 

    "I will accept your request, you hypocritical hobo." Stunned at the guts of the kid the old man almost popped a nerve and gritting his teeth endured the humiliation, since the child had potential which far surpassed anyone he has seen in his entire life, and he has seen a dozen genius people.

    "Alright, your task before becoming my disciple, is to go to the Bandit HQ, and bring me the head of their leader while saving every prisoner and captive." The old man said with the most nonchalant expression imaginable, Daniel once again felt like facepalming but ended up with a blank face, sighing he rubbed off the spit on his face with the clothes on his forearm and looked into the old man's eyes.

    "Alright, sure, I'm kind of hungry, also, I'm lost, ever since coming out of the forest I lost track of time and location, so I cant backtrack my steps either." He stated, at which the old man shrugged and signaled for Daniel to follow him, while walking through the densely packed grassy fields they traveled for an hour and a half before he noticed some smoke in the distance, squinting his eyes, Daniel saw it, a small town, the smoke coming from the chimney of a few houses, he looked at the old man who just kept walking forward.

    "So, this is your hobo place ?" Daniel asked only to get hit on the head by the old man.

    "My name is Hasta, Bipen Hasta, call me Hasta or Master, whichever fits your needs best, and yes, this is my current residence, i will give you a place to sleep and organize your thoughts and plan before departing for the Bandit leader's head." Hasta looked into the distance and showed a small glint of a smile.

    "By the way, where is your spea-" Daniel inquired but quickly shut his mouth when he saw Hasta's finger holding onto a ring with the design of a dragon and a snake eating away at a small little ruby in the middle of the ring.

    The both of them arived into the town which seemed mostly dead and eerie, looking around Daniel's confusion was swiftly noticed, with a small wave of his hand Hasta calmed Daniel down and told him to follow still, unsure but out of choice, Daniel followed Hasta and noticed, every person here had an expression of sadness and wrath, some depressed, some hiding anger under their facade, he thought for a bit until everything fell into the right spots.

    "The Bandits." Daniel muttered.

    "Yes." Hasta confirmed his suspicions and swiftly both of them arrived at a small and damaged house, looking at it Hasta let out a small smile and invited Daniel inside. 

    "Go forward in the hallway and to the left, there is the guest room, use it until you feel ready to depart." Hasta said seeing the hidden anger and pain behind Daniel's tough facade.

    Entering the room, and closing the door behind him, Daniel slowly approached the bed, touching it and feeling the softness of the mattress, he finally began to break down, small sobs escaping his quivering lips, his eyes hidden in the shadows of the evening moonlight, all the while Hasta, went to bed in a bad and gloomy mood, the town, everything, just screamed misery, it would make even the most optimistic person suffer. 

    Slowly Daniel drifted asleep in his chaotic train of thoughts and small sobs, too ashamed to come out in full.