Chapter 34 - Good Person

They departed as soon as the star reached its high point. The wild charge of the horses created paths in the thick snow.

 One horse in particular stood out among the others, unlike the others that needed encouragement to keep the load Pan's needed to be held, he looked furious, he looked like he wanted war.

 Another horse came forward and beside him, a large, virile, muscular young man held himself firmly on top, his gallop barely making him sway.

 "Pan? If I'm not mistaken," Bjorn asked, yelling.  At which Pan just nodded. "I'm counting on you!"  declared Bjorn in a voice as firm and impactful as steel being tempered.

 After the brief conversation, Bjorn returned to his spot in the formation. Soon night came and a camp was set up by the aspirants. Those in question kept asking here and there what it was like to feel the essence and how the apprentices managed to awaken.

 'Weird.' Thought Pan about the men and women who were willing to run towards the fallen powerless and only in hopes of being able to awaken.

 Pan was never patriotic or religious and therefore did not understand the doctrine of the aspirants. But for them, there was no greater honor than to bleed so that others wouldn't have to. Because they believe that their sacrifice is the hope of a better future. Your sigh in death on the battlefield, protects the smile of children who live inside the walls. That is his calling and for him aspirants live and die.

 'A bunch of fanatical idiots.' Thought Pan as he ate and watched the wannabes stuffing the apprentices.

 "Pan? Right?" Asked Bjorn who noticed that Pan still looked hungry and brought him another bowl of soup.

 Standing with his arm outstretched, Bjorn looked like a giant to Pan. Pan was a tall man at 1.78. But Bjorn was a different species of large, seven feet tall with arms that looked more like a full-grown man's back. He was a true colossus among men.

 "I think I already answered that," replied Pan, accepting the soup and the obvious request to sit next to him.

 "Are you a subject and so much did you know?"  said Bjorn with amusement, as he sat down next to Pan. "The eerie, brooding green cripple, even some bets on how fast you're going to die out here," claimed Bjorn, pointing with the toothpick-like spoon in his giant hand toward a group of novices exchanging coins.

 "How long did you bet?" Pan responded indifferently to the bets on his death.

 "I bet you come back alive," Bjorn said.

 "Oh? What makes you think that?" Asked Pan with a hint of curiosity mixed with derision.

 "Rationally speaking there's no reason, you're green, crippled and you've never been to any class other than the mandatory one," Bjorn described as he shook his head helplessly.

 "I go to botany," Pan replied, causing Bjorn to raise an eyebrow.

 "Botany? Does such a class exist? Anyway, That's not the point. I have a good instinct, you know. And no matter how much I look at you, it always seems to me that somehow you would be able to kill me. That feeling has me stalked since the first time I saw you," Bjorn said.  "Something tells me you're going to do great things, good things," Bjorn expressed.

 "You're quite frufru for such a big man," replied Pan, turning the bowl of soup down his throat.

 "Frufru? AHahahahahaha," The answer made Bjorn laugh until tears sprang to his eyes.

 "And your instincts are wrong," said Pan, wiping his lips with his arm.

 "You mean you're weak? You don't fool me," Bjorn replied with firm confidence.

 'Good things… I'm not a good person, I'm just a selfish man.' Thought Pan. The guard's death still haunts him even now.

 "Who knows," was what he replied before getting up and snuggling into a nearby tree. He didn't sleep, but he pretended he was sleeping to avoid unnecessary conversation.

…

 The night was gone and the star arrived six times, the battalion was now a day away from Lurea.  But instead of speeding up to the comfort of real beds and fresh food, everyone had stopped and was looking at the misery that lay on the road in front of them.

 Two carriages lay broken, and dry, crumpled bodies lay on the salt road and beyond. The evil that took them, did not even leave a feature or form to know who should be given the wake.

 The weirdest part of this whole scene. It was that there wasn't a drop of blood in the snow.