Chapter 5 : simple things

"I like to think that complexity is just a multitude of simple things. Sometimes you have to stop and observe them to better understand them."

Aïma had lost her prey and part of her equipment in the escape. She had risked her life for nothing, and it filled her with deep anger, which she expressed by kicking the innocent tree behind her. Fortunately, the tree suffered little from this assault, unlike the ranger, who was stifling a cry of pain out of pride."

Ego, as usual, contented himself with contemplating the ridiculousness of the situation. He seemed to react, however, when the ranger, holding her leg, cursed the very luck that had thus acted on her fate:

"Nékéan nolan ek!"

In Aïma's language, adding "An" to the end of a word gave it a more pejorative or opposite meaning, depending on its original sense. As for Nékéa, it simply refers to the goddess of creation according to human myths and customs. Her words could thus be interpreted as "Goddess of destruction, I curse you!"

And as if those words had any meaning for Ego, he straightened up abruptly. The ranger, curled up in pain, shrank before the nearly two-meter-tall colossus. Impressed, Aïma paused, almost falling backward, surprised by the pure and cold brutality of Ego's gesture. Yet, he merely waved his hand in a recognizable manner to Aïma's eyes, recognizable because she had taught him herself, and it invited her to feed. Then, Ego turned toward the forest, starting a mechanical sprint. Aïma reached out to stop him, but the robot didn't even glance in her direction, and even if he could understand her, would he have? Just a few seconds were all it took for Ego to vanish from the horizon. Mouth agape, the ranger was still in shock. What had he wanted to express? Numerous thoughts raced through her mind, leaving a faint furrow of frustration on her face.

Analyzing the situation, she finally accepted that once again, fate hadn't finished playing tricks on her. Her new friend was certainly doing everything to embarrass her, but she wasn't worried about him; he was stronger than he appeared, after all, and the border wasn't that dangerous. It was only a few long minutes of worry before Ego showed signs of life. He moved through the bushes at the edge of the forest with no discretion whatsoever. Worse, the sounds he made while moving were so heavy that they sent a signed message to the entire forest: "I am here." Capital letters would have had the same effect. Aïma pressed her hand against her head, still marked by her hesitation in the face of her disciple's foolishness. Obviously, she had reason to worry, she thought. The machine, however, continued its route calmly, undisturbed, until it reached its starting position.

In Ego's arms, as his gesture seemed to promise, a dozen Rhen fruits were piled up, almost crushed due to lack of space. Ego released them all at once at his feet, not knowing what to do with them. At least it made his partner smile, who took the opportunity to catch one in mid-air. Mission accomplished, Ego could say. Aïma hadn't lost everything in this forest after all. Maybe because she had just realized that she had survived, through admittedly foolish optimism, but still comforting. Or perhaps hoping to communicate her pride to her new friend, the ranger let out a cry of victory, saying to anyone who would listen:

"I am Aïma, the ranger, and this is Ego the giant whom Arborameth could not defeat! Who dares to stand in our way!"

Certainly, she knew herself that it was only partly true, but expressing it made her feel better, especially since the evil she would now have to face disguised itself in an appearance far more deceptive than any creature of Arborameth. A monster that, in her eyes, could be much crueler, more vicious, capable of the worst cunning to achieve its ends. A monster known as "man," because Aïma had never been very friendly with her own kind, and in the distance, it was the walls of Fort Nomera. A thick wall thought to be impassable not only for men but also for wild beasts that sometimes strayed outside the forest when food became too scarce or out of opportunism.

Nomera, a city marked by the violence of its culture. Here, war had become a game, and games determined a man's status. Only the strong prevailed, and the strong were revered. To the people of Nomera, those from Tenera seemed like bumpkins, peasants living off their harvests without worrying about tomorrow. Simple and foolish people. That's why Aïma didn't appreciate the province of Eseka. She had done business there before; forest products held more value in this region, but it didn't matter. She couldn't stand the arrogant men who believed in their superiority. Whenever she crossed paths with them, she couldn't help but make them swallow their pride, reminding them that none of them had, I quote, the guts to face the wild lands. Reminding them, while evoking the famous Engen Alvor war where Tenera had crushed its opponents, had become almost a game for Aïma. She relished the multiple expressions on the faces of these proud warriors, but not too much, learning that one shouldn't judge a master by appearance if they didn't want to appear foolish in the eyes of their peers.

If it weren't for necessity, Aïma would have preferred to avoid the city, but she lacked the time and resources to do otherwise. And once in the city, perhaps she would learn more about Ego. Who knows? After all, some mages might have something to say about what she discovered in the forest or even about Ego himself.