Chapter 5

The next day Ibaeran left home but she did not go to the fields to work.

She left the city borders and made her way in to the forest.

Not entirely sure where she was going, she roamed about in the forest aimless.

She was looking for the man Preyina told her about, the man who claims to be the one that would train the next Su Baera, she thought that if she found him, she could manage to convince to train her but that was easier said than done.

The forest was a big place and Ibaeran soon discovered that she was lost.

She couldn’t turn back as she had already wondered too far from the city and did not know her way back so she had no choice than to continue her journey, going deeper and deeper into the forest.

At a point she felt that all her efforts to find the man was in vain because even if she managed to find him in the vast dense forest, he may not even agree to train her.

Ibaeran then pushed all her doubts aside and continued to go on knowing it was too late and she had gone too far to turn back so she continued to roam the forest, going deeper and deep in to the vast jungle until she found as small house hidden away in the thickness of the forest, it was a simple home made of wood with no distinct feature and nothing special about it but to Ibaeran, seeing a home like that, that didn’t have a cracks or broken walls, standing firmly on its foundation with no broken windows and a roof that seemed stable enough to hold with no visible holes on it, Ibaeran was taken aback, at first wondering if the home could have belonged to and Uha Tamunaran before realizing that it was far too small for an Uha Tamunaran who often chose to live in massive mansions towering high above the sky but the very fact that there was a home there that was suitable to live in still greatly baffled her.

“Could this be the home of the man” Ibaeran wondered to herself before she began to approach the house.

She reached the house and then took a few deep breaths in before she knocked at the door.

A few moments later an old man stepped out of the house.

He looked old and long past his prime so much so that Ibaeran wondered if this was the man Preyina spoke off, the one who won the tournament and survived and if he was, it would mean time had aged him well with a head that didn’t have a single strand of hair and a sliver beard that stood at the bottom of his wrinkled covered face, the man that stood before her resembled a living relic.

Ibaeran also wondered if he would be able to train her due to his old age as he didn’t seem like much of a fight in his current aged state.

“Who are you and why are you here?” asked the man.

“I’m Ibaeran and I’m here to for you, I want you to train me” said Ibaeran.

The man after hearing what Ibaeran said took a long hard look at her, examining her to knowing if she was actually serious.

His eyes then widened upon seeing the mark on Ibaeran’s neck.

“So, you think you have what it takes to be the next Su Baera,” said the man.

Ibaeran did not give the man a reply as she was still unsure about herself and the possibility, she might be the Su Baera.

“Since you don’t have an answer to give, I cannot be the one to train you” said the man before went back in to his home.

“Wait sir, please” said Ibaeran as she rushed to the door and tried to open so she could get in and find a way to convince the man to train her but the door was locked.

“Leave now girl, you are not the next Su Baera” said the man from within his home.

Ibaeran then bowed her head down in disappointment and shame upon hearing what the man told her.

At that moment doubt consumed her heart and she wondered how she could be so stupid to ever consider that she could be the next Su Baera.

It was simply idiotic to believe that she; just an ordinary girl could claim the wings when many warriors who outmatched her great in strength couldn’t.

Ibaeran thought she might have been the biggest fool for considering herself worthy of being the next Su Baera.

Ibaeran was about to leave but before she could she remembered the promise she made to Preyina and stopped.

She then sighed knowing that she couldn’t leave as she needed to fulfill her promise to Preyina.

She needed to try even though it seemed impossible she had to do it, she had to keep the promise she made to Preyina no matter what.

The man who was secretly watching Ibaeran from a window and as he saw that she decided to stay even though he told she would not be the next Su Baera.

The man continued to watch her thinking that she would leave when it gets late and the darkness of the night engulfs the forest but she didn’t, she sat down by the door and waited for the man to come out so she could try to convince him to train her.

The man greatly admired her determination as she refused to leave even as the cold forest winds blew around her and made her shiver and shake from the cold or when she heard the strange sounds of the wild beast that roamed around the forest even the blood sucking insects that roamed around her and continuously sucked her blood was not enough to make her leave.

But even though Ibaeran was determined to keep her promise she was only human and eventually she collapsed of the floor next to the man’s door and fell asleep.

The man then opened the door and brother her in.

The man then placed so sheets on the floor and then placed her gently on them so she could sleep peacefully.

He then looked at her and smiled wondering if it was even possible for someone that looked so delicate and weak like Ibaeran could be the next Su Baera.