Rey De-Heavens (English)

By Ramon H. Guiardinu

In a world already created behind his back, the genuine creator emerges.
Among mutant beings, in a full natural space, which offers itself with all its splendor but also with all its danger, Rey must recover his own.
Being almost incorporeal, almost invisible –does he climb, run, crawl, fly? —going through unequal struggles with different beings, consolidates his right to exist.
Tenebrous magic runs through these lines... Dive into the jungle. Fight with them. Decipher the mystery.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ramon H. Guiardinu
• Release date: Jul 8, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215324196

Ramon H. Guiardinu

Escritor aficionado de historias fantásticas abarrotadas con; acción, fantasía, aventura, tragedia, suspenso, horror, gore y sexo explícito. La mayoría de mis trabajos son borradores en el proceso de publicación. Si has decidido leerme procede con total discreción, mi principal objetivo es serme fiel a mí mismo. Bienvenido seas a mi reino de letras.Si alguna de mis obras te gustan, compártela.

Book preview

Rey De-Heavens

Dark Fantasy, Supernatural,

Gore, Suspense.

Copyright ©️ 2023

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

Book Design by HMDpublishing

Contents

Chapter 1:

The Smell of the Night

Chapter 2:

Eternal Dance with Weariness

Chapter 3:

Painting Dreams

Chapter 4:

The Heaven

Chapter 5:

No Last Name

Chapter 6:

Genesis Conclusion

Chapter 7:

A Warrior’s Path

Chapter 8:

Maryam’s Conversation

Chapter 9:

Keepers of Purgatory

Chapter 10:

The Return of the Bounty Hunters

Chapter 11:

Colossi versus Giants

Chapter 12:

Death and War

Chapter 13:

Engulfed by Darkness

Synopsis:

In a world already created behind his back, the genuine creator emerges.

Among mutant beings, in a full natural space, which offers itself with all its splendor, but also with all its danger, Rey must recover his own.

Being almost incorporeal, almost invisible—does he climb, run, crawl, fly...?—through unequal struggles with different beings, he consolidates his right to exist.

Dark magic runs through these lines... Immerse yourself in the jungle. Fight with them. Unravel the mystery.

#action #adventure #gods #emotions #epic #hybrids #reflection #rey #supernatural

The blacksmith of my inspiration.

Hammers my fingers and fires my passion.

Molded have I more than a thousand leaves.

Sharp as words, forged into stories.

Liberated perhaps, but not free.

There is such a wonderful feeling of writing.

Ramon H. Guiardinu.

He appeared out of nowhere. With nothing...

The strength of his will being so desired.

The flames of determination

became ideals.

Inside a body that never existed.

Creator, the one who dressed himself as a god.

With hands that could never hold

the product of his endeavor.

Developer of causality.

Destined to endure pain.

Through divergences and time,

Wandering heralds were born.

Passengers with bodies of steel.

Passengers with blood of fire.

Unaware of life,

they did not know death.

Disheartened, they usurped the mindless body,

accommodating the energies by levels of feelings.

Elements and objects...

Existences and eccentricities...

Humans and animals...

Demons and angels...

On a board they developed

within the controlled environment.

They exposed, they imposed, they witnessed.

Emotions were born.

Prisoners in the freedom offered by a body,

enclosed by bars of beliefs.

Happiness, love,

emotions rotted.

Inside that tender illusion,

the creator entered.

Worried was that nobleman.

Lacking purpose.

Stripped of his rights.

Deprived of his kingdom.

Chapter 1:

The Smell

of the Night

"I am Rey. This is Heaven and I must get to Hell before the elders awaken." Covered in mud from head to toe, the small figure whispered to the wind the reason why he kept awake.

Among the edges of some remote region not many of the living know of, under the cold, shadowy blanket of an eternal night, was a little boy who kept running without stopping. Not that there were many children running aimlessly on the borders of Paradise. In fact, he was one of three and the only one who kept in constant motion when he should sleep.

The place was referred to by the adults as the Ever-Changing Forest, a place where there was no moon to peek out and no small animals such as frogs or singing insects. Constant change abounded there. The screams of trees that broke each other. Ferocious beasts that roamed in search of food. Bottomless precipices at every corner. Roots and branches as sharp as knives. Dancing lights that rose and fell. Mud and rotting leaves. Icy gusts of wind that blew like lightning. Ghastly figures of corpses on dismembered bones. And death himself in a wandering hood.

Rey wandered so deep into the forest that he believed not even all the adults together could find him or keep track of him and his companion. His master’s directions never quite managed to move him, and though they still rang in his head, he laughed at them, for they seemed absurd to him. However, the mire of the thick forest of giant trees was getting deeper and the lights that helped him to avoid dangerous situations were dimming. Little by little, the place began to resemble a red mud swamp that made it difficult for the little boy to advance.

Between dangers and frightening shapes in which he could die if he was not careful enough, Rey came to the point where he had no choice but to stop. Parting his chapped lips, he stuck out his tongue and opened his mouth as wide as he could.

He needed to catch his breath if he intended to keep running. The sharp eyes that lit up with the whiteness radiating from an infinite Pythagorean star, which bordered the pupils and matched their dilated size, ceased to see into the gloom. With the fading of the floating lights and the impending darkness, there was enough reason for the little boy to be terrified. He knew where he was going, but not where he was. He could not go back the way he had come, even if he set his mind to it. The floating boulders would hit him, whether he walked into them or if they fell on his head without warning. One false step would mean falling into an endless pit. Getting any closer to a tree than he should have would provide him with another injury. Some beast that, if he could see, might be stalking him warily, preparing for the best moment to strike. But even with all this, he felt no fear, not even in the slightest.

He said, I am not in the forest, but the forest is with me. I don’t feel lost if I have a target. I don’t need to see if I have a friend who can be my eyes. Why worry about noises if they can’t harm me? And for my tiredness, it was enough to stop and catch my breath. He said this as one who believed he could do everything.

Eventually, Rey was forced to slow down and rest more often. The fruitless search made him feel so frustrated that he was unaware he was running with much more weight than he really had.

Am I, the one who can do it all, being led around in circles? he wondered somewhat worriedly.

Focusing his attention on his companion, Rey ignored the huge cart he pulled with his neck and the giant boulder on his back.

The cart he pulled bore the presence of trees, mud, rocks, darkness, and the weariness of his body, while the imposing solidity was almost on the verge of crushing him. But he could not notice, see, or touch either of these two objects, because they were as real as his thoughts. For him, thoughts, worries, problems, stress, and negative ideas did not hinder him in the slightest. However, they were responsible for the mantra, I must get to Hell... before the elders wake up...

Rey repeated this as a driving force, until it began to lose form and meaning, until it became empty, hollow, and purposeless. Over time, the words spoken by the elders proceeded to occupy the space in the little boy’s mind, until he could no longer manage to stop thinking of the accusing voice repeating the word, De Bastador! in his head, or of the edge of an immense sword that would cut his throat and bring about death.

It could be said that the set of such words combined with memories of a not-too-distant past were the main reason why Rey was running aimlessly in the endless forest that made up the boundaries of Paradise within Hell.

He named me Rey. But they called me ‘monster with an indecipherable heart.’ A flawed, rage-filled shell, without rationality, tactics, or strategy. A creature in which only the pleasure of satiation would keep him alive. He would become a danger, a De Bastador capable of eliminating everything around him, they said. I saw uneasiness in their looks; in Dad’s eyes I saw that he was disappointed. I must get to Hell, but... How much longer must I keep running?

Trembling knees could no longer resist the weight of the big rock on his back, and he fell into the mud; his throat could not free itself from the noose that was choking him, and he could hardly breathe.

Heroclades was not wrong... This mud gets deeper, and I can hardly go on. If my strength is not enough... Catching his breath, he stood up again and looked in the direction of where he thought his companion was. When reasoning is all that’s left in this body, maybe I’ll go further. Surrender is not an option for a warrior. The little one spoke aloud, If we are not to find a way out, perhaps... finding shelter is a good idea.

Using a forced sound through his closed mouth, the little feline affirmed in response to the comment Rey had made. Tired and dying, and able to see in the dark, she had stayed ahead by jumping over the floating rocks in an attempt to avoid having to swim in the mud. And she used her tail to pull the hand of the little one who could not see.

That friend that Rey had been depending on to help him move forward in the dark was a guardian cub from Paradise. He had found him with his master on his way to the training point on the first day.

In the light of the magical realm, the Paradise guardians stood in splendour on four legs, which concealed reckless nails that protruded at will, white fur with black stripes down the back to the tail, protruding teeth, yellow eyes, long whiskers, and pointed ears. On all four legs, an adult was as big as a person. But the feline was no higher than Rey’s waist. She was dirty, her eyes looked tired, and her ears drooped. She was not as skinny as the little white-eyed one, for the latter had given her all the food he had.

He moved on and on. The moment that so troubled the little boy became apparent. Tiredness and muscle pain turned to stiffness that forced him to stop once more. Bringing his hands to his knees as he bent his body forward, Rey let go of the tail he was holding and, in a bitter click of his tongue, understood that he had lost the fight against his body’s sensations. Losing and giving up meant the same thing to him, but how could he go on if, even though his mind was intent, his muscles and strength refused to respond? Rey trembled like a leaf about to fall, but his gaze remained straight with the intention of continuing to move forward, even if he had to do it with his hands.

No matter how hard he tried, even for all that he had stretched his life to the edges of death, he could make no further progress.

Rey was forced to admit defeat and stop trying, something that would bring him no results. He didn’t plan to blame the little animal, as he couldn’t do any better himself.

If I can even see, could I have found the way out on my own? No. Now I am the one who also lacks the strength to compensate for my lack of knowledge.

Sinking into the mud, he had no choice but to kneel down and lean on a nearby rock.

Heroclades was right. I must go back and continue training. I am still too weak to find an escape. But... Rey raised his head. If I must stay among the great ones, I must at least arm myself with whatever it takes to fend for myself and survive among them.

In an arrogant way, he was reluctant to take the situation as a defeat, so he interpreted it as an opportunity to learn, to become better.

But how?

The Paradise guardian cub, seeing the behavior of the little one, looked sideways. With its mouth open and tongue out, although it was well fed, it had so far taken a lot of extra effort to move the parts of its body that allowed it to move forward. The feline approached the rock on which the little one was leaning and, after licking his hand, squealed in her language.

Rey didn’t understand the squeak, but at least he had an idea of what it meant. Ignoring once again all that he was carrying, including the extreme exhaustion and lack of energy that overcame him, he stood up and let himself be guided.

After hopping a few times, the feline pulled her companion close to the hollow trunk of a tree.

Rey reached out to touch what made up the entrance to a safe place and said to himself, To survive... it’s better if I stay in a safe place. At least until I recover...

The little guy, almost in his bones, made a crucial decision to change the order of his priorities and with this temporarily abandon his search and stay in the cave that his companion had found so he could take refuge from the slimy mud and replenish his straggling body.

Rey breathed as one who was beginning to understand that deducing, reasoning, and thinking would be more useful than putting his physical abilities to play. A good ability to use logic, as the situation demanded, would be of vital importance for his survival, as in that moment when he realized that readjusting his priorities would make him better.

Inside the cave, Rey believed that the sticky unstable ground, which wavered between solid and liquid, had a life of its own. That it was like a sleeping giant just waking up very hungry.

Intent on shedding the mud, sweat, and blood that covered his body, the little boy shook himself again and again, however ineffectively, to get deeper into the interior, where the moisture could not reach him. That was the only place around that would provide safety for him along with his inseparable furry companion, who efficiently shook the water from her fur and stretched out on the ground to satisfy the needs of her heaving lungs.

The little guy began to understand that even if he felt safe from all that lay beyond his new shelter, it didn’t mean he was safe from what he could feel. He had stopped running, he had stopped the activity that had tired him so far, but, still, he felt defeated. He sensed an enormous weight on his shoulders and a thick rope around his neck, two factors that would not let him stand. I need to lie down on the ground, he thought. Extreme fatigue was stalking him. His own body had him cornered, and he didn’t understand why. Once lying on the rough ground made up of roots, Rey felt a sensation coming over him that promised to bring even more darkness, neglect, and weakness.

Something else is being done out there, he said to himself, alarmed, after time passed and the rain began to fall. I hear it falling from above. Dripping all over the place. Hitting the ground and wanting to keep going. Willing to end up being sucked into the blanket of dust and fallen leaves.

He could not see, nor did he know, what rain was. He could only listen and analyze.

The brittle boulders that usually rise into the air, the ones I always hit my forehead with while running blindly, are being engulfed by the ground, I’m sure. The ground is dangerous. Not to be trusted when awake. I was able to realize it in time. I’m fine here; it’s safe. Yes, the ground here is still sleeping and not sticky like outside. As long as I have this place, I don’t have to keep moving until I get my energy back. Even if it is very slow and I am agile. No need to risk it. Running makes me want to stop, makes me weak and short of breath. It makes me tired... I have shelter, but no food. Maybe that’s why I don’t regain my energy? The water keeps falling. It doesn’t give up. But, no matter how much my stomach rumbles, it’s better to keep waiting, to wait for the Earth to go to sleep... I could have stayed inside the tent Heroclades created, even if it meant sharing a bed with him. Still, sleeping well and safe will not make me strong enough to solve my other problem—Mother, Father and the others. Yes, they who now sleep, but just as the water awakened the Earth, the light will awaken them and at that time they will come for me, wherever I am. As long as it is within this circle... I think... Perhaps it is the most convenient time to close my eyes, to surrender. To, perhaps, sleep as they do. To rest for a while, an instant; my comrade is also lying at the entrance. She can see and take care of me, entertain herself watching the water fall. Instead, I see black, even if I close my eyes tightly or open them as wide as I can. Everything is dark to me... I wonder if Heroclades knew that perhaps not being able to see would prevent me from escaping?

Inside the cave, not only did the floor made up of roots or the presence of the furry companion provide security for the little one, but, between his bruised fingers, the child of beasts held an instrument he had created with his hands and teeth. A rustic spear fashioned from wood and the coiled horn he had found in the dead skull of an immense animal that, when alive, with its elongated legs, ran as fast as the wind. He, too, spent much of his time in a tree. He learned by seeing firsthand how one of those animals, which fed on grasses, could rival the claws and teeth of the smaller meat-eating animals. All thanks to the elongated horn on its forehead and its aggressive behavior when cornered. He would always take aim at the enemy and then run away.

I don’t know what sleep is, or how it feels, or how it could benefit me. I have only just understood one of the many factors so fundamental to living. But I, who have never slept, can remember the first time I opened my eyes. Not that I can remember how to wake up...

Silence. Then, more doubts that increased the weight of the stone he carried on his shoulders,

And, if perhaps I never wake up, would that be the same as dying? Will I become something hard and fleshless? Hmm....

Memories. Rey didn’t have many of those. The uncertainty was terrifying, as was the not knowing. But it didn’t mean the little guy wasn’t willing to face the risks.

I was faster than the Earth when it wanted to swallow me. I was smart enough to learn how to evade and fight the Guardians on my own. I was able to make my own fighting tool. I managed to face the darkness and continue to see it without losing consciousness, he said to himself with an arrogant tone, the same that his master told him was used by the great heroes he had seen in his life. Heroic individuals who did not fear death. Heroes who had gone through countless ordeals to prove themselves worthy.

But the infant, practically without a past, between the darkness and his thoughts, lost the way out without realizing it. In spite of everything, his arrogance only made him believe that he was winning the confrontation, when in truth it was already too late to escape in time.

What kind of imaginary perception can someone who lacks a past, life experiences, reveries, or longings have while walking straight into the world of dreams? Could someone submerged in the absence of consciousness of a mind cluttered by reparative tasks even experience unrealities? Could he experience fantasies? Revelations?

…

What is this unpleasant feeling that invades every part of me? It won’t let me go, the little boy said to himself in the lucidity of a dark world.

I must run, move. My weapon, I have to attack. It’s not like the Earth that tried to swallow me. This time it’s from all sides. I can feel it, but I can’t see it.

Carefully, he opened his eyes and the black finally took color. Without ceasing to be black, it became white and ended up inhabited by subtle colored lights. Rey rubbed his tired eyes, and the effect became more intense.

Yes, yes, I can see him. It’s the darkness! It’s the one trying to devour me! he affirmed in his almost lucid dream, as he kept his eyes open. Argh! Pain! The darkness becomes mowing. My eyes hurt! My head... something is crushing my head! I can’t move! My heart, beaten, oppressed, and torn by hands I can’t see! My arms, my legs, and chest are moving, vibrating all over the place, on their own. I can’t stop them no matter how hard I try! They don’t answer me. What is this?

Between cramps, the little boy trembled. He couldn’t stop his teeth. Neither could he stop the cramps, nor fight the paralysis of his limbs.

Get away from me, get out from inside me, leave me alone!

Turn after turn went the little body exposed to the cold temperatures of the night.

Why does the world twist and turn so much? Argh... Are you against me too?! Aaagh! I feel angry. I want to destroy without using any more logic. If with strength I can compensate for the ability to reason, why continue wasting my time? I have no strength... Show yourselves! I’m here!!! If you need to hide it’s because you are weaker than me!!!!! Purring... this I feel is fear. I must purr.

Agitated, he struggled without backing down, both on his way to the dream and in real life. The little boy’s body writhed about the place, his mind breaking free and eclipsing the darkness. But he was not necessarily aware that his body, mind, and soul resided in two worlds yet in one. He was also unaware that both sides did not endorse the same rules. That every living being was infused with the natural fear of death. A fear that only a few had the power to overcome, and they were those who had to live the longest. Those whose screws were loosened.

In the face of danger, madness is the rust that corrupts the chains that bind life, which loosens the basis of natural and common sense. The absence of sanity is the strength of those few, the weakness that life could not use to its advantage. Weakness with which the little one had never been born, meaning that he was not sane, for never having been afraid to die, and the reason why life along with death came to meet the energetic little one.

Rey tried by all means to reason, and what better way than to ask himself questions within the space crowded by geometric figures?

What is this? Where am I? It’s not the same darkness, or is it? Two colors and laughter…are they making fun of me, those shiny balls?

Distinguishing the two cylindrical spheres, Rey was able to identify himself and also the path there. Managing to move, he chased them until he could hold them in his hands. They both moved, as if trying to escape. Reflexively, he put them in his mouth until he decided to return them to freedom and try to talk to them. Rey opened his mouth, but the sound didn’t come out.

I can move, feel them, and taste them, but my voice doesn’t come out. I can’t hear them either, if they try to tell me something like, ‘Don’t swallow me, please!’ Aaah, I don’t know what I’m saying... It feels good, but not real, a dream, maybe. What will it be?

Dreaming implied being asleep, and he slept, it meant he had lost.

I can’t neglect myself! I need shelter! I must find shelter! I can’t submit! I must fight! I must keep moving! But... the pain is no more. It’s cozy...

Through the place, made up of hundreds of passages in different directions that were at once an open space devoid of paths, Rey kept walking, leaving the two spheres behind until he came upon something of his height. The black lump had no face or distinguishable features, but the same eyes.

Who are you? asked Rey as soon as he could find his voice.

The similarly shaped body did not respond, though he did raise his hand and point his index finger at the questioner.

What do you mean, that he is me? No matter how much I move, he seems to look at me the same way I look at him.

Again, though he was able to speak, his words stopped flowing. The little boy felt enraged and as he had energy, he felt more inclined to use the way of force.

Say something, answer my question... you irritating, annoying... Stop! Stop! Don’t point at me anymore! Go away!!!!! I’m warning you, Agrr...

The lump lifted his shoulders, turned around, and disappeared like someone who doesn’t want conflict.

He walks away. He doesn’t seem to want to come back. I have won...

Rey watched the black lump leave.

Now I’m alone. Everything feels far away, like it’s falling... a new, less complicated world. A place where there are no reasons for me to worry. I can be vulnerable... sit, rest, and close my eyes. The world where I am not a monster, a devastator!

Rey closed his eyes and could not open them again, but thousands of white dots, those that were once suspended and formed paths, fell on him. A rain of stars that pushed away the smell of water, the scent of wet earth and other sensations that accompanied being awake.

Ohhh! No! I’ve crossed the line without realizing it. I will not let their assumptions become my reality. They are wrong, I will show them. But, for that, I must leave this false world. The world that is not here and has no form. I must leave it behind.

Using his fingernails and fingers, Rey tried to force his eyes open, even if it meant tearing off his eyelids.

I’ll go out into the colorless darkness! From here! From my rest. I have no time to rest, it is not allowed... I must fight, then fall in order to rise again and again. To show them not what I am, but what I can become, until the red liquid pouring out of me snatches my grip on my spear. Even then I will not be defeated, even then I will not surrender.

...

On the outskirts of the cave, amidst the pouring rain that was so dedicated to its task that it was falling non-stop, footsteps were gradually becoming distinguishable. The ears of the furry watchman at the entrance located the alarming footsteps of a quadruped approaching the rustic cavern. In response to the sound, the animal emitted a characteristic immature roar, typical of its undeveloped throat, but with the same purpose as the adults of its species roared. To warn the invader, also to prevent him from continuing to rest, who had fallen to the ground and was writhing from side to side as if his back were itching.

After having taken all the air he could, as well as if of will, the little one stopped writhing and opened his eyes, reflecting in them the purpose of facing the danger once again, whatever it was. Victory would be the only one that would keep him alive.

So that’s sleep? Ha-ha-ha! I managed to escape, I did it! What can’t I do? Rey said arrogantly to himself, still agitated, gritting his teeth as much as he could, trying to stop them from continuing to crash in the frantic way they were doing, as well as shaking every bone in his body.

Pain, sweat, blood, and victory will keep me alive. They will keep me from the shadows. I have returned. I’m here... What more do I need to keep moving forward? The answers came to his mind. Food to fill my belly and clothing to cover my body...

The floor of the cave was not only covered by the mud that had seeped and stuck to the infant’s body, but it was also painted with blood and other fluids. The red liquid that was still coming out of the little one’s open wounds, as if it were a good, inspired artist, was spreading around the place without seeming to want to stop.

Tired, hungry, and badly wounded, the unwanted puppy between a werewolf and a vampire, repeating in his mind another mantra as a last resort, Surrender is not allowed, he said over and over again. I may not have a last name, but I will fight to the end, until I can’t move, and even then, I’m not giving up. Life is about fighting. Giving up is not a way out. I know what I am and I’m going to show him what I can become, what situations I can face. I, Rey De-Heavens. For me... Surrender is not allowed!

Rey could no longer ignore that his body was about to break, but also that it was crucial to make himself look strong when he was weak. Between tremors and much effort, the infant stood up using his two legs and one of his hands, while in the remaining limb he held his rustic spear and pointed forward. Angry with everything that stood in his way, Rey let out a warning roar, but unlike that of his companion, the frequency of his vocal cords could not make much difference. The sound he could emit was not intimidating at all, but the firing of energy and causing an abrupt change in his body’s features, resembling more like flesh-eating beasts, was.

A guardian of Paradise. How is that possible? I waited until everyone was asleep before entering the forest, precisely so I wouldn’t have to encounter any of them. Umm, this one is different...

Aloud, Rey added, He smells blood, ready to attack with all his might.

I wonder if it’s just as desperate as we are? he thought. A badly wounded beast, one that didn’t get food and doesn’t have a hole like this, is an easy target. It could be devoured by the earth if it stopped moving. Just like us. This is all or nothing... whoever wins gets the cave and gets the loser’s head as a reward.

For every second, Rey felt the sound of the rain increase greatly until it almost became deafening. He didn’t realize it, but both his sense of smell and hearing were amplified thanks to his lycanthrope transformation.

Time was dragging on and the little boy was getting impatient. Rey wanted everything to be over as soon as possible. So much so that he thought of shooting out with the intention of being the first to attack. But, after sensing his companion wanting to do the same, he added aloud, No!

Putting hunger and desperation aside, aware of his lack of strength, he decided to reason.

What am I thinking about? He’s going to attack us sooner or later... Yes, he has no choice. As long as he’s out there, he’s in danger. We have the advantage, enough to make a difference... On the other hand, I’ll have this spear in my hands and I witnessed the arts to defend myself against one of them, but I lack experience in real combat against a guardian and I don’t plan to run away like the wind as soon as I have a chance to escape.

With a clear mind, he decided to speak up so that his companion could hear him. Back off. Let him come into our territory...you’ll have to give me the signal when he’s close enough for me to attack him. Don’t worry.

Step by step, ignoring the warnings, in the rain, the big cat beast approached the entrance to its own cave. It was enraged, perhaps because it was hungry and had very little patience.

The small furry feline continued to shriek with all its might, at the same time retreating back into the cave as instructed by its smooth-furred companion. Although they did not share the same language, the two could understand each other, which had made teamwork more efficient.

With its full head already inside the cave that belonged to it, the eyes of the guardian with a broken fang became imposing; the gigantic teeth designed to shred flesh vibrated with each powerful exhalation the weary creature made. Then an overwhelming, razor-sharp claw invaded the floor of the place. Despite being covered in mud, it caused the roots and stones to cry out with its sharpening. Water trickled down the long, lush fur that promised to rival against the solidity of iron armor, to fall and nearly flood the site.

Rey, she stopped screeching. The next sound will be the signal. The smell of wet skin intensifies, the ground shudders, the growl lengthens... the infant repeated inwardly, but suddenly everything stopped. Ahhh... Seeing in the dark would be so convenient at a time like this... he thought.

Rey was petrified on the spot without even breathing. But he who could only feel his enemy getting closer and closer, had not remained catatonic, but held the spear even tighter and waited more and more eagerly for the perfect signal to kill. Committed to waiting for the signal, Rey planned to stay even if the beast took a bite out of him and tore his arm off. Such was the trust he had placed in his companion.

Paying better attention, he thought, So, this is the scent of the night?

He kept thinking. He had nothing else to do, for time was dragging on and seemed not to end. It is strange that now the scents camouflaged by the rain become more distinguishable to me. My nose has improved. But in spite of everything I feel, the color my eyes see does not change. As if looking into me, as if I were resting with my eyes open. In my ears, do not stop the purring grunts of a hungry carnivore, tired and in agony. It could enter the cave, but it will never enter the inside of my head...

Raising an arrogant look and baring his teeth, Rey continued to think, I pity you, nothing more. How does it feel to think you have the upper hand? I can feel you breathing on me. Maybe you think you have me cornered, that it’s too late for me to escape, don’t you? You’re wrong. It’s not me, it’s you who’s cornered, and before long, you won’t be able to escape me. I have no motives left strong enough for me to oppose against the natural course of the death of such a being as you at my hands.

An idea flashed in the darkness of the little boy’s thoughts, one that seemed to resemble another rock falling on his shoulders above the one he was already carrying.

Oh, wait, you and she are the same species. Does this mean I’m losing the good in me? No, I’ve already lost it. Everything was lost the moment I made this spear to kill and not to defend myself. Umm? What would it be like if right now she, the closest being to me, found death at my hands? What would I feel in such a situation? I wonder if I would lose the only protection I have against loneliness. I am willing to take a life. But, now that I think of it this way, I am not prepared to do so if it means sacrificing her. Is this hesitation? Why am I hesitating in a fight when I should be moving forward? This approaching beast wants to kill me. What’s the problem if I have the same intentions... that something doesn’t go right? When I decided to fight in here, it was for my own good... but it is more convenient for it to fight outside... Why is it taking so long to give the signal? Why is it taking so long?

Inside the cave, the larger one roared with the intention of subduing the first opponent, who would neither duck his head nor stop baring his teeth at him. A verbal warning that could prevent a direct confrontation.

Know your place!!! angrily growled the beast in his language.

The little feline opened her eyes as wide as she could. It looked as if it had taken root in the ground. She refused the thought a few times, but could no longer refuse to acknowledge who was in front of her. The water could camouflage the smell, but the vision did not lie to her. The tone and timbre of the invader’s growl aroused a whole storm of feelings. Sensations as difficult to confuse as life itself. Surprise, happiness, nostalgia, and disappointment ended up transformed into desolation. She realized that, even though she was in front of her own father, those grunts meant tragedy. They told her that she had lost the recognition of someone precious, as well as that she had lost the value of her existence as a daughter.

On the other hand, at the end of the cave, the little boy was drooling from such a deep state of concentration that he hadn’t even breathed. With heartbeat dropping, the infant justified that grunt, accompanied by silence and delay.

If the guardian growled and still doesn’t attack, maybe it’s much weaker than us and is just threatening us? the little one thought. If I manage to demonstrate my willingness to fight through threats, then maybe I could intimidate and win the fight without having to kill him, yes!

The infant, imitating his opponent, reciprocated the rabid roar and bared his teeth even more. From within the darkness, a sharp impact intercepted him.

In response to this confrontation, the even more offended beast with one of its claws struck the boy, who was imposing on it, and then roared again, proposing to stay on the ground.

The little feline ducked her head along with her ears, recoiling her body with concern when she saw how her companion had been assaulted so violently. Immediately, her blood boiled inside her veins, as her father abused and roared on the floor at the creature that had helped her so much so far. The one that had found her during the day and carried her on his head so that she could see in the distance. The same one that so far had always helped her in his tireless search. How could it not do so when witnessing such a moment? Of course, it wasn’t necessary to go to the extreme of giving the attack signal either, but at least to verbally intervene.

I ended up taking the first hit. I was wrong. Excruciating pain! That’s not weaker than me, it never was... It was my carelessness to think of the enemy’s life and not wait for the signal. Argg! This wouldn’t have happened to my father, or my master, or any of those thinking of killing me. If only I hadn’t been so focused on being good... I can still stand up... I’m not dead. Threats won’t mean anything... the little boy said to himself as he lay dying on the ground.

Within seconds, the infant was back on his feet and placed his spear in front. The beast once again raised his right claw and exposed the edge of the inside of the curvatures of his fingernails.

The five cruel executioners vowed to bestow death with the next blow. Already the infant’s skin had been cut in five until even the bones of his arm and ribs were left, the flesh unprotected from fur and already battered, almost falling to pieces on the floor as blood splattered the walls. Her father, or her friend. It was the choice for the little feline who tried to verbally intervene, but was ignored. She kept her head and body down in submission, but also realized it was the perfect position to jump. At the last second, she made the decision. Her heart was racing and emitting the characteristic signal sound as she charged as fiercely as she could.

The beast was unable to lower its right claw in the direction of the infant. In response to the attack of the small feline of its own kind, it was forced to change its movement and first get rid of the aggressor and then accomplish its goal. But in the chaotic environment the beast noticed his carelessness. Even so, it was already too late to be able to do anything.

The actions. Yes!!! the infant said to himself when he heard the signal.

To fight is to take life and death by the hand as you dance in a field full of possibilities. If you want to learn to dance within such a tempest, don’t focus on the possibilities. Focus on your body and don’t be afraid to improvise.

Heroclades’ words were remembered by the little boy, as his body responded to the rhythm of the sound of battle.

Thrusting his entire being forward, the rustic spear was thrust against the chest of the distracted beast. The point of the well-sharpened horn pierced the fur that in hardness was compared to steel. It pierced the flesh, hit the ribs, and then, perhaps because of the inclination, slipped out and continued its way into the interior of