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The canine duo had got into an arid trail where no signs of life were present. They had arrived at night

and, as they were beat, they entered a dark cave and settled down to rest. Yeran huddled up near the

entrance and sighed with relief, knowing that, at least, she was close to her destination. Dersaco went to

the bottom and lay down near a rough rock. His distress he was not able to overcome. She heard his

whimper that lasted almost until midnight. Deeply distraught the coyote was and he had no one to

comfort him. His life had sunk into the depths of the abyss.

The next day, a dim light appeared and the wolfess awakened. Her back ached as she had slept in the

inappropriate position. She walked to the bottom of the cave and tried to see how her companion was.

She searched in every corner and did not find him. Apparently, he had already left.

'Oh, no!' she pronounced with a worrying tone. She thought he had left her on purpose.

Uneasy she became. She believed he did not want to be with her. They should not separate or they

would become an easy prey for the enemies. She left the cave and exited to seek him, under a

suspicious shadowy sky. The blustery wind was blowing strongly. The surroundings were so dry that

there were no insects, except some dragonflies flying around. A severe storm was coming, enunciated

by flashes of lighting and claps of thunder.

Several minutes of incessant search had passed and nothing she found. Tired of being walking

around, the wolfess opted to return to the cave. No sooner had she arrived than it started drizzling.

What at first was a light rain then became a heavy tempest, that poured down with ire.

'Where could he have gone?' she asked herself and lay down, having her eyes glazed over.

Almost two hours later, Dersaco returned with a skin sack full of provisions he had found that

morning: purple fruits, dry grass, thin pieces of logs, some charcoal, an empty bottle with water and a

beheaded turkey. He had killed and skinned a haspetch to improvise a sack, useful to isolate the stuff

from the rain.

Haspetches, similar to wild pigs but much bigger, were a savage native species from Broyanklia.

They made a very particular sound when snorted through their nose. All of them had red eyes, thick

hooves and sharp fangs. Their skin was thick and rough. Their meat was so noisome that nobody,

except dragons, dared to eat it.

'Where have you been? I was worried about you,' she told him.

'You were worried about me?' he was bewildered to hear that.

'Next time you go out, tell me where you go.'

'I didn't want to wake you up.'

'You should've told me.'

Although nobody knew, Yeran was afraid of being alone in an unknown place she had never been.

After what she had lived when she was a teenager, solitude was no longer desired. Caves were not her

favourite sites to hide.

'Anyhow, I've brought some food,' he showed her the purple fruits and the dead bird.

'You're sodden.'

'Rain got me when I was coming back.'

'I thought you had set me adrift.'

'Why would I do that?'

'Cos you don't like me.'

'We're together in this mission. Remember?'

He placed everything down and made a bonfire to cook the turkey. Both ate in silence, enjoying the

tranquillity by the fire. They soon satiated their appetite and settled down to talk.

'I owe you an apology. I became melancholic yesterday and I couldn't avoid bursting into tears.'

'It's okay.'

'I had never been so sad in my life.'

'I'm sure Lizaru still loves you.'

'I hope she does. I don't want to lose her.'

'She told me some stories about you when we were in Miadicia. She mentioned something about

engagement desire.'

'She's been talking about that since I met her. However, there'll always be a gap between us.'

'Why?'

'She wants to have offspring, and with me that's not possible. We're incompatible as we're different

species.'

'Does she really want that?'

'She told me that was her major dream.'

'She never told me she wanted offspring.'

'There must be many things she never told you.'

'There are no tigers like her in Mitriaria, only in Ashura.'

'She doesn't want to die without offspring. She's afraid her species dies off soon.'

'We all die out sometime. That's how nature works.'

'The thing is that I don't feel ready for that.'

'Nobody does.'

'The same happened with Grud. She was obsessed with that idea.'

'That's why you broke up with her?'

'Not precisely,' he denied. 'She was possessive and bossy. She wanted to have me by her side all day.

I couldn't even go visit my friends. She didn't want me to go with them.'

'But you met Lizaru thanks to her, didn't you?'

'She presented Lizaru to me during her last birthday. I guess you know what happened next.'

'You changed her for Lizaru.'

'I knew it was wrong what I was doing, but it was too late when I realised,' he made a pause to drink

water. 'I fell in love with Lizaru too soon. She made me happier than anyone. I was ashamed to tell

Grud I was dating one of her friends. I thought I would lose them both if I did, so I preferred to keep

it secret.'

'You started to ignore her and she noticed something was wrong.'

'As I wasn't capable of telling her the truth, I had the idea of splitting up. Well, you already know the

story. The fucking moron brought it to light,' he was still displeased with the wolf for having blown the

gaff in the worst moment.

'Lizaru got angry with you cos he told her that.'

'Somehow or other, someone had to tell her the truth some time. I thought it was better to wait a

few more years.'

'He just wanted to annoy you.'

'Now I truly understand why keeping secrets like those isn't a good idea. They can destroy your life

when you least expect it.'

'I'm sure Lizaru will forgive you. If she really loves you, she will.'

'I do hope she will.'

'It's odd that Grud never told her she was with you.'

'It was an affair, not a mature relationship.'

'I think she took it seriously.'

'This is the first time we spend so much time together and I haven't got mad yet. You're not as

hateful as I thought you were.'

'Am I hateful?'

'Well, sometimes you behave in certain way I could consider hateful. Lizaru told me you were

friendly and kind.'

'She was right.'

'She thought I hated you cos I didn't want to be with you.'

'Don't you hate me?'

'It's Jakso who I always hated, not you.'

'Why you and he hate so much?'

'We compete to see who the stronger one is.'

'Only males are so irrational to do that.'

'You'd never understand it. We love to be enemies. Well, sometimes that cunt goes too far.'

'You never cease to amaze me,' she said with irony.

As he was still drenched, he took his clothes off and put the tunic by the fire so that it dried off.

'I hope it doesn't bother you to see me without clothes.'

'It's not the first time I see you naked.'

'When was the first time?'

'When you were in the lake with Lizaru. I was watching from a tree.'

'Cheeky bitch!'

They were inside that cave for the next six hours until the rain abated. They walked a few kilometres

and arrived in Ankoleria. There, they found a group of yetis dressed in black who were walking back

and forth. They were carrying bags, trunks, ropes, chains, shovels, sledgehammers and pickaxes. They

had been convinced by the minotaurs to work in the mines and get gold for the king. The yetis were

permitted to live provided that they worked hard every day, from dawn to dusk, whether it rained or

not.

'We should ask them for directions,' Yeran suggested.

'I'm sure the invaders are here.'

They approached one of the yetis and asked them about mountain Femerty exact location, to which

the answer was simple. They had to travel straight towards Virkumen, a three-hundred kilometres trip,

and then climb the hills that led to the mountain.

'That fucking mountain is even farther than I thought,' Dersaco griped.

'We have to go anyway.'

'The guards won't let you pass,' the yeti warned them.

'We'll kill them all,' Yeran promised.

'How will you do that?' the yeti asked them.

'We've already killed some,' Dersaco affirmed.

'It's an easy task for us.'

Even knowing centaurs and minotaurs roamed day and night in the surroundings, the canines opted

to cross beyond. They planned to slay all the guards to set the yetis free, as well as helping their allies

cleaning up the north-western region on their own accord.

Towards Sanghaï they headed and arrived at night. They sneaked away, passing by the enemies'

shelters, and waited to catch the guards one by one when saw them alone. Yeran was in charge of

decapitating the centaurs and Dersaco was in charge of hiding their bodies inside the mines, trundling

them back. Everything went well until one of the striped hyenas, who was on a watchtower, spotted the

wolfess in the dark, a horn she blew and all the guards awakened, prepared to brawl.

'We're in a tight spot,' Yeran said.

'The best part is about to come.'

'How are we supposed to fight?'

'They can't see us in the dark,' he noticed. 'Are you afraid of them?'

'Why would I be afraid of them?'

'You tell me.'

'Shut up!'

Moving faster than usual, they torn into the enemies and lacerated their skin. Yeran used her axe to

mutilate them and Dersaco used his spear to impale them. The minotaurs, almost one hundred and

sixty, could not see in the dark so they had to use torches to illuminate the place. Jumping like a cricket,

could the coyote shun all their attacks. He was efficient when fighting against many rivals at the same

time, as a result of a constant selftraining. The centaurs shot at them, creating a rain of arrows that fell

like hail. Both had to move along to avoid being perforated. Yeran ran towards the watchtower,

climbed a long ladder, tore the hyena apart and took her crossbow.

Then, she headed for the centaurs and shot at them, ducking to keep her head away from their

shots. With her axe in hand, the wolfess maimed them one by one, moving about with alacrity, without

poncing around to think how to attack. The area ended up awash with shattered corpses and

bloodstains.

'Phew! I thought we'd never finish,' he added and had a break.

'A few hyenas ran away,' she mentioned.

'Fucking cowards! They know they can do nothing against us.'

'I think they went to search reinforcements.'

'Where did they head?'

'North.'

'We have to go after them.'

'I'm fit to drop.'

'Are you?'

'It's almost midnight. We should rest and continue tomorrow.'

'Okay then.'

As tiredness had dominated them, they spent the night inside one of the cosy shelters, breaking their

journey once more. The warriors had the chance to sleep on a comfortable mattress and lay their heads

on a feathered pillow, something both missed a lot. When lethargy was gone, they resumed their

mission, walked straight to the north and finally arrived at Domenisa peninsula. Yeran was astounded

to see the ocean for the second time, the first time was when she had abandoned her home.

'What are you looking at?' he stopped walking to look at her.

'The sea. It's so beautiful from here.'

Petrels, seagulls and albatrosses were flying around, searching fish to catch. The waves broke

continuously, the sea was agitated. Dark grey clouds surrounded the darkish coast. An escarpment

separated the sandy area from the rocky road. Pointed black stones, seeming to form grotesque figures,

protruded from the distance. Caws were the only perceptible sound.

'I remember when I was here. It's incredible how much time has passed.'

'Where were you born?'

'In a distant village called Zarek. Jakso and I were born there.'

'Does that place still exist?'

'The invaders destroyed it.'

'I don't even remember where I was born,' he murmured.

'It's chilly up here.'

They approached the seashore and wandered around aimlessly, beholding the beach as though some

sort of stroll was about, feeling a peaceful sensation of solitude. Both felt very calm there. Yeran drank

some water and breathed deeply. Her mind had filled up with memories and reminiscences from her

adolescence. Dersaco thought that would be a good place to take Lizaru as she loved beach. A scream

of pain called their attention and they turned around.

'What was that noise?' she asked.

'The invaders are here,' he said and prepared his spear to strike.

Running to the north was their next action. They saw three black dragons killing penguins who had

been hidden in a distant shelter. Nothing could those poor creatures do against the horrific black-scaled

monsters whose puffs of fire incinerated them.

'See? I told you.'

'Let's kill them.'

They headed towards them in a rush, agog for putting them to death, squared off to strike. The

warriors interrupted the scene and made them change their objective. Starving the dragons were as they

had not eaten in a month. The two canines were a delicious appetiser. Fast the winged reptiles moved

towards them, longing to devour them.

'It's time to fight,' Dersaco declared and growled.

Another treacherous battle commenced. The warriors dashed about and jumped to dodge their fatal

nibbles. With impressive rapidity, they lacerated their skin and made them bleed. Yeran used both the

blue-bladed sword and the axe while Dersaco used the spear. They tired their rivals and grasped the

chance to mutilate them when they least expected. The sand turned red, the blood squirted out of their

injured bodies, their scales came off, and their grunt and squeals resounded all over the coast. Sooner

than thought, the three savage monsters bled to death. The warriors had their clothes bloodstained.

'You fought well... for a crying puppy,' Yeran said.

'What did you say?'

'You heard me.'

'Are you trying to defy me, bitch?'

'I am. Don't want to compete with me?'

'You think you can beat me?'

'Certainly.'

'Then I'd love to see that.'

'Next rival will be all yours.'

'Watch and learn.'

They kept on running over the uneven terrain in search of the fugitive hyenas and stopped before

the hills. At a stronghold they arrived, a dozen of black minotaurs received them with their weapons

ready. Dersaco, as he had accepted the challenge, he was in charge of slaying all of them with haste. He

impaled them all in a minute and a half, showing how strong he was. He spread their blood over the

ground and beckoned her to have a look.

'That was okay for an amateur. Perhaps you couldn't do the same with tougher rivals,' she spoke.

'We've just started.'

'Next rival will be mine and you'll watch.'

'I promise not to interfere,' he swore. 'This challenge is getting really interesting,' he enjoyed when

his competitors jazzed trials up.

'You can say that again!' she was choked up.

She pulled ahead and found a sentinel roaming near a pit. No words the wolfess said, she just tore

into him and scratched him with the sword. She cut his toes, then his fingers and finally his nose. With

her axe, she broke his femurs and made him kneel, then she shredded his arms and let him bleed to

death. She had achieved that in a minute, much sooner than the coyote.

'That was un-fucking-believable,' he stressed.

'What do you say? Want to keep trying?' she asked him.

'How lucky I am to have you with me. Next rival will be mine, but I'll fight without my spear.'

'Are you kidding?'

'I'm not. Take it,' --he gave it to her.

'Look before you leap.'

'I gird up my loins to suffer the consequences of my decision.'

'You're nutty as a fruitcake.'

'Some constraint doesn't come amiss,' he wanted to enliven the challenge by limiting the benefits on

his side, supposing it would pep it up.

He went forwards, ran almost two kilometres without stopping, and found the hyenas in front of a

tor. They were trying to escape from the gryphons, who had just arrived at the region.

'I was expecting to find a real rival, not these crappy vermin.'

With a loping stride, he approached and warned them about his overwhelming brutality, telling them

their seconds were counted. An unexpected presence made him turn around. A very strong opponent

was coming for him. Yeran, who was some metres behind her companion, also noticed the imminent

archenemy. Behind a curtain of dust, the colossal figure was looming up. It was a kratsuke, a musclebound blue-skinned minotaur protected with an iron suit of armour, who was carrying a ten metres

long serrated sword and a gigantic axe. When Dersaco had it in front, he got very contented. He finally

had a worthy adversary to confront.

'This will be great!' he murmured, unaware of the peril he was exposing himself to.

Yeran told him it was better for him to fight with his weapon, but he brushed her suggestion aside.

He insisted that he was strong enough to fight like a real male. No weapons were necessary.

'I'm ready,' he hollered and moved forwards.

With all his smugness on, he hurled himself at him in a desperate attempt to strike him hard. The

kratsuke disappeared all of a sudden and reappeared at his rear, kicked him in the back and knocked

him down, leaving him critically injured. If the blow had been a little bit stronger, Dersaco would have

had his spine broken.

'No way!' she said and interrupted.

Before the monster split his body in half, the wolfess intervened and stopped the giant sword with

her hands. The exertion made was not enough; she was having her skin cut.

'What the hell are you doing here? This is my fight, bitch!' he castigated her. 'Get the fuck out!'

'Help me!'

He stood up and attacked the giant minotaur's legs with the blue-bladed sword. He stepped back a

trifle, with his sword in his right hand and the axe in the other. The following roar stunned them,

warning them he was not a normal foe. In less than a second, he kicked them and then pounced on

them. He broke their bones with his hooves, making them scream with desperation. Just when he was

about to behead them with the axe, an unexpected bright shot got him from the back and made him

explode, leaving blood spattered on the ground.

'I can't move...' Dersaco bemoaned having faced that monster. Blind with pain he was.

'I'm dying...' Yeran murmured and fainted.

They were suffering the consequences of their crash-and-burn game. They never imagined a

juggernaut like that could beat them so fast. Kratsukes were not common enemies; they were much

stronger and faster than other minotaurs.

'Yeran... wake up...' he pleaded her.

An unknown small creature appeared out of nowhere and pronounced some words. Dersaco was

too disconcerted to listen with clarity. He closed his eyes and became unconscious.