After sleeping, the next day the boy got up.The man looked at him — that mysterious man who never revealed his name, the one who appeared in Nama's life after he got lost in the mountains for years as a small child, only to take him under his wing and teach him things no human had known.
"Wake up, boy. Today, there's no place for rest. Today, the real journey begins."He said it in his coarse voice as he tied a piece of leather around his waist in preparation to leave.
The training began that very day. At first, it was simple: how to use his body, how to maintain balance, how to listen to the wind and understand its direction, how to feel the weight of the earth under his feet. Then it became harder: climbing steep cliffs, running among rugged rocks, fighting with sticks, archery, setting traps, and how to sneak without being heard.
Every afternoon, the old man would disappear into the depths of the mountains. He would go out alone with deliberate steps and always return with a deer, a mountain rabbit, or sometimes a small rock fox. He would dissect the animal, explain to Nama the organs, how they worked, what their purpose was. He taught him how to cut the skin without tearing it, how to keep the meat tender, and how to cook the food over a quiet fire without ruining it.
The First YearIn his first year, the boy was silent, learning. He fell many times. He cried in silence. He once broke a bone while trying to climb an oak tree. The man did not comfort him, he only wrapped the bone in cloth, tied it with a stick, and said:"If you want to stay weak, keep crying. But if you want to live, stand up."
The Third YearBy the third year, the boy had grown stronger. His muscles began to show, and his eyes burned with caution. He didn't speak much, but he memorized every word the man said. He started joining him on some hunting trips, learning how to move without being seen. How to wait for the right moment, and how to throw the spear at the decisive instant.
The Fifth YearThe man began teaching him more complex things. How to craft hidden traps, how to read footprints, how to hide his scent from wolves. He started to talk a little about the world—distant cities, people who didn't live like them. But the old man was cautious, never saying everything, as if his past held secrets he feared.
The Ninth YearOn a stormy night, with lightning and thunder shaking the mountain, the man said:"The truth of this world is hard. You will understand why there is hope in defeating the dogs."
The Eleventh YearThe boy made his first sword. It wasn't sharp, but it was made with passion. He gathered bones from their old prey, polished them with stone, tied them with deer hide, and added small nails he crafted from fox finger bones. It was a primitive weapon — but it resembled him.
The Sixteenth YearThe boy turned sixteen. He had become a strong young man, with long hair tied behind him and eyes like hawks. But the old man had begun to change.
He sat for longer periods. Breathed with difficulty. Sometimes he'd fall asleep while preparing food. And when the boy asked him, he'd say, "These mountains are draining my strength... but now, you can continue alone."
The boy didn't understand what was happening, but he kept training. He'd go out every morning, practice fighting alone, battle his shadows, prepare food by himself, and treat the wounds of the animals caught in their traps.
Then one ominous day...
The boy left at dawn. He climbed the mountain to the north, where he usually found young deer herds. He left the man in the cave, sleeping under his leather cloak.
But in his absence, danger approached.
A pack of wild dogs — hungry and reckless — crept through the rocks. Led by a massive male with a long scar on his face. They entered the cave, drawn by the scent of meat, and found the man alone.
A brief battle ensued — the old man stood no chance. He resisted as much as he could, but the teeth of time had already claimed him.
At that very moment, from afar...The boy heard something strange. A scream — not like any scream. A man's cry of pain. His feet froze, then he started to run.
He ran like the earth was on his shoulders. Jumped over rocks, thorns cut him, but he did not stop. He reached the cave, stood at the entrance, and smelled blood.
He rushed in.
The scene... was horrific.The man, sprawled on the ground, blood covering the stones. The dogs snarling around him. Some biting into his flesh, others preparing to attack the newcomer.
Silence. One moment.
Then the boy screamed — a scream that made even the dogs recoil a little.
He drew his sword — his bone-made sword.
He leapt at them like a beast, his eyes glowing like fire, his voice thundering with rage. It wasn't an easy battle. The fighting was intense. There was no chance to flee — the dogs had surrounded him from every side.
Then finally, one of the dogs struck him hard — knocked him down. And while on the ground, tears began to fall.
He stood up.
His eyes, burning with fury, darted left and right. In a swift strike, the first dog fell. Then the second.
Only a few remained, but the boy's strength was fading.
"I will return one day... and I will finish these dogs," the boy said.
The dog replied, "You'll have to do much more than that, Adlof."
The hybrid dog walked away, saying his name was Santras.
After the dogs left, Adlof collapsed to the ground."There is a long road ahead... I must become stronger," he said.
He stood and left the cave.
He wandered the paths until he collapsed near a small village.