After couple of days waning thro swamps, climbing thro branches, and crossing thick bushes, both of them looked like old flor rags. They had water to drink from springs passed, but it was different with food. Also, if you can go without food, it doesn’t mean you’re not hungry. The hunger never goes away; you just don’t starve. The road was getting longer, because Kiyeri tried to bypass all towns on the way, not risking any more encounters. When the finish line is so close, they have to avoid problems. Not to mention the fact, that last couple of weeks, they are too easily discovered. It’s like someone knows where they are at all times. Last time, they stayed in a village for a couple of days, and soldiers just popped up from nowhere one morning. Because of this, he had to strategically fall from that cliff. And now, this last incident. They hadn’t even rested for two hours and still were discovered. All evidence shows they are being followed.

Fourth evening of this travel nearing the end, the forest changed again, from the bushes to tall conifers. All trees grew with big spaces between, tall and mighty, swinging in wind, carrying sweet smell of sap. Kiyeri felt like he finally could breathe full lungs of fresh air and space opened up a little. The ground was covered in nice soft moss and every step felt a little lighter. Little bushes with small leaves started to appear bit by bit. Some of them had berries, red, round and plump, shining in evening glow. Even looking at them made one salivate from that juicy sweet and sour aroma.

Kiyeri didn’t even had time to open his mouth when someone grabbed him on the wrist. That grab was so sudden, that he even lost his balance for a second.

 “Kiye, look! Drunkards!“ Ashiya's face was practically glowing from anticipation, „Can we stop and have a taste?“. Still holding Kiyeris wrist he seemed to almost squat from joy. By looking at this Kiyeri left conflicted, it may be funny, but not pretty. Pittifull maybe? He didn't know.

„What do you mean, taste? You have tasted them before. And quit this jumping/squatting... It‘s unsightly, what kind of grown man acts like that?“ Kiyeri ripped out his wrist with force, „You do remember, right? I brought ten of these berries for you during my mission in the south and later regretted it. You became so drunk, that you turned upside down the whole pavilion!“.

Ashiya turned away his eyes, „Yes, I remember... But I ate them alone that time. Also, there is nothing to turn upside down here“, he said with such conviction, Kiyeri was left speechless.

„...Nothing to turn..?“. Kiyeri pressed his fingers to his temples and rubbed on them, but it did not help. He lifted his eyes again gazing at that excited young man and spoke again „I‘m speechless from this argument“. Ashiya just smiled brilliantly, but for some reason, Kiyeri could not look at him any longer, something seemed to send a shock to his chest. So he looked around. Brightly red sky was hugging tree tops on the evening side, the whether was getting cold. The two of them traveled a long way avoiding any, people or roads. It was very quiet, only birds singing on branches.

Ashiya did not back down, „ Drunkards are so rare, I can collect them all here, while Kye can rest. We can eat a handful and sell the rest at the market, or exchange them for clothes and food. How about that?“

„Well, now it sounds like an actual argument“, Kiyeri thought to himself. Ashiya was right, these berries were extremely expensive. They were only suitable for harvesting one week in autumn and it was now, when they are red. Any earlier, and they have nothing to offer, no toxin, no healing abilities, no taste. Any latter, and they will fall and rot right away, becoming poisonous. They are difficult to find, the fact they just stumbled on this plot of land was pure luck.

„Okay...“ Kiyeri let out a breath, „It is deep in the forest and undiscovered yet, but keep your guard up, just in case. We can sleep here tonight. You go collect the berries and I will set up the camp“, he said, while unbuttoning letter pouch from his belt and giving it to Ashiya.

The drool on Ashiya's lips was practically visible, eyes shining be quickly grabbed the pouch and crouched right there and then, collecting from the nearest bush.

Kiyeri just raised his eyebrows, a difficult look on his face, „Do you really miss the taste of the wine this badlly?“ mulling in this line of thout, he wached Ashiya work with dedication for a couple more seconds, before turning away and going to look for some wood to make a campfire.

While Ashiya cleaned all and every red berrie from bushes, not even leaving one behind, Kiyeri took care of firewood and collected a mountain of moss, which will be used for beds. Cold evenings only just started to show up, but nights are not comfortable to sleep anywhere anymore. At the same time, when Kiyeri had finished building these forest beds about fire, Ashiya came back, proudly showing off a full pouch.

„Wow, it didn‘t seem that much when we came here. With this quantity, we can make some money“, Kiyeri said.

„Mhm“, Ashiya answered satisfied with himself, „Should I light up the fire?“

„Please, do“, Kiyeri smiled.

Ashiya gave bag full of berries to him and moved to campfire. With his right thumb, he circled one time on his left palm and fire instantly erupted in it, carefully, Ashiya brought fire close to cone of branches in the middle, lighting them up.

Watching this process, Kiyeri could feel seed of envy deep within him move, but it died at the same moment, drowning in sense of admiration. Theoretically, everyone could manipulate mana in their body. The ones who wanted to study this energy, could enroll in the academy and take exams after turning sixteen. To pass it, one has to have good theoretical knowledge of mana and be able to send its current one way, for example, to injury and make it heal, or lead it out from their body and give to another. If one passes this exam, then by the time they are eighteen, they can enroll in the military branch, by proving the capability of mana flow to two sides at the same time. The most exceptional warriors were noticed by military chefs and made into candidates for receiving elemental Sigil, the biggest honor one can get. When the time comes to transfer Sigil from an old person to a young one, the best of the best are chosen for this.

Ashiya and Kiyeri were in those ranks. One year ago, Ashiya successfully received his Fire Sigil and finally could turn his mana to a higher existence – fire. Kiyeri also had to receive his Sigil from the old Master and Sigil bearer, who was ready to retire, but the ceremony failed, Sigil Wardens did something wrong in their ritual, in that event, Metal Sigil vanished and most people participating died. That was the day Kiyeri lost everything he worked so hard for.

Lost in this thout, he sat down on a log and looked at the young man, who was staking branches into the fire. That pretty face looked to serious for task like this, it made Kiyeri smile unknowingly. Somewhere deep in his memories was buried a phrase, that came to the surface out of nowhere in the form of a whisper, „Only in complete darkness can light burn the brightest...“

„Mm?“ Ashiya lifted his head.

„I‘m asking how many berries you want to eat?“ – Kiyeri replied playfully, taking two drunkards from the pouch and rolling them in his palm. Kiyeri could see Ashiya brighten up for only a second and then go serious again.

„Only a few...“ he turned away completely. „Or maybe none. Better next time“.

Kiyeri found this weird, „Werent you the one, who begged to stop here and eat them? Where is this coming from?“. But mere seconds after finishing this thought, he realized the problem. He came to sit on the mountain of moss behind Ashiya and gestured to him by tapping two times on it. Ashiya came to sit next to him immediately.

Kiyeri asked in a small voice, still playing with berries in his palm, „You want me to sleep at least a little and you arfaid to get drunk and fall asleep also?“

Ashiya pressed his lips together, so Kiyeri continued after the pause, „You are afraid I will be gone Beyond, while asleep and you will not be there to wake me up? You know I can rest, just by sitting a little, I don't need sleep. Besides, someone needs to be on guard for people and wild animals. So eat.“

„I will stand guard, Kye should rest“, Ashiya didn‘t surrender.

Kiyeri sighted demonstratively, „When you bring trouble to me, by fighting some villagers, you are not remorseful, but when I try to spoil you a little, you turn into a knight“. He made sure to put the bag of berries on moss next to them, so Ashiya could see, then came closer to him and couped up his chin in his hand and turned to make Ashiya face him directly. Both of Ashiyas eyebrows were instantly on the top of his forehead from this unexpected move, Kiyeri also felt, like he may crossed the line with this, but it was already done, so no point in turning back.

Three, five, then more seconds passed with them frozen like that, faces apart by meer inches, but Kiyeri did nothig else, just stared squerly into Ashiyas eyes, finaly, Ashiya opened his mouth to speak.

„What...“

That same instant Kiyeri showed drunkards he was holding in his other hand into Ashiya's mouth and pressed his chin shut, making it bite on them, then started laughing, but no one could tell if he laughed from this joke or because he felt awkward.

The two of them met five years ago, when Ashiya was put as a punishment into battalion, Kiyeri was leading at the time. The talented, smart, and brave young man instantly was spotted by Kiyeri. He loved to curb smart-ass noble ones like Ashiya, but for some reason, soon after joining, that young man started to calm down and did not make any more huge problems, like at the start. In one year, that hotheaded prince became compliant and simple, and in the end, he confessed his feelings to Kiyeri. That took Kiyeri by surprise and he decided to hold as much space as possible between them. Every commoner like him knew one golden rule – do not associate with nobles, if you care for your life. After that messy part, now their communication is on the delicate side and often awkward if simply put.

„There, problem solved. You can drink today and I will keep guard“, Kiyeri laughed while turning back to sit on his own moss bed, tossing that pouch to Ashiya. That lord looked like he was somehow wronged and stared angrily at the one who did that. After a short „hmt“ he started to chew on more berries himself. At the same time, Kiyeri lay on his back and crossed his and behind his head, watching the countless stars in the sky and listening to the sound of sparks in the fire.

In that black sky, surrounded by every color and size of stars was seated around the full moon. Kiyeri was thinking about how rarely they could gaze into the sky so beautiful this year. They ran all around, many times sleeping in cold basements or debilitated shacks, staying completely silent.

From early childhood, he always was fascinated by celestial bodies and their movement. Children in this Kingdom often hear stories, about how special are noble people in their land especially Sigil bearers, even stars follow them and light up the way as they go. It was said, that no other land can see stars, because they only shine here, for the chosen ones. As a child, he was fasinated by these stories, but growing up and enrolling in the military taught him otherwise. Any soldier who traveled to a distant land could see the same sky there, nothing different.

Humming his favorite song from childhood, Kiyeri went down memory lane, thinking about other bearers: „I wonder how they are.”

Suddenly, he heard a sharp whistle, but before he could identify it, a sharp pain pierced his stomach. Instinctively crouching he looked down and saw an arrow, piercing straight through his abdomen.