Rion darted through the natural roads of Redwood Basin and made his way to the home with a wide grin stretched across his face.
He didn’t understand why, but a strange yet familiar warmth was bustling in his chest. It wasn’t the first time he had felt it. He had first felt it when he had gazed at the world outside the wooden walls of the Doctor’s hut and when he had touched the ground with his own feet.
It was the warmth that had always been with him during the most precious moments of his life, and today was no exception.
His leather sandals scraped off the dirt as he ran through the settlement with the single thought of reaching his parents.
After a few minutes of sprinting, he reached the place closest to his heart.
He looked at the hut with the same unrestrained grin and walked towards the door with his heart beating against his chest like a drum against a wall.
Even though Rion had been part of the modern world in his past life. The excitement of the tradition was still overwhelming.
His beliefs and thoughts were already shaped into those of someone who had always lived the tribal life of Dhaevraks.
So, feeding the meal prepared from his first hunt to his parents meant just as much to him as it did to the other young warriors of his tribe.
He exhaled softly, and everything that had happened up to that point began to resurface in his mind.
From opening his tiny eyes at the ceiling of the doctor’s hut to the act of sneaking out of the hut to join the Den at the mere age of eight to finally taking part in the ritual of becoming a squad member... a warrior worthy enough to know the secrets of the deep southern forest.
His rapidly beating heart calmed down, and he slowly lifted his hand to pull the door.
Creak...
He opened the door and looked inside with bated breath, much to his surprise, both Lara and Haden were there. Even though Haden usually didn’t stay at home during this hour.
Lara smiled and said warmly, "How long are you going to just stand there? Get in."
He nodded and stepped inside with hitched breath as the importance of what he was about to do began to weigh on his mind.
Haden walked over to him, patted his shoulder and said slowly, "From today on, you will have to learn many things that you haven’t before, and some of them may even sound absurd, but all of it is true."
The advice wasn’t just as a Father but also as a Hunter — a hunter that had reached the pinnacle of it.
However, Rion held a different view of his words as he thought, ’I would’ve loved it if you had said it as just the father...’
Nonetheless, he didn’t focus on his gloomy thoughts and gave him a solemn nod, then replied with a wide smile, "You don’t have to worry about me."
Haden looked into his eyes for a moment and mumbled in a mere whisper, "I am proud of you."
Unfortunately, Rion was unable to hear his words because he had already walked over towards Lara.
Lara ruffled his shoulder-length raven-black hair and asked warmly, "So? What did you catch?"
His face paled a little, and he answered while scratching the back of his head, "Dark wolf..."
Her warm smile widened into a cold one, and she said, "So you went out of your way to catch a dark wolf that is considered one of the hardest catches?"
’I thought so too, but it wasn’t even hard,’ he thought and smartly chose not to voice them. He didn’t want to get kicked out during the tradition.
"Anyways," he muttered and quickly bolted towards the kitchen. He picked up a wooden plate and emptied the leather pouch on it.
The aroma of the cooked meat filled the room, and he stepped towards them with a smile tugging at his lips.
He stood before them with the plate and said softly, while offering it to them, "Please allow me to know of the south."
Unexpectedly, Haden walked forward and took the plate from him. He picked up a piece of it and began to eat without a single word.
Lara and Rion watched him eat with surprised expressions, and a few moments later, he offered the plate to her.
She looked at the plate for a moment before taking it and doing the same.
"You forgot to add salt to it," Haden commented and walked towards the door.
Rion turned towards him and replied while scratching the back of his head, "I wasn’t the one who prepared it."
Haden stooped in his tracks, turned his head back and suggested in a serious tone, "If you wish to become a squad leader, you have to think of mistakes made by your squad members as your own."
’Their mistakes as my own...’ Rion repeated Haden’s advice in his head and nodded seriously as he planted it in himself.
Haden looked at him for a few moments before turning his head forward. He slightly pushed the wooden door and left.
Lara also finished eating a piece and said, "Who helped you prepare it? He is quite good at cooking, just a few minor mistakes... well, not like those Den brutes teach you all cooking."
Rion smiled wryly at his mother’s blatant dislike towards the Den... well, which mother wouldn’t hate a place whose only existence was to teach their kid how to kill?
"Karhun helped me," he replied with a confident smile.
However, his smile faltered slightly upon seeing Lara’s eyes widen in surprise.
She blinked a few times and asked in a doubtful tone, "You have other friends than Dora?"
His smile faltered completely, and he turned around to leave.
The main reason why he didn’t have many friends came from his being different from other kids; he was the son of the Dragonslayer and a former princess, he was stronger and sharper than the kids of his age, and he had different values from them.
Most wanted to become strong, but he simply wanted to see the whole world, and strength was just a key towards his goal... a goal that may not even begin.
She chuckled, hugged him from behind and added, "Haha! I am just kidding. You know how much I love you, don’t you? My cute little king."
He smiled foolishly and nodded before stepping out of the hut.