Logan was running for about an hour.
He had been out in the forest since morning and wandering around the woods all day.
The sun was setting in the west, as the sky was painted in beautiful shades of red and violet, descending slowly behind the Blackstone Mountain.
Growl~
His stomach growled, as he hadn't eaten anything aside from bread in the morning.
"Ahhh!" he groaned.
He fell onto his knees, then drew a long breath. Ever since he was a kid, when he forces himself too much, his head would start to feel like it would split in half.
"The headache is killing me, but if I rest here any longer, I might not be able to reach the village before night," he breathed.
His father spent a large fortune to cure his illness, but nonetheless, it was never cured!
Even the most experienced healers couldn't give him a proper diagnosis, let alone cure his headache.
Even though he felt like his head would explode, he kept running like a madman in the village's direction.
The sun had already disappeared. He couldn't afford to be distracted because of his headache.
Logan's mind was in chaos. He used to live like a prince, showered with love and affection that very few people received in their whole life.
Then a dark look appeared on his face as his crimson eyes shone with hatred and rage.
How could he forget those savage wolves? They had killed his father, injured his mother, and slaughtered hundreds of men and children!
"If not for the sacrifice of Elders and Chief…" He abruptly stopped his chaotic thoughts, as he saw a massive towering black stone wall in the distance.
Ignoring his headache and bad memories, he smiled faintly.
He had finally reached his home, Stonewall Village!
Stonewall Village was built three hundred years ago. The first Chief and his followers came here to settle down near the Blackstone Mountain.
The lake that formed because of melted snow and spring provided them with water, and they used the mountain rocks to build walls around the village, and they established themselves here as one of the Nine Great Villages scattered around in the Dark Forest.
—
"Logan, is that you! What the hell are you doing this late in the forest?" A timid but hoarse voice came from the side.
Logan, jolted by the sudden question, moved in the direction of the voice. "Brukk?"
He saw a tall, brown-haired man coming out of the woods carrying a deer on his shoulders. Well, calling the man 'tall' in front of him would be an insult! It would be much better if he addressed him as a giant.
Aside from the intimidating huge physique of Brukk, the characteristics that shone brightly were the scars on his face and hands, giving him an overall barbarian vibe.
Brukk was staring at him like he saw a ghost in the middle of the night.
"Dumbass! What are you looking at?" Logan said annoyingly as he saw Brukk looking at him like an idiot.
"Nothing," he shook his huge head.
Even after a long pause… he kept glaring at Logan.
Logan sighed and then asked tiredly, "Do you want to say something?"
"You look like shit. Let me help you!" Brukk laughed, looking at his weak friend acting all mighty, as he moved and forcefully grabbed the deer's skin and meat from Logan's back.
A faint smile appeared on Logan's face, but he hid it immediately and kicked Brukk's stomach. "Idiotic bastard! Give me back my meat. I can carry it myself," he shouted as he followed Brukk running towards the East gate of the stone wall.
"Hahaha, catch me if you can!" he giggled, as the kick had just tickled him. "Let's see! If you can catch me before we reach the memorial stone," he shouted, glancing back at his angry but cute friend.
Brukk slowed himself down so that Logan could follow him. He didn't want his half-dead friend to die while trailing him.
Hahaha!
He was laughing loudly.
"This idiot!" Logan sighed and silently followed Brukk. He knew arguing with this idiot wouldn't help him by any means.
After the death of his father, Logan had become somewhat cold and distant to most people. Except for this giant friend, who always butted in his life.
Who wouldn't want a friend like Brukk?
He was strong, kind, and protected him from bullies in the martial school. Aside from the fact that he was a little naive—well, a fool or idiot would sound much better for him!
Logan chuckled.
"Who in their right mind would fight a savage bear with bare hands just to save a rabbit? They might be cute and fluffy at first sight, but they have no meat on their body!" Logan sighed as he remembered their first hunt. If his father was not present there, they both would have died under the bear's paw.
Logan was cursing Brukk as he dragged his tired body and, after reaching the east gate, he collapsed on the ground.
"Wait! You idiot. I will die if I keep… running… Hah… Hah… Wait! Let me catch some air!" Logan begged Brukk as he lay on the ground breathing hoarsely.
He was finally inside the stone walls, and the beasts no longer posed any danger to him.
He could see guards patrolling the tall walls with torches in their hands. His father used to work here as a guard before leaving the night's watch and becoming a hunter.
His black hair was in a mess.
"This bastard! Did he want me to die?" he cursed.
He was looking at the starry sky, lying lifelessly on the ground, as the moonlight was falling onto his pale white face, and his red eyes were shining like rubies amidst the dark night. If not for his tattered, dirty, and old clothes, he would've looked like a prince from a romance webnovel.
"You okay, Logu? Drink some water," Brukk said gently as he grabbed his water bag and gave it to Logan.
This time Logan didn't refuse or act tough. He drank some of it and threw it back to Brukk.
That damn water bag was so big and heavy!
"I'm… sorry, Logu."
There were tears flowing from Brukk's big round eyes.
Logan knew it was not Brukk's mistake.
"Hey! Don't cry. It's not your fault," Logan sighed, trying to stop his big giant friend from drenching him in tears.
"Just let me rest here for some time, I'll be fine." Logan smiled faintly and laid on the ground again. He closed his eyes and started to think about the things that happened today.
From time to time, Logan kept hearing whispers of people passing from their sides, talking about some mannerless, frail-looking brat and a giant moron lying in the middle of the road.
He knew who they were talking about, but he was too tired to move or be angry at them for calling him a frail-looking brat!
But they were god damn right about Brukk.
He glanced at the side where Brukk was lying. Logan saw him sleeping peacefully… drooling over his face!
"..."
Sigh~
A large sigh escaped his mouth.