On the northern foot of the Dolwa Mountain Range, an antelope grazed on pasture. Green grass grew in the cracks of the rocky, rugged terrain.
An elderly man crouched with a spear in his arms. As he approached, the antelope lifted its head, then went back to grazing.
The elderly man stepped on a dry branch. It snapped. The sound sent the antelope bolting for its life.
The elderly man surged in pursuit and hurled his spear halfway through the chase. The antelope changed direction, veering west.
"Brat! What are you waiting for?" the elderly man shouted.
Just as the antelope ran past a thick bush, it slipped. It scrambled back to its feet, took two more steps, and slipped again.
A boy in animal furs burst from the bush with a spear in his hand. As the antelope tried to stand, the boy thrust the spear forward. The rusty iron tip pierced the antelope's flesh.
The antelope leapt back to its feet and sped toward the nearest forest.
The boy gave chase.
His eyes stayed locked on the antelope, the spear still lodged in its belly as blood streamed out.
"Brat, quick!" the elderly man shouted, urging the boy to finish the job.
The boy stopped, closed his eyes. The antelope slipped again.
When the boy opened his eyes, the elderly man had already run past him and hurled his own spear. The weapon pierced straight through the antelope's throat.
"Edwin, my boy, you're improving," Azazel praised. "Another juicy meal. Let's hunt one more."
"Old man, I'm tired." Edwin sat down, chest heaving. "Isn't this the fourth hunt today already?"
"Brat, you call rabbits hunts?" Azazel scolded. "Go get the rabbits before some wandering idiot feasts on them." He pointed at the thick bush Edwin had used for the ambush. "What makes you think you're the only predator around here, foolish boy?"
"Old man, I'm serious. I'm running out of Myrr. I need to rest. We've been doing this for three days straight."
"Brat, don't forget, you only managed to hunt a single rabbit the whole damn three days."
Edwin quietly moved to gather the rabbits.
When he returned, Azazel had already removed the spears from the antelope.
"Edwin, my boy, quickly put it on your shoulder." Azazel glanced at the clear sky. "Let's go before the smell of blood invites a guest neither of us wants to play with."
Edwin looked at Azazel with a grim eye.
"My boy, you want to burden an elderly man with this heavy weight? Oh, didn't they teach you good manners? Young boys and girls should take care of the elderly." Azazel carried the two spears.
Edwin tied the three rabbits to his waist. He bent down, heaved the antelope onto his shoulders, and followed behind Azazel.
"Old man, tomorrow I'm not coming here again," he said as he walked, his breaths becoming heavier.
Azazel kept moving. "Boy, you're still far from complete assimilation, but your progress is good. You're putting your heart into this."
"How long does it take to achieve complete assimilation?"
"It varies depending on one's talent and dedication." Azazel stroked his beard. "The more you dedicate your time to mastering your ability, the quicker you attain complete assimilation."
"Brat, in your village, are there swordsmen?"
Edwin thought back to the village. It had not been long since the assassination attempt on him. He thought about Shaman Zu and the rest, mostly Mama Valentina and Caterina.
"Brat, you can't go back. Not yet. The village already tried to kill you once. Do you think they're going to let you live if you return?"
"Even if that isn't the case, a weakling like you isn't making it through the horror lake and forest."
Hollowing images of the three sirens made Edwin appreciate the old man more.
"Unlike you, I still have people waiting for me, you know?" Edwin replied, pulling the weight of the antelope. His steps were slow. "I should say clearly, goddesses are waiting for me back at home."
"Hahaha. Brat, if goddesses are waiting for you, then who might I be? A god." Azazel laughed.
"Brat, are swordsmen present in your village?"
"Is there a village without them? Of course they're present, a lot of them." Edwin answered, dropping the antelope down. He sat, panting.
He gasped for air, then took out a sack of water and drank it in one go, running the sack dry. His thirst was quenched.
"Have you observed it? Have you grasped it, brat? Even if you're not thinking about it, even if your thoughts are somewhere else, your legs are still carrying you toward your destination."
"It's called reflex, where an action is bound to one's subconscious so they don't have to think about it, yet the body moves. Just like swordsmen who have trained with dedication can fight even in their sleep."
"Assimilation is the same." Azazel kept talking. "Master your cinder and you will attain complete assimilation. How long it will take depends on your talent and dedication."
---
After walking for over seven hundred steps, they arrived at a huge vertical rocky crack.
A strange blazing flame danced outside the crack's opening. The flame had a translucent silver color with drifting glyphs inside.
Behind the opening stood the cave, Azazel's house.
The sun was about to set by the time Azazel and Edwin arrived.
"Huff… it has been a long day," Azazel stroked his belly. "I'm hungry."
They walked through the crack into the corridor that led to the wide chamber where the fire pit was. After Edwin entered, Azazel closed the opening with a door made of animal skin and bamboo.
"Filthy human, you made your pitiful life useful today?" Kelo said as Edwin dropped the antelope and the rabbits. She picked up the rabbits.
"Filthy rabbit, look, I just slew your brethren. Hahaha!" Edwin teased Kelo.
"Human, who are you calling 'rabbit'?" She dropped the rabbits, her chest puffing up.
"Kelo, quick, prepare the fire. I'm dying of hunger." Azazel broke the tension.
"Master, what is this filthy human doing here? Living rent-free and eating our food?"
"I guess you mean eating my food. If you ask, that's what it appears," Edwin pushed back.
"A single bountiful hunt has already gone to this human's head." She picked up the rabbits and dragged the antelope toward the fire pit.
Edwin stared at her, then closed his eyes as she moved. She stumbled, her leg missing its footing. She fell, dropping the rabbits.
"Filthy human!" She shouted, her voice echoing through the chamber. "We should have left you to be food for those witches."