The liquid that was covering the arrow was poison that could kill anything living or dead... But since the people who used it on Hajime had no intentions of killing anyone. They weakened the poison just enough to knock anyone on conscience.
A moment later, after the poison had completely taken its effects. Two people appeared behind some trees, each carrying a bow.
Their faces unclear, and one of the wore armor dressed in silver chains.
The armor looked similar to the ones the imperial knights wore. The only difference was the chains. The imperial knight's armor had no chains on them, and their armor had no silver.
"It's just a kid." One of them said as their approached.
"It's better than nothing." The other replied as he grabs the arrow on Hajime and starts to pull it out.
"I guess... But can't we just leave him here and look for some more... I mean, look at him. will he even sell at a good price?" The first one said as he turned looking at the direction Hajime had appeared from.
The other turned as he carries Hajime off the ground while the arrow, he pulled out of him in his hands.
"...No, and no. You know why?"
He starts to move away from where his friend was standing, while with Hajime on his shoulder.
"I don't have a decent amount of equipment on me, because of our last fight with those knights. So, just imagine for once, if we go where this kid was coming from, we will sure be cooked, because the knights we faced last time came from the same direction" He protested as he twists his head looking at some moon light bugs on some fallen tree.
"You worry so much, remember, I could have taken down those knights all by myself back there."
"I know that. Now if you could just imagine how many knights are in the location the kid was coming from."
With that, he struck a chord.
"What's that supposed to mean... You know I can do more than fight." His tone furious.
His friend didn't reply but just ignored him by looking the other way.
"You dare ignore-"
Suddenly, gust of mana that blow by like the wind passed by him before he could finish talking.
"His hand suddenly stiffened up, his legs started shaking like he had seen death standing in front of him. The bow he was carrying slipped in his fingers and fell on some leaves. Producing a feint sound that piqued his friend's attention.
"Is something wrong?" Curious with the sudden silence from his friend. He asked.
But his friend didn't reply immediately. He looked like he froze with shock because of the mana that passed him. He stayed quiet for a second or two while he kept looking at the direction the mana had flowed from as his friend stared at him with a confused gag expression.
"...Let's get out of here..."
"What? Did you come back to your senses?" His friend asked, with a goofy smile on his face, as his friend turned picking up his arrow, and started approaching his friend with Hajime.
"No... But it's a bad idea for us to stay here any longer..."
He passed his friend without looking at him and without looking back, as his hands flinched in terror.
His friend did not notice that his friend was shaking in fear. He just started following him as they both kept their mouths shut and without uttering a word as the left the scene where they had found Hajime.
A few moments later, after they had left the scene where they had found Hajime. They came across a dusty road which looked like it was separating the forest in two different woods. And from a distance on this road, there was a carriage lying in wait with a single horse, and there appeared like some lights were coming from the inside of this carriage. But by the side flame of this carriage, they was blood and something that looked like two people sleeping on the dusty ground.
They approached the carriage without hesitation, and they looked like they weren't even phased by what was in front of them.
The one who wore the armor took the lead as his friend was still carrying Hajime.
"After they had reached the carriage. The one who was carrying Hajime placed him behind the carriage and went to sit in the front seat of the carriage in order to make the carriage to start moving. As his armored friend stayed behind it with Hajime.
"Where should we head to first?!" The one in front asked.
"I was thinking of the boarder!" He added as he turned to look behind him.
"...Not yet. We should go to the nearest river first, to clean the smell of blood from the carriage." The armored one replied inside the carriage.
"Your right! We should head to the nearest river, and when morning comes, we'll procced to the boarder!" He stopped for a moment to turn and face the horse. Then he continued, "Hold on tight!" As he smacked the horse to start moving.
And with that, they were on their way.
Back to the village, on the training ground. Reiko's barrier was still up, and she and the others were still waiting for Xou to retain with Hajime.
Reiko looked anxious and Rica looked worried, while Zuo was sitting on a tree that was lying on the ground with its roots out. He was hitting his right foot down softly and in anticipation of Xou's retain.
He was holding on to a black crystal on a neckless, as a small amount sweat run face.
He was worried for Xou, Since Xou was his only brother and he had never been late to anything if he said he can do the thing. But with him gone for so long, he couldn't mind but worry.
Suddenly, as he was about to look at the crystal to give himself hope that his brother was going to retain. The crystal cracked open, and in a blink of the eye, it turned white, and turning into a normal rock.
"...What...?" He uttered, staring at the rock on the neckless.
"...This can't be true..." He continued to mutter.
Reiko and Rica turned to face him and see what was going on with him. But the moment Reiko had completely turned, her eyes wondered straight on the neckless.
The moment she had made contact with it she knew that... Xou was not coming back anytime soon.
She raised her thumb close to her mouth and with a dead look in her eyes bit it and looked away facing the village, as Rica looked at her with a confused but worried look on her face.
She had no idea with what was going on, when suddenly Zuo continued, "...Xou is dead..." While tears start to fall off his face like someone had broken a pipe with running water in it.