The sun had begun to shine, and its light reached the trees and the birds. The voices of the birds rose frequently, and the rain had finally stopped. Aron had built a capable shelter to withstand the rain and rest relentlessly.
A snail was slowly crawling on a leaf. And finally, Aron woke up. He yawned, covering his mouth with his right hand, and then began to get energized. He was still tired — his shoulder had been fixed, but it was aching again. Around him lay the sword. It felt like an older brother to Aron, protecting him in ways no one else had. He stood up, the dust falling off his body, and felt quite hungry. He then began his search for food.
He walked toward his castle in hopes of finding something to eat. As he walked, he saw rotten bodies of people. The sand had begun to swallow the bodies of children. A strange feeling stirred in Aron's heart. Why wasn't he with his loved ones from the start?
He finally reached the castle, but everything had been looted. Still, he searched. After countless hours of looking, he began to lose hope. His stomach ached from hunger — but then he saw a bucket of bread. Inside were at least eight pieces. He quickly grabbed one and began to eat. Then, he prepared a bag and filled it with bread, bandages, and water.
After that, he left the kingdom. Turning his head one last time, he remembered his memories... and then walked toward Bart's home to retrieve something he needed. He walked a long way and finally reached the door. He opened it — it was dusty, even though Bart liked to keep things clean. He grabbed the mythical book, stuffed it into his bag, and closed the door — for the last time, forever. He then walked to the final place before starting a new journey: his mother's grave. He sat there, placed a bunch of beautiful flowers, and then began walking toward the unknown.
Aron didn't know where to go, as most kingdoms were destroyed. He pulled out the map and placed it on the ground. It showed all the kingdoms. A black area in the upper-right corner was marked as prohibited. He placed his finger on the Kingdom of Norm, then used a piece of black rock dust to cross it out. He also crossed out the Kingdoms of Thoms and Oaksville — all three had been destroyed. Then he noticed the Wingman Kingdom, known for its architecture, historical figures, and King Zackros — the ruler who sacrificed himself for his people.
He folded the map and looked at his compass. He needed to go north to reach the Wingman Kingdom. It was now dusk, getting darker. The boy had no idea what the night might bring, so he searched for shelter. It was windy and rough, but eventually, he managed to build a shelter and light a fire to warm the bread. He ate only half, uncertain how many days the journey would take. After putting out the fire, he pulled the book from his bag and sat beside a tree near the shelter.
It was dark, so he lit a small fire with coal to read. He opened the first page — nothing. The second — still blank. Then he remembered exactly how Bart had given him the book. He opened the third page, and finally, words appeared:
The First Part Is to Forge a Blade
Page 3
Take an old blade, a rusty one, and put it into the fire for 14 minutes. The fire must be made only with coal — otherwise, the heat will not reach the temperature the blade needs. First, dip the blade into water for one minute, then place it into the coal. Wait until the blade glows orange, then remove it and place it back into the water.
Repeat this four times. The blade will begin to lose its shape and sharpness.
Then, repeat it once more. When it's orange again, take it out and begin shaping it with a hammer.
Use precise strikes — like a stone dropped into calm water, making waves without splashing. Shape it. Heat it.
Keep doing this until the blade turns into a beautiful, shining silver.
Then polish it. Sharpen it — until it feels like it can cut through trees and metal alike.
Aron read the instructions and realized how different they were from what he had seen before. The blade he knew wasn't hammered — it was squashed between two metals. The heating and sharpening methods also differed greatly.
He closed the book. He was feeling sleepy now, and with a sense of relief, he drifted off to sleep beneath the tree .