The Other Side

Chapter 4: Contest

Three whole years. I trained Eureka for three whole years, enabling him to use and discover skills that are meant to protect people and even me as his master.

“Eureka use emblem!” And he burned the huge tree blocking our way as I still tend my sheep towards Mt. Evlogia.

HE even protected me from vicious and dangerous wild animal that we encounter along the way, even from powerful creatures that comes our way as well.

At the end of it all, Eureka became a helpful creature towards me, even as a friend. He comforted me from the gap of losing my parents and being lonely for what just happened.

“Good job Eureka!” I embraced Eureka as he continually wiggles his tail.

Eureka right now is as big as a sycamore tree. And his furs were so long, reaching the ground.

Even as the tree was burned by him, its remnants became ashes, being carried by the winds, still one of his abilities in controlling his power.

Leaving the ground swept clean and not burning the entire woods.

“Sheee…. Sheee…..” He’s making that sound again.

“I will feed you once we get back to the house and once I settled your friends Eureka.” I’m pertaining to my sheep, which he always protect from certain ambushes like that of a wild lion.

Eureka sat down on the ground.

“But you need to get up so we could head back to them and go back to the house.” I said to him.

He nodded his head like he understood my words and started walking with me.

I bet this place seemed familiar…

Yes, I certainly remember this place.

It’s the same place that I encountered the person who saved me from a powerful creature.

I looked at Eureka and started wondering the reason of him coming back to this place--the place where I first found him.

But Eureka just walked and walked towards that place which is also going to my house.

IT was months after when I saw news papers scattered in the city while I was out, planning to buy new sets of bow and arrows for my training with Eureka.

The newspaper says that the Crown Prince is looking for potential warriors who have powerful creatures with them as offensive powers.

“What?!” I was stunned. But in my heart, I got excited to join the event.

Though I thought about how hard it will be in handling that situation by leaving my flock of sheep, the life I used to have.

I hurriedly went to buy my equipment to the shop that I needed for my flock of sheep.

I brought it all and went back to my house.

“EUREKA, Eureka!” I shouted when I found out that my house has been ambushed by some bandits living in the mountains.

And all of my sheep were slaughtered while Eureka was gone.

I found myself in a devastating situation.

Arrows were everywhere and fire started burning the grass in my backyard.

“Eureka!!!!!” Tears welled from my eyes and started falling to the ground.

The place where I used to live that holds so many memories in my life is now being burned to the ground.

Eureka…

And the precious gift that I recently found was now gone...

I need to find him! The bandits may still not be far from here!

I stood up and left the house. Fire started burning my house turning it into ashes.

IT was already night and I am still looking for Eureka at Mt. Evlogia.

“Eureka! Eureka!” I shouted at the woods and my voice echoed in the vastness of the forest, piercing through the darkness of that place.

I looked for familiar things that might bring me to Eureka and found something that would certainly lead me to him.

His footprints.

His footprints that are larger than that of the lions.

They’re all on the ground and I am thankful that I found them.

UPON following the footprints of Eureka, I finally found him.

And down the valley I saw a group of people who lit up fires around Eureka. He was tied up with metals glowing in power while they are dancing around him like he’s being sacrificed to someone.

“Eureka!!!” I cried when I saw him.

I wiped my tears and started fixing my bow and arrow. I put kerosene in every arrow that I have--and lit up my torch.

This is for you, Eureka!

I ran down the valley with strength and might, pursuing my opponents who took Eureka with them.

"Eureka!” I shouted at the people wearing black long clothes while they were dancing around him.

“HE is not yours!” I started firing them with arrows that are full of fire and they ran away but some of them get killed.

But some men fought me still, men whose bodies are covered with writings different from our language and used their swords to attack me.

Being trained in fighting with Eureka, being a shepherd of a flock of sheep, and having been faced different wild animals like bears and lions, I faced them courageously and fought them mightily, defeating them all.

I took their swords and used it back to fight against them.

They all fell to the ground while some ran to hid their lives.

Eureka was left in the middle of the fire with a chain that is covered with some glowing power.

Eureka!...

I pitied his situation and started looking for help. But a moment later on, his chains gradually disintegrated, caused by an icy force that shattered them all.

I immediately looked around to find the person who helped him.

And I saw him, the one who looks like a ninja through his clothes but quickly ran away when he noticed that I was staring at him.

“What a strange human being!” I chuckled with his running away.

But I was thankful for him for freeing Eureka...

I drew nearer to where Eureka started attending to his needs.

“Eureka! I’m really sorry that this has to happen to you…” I embraced him and started crying.

But Eureka’s power covered us with fire, the kind of fire that does not burn us. It brought warmth to my cold body that was frightened by the bandits.

The fear was gone, and what Eureka did comforted me...