The Tales of Greenfar - The Legend of Quel

#4 - The Chosen Ones?

It was already dawn when the three brothers left the tavern, laughing loudly and still dizzy from the night's celebrations.

"Now that we're famous, we can charge a lot more for our services! - the excitement of Stan, the youngest, was admirable. Looking up as if he were addressing a crowd, he added: "The Salas Brothers, the cleverest bounty hunters in the region!

Stumbling, the other two laughed at the young man's performance and the older one said: "I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I think our fame ended when we paid for the last round of drinks of the night."

"Rian's right, we're only as good as our last task, but I must admit he was quite clever when he spotted Ralho Tonto disguised as a woman in that travelling troupe." And he bowed debauchedly to his brother.

"Wait a minute! He only noticed it was a disguise because I stepped on his skirt. It may have been unintentional, but I was responsible for ending 10 years of that wanted bastard's cover. I want my curtsy too!"

"A thousand pardons, Your Majesty!" - then Aran bowed even more debauchedly in front of his younger brother, who jumped on his back and made them both fall laughing onto the roots of a tall tree in the forest. They hadn't realized they had been away from the main road for a while.

"You both look well settled at this tree's root, but I need a comfortable bed." Rian stretched out his arms to help the younger brothers up and as they wiped the foliage from their clothes, an oscillating glow appeared a few meters from the trio and took on a translucent human shape.

The brothers took a few steps back, but the figure was already very close when he spoke: "Brothers Salas, the bounty hunters. I have a job for you."

The blood in the men's veins seemed to have frozen, and the rapid beating of their hearts was almost audible. They barely managed to look at each other, and no response was possible.

Bedrag cursed Satiri for not being able to assume his usual human form. "It's going to be a lot harder this way," he thought angrily. Then he made three chests full of gold appear in front of the brothers, who were still petrified with fear.

"I need you to find a little girl, she's important. She's around three years old, has no family and has been lost in these forests." Raising his right arm to face level, Bedrag added: "She has a mark on the side of her right forearm, three equidistant points like the stars of the ancient constellation of Osiris."

The three men remained static and paler than marble.

"Hey! Am I speaking your language?" - said Bedrag impatiently.

As if out of a trance, the brothers began to babble: "A child...3 years old...marks on her arm..."

"Very well. When you find it, you'll get a lot more than three chests. Keep that." Bedrag handed the older man a string with a small golden whistle on it. "When you find her, blow it, and I'll come to get her."

The translucent figure disappeared, and only the three lads and the golden chests remained in the early morning silence.

Aran turned to Rian, who was looking curiously at the gold object in his hand, and said: "What's that?"

"I think... it's a new job. Let's check the chests." And he filled his hands with coins from the box in front of him. "Yeah...it's real gold."

As the eldest rummaged through the chests, Stan burst out: "This isn't a new job... this was a mission from the gods." The middle brother, still eyeing the chests cautiously, said: "I think you're right, Stan. Rian... the gold is just proof that this task is special."

Placing the golden whistle around his neck, Rian replied: "Yes, it's very special indeed, this chest contains a fortune in gold. Do you know how many jobs it would take us to reach that amount?"

Crouching down next to his brother, the youngest said: "Rian, we were chosen to serve the gods. No fortune can compare to that." With a disbelieving look, the older replied ironically: "I agree. If you prefer, I can have your gold, Chosen One!"

"Maybe it was a test of faith. The gods may be watching us to see what we do with this gift." - said Aran fearfully interrupting the other two brothers.

"You're right! We need to use it wisely, to help us on the mission!" - Stan excitedly closed his chest and tucked it under his arm. "Let's find the child and live up to the gods' choice."

Still skeptical, Rian said: "Let's do the job. And then we'll see what the gods have to offer us."

And they made their way through the forest at the first rays of sunlight.

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