The Red Rose

Chapter XVI

With my mission clear, I knew I had to return home to prepare for my duel with the Trauco. There was no time to waste.

I ran across mountains, and once again found myself amidst the vineyards of the Elqui Valley. This time, I decided to try some of the juicy grapes I saw there.

"A few grapes wouldn't hurt," I thought.

I picked some and put them in my backpack, then continued on my way, snacking on a few as I went. After a few hours, I passed through a national park called "La Campana" and stopped to take in the scenery.

"Ahh, fresh air," I said to myself.

I took out the Alicanto feathers, thinking, "How on earth am I going to make arrows here?" I pulled out my smartphone and started looking up some tutorials.

With my smartphone in hand, I walked through the forest, searching for the right type of wood. I began gathering and cutting the wood exactly as the tutorial instructed.

"Hmm, this wood will do," I murmured.

As I followed the process, I felt as if I had been doing this all my life. My hands seemed to move with a life of their own.

"Maybe I was a blacksmith in a past life," I joked as I adjusted the feathers on the end of each arrow.

"Nah, I don't think reincarnation is real. My mother or grandmother would have mentioned it," I thought.

Once the arrows were made, I admired how they gleamed in the sunlight, sparkling with a magical beauty, much like the sword.

"Beautiful... Now, let's see how to make the bow," I sighed.

As I searched for an online tutorial, I heard a caw and looked up, surprised.

"You've got to be kidding me! What are you doing here again?" I shouted, smiling.

"Caww... Caww!" The rascal cawed. It was a crow, the same one that took me to the past.

I tossed it a grape and jokingly asked, "Are you by any chance related to the crow that messed with me in Victorian times?" The crow caught the grape mid-air, then it yelled "yeee..yeee"

I was dumbfounded, thinking, "Damn, this thing can talk!" I then mustered the courage to ask, "And what's your name?"

"Poe, Poe... Caww... Caww!"

I burst into laughter; it was so funny. The crow looked at me sideways, seeming offended, and took flight, pecking at my head.

"Ah! Okay, okay... Sorry! I didn't know you could talk!"

The crow began flying around me and then made another sound: "Come... come..."

It started flying towards the forest, and I shouted, "Okay, okay! Wait, I'm coming!"

I followed it once again, feeling quite nervous. I didn't want to be teleported to the past again; the thought of being trapped in another era sent shivers down my spine. Nevertheless, I kept a close eye on my surroundings, just in case any other strange beings were following me.

The rascal led me to the highest hill and perched near a rock, where there was conveniently a bow.

"Well, how convenient... Were you sent by any chance?"

"Family... Caww!" It simply responded.

I took the bow and examined it. It was made of dark wood and seemed very sturdy. The string was taut, and beneath it, I saw a small inscription carved into the wood, but the letters were, strange, almost incomprehensive.