CHAPTER 46 — Tracks in the Mud
📅 10 July, S.C. 1510
👦 Ren — Age 7
📍 Forest Path → Streamside → Ren's Workshop
The morning fog clung to the trees as Ren walked along the forest path with Zemo at his side.
He had planned a calm day:
Sword practice
Herb collection
Maybe some sketching for new experiments
But Zemo suddenly stopped—
ears stiff, posture rigid.
Ren halted instantly.
"What is it?"
Zemo didn't answer.
He crouched, sniffing the ground, tail low.
Ren felt a chill run down his spine.
"…Something's wrong."
Zemo took a step forward, nose to the earth, and growled.
Not a warning growl—
A recognition growl.
As if he knew the scent.
Ren knelt next to him and pushed aside wet leaves.
Then he froze.
There, pressed into the mud, was a footprint.
But not from any animal he knew.
It was larger than a dog's.
Longer than a wolf's.
But narrower, more refined—
Almost… intelligent.
Ren whispered,
"…This isn't a Ridgeback track."
Zemo growled deeper.
Ren touched the imprint carefully.
The shape was wrong.
The depth was deeper than expected.
And the claw marks—sharp, curved—looked nothing like Zemo's.
Kiro would have screamed if he were here.
Ren instead whispered,
"…Your kind."
Zemo didn't deny it.
He simply stared into the forest, hackles raised.
PART 1 — ANALYSIS BY THE STREAM
Ren followed the tracks slowly, each one clearer than the last.
They led to a small stream where the mud was soft.
Multiple prints.
A slow pattern.
Ren knelt by the water and began studying.
"Depth… this creature is heavier than the one from last night."
Zemo sniffed the air, pacing.
"Mud displacement angle…
It wasn't running."
He traced his finger slowly along the track.
"…It was walking. Calmly."
The thought made him uneasy.
Predators stalk.
Prey runs.
Scouts walk calmly.
Ren looked at Zemo.
"This wasn't a hunt.
This was observation."
Zemo whined softly, confirming.
Ren's heartbeat quickened.
"So it's watching us."
Zemo nuzzled his leg in reassurance.
But Ren's worry deepened.
If Zemo's species had returned…
why now?
PART 2 — THE STRANGE STONE
Something caught Ren's eye near the stream.
A small stone.
But heavier than it looked.
Ren picked it up.
It wasn't a normal rock—
dark black, metallic sheen.
He tapped it against another stone.
Tink.
A metallic sound.
Ren stared.
"…This isn't common ore."
Zemo sniffed it and sneezed, stepping back.
Ren rolled the metal fragment in his hand.
"This could withstand heat… maybe more."
"Maybe it came from the creature."
"Or maybe it was dropped by accident."
He held it up to the light.
It glimmered faintly.
Ren felt a small spark ignite inside his chest.
"If I melt this…
and mix it with iron…"
His mind raced.
This could be the key to a stronger alloy.
A better blade.
Sharper tools.
A more stable furnace.
He whispered,
"…I need more of this."
PART 3 — A WARNING IN THE FOREST
Zemo suddenly barked sharply.
Ren jerked his head up.
The forest had gone silent.
Not a bird.
Not an insect.
Nothing.
Zemo's tail bristled.
He faced the deeper woods, body trembling with tension.
Ren swallowed.
"Is it still here?"
Zemo growled low—
but he didn't run.
He stood protectively in front of Ren.
Ren slowly backed up.
"Okay… we're leaving."
Zemo didn't argue.
They walked backward until the forest noises slowly returned.
Only then did Ren breathe again.
"…Zemo."
Zemo pressed against him gently.
Ren hugged him tight.
"I understand.
It's not safe here today."
They hurried back toward the village.
PART 4 — THE FIRST ALLOY VISION
Back in the workshop, Ren placed the strange metal fragment on his table.
He turned it over in his hands again and again.
"High density…
High resonance…
Possibly heat-resistant…"
Zemo nudged the table impatiently.
Ren laughed weakly.
"Yeah… I know.
Finding this was lucky."
He took a deep breath.
"I need to upgrade the furnace."
Zemo tilted his head.
Ren stepped back and looked at the clay furnace he'd built earlier.
"It's too weak.
Temperature control is inconsistent.
Melting advanced ore is impossible without improvement."
He paced, thinking aloud.
"I need:
• A thicker clay lining
• Better insulation
• A controlled airflow
• A bellows upgrade
• Maybe a two-chamber design"
Zemo barked.
Ren smiled.
"I know you don't understand all of that.
But trust me—this ore could change everything."
He picked up the metal fragment again.
"This…
this is the beginning of something big."
PART 5 — NIGHT THOUGHTS
That night, Ren wrote in his journal:
Discovery: Unknown Creature Tracks
• Larger than Zemo's
• Calm walking pattern
• Suggests intelligence
• Not aggressive… yet
Discovery: Unknown Ore
• High density
• Metallic resonance
• Likely rare
• Potential to form a superior alloy
Conclusion:
The forest hides more than I can understand.
Zemo's species is not alone.
And this ore may be connected.
Goal:
Upgrade furnace.
Begin first alloy experiments.
Prepare for the day danger comes again.
Ren looked at Zemo curled beside him.
He whispered,
"…We're not alone in this forest anymore."
Zemo opened one eye, then rested his head on Ren's foot for comfort.
Ren smiled faintly.
"But together…
we can face whatever comes."
END OF CHAPTER 46