Sharv reached the previous battleground, where Kant lay unconscious, just as fast as he had left it. Upon seeing Kant's condition, he just nodded to himself, as if it was manageable, even though Kant's charred body looked horrifying. But before doing anything else, he closed his eyes and scanned the surroundings with his PRĀNÀ. Assured that no one spied on them now, he started healing Kant.
Sharv put one hand on Kant's chest and the other on his head. Then he activated all his Chakras and let his PRĀNÀ cover and flow through Kant. The surrounding PRĀNÀ also moved towards Kant as if aiding Sharv. As time passed, the effects soon became visible. Kant's body was being created anew. Just like his other augmentations of armor and weapons, it seemed Sharv was augmenting Kant's body too.
The charred hand and leg of Kant first changed color, after his chest wound healed, then started pulsing with blood, PRĀNÀ, and life. Then new skin started covering it. After the process was complete, the portion of Kant's body that had been healed looked like that of a newborn baby's: soft, squishy, with a tinge of red.
Soon after, Kant opened his eyes, and after looking at his body, he was utterly shocked. He had seen it after the arrow exploded near him but then fainted because of pain and blood loss. He tried to move his fingers, then clenched them into a fist. He pulled himself up and felt no pain. He was looking at his condition with his mouth open in surprise.
But then he looked up at Sharv. And… it was like he had seen a ghost. If it were possible, his jaw would touch the floor, smoke would come out of his head, and his eyes would pop out. Sharv looked like a beast who had just come back from a hunt, his clothes completely wet with his own blood. Even his hair was drenched in blood and was sticky. But even this gruesome sight couldn't stop Kant from quenching his curiosity. He asked, even though in a shaky voice,
"You… you are different. Are… you a Keeper?"
Sharv, who was looking at him with a satisfied look, sighed and nodded. "Yes."
"Are you sure? Like… are you from… like those folklore stories… and tales of past legends? Like myths, are they real? Are… are…?"
Kant almost had a panic attack just from the confirmation.
"Calm down, calm down, don't panic," Sharv said with a smile. " Take a deeeeep breath."
Kant somehow managed to calm down after taking some deep breaths but asked, "Is it really true…?"
And Sharv confirmed before he had another panic attack, "Yes, it is true. I am a Keeper. Yes, we exist. But before you ask me to take you to them, let me tell you, I don't know any other Keepers. Only my father knew, and he is dead." Somehow, amusement was visible in Sharv's voice.
"Okay, okay," Kant spoke haphazardly. "But you know, I really wanted to meet a Keeper. My Grandpa told us stories about Keepers… Keepers powerful… myste…"
But he couldn't complete his sentence as he fell back, drowsy.
"You need some rest. Your body and mind are drained as of now. Even though I did my best, your low Chakra mastery and PRĀNÀ made it impossible to heal you without any after-effects. It's temporary, so close your eyes and think about where we had to go. I will take you there after cleaning myself."
Kant reluctantly closed his eyes to rest, and Sharv started his shower. Yes, a shower. Since it was not drinking water, he just conjured water above his head and let it shower over him. Then, using Fire Chakra, he dried his clothes and body. These kinds of tasks were not normal for people, but for him, it was like a walk in the park.
In under five minutes, Sharv was finished, and Kant had managed to calm down. Then Sharv sat near him, looking at the devastation caused by his battle: craters filled with blood, uprooted trees, charred ground. Every single aspect and part of the forest near him told the story of a great but disastrous battle.
'Maybe it was their destiny to die by my hands.' Thinking this, Sharv asked Kant, "So where are we going?"
"Oh, we are going to my base…" Kant started with excitement but then stopped abruptly, and his face turned solemn. "I am sorry I didn't tell you before, but I am part of an organization. You saved my life even without knowing the truth. You might also get targeted more after being affiliated with me and the organization I am part of."
Kant spoke with some guilt, but Sharv looked at him as if he were a fool.
"Firstly, they were after me; you were just collateral. Secondly, my identity is already enough to make me the biggest target wherever I am. Some shady organization is not going to make it better or worse," Sharv said as a matter of fact. "Now, tell me where we need to go. I have already promised to save your brother, so let's get to that."
Now Kant reacted as if he had just gotten an electric shock. Yes, he was talking to the Keeper. What could be worse than that in front of the government? But he was more shocked that he had revealed something about his brother.
"You don't need to do anything. You already saved my life. You don't need to save my brother."
"Just stop. I said I'll fulfill your one wish because you got attacked and almost died because of me, not that I'll do something only if you die," Sharv cut him off. "And as a man, I must keep my promises."
"How old are you?" Kant asked cheekily, somehow trying to divert him.
"That doesn't matter. It's not like one day you sleep and then you wake up as a man. It's circumstances, situations, and the environment that can make a man. But what really defines a man is his thought process, his mindset, his efforts and desire to fulfill his duties, and his grit to bear the consequences of his actions. And his words are the flag bearers of his actions. So I must keep my word," Sharv spoke with utter seriousness.
"Buddy, you really got serious," Kant said, now in a serious tone. "I just didn't want to drag you into my problems, keeping in mind where my brother is and the rebellious organization I am part of. You know I don't have any authority in the org." His cheerfulness was nowhere to be seen, water drops shining in his brown eyes.
"That doesn't matter either. I don't need somebody else to fulfill my promise and I do not have any affiliations. Unless your brother has done something he shouldn't have done, I will help him," Sharv said without any change in his expression or voice. "But I want you to keep my identity a secret."
"Your identity is safe with me. Even though my stomach hurts from keeping a secret, I will die from the ache rather than spilling it out," Kant spoke, somewhat back to his cheerful and mischievous persona.
Then he revealed where to go.
"From here, almost a hundred miles east in the jungle, there is a small clearing after a lake and a hill. That's where we need to go."
"Okay. Now just lie down peacefully," Sharv spoke, standing up. Then he put his hand on the ground, and the rectangular area where Kant lay separated from the ground and started levitating, bound by silver PRĀNÀ threads. Then some earthen tendrils wrapped themselves around Kant like a seatbelt. With a gust of wind, Sharv flew towards the east, and the earthen platform followed him, bound by the PRĀNÀ threads, carrying Kant.