《The Paths Of Life (Cancelled)》


 Chapter 0 - Prologue (Second attempt)

    All around, there was nothing.


    But that wasn¡¯t right.


    It wasn¡¯t just nothing, but something far greater, or far less. There was no infinite expanse of light or a similarly large darkness; no silence or lack thereof, no possible explanation of the sensation except that there existed nothing that he could witness.


    Yet there it was. A nonexistence as real as reality itself. To perceive it was like trying to see through an elbow or listen to the thoughts of a foot, an impossibility that should not be possible. Yet it still happened, for the viewer was no stranger to the Nothing. It was comforting, familiar, all it had ever known.


    But still...something felt wrong.


    ¡°What are you?¡± It questioned.


    The question flew out, destined to drift upon the Nothing for all of time. Except that it did not. No sooner had it left that theVoid greedily gobbled it up, reducing it to a mere memory. Finally, the age old question of a tree in the forest was answered.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Satisified with the tribute, it finally Whispered.


    Happiness.


    Within, sensations of euphoria instantly bloomed, swirling in delight through its core.


    Anger.


    Beside the euphoria, volcanoes burst with wanton fury, crashing with the former as it competed for dominance.


    Misery. Bliss. Pain.


    Each new sensations burst ready to fight and they joined in the mayhem.


    Courage. Fear. Achievement.


    Round and round, the sensations swirled, until one could not be told from the other.


    Failure. Rivalry. Friendship.


    And there, from the conflated mess, a new one was born.


    Love. Hatred.


    Consciousness. Existence.


    Choices.


    It screamed. No. HE screamed. For he was not a thing, and the Void was no longer familiar, no longer understandable.


    Choose how to live. Walk the paths as you see fit. Live as long as you can.


    For in the end, only Nothing awaits. An endless Void that hungers for all that is or ever was. It will consume everything, without question.


    So enjoy it while you can.


    Or.


    Surrender.


    And be Free.

 Chapter 1 - A Beautiful Morning

    "AHHHH!!"Jaire screamed as he scrambled awake.His heart raced in a panic as his addled mind was stuck inbetween reality and the nightmare.


    *THUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMP*


    Footsteps quickly approached from the hallway, and although he was still in a frightened state, a clear thought did manage to weasle to the front.Ah crap.


    "WHAT HAPPENED?!" His mom bellowed as sheslammed his wooden door open with a hard crack. She desperately scanned the room with a predatory glare, battlehammer held firmly within her hands, but she found nothing to strike at.


    "Uh, hi mom." Jaire managed to squeak out with a weak smile while trying his best to hide his trembling body. Thankfully she didn''t seem to notice, perhaps since his lantern was on his desk next to the entrance, and thus he was cast in shadows. From its glow he saw how her face changed from frenzied rage, to confusion, and finally to a mix of relief and mild irritation.


    She sighed and spoke, "Was it...the dream again?"


    A pang of shame stung within him. "Mm. Y-yeah." he clumsily replied as he diverted his eyes.


    "Ah."An awkward silence passed before she spoke again,"Well, mm, try to get some sleep. I''m going to check on the twins. Goodnight."


    "Y-yeah. Goodnight mom."


    As soon as his door was closed again, Jaire groaned.


    God damn it.He thought while squeezing his hair. That was embarrasing. It''s been a while since I''ve yelled like that...


    The nightmare had started about four or so years ago. The details changed over time, but the sensation and fear was always the same. After some time, he had succesfully trained himself to stop before yelling out in panic, and to scream into his pillow or bite his lips instead, though this time he failed to do so.It''s just a stupid dream.


    A wave of panic swept through him, as his rational mind clearly understood that, despite the imaginary details, the message was very real.Stop it. That''s enough damn it.


    He grit his teeth as shame and anger burned within him. It was not only embarassing, but downright humiliating for him to have a recurring nightmare like that. He, along with hundreds of others, had trained to fight and die for the survival of his people. It was the greatest honor there was. And yet...


    He sighed and flopped back down upon his bed. Reaching over, he pulled aside the heavy fur curtain that kept the wind out. It was still dark out.


    ¡°Same time as usual¡­¡± He sighed again.Honestly, part of me just wants it to be over with. Then I wouldn''t have to worry about-


    He jerked up.Quickly as he could, he got out of bed and walked over to his desk and checked the calendar.Today''s the day.


    Finally, after ten long years at the Academy, it was his time topartake in the Ceremony of Ages. Excitement overcame him, but it was quickly replaced with dread. This was the first step towards his adult life, but there was just one small issue.


    Despite having ten years to decide, he had no idea what he wanted.


    ¡°Ughhhhhh," he groaned, "why is nothing ever easy?¡±


    Against his parents wishes, Jaire had enrolled in the Academy with the sole purpose of joining a Path. The Paths were essentially the various military positions of the settlement, the heroes that kept the people alive and well. They protected the people from the dangers of the outside world, hunting and slaying all manners of monsters that Jaire had only read about. He, like many others, had dreamed of being one of those people, of serving the greater cause with undying loyalty.


    That is, until the nightmares began.


    Huffing, Jaire shook the thought away from his head. That was not something he wanted to worry about at the moment.


    "I just need some fresh air. And some training." Taking a deep breath, he walked over to his closet and donned appropriate clothing. Grabbing his lantern from the table, he snuck out of his home and into the backyard. At this time the dial was almost useless as the sun had yet to emerge, but it did signify that at very least it was sometime before 7am.


    Let''s see, the Ceremony is at noon, so I have about 8 or so hours until it begins. Plenty of time. The chillynight struck his face but the heavy furs kept his body warm, so he marched towards his family''s garden at the opposite end.


    Once there, he sat upon a wooden stool and faced a beautiful red flower. Flowers were a rarity in the settlement, as they weren''t necessary for survival, but not only had this one been a gift, his father was not one to throw anything away.


    Everything has a purpose he''d say. Anyways,just how she taught me.Placing the lantern upon the ground, Jaire closed his eyes, took in a few deep breaths, and struck his palms out. Several minutes passed in silence as he concentrated. He pictured the flower growing, reaching sizes that it should not be allowed to do. In his mind it towered overhead while sprouting more buds that blossomed in a rich and vibrant color.


    After another several minutes, he peeked out.The flower was just as he had seen it. No height, no buds, nothing.


    Frowning, Jaire closed his eyes and tried agian. Okay okay, let''s take it slow. No need to make it grow or whatever. Just turn the flower towards me. Nice and slow. That''s it.I am one with the world, I am one with the world...


    Half an hour later, he finally peeked out again.


    Nothing.


    With anexasperated sigh he stood up and grabbed his lantern. ¡°This is pointless!¡± he huffed as he marched back inside.


    Back to his room, Jaire dropped to his bed and stared at the ceiling. After five years of attempts, he was no closer to unlocking the mystery behindthe phonomenal gift.


    Five years ago, his life had changed the course of his life when a girl named Lin Zihang migrated to his settlement from another far, far away. All it took was one fateful night of bumping into her for his world to be turned upside down.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    Well more like unintentional stalking but who''s keeping track. He thought with a cough.


    On that particular day, the settlement was under lockdown as a major raid occurred. Rather than proceed to the nearest bunker or the Academy, Jaire witnessed Lin sneak towards the fields, and he had immediately followed after her. Her behavior was in (minor) violation of the law, so he wanted to get evidence of her wrongdoing. It was for the good of the settlement after all, and not out of jealousy over how quickly she became known as a prodigy in the Academy or because she acted like she was better than him by ignoring his greetings or attempts to talk. Defintely not.


    What he stumbled upon that day was something that took his mind a few months to wrap around.


    Magic. Honest to god magic.


    The feats he watched her perform shattered the viewpoint he had upon life. Suddenly things weren''t so black and white, and a desire to learn grew within him. There was more to life than he had ever learned at the Academy, who only taught him how to fight and kill, and he wanted to know it all. Plus magic would definitely help with the fighting and killing.


    Therefore he confronted her about what he saw. It took a few months of nagging and death threats (on her side), but finally she caved and agreed to teach him, on the condition that not only was he sworn to secrecy, but he had to sign a contract that basically made him her test subject. As it turns out, she was a pioneer in this as well, having learned from no one but herself, but needed someone to test her abilities on.


    Of course he agreed, though not before roping in his two best friends, claiming they woud not only be as loyal as he was, but the more test subjects the better. She reluctantly agreed.


    Hm, come to think of it, she never once threatened them or forced them to sign a contract...


    *BOOOOMMMMFFFFFF*


    Horns blared in the distance.


    Hm? An attack at this hour? Geez, give it a break.


    Jaire lived on the planet Tartarus, the first colonized planet for humans. It was a dangerous world, dominated by gigantic plant life and ruled by the monstrous animals, known officially as Zvyrs. They were hyperaggresive beasts that roamed the lands, attacking both humans and each other with reckless abandon. They attacked the settlement constantly, sometimes more than once daily, though the soldiers of the Paths held them off with brilliance. The five Paths were:


    Hunters. The vicious attack force that was sent outside the walls to deal with any Zvyr colony that was, or would be, a threat to the settlement.


    Bulwarks. Tough and durable, they defended the walls from any horde of Zvyr that either made it past the Hunter''s culling, or sprung up in surprise attacks.


    Seekers. Scouts that roamed the lands farther than the zone of control established by Hunters, delivering intel on Zvyr movement and potential dangers. Additionally, they would scout for ancient ruins and ensure trade routes were clear of threats.


    Delvers. A new Path formed after crumbling ruins of an ancient civilization were found upon Tartarus. It was believed they held the key to unlocking the mystery of the Rift, a portal that opened on Earth 500 years ago and first connected humankind to Tartarus. The Delvers were specialists who were trained specifically for the purpose of finding any and all relics within.


    Sentinels. They were the guards that protected the trade caravans from Zvyrs during their long expeditions between settlements, ensuring the goods were delivered on time, and the traders in one piece.


    The Academy was essentially a training ground. There, students would learn the skills required by each individual Path over the course of ten years. The Academy tailored their training regime to fit the attributes/desires of each individual student, effectively maximizing their potential. At the end of the ten years, the students would exhibit their culminated abilities at the Ceremony of Ages, in hopes that one the five Paths would accept them into their ranks.


    Years of Academy training, wasted! Jaire groaned. Despite the nightmares, he was still more than enthused about the prospect of joining a Path, but in his final years, a newborn anxiety grew within him.


    Three Paths had resonated well within him: Hunter, Bulwark, and Seeker ones, but hecould never decide which Path he wanted the most. Choice was a major component of the Academy, as forcing a child to learn something they weren''t interested in only produced mediocre results, but sadly that freedom had backfired on him. Jairehad spent a good portion of his time jumping from one training regime to another, unable to stay with just one. Although some of the skills learned were transferable, most were specific to a Path, such aspain resistance for Bulwarks or climbing for Seekers. So now Jaire found himself in a tight situation.


    Sighing, he gathered himself up and walked towards his desk. Pages upon pages were scattered about. They were riddled with bullet points, tables, and pictures depicting the pros and cons of each Path, but still not a single page held the answer he sought. For weeks he looked them over, hoping that somehow the answer would magically appear.


    I¡¯m going to be the first in the history of my family to be a failure...Ugh, I should have picked a Path a year ago and stuck with it. Two years ago!


    *Grumble*


    I should have listened to my parents and never joined the Academy in the first place. Gone off to work in the production district and be safe and sound. Maybe then I wouldn''t have those nightmares...


    *Grummmmble*


    He glared annoyingly at his stomach as he tried to continue brooding. Stop it, it''s far too early to eat. Not like we''ll have anything either way.


    *Grumble grumble*


    Fine! You win! Once morehe snuck out of his room and went for the kitchen. Having two younger siblings with ravenous appetites, he would be lucky to chew on the bones of yesterday¡¯s dinner, yet his stomach held onto hope. Sure enough, he found the cabinets were all empty.


    *grumble*


    Ughh...Lin probably grows her own breakfast...hell I probably could if I could get the hang of it.


    Annoyance flared up within hi and he marched back outside.


    If she can do it, so can I!! He huffed as he closed his eyes once more. Relax. Just Relax. Breath in, and out. I am one with the world. Relax, just-


    Surrender.


    "Wah!!" he cried out and stumbled backwards off the stool. His heart raced as he spun around. The backyard was as it had been.


    W-was it the dream again? Had I dozed off? The first morning rays of the sun had started to shine through the far away mountainside, giving the dial its much needed light.


    9:30am. He recalled how the first time he came out it was some time before 7am. Wait, that''s not right. Where...well, I didn''t check when I came out here again, so maybe I just spent a long time inside. Yeah...


    *Crash*


    Something broke within his home, followed by the sound of a child crying.


    Looks like the family''s awake. I wonder if they went shopping already.Brushing himself off, Jaire entered his home to the voices of his loving family.


    ¡°Avers!! How many times have I told you to not play on the counter!! Miya?? Where are your shoes!?¡± His father pleaded as both of Jaire¡¯s siblings cried out. The potted plant that previously dominated the counter now lay shattered on the floor.


    ¡°Avers took them!!¡± ¡°NO I DIDN-YESYOUDI-DIDNOT-IDTOO-STOPLY-YOURTHELIA-¡±


    ¡°ENOUGH!" His mother bellowed, silencing the twins instantly. "Sweep this up right now!"


    "But she-" "RIGHT NOW!"


    "Ha ha you have to-" "And I swear if I turn around and see you without your shoes!!¡±


    Both children zoomed out of the kitchen as Jaire entered. His mom was holding the fallen plant over the trash bin while his dad looked through cabinets.


    "Morning ma, pa."


    ¡°There you are!" His dad called out without turning, "Can you run to the market to get food for breakfast?¡±


    "Tebuly Jay." His mom greeted. Aside from the plant in her hand, she looked as normal as she always did, either unfazed or uncaring, of the earlier incident.Well, at least no awkward conversation this time around.


    "While you''re out can you stop by and ask Lin for another vase?" she asked while frowning at the cooking pot his dad had pulled out. "It''s almost impossible to find one in the markets."


    "Yeah sure, anything else?¡±


    ¡°Whatever you want, its your big day today after all!" His dad smiled at him while he presented a wash basin to his wife, who grimaced in return.


    "Alright, I''ll be back soon, see ya."

 Chapter 2 - Destiny Calls

    Hmm, market first, or Lin''s place?


    Lin lived to the southeast, which was the complete opposite direction of the market square. From his home, it would take almost a full hour to reach her place and return if he went at a leisurely pace.


    That should be fine. I still have time to kill, plus it''d be nice to see her before the Ceremony began.With his mind made up he turned to the south and began walking.


    At this hour, the town was just beginningto bristle with life as his people started their day. A few neighbors waved at him as he passed by and he returned the gesture with a smile.


    t''s such a beautiful day. Please, please, please, let a catastrophe happen.


    He sighed internally as he continued walking. It wasn''t that he wanted his people to suffer, far from it, but if the town just so happened to go into high alert and the Ceremony just so happened to be postponed, he wouldn''t be disappointed.


    Doesn''t seem like it though. The earlier one was just one horn, and it takes three to go to danger mode and five for panic. Damn.


    In his lifetime, there had only been one level 5 incident, but it happened a little over 20 years ago, before he was even born. The Zvyrs broke through the western wall and rampaged through the housing district, which resulted in the loss of thousands of innoncent lives. Only with the combined forces of the Paths and every available citzen was certain annihlation staved off and humanity lived to see another day.


    Jaire spent his childhood pretending he had been a part of Pasdarinia,Doomsday,and of fighting alongisde the his heroes.There was Tellemar the Vicious, a Slayer who single-handedly killed hundreds of Zvyrs that rushed to the northern districts, and the Golden Champion of Hope Irene, who (alongside her Golden Bulwarks), gave her life to hold back thousands more at the ruined wall.


    Even his mother andher father were legends he looked up to. His grandpa had already been a legend by that time, and proved he still had it in him when he slayed an Apex that had snuck through, while his mother single handledly killed an Aberrant that appeared in Crafter''s Lane, and earned herself the nickname Karamarjamong their people.Well, technically it''sHammer of Death in common, but mom thinks that sounds lame, and I agree.


    Hm, come to think of, she met dad after that too, him being the healer assigned to her. I guess lovedoes bloom on thebattlefield.Heh, if another raid occurred, I wonder if Lin and I would-


    Despair.


    A shiver ran up his spine. Dozens of images flashed in his eyes, each depicting a gruesome scene. No. This isn''t real. That isn''t happening!He clenched his eyes as-


    "You okay Jay?"


    Startled, Jaire hopped in place as he looked up with a frightened look. Abeautiful young woman stood just a few feet away, staring at him curiously with her head cocked slightly to the side.


    "What''s wrong?" She spoke, and then slyly smiled, "Has your tongue gone missing perhaps? Captivated by my, Dazzling, beauty?" She flipping her long black hair and fluttered her eyes.


    Snapping from his daze, Jaire could only blurt out, "L-Lin! What are you doing here?!"


    "What?" Her tone shifted as she frowned with crossed her arms, "What amI doing here?? This isMYhouse. What are YOU doing here?"


    "Huh???" Confused, Jaire looked around. Somewhow he had already ended up on the street in front of Lin''s home. It was atwo story housethatstood alone at the edge of a plantation, far removed from the typical districts that houses were built in. Only people of wealth and power owned homes like this, and Lin''s parents had both in spades.But, wasn''t I still by Jamerson''s hut? No, wait, I was near the-


    "So? Are you just gonna gawk or explain yourself?" She scowled at him.


    "Oh, right. Sorry. I kind of just...got lost in thought?" He sheepishly replied with a frown. "Sorry, I didn''t mean to, uh, well-"


    A fit of giggles stopped him as he looked over to Lin. She was barely containing her laughter with an amused look.


    "Oh Jay," Shegiggled while shaking her head, "you silly little bird, I''m just teasing you, relax! I kind of suspected that already when I saw you dozing off where you stood."


    Embarassment burned his ears while she continued to giggle. "Psh, yeah, I knew that. I was just testing you too of course."


    Bemused, she took a step closer while keeping her eyes locked on his. "Oh yeah? How come?"


    His heart began to beat faster, but he didn''t back away, "Cause, well you know, I wanted to see if you were paying attention to me."


    "Mmmm, I see." She leaned in, her voice lowering to a soft whisper. "Well, I always am."


    Her lips came closer to his. Closer. Just an inch more and-


    She moved passed him. "Liar." she spoke into his ear before pulling away and with her tongue out.


    You...!!"Anyways!" Jaire huffed, "The kids broke the vase so my mom needs a new one for the..um..monster cheese plant?"


    Still grinning, she replied, "It''s called monstera deliciosa Jay. And sure, I should have some in the kitchen cabinet. But I have to run some errands right now so you''ll have to get it yourself."


    "Oh?" For the first time he noticed that she was dressed far too nicely to have been slumming around within her home. "Where are you heading off to?"


    "What''s it to ya?" She frowned once more in mock offense.


    Oh for the love of..Jaire rolled his eyes,"Okay. Thanks for the vase, you better get going." If I don''t stop this now she''ll keep at it.


    "Aww don''t be mad Jay!" She pouted and kissed him on the cheek. "Forgive me?"


    Though his heart fluttered, Jaire remained stoic as he turned his face away. "Hmph."


    "Awwwww, pleeeaaase??" She spoke while continiously pecking him until finally he caved in.


    "Okay okay I forgive you!Stop already geez." He spoke with a bashful smile.


    "Yay! Okay I''ll see you later! Bye!" With one final kiss she turned and walked away


    So embarassing...heh heh...


    With that, he walked into her home.


    "Amazing" He gasped as he entered. Despite the countless times he had been over, her home never ceased to amaze him. Along each wall, dozens of exotic flowers grew and sprouted in a dazzling display. The floor was covered in a soft grass that gently lulled him to sleep whenever he laid upon it. Furthermore, the room was always the right temperature, be it in the middle of winter or summer. Her home was a secret garden known only tohim and his small group of friends. It was a place brought to life purely by Lin''s magic, and maintained itself through a self contained ecosystem. As he usually did, he looked down at his palm, and thought of the plant at home.


    "One day..." He sighed.


    Heading over to the kitchen, he carefully made his way around the carnivorous plants that littered the area. Lin had told him that they were designed to imiate plants native to Earth, though he did not understand why a plant would need rows of teeth or largetubs of digestive fluids. When he reached the cabinets, he rummaged around it as quickly as he could. The kitchen was not a room he enjoyed being in, as it always felt as though-


    He spun around in an instant. Nothing had moved.


    "...if you can hear me...she wouldn''t like it if I ended up going missing you know..."


    No response.


    Okay, just hurry up. Returning to his task, he searched until he found the vase he was looking for.Gotcha.


    Satisfied, he got up and turned around to-


    "..."


    Upon the path he had treaded before, a singular purple flower now sat where it hadn''t previously been. As he stared at it, everyplant in his peripherals moved a tiny inch.


    Nope. Nope nope nope nope nope.He leapt over the flower and was through the front door in record time.


    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ----------------------------------


    Wrong choice...


    He had stopped by his house to drop off the vase, and by the time he reached the market square, it was brimming with people. From one end to the other, the streets were filled with dozens of stalls and eager customers that filled the air with their chatters. He hadn''t expected it to be so slammed, until he saw some of the wares being sold.


    Many of the stalls had changed from selling their typical goods to ones that were related to the Ceremony. They sold trinkets and rawhide banners with the insignias of the Paths upon them, and dozens of different blasting horns and t-shirts.Oh damn, of course it would be like this. Well, might as well get it over with.


    He walked through the market while perusing the wares, when he was approached by an elderly woman.


    "Good morning Jaire," She spoke. He recognized her as Joipa, a friendly tailorer. "Are you ready for the Ceremony?"


    "Good morning vecal, yes I am in fact. Couldn''t be more excited for it to begin." More like anxious for it to end...


    "That''s wonderful. But I notice that you aren''t wearing any insignias?"


    "Oh, um, yeah I don''t have any. I think that having one might ruin my chances with them you know? It seems a bit too much like..."brown-nosing,"grovelling."


    "That''s nonsense Jaire! You have to express your desires out loud! You have to show them that you are dedicated to their cause and proud of having your name assocaited with their association!"


    "Uh, yeah, I guess. But I-"


    "Come come, allow me to show you the best products I have. I guarantee they will help you claim your rightful membership today."


    "Ah...um...okay..."


    Half an hour later, he said his goodbye and left Joipa''s stall behind.Well, I mean she does have a point...and I got some neat shirts out of it so-


    "Jaire! Over here!" A burly man called out. "Say, how do you feel about a new pair of boots?"


    ----------------------------------------------


    I''m...so...hungry...


    Jaire thought as he struggled with his bags. Aside from his initial purchase, he had also bought: 10 banners, 5 ornamental plates, 3 more shirts, 2 pairs of pants, a new fur blanket, 20 marbles, 3 spinning tops, 2 stuffed toys, a cake that had the words "Fight On!" written over it, and finally two oversized blue eggs.


    He sighed.Of all the things, these eggs are probably the most useless. She said they were exotic and that they came from a settlment far far away...but they just look like really big eggs to me. 50 qip each...better be worth it.


    ¡°Jaire m¡¯boy!¡± A voice boomed above the other noise. Ahead, an old bearded giant rose from behind a fish stall and marched over. Ever step he took caused the road to tremble as his shadow engulfed the crowd who parted before him.


    "Hi vectev!How are you today?" Jaire replied as he looked up to his grandpa Protus. Every centimeter ofhis grandpa''s body was honed to perfection, and he emitted an aura of confidence and brutality about him. In his youth, he held the rank of Slayer, the highest honor a Hunter could ever dream to achieve. He exclusively hunted aquatic Zvyrs far up the Dzivir river that ran parallel to Rivivera. His victories against the many powerful Zvyrs that roamed the river eventually granted Rivivera the opportunity to fish with relative safety.


    Protus smiled down on him and spoke, ¡°oda'' ye bi¡¯d¡¯ain¡¯i¡¯?¡±


    (Today''s your big day ain''t it?) Jaire mentally translated, a skill he gained after many years of listening to his granpa speak. His grandpa had lost a majority of his teeth during his time as a Slayer, along with a portion of his extremities, and his entire right arm, which was brutality eaten by theNukahui, the last Apex his granpa ever faced.


    ¡°Yes, I''m finally 20 and ready for the Ceremony.¡± Jaire replied.


    His grandfather laughed as he ruffled Jaire''s hair, while Jaire just smiled as he held back a painful wince.I swear, one of these days he''s going to snap my head off by accident...


    "(Excellent! You''ve grown into such a strong young man!)"


    "Haha, thank youvectev,it is all thanks to your teachings."Wellnot really,Jaire thought as he recalled the "training" his grandfather put him through over the years, which consisted mainly of chores, since Jaire was''nt allowed outside the walls.


    "(Of course boy! You shall be a powerful Slayer one day just like me! Now if only-)"


    "Yesvectev,"Jaire quickly interrupted, "You are the greatest teacher here after all."Please don''t bring up mom again, I don''t have time for this."Well, I should be going now, have a big day to prepare for."


    ¡°Ya¡¯b¡¯eeksi! R¡¯ded¡¯fa¡¯enil¡¯a¡¯er¡¯h¡¯? Y¡¯my¡¯isve¡¯re¡¯nngt¡¯ra¡¯we¡¯ya!¡± (????)


    Despite it all, there were still times Jaire could not understand what the old man said, especially when his grandpa began mixing an old Earth language with the modern-day Tartarus common speech. "Uh....yes?" He awkwardly replied.


    With that, his grandpa smiled and grabbed him by the shoulder. Before Jaire could react further, he found himself being dragged towards the fish stall his grandfather ran.


    What did I just agree to? He thought as he walked along. Did I say yes to buying fish? Oh man, I don''t want fish for breakfast!


    As they arrived, his grandpa took him behind the stall, where the crates of fresh fish sat patiently. There, he told Jaire to wait as he rummaged through the boxes.


    What is he looking for? Oh no, it''s not some exotic and stupidly expensive fish is it?? I can''t afford that! Please don''t-


    He smiled as his grandpa turned to face him. Within his hand, he held a beautifully carved wooden box. The carvings depicted a variety of Zvyrs and waves across the sides. As he looked it over, he realized he recognized some of them. They had characteristics of the creatures that his grandpa spoke about fighting in his youth.


    Yeah, that''s theZvinjipa isn''t it? What did he say it was again? A ''crocodile/shark look-alike''? And there''s the Bojtom, and the Gavbejor,and the...wait what is that one? On the lid, one Zvyrsat alone at the center. As he compared it to the others, he realized the others were carved to look as though they were circling around it. What''s more, the others were all the same size, but this one was at least double, and much more detailed. Its body was long and slender, with fins by its side and a long dorsal fin upon its back. Its mouth was open, and held hundreds of teeth within it, each looking as deadly as the next. Finally, where the eyes would be, the wood was burned, and gave the impression of a dark and endless hole.


    "Is...is that theNukahui?" He asked and his grandpa nodded.Incredible...


    "(Open it)" He said and, filled with curiosity, Jaire quickly obliged. Within, he found a dagger sheathed in a sleek black scabbard. The scabbard was beautifully engraved in waves while the dagger''s handle had an amethyst gem infused at its center.


    ¡°(A gift.)¡±


    "Thank youVectev, I''m sure my mom will love-"


    "(No Jaire)" Protus frowned, "(Not for your mother. For you)"


    "Me? Why?" He asked in confusion.It''s nice and all, but what am I going to do with a dagger? I never even used one in training because they are so useless against Zvyrs. This is nothing more than an ornament.


    "(Because)," Protus began, "(She cannot see. But I know that you can.)"


    See?What is he going on about?"Ah, well, thank you vectev.I shall treasure it always."


    He smiled as he reached out and took hold of the handle-


    He paused. He was walking along the path once more. It was a dirt road, with nothing discernible about it. Around him, the land was hidden by the dark abyss, giving him no clue as to what other paths lay beyond his own. Behind him, the path he had walked on faded to grey, consumed by an invisible wall. He looked forward and saw the dirt road ended and a bridge began. It rocked dangerously over a dark chasm, and passed by a suspended cage that slowly rocked in mid-air. As he stared, he felt a tendril lick at his ankle, and so he stepped forward onto the bridge. The bridge swayed, but it never threatened to break, thus he took his time to pause and peer over the side. Below, the endless abyss stretched on, but somehow he knew it wasn''t empty. Not down there. Somewhere, hidden deep beneath the endless void, he knew it waited for him. It watched and sent tendrils and whispers at him, beckoning him to surrender. For what purpose, he had no clue, all he knew was that it wanted him. He huffed and carried on, towards the swinging cage. As he approached, he saw an entity, a prisoner, held within the bars. It stood there, staring at him with its shining purple eyes.¡°Release me.¡± it called out, it''s voice mighty and regal. ¡°Why?¡± he responded, curious but hesitant as he continued to walk. ¡°Release me, and I shall reward you.¡±It spoke to him,its intense gaze never ceasing. He stopped as the bridge swayed next to the cage, allowing him to face the entity head on.¡°What could a prisoner in the void possible give me?¡± He responded, staring straight into those bright purple eyes. Just then, the prisoner grinned, revealing a thousand sharp teeth as it''s eyes shone brigther."Absolute Power."


    Torrents of water exploded from the box and Jaire was hurled backwards. He crashed against stalls and other people as the waters dragged him through the streets. He desperately swam to stay afloat as the water took him throughout the town, causing havoc everywhere it went. It destroyed stalls, homes, buildings, and engulfed the people in its endless fury. Their screams of agony mixed with the rushing howls of the water as he screamed for help. Ahead, he saw the gates to the wall fling open and the waters pushed him through to the outside, where the land ripped open like a hungry maw, sucking in the water to a darkness down below.NO! NO!! NOOOOO!!!!


    Apowerful grip shook him and his eyes snapped open. He stood in front of his grandpa, in the same fish stall from before. Around him, there were no waves, no screams of pain, no darkness; just him, his grandpa, and the dagger. He shivered and dropped the knife, letting it clang against the paved floor as he stumbled to run away. Before he could get too far, his grandpa blocked his path.


    "WHAT THE HELL IS THAT THING!?" he yelled, still trying to escape.THIS CAN''T BE HAPPENING! THIS ISN''T POSSIBLE!! THIS ISN''T-


    For several minutes, he continued to flail, but he was helpless against the strength of his grandpa, who silently held him in place through his hysteria. Finally, his beating heart began to calm, and he just stared at the dagger.


    ...


    ...I''ve...


    ...I''ve felt this way before. Five years ago...when I met Lin...


    He gazed to his grandpa, who looked at him with knowing eyes, then back to the dagger.Is...is it magic? A magical dagger? No that''s stupid. It''s insane! But...but is that really so far-fetched? After everything I have seen? Maybe...


    The gem gleamed in the sunlight, beckoning him forward. Slowly, he approached it and reached forward.Maybe...just maybe...


    At the last moment, his mind screamed and his hand shot back.What the hell am I doing?! This is insane! No no no, this isn¡¯t right. It¡¯s just an old family heirloom or something.But how...no dammit! Stop fantasizing!


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry vectev!" he spoke as he scrambled to grab his belongings which he had dropped in his fear, "I can¡¯t accept this! Thank you so much for your consideration but I can''t! This is just...I¡¯m sorry I just ca-"


    "Stop."


    Jaire instantly froze in place as a single primal instinct ran through his entire body:


    Obey, or be killed.


    He watched in fear as his grandpa stepped around him, picked up the dagger, and placed it firmly within the box. He then turned to Jaire with a stern look.


    "(Take it Jaire. It''s yours.)"

 Chapter 3 - Goodbyes

    Jaire sat upon his bed. He had ran all the way home, ignoring all else until his door was shut and curtains closed, leaving his relit latern as the only source of light.


    *Thump thump thump*


    His heart beat heavily, as he stared at the closed box.


    So...this is it. An actual-


    *Knock knock knock*


    "Jaire? Can I come in?" His dad''s voice spoke through the door.


    "Y-yeah!" Jaire responded while quickly tucking the box under his pillow.


    The door opened and his dad looked at him with confusion. "Soooo, I noticed you didn''t buy anything to eat, what''s up with that?"


    "O-oh! uh, I kind of...already ate? Y-yeah! I ate!"


    "Really?" His dad questioned with a raised eyebrow. "Where?"


    Jaire''s mind worked overtime as he spoke, "I, um, well I met up with Lin again, since you know I saw her this morning. And well we decided to eat at the..uh...well there''s this one place called, the um, well I can''t remember but its at the square. See all these new vendors popped up today, since the Ceremony means-"


    "Stop." His dad interupted him with a raised palm. "Say no more. I understand."


    "Y-you do?"


    "Of course Jay, I was young too you know." His dad responded with a wise nod.


    Huh???"Um...okay?"


    "I''m no prude you know. ''Forgetting'' my duties, ''eating'' at the ''other side of town'', I''ve done it all Jay."


    "Um, yes? So can-"


    "Man those were the days." His dad continued, "I still remember this one time when your mother and I skipped work to hang out by river. I know I know, you aren''t allowed out there, but back then it was different. Too many people were busy rebuilding our town to care about two young kids sneaking out for a little fun, and boy did we have fun that night. God your mom was an animal, she ro-"


    "DAD!! STOP!!" Disgust coursed through his mind as he pictured-OH GOD NO!!!


    "Ah, right. Ahem. Anyways, I get it okay? So no need to be ashamed. Anyways, I''ll take your mom and kids out to eat now alright? So we''ll see you later Jay. We''ll be in the third row aisle 14. Or was it row 14 aisle 3? Or maybe-"


    "Just go already please!"


    "Right right. Well, I''m off. And open those curtains, it''s far too dark in here, you''ll burn your eyes out."


    "Okay I will bye!"


    The door closed shut, and once more Jaire was alone.


    Ughhh...just what I needed, more mental trauma...Sighing, Jaire waited until he heard his family leave before pulling the box back out.


    With a deep breath, he slowly opened the lid. The sleek black scabbard sat silently within it while his lantern reflected within the gem. There were no visions this time, nor did the mysterious voice speak to him again. It was nothing more than afancy ornament.


    But its not. Its much more than that...


    Gulping, he took another few breaths before proceeding. First, he ran one finger down the scabbard. It was cold to the touch, far too cold, and it was smoother than he imagined it would be. He imagined trying to pick it up, only for it to slip through his fingers.


    The gem glistened, and he watched as the flame''s reflection dancing playfully within it. It swayed from side to side in a tranquil motion, growing and fading as the flame flickered. It gently flowed and ebbed, pulling and pushing, until Jaire was following along it its waltz.


    It called out to him, but he lingered over the handle. A chill flowed up from it, brushing against his hand like a soft breeze. Though only his hand came near it, he felt a sensation crawl up to his face.It...tastes salty??


    He didn''t understand, but if anything, it was just further proof of the magic held within the dagger.


    This is what I''ve been waiting for. It''s finally going to happen. All I have to do is-


    Surrender.


    Arm still extended, he froze in place.


    An invisible force pressedhim fromevery direction, holding him to perfect stillness.Terror swept through him as he desperately tried to pull free, but he could not break its all-encompassing grasp. That is when the pain started. His hand convulsed before his very eyes. Each finger upon it twisted and bent on its own accord, sending painful shocks up his arm and to his mind. One by one, the bones within it where crushed beneath the insible pressure, reduced to nothing. Desperately, the others frantically clawed against their fleshly prison, but they met the same fate with agonizing pain. His hand was slowly being devoured, and it clawed closer with each second, until-


    "STOPPPPPP!!" Jaire screamed and tumbled backwards upon his bed. He slammed straight into his wall with a heavy thud while heaving desperately. A few moments later, his eyes shot towards his hand. Thankfully, it was still intact, though numb from strain. Relief poured through him, but it stopped short as he looked ahead.


    The box was still open.


    Jaire immediately lunged forward and slammed the box shut with a heavy slam.


    "Fuck...that..." He spat out. It took anotherten minutes for Jaire to fully calm down. Once he did, he opened the curtains for some fresh air and sunlight. That was when he glanced atthe sundial.


    It was noon.


    Oh crap! I have to go!!Hastily he changed out of his clothing and into his Ceremonial battle gear. The gear composed of light but durable metal plates that were masterfully woveninto a skinsuitto form defensive armor. It was specifically designed and crafted to endure the hardships faced at the Cermony without hindering mobility, allowing for each student to showcase their best abilities with reduced risk of injury. Though it was quite tough, it was not a substitute for armor. It was only meant to withstand forces that regular students could produce. True professionals in the five Paths donned heavier and tougher gear to combat the Zvyrs.


    Within a few minutes, Jaire was out the front door and dashing through the back alleys. He was hoping to avoid the traffic upon the busy street, and since the Ceremony was such a huge event, he was definitely sure they would be packed.It''s at the coliseum, so it''sgoing to take at least 15 minutes through here even if I keep running at full speed. Arggg, don''t people have anythinig better to do!?


    Although he asked himself that, he also knew the answer. The Ceremony acted as not only a rite of passage, but a release from the tension. Life upon Tartarus was tough, and the constant barrage of Zvyrs reminded people on a daily basis of how dangerous the world truly was.


    Rivivera, his hometown settlement, was one of 10 that still stood. Excluding the capitaly city of Charavalon, which stood at the center of human civilization upon a naturally protected plateau, each of the bordering settlements were under constant threat of destruction. From what he knew, there were originally 20 settlements established, but over time most had fallen to the Zvyrs. Lin herself was a refugee from one of these lost towns.


    Therefore, to keep morale high and the people busy, the coliseum was built to host various of town-wide events and shows. And the most popular was the Ceremony of Ages, as nothing was more entertaining than watching, betting on, and cheering for a bunch of kids as they go through obstacles courses and fight for dominancy.


    Oh man I am so late! Wait!He stopped and looked around. Am I going the right way??


    Many of the buildings in Rivivera looked identical. They were brown, square, betwee one to three stories high, held simliar amount of rooms, held two windows upon each outer wall, and were topped with a flat roof.


    According to Lin, this uniformed construction had two goals in mind: expansion and rebuilding. The settlement walls were rather large, reaching about 100meters high, and thus difficult to expand. Therefore, if/when the population began to boom, the people would need to build upwards instead, and as such the square buildings were perfect for that. Additoinally, if another attack happened to cause destruction upon the settlement, each building held simliar layouts that were easily reconstructed.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    Of course there were exception to this, as the more creative minds would carve designs upon their walls or hang trinkets and the such, but generally the populace kept their possessions within their premises and thus, if you had no idea where you were, it was easy to get lost.


    Damn, Ihaven''t been down this way in forever. I can try running on top of them? No that''s incredibly rude. Damn it, let''s just head back and-


    ¡°Boo!¡± A voice spoke directly behind him. Jaireyelped and spun around with fright. That fear soon changed to annoyance as he recognized his would-be attacker.


    "Cut that out!" He barked.Can''t my nerves get a break today?!


    ¡°Heh heh, sorry sorry," Lin giggled, "it''s just too tempting when you''re like that though."


    "I''m not in the mood Lin." he grumbled. "Besides, what are you doing here? We''re going to be late!!"


    Before he could continue his mad dash, Lin wrapped her arms around him. "Awwww someone''s grumpy! Where are you goingggg! Stayyyy!"


    "S-stop! The ceremony is starting!"Is she insane?!


    "Ohhh? Is it?? Then, why haven''t I heard the pomp and circumstance begin?" She asked with a mock-confused look upon her.


    "T-that''s because-! Uh...wait..." That''s right, horns beging blasting half an hour before it begins...so what...Thinking back on it, he hadn''treally checked the sundial, only giving it a glance before dashing away. Perhaps he had made an error?


    "Lin...what time is it?"


    "Mm, Imma say close to 11. Why? What time do you think it is?" She giggled as she let him go.


    I''m an idiot. He groaned and slumped against a wall.I''m seriously not having a good day.


    "Hmm, let me guess, ''I''m an idiot, today sucks.'' Something like that?" Lin questioned as she stood by his side.


    How does she do that?Lin always seemed to know exactly what he was thinking, even when he wasn''t completely sure of it himself. He once asked if it was part of her magic, but she promptly denied it, claiming her magic doesn''t work like that.But maybe-


    She sighed. "No Jay, I can''t read your mind with my magic. Like I''ve said dozens of times already, you just have a really easy to read face."


    No I don-


    "Yes, you do." She giggled.


    "Bah, whatever." He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her onto him.Sheyelped in "surprise" as she fell into his embrace.


    "J-Jay!" She spoke while her face flustered. "S-stop, we''re in public."


    "Come on baby, no one''s around, let''s have some fun." He spoke with a smile as he pressed her body onto his. Although his suit made it impossible to feel anything but blunt pressure, he played his part with a smile. She weakly tugged away, turning her head this way and that while continuing to gently berate him.


    He knew she could escape at anytime she wanted to, being one of the top students at the Academy and all, but this was part of the game she liked to play, where she was the ''damsel in distress'', as she called it.Due to her family''s influence, Lin had in herpossesion books that supposedly came from Earth. They ranged from scientific and philosophical ones, to comedies and thrashy romances. She had lent him her books over the years, and over time he learned to play his part in her fantasies.


    "You know you want it too baby, I know you do."


    "S-stop it! You animal! You-"


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you two get a room?¡± A deep voice broke from above. Jaire jolted in place as Lin slipped out of his embrace. whilea cloaked figure landed on the floor next them.


    After a short pause, it slowly unraveled and straightened. Within, a guy with a painted face looked at them with dull, uninterested eyes. He wore the ceremonial battle gear as well, but his was dyed in blacks and greys, and he sported a long black cloak.


    ¡°Jaq?!¡± Jaire shouted,¡°Where the hell did you come from!?¡±


    ¡°From above." Jaq responded, ¡°You should be more perceptive, child.¡±


    ¡°Oh god for the last tim-WE ARE ALL THE SAME AGE!¡± Lin snapped, face redder than a cherry. ¡°How long were you up there for?!¡±


    ¡°From the start. I was intrigued by Jaire¡¯s frantic run and so I followed him. Turns out it was just a romantic rendezvous. Figures.¡± Jaq replied with a clique of his tongue.


    ¡°No it wasn¡¯t!!¡± Jaire yelled, ¡°She was just...wait really? From the start? Why didn''t you come down sooner?...What were you hoping to see Jaq?¡±


    ¡°W-what?!¡± Jaq stuttered in his regular voice, ¡°No! It wasn¡¯t lik-¡±


    ¡°Pervert.¡± Lin cut him off with a disgusted look.


    "What he do this time?¡± A female voice came from down the alley. The trio turned to the approaching female. She donned the same ceremonial gear but with the sleeves removed to expose her menacingly buffed arms.


    ¡°Hey Cherry!¡± Lin happily waved. "Did you follow Jaire too?"


    "Yes." Cherry responded.


    Damn, her too?Jaire thought with a frown. Alljokes aside, I really DO need to be more perceptive."Hey CC.¡±


    ¡°Greetings CC, how are-¡±


    ¡°So!" Lin interjected, "Here I was here having an innocent conversation with Jay when JAQ decides he wants to be a CREEP and STALKED us! Can you believe that?!¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Came the curt reply.


    ¡°WHAT?! That¡¯s not what happened!¡± Jaq cried out.


    Both continously interuptted each other while trying to tell their stories, but soon the conversation jumped to a variety of other topics as Jaire and Cherry joined in. Like that, time lazily passedthem by.


    "Tch, watch your tongue, you are speaking to the greatest Slayer that ever lived." Jaq shot back to Lin, who had criticized his over-the-top outfit.


    "Pfft, you?" Lin responded, "Pleeeaaase. You never even stood a chance against Cherry if not for Jay''s help."


    "True." Cherry responded.


    "Hey!! I can totally beat-"


    "Oh?"


    "Uh...I mean...eventually, not now. But besides you''ve trained to be a Bulwark so that''s different! Compared to other Hunters, I''M the greatest one there is!"


    "Oh yeah? And what about-"


    Jaire zoned out, good cheer washed away by melancholy.


    So this is it.


    At long last, it was time to part ways.Jaq would join the Hunters, CC the Bulwarks, and Lin the Seekers. Three completely different Paths.


    After the Ceremony, every new recruit would have to spenda full year at the bootcamps of their respective factions. There they lived with little to no connection with the outside world. Theywould gruelly train to survive outside the walls, to fight alongside one another, and to deepend their loyalties to the cause. On Tartarus, one mistake could lead to the deaths of thousands of people, thus nothing less than absolute perfection could be tolerated.


    What if they find other friends? Ah who am I kidding, they definitely will.For most, childhood friendships just couldn''t compete with the bond shared between faction members. They fought together, bled together, and in many scearions, died together. That unity ran so deep that most people continued to live near one another or within the compound even after the year had ended. In most cases, they also married one another. That''s just how it goes. And I''m no better, I''ll probably end up with someone from...from...


    He still had no idea which faction to choose, sullying his mood further.How can I though?! It''s not fair! Why can''t I just work for each huh? I''m strong! I''m more than capable!...why does it have to end like this...and how are they so chipper? Don''t they realize this is our last time together? By this time tomorrow we will have to report to our Paths. How are you guys-


    A hand squeezed his own and Jaire looked up.


    ¡°Jay?" Lin spoke with a soft smile, "Do you want to help me belittle Jaq for some laughs?"


    "What?!" Jaq retorted, "The audacity! Tch, how- blah blah blah"


    Lin smiled at him as she squeezed once more. "It''s okay Jay, let''s just enjoy it yeah?"


    ...oh god she''s right. I''m so stupid. Of course they are thinking about it too! But instead of sulking they want to just enjoy the moment. Ugh I''m being such a screw up! Okay, it''s not too late, I can still-


    *THOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMPF*


    Horns blasted, drums began, and cheers shouted in the distance.The Ceremony of Ages was about to commence.


    No...no no no I...


    "Well...guess this is it."


    Cherry stood and the others followed suit.


    "..."


    Seconds passed in silence, as the four glanced at one another.


    At last, Cherry moved. Sheapproached both Jaire and Jaq, raised her hands to them. Jaire instinctively flinched, and saw Jaq do the same, as a smirk crossed Cherry''s face. She gave them both a pat on the head before turning towards Lin.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± she spoke, and proceeded to hug the tinier girl.


    Tears swelled in Lin¡¯s eyes.¡°Oh Cherry! I¡¯m going to miss you so much! Take care of yourself! Please don¡¯ for...f-f-forget..¡±


    Lin began to full on cry as Cherry comforted her.¡°There there. I will be fine. Be a good girl.¡±


    The girls stayed embracing, while Jaire gave Jaq a glance. Awkwardly they both shuffled in place.


    "Tch, how childish."


    "Mm, yeah."


    "..."


    "..."


    "..."


    ¡°So, uh, take care I guess.¡±


    ¡°I always do.¡±


    Jaire sighed internally. I don¡¯t know what I expected.


    "You too.¡± Jaq hurriedly spoke before approaching the girls.


    Heh.


    ¡°Excuse my impoliteness," Jaq began, "but we must be off. Let us make haste CC, I believe they deserve some time alone.¡±


    With a final squeeze, Cherry let Lin go andwalked off with Jaq.


    ¡°Well then," Jaire smirked, "That was a scene.¡±


    ¡°Shut up! This is very emotional okay?¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah I get it. It was...heartbreaking to be honest.¡± Another pang of sadness hit him.Does it really have to be this way? Isn''t there anything we can do?...am I really going to lose-


    Suddenly, Lin embraced him. ¡°Don''t think that way. Never.¡±


    ¡°Think what way? I don¡¯t know what you-¡±


    ¡°Enough. Please.¡± She spoke while squeezing him tighteras his plates pressed into him.


    I''m...


    ¡°Hug me dammit.¡± Came her annoyed voice.


    Obediently, he embraced her.

 Chapter 4 - The Ceremony, Part 1

    ¡°Hello and welcome!¡± The Academy¡¯s president began.


    ¡°Welcome to our leaders, faculty and faculty emeriti, Path representatives, staff, family, and members of the Rivivera community! We gather today to honor the members of the Academy of Martial Training Class of-¡±


    So this is it. Jaire thought as he looked around. The seats of the stadium were filled to the brim. Somewhere up there his entire family had gathered. His aunts and uncles were probably seated in the same area as well, boasting how their own children were rising stars and the such. But none of them were in his age group, thus this was his time to shine. To prove to his parents (and himself) that he made the right choice all those years ago, and after this last hurdle, he would become a full fledged adult who was worthy of respect and praise.


    No pressure. He gulped.


    Trying to take his mind off of it, Jaire turned his attention towards the stage, where the president stood, flanked by four high ranking officials of the Paths. Each was a well known hero, and they wore their signature armor that left Jaire agape.


    On the far left stood the Slayer Treva, ¡°The Ravager¡±, who was fully encased in crimson red plating that doubled as bladed edges. Though she had many victories under her belt, the event that shot her to stardom was the time she slayed two Apex Zvyrs at once. As the story went, the pair of Zvyrs were massive creatures had ten whip-like appendages, each capable of attacking hundreds of times in the blink of an eye. The Hunters were greatly outmatched and on the brink of defeat, but when all hope was lost, Treva brazenly charged both on her own. She took each attack head on, using it as an opportunity to counter attack their limbs directly. With each hit they made, she hacked and chipped off their hardened shells until their fleshy insides were exposed. From there, she went into a frenzy and clawed her way into the appendage, up to the main body, and shredded it from the inside. By the end of it all, she successfully reduced both Apex¡¯s to mush, and stood tall amongst their corpses, glistening in her blood soaked armor.


    Beside her stood Champion Gavet, ¡°The Mountain¡±. Gavet was a tall and bulky man, who wore thick, golden plates, that made him look like a statue more than a man. While his rise to glory was not as messy as Treva¡¯s, it was still as impressive, if not more so. Some time ago, a single eight-legged Apex Zvyr with nigh impenetrable armor appeared at the southern border of Rivivera. Having been spotted days in advance, the Hunters desperately tried to break through its tough scales and equally thick skin. When that failed, they attempted to thwart its advancement or guide it away from the town, but to no avail. As the Zvyr began to charge towards the wall, everyone feared for the worse, until Gavet stood in its path. The Zvyr crashed against him with such force that a powerful shockwave shook the ground, but Gavet held it at bay. For two days he was locked in a stalemate with the Zvyr, until at long last it surrendered and turned away.


    The next was the Aspirant-


    He quickly turned his eyes to the floor as his heart thumped within his chest. Oh my god, Jeneva looked right at me!! Ohmygodohmygodohmy-


    His face morphed into an awkward grin as he tried to calm his geeked out nerves. Ten deep breaths later he finally regained the nerve to look up. Unsure if he could handle more direct eye contact, he turned his eyes away from the stage and towards the field proper. From one end to the other, various obstacles filled the arena. Each was marked by a numbered signpost, while above four large banners split them into four quadrants. Time to focus. Let¡¯s see now, I¡¯m number 23 of group C, so I¡¯ll start in quadrant 3, section 2. Hm, the agility quadrant.


    The Ceremony consisted of two parts: A gauntlet run and a melee brawl. For the gauntlet, Path recruiters would observe and score the students attempts. These results were withheld until the end of the Ceremony, where they would then be tallied and split into four final scores, one for strength, dexterity, agility, and fortitude. There was a minimum score required in each category to successfully graduate, but the true goal was to excel in the attributes that recruiters searched for. Although the exact requirements were not made public, as a basic guideline Bulwarks prioritized high fortitude, Hunters wanted strength, Seekers measured agility, and Delvers sought dexterity.


    To discourage a single-attribute approach however, students had to both complete all 120 trials and receive a passing score in every attribute. Failure to do so resulted in disqualification.


    So basically I have to pick and choose when to try my hardest, and when to do just the bare minimum to pass. Honestly, this would be fine, if I knew what I wanted¡­


    Jaire gulped as his three choices ran through his mind. Hunters, Bulwarks, Seekers. It was impossible to fulfill the requirements for all three, he didn¡¯t have the stamina for it. And he didn¡¯t want to think of the consequences of failing. Failure meant-


    ¡°STUDENTS!¡± The MC shouted, interrupting Jaire¡¯s thoughts. ¡°ARE YOU READY?!¡±


    The crowd erupted in cheers as the students let out a fierce battle cry.


    ¡°BEGIN!!¡±


    Trumpets blasted and Jaire dashed towards the third quadrant. It¡¯s okay, there are plenty of trials, I can take it easy for these first few one and then try harder by the middle. Nodding to himself, he approached section 2.


    There, five teachers stood waiting. Behind each of them, a one-lane runway stretched for almost 100 meters. At the far end of it, a lone flag hung upon a pole.


    ¡°Welcome,¡± The teacher spoke as Jaire approached. They pointed to a cross on the floor and spoke once more. ¡°Drop.¡±


    Jaire nodded and fell into a runner¡¯s stance. After years of her vague requests and short sentences, he had come to understand what she wanted.


    ¡°Collect the flag and return. Do not step out of bounds. Do not get hit. Ready.¡±


    Alright then, simp-wait, get hit? ¡°Um, what-¡±


    ¡°Set.¡±


    ¡°Wait no I-¡±


    ¡°GO!¡±


    Jaire took off alongside the other four students, however he was noticeably slower than his competitors. Damn what did she mean!! Don¡¯t get hit, don¡¯t get hit, don¡¯t get it. His eyes darted to the flat ground, to the sides, and finally to the sk-


    SHIT!! He slammed his feet down and lurched backwards just in time for an arrow zoomed down where he had stood. It splattered green paint across the dirt and was soon followed by a dozen more. Close one¡­The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Looking over, he saw that the other students had taken the arrows head on, and were now covered in different shades of paint. Whew, lucky. Guess that¡¯s the problem of going first. The element of su-


    *SPLAT*


    A black blob burst on his shoulder as an arrow shaft bounced harmlessly against his armor.


    Crap. Focus damn it. Starting back up again, Jaire kept his eyes to the sky as he picked up speed.


    *SPLAT SPLAT SPLAT*


    Volleys continued to rain down as Jaire tried his best to navigate through their trajectories while continuously pushing forward. He dodged, weaved, and even backtracked a little, until he finally crossed the finish line. Though his fellow students had long since finished, he was pleased with himself. Overall, he only took three hits, and each of them were from the same black ink.


    Man, whoever that kid is, they are incredibly good. Well whatever, I¡¯d call this a success regardless. Alright then, next.


    ----------------------------------------------------


    His arms began to burn as he continuously punched at the speed bag. 6,7,5,9,40,1,2-


    With each strike the bag would slap against button which in turn caused a bell to ding. 8,9,60,1,2,3-


    Within a small corner of his mind, he began to wonder if perhaps screaming a phrase repeatedly would improve his speed, as depicted by one of the graphic novels Lin had lent him a few years ago. Ah! Focus!...90? Oh crap!


    He hesitated, unsure if he should stop or continue on. Well, I mean better to go over than under right? So just hit it a few more times and¡­


    ¡°300!¡± He exclaimed as he caught his breath.


    ¡°Congrats.¡± Came the bored reply of the volunteer sitting besides the bag. They barely managed to stifle a yawn as they continued, ¡°Head over to your right for the next trial¡±


    Jeez, it¡¯s only been an hour¡­¡±Yeah okay, thanks.¡± Jaire responded and sauntered off.


    ----------------------------------------------------


    Whew, finally.


    Jaire paused to stretch as he stood in front of his next trial. He had finally finished off the trials within the agility quadrant, and was now faced with the first of the many strength ones. Even so, he felt pretty pleased with himself. He had managed to pass all of the prior obstacles without burning himself out and, by his calculations at least, had received passable marks on them all.


    Alright, let''s do this. In front of him sat a row of Atlas stones. They were aligned from smallest to largest; the first weighing only 25kg while the largest reached 200kg. For this trial, students had to lift as many stones as they could onto a pedal about chest level high. If they managed to lift them all, they were allowed to attempt the special final stone, the monstrous ¡°Big Bertha¡±.


    In the Gauntlet, there were four special events that were heavily broadcasted by an MC, who kept the audience entertained with his shoutcasts. Completing a special event was not mandatory, but doing do so all but guaranteed a spot within the Paths. One of these events was the lifting of Big Bertha. Weighing in at a whopping 300kg, Big Bertha was far beyond the caliber of any typical student, though not completely impossible.


    Aside from the stone, the three other events were ¡°Hollow Run¡±, where students had to 100m in under 3 seconds, which Jaire had passed up on; the "Death''s Kiss", where they had to ingest a deadly poison without croaking; and finally pulling off a Hat-Trick Robin Hood on the final target of the stationary archery range.


    Hmmm, I don¡¯t think I should try for it. I mean, yeah it will be great if I can succeed, but there¡¯s no way I will be able to. Not unless I¡¯m willing to risk everything on it. And even then...argr that¡¯s enough, let¡¯s just get this over with and move on. There¡¯s still two more I can attempt if I feel desperate enough. Hm, yeah, that sounds good.


    With a huff, he bent down and lifted the stone.


    ------------------------------------------------------


    Jaire was feeling pretty smug as he climbed the rope. There was weight strapped onto him which hindered his progress, but he was still keeping pace with the other students. Some of them were huffing and sweating profusely as they climb, but Jaire was calm and rested. This is why you guys shouldn¡¯t exert yourself so much, how are you going to complete this now? No tactics. There was still more than half of the Gauntlet left, but at this rate, he would finish it with stamina to spare.


    I can¡¯t believe I ever doubted myself.


    ------------------------------------------------------


    Damn it. Not good enough. Jaire thought with a clenched jaw. He had misjudged the wind pressure, and his arrow had flown completely off course. Far below, beyond some of the other obstacles, the runners track that he had first begun with stretched out, with five runners desperately trying to make their way through. Come on, focus damn it.


    His fellow archers each shot out plenty of arrows, seemingly choosing quantity over quality in a desperate attempt to land a single hit. They¡¯re just as exhausted as you are, if you just focused you¡¯ll hit. Eh, whatever, let them waste their arrows, I have to make each one count. Putting another arrow in place, he watched the movements of the runners and waited.


    Wait for it¡­.wait for it¡­Annnnnnd¡­.damn. He¡¯ll make it to the end before my arrow lands. Tch. That¡¯s okay, I¡¯ll just wait for the next one. I have plenty of time to spare.


    He stood with his arm cocked, patiently awaiting his prey to step into his line of fire.


    ------------------------------------------------------


    With 3/4ths of the course completed, he was finally getting winded. Yet of all the trials, this was perhaps the hardest one. He stood upon a platform in front of a ramp, which held a large boulder at the top of it.


    Okay. I can do this. I can do this. It¡¯s just a massive rock being hurled at top speeds at me. No big deal.


    ¡°RELEASE!¡± The MC shouted out. The volunteers above the ramp removed the rope that held the boulder in place and it rolled down the ramp, picking up speed as it hurled towards him.


    Here it comes. Oh shit oh shit oh shit OH SHIT OH SHIT OH SHi-


    -------------------------------------------------------


    ¡°THAT CONCLUDES THE FIRST HALF OF THE CEREMONY¡± The MC boomed and the crowd cheered. ¡°WE WILL HAVE A QUICK INTERMISSION BEFORE WE BEGIN WITH THE SECOND HALF, THE HERO¡¯S BRAWL!¡±


    Oh thank god. Jaire thought as he lay on the floor. Despite his best efforts, he had used up more energy than he had hoped. All around him the others groaned in pain as they either slumped to the floor or sat upon benches.


    Just a quick nap...wake me up when it¡¯s time¡­


    -------------------------------


    His eyes shot open. A constant drip fell from the roof, landing upon the crimson pool that he laid upon. The room around him was covered with slabs of flesh once human. An unseen predator lurk about, its presence marked by its heavy steps and labored breath. While he silently prayed, a body dropped down in front of him with a loud splatter. The room went still, as his pounding heart echoed.


    ¡°Please...¡± The body softly sobbed, slowly turning its head to face him. Upon it was a face he knew well. It was one he had spent countless days admiring, innumerable hours staring into the joyful bliss within its eyes. Now, those same eyes looked to him with fear.


    ¡°Please.¡± She sobbed louder, extending her arm towards him. Crimson tears dripping while her body shivered, ¡°I¡¯m scared...please help me. Please save me!¡±


    He wanted to reach out, to hold her until their final moments; yet his body did not respond. Desperately, he struggled for control, as a low growl echoed above him. He wanted to scream at it, to bring its attention towards himself, but his voice refused to come out, caught in his throat by fear.


    Her shrieks echoed in his mind as the predator pounced and maul with reckless greed. He shut his eyes and silently cried until the wails died out and the sickening squelches ceased. Finally, he peered out, only to find a single shattered skull in a space of pure Nothing.


    Surrender, and Be Free.

 Chapter 4.5 - The Ceremony, Part 2

    Jaire awoke with a scream. Panting heavily, he grasped his hair as he clenched his jaw. It¡¯s just a dream, it¡¯s just a dream, it¡¯s just a-


    ¡°Are...you okay Jaire?¡±


    Looking up, he saw a kid from his class watching him with a look of concern and confusion etched upon his face. Huh?? What''s Marc doing in my room? Wait, why are all these people-


    His eyes wideneed as his brain perked and the situation sunk in.


    Face burning with embarrassment, he quickly replied, ¡°Y-yeah! Just trying to-uh-relieve tension!¡±


    ¡°Riiiight,¡± Marc responded as he shifted awkwardly, ¡°Well, it''s time to get armed. So...¡±


    ¡°Ah, okay! Thanks!¡± Quickly standing, Jaire flashed an awkward smile and hasteningly walked away. Ugh, I can¡¯t believe I did that!! Damn that stupid dream!


    Minutes later he stood in line for the armory. It wasn''t a true armory, but rather tables manned by volunteers that were backed by racks that held a variety of weapons and armor for display. Further behind, dozens of creates full of the actual items lined the wall.


    As he waited his turn, Jaire recapped his results in the first half of the Ceremony. He had forgone all the special events in favor of conserving his stamina for the rest of the run, but even then he had barely managed to complete the Gauntlet. Man, I can''t believe I passed out regardless of all of that. Still, I think I did decently well on every trial, so at least it was worth it. They only gave us an hour to rest, so most of us are still going to be pretty tired for this next part. Even still, i think my strate-


    ¡°Hey! Hey you!¡±


    Snapping out of his mind, Jaire turned towards the voice and saw a an older male attendant frowning at him from behind the counter. The man looked gruff and disheveled, as though he had woken up late after a night out, and he was obviously not in a good mood.


    "Yeah you!" he called out once more, "You gonna grab something or what? You¡¯re holding up the line.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Oh!!¡± Jaire quickly stepped forward as the man rolled his eyes.


    ¡°So what do ya want?¡± the man spoke as Jaire reached the table.


    Jeez, what''s his deal?


    ¡°Ummm,"Oh crap, I didn''t think this through, "Uhhh....can I get a...uhhh¡­well...¡± His eyes darted around the rack, unsure which items he should be getting. Oh crap oh crap oh crap!


    ¡°Well?¡±


    Offense? Defense? Sword? Spear? Shield? Net? Gun?! ¡°Uhhh, a...uhh...the...the...regular??¡±


    The man frowned with one eyebrow risen. ¡°The regular?¡± He questioned.


    ¡°Y-yeah! Y-you know, like umm, like what everyone else is getting?¡±


    ¡°What the f-¡±


    ¡°Just get me anything!" Jaire blurted out, "Anything is fine! Really!¡±


    There was a short pause before the man huffed and walked away.


    Ughh I should have thought about this before getting in line...damn it...ah whatever, this is fine. I''m pretty decent with everything, so I should be fine with whatever he brings. Maybe...hopefully...


    A short while later, the man returned carrying a large wodden box that landed on the table with a heavy thud.


    That can''t be good...


    ¡°Alright then. We got here a short sword, a long sword, a dagger, spear, buckler, regular shield, heavy shield, three types of helmets, two pairs of bracers, shoulder guards, shin guards, one chest plate, chainmail, greaves, and a pair of gauntlets." The man finished by pushing the box towards Jaire. "It''s all yours."


    Jaire gulped. Holy crap that''s way too much. ¡°...and this is...the regular?¡± His eyes darted to the other tables, where the students had boxes that were half the size.


    ¡°Yep.¡± Came the curt reply.


    ...he''s screwing with me isn''t he? How am I even supposed to-


    "What''s wrong?" The man spoke as he glared, "Don''t believe me?"


    Uneasiness rose in Jaire''s chest as the man glared at him. Clearing his throat, Jaire gave the best smile he could. "Thank you."


    He reached out for the box, but just before he could grab it, the man pulled it backwards.


    Huh??


    "You dumbass." The man sighed before continuing, "Listen here kid, I know you''re nervous as shit, but this ain''t no time to panic. You can''t be letting others make decisions for you."


    ¡°Right...sorry.¡± ...wait, was this just to teach me a lesson?


    ¡°What would you do if I actually gave you all of this crap?¡± The man continued, "Just go along with it even if it screws you over? Well?"


    ¡°Um, uh...I don''t-¡± Jaire stammered as confusion and irritation swirled within him. What the hell is the deal with this old man? I have way too much on my plate right now to-


    "C''mon now, just cut ''im some slack~" A blonde attendant spoke from the side, "Sorry ''bout ''im lil'' one. He''s been cranky since the morn''."


    As the second attendant approached, the first grumbled and walked away. Looking over the second man, Jaire noticed a stark difference between him and the first. While the first looked disheveled and annoyed, this man stood tall and proud with a charming smile on his clean shaven face. I''m guessing he''s the boss, though his cloak seems just as dirty. Eh, probably from handling all the weapons I guess.


    "So whatcha need?" The attendant spoke as he gave a warm smile to Jaire, causing Jaire to feel at ease and smile in return.


    "Ah, right. Um, I don''t know. I can''t decide between an offensive fighting style or a defensive one."


    "Mmm, yea yea yea I getcha. Real big issue ya got. Well then, why not both?" The attendant proceeded to rummage through the box until he procured the short sword and shield "Best of both worlds ya got there."


    Oh, duh! "Yeah, this is perfect! Thank you!"


    "Anytim-oh! And don''t forget a helmet, just in case ya know?"


    "Yes you''re right. Thank you again!"


    Grabbing the items, Jaire smiled as he walked away.Thank god for that guy. This was super easy. Stupid preachy old fart.


    Ten minutes later, Jaire entered the stadium once more. The arena floor was cleared of the Gauntlet''s obstacles and replaced by a hundred or so fighting rings. With the short sword in his right hand and the shield strapped to his left, he jogged to his assigned position.


    Soon after, every student stood within their assigned rings as the MC began once more, ¡°The rules are as follows: Each ring will begin with four fighters. There, you will fight until there is a victor! You may win by knockout, ring out, or forcing your opponents to surrender. From there, the winner shall proceed to any of the encompassing rings and join their fight. Due to the layout of the rings, it may be possible to have a ring with more fighters than we started with, but even in those cases, only one fighter may proceed. This shall continued on into we have the ultimate winner!


    ¡°Now remember, this is a test of your martial prowess and fighting skills. Although the weapons are dull and blunt, attempting to intentionally killing or maim your opponents will lead to immediate disqualification. Aside from that however, your ceremonial battle gear is capable of withstanding and reducing blunt damage from even an adult Gracerus, thus you are free to fight to your heart¡¯s content! Now then, students! ARE YOU READY!?¡±


    The statdium erupted in noise as the students roared in unison. A large gong was struck as the MC shouted, ¡°BEGIN!!¡±


    Immediately, two of Jaire¡¯s opponents charged at each other while the third turned towards him. Huh? Did they have some sort of agreement beforehand? Ahh, doesn''t matter, a good old fashioned one-one-one is fine by me.


    The other fighter was wearing a metal helmet that covered everything but his eyes, bracers, and wielded a massive claymore. Hmmm, interesting. As the fighter raised his weapon, Jaire scrapped a line in the dirt with his foot.


    From that position, he''s definitely going to charge with an overhead swing. So once he does, I have to counter with-Seconds passed as the two remainded in place, sizing each other up. The sounds of metal clashing and people yelling reached his ears as he patiently waited for the figther to move.


    A second later, the fighter dashed forward with weapon arched as Jaire scurried a meter backwards and raised his guard, keeping his attention focused on the line.Almost, almost. As the fighter crossed the line, Jaire instantly darted to the side.


    The strike came down in an instant, crashing into the floor mere moments after it was swung. Jaire saw a look of suprise and alarm crossed the fighter''s eyes as he dodged, but rather than retaliate, Jaire simply skipped away. Tch, it''s too risky. That strike was way too predicatable, he didn''t even try to feint.


    Recomposing himself, the fighter charged once more. This time, his weapon was ready to perform a cross strike, as he closed the distance to Jaire. This is basic...too basic...is it a trap??? Jaire hesitated as dozens of different moves played out in his head.This can''t be right, he can''t really-


    As the strike came out, Jaire realized it was indeed just a regular swing. Unfornuately, since he had not prepared for it, he was forced to block with his shield, sending a heavy vibration down his arm. Pushing the claymore away, Jaire dashed backwards. Argg focus damn it! Stop overthinking and focus!


    Unfornuately the figther was unwilling to give him a moment of repreive and he immediately charged, swinging the claymore wildly towards Jaire. There was no rhyme or reason to the strikes, they were the most basic that Jaire had seen. With each strike the fighter presented glaring openings in their defenses, which only increased Jaire''s paranoia.


    Jaire continued to dodge and block, but found he was slowly pushed towards the edge of the ring. Gritting his teeth, Jaire blocked once more and finally swung his weapon. Argg fine!!


    To his surprise, his strike landed cleanly on the fighter''s chest, forcing him to stumble backwards from the force of the blow.


    Dumbfounded, Jaire only stared as the figther regained his footing. That was it?? But...but how???If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "Ughh," The fighter groaned as he rubbed his chest. "That really hurt."


    That voice..."Dylen???" Jaire called out.


    "Hm? Yeah what''s up?" the fighter replied as he raised his weapon.


    "What the hell are you doing with that thing? Aren''t you trying to be a Seeker?" Jaire accused.Is he stupid? Seekers never trained with a heavy weapon!


    "Oh this? Well I''ve never used one so I was curious about it." Dylen responded with a shrug. "Seekers rarely care about the combat portion so I figured why the hell not."


    "Dude! Don''t go making things harder for yourself!" Or for me! Jeez...well, at least that explains his lackluster skills.


    "Fine fine, I was getting pretty tired anyways. These things are heavier than they look."


    Dropping the sword onto the ground, Dylen stretched his shoulders and went into a boxing stance. "Alright then, ready."


    Ah, damn. I should have taken him out before he got serious. Oh well...


    Jaire raised his weapons as the two began to circle one another. This time, Jaire took the initiatve and dashed in. He swung the sword in a variety of strikes, forcing Dylen to retreat or get struck. He has no shield and my range is longer this time, so if I just keep up the pressure he''ll eventually-


    To his surprise, Dylen stopped dodging just as Jaire''s sword slashed towards him from a side swing. Wha-!? His sword collided against Dylen''s bracers, but not in a hard clash. Instead, Dylen had positioned his bracer at an angle, which in conjucture with giving it an upwards push, redirect Jaire''s swing up and straight to his head.


    Except it wasn''t there, as Dylen had ducked and spun at the same time, allowing him to send a back kick straight into Jaire''s ribs.


    ¡°Oof!¡± Jaire stumbled backwards as pain shot through his side. Gritting his teeth, he dashed backwards an extra few steps as the pain dulled out.


    "You good there Jaire?¡±


    ¡°Yeah," He snarled, "just peachy."Damn that hurt. Seekers and their damn leg strength.


    The both charged simultaneously. Jaire switched his attacks from swings to short and quick jabs, rendering Dylen bracer''s useless. With the shield, he defended against the kicks while also using it to bash at Dylen''s body, slowly pushing him towards the edge. At last, Jaire feinted a jab and instead slashed at Dylen''s legs, who responded by darting backwards and falling out of bounds.


    ¡°Ahh,¡± Dylen panted, ¡°Damn. Shoulda taken it seriously from the start. Good job man.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Jaire replied panting, "Same for you. Well, sadly I gotta keep on fighting, so let''s chat later alright?"


    Waving as he turned, Jaire took a deep breath and jogged towards the other two figthers. That was tough, and it was barely my first fight. Ugh...


    As he approached, he slowed to a gait, and eventually fully stopped. What¡¯s going on here??


    Though he stood just a few feet away, the fighters completely ignored him. On top of that, they had also droppd their weapons and armor in favor of wildly punching each other with their bare fists. This seems to be a grudge match...should I interupt them?


    He glanced to the side. Some of the representatives were standing there, watching him. With an internal sigh, he raised his weapon. Sorry guys, I have my-


    Jaire darted away and readied his defense. The duo had stopped their punches mid-flight and had glared at him, which had spooked him out. He readied for their combined attack, but instead, both students flopped to the floor.


    ...did they faint?...Does this count as a win?


    Seeing as how no one stopped him, Jaire akwardly ran towards the next ring. In it, seven students were currently fighting.Well, here goes...


    Running forward, he aimed straight at the back of a dual axe wielder. The figther was currently engaged with a shield/javelin fighter and was caught completely by surprise. Jaire managed to land a clean hit on their shoulder before they managed to disengage, only to eat a mouthful of metal courtesy of the other fighter''s shield.


    Without skipping a beat, Jaire launched towards the now-exposed shield fighter while simultaneously avoiding an oncoming swing from a mace at his side. Before he could connect however, a glint in his perepherals forced him to raise his shield, which was immediately struck at by a flying handaxe.


    The axe uselessly bounced off his shield as the bloodied axe wielder recklessly charged. Jaire swung his shield to dissuade the figther, but to his surprise the figther took it straight in the chest. With their free hand, they reached around his shield and grasped him by the arm while they struck raising his arms above and allowing the shield to slam into his chest. With their free hand, the axe wielder reached around and grabbed Jaire¡¯s arm, holding him in place as their other arm swung their remaining axe towards his head.


    Without a moment to spare, Jaire dropped to the floor as he lifted his boot onto the figthers¡¯ abdomen. Surprised, the fighter failed to let go of Jaire''s arm, and fell forward. The next second, Jaire finished his somersault and pushed with all his might, launching the figther into the air behind him. The axe fighter crashed into another two fighters, and began to brawl with them as Jaire got up and repositioned himself. Well that¡¯s one wa-


    Instinctively, Jaire rose his shield arm up to block.


    *BANG*


    He skid a few feet as a heavy object slammed against his shield. Pain shot up his arm as it recoiled from the impact. Before he could catch his balance, his instincts screamed once more and he dove backwards, dropping to the floor as he narrowly dodged another blow. Looking up, he finally caught sight of the attacker as he landed. There stood a girl who wielded a long metal pole, and she was glaring right at him.


    Arm throbbing, he slowly rose as he kept his eyes on the girl.Who the hell is she?! What d-


    She seemed to blur before his eyes, and the next thing he knew she was quickly flying backwards as the sky fell. Wha-


    He fell on his back as pain burst from his chest. It was then that he realized what had occurred. She had closed the distance between them and had sent him flying before he could react. His chest burned as it registered the strength of the attack. God that hurts! How the hell did she do that?!


    Groaning, he slowly stood up. Ahead, the girl was fighting against two other fighers simultaneously, and winning. Each struck at her with their own weapons, but she managed to dodge by a hair''s breadth each time. Finally, her counter attack came, and the attackers crumpled and flew just as he had.


    Oh come on...this just isn¡¯t-


    He hid behind his shield as the pole slammed into it. Shockwaves travelled through his body and he darted backwards and away from the figther. With every step, the pole crashed into his shield until it was numb and trembling uncontrollably. Eventually, he could not hold it up any longer, and his arm fell uselessly to his side. From there, he spent another ten minutes desperately dodging and parrying with no chance to counter attack, until he was panting for air.And she''s not even winded...damn she''s good. If it wasn''t for this gear dulling out all of the damage, I would have been taken out at the start.


    When he could no longer raise his weapon, the girl stopped her assault and just stared at him. I''m done. I can''t beat her. What is she waiting for though? Is she giving me a chance to give up? Better than getting my lights knocked out I suppose.


    "Wow" he began with his best smile, "You''re amazing, I seriously can''t compete. I surr-"


    Pain erupted from his cheek as he stumbled backwards.OW! WHAT THE HELL!?


    The girl stood in front of him, glaring with hate filled eyes.


    "What the hell is your deal?! I was going to-GRAH!!"


    The pole smacked right into his shoulder in a painful explosion. He fell to his knee as he held his shoulder.Shit that hurts! Even with the damage reduction, she hits like a truck.


    "Get up." She spoke.


    Confused and scared, he slowly rose and faced her. The anger was still present in her eyes, and she looked to be barely supressing a full out rage.Why is she so mad? I don''t even know this girl!


    "I-"


    *SMACK*


    Pain erupted in his gut and he bent over in pain. He violently coughed, releasing a splurt of painted saliva.


    ...blood? His eyes widened in fear as he stared at the bloody floor.Why...why is she doing this?!


    Fearfully, his eyes darted to the side of the ring, and he desperately tried to run towards it.


    *CRACK*


    Pain exploded from his ribcage and he flew towards the center of the ring. He tumbled a few times before he was able to stop, and wheezed painfully for air.


    Shit shit shit!His body panicked as it continously fought between screaming in pain and taking in as much air as possible.What the hell does she want!?


    A sinking fear swelled within him as the girl slowly approached him. No! Stop! Leave me alone! Get away!


    He watched in fear as her fury spoke to him through her eyes.


    She wants to kill me.


    Frigthened, he turned and tried to crawl away, until a sickening crunch and a howling pain erupted from his leg.


    ¡°Get up.¡±


    His heart raced. Around him, the floor was covered in a layer of blood. The other contestants lay dead, while their decapitated heads sobbed and the crowd chanted.


    You''re going to die~You''re going to die~You''re going to die~


    ¡°Get. Up.¡± She commanded once more, her voice gutteral and snarling in animalistic fury. He gazed back up at her, hoping to plead for mercy, but froze as he looked into the empty holes where her eyes should have been.


    This is the end.


    No, this isn''t right! Not like this!


    Your path ends here.


    NO! NOT LIKE THIS!!


    Unless.


    ANYTHING! I''ll DO ANYTHING!!


    Surrender. And be Free.


    "I-"


    The last thing he saw was the pole, and then his world went black.


    ------------------------------------


    She abhored him. For five years she had hated and despised him. But that wasn''t entirely true. It had started out as a simple dislike, where she rolled her eyes or thought about him with repulsion, but as the years went on, it grew and grew into the hatred that she felt today. Plenty of times she had wanted to fight him, to prove definitively that she was the better one of the two, yet because of his erractic scheduling and always being in the presence of Cheryl The Crusher or Ripper Jaques, she never had the chance.


    Until today.


    Pathetic. Jesy thought as she watched the boy crawl.How can someone so pathetic be allowed to-


    Fury swelled once more and she planted her staff into his leg, eliciting another wail from him.


    When the fighting began, she made sure to make her way towards his ring, praying that the little shit wouldn''t be taken out before she could face him. To her great pleasure, he made the mistake of joining a ring in her direction, allowing her to finish up her third victory and join into the battle without having to chase through tougher opponents.


    Once there,she had beaten him relentlessly until he could no longer lift either arm. She thought she would have been satisfied with just that, and almost was.


    Until he smiled.


    She had beaten him throroughly, dropping him down to a defenseless maggot without once taking a hit in return, yet the disgusting weakling had the audacity to smile at her. As if it was all just a game to him. As if her beatings meant nothing to him, that it would not change a thing. As if her feelings were nothing but a joke.


    Something within her snapped at that point, and she no longer cared about simply humiliating him.


    She wanted to break him.


    ¡°Get. Up.¡± she snarled once more. You little shit, I''m not done with you. Stand up and face me.


    He lifted his head, his disgusting eyes full of fear as his mouth opened, ¡°I-¡±


    She knew the words he was trying to say yet again, and anger burst through her. In a blind rage, she swung her pole straight onto his head, which cracked loudly as he slumped over. Blood pooled around him as her senses returned.


    Fuck. She panted as realization hit her. Worringly, she looked towards the representatives. Crap they''re coming over. Fuck what do I-


    Her skin pricked and she dashed forward instintively. She spun around to face the cause of the bloodlust, but aside from the unconscious bodies of her victims, the ring was empty. What the hell what that?! Who-


    A creeping chill crawled up her spine as she watched the boy slowly rise. Something about the way he moved seemed weird and disturbing, as if a puppet was being made to stand by an amateur puppeteer.


    What the fuck...Despite her body''s protest to stay away, she cautiously stepped forward with weapon ready. The boy full stood in an awkward posture. And then he grinned.


    ¡°I feel¡­¡± He spoke as his grin widened to an uncomfortable degree, ¡°soooooo goooood!¡± To her disgust, his hands rubbed his face in creepy ecstasy as he licked at the blood that covered it. He seemed lost in his own world, inspecting his body over as he rubbed his hands along it.


    ¡°You freak.¡± She snarled, unsure of what to do. The representatives had stopped approaching, seemingly interested in what would occur.Well, he''s still alive, so I guess it''s fair game. Good, I wasn''t done with him yet.


    Gritting her teeth, she exploded forward and torpedoed her pole to his chest. This same strike had been what caused her to win most of her fights thus far, as it was faster than most others could react to. She had spent years perfecting it, hoping it would be her signature move once she joined the Hunters and reached their elite ranks. Yet right now, all that hard work seemed to have vanished before her eyes, as she watched the boy wait into the last moment before twisting his body with a blinding speed. What''s more, it seemed as though the pressure of his movement was so great it created a force that pushed her pole off center, forcing her to miss by a millimeter. How!? Imposs-


    Every nerve screamed danger as she saw his bare hand claw towards her exposed flank.


    ¡°GRAHHH!!!!¡± Instead of retreating, she tackled him, dropping her spear to latch onto his body as pain erupted from her side. Her body screamed in fear but she kept it down, and with all the force she could muster, she launched him away. He flew backwards, and landed outside of the ring with a gentle thud.


    "He''s out!" She yelled, ensuring the representatives were aware as she gulped down her fear. Something about him didn''t seem right, and just keeping her eye on him sent shivers down her spine. Part of her hoped he would try to re-enter so that they could intervene and silence him for good.


    The other part was scared to find out what would actually happen. She shuddered as she eyed the boy.


    To her relief, he seemed completetly uninterested in her. Instead, he just laughed and rolled around on the floor as he licked and sniffed the dirt, until he randomly fell asleep.


    Wincing, she grasped at her side, and found five finger sized holes drilled into her armor. Thankfully, none of them were deep enough to rend flesh, thus only the pain of impact stung.


    ¡°You fucking freak¡­¡± She spat and stumbled to the next ring.

 Chapter 5 - Aftermath

    ¡°Ugghhhh¡­.¡±


    A sharp pain throbbed in Jaire¡¯s skull. It felt as though a hundred needles were piercing him constantly, each a millimeter apart. Slowly Jaire¡¯s eyes creaked open, only to shut abruptly against the bright sunlight. The needles continued to press and he groaned once more. God it feels like my brain is going to explode¡­


    He turned his head to the side before opening his eyes again, only to find another ray of sunlight beam straight into his eyes. What the hell??


    Confused, he turned over once more. This time, he covered his eyes with his hand before opening them, but found that the sunlight still shone through.


    He sat up with alarm as his eyes flung open. Everywhere he turned, beams of light shone straight at him with painful brightness. He shut his eyes tightly against them, yet somehow they penetrated through his eyelids as they burned their way straight into his skull. The sharp pains in his head resonated with the beams, growing in intensity as his head felt ready to crack open.


    Before he could even begin to panic, the pain and lights suddenly vanished, and darkness returned to his shut eyes.


    What the hell was that?! What the-


    ¡°Stay still already!!¡± A voice called out from behind, startling him enough to open his eyes. With the bright light missing, he was finally able to see his surroundings, and what he saw stunned him immediately.


    Everywhere he looked, millions of tiny white lights danced him. They glittered as they flew by, following an invisible current that he could not feel. Strangely, despite their quantity and constant sparkling, he could still see through them. He found himself within a small tent sitting upon a stretcher, and completely covered with the specs. Curious, he tried to hold them, but stopped as a voice spoke once more.


    ¡°Stay still,¡± the person said, ¡°I¡¯m almost done.¡±


    He turned his head towards the speaker, and found Lin standing there with her hands upon his shoulders. The motes of light also fell upon her, however they had a different property than the rest. Instead of twinkling white lights, the lights on her were bright green, which glowed brighter the closer they got to her hands. It was then that he finally realized that he felt something flowing within him.


    A soothing warmth emanated from her hands and surged throughout his body. As it flowed he began to feel relaxed, all the tension he hadn¡¯t known he held easing beneath its embrace. The feeling was so calming that his eyes slowly closed as his consciousness drifted. Just before he lost himself to the relaxation, the warmth abruptly stopped.


    ¡°Wha???¡± He spoke with a dull as his mind slowly awoke. What just happened??


    As he looked around, he found that the lights had vanished as well, and the only noise he heard was Lin panting behind him.


    ¡°Oh man,¡± She gasped, ¡°that was tougher than I thought. Humans and plants are pretty different after all.¡±


    Plants?? What do plants have to- Mind finally snapping awake, he quickly turning around and stared at her with wide-eyed astonishment. ¡°Did you-¡±


    ¡°Shh,¡± She cut him off while she placed a finger to his mouth. The typical sly smile emerged on her face as she leaned in to whisper, ¡°Yes, I did. It¡¯s something I¡¯ve been dabbling in. Glad to know it was a success. How do you feel?¡±


    She used magic on me. Giddiness ran through him as a stupid smile crossed his face. That was amazing!! Is that what she meant by an ecstasy? ¡°I feel fantastic.¡± He replied with a goofy grin.


    ¡°Great. I¡¯m so glad it worked, would be a shame if you started to sprout flower buds or something.¡±


    Huh? Flower buds? His giddiness ebbed as her words confused him. Why would I sprout flower- Suddenly the implication set in and her words repeated themselves in his mind. Lin¡¯s magic revolved around controlling and manipulating plant life, not humans. Oh my god, she had no idea what she was doing! Was I just her test dummy?!


    ¡°You-¡± He began but was quickly cut off by another finger upon his mouth as Lin devilishly smiled.


    ¡°Welllll, it¡¯s not like I have anyone else to work with. Jaq and Cherry are too good to be pummeled around, and no way I¡¯m gonna experiment on myself. Soooooo~¡±


    ¡°Y-you!¡± He stuttered as anger and fear swam within his mind. I could have died!!


    ¡°Oh please,¡± She spoke as she stood up, ¡°don¡¯t be so dramatic. You wouldn¡¯t have died...Maybe. Look, what matters is that it worked and you are alive and healthy, so let¡¯s not fuss over the details okay?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Awww, don¡¯t be like that. Don¡¯t you have faith in me?¡± She brought her hands to his cheeks as she bent down and kissed him on the forehead. ¡°You know I won¡¯t let anything bad happen to you right? C¡¯monnn, please forgive me?¡±


    She batted her eyes and pouted as she continuously gave him pecks on his face and cheeks, until he finally resigned.


    ¡°Still¡­coulda warned me.¡± he sighed. I can never stay mad at her. Bah.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make it up to later okay?¡± She giggled as she kissed him again. ¡°Now then, let¡¯s get going. They are announcing the placements soon.¡±


    Placements? OH!! He jerked up as he remembered the situation before his nap. ¡°Right! Let¡¯s go-whoaaaa.¡±


    Dizziness overcame him and he almost dropped to the floor, but was caught in time by Lin.


    ¡°Easy there tiger, you took a hell of a beating and I¡¯m not good enough to fix you up instantly, so you gotta take it slow ok?¡±


    ¡°Ah...right.¡± His legs wobbled as he righted himself. ¡°Er, do you mind telling me what happened? My memory is a little hazy¡­¡±


    As they walked out of the tent and joined the other students, Lin told him the events of the fight and how he came to be in the tent. As she finished, he internally frowned as he tried to recalll the events for himself.


    Strange...I don¡¯t remember a ring out...let alone getting up to fight again...


    Why can¡¯t I remember it??


    --------------------------------------------------


    ¡°Now, without further ado,¡± The principal finally said at the end of another long winded speech, ¡°We shall announce the Path¡¯s decisions!¡±


    He stood upon a stage again, but unlike before, the stage was laid out to create four distinct walkways behind them. Each walkway led towards a tower that had been brought out. Each tower had the insignias and markings of one of the Paths carved upon them, and served as platforms for the chosen students to stand upon as they were welcomed into their Path.


    The stadium erupted into cheers as the students had their names called out. One by one, they walked onto the stage and towards one of the Paths. Jaire cheered as Jaques and Cheryl were called out. Both of them earned high praise for their accomplishments and joined the Hunters and Bulwarks respectively. Cheryl was also the winner of the brawl, but that was as expected. When Lin was called, she hesitantly looked to Jaire¡¯s shaky form.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine.¡± He spoke with a smile, ¡°I¡¯m just tired. Go now, I¡¯ll see you on the other side.¡±


    She smiled and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before she marched away. She too had earned high praise, and promptly joined the Seekers.


    Ugh there¡¯s so many of us, this will take forever. Jaire thought as he sighed and concentrated on not keeling over.


    Damn that girl, she was really out for blood...I wonder if she¡¯s just like that or she hates me.


    God I¡¯m hungry. Can we hurry it up please?


    Ugh, my head started to hurt again...but I don¡¯t see any lights this time around. I wonder what that was about. I should ask-


    ¡°JAIRE NEVIZE. PLEASE STEP FORWARD.¡±


    Startled, Jaire looked up to the stage to the frowning principal. Woops.


    He began making his way forward, but hesitated. Something¡¯s...wrong¡­


    Confused, he looked around, and found that he stood alone. That¡¯s not right...It¡¯s alphabetical isn¡¯t it? So where is everyone?


    Then he saw them. Every other student had already stood upon the towers. The stadium was eerily quiet as trepidation grew within him. Shakily, he walked towards the stage.


    ¡°Jaire Nevize.¡± the principal spoke, a hint of disgust in his voice, ¡°You have failed.¡±


    What?


    The principal continued to speak, but none of the words registered in his mind as he stared blankly at the man.


    I failed?


    ¡°For your failure to be of use to society, you are from here out banished from the town and-¡±


    I...failed?


    ------------------------------------------------------------


    Jaire sat numbly as he looked at his cuffed hands.


    This can¡¯t be happening...


    He sat in a chair, flanked by both parents. To his right, his mother screamed and cussed at the principal in her personalized mix of common speech and a bastardized old world language. On his left, his father silently fumed, remarking only to support his mother. In front of him a massive stone table separated their side from the principals, and upon it, dozens of papers with comments and scores were strewn about.


    Coward. Weak. Lacking resolve. Unambitious. Indecisive.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    The papers continued on and on, none giving him a single redeeming quality.


    This can¡¯t be happening...He thought as his body shook. His failure would come with a price, which was the equivalent of a death sentence.


    As it were, there were no jail cells or prisons in Rivivera. Instead, the town had a harsh and effective method to deal with criminals and undesirables. First, they would be charged with a fine based on the crime committed; next, they were banished from the settlement, restricted from re-entering until the fine was paid.


    As it is impossible to survive in the wild and the nearest town was a two week trek away through Zvyr territory, criminals had no choice but to pay the fine. The problem however, was that the fine could only be paid in resources, and not Qip. Thus criminals had no other option but to work as auxiliary collectors.


    Auxies worked alongside the town-approved Gatherers to collect resources, but with none of the benefits. While Gatherers had homes to return to and were protected by Hunters, Auxies had to collect and survive all on their own. Acknowledging that this would have brought about a quick death with no benefit to the town, the government gave the Auxies the right to take on more debt in exchange for daily rations, shelter, and gear. When put into practice, this meant that a 100 Qip fine could take weeks to pay off, even months if the Auxie wasn¡¯t careful.


    For Jaire, the fine of failing was equal to the resources that were wasted on him over his ten years at the Academy. In essence, it was a life sentence.


    I¡¯m never paying it off, I¡¯m going to be stuck as an Auxie until I die...


    ¡°That is enough!¡± The principal yelled as he slammed his fist upon the table. It shook from the pure force of his strike, despite being constructed of an incredibly heavy mineral and looked to weigh about 5 tonnes. The feat would have been impressive and daunting to anyone else, however...


    ¡°I¡¯LL TELL YOU WHEN IT¡¯S ENOUGH!¡± His mother bellowed as she slammed her own fist down, causing the stone table to snap in half. She raged on for another 15 minutes before a sound from behind interrupted her.


    ¡°We¡¯ll take him.¡± A gruff voice spoke from the doorway. They all turned to stare at the newcomer. A disheveled man stood in the doorway donning a tattered poncho as he reeked of booze.


    ¡°You!¡± The principal spat, though Jaire sensed he was secretly relieved to not be the target of his mother¡¯s viciousness.


    ¡°Yeah me.¡± The gruff man said as he took a swig from his canteen. ¡°Like I said, we¡¯ll take him. He¡¯ll fit in perfectly.¡±


    The principal sneered, turning to face Jaire who had finally come out of his stupor to stare at the man.


    ...why does he look so familiar?


    ¡°Jaire.¡± The president spat, ¡°Unfortunately, they have given you a pass, which is regrettably still allowed. So now you have a choice. Honorably take on your banishment and subsequent fine, or give up whatever dignity you have left to join him and his scum.¡±


    The man just rolled his eyes as he took another swig of the canteen.


    ¡°But, who is he?¡± Jaire questioned as he tried to recall where he had seen the man.


    ¡°He¡¯s a Sentinel.¡± The principal responded, and finally Jaire understood his disgust.


    The Sentinels were the fifth Path. But unlike the prior four, Sentinels were reviled and hated by everyone. Once upon a time they were hailed as heroes who protected the caravans along the trade routes, but after the rise of the Seekers, they became irrelevant. What¡¯s more, their tactics were seen as cowardly and pathetic, as they would often choose to run and save their own skin than continue their mission. It was a mystery why they were still allowed to exist, but everyone wished that they would finally be disbanded for the disgrace that they were.


    Screw that. He thought as disgust formed within him. I¡¯d rather die than¡­than...


    He paused as the situation sunk in. In the past, he had often spoken those words, `I''d rather die than be a Sentinel¡¯, yet now with the reality of death as the other option, he didn¡¯t feel so sure.


    I really would be choosing death over them...but...


    ¡°Do the right thing.¡± The principal spoke, ¡°Hold your head high and willingly accept your fate, as a true warrior should. There is no greater disgrace than-¡±


    ¡°Enough.¡± His mother spoke. She glared at the principal until he huffed and looked away, and then turned to face him.


    ¡°Jaire,¡± She began, ¡°Do what you want, worry not of what others will say.¡±


    ¡°Whatever happens, we will always support you.¡± He father pitched in as he held Jaire¡¯s shoulder.


    I...I want¡­


    The room trembled and cracked. Visions of blood and gore filled the room as the wails of the dead cried out to him. As he watched in terror, he heard a whisper speak to him.


    Surrender.


    -----------------------------------------


    The room was silent as the boy kept his head down. Disgraceful. He thought as he watched the boy quiver in his chair.


    Every year, there was at least one of them, a failure. It was a common occurrence, yet he had the utmost hopes with this year¡¯s class. For the ten years that he had been president, he had put his full focus on raising these children, more so than any class before them. They were to be his crowning jewel, a 100% passing class, an achievement that would have given him the right to leave this god forsaken place and finally move to the capital state of Charavalon.


    He had spent countless hours nurturing the students, ensuring they were properly trained both physically and mentally. Day in and day out they were taught that there was no greater calling than being soldiers, no greater sacrifice than those made for the good of the people, until they believed it themselves. His methods had worked wonderfully, and he was so close to his goal, that he had already packed before the Ceremony had even begun.


    Yet one child had ruined everything.


    He had known about Jaire for a while now, about his tendencies to transfer courses or slack off, but he had paid it no mind. The boy was as equally capable as three of the top rated students and had proven himself before, so he had let the child do as he pleased with the assumption that when it mattered the most, Jaire would step up to the challenge.


    How foolish of me. I should have forced his hand when I had the chance. There is nothing I can do to salvage this situation now either, the Onlooker must have already seen the results.


    Barely able to restrain his anger, he decided that enough time had passed.


    ¡°Bah!¡± he spat, ¡°I will not allow you to sully our reputation by throwing your lot in with these scoundrels! You are from here on out ba-¡±


    ¡°THEM! I CHOOSE THEM!¡± the boy screamed with fear ridden eyes.


    You pathetic child. He thought as he grit his teeth. You can¡¯t even allow yourself to be useful even when all else is ruined.


    ¡°See?¡± the fallen Sentinel spoke, ¡°Told you he¡¯d fit right in. Welcome to the Sentinels kid.¡±


    --------------------------------------------------------------------------


    Jaire sighed as he stared up to the flower-adorned ceiling. After he was uncuffed and allowed to leave, he had excused himself and made his way back to Lin¡¯s home. It was the one place where he would always find comfort, and he needed it now more than ever.


    Striking his hand out, he attempted to make the plants move, but as usual, nothing happened. I guess I¡¯m a failure at that too¡­


    Sighing once more, he turned to his side as the events of the day played over in mind, each accompanied by more self-pity.


    Did I make the right choice? He questioned himself. At the time he had acted out of fear, but now that he had time to calm down, reason had returned to him.


    Although dangerous, it was possible to live a long life as a Auxie. Plenty of people had done it in the past, and plenty more were doing it even now. Perhaps he could have made a new friend, met someone who would have shown him the ropes and taught him everything he would ever need to know. Auxie¡¯s weren¡¯t necessarily bad people, thus the government did try to help them out, perhaps it was not as bad as he had imagined.


    But no. I didn¡¯t think about that. I was too wrapped up in my fear to think clearly. I really have turned into a coward¡­


    ¡°God damn it!¡± He yelled as he slammed the floor.


    ¡°Jeez Jay, what did my floor ever to do you?¡± Lin spoke out as she entered the room from the outside.


    ¡°Go away¡­¡±


    ¡°Excuse me? This is MY house you know.¡± She scoffed and lightly pushed at his prone body with her foot.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry...I¡¯m just¡­¡±


    ¡°I know, I was watching, which is why I knew I¡¯d find you here. Come on you big baby, get up.¡±


    Despite her prodding, he stubbornly refused to move. He was exhausted, physically and mentally, and he just wanted to lay down and rest. How can I tell her...


    ¡°Sigh. I guess I¡¯ll just have to get undressed in front of you since you won¡¯t leave.¡± She spoke, ¡°No peeking.¡±


    A moment later, he heard cloth shuffle behind him. He peeked. She stood with her arms on her waist while fully clothed.


    ¡°Pervert.¡± She said with a snide smile, ¡°Get up already.¡±


    Damn. He sat up with an exaggerated sigh. ¡°Alright alright I¡¯m going. Jeez, what does a man have to do to brood around here?¡±


    ¡°Well you can always join Jaq upon the roof.¡±


    He smirked and shook his head. ¡°No no, I can¡¯t pull that off.¡±


    ¡°Neither can he but has that ever stopped him?¡± Giggling, she sat down next to him. ¡°Feeling better yet? Or do you want to bash on Jaq some more? Did you see him fight today? I mean talk about dramat-¡±


    She abruptly stopped as he laid his head upon her shoulder. ¡°This is good enough. After all...I won¡¯t be able to see you anymore¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t think that way.¡± She cooed as she ran her fingers through his hair. ¡°You know that isn¡¯t true. Besides, it¡¯s not like its a life sentence, you just have to be careful about where you gather and don¡¯t take up too much debt. I read that a human can go three weeks without food so if you just diet-¡±


    ¡°Lin...I won¡¯t be an Auxie...I joined the Sentinels.¡±


    He felt her body stiffen beside him as a silence fell within the room. She began to tremble slightly as she fidgeted with her fingers, which brought pain to his heart.


    I knew it... she¡¯s disgusted by me. How could she ever love a coward? I made the wrong-


    ¡°Let¡¯s run away.¡± She spoke in a soft voice. It was so low, that it took a second for him to realize what she had said, and another to comprehend it.


    ¡°What??¡± He questioned as straightened up to look at her. His eyes grew wide as he watched her. Rather than the confident or playful face she had always shown him, now a new one had formed, one he had never seen her use before.


    She was scared.


    ¡°Run away with me Jaire.¡± She repeated, her voice quivering as she stared into his eyes.


    ¡°Run away??¡± He repeated, too bewildered to process. ¡°Run away to where?¡±


    ¡°To the wild.¡± She responded as she reached forward and squeezed his hand.


    ¡°You know that isn¡¯t possible, there¡¯s nowhere to go out there. We will be eaten within a week.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d rather live a week with you than a lifetime without.¡± She replied as she squeezed his hand tigther.


    His heart ached as realization dawned on him. She¡¯s scared, who wouldn¡¯t be, yet still she¡¯s willing to risk her life just to be with me. Oh Lin¡­


    But...I can¡¯t let you do that. A grim determination hardened within him. I screwed myself over already, but I refuse to bring you down with me.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Lin but...I couldn¡¯t ever let you do that. I don¡¯t want to lose you but it¡¯s too dangerous. I can¡¯t protect you...¡± Even if I could, what could a coward like myself do?


    ¡°Hmph!¡±


    A warmth radiated out from where she sat and the room trembled. He sat shocked as all around them, the once peaceful garden grew monstrous. Deadly thorns erupted upon every vine as they grew triple in size. The flowers opened to reveal maws lined with gaping teeth that dripped with a sizzling ooze.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need you to protect me.¡± She spoke as her eyes glowed with a green hue, a feature that had never occurred before. Mouth agape in fear and awe, he sat dumbly as the flowers retreated and reverted back to their original size.


    ¡°Five...five years.¡± She panted as she fell against his chest. She was covered in sweat and panting heavily, yet still she continued to speak, ¡°Give me¡­five years...and I can...I can be so much more. I can...protect us¡­¡±


    Amazing. How can she be so amazing? But...


    You are weak. A coward.


    His heart raced as the voice spoke. Dozens of images flashed within his mind, full of blood and death.


    You cannot protect her.


    ¡°I¡¯m sor-¡±


    ¡°P-please,¡± Her voice quivered as she trembled within his arms, ¡°d-don¡¯t...don¡¯t leave me¡­¡±


    Within his mind, hundreds of bleeding eyes encircled him as the room around them trembled.


    Surrender yourself to me, and I shall keep her safe.


    Hundreds of bodies surrounded them, each carrying her face as they cried blood and wailed his name.


    Yet, the images didn¡¯t cause fear within him. Instead, a burning anger ignited in his chest.


    I will never let that happen to you. Never.


    ¡°Okay.¡± He spoke, voice steady and strong. I am NOT a coward. I WILL protect you!


    Gently as he could, he stroked Lin''s hair as she had done to him many times before. ¡°It¡¯s going to be okay. I¡¯m here for you. Please don¡¯t cry anymore.¡±


    ¡°S-stupid, I¡¯m not crying, you are.¡± She sobbed out as she pressed herself tighter into his chest.


    He chuckled and reached down to kiss her forehead. I won¡¯t let you down. I swear.


    He wrapped his arms around her trembling body as he continued to kiss her forehead, moving lower with each kiss. ¡°I¡¯ll never leave you. Come now, let¡¯s get you out of these wet clothes.¡±


    ¡°...okay¡­¡±


    The following morning, he returned home.

 Chapter 6 - New Home

    Jaire paced back and forth in front of a solid stone wall as he looked around in confusion.


    Did I take too long?


    That morning, he had returned home and spent the next couple of hours packing and saying his goodbyes to his friends and family. Since he was not given a time frame, he stretched it out as much as he could before he arrived at the Academy''s office building. There, they gave him directions on where to meet his guide, and thus he walked towards the destination point found inbetween Crafter''s Lane and Old Town.


    The alleyways leading to it were empty, and the only sounds he heard were the thrums of the nearby workshops. He had already been waiting for ten minutes, and was growing impatient. What do I do if no one shows up? Can I just go home? Damn it where is-


    ¡°GOOOOD MORNIN¡¯!¡± A voice sung out from above. As he looked up, he saw a blond manstanding atop the wall in a superhero pose. Despite that though, he wore ragged clothing filled with holes and patches. The only good thing about him was that he was clean shaven. The man then attempted to leap off, but tripped and fell with a heavy thud. A moment later, he rolled forward, spreading his arms wide as he yelled, ¡°TA-DAH!¡±


    Confused, Jaire weakly smiled in response. ¡°Um...are you my guide?¡±


    The man sprung up, ¡°Sure am! Boy am I excited to- WAIT! You¡¯re Jaire Nevize right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡± He replied, unsure of what to think of the man.


    ¡°That¡¯s a relief!¡± the guide said, ¡°Really! We don¡¯t get many recruits so sometimes we just see kids playing by the wall around here, and well, we just try to snatch ¡®em up! Boy that¡¯s led to some funny stories! Let me tell ya about this one time when me and my buddy went over by¡­¡±


    From there, they walked southward along the wall, as the guide spoke without end. He jumped from point to point with such ease that Jaire never had a chance to comment or question. Soon, the surroundings buildings ended and the large farmland that covered most of the Southern region came into view. It was a wonderful sight, and he took in a deep breath of the rich aro-


    ¡°Oh god! What is that smell?!¡± He scrunched his nose against the horrid stench.


    ¡°Hmm? That¡¯s just the manure, all of it stored in this area. But don¡¯t worry, during the summer the draft picks up the fumes from Crafters Lane so it¡¯s not always shit.*Pfft*. Literally!¡±


    He grimaced as the guide laughed. ¡°Oh c¡¯mon that was funny! Bah! Kids these days. Anyways, it ain¡¯t so bad inside, and ya get used to it eventually! And with that said...Welcome~ To~ Hell~!¡±


    The guide leapt forward and gracefully somersaulted with a midair twist, landing on one knee with his arms spread, showcasing a gate upon the plain wall. ¡°TA-DAH!!¡±


    The double doored gate at his side was ready to collapse. One of the doors held by a single hinge, while the other was flat out missing, replaced by a large wooden plank hastily shoved in the muddy floor.


    ¡°Come on in!¡± The guide spoke as he opened the creaking gate.


    "Thank you. I''m looking forward to-"He paused as he entered and looked around.The interior was a decrepit warzone. As far as he could see, wrecked buildings and debris littered the compound. Some had missing roofs and shattered walls, others were rotten and decaying. The ground was soggy mud, littered with heaps of debris and filth, with the exception of a single clean path forward, towards the center of the compound. At its end, a clearing surrounded an open campfire.


    ¡°Home sweet home!¡± The guide spoke proudly, ¡°Alrighty then! First off! Call me Stix, like the river! I¡¯m the second in command around here.¡±


    ¡°River?¡± Jaire questioned. As far as heknew, the only body of water around was the Dzivir River which ran parallel to Rivivera.There shouldn''t be another river around any of the settlements, what is he talking about?


    ¡°Ya don¡¯t know it? Ooh boy do I got a book for ya!¡± Styx happily replied. ¡°Well anywho, let¡¯s go meet the gang! See that fire up ahead? Before I grabbed ya I told the peeps to have a mighty feast prepared in your honor! They should be gathering as we speak, so come along now!¡±


    Styx ran up ahead and Jaire followed behind, struggling to keep his various bags off the muddy floor.


    ¡°Styx?¡± Jaire called out.


    ¡°Yeah? What¡¯s up?¡± Styx replied without looking back.


    ¡°What is all of this? Why are you guys hoarding all this junk???¡±


    ¡°Ahahaha! Hoarding he says! Good one!¡±


    That...doesn¡¯t answer...ugh forget it.Eventually he entered the clearing where a small group of people sat around the firepit. Well, time to meet the new crew I guess.


    Starting from his left, Styx sat on a broken tire followed by a rather large man, a couple that sat together on a log, a skinnier guy that seemed to be around his own age, and ended with a fully cloaked person leaned upon a random piece of junk.Smaller than I expected...You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    Upon the fire a large pot was boiling, the rich sweet fragrance causing his mouth to salivate.


    ¡°Jaire! So glad for ya to join us! Come! Sit anywhere ya like!¡± Styx happily greeted and waved.


    ...you led me here... He shook the train of thoughts away as he dropped his belongings and sat between Styx and the clothed individual, donning a friendly smile as he looked around.


    ¡°What the fuck are you smiling at?¡± The female snarled, straightening off the man as she glared at him with piercing eyes.


    The rude woman snarled again, and he helplessly looked to Styx for help. What did I do?!


    ¡°Now now,¡± Styx began as faced the woman, ¡°he¡¯s probably just happy a cutie like you could be found in our little gang. Probs wants to ask you out you little vixen.¡±


    WHAT!? Horrified, his eyes went wide as he shook his head vigorously, but thankfully the woman had turned her hatred towards Styx.That¡¯s not what I meant!!


    ¡°Alrighty then!¡± Styx spoke out, ¡°All flirting aside, let¡¯s give Jaire a big warm welcome! I say we start by introducing ourselves! Me first! I¡¯m Styx, like the river! Hmm, I¡¯m a Libra, I have many likes and dislikes, I live right around there, and I¡¯m a lot of fun to be around if I do say so myself! *Snort* Which I do! Hahahaha!¡±


    The man next to him joined in on the laughter, yet the rest of the group was silent, with the female rolling her eyes in annoyance. He said a lot...yet I learned nothing...and what¡¯s a Libra?


    ¡°Next! Take it away numbuh 2!¡±


    Styx kicked dirt at the person by his side, yet the man simply laughed. The man was almost double the size of the others, but in a bulbous way rather than muscular like the male counterpart of the couple. Despite the insult, his face was full of joy and bliss, yet Jaire still looked on in shock. A person out of shape was unheard of in Rivivera, a crime even, and one so large even more so. Yet here he was, sitting without a care in the world.


    ¡°Styx¡¯s a real joker ain¡¯t he?¡± The man spoke with a heavy accent, ¡°Name¡¯s Lucky, pleasure¡¯s all mine. And I know what you are thinking but no, I am not fat, I am big boned. It runs in the family.¡± He shrugged with a jolly grin.


    ¡°Nobody runs in ya family!¡± Styx commented as Lucky laughed again.


    ...have you no pride?? This is...this is wrong...


    ¡°Tis¡¯ true, tis¡¯ true! We have mastered our craft for generations, a feat that requires our utmost dedication! There is no time for running! Should we be attacked during work, we stand our ground and fini-¡±


    ¡°Ya ya ya, you sacrifice yourself for food and whatnot. How noble.¡± Styx interjected while Lucky chuckled unabashedly. ¡°Jaire, if you haven¡¯t guessed by now, Lucky is our expert cook. He ain¡¯t much of a fighter, or of a man, or anything really, but damn can he make a pile of dung taste oh so good!¡±


    At that, Jaire looked to the pot. It bubbled as a goopy matter popped within, and his appetite suddenly waned, which only brought laughter to Styx and Lucky.


    ¡°I kid!¡± Styx laughed out, ¡°We¡¯d be long dead if we only ate shit! Ahahaha! Ah jeez, ya crack me up. So then! Next up is the ever lovely Psyma.¡±


    ¡°Ugh.¡± She groaned as she rolled her eyes.


    ¡°Oh come now, say something!¡±


    ¡°Fine. Piss me off and I¡¯ll cut your fucking throat.¡± She snarled at Jaire, who could only strainly smile.


    Well she¡¯s lovely...wait...that name, why is that name so famili-...oh! He recalled a major incident that occurred a few years prior. A large quake had caused the destruction of the old gym, and within it, a former Academy student was caught. She yelled for hours while the townsfolk dug her out, and afterwards was disgraced for her attitude, earning the nickname ¡®Psyma the Screama¡¯ throughout the Academy. Is that really her though? No, it couldn¡¯t be...but... ¡°Are you-¡±


    A burning fury emanated from her eyes, forcing his lungs shut while every muscle clenched in fear.


    Oh shit. His mind raced as he began to shiver. Oh shit oh shit oh shi-


    *pow*


    ¡°OW! The fuck!?¡± Psyma barked and turned to her partner. The man had bopped her on the head, and now sat stoically as she viciously attacked his arm. With her fury solely on the man, the pressure dissipate from Jaire¡¯s body, and he shivered as he looked down to the floor. She was going to kill me...she was actually going to kill me...


    ¡°Please forgive Psyma,¡± The man spoke, ¡°She means no harm, she is just awfully sensitive about her past, please try to understand.¡±


    ¡°Awwww, look what you did Verdok, she¡¯s all mad now! You two kiss and make up! Come on now, kissy kissy kissy!¡±


    ¡°Ugh! Don¡¯t say shit like that!¡±


    The conversation continued but Jaire had tuned out, staring at the floor while his body shivered. Enough! With clenched teeth and a deep breath, he raised his head and peered around. Psyma had seemingly forgotten about him, instead focused on throwing handfuls of dirt at Styx, who playfully laughed as he shielded himself. The man, Verdok as Styx had called him, had returned to sipping his tea. The rest of the camp seemed rather calm as well, as though nothing had happened.


    ¡°Anywhooo!¡± Styx sung out, ¡°Nothing to worry about Jaire! She¡¯s quite nice once you get to know her! Promise!¡±


    As Jaire met the smiling man¡¯s eyes, he noticed Styx was bleeding from his temple, where a bruise was currently forming. Wha...did she...forget it, I don¡¯t want to know.


    ¡°Well that leaves us with two left! Now I¡¯m just gonna be honest here, they ain¡¯t gonna talk so let¡¯s just skip it and go straight the grub! I¡¯m starving!¡±


    Wait seriously? That¡¯s rude...though I can see his point...that one over there seems to be too occupied with doodling and the other...is it just me or are they staring at me? No, it¡¯s just my imagination...


    The cloaked figure sat leaned towards Jaire. Their hood obscured their face in shadows, but even so Jaire could make out a cloak underneath it which effectively covered them. He couldn¡¯t make out if it was a male or female, but their height did seem shorter than his own. As Styx approached the pot, the others did as well. Each held their own personal bowls, using it to scoop the slimy soup up as they chatted. The only two who hadn¡¯t rose yet were Jaire himself and the cloaked figure beside him.


    Okay they are definitely staring. ¡°Um, hi.¡±


    He smiled to the person, but received no response. The figure just sat there, staring. Are you really not going to say anything? CAN you say anything?


    ¡°C¡¯mon Jaire! Stop flirting and get over here before it gets cold! Ghost you too!¡± Styx chipped in, as he beckoned him over. Ghost huh? Sure seems like it...damn that smells good...but...ugh my stomach... how bad can it be?

 Chapter 7 - Day One (FINAL REWRITE)

    ¡°RISE AND SHINING! WAKEY WAKEY WAKEY!¡±


    Jaire¡¯s eyes creaked open. His head throbbed as his body ached. He sat up and stretched, every muscle groaning as he did.


    ¡°Ughh...where am I??¡± He hazily looked around, and found himself in a decrepit, musty room. Cracks ran along the walls and sunlight shone through the various holes found along the roof. There was no furniture around, his bags being the only decor, which he had awoken on top of, covered by his mother¡¯s blanket.


    At last, the memories came rushing back. After the awful dinner, Styx had whipped out a bottle of alcohol and passed it around. After it was drained, Styx had another. And another. Unwilling to be a downer, Jaire had drunk along, more than he perhaps should have.


    ¡°OHHHH WARRRIORRRRR!! COME OUT AND PLAYYYYY!!¡±


    Warrior? Does he ever make sense? With one final groan, Jaire arose and dressed. When he was ready, he sighed and opened the door.


    ¡°Damn, you look like shit man.¡± Styx commented full of cheer, ¡°Maybe shouldn¡¯t party so much huh? Come along then! The gang¡¯s been waiting!¡±


    Gang? Waiting? Why? He wondered as he stepped out. Outside, each muddy pathway was covered in trash and debris. The surrounding buildings were only a story high, but some heaps of thrash rose even above those. It¡¯s worse in person¡­


    He sighed as he followed after the happy go lucky man.


    ¡°Where are we going?¡± He called out, sidestepping a broken vase and large, broken spools.


    ¡°To the pit!¡± Came Styx¡¯s reply.


    ¡°Why??¡±


    ¡°For the expedition of course!¡±


    Of course¡­wait what!?


    ¡°Wait! What expediti-whoa!¡±


    *Splat!*


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Half an hour later, Jaire finally stumbled into the clearing, covered in mud and scrapes. Styx had moved on, praddling without realizing he had fallen. Without Styx''s guidance, he was unable to tell one pile of thrash from another and had gotten lost.


    ¡°Jaire! You¡¯re late!¡± Styx called out, ¡°Get over here!¡±


    Why would you leave me like that!? Jaire internally yelled as he jogged forward. Ahead, eleven people stood in a line facing Styx and another person, presumably the first in command.


    ¡°Jaire,¡± Styx spoke when he arrived, ¡°Please meet our captain and fearless leader! Karebal~ the~ Great!¡± He flung his arms high, releasing confetti into the air.


    Nobody reacted.


    ¡°It¡¯s too early for this shit¡­¡± Karebal sighed. He was dressed in rags similar in condition to Styx¡¯s, but he looked as annoyed and tired as Jaire felt, and reeked far worse of booze.


    Jaire propped up as recognition entered his mind. You¡¯re the guy who recruited me!


    ¡°Well then,¡± Karebal lazily called out to the lineup ¡°Marx¡¯s crew needs a fillup. Who''s in?¡±


    Groans erupted from the members.


    ¡°Ahh quit your bitching, we don¡¯t have all day. C''mon, work it out amongst yourselves¡±


    Not very disciplined, I guess the rumors were true...


    ¡°So,¡± Karebal yawned as he faced him, ¡°Styx says you volunteered for today¡¯s expedition.¡±


    What!?¡± Jaire cried out in shock. Are you crazy!? No I didn¡¯t!! That''s insane!!


    ¡°Yup yup!¡± Styx interjected, ¡°Happened last night! He stood up on that rock right there and boasted how he and his lady will one day be living way out in the middle of nowhere! Said to prove it, he¡¯d come along today and every day we head out!¡±


    WHAT!?!?


    ¡°Really?" Karebal asked with a raised a eyebrow, "You sure you want to go?¡±


    No! Of course not! It¡¯s only been a day and no one has taught me shit! I¡¯m not ready for this!


    ¡°Of course he is!¡± Styx huffed, ¡°Who do ya think he is? He ain¡¯t no quitter! He¡¯s gonna show you all why he¡¯s the best around! Tell ¡®im Jaire!¡±


    ¡°I¡­I¡­¡± Jaire stammered.


    ¡°Fine, whatever.¡± Karebal lazily responded and turned to the line up. Styx grinned as he gave the stunned Jaire a thumbs up.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    The rest fell into a blur as Jaire stared at the floor, mind reeling over the event that had occurred.


    Oh god...this is happening...this is actually happening¡­oh god oh god oh-


    ¡°Listen up kid,¡± Karebal spoke, snapping Jaire out of his daze. The other members had disappeared, leaving only Jaire and Karebal.


    ¡°It¡¯s dangerous out there," He continued, "so there are some rules to follow.¡±


    Jaire nodded profusely as he perked to attention.


    ¡°First, regardless of what may occur, do not approach the caravan.¡±


    ...Huh?


    ¡°Second, keep your head down at all times.¡±


    Wait...what does¡­


    ¡°Lastly, and I really cannot stress this enough, keep your fucking mouth shut. You are not to interact with anyone except for Ghost. If you need anything, tell them and they will relay it to me. That¡¯s it. Front gate, two hours.¡±


    With that Karebal walked away.


    ...what...WHAT!? Are you kidding me?! Who gives a shit about the caravan! What about the Zvyrs!! What do I do if we are attacked!? HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO DEFEND MYSELF!?!?


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    ¡°Jaire! You made it!¡± Styx happily called out as the wired Jaire approached the gate. He was exhausted, both physically and mentally. He had recovered just enough to wander back to his new home. It was easy to find as all he had to do was retrace his steps and follow the trail of body imprints found along the floor. Once inside, his panic went into overdrive and spent the remainder of the time packing and repacking, unable to decide what was absolutely essential. In the end, he carried a hefty backpack chock-full of clothing and weapons.


    ¡°What¡¯s in the bag?¡± Styx questioned.


    ¡°Well, I packed multiple spearheads just in case, also two swords for smaller foes. Aside from that, I also have extra pairs of clothing, a second canteen, a-¡±


    ¡°Why??¡± Styx abruptly cut in.


    ¡°Um, for protection?¡± He responded with confusion.


    ¡°Jaire, ya know the Seekers will be looking out for us right? Plus the trip will take less than a day at most, no camping involved. Sooo...¡±


    ¡°...Oh.¡± A heavy weight fell from his chest and his tensions eased. He mentally kicked himself as he let out a hugh sigh of relief. Of COURSE the Seekers would be there! Duh!! Ugh they probably thought I knew already, which I should! And damn me for thinking they would just send me out unprepared. It''s OBVIOUSLY just a test run. I thought they were irreponsible because of their base, but being messy doesn''t mean they''ll get me killed for no good reason. I''m so stupid.


    Styx laughed and shook his head. ¡°Oh boy, you''re something else. Anywho, Marx¡¯s base is currently in area 3 and Navaro is ready and waiting at the North Gate. Once Care Bear is here, you¡¯ll be off! Any questions?¡±


    ¡°Whose Marx and Navaro?¡± Jaire asked. And what¡¯s a ¡®care-bare¡¯?


    ¡°Mmm, you¡¯ll meet them soon enough don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    He mentally sighed. I don¡¯t know what I expected¡­


    ¡°What should I do with my stuff?¡± He tried instead.


    ¡°Just give it here, I¡¯ll leave it your place since I won''t be joining in on your merry expedition this time around.¡±


    ¡°Ah,okay. Thanks Styx.¡±


    ¡°Anytime! Welp I¡¯m off! There¡¯s some time to kill so I suggest you go meet the crew.¡±


    ¡°Alright, will do. Thanks again.¡±


    Jaire handed his bag over and Styx sauntered off.


    Alright then. Ahead, the silent boy from the prior night sat in the shade of the wall, doodling on the floor yet again. Aside from him, two members Jaire hadn¡¯t seen yet were chatting away to the right side of the path. One was a man in a rather cheerful mood, the other a female with a bitter expression. Both had similar features, sharing the same hair color, eye shape, and nose. Surprisingly, their clothing was patched rather nicely and uniformly as well, though they were still old and worn out. Might as well start with them, doubt the other will talk much. Well, here goes nothing.


    He approached the duo with a warm smile. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Jaire, the new guy.¡±


    ¡°Hey there!¡± The man replied, ¡°I¡¯m Maverick. This here is my sis, Jackal.¡±


    The woman nodded but stayed silent.


    Better than Psyma I guess. But Maverick and Jackal? Really?


    ¡°Ah,¡± Maverick continued, ¡°sorry I couldn¡¯t make it last night, I spent the whole day training and was absolutely exhausted. I knocked out waaaay before you arrived.¡±


    ¡°No problem. What did you train?¡± Jaire asked.


    A sly grin crossed Maverick¡¯s face,¡°It¡¯s a secret.¡±


    Before he could respond, Jackal interrupted with a groan. ¡°Ugh, don¡¯t listen to him Jaire, he has his head up his ass.¡±


    ¡°What!?¡± Maverick responded. At that, they began to argue. Jackal doted on every shortcoming Maverick had, while he despereately tried to defend himself. Soon, they completely forgot about Jaire, and bickered between themselves. Rather than feeling awkwardly out of place though, a sense of comfort mixed with a pang of loneliness swirled in Jaire¡¯s chest as the scene continued on.


    ¡°Alright that''s enough you two.¡± Karebal¡¯s voice rang out, cutting the argument short. From down the path, Karebal approached with Ghost, who wore the same outfit from the prior night, in tow. ¡°Let¡¯s get this over with.¡±


    Well...it¡¯s finally time. Jaire thought as he took in deeps breaths. He focused on the cold metal that was strapped above his ankle, hidden underneath his pant leg. It''s icy touch cooled his body, and gave him a sense of security. I hope Styx is right...


    ¡°Alright, regular formations.¡± Karebal spoke as the crew gathered, ¡°Jaire, stick with Ghost.¡±


    They formed in pairs, with Jaire and Ghost bringing up the rear-end, and walked outside. As soon as he exited, the rancid smell attacked his nose once more. Ugh, it really does smell worse out here, I completely forgot about it until now. They headed westward, walking parallel to the base as they travelled. Half an hour later, they stood in front of the settlement¡¯s border wall.


    It was a massive thing, looming high into the sky in absolute defiance against the world. According to his mom, it rose at least fifty meters, and dug another ten underground. Within, it was reinforced with metal bars, though he could not understand how shoving metal into stone wouldn¡¯t simply force the stone to crumble. His mother couldn¡¯t really explain it either, as the knowledge was greedily held between the members of the Institute of Advancement.


    For all of its glory however, the wall was not impenetrable. It had been breached three times since Rivivera¡¯s inception, and in those times the settlement only survived thanks to the thousands of selfless sacrifices of its citizens. This western portion of the wall was where the last breach had occurred, which was the worst to date. That breach led to the mass destruction of the old housing district, which bumped the death tally to almost a quarter of the entire population. Since then, the wall was rebuilt without a main gate, and the width of it was doubled. Thus he stood in front of the gigantic, solid stone wall, and only a single thought went through his head.


    How are we going to get through?

 Chapter 8 - Encounter

    This...really...sucks!


    Jaire¡¯s fingers hurt, his face was freezing, and worse of all, he had a really bad itch on his back. He had climbed a lot at the Academy, but trees and rocks were completely different from flat, vertical walls. From afar the wall seemed smooth, but up close he saw it had been worn down just enough to crimp climb.


    ¡°Hurry it up Jaire!¡± Karebal barked, looking down at him from the ledge above.


    I¡¯m going I¡¯m going. He sighed. This sucks. It couldn¡¯t have been a secret tunnel or something huh? Ugh. If I didn¡¯t listen to Styx I¡¯d still have my climbing gear too. If only I-


    ¡°Ow!¡± he yelped. He looked down and shot a dirty look to Ghost, who was by his ankle, pointing a stiletto at him. The whole climb, whenever he would pause for too long, they¡¯d repeatedly poke him until he kept moving.


    I swear I¡¯ll get you back for- ¡°Ow! Stop it! I¡¯m going!¡± He yelled and continued on.


    Ten minutes later, he finally pulled himself through the embrasure, and dropped upon the floor with a heavy thud. Oh thank god, I didn¡¯t think I was going to last any longer.


    ¡°Good job Jaire!¡± Maverick said while extending his arm.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± Jaire huffed and pulled himself up. How did they get here so fast? There has to be a trick to-


    His thoughts stopped as he gasped in awe at the sight ahead. Mesmerized, he stepped towards the outer battlements and let the scenery come into full view. Far ahead, the fertile land they lived on ended and a desert began. Upon its yellow sand, numerous twisters and sinkholes popped in and out of existence while Zvyrs jumped and swam through the dunes. The desert stretched far into the horizon, only to end upon the hundreds of mountains that stabbed at the skyline. Upon the far right, he could barely make out the start of the Miljoz, the ¡°million tree forest¡±, where the bulk of the Zvyrs lived.


    My god. Millions- no, BILLIONS of towns could fit in there! And there is even more land beyond the end?! How can it be so big?!


    ¡°It¡¯s a beauty ain¡¯t it?¡± Maverick said as he leaned upon the embrasure by Jaire¡¯s side.


    ¡°Yeah¡± Jaire replied. ¡°It really is.¡±


    ¡°Mmm, nothing beats seeing it for the first time, but even after all this time, I still find it amazing. Really puts things into perspective I say.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Well, we came to this world with the intention of conquering it right? But look at all of that. It¡¯s just so huge! And we¡­*Sigh*. How are we ever going to do that huh? Hell we can barely keep ourselves alive as it is. Just who do we think we are right?¡±


    Jaire slowly nodded. But, humans did it back on Earth right? So maybe it¡¯s not so far-fetched. Then again, they probably didn¡¯t have Zvyrs to deal with.


    ¡°Ah, sorry for ranting.¡± Maverick apologized as he scratched his head.


    ¡°No it¡¯s fine.¡± Jaire replied, to which Maverick smiled and patted him on the shoulder before hopping onto the embrasure.


    ¡°Well, time to get going.¡± He said as he turned to face Jaire, ¡°Just one last climb dow-whoa!!¡±


    Jaire instinctively lunged forward, but he was too late, and Maverick tumbled over the side.


    ¡°NO!!¡± He screamed and watched in horror as Maverick fell. Yet to his shock, Maverick righted himself midair, and planted his feet upon the wall. Although he kept falling, he glided down the wall looking as calm as possible. Moments from fatal impact, Maverick launched himself off, somersaulted, and landed squarely on his feet.


    How did he do that!? Jaire thought in slack-jawed amazement.


    ¡°Alright, keep it going. Jump.¡± Karebal spoke.


    Jaire¡¯s eyes widened as he spun around, ¡°I can¡¯t do that!! That¡¯s impos-¡±


    ¡°Stop wasting time. We don¡¯t want to be late.¡± Karebal snapped.


    ¡°B-b-but-¡± he stuttered, unable to find the words he needed.


    Thankfully, Jackal groaned and approached, ¡°That¡¯s enough, he says he can¡¯t so he can¡¯t.¡±


    Thank you! Please talk some sense into him!


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± She said and placed her hand on his chest. The next thing he knew, pain shot through him and he was suddenly in midair, staring wide-eyed at her and Karebal.


    ¡°AHHHHH!!!¡± He screamed as he began to fall. He flailed wildly but all he accomplished was to spin uncontrollably. NO NO NO NO NO!!!


    Suddenly, he felt his clothing squeeze tight and he was pulled backwards. Alarmed, he looked behind, and saw Jackal falling by his side, with his shirt firmly in her grip.


    *SKFFFFFFFFFFFFFF*


    She planted her feet on the wall as Maverick had done, and they dropped at a much slower pace than he expected. Near the bottom, she hopped off with him in tow and landed safely on the grass, dropping him as she did.


    I¡¯m alive!! Oh thank god I¡¯m alive!! He thought while practically kissing the floor.


    ¡°Good job Jaire!¡± Maverick congratulated.


    ¡°Get up.¡± Jackal spoke, ¡°You¡¯re embarrassing me.¡±


    How could you do that!? He internally screamed as he scrambled to get up. I take it back, you¡¯re just as bad as Psyma!


    Seconds later, the rest of the crew landed around them.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Karebal called out and began running northward.


    Ughhh! Can¡¯t I at least have a minu- ¡°OW!!¡± A sharp sting prodded his back and he began to run as well.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-


    ¡°Great,¡± Karebal said with a yawn, ¡°We¡¯re a bit early. Rest up everyone.¡±


    Jaire flopped to the ground, desperately heaving for air. They had run at a breathtaking pace, and he would have long fell behind if not for Ghost¡¯s constant stabbing. That bastard. He probably enjoys it. I¡¯ll teach him to mess with me...one of these days¡­If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    As he stared up at the sky from the floor, he looked over to the wall. Patches of new stone covered it, ranging from the size of a person to that of a house. They were the scars left behind by the constant attacks of the Zvyrs. Some days, the pounding was so loud it reached his home, and he used to soothe his crying siblings as his parents did with him. As he stared at the marking, Maverick¡¯s words echoed in his head.


    Stop it. This isn¡¯t the time. He shook his head and took a deep breath. Why the hell did we even hurry, wasn¡¯t Navaro supposed to be ready and waiting?


    A loud horn sounded from the wall.


    ¡°Get up Jaire, they¡¯re here.¡± Maverick said.


    Speak of the devil...


    He sighed and rose. Ahead, the gate groaned as it opened. It was a large double-doored stone gate, with each door housing half of the town¡¯s emblem. From the opening, two files of five people emerged.


    One composed of the traders, easily marked by the large and heavy packs they carried upon their backs. Since they travelled through Zvyr territory, they forwentcarts and wagons in favor of maneuverability and stealth, only taking what precious goods they could manage to lift.


    Come to think of it...there¡¯s no way a trader sold those stupid blue eggs for only 50 qip...ugh, I¡¯m so stupid.


    The other line consisted of the Seekers. Each was fully decked out in their classical outfit, light armor beneath a cloak and helmets that left only their eyes and ears exposed. They carried longbows and javelins for weapons, favoring long range combat and speed above all else.


    If I only made up my mind I would be with them instead¡­


    He sighed and stood by Ghost, who waited in silence. Once the gate closed again, the Seekers spread out in a forward arrow, centered on the traders.


    ¡°That¡¯s our cue. To positions¡± Karebal spoke.


    Maverick and Jackal split up and took the flanks, while Karebal and Alpha headed to the front. Ghost led Jaire to the tail end,


    Wait, this isn¡¯t right. ¡°Um, shouldn''t we get closer?¡± He asked Ghost. They had stopped around five meters away from the backs of the traders, too far for comfort.


    Silence was his only response.


    He wanted to ask again, but stopped short as he looked to the others. The other Sentinels were also positions far from the main group, and they didn¡¯t seem to mind.


    This...but...why?


    At once, the caravan began to jog North, towards the looming forest.


    With a creeping trepidation, he jogged along Ghost, hoping it would all be explained soon.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-


    The grassland they trekked over was eerily silent, only broken by his huffs and steps. Ghost made no noise, not even the slightest shuffle as they ran beside him. I guess that¡¯s why they call you Ghost huh¡­


    Thankfully, they moved at a slower pace than the mad dash from earlier, so aside from his rising anxiety over the fear of being mauled to death, he was perfectly fine.


    To keep his mind off of his impending doom, he decided to look at anything but the forest ahead. To the right, he saw the large Dzivir river, which stretched endlessly to the North. As far as he knew, only Protus had made it back alive from an expedition up the river, though many have tried.


    On his left, he could barely make out a group of Hunters in the far distance. They stood in a circle around a jiji, a boar-like Zvyr with a spiked carapace on its back. Its main body only reached waist high, but it was incredibly resilient against piercing and slashing damage. Standing within the circle, a lone Hunter faced the Zvyr.


    That¡¯s probably a new recruit. Damn, that should be me, slowly training up in live combat, not running head first to the most dangerous place around...


    He sighed internally as he jogged along, cursing himself for every decision that led him here. As they approached the dark forest, his heart began to race.


    Oh god, this is happening, this is actually happening!


    Ten minutes later, they were finally at it¡¯s base. The trees skyrocketed much higher than the wall had, and even straining his neck he could not see the top. It was also dark inside, heavily obscured by the heavy canopy above. There was enough light to see, but just barely. He could not make out more than a few meters ahead.


    Dammit, I should have brought the torch as well.


    The Seekers dashed forward, spreading out as they entered the thick forest while the Sentinels and the traders entered shortly behind.


    He gulped as he entered by Ghost''s side.Why the hell did I agree to this!?


    Yelps and chirps echoed from every direction, and he twitched in anticipation. In his mind, every shadow concealed a waiting Zvyr, every noise an inevitable pounce. Even the flowers seemed monstrous to him, as he imagined the sharp teeth and thornish vines that Lin produced hiding beneath their pedals.


    Come on dammit! Just attack me already!!


    He stayed on constant alert, straining his eyes to their limit for even the slightest shufflfe.


    I''m over thinking. We''re fine. The Seekers are around, they are probably herding the Zvyrs away. Yeah. that must be it, otherwise Ghost wouldn''t be so calm either. Just relax. Take a deep breath and relax. That''s it.


    His muscles began to ease, releasing the tension that had ran through them for the past hour.We are going to be just-


    *BOOM*


    The ground trembled.


    What the hell was that!?


    Suddenly, hundreds of screams and roars came to life in a monstrous symphony. He held his ears shut andducked. Ghostpaused to look to the left, but Jaire saw nothing but more darkness.


    What the hell is happening!?!?


    Branches snapped from above and came crashing down as dozens ofshadowy figures raced across them, screeching as they passed.


    OH SHIT OH SHIT OH SHIT OH SHIT!!


    *BOOM*


    The explosion was closer, and the ground trembled so fiercely he stumbled to the floor. Panic erupted within him and the next thing he knew, he was running away. He ran through the bushes and over the roots, scraping along in his wild dash. Ahead, he saw the break of daylight, and burst into full throttle towards it.Screw this place!!


    He leapt over underbrush to freedom, landing with a soft thump on the dirt floor. ¡°Oh thank go-¡±


    He paused dead. He wasn''t outside on the plains, but in a huge dirt hole illuminated by sunlight. Somewhere in the back of his mind he wondered why the branches would allow light through, but his main focus was on the creature at the other side of the hole.


    Atrebleren sat there,next to the carcass of another beast. Itwas almost half his size, but it had a large insect-like head with mandibles and antennae, while its face was scaled and housed large reptilian eyes. It¡¯s body was covered in poisonous needles and had a long tail with a fluffy tip. Lastly, it possessed human like hands, though they were far more grotesque and armed with sharp and deadly claws. But far worse than all, it had stopped eating, and was staring directly at him.


    Oh...shit¡­oh shit oh shit oh shit...


    He began to tremble as it continued to stare. Its antenna wiggled around as it''s tail flickered, slowly dropping the chunk of flesh it was currently eating.


    Shit shit shit! What do I do? What do I do!?!?


    Dozens of scenarios played out in his head. He wanted to reach for the knife, but he wasn¡¯t sure he could get it in time, let alone fight head on. He wanted to run, but it would surely catch him, if not alert another Zvyr. Come on think!! There has to be a way out of-


    ¡°YIIII!¡± It shrieked andcharged at him. Twenty different options spun in his mind, screaming at him to do something, anything, but he just watched in fear as it leapt in slow motion, claws aim straightfor his head.


    He winced.


    *SPLAT* A gooey substance landed on his face.


    *THUMP* *THUMP* *CRASH*


    Silence.


    He slowly opened his eyes, wiping the ooze as he did. Blood? Wait, where did it go!?


    He looked behind him and saw it laying against a tree. Several seconds passed but the Zvyr laid still. He took a careful step forward, unsure if the beast was dead or not. Suddenly, afigure dropped upon it and he jumped backwards in alarm.


    ¡°Ghost!!¡± He cried out in strange mix of shock and happiness.


    Ghost stared at him for a second before looking down at the Zvyr. They stepped on it twice, and seemingly satisfied, hopped off and focused on its head. A squelching noise came out of itas Ghost righted themselves and approached Jaire witha blood-soaked stiletto in their hand.


    Wait, he killed it?? How?! When!?


    ¡°Wh-¡± He began, but stopped dead as Ghost put the stiletto it to where their lips would be.


    He slowly nodded and Ghost motioned for him to follow as they began to walk back into the forest.

 Chapter 9 - Survival

    ¡°Fucking hell, where are they?¡± Karebal growled.


    The group had reached the hidden alcove an hour ago, but both Jaire and Ghost had gone missing. What¡¯s worse, he hadn¡¯t even realized it until they reached camp, a full four hours after they entered the forest.Shit, what the hell happened back there?


    ¡°Maybe he had to take a leak?¡± Maverick absentmindedly answered. He sat on an uplifted root accompanied by Jackal, who was currently laying down. In front of them, Alpha sat on the ground doodling as per usual.


    Karebal scoffed, ¡°Who in their right mind would whip their dick out way out here?¡±


    ¡°...maybe he had to take a shit?¡± Maverick replied with a shrug.


    ¡°Shut up Mav.¡± Karebal spoke as a familiar dull throb formed in his head.He¡¯s spending way too much time with Styx these days...god dammit where are they??


    ¡°They¡¯re probably dead.¡± Jackal remarked with a yawn as she stretched upon the root.


    ¡°You really think so?¡± Maverick questioned, ¡°I mean, yeah I can see that happening with Jaire, but Ghost? Nah.¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± Jackal began in her usual sour tone as she sat up, ¡°Maybe that ¡®righteous crusade¡¯ of hers finally got the best off her and she died in a stupid attempt at saving his ass. About time too.¡±


    ¡°Watch it.¡± Karebal snarled.


    Jackal just rolled her eyes and laid back down, either completely oblivious to the anger seething from Karebal, or unthreatened by it.


    There¡¯s no way she¡¯s dead, but still, she¡¯s never been this late before.¡°Fucking Jaire, just another worthless kid causing problems.¡± He grumbled.Dammit Ghost, why do you still insist on babysitting them? It never helps and all it does is cause you pain in the end. Ugh, whatever, it¡¯s not my problem...but god dammit where the hell are they?


    ¡°Well,¡± Maverick spoke out, ¡°I think it¡¯s been enough time now right? I mean, if she was alive then surely-¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to shut up?¡± Karebal snapped.


    ¡°Sorry captain.¡± Maverick mockingly grumbled.


    Anger flowed through Karebal as he clenched his jaw. He hated that nickname more than anything, and now they were using it to spite him. He turned away, unwilling to let them get the best of him.


    ¡°Fine.¡± Karebal finally spoke, ¡°We wait for another hour and then we leave.¡±If she isn¡¯t back by then...well she can find her way back. As for Jaire, he better hope he¡¯s fucking dead...


    ¡°Aye aye cap-,¡± Maverick began but paused as he saw the look on Karebal¡¯s face, ¡°Yes sir.¡±


    As for these two, I think it¡¯s high time I reminded them why exactly I¡¯m the one in charge around here.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Time crept by as they slowly made their way through the forest. They were no longer strolling through at a typical pace, but instead hid or crawled with each tremble or shuffling bush. At one point, they passed by a plant with longer thick vines and Ghost cut one off. They then wrapped it around Jaire as a makeshift leash, keeping him from running off again. Throughout their journey, Ghost would use said leash to pull Jaire into the shadows or drop him to the floor by their side. At first he was confused and annoyed, but he quickly understood their intention when they pressed their dagger against his throat and their other hand to his mouth. Without fail, each and every time they hid, an unknown Zvyr could be heard lurking somewhere above.


    I seriously screwed up...he thought as he laid still under a bush, waiting for the growls of their latest predator to vanish.I screwed up big time. How stupid can I be? This isn¡¯t a game dammit I have to be-


    The vine tugged and he crawled out from under the bush.How long has it been now? An hour? Three? Are we even going the right way?


    Soon afterwards, Ghost let the leash go and walked towards one of the trunks.What are you doing?He wondered, but stayed his tongue as he looked around fearfully.


    *Clunk*


    A portion of the trunk swung open, and Ghost walked inside, leaving Jaire all alone.


    Alarmed, he scurried after Ghost and entered the hole. Inside, he found a candle-lit room filled with barrels and boxes. Curious and amazed, he stepped forward and looked within them. Some were full of arrows and ammunition, others had sharpened weapons, and even others had extra clothing.


    ¡°Is this a storage room?¡± He asked, astonished. Ghost nodded in response. As he looked around, he saw five familiar boxes lined up by the door.Wait, aren¡¯t those are the traders boxes? So that means we made it! Great! But¡­


    ¡°Where is everyone?¡± He questioned.


    Fear rose in his heart as Ghost simply shrugged.What do you mean by that!? Are they dead!? Did we get left behind!?


    ¡°What do we do!?¡± he cried out, panic clear in his voice. Rather than respond, Ghost approached a barrel and pulled out a scimitar and a shortbow. Then, they presented it to him.


    He looked to the weapons and back to Ghost as realization sunk in.


    ¡°No! We can¡¯t! Let¡¯s just stay here until the Seekers or someone returns! I mean they must know that we are missing right? They won¡¯t just leave us here!¡±


    Ghost just shook their head him while they presented each weapon for him to choose.


    Okay okay, calm down.He thought as he tried to ease his beating heart.Let¡¯s look at the facts. We made it this far right? He obviously knows what he¡¯s doing so maybe this won¡¯t be so bad. But then why would he want me to use a weapon now? Well, maybe it¡¯s just a precaution? He doesn¡¯t know that I have the dagger. Besides, it¡¯s a tiny dagger against these massive beasts...yeah okay. So then, bow or sword? Bow is safer, but it needs ammo. Sword doesn¡¯t, but it requires me to be up close and personal. Hmmm, well, he¡¯s melee right? So I should be ranged right? But what if I get ambushed? Is the dagger enough? Ugh, I should just take both. No that¡¯s stupid, I¡¯d be weighed down. Argg!


    Finally, he presented his palm to Ghost, right in the middle of both weapons. ¡°Fine. Give it to me.¡±


    Ghost¡¯s head cocked sideways in apparent confusion, but they finally shrugged and handed him the bow. From there, they turned back to the barrels and pulled out a quiver. From a quick count, he realized he would only have 30 arrows, but hopefully it was enough.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    I didn¡¯t think it was possible...Back outside, the shadows seemed more menacing than before, and the constant chirps that he had gotten accustomed to had died away, replaced by an eerie silence.I can still see, but it¡¯s much, much darker. It¡¯s probably around evening by now? Or maybe even later? Damn, how long have we been out here for?


    When the light began to fade their speedhad drastically decreased.Every ten or so steps, Ghost would stop to check their surroundings, or listen for some unseen threat. At everysecond or third pause, Ghost would quickly pull him to any kind of hiding spot available.At first, Jaire had been terrified and prayed for safety, but by the 50th time they hid, he had begun to grow numb. So far, nothing had emerged from the darkness, and try as he might, he could neither see or hear anything that Ghostsupposedly did.Ugh, here we go again. Alright I get it, ''be quiet'', you don''t have to threaten me with the knife anymore. Ugh, it''s been at least another hour and we are no closer to home than we are to the den. Why couldn''t we just stay there...hm?What was that?


    He listened intently.


    Silence.


    ...was it just my imagination?


    Silence.


    I guess so...I could have sworn I heard-


    A soft noise clicked somewhere above them.


    There! What is that??He strained his ears to make out the sound. It sounded familiar, but he couldn''t quite place-


    "Hellooo?" A child''s voice quivered.


    Huh???Bewildered, he responded, "H-"


    *SQUEEZE*


    "!?!?" His mouth and nose were clamped shut with a sudden pressure. His body instantly reacted against the assault but halted as a familiar cold metal pressed firmly against his throat. Ghost''s gloved hand muffled him as blood slowlyoozed out of his wound.What''s going on!? What was that?! That couldn''t-


    "HelllLLLooOOOoo?" The child called out again. There was a disturbing resonance within its call, as though the voiceechoed inside its mouth before it was released. Jaire''s skin crawled, the overwhelming fear returning once more.


    Please please please please....


    "Heeelllooooo?" It called out, far clearer and closer than before.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    NO NO NO NO NO NO NO!


    He clenched his eyes. His lungs burned for air but he dared not move. Seconds stretched on yet still he kept his eyes closed.


    "Hello." A childish voice whispered into his ear.


    He screamed just as Ghost released their grip.


    Or at least, he tried to, but his burning lungs wanted nothing more than to take in new air, thus he began to cough and gasp as the two requests collided. He looked around in fear, but the Zvyr was nowhere to be seen, only he and Ghost lay beneath the fallen branch. The whispering voice had apparently moved on.


    After a minute, Ghost stood up, and walked on ahead as per usual, and Jaire reluctantly followed.


    Just then, Ghost stopped once more, and quickly returned to their prior spot to hide from an unseen predator. Jaire scrambled after him, panic swelling up yet again.


    FUCK! THIS! PLACE!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Another hour or so passed, and Jaire found himself in almost complete darkness. For some reason, he could still see aboutthree or so meters around himself, but beyond that the forest was covered in a pitch dark shroud.


    Ths is it...I can''t go on anymore...I have to...


    "...Ghost?"


    Ghost paused to stare at him.


    "I...I have to pee..." He sheepishly stated. He had been holding it in since they left the base and the need for relief was beginning to hurt. In a small way, he was actually proud for not pissing himself despite their near encounters, but he could not deny it was probably because his body was too clenched up to do so. Even so, after what he experienced, his bladder had finally reached its critical point.


    Ghost stared at him, and then shook their head once before turning away.


    "W-wait! I''m serious I have to go!" He loudly whispered, unsure of what could be listening in. "It''ll only be a second!"


    Despite his pleas, Ghost ignored him and continued on. Desperate, Jaire looked around, and saw a large bushoff to the side.


    Ahhh! Screw him! I''ll just pee real quick and be right back!10 seconds tops!


    He waited until Ghost stopped to check the ground for tracks and then took off. He quickly scurriedbehind thebush and began relieving himself.


    Ahhhh...that''s much bett-


    *Hsssssss*


    He froze as the bush slightly shook.


    He slowly backed away as a heademerged from the bush. Despite the darkness, he instantly recognized itfrom his studies. Thegouytanwas an armored snakelike Zvyr that was commonly found around the forest. It was incredibly fast, movingat blinding speeds which only increased as it got older and longer. Its scales were tough and had pointed tips on them, which allowed largergouytansaunique hunting technique, the circle of death. Using its high mobility, it would encircle smaller prey and shred them with its scales until it was weak enough execute with a bite (Smallergouytansrelied on hit and run tactics to slowly wear down their prey). It is noted that the best tactic for hunting these relied on groupcoordination to keep it from picking off Hunters one by one.


    ...oh shit...


    He took another step back,and ithissed once more with ahead larger than his entire torso. It recoiled a bit, which was the only warning he received of its imminent attack.


    Dodge!His mind screamed and he flung himself to the left. Unfornuately, thegouytanseemed to have predicted his movement, and it masterfully veered towards him, jaws open to reveal its sharp teeth.


    *BOOM*


    Thegouytan''shead crashed into the floor in frontas Ghost slammed it down with a heavy kick. Without stopping, Ghost grabbed him by the arm and pulled him into a run. He took three steps, and stumbled with his unbelted pants.


    Shit!!


    He desperately tried to pull them up as thegouytanangrily hissed from behind. Apainful blow at his side sent him tumbling just as thegouytanzoomed by. He looked up in a panicbut saw itchase after Ghost into the darkness ahead. He quickly redid his belt and tried to follow after the Zvyr, but hesitated.


    *CLANG* *CRASH* CLANG* *BOOM*


    The sounds of fighting echoed around him, confusing him as to where exactly they were. Soon after, sounds of life returned to the forest as the Zvyrs awoke and began to screech.


    This is bad! This is really bad!!


    He looked in all directions, but each looked exactly the same.


    I have to help! If we team up then-


    He paused and looked at hisbow. Even if he managed to land a hit against the speedy Zvyr, unless it was a crystal clean shot the arrow woulduselessly bounce off the toughend scales.


    I''m useless...what can I do!?


    -------------------------------------


    Stupid boy, what are you doing?!Run!


    She jumped from one stalk or vine to another as thegouytanincessantly chased her. She was in no condition to fight it, age having taken its toll on her stamina, but she allowed herself to be just out of thegouytan¡¯srange without it losing her. She had hoped to give Jaire time to hide, but unfortunatelywhen she spotted him down below, she saw that he just cowered in place, looking around without a single survival instinct within him.


    She wanted to scream to him, but no noise that she was capable of producing would ever convey the idea to ¡°hide¡± to an idiot like Jaire. Perhaps if he hadn¡¯t stupidly signed up for an expedition so quickly she would have had time to train him in proper survival techniques. But no, the boy had made his choice.


    Damn you Styx, why do you insist on making my life hell? And how could Kaj allow him to-


    *CRUNCH*


    Thegouytanclosed its jaws around the plant she had just leapt off of, destroying it in one go. It hissed in response and lunged at her again. Once more she timed her jump perfectly, and landed upon the bark of a nearby tree, clinging to itwith her one free hand.


    Damn you Jaire, just hide already!


    *Creak*


    A small sound below was all she needed to launch away from the bark just as the jaws (or talons) of a hidden Zvyr slapped shut right behind her.


    Unfornuately, that had been a mistake. Her momentary distraction and instincitve reaction had put her in the path of thegouytan,which did not miss the opportunity to clam its mouth shut around her torso. In mere moments the immense pressure of its powerful jaws threatened to end her, but she had reacted fast enough to jam Hope straight into its exposed eye. Thegouytanshrieked and spat her out, hurling he straight to the ground, which she crashed into with sickening cracks.


    Damn that boy...


    ---------------------------


    *SHRIEK* *CLANG* *CRASH*


    Something had forcibly fallen upon the floor somewhere to his left. Was that the Zvyr orGhost?? Shit shit shit!


    For several seconds, silence befell the immediate area as Jaire froze from indecision.


    Finally, he heard something from above.Thegouytanhissed in the darkness, its noise echoing around him. ALthough he could not tell where it was, it made one thing perfectly clear. Thegouytanwas definitely alive.


    Ghost! He screamed internally as he rantowards the crash. As he moved forward, a mushroom patch materialized from the darkness, and he eagerly dashed through it.Each mushroom grew tall and thick, their buds big enough to hide him from view as he stumbled through their stalks.


    Please be okay, please be okay!When he finally exited the other side,he saw nothing. Fuck!It''s too dark! This is why we should have waited!! Where are you?!


    He wanted to call out, but without knowing where thegouytan was, he would just be painting a target upon himself.


    Ihave to help him...I have to...but how!?The seconds passed as indecision ate at him.Another hiss echoed around him, and he sulked backwards.


    I can''t. I can''t do anything...I''m sorry Ghost...I¡¯m so sorry!


    A part of him screamed at himself for being a coward, but still he retreated into the safety of the mushroom patch. Several seconds passed as the fury rose higher, and he grit his teeth as he punched a stalk.


    FUCK!! THIS IS ALL MY FAULT! I''M SO FUCKING USELESS! IF ONLY I WASN''T SO PATHETIC! GOD DAMMIT!! WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO-


    He paused as his eyes widened. The dagger¡¯s scabbard pressed cooly against his leg. Without hesitation, he quickly reached down and held the handle.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    She watched as Jaire slunk back into the mushroom patch.


    You stupid boy, it''s too late now. It saw you already...


    She wanted to sigh, but the pain stung sharp everytime she exhaled. Although she had reacted instantly, thegouytan had still managed to crack her bones, and the subsequent crash hadnearly finished the job. As it was, now she lay dying upon the ground, watching Jaire punch a mushroom stalk. She rolled her eyes, and mentally went over the events of the day that had led her down this path.


    When the fighting began and the ground trembled, Jaire ran away.He had taken off at full speed, taking no precaution to stay hidden, which made him an easy target for the various of Zvyrs laying in wait. She had to fight offaround two dozen or so before she finally caught up, and only did so because the boy had stopped running as he came face to face with a babytrebleren.


    Althoughthe baby shouldn''t have been an issue for even a 5th year student, to her horrorJaire stayed frozen solid even as it charged straight at him. Thus, still too far away to drag him out of its charge, she was forced to committ a serious taboo in order to save him. She flung her stiletto forward and slayed it. Unfornutately, its blood had splattered all over Jaire, which meant that their time was limited. Its thick and rich blood was a delicacy to theVornkop, the local Apex.


    As far she knew, theVornkopeither could not tell a dead trebleren from its predator, or it just simply did not care and chased after the killer as well, wanting only to drink as much of the blood as possible. From there, she led them to the Hunter''s base in hopes of finding a second set of clothing as the freezing night would have meant death, but there was nothing. Unable to stay at the Hunter''s ill-defended base, they were forced to run or be eaten.


    Before they left, she took some traps with her, another taboo that would have to be dealt with later, in hopes of warding off the Vornkop.She soaked the traps with the bloody stiletto and the blood upon her glove, and set them up whenever she could to buy them some more time. If all went well, theVornkopwould be too busy finding all the traps to catch them before they escaped into the safety of the Hunter''s zone of control.


    But, as if it couldn''t get anyworse, of all the places, he takes a piss on the bush that an adult gouytan lay sleeping!She wheezed a short laugh, cut short as the pain becomes unbearable. What did I do to deserve such a fate? If just one of those things had gone differently, we would not be in this situation.The paths we take, right Markus?


    Shesighed, wincing from the pain which was slowly dulling out as her senses faded.


    I''m tired...have I done enough yet?


    She silently watched as thegouytan crept around Jaire''s location, seemingly with caution after its loss of an eye. She wanted to yell out, to distract the beast one last time, but only a short and painful wheeze came out of her.Atleast kill me first damn you, I don¡¯t want my last memory to be of another child dying before my eyes.


    Thegouytanhissed once more,


    Frozen in fear yet again...stupid boy,She closed her eyes and sighed once more.I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t save you¡­


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    ¡°What do you seek?¡±It spoke to him from within the cage, both amethyst eyes glowing a deep purple. ¡°I want to save him...¡± He spoke, crouched in a fetal position as the dark tendrils swirled around him.¡°You cannot, for you are weak¡±It responded as it looked down on him tall from within the cage. ¡°I know...but...¡± He fell depressed, allowing the tendrils to wrap around him without any resistance.¡°You are weak.¡±It state again, eyes shining brighter¡°But I am not. Releaseme, and I shall show you the path to strength.¡±

 Quick Announcement

    Howdy y''all! Hope you are all well!


    So for the past 3 or 4 weeks now I kept telling myself "I''ll just put an author note on why there''s been a delay with the next chapter", but with the holidays just around the corner, it doesn''t seem like I''ll be able to get a chapter out any time soon and well, I should say something no?


    Anywho, theres two reasons why I''ve been away and they are as follows:


    The first is I''ve been tired. I''ve mentioned in a prior post (now deleted I think) that year end is killer for me, but wow I seroiusly underestimated the issues that would occur this year at my job. Ive been working on avg. 16hr days, typing the day away, and when I finally clock off, take my hour long commute and get home, im just too tired. My wrists have been flaring up already from just work and although I really like my story and really want to get it out, it''s not my livelihood so I can''t risk carpal tunnel or whatnot.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    Secondly, in those rare instances that I do write, the next chapter just seems so...wrong. None of it feels right to publish and the few sentences that I get out I re-write almost immediately. Now I know I''m not a great (or even DECENT. hah. Ahem.) writer and I shouldn''t dwell on it too much, but for some reason this upcoming chapter just seems far below even my capabalities and I would actually be ashamed to publish.


    Now I know and understand that with practice I will eventually reach that level and everything else, but damn right now I just want to be there already.Bah.


    And yes I have self-esteem issues and working on them (originally I wrote 3 paragraphs on this but soon realized it was way too personal so I deleted it) but its tough to overcome when I''m just too busy and tired to try, so please bear with the silence for now and I''ll be back soon enough.


    I just have to take it a step at a time right?


    Well I''ll be back soon enough! As soon as all the books are closed, clients off our backs, and my mental state restored, I shall return! If you have any tips, questions, or comments, please let me know and I''ll do my best to answer them! Thank you for sticking around and I''ll do my best to keep you entertained!


    - Decent Cross

 Chapter 10 - Awakening?

    A blinding light shone from the gem while his ears were blasted with a loud buzz. Jaire winced and shut his eyes, but still held onto the dagger. His mind raced with anticipation and excitement. After five long years of failing to manifest even a slither of magic, he would finally experience what it felt like to wield it with his own hands. He braced himself for the inevitable explosion of water and energy while the dagger deafened his ears and shone through his clenched eyes.


    And then it was gone.


    The buzzing vanished instantly and darkness returned to his eyelids.


    Is it done? Jaire thought. Curious, he peeked out. The mushrooms were still intact, and his area was still dry. Where''s the water?? .Confused, he looked at the lifeless dagger in his hand.


    What the hell is this!? To his shock and dismay, the dagger was not only unimpressive, but useless. It¡¯s blade looked like it was supposed to be triangular, but the later part of it was oddly bent. Along its edges, both sides were serrated, but on one side the teeth were dulled out while on the other they were missing entirely. Lastly, dozens of holes and dents riddled its face, giving it a fragility that made it unusable as a weapon. Damn you! Where''s my magic?!


    As far as he could tell, there was no change to his body either. Lin once described to him the sensation of channeling magic, how it felt as though ¡°the source of all life coursed through your veins¡±, but he hadn¡¯t felt a thing aside from a slight irritation in his eyes and a ringing in his ears.


    He sighed. Honestly, I don¡¯t know what I expected. Of course it was just a sham. This sucks!!


    He sighed again. Whatever, let¡¯s just find Ghost and go home. If they¡¯re still alive that is. I hope the stupid beast got bored and left already.


    As he tried to move, he found that his body ached as though he had stood still for ages. Damn, how long was I here for? Man that''s uncomfortable. Annoyed, Jaire made his way back towards the crashing sound he previously heard. There was a nagging thought in the back of his mind, but he couldn¡¯t quite understand it. It felt as though he was-


    *skrrrr*


    His ears perked and he stopped to listen. A low continuous scratch echoed throughout the mushroom patch ahead, though he couldn''t see what caused it.


    Too many stalks. Hm, Is it Ghost?


    ...No I doubt it. He''d be quiter than that. Hmm..


    He continued forward at a slower pace, sneaking closer to the noise while keeping close to the ground.


    *fffffffffffffffffffff*


    Another sound entered the mix. This time, it came from slightly above. Also, it sounded somehwat familiar, like the bellows his mother used, but one that continuously blew. Jaire slowed even further, cautiously peeking around each stalk before proceeding. Finally, the edge of the mushroom patch came into view, and with it the cause of the sounds.


    What the hell?


    A large body was slowly moving along the edge of the patch. It had the familiar sharp and pointed scales of the gouytan upon it, and they were scraping chunks off the outer stalks as it passed. In turn, the mushrooms released a greenish yellow gas from their caps above, which sank to the floor in a steady stream.


    What is it doing? Curious, Jaire continued to observe it, staying far away from the gas. From his perspective, the gouytan moved westward, but its body stretched out from the east. No matter where it was however, it continuously scraped against the mushrooms and caused gas to spew from their caps.


    Ahhh, I get it. It''s trying to trap me.


    He believed the gouytan was most likely encircling itself around the patch in an effort to cage him. He wasn¡¯t sure if the gas was dangerous, but chances were that it was likely.


    It''s probably going to complete the circle soon too. Damn, if only I didn¡¯t get caught up with this stupid dagger. He sighed. Whatever. Now what?


    The gouytan¡¯s body was just a bit taller than his own height, which meant there was a gap in between it and the mushroom caps, but he hesitated. I can probably leap through that opening, but that means diving through the gas. I''m not sure what kind it is, but if that thing won''t face it head on, neither will I. So then, let¡¯s head back to the center and get away from this gas.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    Jaire turned and walked back nonchantly. Well, we''ve got some time to think. Even if it''s done encircling me, it can''t attack until the gas clears out. Plus the caps are hiding me from vision so it has to wait until this entire area is filled as well. Now then...options.


    First, we fight. Pfft, that¡¯s not happening. I don¡¯t know much about Ghost¡¯s capabilities but I¡¯m certainly not fit to face it. Plus this dagger is useless, it''ll snap if I even sneeze wrong. Ugh, why would he give me a thing like this. Anyways...


    Second, we can dig our way out. The dirt seems pretty soft and rich, so it shouldn¡¯t be too much of an issue. Mmm, but then again, I have no way to deal with the roots, not to mention any insect or burrowed Zvyr. Ughhhhh.


    Okay then, we climb and run away. The gas is falling and not rising, so going above is my best option right? I guess I just have to figure out how to get up without-


    The ground trembled as a roar of snaps encircled him. A gust of wind blew inwards towards him. Now what?


    He peered as far as he could, and saw the cloud of fumes fast approaching.


    Ahhh crap!


    Quickly, Jaire scanned the nearby shrooms. They weren¡¯t thick enough to climb, but he had another idea in mind. Picking the flimsiest stalk he could find, he ran towards it and leapt up its side. Above its midway length, he stabbed the dagger into its soft exterior. It squelched as the cap above hissed. Ignoring the secondary danger, Jaire pulled himself up and pushed himself against the stalk.


    His weight forced the soft mushroom to careen backwards, creating an opening to appear between the caps above as its own leaned away. The instance it opened enough, Jaire launched himself upwards and through the hole, landing safely upon the other caps.


    That. BURNS!!


    From nose to lungs, a sharp and burning sensation coursed through his throat. Jaire thacked and coughed as the pungent gas corroded his insides. He had only exposed to it for two seconds at best, but it was still excruciating.


    He coughed violently, but noticed something moving in his perepherals. He cocked his head towards it, and looked up.


    *HISSSSSSSSSSSS*


    High above, the gouytan stared down at him. It was high above, giving it a clear view of Jaire while keeping safe of the gas. It hissed once more as the ground trembled and the outer stalks snapped.


    Bastard. Jaire thought while he vehemently coughed. He stared right back it, waiting for the strike that was going to come. God damn lungs, why do I have lungs!


    Yet despite Jaire¡¯s debilitated state and exposed position, the gouytan didn¡¯t move. Instead, it just watched him and continued to compressed its body further as puffs of gas shot through the caps.


    Damn it, either I stay here and choke to death, or I try to run and get eaten.


    The gouytan hissed, and began swaying left and right. Now what?


    It squeezed its body further, but this time however, the mushrooms didn''t snap. Instead, the outer ones slowly bent down and disappeared and hissed in delight.


    Oh, you asshole. It knew he was trapped, and it was enjoying his suffering. The gouytan moved in close, but stayed out of his range. Jaire tried to strike at it with the dagger, but it pulled away before his strike could land. It hissed once more and squeezed its body tighter, sending more puffs of gas at him. Jaire wheezed and fail to his knees. But rather than feel afraid, Jaire felt something completely different.


    Don¡¯t you dare look down on me you arrogant fuck.


    Fury swam through his weakened body. It grew with every lap, numbing him to the pain within he felt. All that mattered right now was the cocky beast and his pride. He clenched his teeth and stood back up. The beast continued to loom just out of reach, taunting him. Every nerve upon his body pricked with hatred as rage boiled his blood. He took a step forward. And then another.


    The lowly beast hissed and pulled away, compressed itself further to shoot more gas onto Jaire. The gas covered him in its rotten smell, yet he strode through it and glared angrily at the beast.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Jaire spat through his teeth as he approached the edge. ¡°Are you too much of a coward to face me?"


    The thing hissed back, baring its teeth while it glared back.


    "Is that supposed to be a threat? All you are is-¡±


    Just then, a tiny voice in the depths of his consciousness screamed for attention. It had spotted something at the edge of his peripherals, just beyond the beast. His greater self had ignored it at first, but the voice demanded he inspect closer, thus he gave it a cursory glance.


    The gas from the mushrooms had spewed over the makeshift barrier and covered their surroundings. It was quickly expanding into the forest, but in one particular direction, a motionless mound lay upon the ground. His eyes instantly perked as he recognized the heavy jacket.


    Ghost!


    They were obviously injured, and they needed his help. Without thinking, Jaire dashed forward. He took two steps and leapt off the final mushroom and over the gouytan¡¯s body. That is when his mind caught up.


    The gouytan hissed and launched itself towards him. Jaire could only helplessly watch as it opened its maw, reveleaing rows of gnarled teeth, each fully capable of sundering his bones. Ah, fuck.


    A second later, the beast chomped down.

 Chapter 11 - Escape

    Ah, that was stupid.


    Time slowed as Jaire watched his end approach. With each passing moment, the gouytan¡¯s teeth inched closer, until they were but a hair¡¯s breadth away from his head and feet. God damn it...I reacted without thinking. Again. And now we are both screwed. I¡¯m pathetic...


    Since his body could not possibly react fast enough to do so in reality, he sighed halfheartedly within his mind. Yet, as the teeth began to prick his skin, he felt neither sadness or fear. Instead, another sensation rose within him.


    Anger.


    No.


    His fist tightened around the dagger until he felt his heartbeat pulsating.


    I refuse to die like this.


    His hand burned with the unbridled fury yet still he held on as the thought repeated itself over and over within him.


    I REFUSE TO DIE LIKE THIS!!


    Like a dam buckling against the water, waves of burning fury exploded out of his clenched hand and coursed through his body. It infused itself with his blood, sending it to boil while it frenzied beneath his skin, searing every inch of him with its agonizing heat. The higher the pain rose, the faster his blood surged, until the pain was drowned beneath the blood''s overwhelming presence.


    Fully energized, he pulled with all the will he could muster, and commanded his muscles to heed his call and break through their mortal limits. Before the beast''s maw could close any further, his right arm flung upwards, sending the dagger singing through the air in a wide arc. It emitted a high pitched whistle as it flew, silencing only when it slashed through the upper jaw of the beast without resistance.


    A moment later, the beast finished clamping its mouth shut, only to be smacked in the face by its own nose as the front portion of its skull flung open.


    He was already on the floor and dashing towards Ghost by the time the beast began to writhe and shriek. It thrashed upon the mushrooms as it cried, allowing the trapped gas to splurge out uncontested, which only increased its pain.


    Standing beside Ghost, he could clearly see how seriously injured they truly were. Even with the heavy jacket on, it was obvious that their body was terribly broken and useless, as evident by the misshapen limbs and blood soaked furs. Surprisingly however, faint gasps still escaped their hood, indicating they were still alive, if only barely.


    Incredible. Such tenacity. If it was any other, I would leave them for dead, but fornutately for you, I must save you. I am duti-bound to do so, as the deal has been struck. Now, where shall I-


    Jaire paused.


    Something felt wrong as he tried to concentrate.What deal??


    His head felt heavy and clouded, and he couldn¡¯t remember what his train of thought was. In fact, he couldn¡¯t seem to recall anything that had just happened. Not really. In a way, it felt like a-


    A rancid scent wafted in the air. The poison was approaching. He shook his head vigorously and focused once more. There is no time for that, we must get Ghost out of here right now.


    As gently as he could afford, he wrapped his arms around Ghost¡¯s torso and legs, while ensuring he didn¡¯t accidentally stab them with the dagger. ¡°I¡¯m going to lift you now. This is definitely going to hurt.¡±


    In one swift motion he quickly lifted Ghost up away from the first waves of gas. Ghost shuddered slightly, but otherwise made no complaints or cries of pain. Tough one aren¡¯t you? Now then¡­


    He walked away from the area, leaving the beast behind to deal with its own demise, and he looked around his surroundings for the exit. The forest around shone in a dim glow. They held a soft coloring to them, like a watered down version of their natural vibrant dyes, but that was only to be expected from non sentient beings.


    Damn, this isn¡¯t enough. He strained his eyes. Tears swelled and fell from them yet he pressed on and forced them to obey as he peered into the forest. The dimmed lights shone a bit brighter as new colors sparked to life upon them. Along the trees, the colored outlines of stealthed beasts began to contrast their wooden background, while the brigther but weaker ones crawled around the ground. High above, the branches were still shrouded in unnatural darkness, hiding their secrets from view.


    Except for one lone creature. From the dim outline that it emitted, it appeared to be a creature with long legs and a circular body, though it was hard to tell as most of it was still shrouded in darkness.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Strange. It seems capable of hiding itself, yet still allowed its outline to show. That could only mean one thing then. For some reason, the creature is allowing itself to be seen by me.


    He stared at it as it loomed above, watching him in return.


    A few seconds later, he clicked his tongue and looked away. There¡¯s no time for this right now. It seems content just to watch so I¡¯ll let it be...For now.


    Turning his gaze towards the trees before him once more, he glared in every direction until he found what he was looking for. At the far end of the endless trees, the green glow was interrupted by the black backdrop of the night sky.


    Let¡¯s hope we have enough to get there. ¡°It¡¯s time to go. Try to stay alive just a little longer okay?¡±


    Ghost didn¡¯t respond, but their body stiffened slightly within his arms. Better than the limpness of death I suppose.


    Clutching the dagger, he rallied his anger once more and began to run. His legs whined but he drowned their pain beneath the waves of fiery anger as he pushed forward. Every step lunged him forward by several meters, quickly bringing him closer to the exit. He continued to strain his eyes as he ran, wary of accidentally crashing into a beast that he could not handle in his position. Thankfully though, it seemed that of those that were awake, most were drawn by the cries of agony and the scent of blood behind him.


    While excellent, Ghost is also caked in blood, so we aren¡¯t completely safe yet. Thankfully, despite his worry, nothing attacked them, and a minute later he was out of the forest and into the wide field. The grass glistened in a vibrant mix of moonlight and natural shine, while far ahead, the lifeless walls of the settlement stood in stark contrast to the vibrant world around it.


    Almost there. He began to make his way towards it, but stopped immediately as he saw three figures swarm towards him. He clutched the dagger and readied for a fight, but a tiny voice brought held his strike and suggested hiding the dagger for now. Reluctantly, he did so, shifting his hand to be hidden beneath Ghost''s coat.


    ¡°HALT!¡± One figure shouted as it landed in front of him. It wielded a large stick and looked at him with anger. The other two wielded similar sticks as they landed behind him, creating a triangular formation with him at its center.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± The first spoke once more in a commanding tone as it pointed its stick at him.


    You dare threaten me? His blood boiled beneath his skin, demanding retribution for the insolent act, and he-


    ¡°I-I¡¯m Jaire.¡± Jaire quickly responded before he let his anger get the best of him. What the hell was I thinking?! He had no intention of fighting the Hunters, especially not with Ghost in dire need of medical attention. This isn¡¯t the time or place! Wait, no I mean, we shouldn¡¯t be even fighting. I...we? His head felt heavier than before, and a dull sense of pain lingered just beyond his consciousness, but he couldn¡¯t understand why. What¡¯s going on? Why am-


    ¡°HEY!¡± The whelp barked, ¡°Answer my god damn questions!¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry! Um, uh¡­I...what did you-¡± His head pounded and he felt himself losing consciousness.


    ¡°What are you doing out <Muffled> why a- <Muffled> -ich settlme- <Muffled> <Muffled> you carrying?¡± The Hunter spat out as he waved the Halberd closer.


    His head throbbed painfully as every part of him went numb, but still Jaire struggled to stay awake. If I don¡¯t...we won¡¯t¡­ ¡°We live...here....this...is¡­. gh-Ghost. He¡­.he¡¯s...a sen...Sentine-nel¡­.pleas¡­.hellp¡­¡±


    His vision tunneled and he could no longer understand the Hunters, but they had lowered their weapons. Great, that should be enough.


    Despite their terrible reputation, Sentinels weren¡¯t technically considered criminals, thus they were still able to receive assistance from the people and not be turned away at the door.


    But yet, as his exhausted self faded into the recesses of his mind, he watched in horror as the Hunters sneered and turned away. Wait...no¡­come back...


    ¡°Tch, what a waste of time.¡±


    He had endured their remarks and attitudes for the sake of Ghost, but he had come close to snapping. I¡¯ll remember this. Now then.


    He had a choice to make. He could try and help Ghost now, or wait until they were back in town. There was a chance that Ghost would not make it if he went back to town. In the brief time that they had wasted, Ghost had gone limp, though they still had a faint heartbeat remaining.


    On the other hand, he was in no condition to spare his energy fixing Ghost while still maintaining control and keeping them safe. Although they were in human territory now, judging from the reactions of the stick wielders, there was no guarantee that they were safe from any random beast that caught the scent of blood.


    Then again, there is one last option. Hm.


    ¡°Are you still awake? Huff if yes.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Good. Now listen, there is only one way for me to keep my end of the deal, but I will need you to do something for me¡­¡±


    ----------------------------------


    Karebal¡¯s perked up. He¡¯d heard the front door swing open. She¡¯s back. About time.


    It was much later than he expected, almost 4am, but at least she was back. With a grunt, Karebal rose from his stool at the fire pit and walked towards the front gate with a torch in hand. As he walked, he mentally rehearsed the lines he had wrestled with all day. ¡®It¡¯s not your fault, you did what you could.¡¯ No that never helps. ¡®Just let it go?¡¯ As if. ¡®One of these days you¡¯re going to get yourself killed.¡¯ No. ¡®You know he would have never wanted this.¡¯ Ehhh, that¡¯s too-


    ¡°What the fuck?!¡± Karebal gasped as he rushed towards the figure that was approaching upon the walkway. No! No this can¡¯t be right!


    He froze in disbelief as the person walked into the torch light. Sure enough, his eyes hadn¡¯t deceived him. In front of him stood Jaire, face stained from bloody tears and eyes so red they were hideous, carrying Ghost limp and bloody form within his arms.


    ¡°Hey Cap¡¯. Got a doctor around here?¡±

 Chapter 12 - Alive

    Jaire awoke with a groan. Everything inch of him hurted. His head sported a dull headache, his body ached, and he was awfully cold. With another groan, he tried to turn on his side, but found it difficult to move. Still half asleep, his tugged at his body again, but once again he was stuck in place.


    What the hell? Annoyed he continued to try, until he realized that there was something wrapped around his arms, legs, body, and head, holding him firmly in place.


    His eyes shot open in alarm but he was immediately greeted by darkness. What¡¯s going on!?!? Fear swelled higher as he struggled against his restraints. As the seconds passed, the most extreme scenarios crept into his mind, such as being held for ransom by bandits, captured by mad scientists, or experimented on by aliens, and other strange scenarios he had read in Lin¡¯s novels. No no no, those are just stories. I just have to calm down and-


    Just then, a door swung open somewhere in the darkness, propelling his fear tenfold.


    He thrashed harder while trying to shout, only for a hoarse croak to emerge from his mouth.


    ¡°Jaire!¡± a female voice shouted, ¡°Jaire calm down! Doc! Hurry up!¡±


    Who are you?! What do you want!? He screamed internally, unable to voice his fears.


    ¡°Everything¡¯s okay, calm down little bird.¡±


    He paused in his struggles, taken aback by her words and tone of voice. It was soft and sultry, and there was a hint of an accent on those last two words.


    ¡°Lin?¡± He croaked out, fearful but confused.


    ¡°...what?¡± she responded. Before she could continue, the door swung open once again.


    ¡°How is he?¡± Another spoke as they entered the room. The voice was of a male,and it seemed much older than the female¡¯s.


    ¡°He¡¯s calmed down, but-¡±


    ¡°I meant his body.¡± The man interrupted, ¡°Any signs of bleeding or convulsions?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t checked yet,¡± She responded with an annoyed tone, ¡°He just woke up I¡¯m not going-¡±


    ¡°Bah! If you aren¡¯t going to follow proper-¡±


    As they both began to bicker, Jaire had time to calm his nerves. No, the voice is completely wrong, and the accent is completely gone. I must have been hearing things...but where did she learn that though? Only Lin has ever called me by that name. And where the hell am I? Who are these people???


    He tried to speak once more, only to fall into a fit of coughs caused by his parched throat. As he recovered, he managed to squeak out a request, ¡°...water¡­¡±


    The female started to speak, but was quickly interrupted by the male, ¡°You heard him. Fetch.¡±


    An awkward silence stretched before Jaire heard the female shuffle up and walk out, closing the door with a bit more force than needed.


    ...should I have kept silent? Sorr-¡­whoa! He felt cold metal pressed against his bare chest. The man hummed by his side, which he had failed to notice approach. ¡°I-¡±


    ¡°Shut up and do as I say.¡± The man responded, ¡°Breathe in. Out.¡±


    Wary, Jaire obliged. No longer hampered by his fear, he pieced together the little that he knew about his current situation. Doesn¡¯t seem like he¡¯s trying to kill me. Why is he asking me to cough though- oh! Didn¡¯t she say ¡®doc¡¯ when she came in? Yeah! So he''s a doctor! Hm, I¡¯m guessing that she''s his assistant then? From their bickering, sure seems that way. But that doesn¡¯t answer-


    The door swung open and slammed against the wall as the assistant returned and marched over.


    ¡°Move.¡± She grunted and Jaire heard a shuffling as the man scoffed.


    ¡°You insufferable-!¡±


    ¡°Here you go Jaire.¡± The assistant spoke. Jaire felt a cold metal press against his lips and heard a liquid slosh around. ¡°Drink.¡±


    With his head strapped down, it was a little difficult to drink, but he managed to take a few sips. As the cold liquid entered his mouth, he lost all reason and attemptedto lunge forward to greedily drink the water down. He hadn¡¯t realized how parched he truly was, and now could think of nothing but downing every last drop.


    ¡°Whoa there!¡± The assisant spoke with a chuckle as she pulled the container away, ¡°Take it easy Jaire, you¡¯re going to choke if you aren¡¯t careful.¡±


    Feeling embarrassed, Jaire slowly nodded and fought the urge to guzzle the water down when the container returned. As it trickled down his throat, he felt a blissful ecstasy spread throughout him, and he sighed in relief a full five minutes later.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Jaire spoke. It still stung to talk, but at least the pain was manageable. ¡°Um, can you untie me please?¡±


    His question was met with silence. What¡¯s wrong? Wait, do they not intend to let me go? What- Before fear fully returned to him, the female finally spoke, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll undo the straps.¡±Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    Relief washed over him, but was cut short as she continued. ¡°But Jaire, you must listen to me okay? You are in no condition to be taxing your body too much, so please do not try anything rash like moving too quickly or walking on your own. You have been unconscious for a month now and your body-¡±


    ¡°A MONTH!?¡± Jaire shouted in disbelief. Pain raked through his throat but he paid it no mind, too shocked by what he had heard.


    ¡°Yes Jaire.¡± She replied, ¡°A month. Now listen, I know you have a lot of questions, and I am happy to help,¡± An annoyed grunt sounded beside her, but she continued on, ¡°-but you have to answer some of our questions first okay? We have been looking over your recovery but we need to know how you came to be in this state to begin with.¡±


    He stayed silent with mouth agape. A month...a month?? No. That¡¯s not right. That isn¡¯t possible... how could I even-


    ¡°Secondly, concerning your eyes,¡± she continued as he felt the restraints come undone, ¡°They sustained heavy damage, thus the bandages. Although I know it must be difficult, I urge you to keep them on until we are sure that your eyes have fully healed. If you don¡¯t, you run the risk of losing your eyesight permanently. Understood?¡±


    The last restraint came off as she finished.


    ¡°Yeah...okay¡­¡± Questions continued to pile in his head, which only made the dull headache worse. With the restraints undone, he tried to sit up, only to find that his body was too weak and feeble to move. God damn that hurts...


    With the help of the assistant, he was able to sit up properly, though his muscles still protested and he felt feint. No, I need answers first.


    ¡°Well then,¡± the assistant began, ¡°It¡¯s nice to officially meet you Jaire. My name is Zero, I am the all-rounder-in-training of the group. The old grump behind me is our local doctor and he simply goes by Doc since his creativity died in the womb.¡±


    All-rounder? Group?? Zero??? What-


    ¡°Bah, as if I¡¯ll stoop so low to play along with your little games. Nicknames, bah!¡±


    Nicknames?...oh! Sentinels! I¡¯m in the Sentinel base! How could I forget? Well, I¡¯ve only been part of it for a day...well a month apparently...ugh...that just can¡¯t be true...and seriously what¡¯s with the nicknames?


    ¡°Jaire?¡± Zero spoke, ¡°Can you tell us what happened?¡±


    ¡°Huh?? When?¡±


    ¡°Out in the forest. You came back with grievous wounds and with an injured Ghost in your arms. How did that happen?¡±


    ...what? Taken aback for the third time that day, Jaire sat dumbfounded. Grievous wounds?? And Ghost was injured? But didn¡¯t we fix-...we? Whose-


    ¡°Jaire?¡±


    ¡°Oh, uh...I¡­¡± He frowned. The train of thought he had been on vanished entirely. What was I thinking about?? It seemed important, but why can''t I remember...what happe-


    ¡°Well?¡± Doc spoke with barely restrained annoyance.


    ¡°I...I don¡¯t know?? I¡¯m sorry I just can¡¯t remem-¡±


    ¡°You MUST remember!¡± Doc practically shouted, ¡°It¡¯s inconceivable that you would not! Whatever event occurred, it was not something a person simply ¡®forgets¡¯ about. Your injuries were far too bizarre and extreme to have occurred by any mundane event let alone anything I could possibly theorize. You came to us not only with blood literally pouring out of your eyes, but it was also steaming out of your pores. Even more bizarre, for some god forsaken reason, your muscles were atrophying right before my very eyes. By all accounts you should have died long before you showed up, and even if my workshop was fully furnished and I had top quality surgeons by my side you were as good as dead!¡±


    Doc paused to huffed in annoyance before he continued, ¡°But no¡­you still live. Tell me boy, what happened and are you still breathing?¡±


    ¡°I-I-I-¡± Jaire stammered, anxiety building once again, ¡°I can¡¯t remem-¡±


    ¡°Think. Harder.¡± Doc snarled.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± Zero cut in. Silence fell within the room once again, and Jaire could only imagine what was going on around him as his heart thumped and he felt light headed. Eventually, he heard Doc grumble to himself and storm off as he heard Zero sigh.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about him,¡± Zero said, ¡°He¡¯s not normally like that. Well, okay yes he is, but he¡¯s been more irritated lately.¡±


    ¡°...Because of me?¡±


    ¡°No. Well, technically yes,¡± She sighed again, ¡°but not in the way that you think. He wasn¡¯t exaggerating when he listed the...symptoms...that you had, and even though he and everyone else wrote you off as a goner, he still spent all his time and energy in an almost vain attempt at keeping you alive. I helped as much as I could, but I''m nowhere near as...knowledgeable as he is, and even I didn''t expect you to recover. Yet he was by your side for the full 30 hour day, every day, for almost two full weeks before you finally stabilized. It¡¯s honestly a miracle you are here right now, and you have him to thank."


    "But...why would he do that?"


    "Mm, well, knowing him, I''m sure it wasn''t because of any moral reasons. Just that it was the right thing to do I guess. Plus he really wanted to know what could have happened to you, and Ghost has kept their mouth shut. Er, figuratively as well."


    "Ah...okay..." And I can''t help him either...he must be really disappointed...oh man...


    "Don''t feel down, I''m sure somewhere deep, deep inside his old and cranky heart, he''s incredibly relieved and happy that you are awake now. Even if most of it is simply because he get''s to sleep now."


    Although he couldn¡¯t see her, Jaire could sense that there was a smile on her face with that last part, so he smiled in return. ¡°Right¡­¡±


    ¡°Anyways,¡± she continued, ¡°let¡¯s get you up and out. Although he calls this his ¡®medical bay¡¯, it''s actually just an extension of his home. So although you aren¡¯t fully recovered, I think you may have overstayed your welcome.¡±


    ¡°Oh...okay...um¡­¡± How the hell am I going to survive out there? This is no different from leaving me out for dead.


    Zero chuckled, ¡°Wow, that¡¯s impressive. Even with half your face covered, you¡¯re incredibly easy to read.¡±


    Jaire turned his head down in embarrassment. Ughhh...again with that...


    She chuckled again before continuing, ¡°Relax Jaire, you can stay at my place for the time being, at least until we can take the bandages off safely. Besides, I¡¯ve seen your place, and no offense but it¡¯s no place for a recovering patient.¡±


    ¡°Thank you¡­¡± He responded, still feeling awkward. She¡¯s being awfully nice, but she seems trustworthy enough. I mean, not like I have much choice regardless. I wonder how Styx and the others are doing...and I have to know what happened with Ghost.


    "Come along then, we have time for questions later, I bet your hungry anyways."


    As on cue, his stomach grumbled in response and he agreed to wait until after dinner. Slowly, she helped him stand, and when he was able to walk, she practically held him up as she guided him to the end of the room and out the door. The moment they walked out of the premise, a foul smell attacked his nose, and he grimaced in disgust.


    Ah, how could I forget. Home sweet home.

 Chapter 13 - The Road to Recovery

    ¡°S-stop¡± Jaire wheezed, ¡°I need...to rest.¡±


    The hot summer sun beat down on his exhausted body as he staggered to a stop. Beneath him, his legs trembled viciously as they struggled with all their might to keep him from toppling over. Good god, it¡¯s only been a few minutes yet I feel like I¡¯ve been running a marathon.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Zero¡¯s voice emerged from the darkness beside him. He felt her hold him by his arm and gently tug him forward. ¡°There a place to sit a few feet to your right, we can stop there for a minute.¡±


    He took in a deep breath and nodded. Okay, I can do this.


    With her guidance, he managed to walk the distance without crashing into the assortment of junk that littered the Sentinel base and protruded from the ground. It was slow, but as the slighest misstep could send him keeling over, he grit his teeth and beared it.


    ¡°Easy now, good. Just three more steps forward annnnd stop. Perfect. Now turn slightly to your right and ease yourself down. It¡¯s okay I got you don¡¯t worry, just a little further and you¡¯ll feel it.¡±


    The moment he sat down, a breath he wasn¡¯t aware he was holding came gushing out as tension escape his body.


    ¡°How¡­how much more¡­¡± He wheezed out while desperately trying to catch his breath.


    ¡°Mmm not that far now, about twenty meters I¡¯d wager. At this speed I reckon it¡¯ll take another half an hour tops.¡±


    Fan-freaking-tastic. He fumed internally. He rested for another three minutes before he felt ready to walk again. It¡¯s just twenty meters, I can do this. I can do this.


    Ten minutes later he had to stop yet again, and again just another five minutes after that. The pain in his legs was excrutiating while the burning in his lungs was so severe that he completely ignored Zero and focused solely on staying conscious. As she had the second time they paused, Zero took the opportunity to head out ahead and clear the path, leaving him along to rest.


    This sucks. He thought as his breathing finally settled. His entire body trembled and he felt sticky with sweat as the heat made the stink that much worse. With an irritated grunt, he shifted in the darkness as he ran his hand along his body for the second time that day.


    What he felt was beyond disappointing. Where once strong muscles covered his arms and legs, only trembling bones remained. His torso fared no better, as every muscle that had once protected him had withered away. Overall, he was a little more than a walking skeleton, one that barely hung onto life simply because that was all it knew how to do.


    His hand clenched as he snarled in disgust. Pathetic. Ten years of training, and for what? To be left like this. I¡¯d be better off dead, this is just-! Just-! He let out an exasperated sigh as he was unable to properly articulate his annoyance. None of the words he knew in common or his mothers old tongue could help.


    ¡°This is enough for today,¡± Zero¡¯s voice called out from the darkness as they returned, ¡°You¡¯re overexerting yourself, I¡¯ll just carry you for now and tom-¡±


    ¡°No¡± he snapped. ¡°I¡¯m not THAT weak. I can do it my damn self.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    As Zero stayed silent, guilt began to override his anger. Ughhh, god damn it, why am I so strung up like this? She¡¯s only trying to help. Taking in a deep breath, he managed to briefly calm himself before he spoke again, ¡°Look, I jus-¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± She curtly interrupted, ¡°After all, it must really suck to be as pathetically weak as you are. Hell I¡¯d probably be just as pissed if I was in your shoes, more useless than an infant.¡±


    ...okay. I deserved that. But ouch...


    Jaire sat in a moment of awkward silence before Zero sighed and spoke out, ¡°Listen Jaire, I get it, really, but you have to chill out. Don¡¯t think I haven¡¯t been watching you curse whenever you trip or seethe even as you rest. This is your first day of being awake in over a month, you have to let that sink in. You aren''t well, you aren''t capable, and you sure as hell aren¡¯t going to get better just because you walked a few meters. There is no shame in needing help for the next few weeks after surviving what you''ve been through, especially from your nurse.¡±


    ¡°I-¡±


    ¡°And,¡± she continued over him, ¡°you do not get to speak to me like that. I may not have been your main surgeon but I was still busting my ass helping you stay alive, so I demand a little more respect than that. Understood?¡±


    He nodded slowly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Apology accepted. Now come on, let¡¯s get going before you die of a heat stroke. I¡¯ll let you keep at it on your own for now, but if you start to stagger I¡¯m calling it okay?¡±


    A flare of anger rose within him at the implication that he needed her permission, but he smartly swallowed it down and nodded.


    I can do this.


    We can do this.


    ------------------------------------


    ¡°Here we are, welcome to my humble abode.¡±


    FINALLY!! Hurry upppp! Jaire desperately thought as his strain crawled through every inch of his body. In all, they had travelled for almost an hour and he had to stop three more times, bringing the total up to six. In the end, she practically supported all of his weight with his arm wrapped around her shoulder, but not once did she try to carry him or bring it up again, a fact for which he was grateful for.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    As the door creaked open, his nose was immediately bombarded by an aroma that completely captivated him. Its scent was sweet and familiar, though he couldn¡¯t pinpoint of what it reminded him of; not that he tried, as any scent that removed the smell of rotting garbage and manure were more than welcomed. For a moment, he forgot his pain as he took in a large whiff of the pleasant aroma. It smells soooo gooood.


    ¡°I took the liberty of putting tea on during your last stop,¡± Zero spoke, ¡°but first, let¡¯s get you settled.¡±


    Not waiting for a response, she guided/dragged him into the room and he was bewildered another sensation. The moment they had crossed the threshold (or so he assumed it was that moment), the environment abruptly changed. He went from standing in an overbearing and oppresive heat, to standing in a fresh and breezy room. Coupled with the soft aroma, he could have sworn spring had lingered within it.


    Suddenly, as he was still taking in the new sensation, Zero''s body vanished beneath his arm. His dark world began to shift and he realized too late that he was falling. Before he could clench and guard himself against the approaching floor, he was abruptly stopped and surrounded by the softest furs that he had ever felt. His mind instantly went blank with ecstasy as he basked within their heavenly embrace. It''s a bed, oh sweet heaven its a bed. I made it. I actually made it.


    --------------------------------------


    Hm, I guess in this situation, I have no other choice.


    Sighing in resignation, Zero made her way back to the living room/bedroom from the kitchen while carrying a loaf of bread.


    ¡°So I¡¯ve got a bit of b- oh.¡±


    Jaire was fast asleep. From the looks of it, he hadn¡¯t even tried to right himself onto the bed before he passed out, with his bottom half dangling off as he slept.


    Hm, this worked out perfectly.


    Taking a sweet bite out of the bread, Zero made her way towards Jaire, only to suddenly pause and frown.


    I should have told him to change first, now my blanket¡¯s gonna stink of sweat. Drat, I just got them too. Sighing to herself, she set the bread down on her table before rummaging through a nearby cupboard. Oh well, nothing a few rinses can¡¯t fix. Besides, he really worked himself to the bone. Literally.


    Smiling at her dumb joke, she pulled out a rag and a towel and returned to Jaires body. As gently as she could, she lifted him off the bed. He was insanely light, weighing no more than the blanket he laid upon, and felt as fragile as a glass cup. Incredible. The fact that he was able to stand on his own, let alone walk, on this body of his is a testament to his tenacity. I don¡¯t know anyone who would have been able to pull that off in that condition. Well, maybe Violet.


    She set the towel down upon the bed before proceeded to lay him on top of it, careful to not accidentally snap his delicate frame in two, and she chuckled at the irony of it. Guess it¡¯s a good thing he refused to let me carry him that first time, I might have accidentally killed him in my stubbornness to get home.


    Though, I think I¡¯ll keep that to myself, no need to inflate his ego just yet.


    Once he was properly laying down, she began to slowly undress him, patting the sweat off with a rag with practised ease. He¡¯ll need a proper bath later, but this is fine for now.


    Satisfied with her work, she reached for a bag hidden underneath her bed and rummaged through it until she pulled out a clean set of male clothing. From there, she once again took her time dressing him until he was fully clothed. The clothes fit loosely on his thin frame, but those were the best she had on hand and probably the best in the entire compound. Hopefully when you are better it¡¯ll fit you again. If you ever do get better that is.


    With a shake of her head, she returned to the kitchen and began preparing a meal for when he awoke.


    Truly incredible, she thought to herself as she pulled out some smoked meat. While bread was a luxury in their little compound, meat was quiet easy to come by, all it took was going on a mission every now and then, though it had been a while since her last excursion.Not only is he still alive, but he had the energy to walk only moments after awakening. Truly he is a special child.


    Or¡­


    Pulling a knife out from its rack, she slowly cut into the steak, watching with keen interest as the blade slid straight through the delicate flesh with no resistance.


    I wonder what surprises I¡¯ll find within this little bird.


    -------------------------------------------------


    *Drip*


    *Drip*


    *Drip*


    The incessant dripping splashed upon his face, disturbing his slumber. He groaned and shifted away from their path, but each time he moved they would follow.


    *Drip*


    *Drip*


    Annoyed and restless, he finally sat up and huffed as he looked up, only to be greeted by a veil of darkness. It was vast and large enigma which expanded in all directions into the infinite. For anyone else, it would immediately cause awe and fear as it loomed powerfully upon the watcher, but he only stared at it with mild confusion. Though he did not know what it was or where it had come from, a tingle at the recesses of his mind told him one thing was certain.


    He had been here before, within its embrace. But something was off this time.


    *Drip*


    *Drip*


    *Drip*


    Huffing, he made to stand to find the leak, but paused as his hand splashed upon a thin layer of water beneath him. The puddle was only a few few wide, yet, like the darkness, something about it felt off. As he looked upon it, he realized there was no reflection within it, nor was there a floor beneath it.


    "Speaking of floor..." Finally, he understood why the place felt familiar yet oddly different, and looked around in confusion. "Where is the path?"


    There was only darkness. Darkness and the dri-


    ...


    No, the dripping had stopped.


    ¡°Weak.¡± A voice called out from the darkness as a presence passed him by. ¡°Far too weak.¡±


    He bared his teeth in fury. How dare this unknown foe look down on him!? He would rip it to shreds the moment it dared to show itself!!


    ...Yet he did not voice his threat, for reason had returned in time to bite his tongue. His entire body shook in terror, as prey does when faced with a great predator. Instinctively he knew that not only was he outmatched, but the gap was so great he could never hope to close it, not even in a thousand years.


    Far within his anger continued to shout like an insolent child, but his reasoning ignored it as he calmed himself enough to speak.


    ¡°What can I do then?¡± He asked, ¡°How do I get stronger?¡±


    ¡°I have already completed the first step.¡± It responded. A glint passed by below, beneath the puddle''s surface, though it moved to fast to be seen and was quickly lost to the darkness. ¡°Now, there is only one thing you must do.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Open your eyes, and FEED.¡±

 Chapter 14 - Dealing with Hunger

    Hmmm, it should be ready by now...I think. Zero thought with a frown as she looked to the boiling pot. She had been worried that regular Zvyr meat would be too tough for Jaire to handle thus she decided to dump it into a soup with whatever else she could find. Carrots, coffee beans, cucumbers, wheat grains, salt, a hint of alcohol, and the last of her bread, one by one these ingredients went into the pot until it bubbled ominously on her stove. It¡¯s times like this that I wish I took those cooking classes Happy keeps offering...


    With a wary hand, she spooned up some of the soup and drank it, causing her face to light up as it entered her mouth.


    Wow! That¡¯s not bad at all!...then again, I can¡¯t tell the difference between raw and cooked, so maybe I shouldn¡¯t be judging¡­


    She continued to stir the pot with a sigh as the food within meshed together. Just then, she heard a shuffling sound from the other room. Hm? Is he up?


    She set the spoon down and went to investigate, half wondering if perhaps getting take out would be better. Nah it¡¯ll be fin- oh damn!!


    Ahead of her was Jaire, who was in mid-fall as he stumbled off the bed. She reacted immediately, pressing down on the floor with enough strength to crack the wooden plank as she propelled forward.


    ¡°Whoa there!¡± She cried out as she caught Jaire before he cracked his head open, ¡°Are you oka- h-hey stop that!¡±


    Jaire clawed, kicked, and even bit at her in a blind rage even as she held him at bay with her right hand at his chest. Frowning, Zero gently pushed as she used her left hand to spin him by the shoulder. As he spun she latched her right hand down onto his left forearm while her other hand reached around and grabbed his right, forcing his arms to criss cross around his chest. From there, she gently tugged him backwards until he was resting against her chest and she slowly brought them down to the floor. He furiously struggled to break free but his child-like strength amounted to nothing.


    As he continued to struggle, Zero shook her head and let out a tired sigh. It seems this was just a fluke, he¡¯s gone feral again.


    A pang of disappointment coursed through her as her hopes were crushed by the rabid boy. He had seemed normal earlier in the day, but the current behavior was reminiscent of the first days that he was in their care, which had been a nightmare to deal with.


    When Doc and her first saw him, Jaire was berserk, striking at everything in his path with no regards for others or even his own safety. At one point he even rammed his head straight into a wall, and would have continued until his brains were splattered across the ruined building if not for her and Doc¡¯s intervention. Back then he was brutishly strong as well, as not only did it take their combined efforts to subdue him but any restraints they placed on him were ripped off in minutes. That battle went on for almost an entire day until at long last exhaustion got the better of him. Thankfully, by the time he began to rampage again, his strength had drastically diminished and he stayed locked upon the table.


    But that¡¯s when the nightmare truly began. Zero thought as Jaire wildly kicked around and bit at thin air.


    To their shock and horror (or fascination in Doc¡¯s case), Jaire¡¯s body began to break down right in front of their very eyes. His bones would snap, muscles peel away, and organs deflate as if an invisible needle had punctured them.


    For two entire weeks Doc operated on Jaire, resetting bones and sewing things closed again, while Zero stood at the ready and helped in whatever way she could. Not an hour went by where Jaire would not be screaming in agony or convulsing upon the surgery table. Even gagged he still let out a gut wrenching wail until he choked on the blood soaked cloth. The entire time was hell, and she would often go full days without sleep, until at long last Jaire¡¯s body ceased trying to tear itself open.


    Zero sighed once more as she stared at the rabid boy. It had been ten minutes now and he showed no signs of stopping. Weak he may be, but it was worrying nonetheless. If this is a repeat from last time, I¡¯m not sure he will be able to handle it. Hell I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to handle it either...


    Throughout that nightmare she had come close to breaking her oath plenty of times. Despite Doc¡¯s insistence of keeping him alive, Zero just couldn¡¯t bring herself to continue on and watch him suffer. It was just too pitiful seeing him like that, even more so when he began to weep in the last weeks of his coma. He would ramble nonsense in his sleep or weep in pain and fear. Her heart ached at his wails and she wanted nothing more than to end his suffering, yet she stayed her blade each time. Not only had she made an oath to Doc, but in one of Jaire¡¯s ramblings he mentioned-


    Jaire¡¯s body went limp in her arms, snapping her back to the current moment. She sighed yet again. What¡¯s done is done I suppose. Well, if he survives another round of torture then perhaps I¡¯ll get the answers I seek. Otherwise- Hm?


    ¡°What was that?¡± She asked curiously. She thought she heard him speak, but the sound had been too low and guttural. hm, I¡¯m just hearing things, he had never-


    ¡°Hungry¡­¡± He coughed out, ¡°I¡¯m so...hungry¡­¡±


    Zero stared at him in disbelief. He had talked, but more importantly, Is he conscious? Is he not feral?? But then why was he attacking me?? How-


    Jaire¡¯s stomach grumbled loudly in front of her, snapping her out of her thoughts once more.


    ¡°Ah, right.¡± Still mildly shocked, Zero lifted them up from the ground. Slowly, and still unsure if this was a trick, she let go of his arms and instead held him by his sides. Rather than attack her, he wrapped his arms around his stomach as it grumbled once more. Definitely not feral at least.


    Walking slowly as she tugged him along, she spoke to the trembling boy, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll bring you the food now. Just sit when I tell you to and wait. Got it?¡±


    Jaire vigorously nodded as they walked.


    ¡°Good. Now sit.¡± Seeing him struggle to sit at the chair, she waited for a few seconds to see how he would react. Saliva dripped from his mouth and he shook violently, but he remained seated. Gross. Okay maybe he is feral, but seems to be in a bit of control at least. Hm..


    She kept her eye on him as she walked towards the kitchen. Once inside, she quickly hopped to the pot and began to serve a bowl of the mush. It had cooled down by then, but she hoped that perhaps that was for the best. Judging by his feral days, he might try to eat it all even if it was scalding hot.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    As she returned to the living room, she watched as Jaire sniffed at the air and salivate more at her approach. The moment she set the bowl down, he desperately clawed out for it until he found the bowl. As she had assumed, his face dove straight into the bowl and he slurped it up in a frenzy.


    ¡°More¡­¡± Jaire croaked out a few seconds later, the bowl completely empty beneath him.


    Amazing, he devoured it like his life depended on it.


    ¡­


    ...am I a natural? Satisfaction creeped up within her as she took the empty bowl and happily returned to the kitchen. This cooking business is easier than I thought.


    She returned with a second serving, which Jaire devoured just as quickly and asked for another. Oh yeah, definitely onto something here. Watch out Happy you got some competition now.


    Finally, by the time he asked for the fifth serving, her resolve had steeled and she gave him a stern no. ¡°Your stomach is still quite damaged, any more and you¡¯ll overstuff it and burst the stitchings.¡±


    ¡°But...I need it.¡± He whined as he grabbed at his stomach. ¡°I need...to feed it¡­I...I...¡±


    *Thonk*


    Jaire abruptly fell asleep right on the table, bowl still in his outstretched hand.


    ...what?


    -------------------------------


    ¡°COCK-A-DOODLE DO!¡±


    *BANG BANG BANG BANG*


    ¡°COCK-A-DOODLE DO!¡±


    Jaire¡¯s heart raced as he sat up. What the hell is that?!


    He looked around in alarm, but saw only darkness. Somewhere in that darkness, the banging continued along with the terrible cry.


    ¡°COCK-A-DOO-¡±


    ¡°Cut that out!!¡± A female voice rang out over the sound of a door opening.


    ¡°Howdy neighbor! Do you have a moment to talk about our lo-¡±


    The door slammed shut, leaving Jaire alone with his thoughts as the muffled mutterings continued beyond the door. It took another few seconds for him to calm down, and remember the situation he found himself in.


    He groaned as he laid back down within the soft blanket. This blindness is going to take some getting used to. What time is it? How long have I been out?


    He still felt exhausted, but much better than earlier and not as fatigued. The nap had been good for him, and he kind of wanted to go back to sleep, but a new sensation kept it away. His stomach felt hollow, as if a gnawing pit lay within it which yearned to be filled. Figures. I doubt they gave me anything in that month I was asleep, otherwise I wouldn¡¯t be so skinny...He frowned as the thoughts brought to mind the taste in his mouth. Why is there a rancid taste in my mouth?? Is that what happens when-


    ¡°Jaire,¡± An irate voice rang out as the door creaked open, ¡°you have some company.¡± Zero finished.


    Company? Oh. It¡¯s-


    Just then a whistle blew out as the visitor entered the room. ¡°How is it so fresh in here?? Were your parents builders or something? Mind checking my room out? I think its got too many holes to keep the heat out, not that I¡¯m complaining though. Oh wow you really spruced this place up too! Fancy living ain¡¯t ya~Ooh well look at that! Ya got yer very own- holy hell is that an actual table?! You¡¯ve been holding out on us haven¡¯t ya Z? Oh? Wait a sec, aren¡¯t those h-¡±


    ¡°Are you gonna keep gawking at my stuff or do what you came to do?¡± Zero retorted.


    ¡°Mmmm right right, my bad~! *ahem* Good morning Jaire! Welcome back to the land of the living!¡±


    ¡°Hey Styx. Good I guess. Tired, but good.¡± And hungry...


    ¡°That¡¯s great! Glad to hear it! You gave us quite a scare ya know?¡±


    ¡°Hmph,¡± Zero snorted, ¡°Sure he did.¡±


    ¡°Oh hush, you coulda joined in too, but noooo somebody had ¡®morals¡¯ to follow...though from the looks of it you still hel-¡±


    ¡°That has nothing to do with it. I was there when he needed help and not-¡±


    ¡°Pshhh tomato potato, doesn¡¯t excuse the fact that-¡±


    ¡°Uhh, excuse me?¡± Jaire cut in, ¡°What are you guys talking about?


    ¡°Oh, right, I suppose you¡¯re old enough. You see Jaire, when a man and a woman-¡±


    ¡°He,¡± Zero snapped, ¡°had a pool going with the crew, betting to see if you would survive or not.¡±


    ¡°You were betting on me dying?¡±


    ¡°What? No, don¡¯t be silly, I would never do that. I obviously put my money on you living, and not just because if I didn¡¯t we¡¯d have no one to bet in favor of you. You see, the others couldn¡¯t see it but I knew from the moment I met ya that there was something special about you.¡±


    No one thought I was going to live...ouch.


    ¡°Give me a break, you¡¯ve said the same thing to dozens of others, myself included.¡±


    ¡°Annnd I¡¯ve been right about once or twice thank you very much. Anyways, we weren¡¯t really gonna collect, ¡®tis was just a bit of fun between grumpy old men. No hard feelings yeah?¡±


    ¡°...¡± Despite Styx¡¯s cheerful voice, Jaire couldn¡¯t let it go just yet. I¡¯d think that at least Mav would bet on my survival, he seemed nice enough...then again I don¡¯t really know the guy...hell I don¡¯t know any of them. I¡¯ve been here a month but in reality it''s only been a day and a half for me. Ugh...


    ¡°Riiiight. Welp, I just stopped by to congratulate you on our- *Ahem* your victory and present you with this. Ta-dah!¡±


    ¡°...I can¡¯t see Styx¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, right. Well it¡¯s a bucket! Yup yup, I used all of my hard earned Qip to buy you your own bucket.¡±


    A bucket. Indignation swelled up as he grit his teeth with a forced smile, ¡°...thanks.¡± A bucket. He bet on my life, made money off of it, and ¡®bought¡¯ me a bucket. What. An. Ass.


    Styx audibly sighed, which somewhat terrified Jaire as he remembered Styx was technically his commander and Jaire had just shown him disrespect. Yet it seemed as though he was mistaken as he heard Styx mumble to himself about how no one ever values the bucket. Finally Styx spoke to him again in a much more sour tone, ¡°Also Mav is standing outside with some medical supplies and ingredients for food, which I also paid for mind you. Thank god you have a bucket to put them in...¡±


    ...couldn¡¯t you have led with that?...is he really serious about the bucket? That wasn¡¯t just a, Jaire sighed and shook his head to keep a headache from forming. ¡°Thank you Styx. I really appreciate it, I¡¯m just tired right now. Why is he standing outside? Shouldn¡¯t he come in?¡±


    ¡°Wellllll,¡± Styx spoke out with his normal chipper tone, ¡°that¡¯s ¡®cause I was only allowed in by using my power of authority. One of the perks of being the assistant manager.¡±


    Zero huffed and began to speak but was quickly cut off by Styx.


    ¡°Yup! Assistant manager that¡¯s me! So yeah, that¡¯s that! Welp, I¡¯ll be going now before I overstay my welcome. I bid you adieu Jaire, sayonara, goodbye, hasta la-¡±


    ¡°Out.¡± Zero groaned.


    As the door opened, he heard Zero thank a person outside, presumably Maverick, before shutting the door again.


    ¡°Glad that¡¯s over with,¡± She spoke as her voice trailed away, ¡°Guess I¡¯ll make some more of that delicious grub you love for breakfast, so sit tight Jaire.¡±


    ¡­.what?

 Chapter 15 - Picking up the Pace

    ¡°Again.¡±


    Jaire took in deep breaths and pushed with all his might. The strain on his body was intense but his strength held long enough for him to rise off the chair in one mighty movement. He let out the breath he was holding as he stood covered in sweat, but he only had a moment of reprieve before Zero¡¯s command came once more.


    ¡°Again.¡±


    With a resentful groan Jaire sat back down and tried to rise yet again. Straight after breakfast, Zero put together an ¡°exercise routine¡± for him to do. It was fairly simple, such as walking in a straight line or standing up without assistance, but even then it took a lot out of him.


    ¡°That¡¯s good enough for now.¡± Zero finally said after he finished five more reps, ¡°We¡¯ll pick it up again after lunch.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± He replied in between breaths as Zero¡¯s footsteps faded away. After the breakfast plate of ¡°Meatball surprise¡±. he grimaced at the thought of eating more of her home cooked meals. Not like I have a choice in the matter, plus...


    *rumble*


    Despite his mental adversity to the meals, his stomach seemed to crave without discrimination. During breakfast he had felt a gnawing pit in his stomach, a pain that continued to grow no matter how much he ate, yet would hurt more if he stopped. That hollow pain had continued well into his training and even now he could feel his mouth salivate in anticipation of the upcoming sludge. This is insane, I¡¯ll probably die from food poisoning at this rate.


    ¡°You¡¯ve done well so far.¡± Zero commented as she returned from what he presumed was the kitchen, ¡°How are you feeling?¡±


    ¡°Tired. Hungry.¡±


    ¡°Good. It won¡¯t be long now, just letting the stew brew.¡± He heard a chair pull out as she took a seat across the table from him. ¡°So tell me, do you remember anything else from your trip with Ghost?¡±


    He shook his head. She had asked him twice before already, once right after breakfast and another in the middle of his exercises, but both times he had no recollection. Every time he would attempt to think about it, the hunger would return alongside a heavy feeling in his head that made him feel sleepy. I probably have some kind of brain injury, though that doesn¡¯t explain why the hunger returns as well...


    He let out an exasperated sigh. The answers to his condition were somewhere inside his head, but try as he might he could not recall a damn thing. I¡¯m forgetting something important, I just know I am.


    ¡°No need to push it,¡± Zero spoke out, breaking his concentration, ¡°You¡¯re slowly getting better and you seem to be more aware each time, so eventually it will come to you.¡±


    More aware? He frowned. What does that-


    *Rumble*


    ¡°Ah, food¡¯s ready. I¡¯ll be right back.¡±


    ¡°...Alright.¡± I guess it can wait until after lunch.


    -----------------------------


    ¡°Hey Zero?¡± Jaire called out into the darkness. After lunch they had gone straight to exercising again, and now he laid exhausted upon the floor.


    ¡°Just call me Z.¡± She responded from the right, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°How come it''s always fresh in here?¡± A soft breeze blew against him, filling him with the sweet scent that dominated the room while cooling his body down.


    ¡°Magic of course.¡±


    He immediately shot up and turned towards her voice. ¡°WHAT?!¡±


    His heart began to race as his mind went into overdrive. Magic!? Seriously?! How does she know about that?! What if- can she use it as well?! Is that how she- no wait does that explain- Oh my god this is-...wait...why is she laughing?


    ¡°Oookay, did not expect that kind of reaction.¡± She said in between chuckles, ¡°You okay Jay? If I didn¡¯t know better I¡¯d say you honestly believed me and thought magic was real.¡±


    Ah, she was just teasing me. Jaire deflated as his heart calmed down. I jumped the gun, of course she doesn¡¯t know magic.


    ¡°But then again...¡± He perked up as he heard her footsteps approach, ¡°Perhaps you know something that I don¡¯t? Is there something you¡¯d like to share Jaire?¡±


    ¡°U-uh...¡± Oh crap. The oath he made to Lin flashed back in his mind as he stammered. I screwed up. No wait, relax, this is fine. She doesn¡¯t know anything, just curious about my reaction.


    Clearing his throat, he finally replied, ¡°It¡¯s nothing like that, I was just, surprised, that you¡¯d say something like that, and it shocked me. Didn¡¯t take you for the joking type.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Right. Well first off, no, it¡¯s nothing supernatural like that. I have a fan in the kitchen constantly blowing. Secondly, really? So what do you take me for? A stuck up bitch? Hm?¡±


    ¡°W-w-what?! N-no! I mean, you are kind of-¡±


    ¡°Kind of what?¡±


    ¡°N-no! Not like that! Just that you are very strict with training and- I was just- it¡¯s because-¡±


    ¡°Oh my god,¡± Zero chuckled. ¡°Relax Jaire, I¡¯m just messing with you. Man you really do get worked up easily, I didn¡¯t believe it at first but you¡¯re pretty gullible aren¡¯t you?¡±


    He huffed as his cheeks flushed with embarrassment. Ugh. Well at least my genuine reaction helped make my lie seem real. But I do have another question now¡­ ¡°So how do you keep the fan on all the time? Or the smell of your cooking from seeping out??¡±


    Thanks to Lin¡¯s vast knowledge of Earth, he knew electricity and automated mechanisms existed, but that kind of technology was far beyond Rivivera¡¯s capabilities to duplicate. With the Zvyr threat as high as it was, building an operational water wheel was out of the question, though some of the richer folk attempted to fund one from time to time.


    Aside from that, there was a working wind turbine inside the town, but all electricity generated was strictly for government and Institute use, thus regular people like him lived with rudimentary technology. What¡¯s worse however, was the fact that the knowledge of how to generate electricity or any higher technology was kept secret to the public and held strictly within the walls of the Institute of Research. It was this restriction that made his mother, along with many of her colleagues, bitter about the Institute, though that was neither here or now.


    ¡°Hm, a curious type as well. Don¡¯t see much of your kind around here.¡±


    What does she mean by that? He thought with a frown. Before he could ask however, Zero was already talking.


    ¡°Well to answer your first question, I basically made a crank that slowly unwinds over time, which lets the fan spin until I crank it up again. Lasts about an hour or so. As for the second question, do you know about scented stones?¡±


    His face lit up. Oh! That¡¯s why the scent was so familiar!


    Long ago, Jaire¡¯s grandfather Protus came across a cavern up the river during his expeditions. Within it he found rocks that smelled distinctly pleasant, rocks which would hold onto that scent even after they were removed. Those scented stones became an instant hit and the cave was mined until the last scented stone was picked off. However, because of their high demand, most of the stones were sold off to other settlements at a massive markup, while the only ones that remained in Rivivera belonged to the wealthy or the select few who refused to sell. His own house held two, one in the bathroom and one by the sewage hole, though those were gifted to his mom by his grandfather from his own personal collection.


    ¡°So that¡¯s all there is to it. However, what¡¯s more fascinating I would say, is how quickly you were able to rise. Seems to me like someone¡¯s been taking their training way too easy.¡±Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    ¡°Uh-¡± Damn.


    ¡°Thirty more reps. Get to it.¡±


    --------------


    ¡°Where are we going?¡± Jaire asked through chattering teeth.


    ¡°Stop asking.¡± Came the annoyed reply.


    After the last round of exercise and subsequent dinner, Zero had told him they would be training outside while the sun was still out. He wasn¡¯t keen to walk around in the smelly base, but he couldn¡¯t really argue with her after everything she was doing for him, so he agreed.


    Turns out, she had lied.


    He went out expecting to face the blazing heat, but instead was greeted by the freezing gust of night air.


    ¡°Now listen,¡± Zero had said as he stood shivering in the cold, ¡°We can do this the easy way or the hard way. I¡¯m going to take you somewhere close by and you can either let me carry you there, or we go at your pace and arrive an hour or two later. Take your pick.¡±


    Horrendously unequipped for the cold, he reluctantly chose to be carried, which is why he now found himself piggybacking on Zero. This is embarrassing, at least no one should be up by now. Hopefully...


    A minute later, he heard/felt Zero tug a door open and they entered a new building. Her steps echoed as she walked, accompanied by a howl of wind somewhere above.


    She walked for a few more minutes before finally stopping. ¡°We¡¯re here.¡±


    As Zero dropped him off, he tried to picture in his mind where he was. From the sound of the wind and echoes decreasing, he assumed they were in a large building and had gone into a smaller room, though he couldn¡¯t-


    ¡°Take your clothes off.¡±


    He stopped. ¡°W-what?¡±


    ¡°You heard me. Strip.¡±


    What the hell?! His mind rushed to comprehend as he stammered. ¡°I-I, what?? N-no!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± She said, her voice lowering to a sultry tone, ¡°Don¡¯t you like me?¡±


    ¡°N-no! I mean you have been really nice and all but- I don¡¯t even- and- I have a girlfriend!!¡±


    A moment of silence passed, which ended with a burst of laughter from Zero.


    ¡°That was better than I thought. Look at you! You¡¯re quivering!¡±


    She continued to laugh as his face flushed with embarrassment and anger. What the hell is wrong with this girl!?


    ¡°Relax Jaire, I¡¯m not into you like that. After everything I had to do for you, you¡¯re like a baby brother to me at this point.¡±


    Everything you¡¯ve done!? ¡°Then why would you do that!?¡±


    ¡°Not so stuck up now am I?¡±


    ¡°...¡± All this because of that? He sighed, ¡°Can we go home now?¡±


    ¡°What? No. We came here for a reason and we ain¡¯t leaving until it¡¯s done.¡±


    ¡°???¡± Now what?


    ¡°Jaire, you reek. Since you seem to be reasonable for now, I think it''s time you took a proper shower instead of having me wipe you down every night.¡±


    ¡°...excuse me?¡±


    ¡°You seriously need to shower before I-¡±


    ¡°No not that, what do you mean you wipe me down every night?? I¡¯ve only been here one day!¡±


    ¡°One day?? Jaire you- hm, nevermind I understand your confusion now. What I meant was I wiped you down back in the lab. You would have laid in your own shit and blood for weeks if not for me.¡±


    ¡°...oh.¡± Well then, this is awkward. He shifted around uncomfortably, unsure what to make of that information. Luckily for him, Zero seemed just fine continuing on.


    ¡°And so why we¡¯re in the bathroom house right now. Used to be the old gym back in the day, before the Zvyrs wrecked the place in the raid of ¡¯56. While most of the building was ruined, most of the pipes in here survived so we get to have running water. Light a fire under the heater and presto, you got yourself a warm shower. Well, the baths require some tinkering around with to get working, but it isn¡¯t too hard.¡±


    ¡°Oh, cool...but...couldn¡¯t you have led with that?¡±


    ¡°I could have, but that wouldn¡¯t have been nearly as fun.¡±


    He sighed as a familiar headache returned.¡°Fair enough. But what about my bandages though? Didn¡¯t you tell me to keep them on?¡±


    ¡°Yes I did, but that¡¯s why we¡¯re out here in the dead of night. Without direct lighting you should be safe, though I would still recommend you keep them closed while you shower. They might have healed by now, but unlike the rest of your body Doc couldn¡¯t just stitch them together, so keep caution.¡±


    ¡°Sounds reasonable I guess.¡± Another question popped into his mind as he recalled his trouble remembering. ¡°What about my head? How bad was that hurt?¡±


    He heard her hesitate for a moment before she began, ¡°To be honest, that¡¯s a mystery we¡¯re hoping your memories can solve. You see, the damage was concentrated on your body, arms, and legs, but from the neck up you were fine. Well with the exception of your eyes of course. So not only is it odd that your eyes were hurt and nothing else, but the blank memory is very intriguing. But that''s for another time, let¡¯s get this over with.¡±


    For the next several minutes, Zero stood in front of him and undid the wrappings as he anxiously waited. Trepidation and excitement crawled over him at the thought of seeing again. On one hand, although it had only been a day, he was already tired of having to rely on Zero to not bump into a wall or stub his toe on the table.


    On the other hand however, he was scared to see what he looked like, to see the damage on his body. He hadn¡¯t been able to feel any scars when he ran his hands along his body just yesterday, but he was also too focused on the bony sensation to notice. Now, he would have a full view of just how terrible his body currently was.


    Yet, aside from those two emotions, a third rose up in him. Curiosity. He hadn¡¯t known Zero for long, but she had taken care of him, helped me recuperate, and had even seen him in all his glory, yet he had no idea what she looked like.


    ¡°There, done.¡±


    Slowly, he opened his eyes. It took a second for his eyes to adjust to the soft moon-lit room, but as they did, he focused first on Zero. She stood in front of him in ragged clothing similar to the state of the other¡¯s clothing; however hers consisted of ripped baggy pants that revealed she wore black tights underneath, a loose fitting grey tank top over an undershirt cut above her abdomen, with a shawl that covered her left arm. As for her face¡­


    ¡°What¡¯s with the mask?¡± he asked. Zero wore a white mask that covered half her face from the cheeks upwards, leaving only her mouth exposed. It was weirdly shaped, with two slightly slanted ovals for eyes, an upside down triangle where her nose would be, and two horns sticking up beyond her head. The horns were curved like the upper part of an egg instead of pointed and both of the eye holes had a fabric woven behind them to hide her face further. Lastly, there were red markings all across the mask, mirrored down the center, and a red ribbon hanging from the left side. If he had to guess, it was supposed to depict a Zvyr, but not one that he knew about. First Ghost and now her. If not for Psyma I¡¯d say all the Sentinel women covered up their faces.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Disappointed?¡±


    There was a clear smirk on her lips, which only made him feel exasperated. ¡°Nevermind.¡±


    ¡°Hm. Anyways, behind you is the shower head and lever. It¡¯s the same kind as the ones they use in town so you should know how to use it. Oh, I also took the liberty of retrieving clothes from your place while you slept. I left them in a sack in the next stall over along with a towel. Also, I put a bar of soap and a stool inside this one for you to use if you need it, otherwise just use the handrail. I¡¯ll be waiting outside, just holler when you¡¯re done, though if you take too long I¡¯ll come to check on you.¡±


    He thanked her and she left the shower room. Now by himself, he turned to the shower and looked it over. It was like the one in the Academy¡¯s gym, a small space surrounded by three walls with a drain in the center, though far more rotten looking. The tiled walls were chipped and the metal pipe of the showerhead was completely rusted. WIth a shrug, he turned it on and began to undress. At least it can get warm.


    As he undressed, he noticed different shades of skin all along his arms. There wasn¡¯t much light in the room, most of it coming from a large hole near the ceiling, but he could guess what they were. Scars, and plenty of them.


    Some were straight and even, running straight down his forearm, but others were random splotches like something had bit him with a ragged tooth. The more he undressed, the more he saw that they covered his entire body down to his toes. Strangely, none of the scars were bumpy or wriggly, all being as flat as his skin itself. No wonder I couldn¡¯t feel them, if not for the coloring I wouldn¡¯t even know I had any.


    A thought egged him at the back of his mind, but as he focused on it his head felt heavy again, so he just let out a sigh and began to wash himself.


    When he was done and dressed, Zero returned with a roll of bandages and proceeded to wrap them onto his head.


    ¡°Can¡¯t I keep them off?¡± Jaire asked, ¡°I felt fine, really.¡±


    ¡°Too risky. Though if you want to ignore my warnings, feel free to take them off, just know I will not provide for you from that point on.¡±


    He sighed in resignation, unwilling to ruin his own chance at recovery all because he felt like he was being treated like a child.


    ¡°Relax, it won¡¯t be long now. If anything, we can come back every night to check your progress.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Better than nothing I guess.


    ¡°Great. All done. Hop on, I¡¯ll take you back now.


    --------------------------


    It¡¯s time.


    ¡°For what??¡± He asked as he stared into the puddle. The figure that swam underneath him was nowhere to be seen, yet it responded nonetheless.


    To awaken. It is time to retrieve the dagger.


    ¡°Dagger? What-¡±


    ---------------------------


    ¡°DAGGER!¡± Jaire yelled as he bolted upright. His memories trickled into him, spewed out from the cloud in his head. The dagger! How could I forget the dagger!?


    ¡°Mmmmm shut up.¡± An annoyed voice groaned out.


    The next moment he felt himself fall backwards as something latched onto his chest.


    Panicked, he grabbed the appendage, only to find it to be a human arm. What the hell???


    He continually grabbed at the arm until he followed it to the shoulder, and found that the person it belonged to was laying next to him on the bed. Realization dawned on him.


    ¡°Grope me and you¡¯ll lose the hand.¡± Zero grumbled, ¡°Now go back to sleep.¡±


    What the hell is she doing in my bed!? Well technically it''s hers but still!! Has she been here the whole time?! Why?!

 Cancelled (For now)

    Welp, back to the drawing board.


    Personally I believe this has been an incredibly succesful run. From the start I uploaded knowing full well that this was going to fail, as most first attempts do, yet I did it to try regardless. If I had never taken that first step I probably would have never actually attempted my hand at writing and gotten over that fear of being criticized.


    l''ve learned a lot over these few months, such as how much time commitment and effort it really takes, the downfalls of my writing style, and overall finding my writing style and improving on it. At the moment I have the "it sounds so much better in my head!" problem and slowly learning the method on bringing those ideas to life in an interesting and well-thought out manner. There is potential here, but its currently not even a diamond in the rough but instead the picture of a cave that may have diamonds, so work needs to be done.


    So with that said, I will be stopping my erractic uploads and instead focus on actual writing. I''ll be plotting the timeline from start to finish (and not from event to event), and then working in each event and, and issues with said events, then character reactions, dialogue, etc etc etc.in the end I want this story to be my magnum opus (its linked to a board game/video game of my own creation plus 4 other novel ideas that span generations), so I''m going to take my time and make sure it is as great as I can make it.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    In the meantime however, I will be working on shorter stories to improve my skills. One of those will be a short horror/drama to focus on writing atmosphere, pacing, and tension while the other is a slice of life comedy to focus on character dialogue and witty humor. Since I don''t want those to necessarily fail, I will probably upload once I have a good 30+ chapters in each of them, so about 6months from now.


    Thank you all for having taken time out of your day to read my disaster. it brought me a lot of joy to see the view count tick up, sometimes a minute after I uploaded, and I am really bummed out to have failed so miserably, but I will keep my head high and keep on trying and hope to catch your interests again in the future.


    Until next time!


    -Decent Cross