《Emerald Forest》 Centaurs ¡°Settle down,¡± Kiri said, raising her voice above the crowd gathered around her. On any normal day she could be sweet and charming but not during her first assignment. She narrowed her eyes and regarded the burly centaur kicking his mud-caked hooves into the ground. ¡°A puny nymph isn¡¯t going to tell me where I can graze.¡± Rhaecus towered over her, with biceps larger than her waist prominently on display. He shook his tail toward the myrmidons that requested Kiri¡¯s aid. They cried out in protest at his rude gesture but kept their distance. Kiri had asked them to return inside their colony, but they refused to stand down until the centaurs left the area. ¡°We like races, wine and especially women.¡± The centaur smirked, trotting closer to Kiri and blocking out the sun. Alarms went off inside Kiri, urging her to step back. She required sunlight to create bio-ethereal energy, without which she would wither away. Kiri stood her ground and ignored the stench wafting in from the half man half horse creature. At eight-hundred years of age, most races considered her young, but she still roamed the forests long enough to be familiar with the centaur power games. If she backed down, they¡¯d all lose any respect for her and her assignment would be a failure. The Elder Dryads sent Kiri north to deal with the band of centaurs ravaging the myrmidon¡¯s home with their daily races. She needed to settle the dispute and prove herself as a Warden. ¡°All we¡¯re asking for is that you avoid this area. There¡¯s plenty of hills and grass to go around,¡± Kiri said, indicating to the prairie behind them. ¡°We¡¯re free to roam where ever we please,¡± Rhaecus said. ¡°Maybe we like it here and will settle down. If those ants have a problem with that, then they can move away.¡± ¡°The myrmidons built their colony here first. Storming over and destroying the colony won¡¯t make either of you friends,¡± Kiri said. She leaned in and lowered her voice. ¡°I¡¯d hate to see such a big tough guy as yourself get injured by ants.¡± Rhaecus scoffed at her remark, kicking up dust with his hooves. Fear scratched on Kiri¡¯s heels and the injuries she might suffer from a stampede. ¡°You should go back to your trees, unless you came here for a little more as well. I¡¯m sure we would make good company.¡± Kiri balled her hands into fists at his words. She needed to find a solution to the dispute without violence breaking out between the ant shifters and the centaurs but also from herself. Dryads learned from an early age to use their powers for the good of the environment and maintaining a balance. She brushed back her long dark hair from her face and shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m not so sure you would. I mean, I¡¯ve never seen you run before. All this talk of racing but maybe one of your friends is the real deal here.¡± ¡°Real deal? I¡¯ll show you,¡± Rhaecus said with a grunt. He reared, flicking his tail at the other centaurs. He dashed away and drew circles around them all, slowly picking up his speed and enveloping them in a cloud of dust. ¡°None are faster than me. It¡¯s why I say where we go and where we graze.¡± Kiri crossed her arms in front of her chest. She watched him pass a few times before losing interest and clicking her tongue. ¡°So if I understand you correctly, you¡¯re willing to leave the myrmidons alone as long as I beat you in a race.¡± ¡°Save your energy for when I rut you, little nymph. There¡¯s no one out there that can best me.¡± Rhaecus came to a halt in front of Kiri and pounded his hairy chest. Kiri¡¯s knees weakened. She looked back over her shoulder where the group of myrmidons waited. They were built to kill, even in their human form with chiseled abs, but could just as easily shift back into the ant form. A fight between the two would become inevitable if she failed to reach an agreement. A battle that would cost dozens of lives on both sides. Perhaps going alone had been her mistake and she should have taken her twin seedling, Ajalla, with her. ¡°I¡¯m not impressed so far. So let¡¯s settle this with a race and see which of us really is faster.¡± Kiri straightened and pulled her shoulders back. ¡°Unless, of course, you¡¯re afraid of of being beaten by a puny nymph.¡± The last bit rolled off her tongue and spurred the anger in Rhaecus, turning his bald head crimson. The warning bells in her mind were silent. Probably because they broke from ringing non-stop for the past five minutes. Rhaecus went to his pack and strutted, ascertaining his role as their leader and silencing any protest. Winning a small fleck of the prairie became a measure of authority he would see fulfilled. ¡°Fine. We¡¯ll have it your way. But, if you lose you¡¯re staying here with me,¡± he snarled. The fumes on his breath were enough to make Kiri feel ill. Rhaecus really needed to watch his diet and cover all the nutrients his body needed. ¡°I won¡¯t let it come to that,¡± Kiri said and stretched her limbs. The myrmidons all watched her with a blank look in their eyes that chipped at her self-esteem. Sure, they were all under the will of their queen hidden away in the colony, but still. ¡°First one to the river and back. No physical contact.¡± She raised her hand in warning before he might protest. Rhaecus laughed and agreed to the race. The centaurs set up on both sides around them to form a starting position. ¡°Good luck,¡± Turos said. As a drone, he spoke on behalf of the Queen and would lead the soldiers into battle. ¡°We believe you can bring an end to this.¡± This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Thank you. Let¡¯s just hope he plays by the rules,¡± Kiri said, glancing over her shoulder to where Rhaecus waited impatiently. She raised her head to the sun with closed eyes and basked in the light for a final moment before joining Rhaecus at the starting line. The route she picked would lead them away from the myrmidon colony and the forest for their race. ¡°Last chance to pull out and leave.¡± Rhaecus grunted, snapping his gaze away from her and focusing on the river a half mile away. A centaur with a brown and white coat, she assumed was his second, counted down and on his mark they both kicked off. Kiri saw the hulking mass of man and horse from the corner of her vision dart off ahead and slowly widen the gap between them. Centaurs were natural runners with an extra pair of long legs Kiri did not have. An advantage he could turn into an easy victory. Kiri reached into her bio-ethereal basin where she stored all the energy and minerals harnessed throughout the day. She tapped into the energy and directed it to her legs and lungs, allowing her to push herself over the limits of what she was normally capable of. She sucked in a deep breath, felt the burn in her legs as she picked up the pace. Faster, her entire body moved in rhythm. Dryads were forest nymphs but Kiri considered herself more than just a pretty face. Rhaecus glanced back over his shoulder, his eyes widened to his surprise to find that she hadn¡¯t given up yet but was gaining on him. He kicked harder and propelled himself forward. Heaps of rock and dirt flung through the air which Kiri narrowly avoided. The zig-zag maneuver cost her a few precious yards, allowing Rhaecus to reach the river banks first. He leaned onto his rear legs and spun around, hooves crashing down in front of Kiri. ¡°Give up,¡± he said with a grin and galloped back to the start. Kiri took after him, diverging more energy into her body to keep up. She caught up with him halfway back and managed to take the lead for a brief moment before losing it to Rhaecus again. The centaur groaned between shallow breaths, his face drenched in sweat. He put everything he had into keeping his hairsbreadth lead on Kiri and only a couple dozen yards left to the centaurs cheering him on. Kiri¡¯s bio-ethereal basin was finite, with more than half of her stored energy already depleted. She couldn¡¯t afford to use it up entirely. Even with the sun still out, replenishing small amounts of her energy as she ran, she¡¯d collapse and die if it ran dry. Kiri focused on the two centaurs marking the finish line. Her future as a Warden depended on her being able to resolve conflicts without violence. She leaned forward, kicking herself ahead of Rhaecus and past the line. The centaurs went quiet, staring at her and then back at Rhaecus. Kiri slowed down to a walk. Her heart pounded ferociously against her chest as she worked to regain her breath. ¡°You cheat,¡± Rhaecus said, coming to her first. He loomed over and pointed his stubby finger at her. ¡°This proves nothing. Now get lost before I change my mind and crush you beneath my hooves.¡± Kiri placed her hands at her hips, chest heaving. ¡°I told you not to be a sore loser. You lost, so I expect you to pack up. I can help you look for a new place to relocate.¡± ¡°Why you little-- I will not let myself be played a fool by a puny nymph.¡± Rhaecus charged her in a storm of rage. He reached out, hands clasping around her neck as he hoisted her up. She flailed, kicking the air and clawing at his hands as his grip tightened. Kiri noticed the myrmidons shift back into their ant form just before her vision darkened. The strength in his hand threatened to crush her throat. She couldn¡¯t free herself from his grip and trembled. Only the tingle in her body remained and slowly went numb. Her mind reeled out in all directions, releasing almost all the energy she had stored. Her eyes flared bright as she struggled to remain conscious and gave in to her instincts. Roots sprang out of the ground with a thunderous clap. They swiftly coiled around her attacker and tore him down. Rhaecus released Kiri and attempted to fend off the numerous roots wrapping themselves around him. Kiri crumbled to the ground using one hand to rub her sore throat and the other to hold him in place. He shouted for help but the other centaurs stepped back, their faces pale with horror. Kiri rose on to unsteady legs and addressed them, all of them. ¡°Go away and never threaten anyone else again.¡± She balled her hands, tightening the roots around their leader. The centaurs eagerly nodded their approval and ran away, without waiting for her to release Rhaecus. She watched them race off into the distance and questioned herself. What am I doing? The Elder Dryads would be upset when they found out she used force to settle the matter. She was meant to protect life and work on helping all creatures, not dictating her will and threatening violence. Turos shifted back into his human form and came up beside her. She couldn¡¯t help but marvel at his toned body and the smile he gave her. A perfect set of abs she wanted to reach out and slide her hand across. ¡°The Queen thanks you for your commitment today in saving lives,¡± he said in a monotone voice. Myrmidons were ant-shifters and all part of the colony with little personality to set them apart from one another. ¡°She¡¯ll recommend you in her future communication, should the need ever arise again for us to depend on your services.¡± ¡°Thank you, but I didn¡¯t act correctly and am not worthy of praise. Your people would be better off with another Warden. Atleast the centaurs shouldn¡¯t pose a threat anytime soon.¡± Turos glazed at her with a blank stare. ¡°The Queen acknowledges your request. Good day, Kirilamei,¡± he said without a hint of emotion to his voice and wandered back towards the colony. Threads of Fate Wind brushed through the long grass, prickling Kirilamei¡¯s sunbaked skin. She laid in the meadow and basked in the warm light. A vibrant energy she gathered and saved for later. Not all parts of the forest received as much light and required her tender care. Many dryads preferred the simple life as a gardener, tending to the needs of their lot and watching it grow lush and filled with life over time. Kiri, however, stared into the milky sky and wondered where all the stars hid and what might await there. The clouds crawled away, revealing the face of a young man. He looked off in another direction but took notice and turned to meet her. The man had light skin and at first she thought him to be sick but then grew to admire his beauty. His lips moved to silent words. He narrowed his piercing blue eyes, brighter than the sky, that seemed to invite her to join him. Startled, she shot upright and laid a hand to her breast. Her heart beat frantically against her chest. She glanced up again, but the man faded and vanished after a few sparse seconds. ¡°Feeeeeeeeed usssss,¡± the grass moaned, stirring Kiri from her day-dreaming. Kiri rolled onto her belly and took in the bushels of dark green with golden spikelets. ¡°You¡¯re getting pretty spoiled,¡± Kiri said, raising a brow. Still, she didn¡¯t want to deny the grass a nice breakfast after sun bathing for a full hour. She dipped her fingers into the soil until she felt the stirring roots beneath her. The hairs on her neck tingled as she yielded a sliver of energy into the soil. Every nymph held bio-ethereal energy inside of their basin located under their lungs and use it when needed. The stems stiffened as they sucked in the energy and let out a satisfied squeak. ¡°Thaaaaank yooouu Kiiii,¡± they chanted in unison. Kiri stood, brushing off her knees and readjusted the rose petal skirt wrapped around her lithe waist. At eight-hundred years of age, she¡¯d only just become a full member of society and contributed to the world. The years prior had given her a greater freedom to explore the corners of Amazon and spy on the various life forms that cohabited her home. An eagerness that kept her out of the Grove on most days. A dark figure crested the nearby hill and headed her way. After her encounter with the centaur¡¯s, Kiri couldn¡¯t face the Elder Dryads and sent Ajalla with the news. They smiled and rushed into each other¡¯s arms. Kiri felt herself at ease, now that Ajalla returned to her. Being alone wasn¡¯t natural. They were seedlings, both born of the same fruit and spent their entire lives together. ¡°They gave us another assignment!¡± Ajalla tightened her embrace and lifted her off the ground. Assignments were the initial step in becoming a Warden and traveling to distant worlds. She failed the first by not holding to the rules of the Alseid. The image of the man lingered in the back of her mind and sent her heart into a flutter. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.¡°Come on, a second chance!¡± Ajalla pulled away and studied her face. ¡°You seem a little off. Did something happen while I was away?¡± Kiri evaded her seedling¡¯s deep gaze, knowing full well she wouldn¡¯t last long against her interrogation. Heat rose to her cheeks as she fumbled to find words. ¡°I thought I saw a face in the sky.¡± ¡°That was probably just a sky nymph,¡± Ajalla said with a grin. ¡°Nephelai are quite the pranksters and think they can get away with everything only because they walk the winds.¡± ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t a nymph but a man,¡± Kiri added tentatively. ¡°Ohhhh, I see. That could be nothing or¡­¡± ¡°Or what! A messenger from Artemis?¡± ¡°I met a ten thousand year old iboga tree, and she told me you see the person you¡¯re destined to be with the moment your fates are set to cross.¡± Ajalla perked her lips together and shrugged. ¡°She also told me some pretty gruesome stories about people that got caught in the moor and sunk to their death, so I¡¯m not sure how reliable her information is.¡± ¡°That¡¯s horrible.¡± Kiri waved her hands in the air. ¡°The moor I mean, not fate.¡± Ajalla crossed her arms in front of her chest and knitted her brows together in a concerned expression. Kiri envied her short frizzy hair. It was simple to keep under wraps unlike Kiri¡¯s that grew longer and constantly blew in her face. She meant to cut it on several occasions but couldn¡¯t quite get herself to part with it. ¡°Well, now you¡¯ve angered the gods,¡± Ajalla said, shifting back to her grin. ¡°Before we get caught up searching the sky for handsome men, I need to tell you about our assignment.¡± ¡°The centaurs are off limits and Lefaljac can¡¯t make me. I¡¯m not going to risk being abducted by a band of wild horsemen again.¡± Despite her wish to become a Warden, she heard enough tales during her childhood about nymphs being swept away to warrant caution. Most of the stories came from Ajalla who liked to tease her but Rhaecus was close enough for her to keep distance to the centaurs. ¡°Relax. Lefaljac wants us to inspect the cove. There have been a series of unplanned transfers and she wants us to see who¡¯s traveling to other worlds.¡± Kiri perked up, balling her hands into fists and closing the distance between them. ¡°Really? That¡¯s great. I won¡¯t¡ªwe won¡¯t let them down.¡± Ajalla frowned for a moment before returning to her broad smile. They relied on each other to help drag the other up and keep a high morale. ¡°I haven¡¯t even told you all of it yet.¡± ¡°The cove, hmm,¡± Kiri began, tapping her finger against her lips. She¡¯d kept her distance from the coast for most of her life. The ocean had an unsettling amount of power behind each wave and she feared being dragged out to sea. ¡°That¡¯s not around the corner, so it¡¯s best if you tell me the gist on the way. We don¡¯t want to keep them waiting.¡± ¡°What about the man in the sky?¡± ¡°He ¡­ well,¡± Kiri recalled his sharp features and paid a little too much attention to his lips. She squeezed her eyes shut in a vain attempt to shove those thoughts aside. ¡°It¡¯s not like he¡¯s about to come falling down at our feet.¡± Welcome to the Jungle ¡°Let me get this straight. They wiped out the Atlantians because one of them had a relationship with Poseidon¡¯s daughter?¡± ¡°Exactly,¡± Ajalla said. She strode by her side with her chest pushed out and chin held high. Despite being born only minutes before Kiri, she acted as if she were far more mature and wiser in her years. Kiri groaned, pressing her palms against the side of her head. ¡°I still don¡¯t get it. Why didn¡¯t they talk it over? He should have been happy that they had feelings for each other.¡± Ajalla smiled and nudged Kiri as they wandered through the edge of the forest. The coast was a few hundred feet to their left but the dense forest kept it out of view. Only the salty breeze reminded her of how close they were to the beach. ¡°It¡¯s only a rumor the naiads told me,¡± her seedling finally said. ¡°Why am I not surprised to learn you mingle with our cousins?¡± Ajalla gave Kiri a sharp glare from the corner of her eye. ¡°River nymphs are quite trustworthy, I¡¯ll have you know, and they¡¯ve seen things underwater we can¡¯t even imagine.¡± Kiri shrugged and paused a moment to wipe the sweat off her brow before climbing a fallen tree. Once she reached the top, she turned around and held out her hand to Ajalla. ¡°Do you think a naiad might travel between worlds? They would have it the easiest.¡± ¡°Nah, I just thought I¡¯d try and motivate you to find your dreamy man from the sky.¡± Kiri narrowed her eyes. ¡°I never should have told you about it.¡± ¡°My dear, your secret is safe with me. Seedlings look out for each other.¡± An eerie stillness laid its blanket over the forest that was masked for a long time by Ajalla¡¯s rambling. Devoid of the usual chatter amongst animals and plants. Kiri slowly grew aware of this fact and halted. Moments passed in which Kiri could feel her heart thumping against her chest. On Amazon silence equalled danger, even for dryads. ¡°Kiri,¡± came a low whisper from Ajalla followed by a pinch in her arm. ¡°Not now.¡± Ajalla tugged Kiri down to the ground and pointed up at the trees. Blood ran cold through Kiri¡¯s veins and she stifled the urge to scream out. A herd of spiders traversed between the trees, casting long lines of silk between branches. Dread pinched Kiri¡¯s gut. She gulped, unable to break her locked gaze from the spiders roaming above them. There had to be at least twenty of them in a single hunting pack. An unusual behavior for an otherwise solitary race. A single shot of venom would be enough to knock her out for hours and wind up on the menu. Dryads were off limits according to unofficial rules, but they didn¡¯t carry very far into the forest. When creatures get hungry, they feed on what they can find. They didn¡¯t mind the nymphs on the ground and passed on without so much as getting close to them. It helped relieve the tension building in her for the moment.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°Well, that was strange,¡± Ajalla snapped in her jovial tone once more. She ran her hand through her short hair and nudged Kiri out of her fixation. Kiri blinked, still processing what had just happened. ¡°Any stranger than the portal being accessed in our absence? We should follow them.¡± ¡°Whoah, hold up. Don¡¯t let yourself get carried away on the first item to cross our path. Especially not one that could devour us.¡± Ajalla pulled out the sunstone and rested it in her palm to get a direction on where the portal was located. The tip of the stone settled down, plotting their course and Kiri raised her brows. ¡°This doesn¡¯t mean anything, yet.¡± ¡°But it does raise the question; what would hunting spiders be doing on the beach?¡± ¡°A change in diet?¡± Kiri shook her head and continued on along through the underbrush as she played through her options. It had to be a coincidence that the spiders were heading the same way they were. Hunting spiders didn¡¯t have any means of opening up a portal, but maybe their prey did. The nymphs arrived at the cove minutes later and they could see the gathering taking place along the white sand beach. The spiders surrounded a group of three figures that had their backs to the water. Kiri lurched forward to intercept the victims before they were eaten and then interrogate them but Ajalla grabbed her wrist and brought her back around. She pointed toward the lead figure in the group and Kiri looked over again, closer and couldn¡¯t believe it. The spiders could easily have swarmed them but they kept their distance and waited. The figures exposed themselves entirely to the spiders by turning away. The water in front of them glowed turquoise with vibrant waves skirting the surface. A heavy gale swept outward and the three dug their feet into the sand to keep standing. ¡°So it was them,¡± Kiri muttered under her breath. She straightened her shoulders and welcomed the pride she experienced for completing her assignment in due time. Well, almost. All she had to do was apprehend the three that opened the portal and bring them back to the Elders. The women stepped forward and the spiders followed them into the water. The water ceded where they stepped and the raw portal became visible. A dark swirling mass three times her size but the color shifted, becoming lighter as the moments passed. One by one the spiders leapt through the portal and were then followed by the three mysterious figures. The portal remained open and would stay that way for five hours, after which it would close and become dormant for a few days. Kiri turned back to Ajalla and freed herself from her seedling¡¯s grip. ¡°I want you to go back and inform the Elders of what just happened. These aren¡¯t random incidents that are occurring. They¡¯re planning something.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re thinking of going through there,¡± Ajalla said with a deep frown and crease between her brows. It didn¡¯t suit her sweet face. ¡°I need to see for myself what they¡¯re doing and make sure they don¡¯t slip away. Can I trust you to bring the Elders back here before the portal closes again?¡± Ajalla crossed her arms and pouted her lips. ¡°I don¡¯t like the idea in the least but I know you¡¯ve got a soft spot for doing the right thing. I¡¯ll get help as long as you promise to keep safe and not take any risks. I don¡¯t know where that portal opened up to but I don¡¯t want you lost on the other side.¡± Kiri smiled and took Ajalla into her arms. She used the moment to steal some energy from Ajalla¡¯s bio-ethereal basin. ¡°I¡¯ll see you soon.¡± With those parting words, Kiri turned her attention back to the portal. She no longer felt like becoming a Warden, she already saw herself as one. Kiri ducked and rushed towards the cove, stopping at a large boulder halfway between the treeline and the water. She looked back but Ajalla had already vanished into the forest. With a soaring heart she rounded the boulder and ran the remaining distance. The portal hissed with a crackling storm brewing on the inside and she leapt inside only to land on her feet on unfamiliar territory. A putrid stench filled the air. Her eyes grew wide as she took in the damage around her. As if someone had turned every last inch of the soil upside down. She laid a hand to her breast. The land pained and its cries echoed in her chest. Yelling came from behind but she couldn¡¯t make out the foreign tongue. They were carrying an odd piece of metal together but their tone was harsh. Someone off to the side yanked her away from the duo. A series of snaps cracked through the air and whizzed by her ear. Both men fell into a pool of blood. Field of the Dead The French countryside bathed in an orange ash smeared dawn. A wasteland of mud and bodies replaced the once lush fields and forests filled with wildlife. Johann wandered down the line with a stoop while men cowered in their holes. Letters decorated the earthen walls. Bayonet fixtures held them in place for the medics to take when there was nothing left. The common infantry man stared at him in bewilderment. A J?ger, a hunter of men on the battlefield. The fresh trenches were not as deep as the myriad surrounding Verdun or other regions where the fighting had been going on for months or even years. Still, German engineering instilled basic necessities and housing for the thousands of troops and support personnel that wandered along the middle to rear sections of the front. Johann pulled out the periscope from Hans¡¯ rucksack and peered over the trenches, down the light incline to where the enemy had dug themselves in. A crisscross of lanes allowed them to operate on a defense in depth tactic should the German forces take the first line. He stepped away from the visor and nodded to Hans. From there he had an excellent position with numerous options for him to take. ¡°Splendid,¡± Hans said, setting his bag down and taking the periscope. ¡°Let¡¯s give them a German good morning and be on our way. It¡¯s mail day, so let¡¯s take a detour on our way back.¡± ¡°You wrote her another letter?¡± ¡°What else am I going to do out here but write every day how much I miss her?¡± Hans stepped up to the wall. ¡°Katarina invited you over for dinner, you know. It would mean a lot to us for you to join us next time, and she does makes the best soup east of Berlin.¡± ¡°And west of it?¡± ¡°Our company cook, no doubt,¡± Hans said with a chuckle. Johann remained silent as he inspected and reassembled parts of his rifle. Happy couples reminded him of Charlotte. He didn¡¯t want to think about her or the fate of the people he killed. One minute you¡¯re alive and breathing, the next you¡¯re dead in a ditch and nobody cares. ¡°Let¡¯s see if we can spot an officer,¡± Hans began, peering through the scope. ¡°Perhaps an American officer. Let them get a taste of the front line after coming all this way.¡± Johann blinked, grabbing a handful of bullets out of his pouch. He cocked back the lever and plucked them into the chamber. ¡°You seem a little too eager to come face to face with them.¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t the wild west,¡± Hans snorted. He turned the box to take in the curve of the front. ¡°These cowboys will not come charging in at the last minute and save the day. We¡¯ll be celebrating Christmas in Paris and I¡¯ll bring a case full of wine back to my darling.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure she¡¯d prefer the wine to you,¡± Johann said. His lips curled into a grin for a moment before folding back into a line. Out of the half dozen friends he knew from university, only Hans remained. Each new day became bleaker than the last. The war stole four years of his life and any future he dreamed of. Johann couldn¡¯t imagine returning to his astronomy studies and picking up as if nothing happened. He received a leave over the New Year to prepare for the great spring offensive and found his way back to K?nigsberg. The roads and shops became faded memories and turned him into a foreigner in his own home. Hans squeezed his shoulder and drew him out of his troubling thoughts. They shared a moment of silence. ¡°Let¡¯s get it over with,¡± Johann mumbled, turning his attention back to the ridge. The early hours were the best. With the sun against their backs, it made it difficult for the Entente to spot them. Johann cupped a heap of dirt and smeared his face and hands over. Blending in kept him alive and his white skin would only be a giant target. He replaced his helmet with a uniformed hat. The light blond hair needed to be tucked in to help meld with his surroundings. He stepped onto the ladder and glimpsed over the parapet with his own eyes. A thin bush obstructed him but the charred frame allowed him to peer through. The first line of trenches were a death pit he avoided at all costs. It¡¯s also where most of the French spotters would keep watch for assaults. Camouflaged sniper shields were set up as safe alternatives to his risky play, but moving along the line gave him a fresh perspective. Johann pulled the rifle off his back and cradled it in against his shoulder. He breathed in through his nose and peered through the scope. The French lines suddenly appeared much closer, as if he were standing a few feet away without the soldiers on duty recognizing him. ¡°Quadrant F. Third line, just left of the barbed wire,¡± Hans announced. ¡°Mortar crew, 800 meters out.¡± He skimmed over the tops of metal helmets. They could be real people or traps designed to pinpoint sharpshooters. Johann adjusted the scope to 800 meters and found the group of soldiers huddled together. They were busy carrying mortar equipment forward and stopped for a break. ¡°Target located.¡± ¡°Take the shot.¡± Johann licked his lips and squeezed the trigger when his line of sight became obstructed. The image sharpened, and he made out a woman standing in the trenches with her back to him. ¡°Invalid target. Civilian in my crosshairs.¡± ¡°Say again.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a woman standing in front of the target. I can¡¯t take the shot unless she moves out of the way.¡± Johann cursed, searching for the other member. The woman spun around and stared in his direction. His heart froze as he got a good look at her face. The reticle centered on her chest and she somehow picked up his intentions and laid a hand where he was aiming. Long black hair swayed in the breeze and framed intense green eyes that shimmered with the morning light. A remarkable beauty at the wrong place. Johann eased his finger off the trigger and leaned back from the visor. A cold sweat broke out across his brow and he took a deep breath. He couldn¡¯t get himself to shoot her, even if that meant taking out a mortar crew that would end the lives of his comrades in the hours to come. ¡°Negative on the civilian,¡± Hans shouted. ¡°Targets are clear. They¡¯re getting ready to move again. Take the shot!¡±Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. He cursed, picking up his rifle and found the mortar crew again. Fortunately, there was no sign of the woman. He wrapped his finger and the trigger and squeezed. A quick jolt bumped the stock into his shoulder while the snap of the shot rang in his ear. The mortar crew perked up in time for the bullet to burry itself in the lead man¡¯s chest. Johann cocked the next round, centered on the rear target and took the second shot before the soldier knew what was happening. The soldier¡¯s jaw fell open, hands reaching to his gut as he fell face forward into the mud. All around Frenchmen sprang up to where they had fallen and inspected the bodies from a distance, careful not to expose themselves. Johann watched the scene for a few more breaths in case an officer showed up and eventually decided not to risk it. The French deployed sharpshooters as well and, however unlikely, they might have spotted the muzzle fire. ¡°Let¡¯s pack up and go. I don¡¯t want to stay here and wait for them to pin down our location.¡± ¡°Hold on,¡± Hans said, continuing to peer through the periscope. ¡°There¡¯s a lot of commotion going on the other side.¡± ¡°Of course there is, I just took out two of their guys.¡± ¡°Across the entire line.¡± Johann¡¯s attention snapped back to the escalating scene playing out in front of him. Thousands of soldiers swarmed out of their bunkers and filled the trenches. A closer look revealed their true colors. Americans. A sense of dread eased its way into his bones. ¡°We need to get out of here, right now.¡± It began to rain. Thunderous metal rain that plowed through the defenses and tossed up limbs through the air. A barrage that worked its way from the rear to the front. The screaming grew, and he froze. His surroundings darkened, and he saw himself in the forest, a thin layer of mist around his ankles. Wild shots whizzed past him. Desperate Russians attempting to break out of the encirclement. Screams echoed around him. One, two, five. After an hour he had thirty marks etched into the frame of his 98k. Hans tugged on his boot, drawing him out of the past. ¡°Let¡¯s get inside a bunker, double time.¡± ¡°Go ahead, I can still take out a handful,¡± Johann shouted as he leveled his rifle and picked out the next target. An automatic sequence kicked into place and he fired shot after shot into the enemy trench as artillery focused on pounding the front line and destroying the layers of barbed wire and defenses built up. Hans pulled him down off the ladder and shook him up against the wall. ¡°We need to get to safety. Katarina would never forgive me if I left a friend behind.¡± Johann nodded, and they darted along through the thin rows leading to the bunker. Shells crashed beside them, showering them with chunks of rock and dirt. He made out the faint reply on their side as German artillery launched a counter salvo. The response fell short by a cacophony of explosions. Johann paused to stare as their entire artillery position and the munitions bunker were demolished in a ball of fire. Bits of metal and shrapnel were flung across the hill top. He tightened his grip around the rifle and pushed on towards the bunker. Shelling shook the bunker interior but failed to land a direct hit. They may be sturdy but he knew they weren¡¯t impenetrable. Inside, soldiers were slumped against the walls with their knees tucked against their chests. A few prayed to make it through. ¡°Just in time,¡± Johann said. He stopped and scanned for the familiar face, realizing he¡¯d wandered in alone. A shudder ran down Johann¡¯s body as he approached the door leading back outside. The screeching continued on outside but Johann ran back out with his head ducked as he searched for Hans, screaming his name over the explosions and gunfire rattling in the distance. ¡°Johann,¡± came a wheezy cry from a nearby ditch. Johann raced over and helped lift his friend¡¯s head. Hans held onto his stomach, trying to keep it all in place. He coughed blood and gazed at him with empty eyes. ¡°I mned your ¡®elp pullin¡¯ it out.¡± ¡°No, no, no! What the hell are you¡ª ah, this doesn¡¯t look good.¡± Johann watched in horror as blood continued to seep out of the wound and through his fingers. The arid stench filled his nostrils. He couldn¡¯t help the dread that came with being unable to remedy a situation. The war was hundreds of feet off, not in front of him. Now he needed to be a medic but all he ever studied was astronomy. The stars did him little good in helping his friend. A handful of fingernail sized shrapnel dug its way into his gut. ¡°Medic! I need a medic here. You''re going to be all right.¡± He tore off his sleeve and pressed it against the wound. ¡°I can hear them singing,¡± Hans said, no longer looking at him. His face was as pale as the moon. He stirred and reached into his pocket, pulling out the envelope he''d stashed earlier. ¡°Make sure¡ª knows I loved her ¡¯til end.¡± The shaking and stammering stopped. The pain and fighting etched in his face eased away for a cold serenity. Johann, still holding his hand, squeezed a little harder while trying to keep the tears out of his eyes. Two men popped their heads out from the bunker and spotted him. They came and helped carry Hans inside the bunker and set him down on one side. They spoke but he couldn¡¯t make out the words in the blur that stretched through his mind. After a few minutes, he stood and spun around. ¡°Gefreiter, where¡¯s the phone?¡± Johann barked at the only man left standing. ¡°It-it¡¯s just over there.¡± The private raised his hands as if Johann had his gun aimed at him. He pointed at a small side room where the phone hung on the wall. Johann regretted his outbreak but didn¡¯t have the nerve to think things through all the way. He stomped over and snatched the phone. The stressed communications officer on the other end quickly directed him to Captain Gruber. The man picked up the phone with a heavy sigh, no doubt already annoyed with having to deal with the sharpshooter. Gruber was a career man before the war. Had his own office and oversaw training in Prussia. ¡°You better still be in one piece.¡± ¡°Klaarson¡­he¡¯s gone.¡± There was a long moment of silence where all he could hear were the explosions and static. Enemy fire could destroy the lines at any minute. Then, finally, the captain spoke, ¡°Pull back to headquarters and await reassignment.¡± ¡°Pull back? Herr Hauptmann, we¡¯re under attack. I can¡¯t just leave Hans behind, not when he was this close to reaching Paris.¡± Johann knew, that if he stopped fighting, and the line collapsed, there would be a 1919 and a 1920 spent in the trenches. The only thing left for him to do was continue fighting until he won or died as the hero people around him imagined him to be. ¡°Boelke, Immelmann, Richthofen,¡± Captain Gruber said, listing up the ace pilots that were renown on both sides of the war. ¡°We¡¯ve lost too many heroes to lose the Sharpshooter of Tannenberg as well. Hauptgefreiter, this is a direct order from Crown Prince Wilhelm von Preussen. Get out of there, now.¡± With a clack, the line went out and Johann stood there staring idly at the wall. Gruber gave him the perfect opportunity to pack up and leave. He turned around, noting the men he knew would not live through the day. Nine soldiers to fight until reinforced by the rear. Hans¡¯ body laid on the damp ground, sending Johann¡¯s heart lurching in all directions. Anyone he cared about was gone or had moved on in their lives without him. His gaze dropped to the bloodied envelope in his hand. The only thing left for him was to make sure Katarina received Hans¡¯ letter and then take a final stroll over No-man¡¯s-land. He pulled Hans¡¯ lids down and took the letter, folding it up into his breast pocket. Johann didn¡¯t want to leave him there like a sack of potatoes but he didn¡¯t have the strength to carry him three kilometers. Hans deserved a proper burial and he would see to it once he got back to headquarters. The barrage came to a swift end, one in which Johann didn''t know if they were preparing for the next round or halting their fire to prevent hitting their own troops. Either way, it meant little good for him and the other members of the squad. Johann picked up the rifle and checked the chamber to make sure he had a round loaded. He smacked the anchor shut and waited for the others with his knuckles going white from the tight grip he held onto his rifle when a soft hum drew his attention outside the bunker. Thousandfold. Similar to the rhythmic chaos at headquarters with hundreds of typists let loose on their typewriters. It gradually came closer until he could feel the vibrations crawling on his skin. The sergeant used a visor to confirm that the guns were silent and the enemy advancing. ¡°Okay men, let''s move out and help our brothers. Let¡¯s make them pay for every foot they set forward. How hard are we?¡± ¡°Hard as Krupp steel,¡± the troop replied in unison. Once the squad all left the bunker, the sergeant paused under the door way. A coat of grey dust smeared his forehead. ¡°What¡¯s with you? We could use a man of your talents.¡± Field of the Dead - Cont. Johann froze, weighing between the two options and the desperate look the sergeant gave him. Katarina needed to hear it from him. He forced his mouth open. ¡°I have my orders.¡± The lieutenant watched him for another minute, nodded and turned to leave the bunker when a large black object crashed into him and knocked him down. Johann dropped to the ground instinctively, prepared to meet his fiery end at the hands of an artillery shell. He always knew it would come at the hands of an explosion. A sudden death, he couldn¡¯t resist. Like the one he gave to countless soldiers on the other side. Moments passed and he found himself still alive. Carefully, he pulled back his arms and glanced ahead to where the object had crashed. His gut hit rock bottom along with all the joints in his body tensing up. A giant spider, easily two meters tall, stood by the door and blocked the only way out of the bunker. The sheer size cast a long shadow on him. It cocked its head to the side with a snap and eight beady eyes, spread over its ugly face, glared right back at him. Sergeant Muller was nowhere to be found, with any luck he managed to get away and would get help. He dared not imagine the alternatives. Johann''s rifle laid on the floor between him and the spider. He eyed it, wringing his fingers into action and slowly sprawled forward. The spider lowered itself, appearing as if it were cowering before the might he was about to unleash upon it. A simple shot to the head should be enough to take it out. Once he killed the damn thing, he could start asking questions ¡ªlike where the hell it came from.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. His fingertips brushed against the stock of the rifle but he froze at the sudden high-pitched squeal. He winced, pulling back but was too slow. The spider leapt onto him, tackling him to the ground and knocking all the air out of his lungs. Johann gasped, trying to suck in air and scream for help. The pincers slapped against his face as he struggled to heave the beast off him. The spider saw an opening and moved in immediately with its chelicerae boring right into his gut. A rancid stench filled the air as thick, warm liquid oozed into his body. Johann felt bile creep up into his throat and spill onto his tongue. He gritted his teeth together and pulled enough strength together to shove the spider off him. Scrambling to his feet, he immediately searched for the rifle. He blinked several times in an attempt to focus his blurring vision, but the world around him spun and his head became lighter with each passing moment. He gave up on the gun and felt his way along the wall, probing his way deeper into the bunker. ¡°Alarm! Help,¡± Johann shouted as his knees buckled. He tightened his grip and forced himself upright. Sharp cracks echoed behind him. He turned on his heel and caught sight of the black mass wandering upside down on the ceiling. Johann stumbled back and fell to the ground. Hans'' wide, pleading eyes shot up and glared right back at him. The spider leapt down and sunk its jackknife fang into Johann''s shoulder, pouring more of its venom into the young man. The heat overwhelmed Johann as it surged through his body. His vision had gone dark and he barely had the strength to lift his hand again let alone defend himself.His stomach churned as he was hoisted into the air and delicately wrapped. ¡°Lez go bag home, Hans.¡± Darkest Hour Kiri stood in shock as she watched the two men bleed out in front of her. Her joints were frozen, body not responding to her instinct to flee. Something invisible killed them, and she might be next. The human that yanked her away came into view and spoke words she couldn¡¯t understand. Another joined him and they both took turns speaking to her, gradually raising their voices. ¡°This isn¡¯t going to work. We need to find some kind of basis to communicate,¡± Kiri said, anticipating that they in turn wouldn¡¯t be able to understand her either. She was wasting her time with them, when she should be looking for the women that opened up the portal. A thunderous noise erupted behind her, banging into her eardrums. She dropped to the ground and pressed her hands against her ears to block it out. More and more humans came out of their caves and wandered down the aisles. A man with a neat beard lifted her up and inspected her body. Heat rose to her cheeks when his eyes lingered on her curves longer than she liked. Goosebumps spotted her arms but she couldn¡¯t afford to waste any of her energy to keep herself warm. She felt embarrassed having his eyes linger on her curves and how exposed she was. He spoke with the other two men and nudged her down a side path. A chilling wind bit into Kiri¡¯s exposed flesh, sending tingles running up her spine. She searched for the three women that opened the portal. She couldn¡¯t get a clear look at them from the edge of the forest but believed them to be Erythrai. Only other nymphs could open the gateway between worlds and these brought with a sizable force of spiders. She needed to ditch the man and find out their true intentions before it was too late. The explosions rang out, sending shivers running down her body. The barrage of sounds and smells made her want to curl up into a ball but the man urging her onward wouldn¡¯t allow it. That was, until they came across a hunter. The spider sat on top of a trench and was wrapping an unconscious human when they interrupted it. She dropped the meal and eyed them both. The human stood perplexed at the sight of such an enormous beast. His hands fumbled at his side for a metallic object he had strapped away in a pocket. He pulled it out and leveled it onto the spider. Kiri jumped to the ground, pressing her hands against her ears as the device gave out loud pops of explosions. It somehow hurt the spider from a distance, despite her not being able to have seen anything strike it.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it The hunting spider squealed and scrambled to dodge the pops until only clicking remained. The man looked to his weapon, growing paler as he realized it wasn¡¯t enough to kill the spider. There were plenty of minor wounds dripping but none that were lethal. The spider sensed its turn and leapt forward, striking the man several times and biting into him. He flailed, trying to free himself and cried for help. Kiri watched in horror as the screaming came to a gurgling end and he was eventually wrapped up tight. The spider went back to finish up the other human, collecting both before heading off and ignoring her. The dryad climbed on top of the trench and watched the spider scurry off with its packaged meals. Behind her, thousands of people rushed through fields of mud and splintered wood. Men fell and merged with the lifeless landscape as others attempted to continue up the hill and fight those waiting for them. Her heart sank at the sight of the destruction and loss of life. It would take years for life to return and only if it hadn¡¯t been destroyed everywhere else as well. The world was sick and required her help but first she had to find the women that opened the portal. She pursued the spider but kept enough distance to not gain its attention. More sprang out of the trenches and joined the spider she was trailing. Each carried a trapped human wrapped onto their backs. The sheer number of humans she encountered so far was overwhelming. There were easily double as many humans at this one place than there were dryads on her home world. The spiders united a half mile away near a small lake and as Kiri drew closer she spotted the first pale woman. She couldn¡¯t locate the other two but figured them to be nearby. The place rank of rotting flesh and hardly seemed the best place to break away from each other to go exploring. She wanted to return home as fast as possible. Every moment she lingered the weaker she felt herself grow. Kiri dug her fingers into the ground and reached out, taking in small amounts of energy the soil stored. The woman cast her hard gaze across the field as she turned around to inspect the newcomers. She hesitated, holding her hand out to stroke the head of the nearest spider while continuing to look Kiri¡¯s direction. Kiri pressed herself as flat against the ground as she could and hoped she hadn¡¯t been spotted. Her training to become a Warden never included stealth operations. As a Warden it was her duty to step out and confront them all for their wrong-doing and help prevent further misconduct. A bad idea, considering she had an army of spiders with her. She peeked out from between the rocks and examined the stranger, taking in her sharp features. Her piercing green eyes resembled Kiri¡¯s but only the Daughters of the Evening, the Erythrai, had such pale skin. The spider hoisted the nymph onto its back and dove into the small lake. Once all the spiders had gone through, she slowly raised herself and looked back across the war torn plateau. A world without a Warden gone mad and keen on destroying itself. Trapped Johann woke up to a pounding headache. He tried to sort through his clouded memories and regain his bearings. The artillery barrage came to mind and his body jolted up, only to meet stiff resistance followed by a pain flaring from his shoulder. It was difficult to see in the dark and only a few rays of light broke through the tree canopy above from which rain drizzled down. He took a deep breath of hot air and coughed at how humid it was. A dark mass engulfed him up to the neck and no matter how strong he shoved, he couldn¡¯t get it to budge. The realization struck him in the gut as he remembered the spiders breaking into the bunker from all sides and Hans, poor Hans. He failed his last friend because he wanted to stay and fight. If anyone deserved to be dead then him and not Hans. The dream was real, and he found himself wrapped in silk. He twisted his neck a little and noticed that what he assumed at first to be rocks were in reality other cocoons. Dozens, perhaps even a hundred other bodies laid strewn around him. One of the shapes in front of him wiggled. ¡°Hey,¡± Johann shouted. ¡°You know what happened?¡± ¡°Who¡¯s that? Can you get me out of here?¡± the man said in English. Johann repeated the words in his head until he deciphered the meaning. English was very un-Germanic. He had an adequate amount of knowledge of the language he picked up fighting the English but this man made it worse by speaking the American dialect. Still, the American was his only source of information and he needed to gain as much as he could in order to escape. He cleared his throat, ¡°Du you know where we are?¡± ¡°I was crossing No-man¡¯s-land when a spider the size of a car attacked and stuffed me in a cocoon.¡± He sucked in air. ¡°No, I don¡¯t know where in God¡¯s name we are.¡± ¡°I hate spiders,¡± Johann said, matter-of-factly. They were both attacked by spiders, confirming that he wasn¡¯t hallucinating. ¡°If we take the size of a normal hunting spider and multiply it by a factor of ten, then we have our vile assailant.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t say.¡± ¡°A spider like that would normally devour its food on the spot but they have kept us alive,¡± Johann pointed out. The American gave a hearty laugh. ¡°I guess they¡¯re really swell once you get to know them up close.¡± ¡°Unlikely.¡± A cold sweat broke out down his back as he continued to put the unfortunate pieces together. ¡°Hunter spiders might wrap their prey up as a gift for their mate or even children.¡± His laughing stopped. ¡°Are you kidding me? You mean to tell me there¡¯s more than one of them.¡± Johann gazed over to the other cocoons. Hopefully there were others that were still alive as well. ¡°I fear so. There were at least two that attacked the bunker I was in and by the amount of cocoons here, lots.¡± ¡°Shh! You hear that?¡± Johann held his breath and listened. He concentrated on the soft rustle of wind passing. It carried with it a rhythmic shuffling. His heart leapt against his chest. The same noise he heard moments before the spiders attacked the bunker. Silence was no longer essential as he put all his remaining energy into his arms and legs, trying to kick down and shove at the same time. The wound in his shoulder protested, sending out sharp pains that coursed through his body. He ground his teeth together in an effort to hold back the pain. Life had taken a dreadful turn for him. He would have been better off dead on the battlefield, at least then it would be over with. The sound intensified as it closed in, coming in from all around. Soon enough, the sheer number of spiders overshadowed his expectations pouring into the opening. Hundreds of spiders, each the size of a cat, along with one five foot tall spider emerged. Johann recognized that ugly face immediately as the spider that had assaulted him. Unless they all just looked that way. In which case he had even more problems to worry about. A woman sat on top of the spider, obscured mostly by darkness. She leaned into the light, her smile widening at the sight of them. With graceful ease she slid down a front leg and landed on the ground. The smaller spiders scuttled back, creating a space for her to move closer to the cocoons. Pale white skin glistened in the moonlight accompanied by pitch black hair that fell to her breasts. She wore a simple sleeveless shirt that left her stomach exposed, leaving little to Johann¡¯s imagination. ¡°The language of the Germanic tribesmen. You might be useful,¡± she said, gazing at Johann with narrowed eyes. ¡°Tribesmen?¡± ¡°It appears our guests have woken and need some tending to,¡± she said as she approached the American. She slipped out a dagger from the small of her back and sliced the silk wrapping open. ¡°I apologize for keeping you waiting but there were other matters that needed my attention. I¡¯m Zafira, the chieftain amongst the Erythrai and welcome you to my domain.¡±Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! ¡°That¡¯s very kind of you,¡± Johann said as he wriggled in his cocoon. ¡°Would you mind helping me out as well?¡± A shimmer of hope settled into him. This Zafira seemed in tune with the spiders and might show him the way home or at least keep them safe until they reached civilization. She winked at Johann but held out her hand to the American and helped him settle on his feet. ¡°You must be thirsty from your hardship.¡± Zafira went back and retrieved a waterskin. She removed the plug and handed it to him. He didn¡¯t hesitate to take it from her and gulped down the contents within seconds. ¡°Thank you ma¡¯am. The name¡¯s Herbert Gibs. I¡¯m afraid these¡­ spiders attacked us and brought us, well, here.¡± He scratched the back of his head. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t happen to know the way back would ya?¡± ¡°Herbert,¡± Zafira repeated, rolling the t off her tongue. Her eyes wandered down the length of his body. She asked Johann to translate what he said and smiled. She held herself proudly and didn¡¯t seem the least bit intimidated by the situation they were in. ¡°Tamulan is nearby. You and your friends are welcome to stay with me until you feel adequately rested.¡± A moment of silence passed between them in which Zafira looked to Johann and cocked her head. He rolled his eyes and translated what she said for Herbert. ¡°That would be very kind of you ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°There is one small token I require in exchange.¡± The woman took a twig and drew on the ground, then pressed it into the man¡¯s hand and pointed at her drawing. ¡°You want me to take you back home. Where might your tribe¡¯s chieftain reside?¡± Herbert¡¯s eyes wandered from Zafira, to Johann and then back to Zafira before he did as she said and made a marking. ¡°Well done,¡± she said. ¡°Now, for your reward.¡± The tip of her finger trailed his face and slashed open his shirt and trousers, letting them fall to his ankles. She glanced down and smiled then raised her sights again and kissed him. Their lips locked, her hand pressed against the back of his skull. Johann couldn¡¯t see what was happening but noticed that her slitted eyes were fixed on him. A chill ran down his back. He tugged and pushed but still couldn¡¯t get himself to budge inside the cocoon. The woman pulled back, ripping the tongue out of the man¡¯s mouth. It hung between her teeth as she continued to stare at Johann. A grin spread across her face as panic settled into Johann. The American turned around, blood gushing out of his mouth. He staggered back towards the cocoons, hands slowly raising to his face. Eyes widened as he realized what happened. He moaned for help but Johann was still trapped inside. The other cocoons stirred but he couldn¡¯t make out any faces. Zafira marched after him and kicked Herbert to the ground. A group of spiders dashed out from cover, digging their fangs into his flesh with solid crunches. Crunching replaced the screaming as they tore off piece by piece of his body. Within moments the spiders each had their share and scattered back into their crevices with their prize. Only a pile of blood and a few bones remained where he had fallen. Johann cringed. His stomach heaved, spilling an acid taste onto his tongue but he forced it back down with a gulp. Zafira sighed with her hands at her hips as she looked away from the mess and focused her attention to Johann. She freed him from the cocoon and held out a hand, inviting him to step closer to her. ¡°Let¡¯s see what you¡¯re made of, dear.¡± Johann anticipated a repeat of what just happened and remained still. The surrounding forest was immensely thick with only small gaps in the tree cover to give him any clue as to where he would be going. He had a feeling that if he ran, he¡¯d get lost in there. Besides, his fight or flight instinct died with Hans. All he had left was a letter and a woman waiting for him to tell her he couldn¡¯t save a single person in the war. Spiders peered out from their cover at him. Their dark bulbous eyes mirrored his death in a thousand ways. Zafira appeared to have some measure of control over these creatures. He didn¡¯t even realize spiders could be domesticated. People stirred from their sleep and called out for help. Johann ran to the nearest cocoon and clawed at the silk. He stopped and quickly padded his uniform in search of a knife or bayonet to cut it open. He froze, realizing that he left the bag with all his equipment back in the trenches. Unarmed in hostile territory. Zafira gripped his shoulder and spun him around. Only a few centimeters separated them from each other, both in distance and in height. She studied his face. ¡°You¡¯re the one, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Stay away from me, you monster.¡± He took a step back, ignoring the pleas of the man beside him. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± Zafira held in at his words and considered for a moment before pointing at his shoulder. ¡°The bite of the Amazonian spider tranquilizes its prey. On its own, it¡¯s not deadly but it¡¯ll get infected over the next few hours. You¡¯ll lose your arm shortly after and then die.¡± Johann ground his teeth together as he played through the scenario she depicted. It was hot, but he couldn¡¯t tell if it was the weather or his body coming along with a fever. He tentatively reached up and stroked the dark purple gash on his shoulder. The wound flared up, making itself known throughout his body. ¡°So, what if it¡¯s true? I¡¯m dead either way.¡± The small distance between them evaporated within a heartbeat. Zafira pulled him close to her, a hand gripped on the back of his head. Zafira brushed her lips against his. The kiss left behind a sweet taste when she pulled away and examined the wound on his shoulder. The next moment she lunged forward, teeth sinking into his skin. Johann shook and struggled to get away from Zafira but she gripped his arms and held him firmly in place. He feared what might come next that he would fare similarly to Herbert and be devoured by spiders. What he needed to do was escape and find his way back to headquarters or, better yet, a hospital. Pain ripped through every artery of his body but instead of going outward, it came inward and ran through to his shoulder where Zafira continued to suck. His eyes rolled back in their sockets as she sucked in the poison harder. The absence of the poison made him aware of just how weak his body had become. His knees shook, but he held himself up and leaned against Zafira. ¡°Let me make you mine,¡± she whispered. The words rolled off her tongue as she embraced him. Her fingers combed through his damp hair. Worry, fear and even the war were forgotten for a few tender moments. He took in her vibrant scent of wild berries. Surrender himself entirely to her. ¡°That¡¯s a good idea.¡± K?nigsberg *Bonus* ¡°Johann, I found it!¡± Karl Zeisser shouted from his workbench in the observatory. ¡°Get over here and take some notes.¡± ¡°Coming Meister Zeisser,¡± Johann said. He waded through the corridor with an eight book tall tower that threatened to topple over if he dared move faster than a snail. Johann arrived in the observatory, with considerable effort, and bending in ways he didn¡¯t think were possible, stashed the books on a nearby table. He retrieved pen and paper and went over to the thirteen inch reflector telescope Zeisser was peering into once more. The telescope was one of Konigsberg Observatory¡¯s prized possessions and a gift by the late king. ¡°Classification as a moon, strike that, a planet. Roughly six thousand kilometers in radius.¡± Zeisser leaned back from the sights and waited for Johann to catch up scribbling his notes. ¡°Name¡­Amazon. Do you have that boy?¡± Johann finished transcribing and held up the sheet for Zeisser to inspect. Zeisser¡¯s claims weren¡¯t new. In fact, every other week the master would shout his name and proclaim to have made a fascinating discovery. ¡°Amazon, that¡¯s a strange name for a planet. Aren¡¯t they normally named after Roman deities?¡± ¡°Jupiter¡¯s moon is named after the Greek mythological persona of Europa, a Phoenician noblewoman abducted by Zeus. Amazon is a fitting name for a planet as wild as what we are witnessing today, my boy.¡± ¡°Meister, planets aren¡¯t capable of being wild. They follow the laws of physics.¡± Zeisser urged him over with a wave of his hand and Johann complied. ¡°I¡¯ve been using the meridian to track this planet for some time now and have concluded that it is nearing our system.¡± Zeisser got out of the chair and indicated for Johann to take his place. He did so and peered through the lens. He saw a small sphere, hardly larger than a children¡¯s toy marble, engulfed in blackness with the occasional sun in the back. ¡°That¡¯s very unusual,¡± Johann said. ¡°It might be an asteroid then.¡± ¡°Nonsense, Amazon is far too large to be a mere asteroid. I believe this planet has a wide orbit,¡± Zeisser moved his arms in a large circle around his body, ¡°and once every thousand or so years it skims our system for a few months before vanishing into the darkness once more.¡± ¡°That¡¯s quite a claim Meister Zeisser,¡± Johann said as he got out of the chair. ¡°I¡¯m sure the Astronomical Society would love to read your report on the matter.¡± Johann went back to the table and sorted the books he¡¯d retrieved for Zeisser. Dozens of sheets and notes were spread across the table in an order Johann couldn¡¯t comprehend, let alone hamper with. He noticed that the recommendation slip still laid at the same spot it had earlier in the evening. Johann couldn¡¯t muster the courage to ask Zeisser directly for a recommendation and had instead slipped the form onto the table in hopes of his master discovering it on his own. Those hopes were either ignored or squashed. He considered becoming an assistant to Zeisser at the university as a stepping stone to his true endeavors. The great wilderness he heard about but never saw for himself. Every day Johann spent looking at the stars was one day closer to when those earthen mysteries would all be discovered and he¡¯d be left with nothing. Joining the expedition to German New Guinea or exploring Antartica were the final frontiers he could delve into. ¡°There¡¯s still plenty of reading and documentation I most perform beforehand.¡± Zeisser stroked his greying beard. He earned his master title from his days as a pupil to the German astronomer Auwers and helped catalog sky charts in these same halls. ¡°Yes, the photographic equipment would be well suited for the occasion. I¡¯ll be needing solid evidence if I wish to hold off against those that doubt my claims when Amazon leaves our system once more. Would you be a fine boy and fetch it for me?¡± This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. Johann sighed but agreed. The daytime studies, followed by the hours he spent with Zeisser in the evening were beginning to have a toll on him. Of course, Zeisser would point out that the best time to view the stars was when they peeked out from the curtains at night and revealed their true face. Johann found his way to the storage room and entered. He felt his way along the wall until his fingers brushed against the nob. He flicked it to the side and the bulb began to glow, lighting the room in a vibrant orange. He noticed a dark speck move on the floor and jumped back screaming. He paused and calmed his breathing, watching the spider crawl along until it was under a shelf. Only then did he feel safe enough to step back into the room but made sure to glance over every few steps in case it tried to sneak up on him. I hate spiders! A heater was planted on the far side of the room with a bag of coal lumped beside it. Large pipes led across the ceiling into the various parts of the observatory. He went through the shelves, bending over to read the labels and stopped when he found Photography. The light began to flicker but didn¡¯t go out, merely casting a shadow over his corner of the room. Casting a shadow, Johann thought as he straightened back up. Electricity and light didn¡¯t act like that. The light flickered again and Johann heard the bulb swaying in the air behind him. He turned slowly and met the eyes of his intruder. Not just a pair but three pitch black pairs of eyes, mere inches away from his face. The spider hung from a line attached to the bulb and lowered itself in front of him. Johann fell back, crashing into the shelf and knocking it over. The contents crashed onto the floor with the shelf going on to knock over the next in line, slowly drawing full circle around the storage room. Johann pressed his hands to his ears and watched in fright as he became the last thing to be standing in the room. ¡°De-dear lord,¡± he said, slipping back to the door as he felt his heart pound against his chest. He kept a watchful eye on the spider and looked out for the other one he saw. His real problem still laid in a thousand pieces before him. The door swung open behind him and Hans stepped in. His mouth hung open in just as much shock as Johann. ¡°I can explain,¡± Johann said, holding up the photographic equipment. At least he managed to save the one piece. ¡°I¡¯m sure you can, but you need to come outside and hear this for yourself.¡± Johann cocked his head to the side, studying the face of his friend. ¡°More important than a lifetime¡¯s worth of debt I¡¯ve just built up?¡± ¡°Full mobilisation is underway,¡± Hans said. ¡°We should all join up together. Franz and Maximillian have already agreed and it¡¯ll be an adventure you won¡¯t find in those books you keep reading.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Have you asked Katarina yet?¡± ¡°Are you serious? She¡¯d kill me before I ever got a chance to step foot in a barracks. Just think about the stories we¡¯ll get to tell our children and grandchildren when this is over with.¡± Nesting Grounds Kirilamei climbed around a tree trunk twenty feet above the ground. She gazed down for signs of the Erythrai or their servants patrolling the area. The plot of land was under her care. So they wouldn¡¯t attack her, but she would lose any element of surprise in reaching the spider¡¯s nest. She peered ahead through the thicket of trees, gauging the swiftest route. The consequences of following the wrong branch were great. She might end up on a branch that could not carry her to the next, forcing her to backtrack or climb down and continue on foot. In the worst case it might break off and she would tumble to the ground. Confident that she mapped out a proper course, she crawled to the edge of the branch. Kiri made herself small and kicked back, launching herself into the air. Wind mixed with rain brushed against her face. She made out the orange haze of Tamulan in the distance. As she fell, she stretched out her arms and latched herself on to the nearest branch. Kiri used the momentum to sling herself forward with practiced ease and land on her feet on a higher branch. Kiri took a moment to fix her chestnut colored hair back into a bun. Several hours passed since she saw the Erythrai and the spiders carry the humans through the forest. The humans were doomed if she waited for Lefaljac to settle the matter. The chances of her finding them alive grew more dim with each passing minute. The knot in her chest tightened for not taking immediate action. Still, a part of her felt she was betraying Lefaljac and the Alseid way by taking matters into her own hands. She pressed on, covering a great distance without having to leap again. Kiri reached the end of the jungle within the next hour. There, in a small crevice, she found the spider nest with some fifty cocoons. Kiri removed a leaf, wrapped it into a cone and added a pellet of water inside her makeshift scope. She held it up to her eye and studied the nest. Nothing stirred in the darkness, not even the cocoons. Spiders were protective of their nests and the queen that resided in them, which made it odd that she hadn¡¯t spotted a single one lurking around. She tried to determine where they might have wandered off to. Even if the children left, the queen would remain to look after the nest. A fresh patch of silk hinted that they might have fled towards the west and away from Tamulan. It was in that direction the spiders normally ventured for hunting rodents and other smaller animals. Kiri unwrapped her scope and gulped down the water. The humidity carried the heat and kept her warm at all times of the day.She snatched a vine and slid down to the ground. Kiri approached the nest in a crouch, ears attuned for any warnings the wind might carry.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. With a blink, her eyes adjusted to the darkness, thus allowing her to keep a careful watch of the various holes dug into the earth. She glanced over her shoulder to confirm that her escape route was still open. Her plan was straight forward, free the humans and leave before the spiders returned. Spiders were deadly predators and could set a wide array of traps that would ensnare her. They wouldn¡¯t spare an Alseid that wandered into their nest. Kiri neared the first set of cocoons and pulled out the small blade she kept strapped to her ankle. She moved in to cut it open along the side but halted as she noticed it to be empty. The next one was also bare. Kiri ducked and weaved between rocks to remain out of sight on her way to the next set of cocoons. These had burnt ridges and a small pool of acidic remains at the bottom. ¡°Mother Nature,¡± Kiri said, covering her mouth with her hands. She''d come too late to save them from being devoured. Images of the humans being eaten alive played through her mind and she tried to suppress them by telling herself that she did what she could by going after them. Zafira and the Erythrai had not only broken their agreement with Lefaljac but wandered down a path from which there was no turning back. Kiri sheathed her dagger. She decided to report her findings to Lefaljac, even if it meant having to work in the Grove for the next thousand years. She couldn¡¯t let Zafira get away with murder. With that in mind, she turned on her heel and headed towards the trees. An oddity caught her attention from the corner of her eye. She paused mid-step and glanced towards her right where two cocoons had been torn open. Brute force wouldn¡¯t have left such clean cuts. Whoever had opened the cocoon had used a knife. Which meant that there might still be more humans alive. Kiri crouched down and inspected the soil. Sure enough there may have been hundreds of spider tracks but at least two pairs of legs that wandered out of the nest. Odd shaped tracks that preferred to walk on the heel. Kiri looked up, following the trail eastward with her eyes. They went to Tamulan. Rocks broke off to her side and tumbled down the cliff. She ducked, placing herself between two cocoons and out of sight. A soft click was her only warning, she leapt over the cocoon and dashed as fast as she could towards the center. The spider that had been sneaking up from behind took after her with great strides. From all sides its brethren swarmed over the cliffside and down into the small nesting valley they had built up. Soon enough, she became outnumbered by at least sixty spiders. While Kiri could defend herself against an attack, the Alseid way forbade her from harming the spiders. They were an essential part of the ecosystem and separating any single part of it would disrupt the entire chain. Nymphs protected the chain. Kiri halted and held out her hand up towards the distant trees. Too far her to reach and the way there was cut off by a pair of nasty arachnids. Kiri tapped into her bio-ethereal basin and lured in a vine with the promise of its energy. It broke free of its hold and swung down. Kiri jumped up, the tips of her fingers brushing against the rough surface as she wrapped her hand around it. The vine quickly lost its momentum and began to drift back, putting her within striking distance of the hunter spiders. The spiders leapt and came within inches of her legs as she frantically climbed the vine to escape. Tamulan Kiri sprinted through the night, lit only by stars and the distant glow of Tamulan. It had been years since she last visited the Erythrai settlement when Zafira had only just radicalized the minds of the young. The memory of watching the light vanish from their eyes remained infused in the back of her mind. Kiri pitied their loss, but the fear left a deep running scar that flared alive with each encounter she had with the Erythrai. After twenty minutes her legs ached, and she slowed to a jog. Kiri was weakest during the night hours. She couldn¡¯t replenish the energy consumed fast enough without direct sunlight overhead. Kiri followed the main path the humans had taken across the hilly terrain. Patrols roamed the area between Tamulan and the nest but she couldn¡¯t risk losing the trail. Not when so many had already perished. The plan was simple. Barge in, snatch the humans and toss them through the portal before it sealed within the next two hours. If she failed, she¡¯d live with another guilt she couldn¡¯t shake off. Blades of grass shifted and returned to the soil, transforming the green hills within moments. A natural self preservation instinct accumulated to protect themselves against hard footfalls. Kiri dropped to the ground and crawled into cover as she listened to the soil. A steady beat echoed signaling three pairs of feet. She peered up over the crest of the hill and spotted the patrol. The Erythrai completely disregarded their heritage and stomped on the ground as they marched. The women carried bows and daggers made from sharpened ribs. Their toned bodies glistened in the evening light. The result of weeklong rigorous training initiated by Zafira. Kiri heard they were pitted in close combat on a daily basis. Training for their new purpose in life as enforcers that would protect the worlds. ¡°I can¡¯t believe she took that filthy human into our home.¡± ¡°Not for long now,¡± another said. ¡°We already had our fun with them. What¡¯s one of them going to do?¡± ¡°Silence.¡± The woman in the lead held her hand up in a fist and listened. Kiri ducked and held her breath. The shared abilities between Erythrai and Alseid meant that they could pick her out as easily as she had them. Her legs itched to spring up and dart across the hills. Moments passed. Time she no longer had to return the humans. ¡°No more talking. Let¡¯s not take any chances. If we can reach their world, they might be able to come to ours.¡± The marching continued but Kiri laid in wait for a few more heartbeats. She didn¡¯t fully understand their worry. Offworlders never arrived on their own but required the skills of a nymph to travel between worlds. Her eyes snapped to the sidelong curve of a foot. ¡°An Alseid spy,¡± Tibane chided and dashed forward. She leapt up, pulling her leg back as she spun in mid air. Kiri raised her hands to block the attack. Her kick came faster than Kiri anticipated ¡ªand a lot stronger¡ª knocking her back into the air several yards until she slammed against the trunk of a tree and crumbled to the ground. Tibane approached her at a leisurely pace.¡°I¡¯ve dealt with lizard-men before but never our kind.¡± ¡°Look around, this is my lot you¡¯re treading through.¡± ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t notice.¡± She turned her head, taking in the plot of land and the whispers between the shrouded grass. ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll bring you to Zafira. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll know what to do with you.¡± Kiri placed both hands down beside her and dumped caches of energy into the soil. Grass growth accelerated with heads popping up around her feet. Stems shot out of the soil, quickly winding around the woman¡¯s leg and binding her in place. Tibane flung her hand down in an attempt to override Kiri¡¯s instructions and have the grass return to its original state. The plants were unwilling to betray their caretaker and snapped tighter. She narrowed her eyes and slapped Kiri across the face with the back of her hand.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Kiri saw black for moment accompanied by the bitter taste of blood on her tongue. She rolled away and scrambled to her feet. Tibane reached for the knife at her waist. If she couldn¡¯t control the plants, she¡¯d cut right through them. Another stem of plants shot out of the ground and ensnared her wrists. The muscles in Tibane¡¯s arms bulged as she fought back. With a groan she dropped to her knees and shouted for help. Kiri massaged her hurt arm and approached the woman. Thick layers of green rapidly grew over and concealed her lower body from view. A sense of dread overcame her as she watched her own creation spread. She¡¯d only meant to free herself not kill the woman. Kiri pulled back a portion of the energy she had given. She removed the knife out of the holster and tossed it away. ¡°I told you this was my lot.¡± Tibane bared her teeth as she struggled against the constraints.¡°You won¡¯t get away this. Once Zafira finds out the Alseid have turned against us, she¡¯ll destroy your pathetic home.¡± Kiri knelt beside the face of the woman, the only part that remained untouched by the overgrowth. ¡°What¡¯s Zafira¡¯s plans with the humans? Why has she taken them to Tamulan?¡± ¡°Them?¡± Tibane broke out laughing. ¡°You¡¯re not like the others. You put action before words. Are you sure you don¡¯t wish to join us?¡± The question caught Kiri off guard. It could only serve as a trick by Tibane to free herself and prevent her from reaching Tamulan. She balled her hands and stepped away. ¡°I apologize for this and promise you will be released by the break of dawn.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t just leave me here,¡± she shouted, but Kiri did just that and ran away. Kiri spent most of her energy on Tibane, forcing her to take a slower pace than she liked. She questioned her actions once more. Not just with Tibane, but defying Lefaljac to infiltrate the Erythrai settlement. Alseid taught to respect all life, to aid and nurture those around. Reasoning alone wouldn¡¯t always be enough. But what then? A measure of force could be used for good without harming the other, Kiri concluded. Tamulan laid along the banks of the Tamu River that flowed east to west. A watch post monitored both crossing points. While there was plenty of shrubs and brushes, the bank was empty of trees she could use to leap across the river. Kiri came up to the river and dipped her toes into the water. She gasped at the chill that spiked through her body and pulled back. After a minute of pouting her cheeks and rubbing the cold spot on her feet, she tried again. This time she forced herself to walk directly in. The water came up to her chest, tugging at her body. Alseid could only handle limited amounts of water. They depended on the environment to keep their body temperature stable. Kiri plowed through the cold, forcing her mouth shut to keep from screaming. That didn¡¯t help ease the pain spreading across her body. The steady stream along the bank became stronger near the center. An underwater current rushed against her feet and threatened to take her with. The river continued to sap energy from her with every breath she remained inside. At last she reached the bank on other side and toppled onto the grass. Kiri shut her eyes and let her mind drift. While panting, she instinctively extracted minerals and warmth from the soil beneath her wet body. Kiri flirted with sleep, letting herself be drawn in only to pull herself out again. She could rest and give up on the human. They survived the spider nest and might even be safe until dawn. Tamulan was quiet, save for the few guards that chatted with each other by the gate. Most Erythrai would rest during the dark hours and become active once the sun broke the horizon. She couldn¡¯t be certain about the habits of the other races that dwelled within the settlement. Kiri groaned but eased herself back up. Her body punished her for that with heavy legs. Each step drew in more of her reserves. She swayed as she followed the dirt road between the homes. The Erythrai buildings were made of piled stones with thatch cast on top. Zafira, however, dwelled in the palace. A structure carved into the face of a cliff and several stories high. Only her most trusted allies were permitted to reside there. A chill ran up Kiri¡¯s back when a door opened beside her. Two people engaged in a conversation about the dragon Delphyne emerged. They paused in the doorway and lowered their eyes once they recognized her. Kiri noted that they weren¡¯t Erythrai but children of the dawn, hybrids born out of nymphs and humans with only the fraction of the lifespan and none of the abilities. She straightened her shoulders and held herself proudly. As long as they didn¡¯t meet her eyes, they wouldn¡¯t see the light of Alseid and might take her to be a Erythrai. ¡°You¡¯re going out at this time of day?¡± she said with a certain level of disdain. The two men deepened their bow. ¡°Beg your forgiveness, my lady. We were just heading home now.¡± Kiri clicked her tongue. ¡°Well, but be quiet about it. Others are trying to rest.¡± ¡°Yes, of course,¡± they said in unison and hastily bowed several times. They waited until she moved on before leaving the house. Kiri turned a corner and let out the breath she¡¯d been holding to keep up her posture. It was stiff, not free and flowing like Alseid. She knew she was getting close to the palace and would need to use her imitation again if she wanted to scale the side of the cliff. The Temptress ¡°Tell me about the forests of your tribe, Johann.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know, I¡¯ve only been in one and I don¡¯t like to think about it.¡± Zafira lay sprawled beside him in the king-sized bed. No, not even kings had beds that encompassed an entire room and lived up to the name bedroom. ¡°Why not? Do your people fear nature, my sweet boy?¡± She leaned over and kissed him again. The raspberry flavor of her lips enticed him to want more. ¡°No, of course not.¡± He paused, taking in her ample curves. ¡°There are stories of those that go missing in the forests and lots of people believe they are mystical.¡± ¡°Is that what you think?¡± The women from Germany were hard on him. As a student and assistant from a lower middle-class family, he wasn¡¯t worth the attention of proper ladies. Only Charlotte had given him a chance. That chance expired four months into the war when she broke off their engagement to marry a businessman from Berlin. Johann laid a hand on Zafira¡¯s soft, yet, cold skin. It startled him at first and he pulled away but as the night grew longer, he became accustomed to her nearness. ¡°There¡¯s no such thing as witchcraft or mysticism. Only facts we discover through science. We¡¯re not afraid of the forest because we can cut it down. Lions scare children. A man with a rifle need not fear anything in the world.¡± ¡°Hmmm,¡± she hissed in his ear. ¡°That sounds strong. What is this rifle you speak of?¡± Johann held his arms out. ¡°It¡¯s a long piece of wood and metal. When you activate it, there is an explosion and metal is thrust out.¡± Zafira used the opportunity to wriggle in under his arm. ¡°I see, and this makes your people powerful. Do you have a rifle?¡± Johann shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s lost. I joined the army because of my friends but I lost them as well.¡± As the hours went by with them talking and touching, the caution and fear he once felt for her dwindled away. The image of the American being torn apart faded and was replaced by pleasure. Zafira¡¯s German was rusty, but they understood each other. Each time she made a mistake, he would point it out and they would laugh. She was intriguing and interested in him as well. He told her all about the Kaiser and the navy. France and Russia pitted up on either side with Germany caught in the middle.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. ¡°Then your wish came true. Your tribe sounds fascinating. Tell me everything there is to know.¡± ¡°Just one thing,¡± Johann said, easing out of her embrace. ¡°How is that you speak such good German?¡± Zafira swiftly moved on top of him, thighs pressing against his sides. The woman grinned as he gave out a low moan. She rocked her hips and slipped both hands in under his shirt. Her nails clawed at his chest. ¡°A friend I once met taught me. I like to consider myself an eager learner.¡± ¡°You¡¯re exceptionally talented.¡± Johann sat upright and fondled her breast. He leaned in and kissed her cleavage. She gasped as he slowly made his way up her neck. Heat seeped into every inch of his body and gave rise to that which remained hidden. When he moved up to kiss her lips, she held a finger to his mouth. A little confused, he let himself fall back onto the bed. ¡°Go on. You were telling me about the many wonders of your people.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t it wait until after?¡± Zafira¡¯s eyes darkened until they resembled a vial of ink. Her lips pulled into a deep frown. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Johann forced himself to meet her eyes again but by then they reverted to their emerald color. ¡°What was that?¡± ¡°That just shows how much I adore you,¡± her voice returned to its jovial tone. Johann¡¯s heart leap against his chest. He¡¯d never felt as satisfied as he did laying there with her. He wasn¡¯t even sure he wanted to return to Germany anymore ¡ªwhere ever that may be. So far, Zafira hadn¡¯t given him any detailed information on exactly where Tamulan was. He remembered the spiders and how she saved him. At least that¡¯s how he recalled it, but the how he got there was blank. A veil clouding his memory. For all he knew, he could be in a South American jungle weeks away from civilization. A servant entered carrying a platter of what he assumed was fruit and nuts. His heart hitched up a notch as he took her in. She wore a necklace made of colored gems and a loose fitting linen garb that fell shy of her knees. So scandalous and alluring. A woman dressed like that in the empire would be locked away for misconduct. She approached, batting her thick lashes at him and set the food down on the edge of the bed. She bowed before her lady and stepped back. Zafira noticed his interest and waved the servant off. ¡°Ieh vars dan Milanja, davenk.¡± Johann watched her leave the room with a sense of guilty pleasure before returning his attention to the woman at his side. Zafira retrieved a slice of cut fruit and held it to his lips. ¡°It¡¯s sweet, you should try.¡± He accepted her offering, sucking on her fingers but paused and then coughed. The sweet gave way to a bitter aftertaste that assaulted his tongue and scratched the back of his throat. Johann opened his mouth to spit it out but Zafira put a fingernail to his chin and lifted his gaze. ¡°It¡¯s yomre, full of vitamins you need to regain your strength.¡± Zafira narrowed her eyes. A sharp warning on its own but she added, ¡°Play with me again and you will find that I¡¯m not so fun to be around. Come, you¡¯ll want to take a bath.¡± Succumb to Desire Kiri scaled the side of the cliff, stretching herself to reach the next minute crack or ledge in the cliff. She strained her arms, felt the muscles quiver as she hoisted herself up. She climbed over the balcony, crouched down low and crept into Zafira¡¯s palace. A human stood by the bed with his back to her. Good, at least she knew one of them was alive and could bring him out of there. He slid down his trousers and Kiri gasped, pressing herself up against the wall when he turned and showed off his full manhood. Her cheeks flushed, and she quickly averted her eyes. Kiri stood outside for a moment and held her breath. She was pretty sure that he hadn¡¯t seen her while she still needed to contemplate on her course of action. It didn¡¯t matter as long as they both managed to escape the city. She glanced around the corner and moved forward on silent feet. ¡°Go! Climb down,¡± she said, but all he did was continue to stare at her. Apparently, he couldn¡¯t understand what she was saying, so she gestured with her fingers towards the balcony. Patience ran thin after what she saw on Gaia and that Zafira could show up at any moment. She slapped him across the face and urged him forward. He moved to the balcony, one hand pulling up his trousers while the other nursed the cheek she hit.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. Voices emerged from the hallway. Kiri hated being rushed but if they came in here and saw she was taking away a human, her cover would be blown, and the other human put at risk. ¡°I don¡¯t recall inviting you over tonight,¡± snapped a woman from the doorway. Zafira remained calm, a hand at her hip as she continued to watch her react. ¡°People usually take the stairs, but I¡¯ll make an exception for you.¡± Kiri widened her stance and reached out with her bio-ethereal energy. ¡°I know what you did on Gaia and the spiders nest. You won¡¯t get away with this.¡± Zafira walked to the side of the bed where she emptied a goblet and poured herself another. ¡°Get away with what exactly? Alseid don¡¯t have the guts to do what¡¯s necessary. Besides, he¡¯s here out of his own free will.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t play your games with me,¡± Kiri gritted her teeth. ¡°You kidnapped him along with the others. It¡¯s best if you let us leave.¡± ¡°He¡¯s free to go any time he wishes. Why don¡¯t we leave it to the human then, shall we?¡± Zafira said. ¡°What¡¯s the trick? You wouldn¡¯t just give him up after stealing him from his home world.¡± ¡°No tricks, I swear it. We¡¯ve come to know a great deal about each other. Matters I would like to share with you as well.¡± Kiri eased back, feeling for the limits of her reach. Tamulan wasn¡¯t her lot, her ability to control nature would depend on their loyalty to Zafira. ¡°I¡¯ll play along just this once. If I pick up any of your magic, I¡¯ll be reporting this to the Elders. We¡¯ve been lenient enough with your misguided actions here.¡± ¡°Of course you will.¡± Zafira faced the human and spoke with him in an aberrated dialect the foremothers once used. Kiri picked up a few words, but not enough to tell whether Zafira upheld her end of the deal. Succumb to Desire - Cont. The human gave her a cursory glance and joined Zafira on the other side of the room. ¡°Such a sweet boy. It appears he doesn¡¯t want to leave my company.¡± She slipped her arm around his waist and pulled him in closer. She followed it up with a kiss to the forehead, just to make her point abundantly clear. ¡°You, on the other hand, barged into my home and attempted to take away a friend of mine in the middle of the night.¡± ¡°He doesn¡¯t belong here. I will take him back to Gaia.¡± ¡°Go back to your village and I will overlook this incident.¡± Kiri squared her body to Zafira and clenched her hands into fists. ¡°No. I saw what you did to the other humans. I can¡¯t allow you to continue with these transgressions.¡± ¡°Oh, I can¡¯t?¡± Zafira released the man and approached her. ¡°That sounded like a threat. Are you sure you can still call yourself an Alseid or has the light already left you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to fight you.¡± ¡°Come and join me.¡± Zafira raised her hand, eyes darkening. ¡°The Alseid don¡¯t cherish your gifts as I do. You can help us make the universe a better place.¡± ¡°You do?¡± Kiri took a step. She squeezed her lids shut, pressed her hands at her ears and screamed as loud as she could. Come, come, come, the words repeated. She wanted to give in to the promise. The voice resonated, overriding her own will. Kiri shoved back, only to have its grip tighten around her body.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. Kiri opened her eyes and found Zafira beside her. The woman leaned in and kissed her. A blissful calm washed over her. The kiss ended all too quickly and Kiri felt at a loss. When their lips parted, her emotions whirled inside and demanded she continue. She stared back with flat features. The world grew dim. ¡°That¡¯s better,¡± Zafira said, rubbing Kiri¡¯s arms. ¡°Why don¡¯t you wait here until I return.¡± Darkness engulfed Kiri. A deep, impenetrable black. Nothingness. Kiri was completely bare, fueled only by the lust for Zafira¡¯s voice. Without it, she did not exist. She could not be without Zafira. ¡°Step aside, Zafira.¡± A familiar voice lost in the distance. A light appeared in Kiri¡¯s vision and cast away the darkness. It reinvigorated and returned her control over her body. Kiri fell to her knees and hugged herself. The nightmare lasted mere moments but the impression left behind daunted her. She had so easily given herself up entirely to Zafira. Kiri cast a quick glance around. Zafira moved back to where the human stood. He didn¡¯t move but Kiri noticed the tremors raging though his muscles. They had gone through the same. ¡°Enough of your tricks,¡± Lefaljac said as she entered the room. The Elder knelt beside Kiri, stroking back the bangs of hair that had fallen loose. ¡°You¡¯ll be all right. Come, let us go home.¡± ¡°You ought to teach this one some manners,¡± Zafira said. She laid a hand on her chest. ¡°She threatened me. I had to defend myself against her aggressions.¡± Lefaljac helped Kiri rise to her feet. Her head still throbbed, but she was glad Lefaljac was there and felt stronger than she did before. ¡°She killed the humans. I-I saw the remains in the spider nest.¡± Kiri¡¯s eyes become teary but she couldn¡¯t be weak again. Not in front of Zafira. She steeled her nerves and stood up straight. ¡°She still holds this one captive.¡± Zafira moved to block the doorway. ¡°Spiders eat many things, not all of which I can control.¡± ¡°What have you become Zafira?¡± Lefaljac said. ¡°I don¡¯t recognize you any more. Leave this foolishness behind and return with us to Pilamo.¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid that time has come and passed. Take him if you insist on stealing everything from me.¡± Zafira said, moving aside. ¡°I haven¡¯t forgotten.¡± Keen Student ¡°Please, tell me again how a single nymph overcame my best warrior?¡± Tibane stiffened her posture. She already steeled herself on the way back to Tamulan for Zafira¡¯s reprisal. ¡°Kirilamei cheated, she used nature to bind and knock me unconscious.¡± ¡°Remind me then, why I even bother keeping you in my service.¡± Zafira rubbed her temple. ¡°Did you manage to secure the human?¡± ¡°We have him detained in the room upstairs.¡± ¡°Detained? I can assure you that won¡¯t be necessary.¡± ¡°I just thought after what happened we might not want to risk losing another.¡± ¡°Silence.¡± Zafira raised her hand. ¡°I will oversee your incompetence this last time. Make sure it doesn¡¯t happen again.¡± Zafira required absolute obedience and knew that much of her planning depended on reliable partners. If she wanted to liberate an entire planet, she¡¯d need the best and a little more. The young Alseid, such a fragile girl but with so much potential. The fact that she bested Tibane only made her all the more interesting. ¡°My people informed me that you are a teacher,¡± Zafira said as she entered the chamber. A night bud hung in the corner, bathing the room in a soft glow. A veil hid the face of her guest and showed his form. She strode forward and brushed her hand through the curtain. Rope strapped the man to her bed by the arms and ankles. Unable to defend himself while she had the liberty of doing whatever she pleased. What Tibane didn¡¯t understand was that she wanted him to struggle and give him a chance to escape. Destroying his hope gave her far more satisfaction than simply seeing him tied up. He frowned, pulling his brows to form a deep crevice on his forehead as he took her in. It didn¡¯t suit a man of his age, to make himself look older. Tibane¡¯s unit had done an excellent job cleansing and preparing him for her. ¡°Untie me, woman!¡±A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. Zafira sighed and sat down on the edge of the bed. She slid her hand down the coarse length of the rope and undid the first knot. ¡°In return I expect you to teach me everything you know. I happen to be a keen student but I can make it worthwhile for you.¡± ¡°A learned woman, what on Earth for?¡± He rolled his eyes away from her and fumbled for the knot holding his other arm in place. ¡°No, never. I shall not have it. Untie me and escort me to the station so I may press charges against such unruly conduct.¡± Zafira grinned, bashing her long lashes at the headmaster. ¡°You wish to play first. I¡¯m in need of some¡­ distraction.¡± She crawled on top of his chest and pulled her knees in tight until she heard him squirm under the pressure. The man laid unmoving with his mouth open and at first Zafira thought she might have gone too far and killed him until she made out fine dust particles hovering in mid air. ¡°I was wondering when we might meet again,¡± Zafira said, flinging back her hair. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m in the middle of something right now.¡± Eris stepped out from the shadows and took on her human form. A goddess with milky white skin and wavy lavender hair. Zafira¡¯s skin became lighter after aligning herself with Eris but doubted she¡¯d ever become that white. She wore a long dress that came down to the floor with a deep cut to show off her divine allure. ¡°When you planned on taking back Gaia, I didn¡¯t think it would revolve around pleasuring yourself with men.¡± ¡°This is serious work,¡± Zafira said and hopped off the mortal. ¡°I¡¯m adding the finishing touches to my plan. By the time the cove reopens I¡¯ll be prepared to exact my revenge.¡± The Goddess of Chaos shrugged and strode past Zafira without so much as a glance. She took in the bound man and snapped her fingers at which he went up in a cloud of smoke. ¡°Aw. I wasn¡¯t finished, yet.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already helped you twice and now you¡¯ve let one of your captives escape. Isn¡¯t he the one I warned you about in my vision?¡± Zafira stiffened, knowing that Eris lent her gifts but could easily take them away from her again. ¡°He¡¯s not a threat. Their entire race is weak. It should be easy to overcome them once I have planted the seeds and regained control over the dominion.¡± ¡°I hope so,¡± the goddess said, fading into the shadows once more. ¡°I¡¯d hate to lose such an adept pupil.¡± Waters Voice Johann thrashed through the next brush, attempting to keep the ferns and vines from slapping him across the face for the hundredth time in a row. The heat surrounded him with every step. Air so humid he felt he might drown if he continued to breathe. Fortunately, the tall trees kept him shaded for most of the journey. Birds followed the group¡¯s every move from above. They sang to each other and flocked out of the trees whenever he got too close. The women were some thirty paces ahead of him, with the gap growing. They didn¡¯t seem bothered by the heat and from what he could tell, they didn¡¯t sweat either. Which may have resulted from the light clothing they were wearing. K?nigsberg never had temperatures rise to such levels and his summer uniform still kept him encased in his own body heat. He pulled his shirt out from his pants and undid the buttons at the wrist. Sweat and green stains had already tarnished the fabric. There was no way he would give up his clothing and run around as lightly as they did. Luckily he still had his boots which made up for the other downfalls. Johann halted and wiped the sweat off his brow with the back of his hand. They didn¡¯t notice or care, he couldn¡¯t tell which was the case with them. They hardly spoke and when they did he didn¡¯t understand a word they said. At least with Zafira he had someone to speak with. A pang of guilt crossed his heart at the thought of her. ¡°Can we take a break? Just give me a minute,¡± he said between pants. They both stopped and looked to each other, exchanging words in their language. The taller one with the embroidery in her hair, glanced over her shoulder at him. The smaller one with a silver tattoo around her wrist seemed annoyed by what was spoken. She dashed off into the forest and out of sight. Did he annoy her that much that she just fled the scene and left him with her friend? The tall woman approached him. She carried herself proudly but as he looked closer, he noticed that she didn¡¯t walk in a straight line. Her steps varied. She landed on the front of her feet and avoided stepping on grass or moss. That seemed most unusual to him as those were the softest part of the earth and they were going around barefoot. She indicated with her hand that he should sit, which he did. She crouched down and looked him straight in the eyes. Deeply unsettling but then he saw it there, for just a moment. A sparkle or shimmer briefly flared up behind her iris. An odd reflection from above, he assumed. ¡°Lefaljac,¡± she said, holding a hand to her chest. ¡°Lefaljack,¡± he repeated. ¡°That¡¯s your name? I¡¯m Johann Schmitt.¡± ¡°Yohanshmitt.¡± She smiled and held her hand out to the side where the smaller woman appeared from a fern bush. ¡°Kirilamei.¡± She stopped at hearing her name and looked to Lefaljac. After a brief intercourse, she frowned and came up and offered him a shell. It was filled to the brim with pellucid water. ¡°Thank you,¡± Johann said. He took the shell and gulped down the water, only slowing down after coughing. The cold water offered a brief respite from the heat barrage. ¡°Lefaljak and Kiri Lamay. I need to go home. Can you lead me out of here or at least show me the way?¡±Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°Lefaljac a Kiril amei des de vooh.¡± Kirilamei said, shooting her hands into the air. A bitter aftertaste lingered on his tongue after taking the water. Johann gazed at his reflection in the shell. His head began to throb and he dropped the shell. They must have poisoned him, he thought as he stood and raced away. The ringing in his ears grew until it blocked out all else he could hear. He closed his eyes, pressed his hands against his ears and walked deeper into the rain forest. ¡°Stop running like an idiot,¡± Kirilamei said. She held him in place and pressed her lips into a thin line. The ringing had stopped. ¡°You can speak German.¡± ¡°No,¡± Lefaljac said, shaking her head. She slowly approached the two of them. ¡°Kirilamei shared with you the water¡¯s voice.¡± That made little sense. Water didn¡¯t have a voice. He relaxed, easing the tension out of his shoulders. Communication was a start. As long as they could speak he had a chance of finding his way out. ¡°How much further until we reach a city?¡± ¡°We walk.¡± Lefaljac urged him on with the flick of her wrist. Johann wasn¡¯t sure if they understood him correctly but it was his only choice. He wouldn¡¯t be able to find his way out of there on his own. Neither could he turn back. His heart still yearned to be with Zafira but he couldn¡¯t trust those emotions. Couldn¡¯t believe what she had said and done to him. There was no going back. Johann ducked under a low branch and had to continue in a brisk walk to keep up with them. ¡°Have we met before? You seem awfully familiar.¡± Kiri groaned and quickened her pace. With their long slender legs, they both already had a speed advantage over him. Johann was 180 centimeters tall and never considered himself short until he met these two. Kiri was a dash taller but Lefaljac towered over him at about two meters. After a few minutes of walking, he heard more than just the soft rustle of feet. The voices of children playing. For a moment he became over enthusiastic and was willing to run headlong over. Wherever there were children there had to be a family and, with any luck, a telegraphing station. Officials would need a story on how he came to be lost in the jungle. He put the scrambled pieces together, and made up a few excuses to tell his superiors at HQ when he returned. Chances are they would label him a deserter and put him before a military trial. It didn¡¯t matter as long as he got a chance to deliver Hans¡¯ letter first. Each step he took in the jungle felt like a chore. Keeping the memories at bay and not letting them mix with reality. There weren¡¯t any Russians for him to worry about and no gun to protect him from whatever lurked behind the foliage. The village emerged before him, but he¡¯d have walked by it had Lefaljac and Kirilamei not stopped to take it in. Only upon a second glance did he recognize the people in the trees. No buildings, fire pits or signs of civilization. Johann found the children he heard moments before. They walked along branches and crossed over vines spanned between the trees with ease. He became the focus of their attention and soon enough more children poured out and pointed at him. Women followed and ushered the children back out of sight. From what he could tell, none of them were boys. It was early morning with the sun still rising. He knew little of tribal matters but he assumed that the men were out hunting or scavenging. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you have telegraph or postal service, would you?¡± A child half his size came up and tugged at the end of his shirt. Lefaljac gave her some harsh words, leading the child to run back off and hide behind a tree. ¡°I know not what these things are but you will be well treated here.¡± Johann thanked her. While Lefaljac and Kirilamei joined their people, he used his spare time to walk around the clearing. He stared up at the small break in coverage and the crimson sky. ¡°Yohannshmitt,¡± Lefaljac said. He nodded to let her know she had his attention. ¡°This is Ajalla, she will show you our village for now. Kirilamei and I must speak in private.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Johann noted the girl with unblemished onyx skin standing on a branch overhead. Ajalla gave him a wide smile and jumped. His jaw fell open watching. She snatched a vine hanging and slid all the way down but managed to land softly. ¡°I¡¯ll just follow her then.¡± He felt squeamish being around women with such courage and dexterity. ¡°A man. How strange,¡± she said, taking long strides around him. ¡°Welcome to Pilamo. I heard your kind like to eat. Am I right?¡± ¡°Yes¡­you could say that. I wouldn¡¯t exactly call myself a big eater, but yes.¡± ¡°Then it is settled.¡± Lefaljac laid her hand on Kiri¡¯s shoulder and led her away. Elder Meeting Kiri watched in silence as the Elders flocked inside the meeting chamber within the Grove. She stood beside Lefaljac and kept her gaze to the floor. Her plan had seemed a lot simpler the day before. In and out, not getting caught by Lefaljac. Definitely not saved by her. Sharina, the second eldest greeted Lefaljac as she entered but ignored Kiri. Renili merely acknowledged her presence with a simple nod. They took their positions by sitting cross-legged in a semicircle around her. Lefaljac left her side and took her place at the center of the three Elders. ¡°You know why you stand before us?¡± Her voice was calm and low. ¡°I¡¯m ready to accept any punishment you give me.¡± Kiri fell to her hands and knees before the council. ¡°No matter how long, I will redeem myself.¡± ¡°You disobeyed our previous punishment. Why should we believe you would take a new one more serious?¡± Sharina asked, squinting at her. Despite being over ten thousand years old, her face was a mirror image of beauty, with a sharp chin and glossy hair. ¡°The human lives at stake seemed more pressing at the time. It was never a question of whether I accepted your judgment or not,¡± Kiri said. ¡°On my way to Tamulan, I happened across Tibane.¡± Lefaljac folded her hands over her lap. ¡°Would you mind explaining yourself? They told me that you attacked and then left her ensnared by the side of the path. I had to free her from your roots.¡± Kiri felt heat sicker into her cheeks. She forgot about her after the hectic drive to Tamulan and the encounter with Zafira, she was a little too shaken to mention it to Lefaljac. ¡°That is only partially true. She attacked me. I tried to avoid hurting her and decided to pin her to the ground in hopes of reaching Tamulan undetected.¡± ¡°Only to then break into Zafira¡¯s private quarters.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Kiri let her shoulders slump. The Elders speaking out her misdeeds made her more embarrassed. ¡°But Zafira¡ª¡± ¡°We are aware of what Zafira did,¡± Renili began. ¡°One wrong does not right another. We must respect all life if we are to live in true symbiosis. What you did, not only endangered yourself, but may provoke her to further action.¡±Stolen story; please report. ¡°I understand.¡± ¡°Do you truly, Kirilamei?¡± Sharina leaned forward with her hands on her knees. ¡°You have great potential. I hope you come to terms with your role in the universe and how you can better all life.¡± ¡°In light of this, I will double your service in the Grove,¡± Lefaljac said, raising her forefinger. ¡°And, we will put the human into your care.¡± ¡°What? I can barely stand to look, let alone speak with him. I was in their world and saw with my own eyes the damage done. While I can¡¯t agree with her methods, I must admit that they are not good creatures. I can¡¯t sit beside him and pretend that he is our equal.¡± ¡°We understand your concern,¡± Lefaljac said. ¡°I have seen Zafira¡¯s claims. We can not judge over another¡¯s existence but protect all life universally. You will look after this Yohanshmitt until the cove reopens and ensure he returns home safely.¡± ¡°That could take days!¡± Kiri raised herself upright, hand balled together at her chest. ¡°Yes. Which is why I trust you, as his savior, to continue. Humans are not adept to the world as we are. Without our aid he won¡¯t be able to survive until then.¡± Kiri lowered her gaze and voice. ¡°I accept this council¡¯s judgment.¡± ¡°Very well,¡± Lefaljac said, turning to the other members of the Elder Council. ¡°Then we must shift our attention to Zafira. Her actions of late are unacceptable.¡± Sharina nodded. ¡°We must invite her to a hearing and have her stand trial. We can¡¯t let her go unpunished.¡± Kiri decided to stay in case her services may be further required but sat on the far end of the clearing. It was her first hearing in attendance where she, at least partially, was not the subject of debate. A minor victory. Renili sighed. ¡°There¡¯s little hope in her returning to our ways. If she comes to a hearing, we must seize and ensnare her for eternity.¡± ¡°Seizing an invited guest! We can not stoop to the same lows.¡± Lefaljac took a deep breath and closed her eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve known her since she was a seedling and watched her take on the role of Warden. There is good in her. We will send out a missive and bring her before us. She will return to our ways, I know it.¡± ¡°And if she doesn¡¯t?¡± Renili said in a low voice allowing for the others to follow her trail of thought. ¡°We must consider sealing the cove.¡± ¡°Lock ourselves away from the universe?¡± Sharina objected. ¡°She¡¯s stronger than me,¡± Renili admitted. ¡°Stronger even than you Sharina. We can not allow such power to go unchecked.¡± Lefaljac held in as she considered her words. ¡°It would have to be done after the human returns to his world and only as a last measure should we be unable to further control Zafira. A universe without our guidance is better off than a war waged by our kin.¡± Sealing the cove! Kiri¡¯s heart sank at those words. There were thousands of worlds out there. Hundreds they could access at various points in the year. Wardenship was the center of her ambitions. A dream she could forget if they sealed the cove. Learning the Hard Way ¡°What do you think?¡± Ajalla asked, hands folded under her chin as she watched him chew. Johann accepted the bitter taste rolling down his tongue. He¡¯d barely eaten anything since waking up surrounded by spiders, a fact his rumbling stomach constantly reminded him of. A surge swept through his body, knocking him over the log he sat on. Ajalla broke out laughing. A sweet giggle she didn¡¯t attempt to hide. She left him flailing a few moments before coming around. She snatched his arm and yanked him back up to his feet. ¡°What was that? Edible dynamite?¡± Johann brushed off the dirt from his trousers. Ajalla shrugged, turning her back on him. ¡°I don¡¯t know, never tried it. The pimello tree told me her fruit is delicious and that I should give it to you. I think she joked with us.¡± Johann¡¯s gaze followed the rich curve of her body. Her hips swayed as she went to pick up the fruit she¡¯d sliced open for him. He noticed a silver tattoo, resembling a thorned spiral at her hips. The same color as Kirilamei¡¯s tattoo along her wrist. She wore a tight green linen strapped around her chest. Sable hair woven together in a short braids. With knitted brows, she tentatively stuck out her tongue and licked the fruit. ¡°Perhaps.¡± Johann tried to clear his mind from the attention he was giving her. She was gifted with beauty but what struck him was her warm attitude and open reception. Kirilamei may have helped him escape Zafira but he wasn¡¯t sure why, when all he did seemed to annoy her. ¡°Na, it¡¯s fresh!¡± Ajalla said with a sudden pitch in her voice. She held it out to him ¡°Good for human energy. Try again.¡± Johann remained standing this time. He leaned in, glaring into her shimmering eyes as he bit into the fruit. The bitter taste remained but was prepared when the jolt ran through his body. ¡°You¡¯re right, it is better the second time.¡± Ajalla joined him, biting a chunk of the fruit off and mimicking his mouth movements to the point that she swallowed just after he did. When he finished and licked the juice off his lips, she did the same. Her grin broadened. ¡°I don¡¯t like but it¡¯s fun. Let¡¯s do it again later.¡± ¡°Okay, but I think some real food would be a better lunch.¡± ¡°Real food,¡± Ajalla repeated. ¡°I¡¯ll ask and find this food for Reals.¡± ¡°Je do rupa, devenk.¡± Kirilamei approached them from the batch of elder trees. The words swam in Johann¡¯s mind, slowly forming into words he could understand. Thanks, you can go. ¡°Aso?¡± Ajalla raced into Kirilamei, wrapping her arms around the slender woman. ¡°Yohanshmitt de pimello na esam.¡± Yohannshmitt ate a pimello. Kiri squeezed herself out of the embrace. She stopped a few paces away from him, briefly noting the fruit remains. ¡°I¡¯ll speak with you later,¡± Ajalla said with a wink. She darted off into the forest before Kiri could look over her shoulder. Kirilamei sighed, letting the tension ease out of her expression. For a moment she gave him the impression she could be kind. That was until she clicked her tongue and pointed directly at him. ¡°Until you go back to your world, you¡¯ll be with me.¡± ¡°Oh, are we leaving right now?¡± Johann closed the distance between them with a skip to his step. ¡°That would be fantastic. I can¡¯t say I¡¯d be comfortable staying in these clothes for another day.¡± ¡°No, not now,¡± Kirilamei snapped. ¡°Why not? I thought you just came from a meeting. It¡¯s all right if you can¡¯t go with me the entire way. If you have a map and can point me in the right direction, I¡¯m sure to find my way out of here.¡±This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Kirilamei slammed her foot on the ground. Roots shot up from the ground, wrapping around Johann¡¯s body and dragging him to the ground. ¡°Ugh, ha- help me.¡± Johann tried to pull the roots away but within moments his arms and legs were completely ensnared. He gagged on the tip of one piece that forced it¡¯s way into his mouth and threatened to wander down his throat. His body revolted, clouding his mind to where all he could sense was the nausea. ¡°You are always loud. When I say no you are silent.¡± Her instructions were clear. She must have been right beside him, whispering into his ear. The roots released him and pulled back into the ground. Johann rolled over vomiting the bit of fruit he ate. He spit out the remains and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. Kiri set her foot down a inch from his face. He looked into her squinted emerald eyes. Despite what she had just done he felt a sense of ease wash over him. ¡°You understand?¡± she barked. ¡°I do.¡± He held back an apology, out of fear of saying too much and receiving a second dose of nature¡¯s tonic. ¡°Good.¡± She helped him back up. ¡°Come over there.¡± Kirilamei supported him with a hand at his waist and led him through the clearing and out past the bushes. On the other side was a pond roughly ten square feet large. Insects chirped around the shallow water and he could hear the birds from earlier scattering from the tree tops. Johann sat down on a stone. His reflection on the surface was grim and dirtied. He balled his hands and suppressed the urge to scratch his face. The water was cool to the touch so he splashed his face, then cupped his hand and drank. ¡°You should drink lots while you are with us. The feet clothes should be removed,¡± Kiri said gesturing towards his shoes. ¡°Why I have to take them off?¡± Kirilamei stiffened, placing her hands at her hips. ¡°Everyone can hear you walk, which will make you food for those out there. I can not always protect you.¡± ¡°You mean there¡¯s more than just spiders out there wanting to have me for lunch?¡± Kirilamei noded. ¡°Lots but they stay away usually and don¡¯t hear us walk outside. They will hear you. Maybe they come, maybe not.¡± ¡°What about Zafira,¡± Johann said, turning his face back towards the water. ¡°Will she be coming here?¡± ¡°Perhaps. That depends on Zafira, if she is willing to listen to the Elders.¡± Kiri took a seat and rubbed her knees. ¡°You still feel her?¡± ¡°A little, I think.¡± Johann leaned over and plucked his boots off. He eased his feet into the water. A tang of pain shot into his sore foot from months spent in the trenches. ¡°I don¡¯t understand anything anymore. That¡¯s not normal. What is she ¡­ are you people?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Alseid,¡± she said, her voice suddenly more cheerful. A hint of a smile crept along the edge of her lips. ¡°Zafira is Erythrai.¡± ¡°Erythrai?¡± Johann asked as he scooted in closer to Kirilamei and met her emerald eyes. He¡¯d heard Zafira mention it before. Kirilamei cocked her head to the side as she considered. ¡°Hm, like an otter.¡± ¡°An otter?¡± Johann tried to see the resemblance between Zafira and an otter but even his imagination couldn¡¯t wander that far. An army of evil otters chasing him was almost preferable to his current situation. ¡°No, an Other. Alseid is the path to peace but she is a daughter of the evening. It¡¯s why her skin is paler than our own.¡± Kiri took a twig and drew a massive tree into the ground surrounded by smaller ones. ¡°The Erythrai were Wardens on Gaia but they failed to protect their garden. That was before my time, I only know of Zafira since her return.¡± ¡°So do you have any brothers or sisters?¡± She gave him a quizzical look. ¡°Brothers¡­sisters?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. People you are related to,¡± he said pointing back to the village. ¡° Like your mother.¡± Kiri shook her head. ¡°We have Elders and Lefaljac is the eldest among them. Ah! You mean seedlings. Ajalla and I both came from the same pod. She claims to have come first but I can¡¯t remember if she speaks the truth.¡± Johann struggled to put together what she said in a way that made sense. ¡°So you¡¯re twins. I¡¯ve never met any before. So when is it safe for me to return home?¡± ¡°I can open the gateway in three days.¡± ¡°Three days,¡± Johann muttered under his breath. ¡°I¡¯m going to be in serious trouble whether or not I make it back.¡± ¡°Yohanshmitt,¡± Kirilamei paused and fiddled with the tips of her hair. ¡°You do know where you are?¡± ¡°In South America? I¡¯m not sure.¡± She laid her cold hands on his. ¡°This is not your homeworld. This is Amazon, the wandering world.¡± ¡°Not my¡ªAmazon¡­¡± The world spun around him as he attempted to process the new information. That was impossible. He was in a nightmare. That¡¯s all it was, he concluded. That would explain the giant insects and amount of attractive women. He must have passed out from a gas attack and let his imagination run wild. Kirilamei reeled him back and steadied him. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. I will help you return to Gaia and then all will be as it should.¡± He focused on her speaking. Such lush lips. ¡°Why are you helping me? A couple minutes ago you still tried to gag me with your plant things.¡± ¡°Alseid value all life and protect it. My thinking about you does not matter.¡± Kirilamei pointed out the finger-sized fish in the pond. Insects hovered along the edge of the water, only to be gobbled up by the fish as they sprang up and snatched them. ¡°Not exactly heartwarming but it¡¯s all I got.¡± Whirlwind of Emotions ¡°How¡¯s your time with the human?¡± Ajalla asked. She stroked the stem of the lionade flower that grew at the base of the pimello tree. The flower rocked, gently hissing its approval. ¡°I saw you two by the pond.¡± ¡°The poooooond,¡± the grass sang in unison. ¡°He¡¯s so loud in his movements.¡± Kiri chuckled. She reflected on the image of the man she saw in the sky and her heart lurched against her chest at the confirmation. ¡°I¡¯m surprised he hasn¡¯t drawn in the entire forest on himself yet.¡± ¡°He isn¡¯t accustomed to our way of life,¡± Ajalla said as she added a pinch of water to the soil. ¡°When I saw you two together ¡­ I felt something stir inside me. It angered me.¡± Kiri rubbed her stomach. ¡°Perhaps I am no longer Alseid.¡± ¡°Scary Erythrai,¡± the lionade flower whispered. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t be afraid of the Erythrai. They won¡¯t do you any harm.¡± Ajalla shifted and pressed her legs against her chest. ¡°You were angry with me or is it Yohanshmitt?¡± Kiri remained silent for a moment, sucking in her lips as she weighed her words. Dozens of Alseid were returning from their daily service in the lots. She¡¯d neglected hers for the day to look after the human and make sure he didn¡¯t kill himself. She promised herself to visit the lot after her service in the Grove. The Elders should have postponed her punishment until after the human was gone instead of having her take him along. Why does he have to be so dim? ¡°The foreigner. I could never be angry with you.¡± Ajalla crawled forward, their faces coming within half an inch of each other. She stared with slitted eyes into Kiri¡¯s. Her lips pressed into a thin line, she leaned in and kissed her. ¡°The light shines bright. You¡¯re Alseid through and through. Zafira and Yohannshmitt aren¡¯t going to change that.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what seedlings are for,¡± Ajalla said with a grin. Kiri perked up and glanced around, making sure the human wasn¡¯t close enough to hear. The children were busy climbing around on him. ¡°He asked about us being seedlings. I think he likes you.¡± ¡°He seems nice. Like a child. If you need help looking after him, just let me know.¡± ¡°You want to be around him, even after I told you what his tribe are doing to their world?¡± ¡°Well,¡± Ajalla began and laid her head on Kiri¡¯s lap to gaze up into the setting sun. ¡°It¡¯s still different. So new and exciting and did you see his eyes? They were blue like the sky. Besides, Zafira might be wrong and they will change.¡±Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°Let¡¯s see if this one is capable of change. That will give us an idea whether the rest might.¡± Kiri stood up and whistled at the group of children tackling Johann to the ground. They jumped off giggling and scampered away. ¡°They sure are energetic. What did you give them?¡± ¡°A simple quartz. Nothing special,¡± Kiri remarked. ¡°It¡¯s getting late and I have a lot to do tomorrow. I just need some sleep and time to get over what I saw.¡± ¡°Sleep now,¡± the grass chanted in unison and yawned. They receded until only their tips still poked out of the soil. ¡°Should I come with?¡± Ajalla offered as she stood. Kiri gave her a flat stare. ¡°I can get him to fall asleep without your help and if I have to knock him unconscious to do so.¡± ¡°I¡¯m still here,¡± Johann said. ¡°Just so you know.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to know,¡± Kiri snapped. She turned away as her gut wrenched again. Johann proved to be a nuisance above all else. Ajalla walked over and embraced Johann. ¡°Woha! You¡¯re so warm, Yohanshmitt Like a rock bathing in the midday sun.¡± ¡°Johann is fine. You don¡¯t actually have to say all of it.¡± He laid his hand on her back, sparking a new wave to rage within Kiri. ¡°Very well, Johann. Rest well. Let¡¯s speak again tomorrow.¡± ¡°Come now, we rest,¡± Kiri said. She marched off without him. He caught up to her by the time she began climbing the tree. It took Johann three attempts until he was able to scale the tree, albeit slowly. Painfully so. Kiri swung onto her home branch, twenty-five feet in the air from where she waited and watched the human climb. No wonder the Elders had forced her to look after him, he was incapable of survival on his own. It eluded her how the humans on their homeworld managed to become the dominant species, yet still be so infantile. With Kiri¡¯s instructions, and a quarter hour, he reached her level. He hesitated, placing one foot after the other on the branch. It was only two feet wide so that didn¡¯t give him much space to get a bearing. He really is good for nothing, she noted as he waned over to the side. She lunged forward, grabbing him under the shoulders and holding him firm until he got a sense of balance. His gaze dropped, likely taking in the sight of his last pre-death moments. She could hear his rapid beating heart in his chest. Smell the faint aroma of fear wafting from him. ¡°Look to me,¡± she barked. The only way for her to get him finally moving was by proving to be a bigger threat than falling. Johann eased forward into her arms, their eyes searching and finding each other. At least he listened to what she had to say. ¡°I¡¯m fine-fine,¡± he said, risking a brief glance at his feet and placed them behind one another. Kiri let go and stepped back, but still focused on him. When she felt confident enough he wouldn¡¯t slip again, she pivoted. A cluster of flowers grew on the branches and were easily thrice the size of an Alseid. A short stem extended five feet from the branch to where the bud rested. ¡°You don¡¯t have any beds,¡± Johann remarked from behind. A breeze came through and silenced his rambling as he struggled to keep his balance. ¡°You sleep here,¡± Kiri said. With a simple touch against the fibers of the flower, the petals fell outward. She crossed over to the second flower and opened it. The tear shaped ovary in the center gave off a soft luminescent. He heaved himself up to the pollen bed that sank a notch under his steps. ¡°You expect me to sleep inside a plant?¡± Kiri stepped inside the bed of the ralu flower and began removing her top. ¡°You can sleep where you choose. You¡¯ll be warm in there and I don¡¯t recommend you leaving the village at night.¡± ¡°This is something else. The doctors are going to send me with a one-way ticket to the mental hospital when they hear me recalling how I slept inside a giant flower.¡± Johann sat down and crossed his legs. His mouth fell open at the sight of her removing her top. Kiri stimulated the flower, and the petals whisked up, cutting off Johann¡¯s endless talking. Jungle Ways Johann drifted out of his dreams only to feel himself engulfed by a chill. He opened his eyes and stared into virescent eyes glaring right back at him. Jolting back, he banged his head against the petal encasing he¡¯d been forced to sleep in. He pressed his eyes shut and tried to rub his head, only to find that he couldn¡¯t move his arms. He stared down the length of his body and found Ajalla pressed up against him with her arms and legs intertwined with his. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Johann demanded. His heart thumped against his chest, demanding to be heard. While it wasn¡¯t uncomfortable, it took him off guard and made him feel uncomfortable. Memories of the night he spent with Zafira flashed before his eyes. The way her hips had rocked. Her smooth skin and ample breasts. The conflicting emotions excited his body. Ajalla smiled and snuggled in tighter around him. ¡°You¡¯re so warm,¡± she mused. ¡°I came in to bring you some morning food but you were still asleep. You just looked so nice.¡± ¡°You decided to just come in and assault me in my sleep?¡± The heat inside him flamed, even with Ajalla¡¯s cold body pressed against him. A trickle of sweat rolled down his back. ¡°Don¡¯t be upset,¡± she said and surprised him with a kiss. ¡°You slept so long and I wanted to rest as well.¡± ¡°Long? What time is it?¡± Johann stirred, trying to free himself from her grasp once more. Ajalla released him and held a hand up to her mouth as she yawned. ¡°The sun has just revealed it self fully.¡± Johann sighed with a sense of relief. He feared oversleeping and missing the opportunity to return home. The longer he spent away from the Earth, the more difficult it would be for him to explain his absence. Katarina needed to read her husbands last words. ¡°Where¡¯s Kiri?¡± he asked. She went to bed only a few paces away and with his luck, she was bound to catch them together and assume he was up to mischief. The thought crossed his mind. He glanced down at her cherry red lips and lush dark skin, enticing him to make a move. Ajalla¡¯s ears perked as she released herself from him. ¡°She¡¯s outside, basking in the morning light. Let¡¯s eat,¡± she said in her sing-song voice. Ajalla shuffled up onto her feet and poked the petal, causing it to fall back in a gentle arch. Johann saw how Kiri had opened and closed the petal to her flower last night. It didn¡¯t work out the same way for him though and he had to pull the damn thing up three quarters of the way until it snapped shut. He stepped out of the flower and onto the branch. It took some getting used to, but he figured he could be able to walk along the length of it without falling to his unfortunate death. He put on his boots and joined Ajalla by the trunk of the tree. She sat down and swung her legs over the edge of the branch.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. She patted the spot next to her and twisted to pull a small sack onto her lap. Ajalla unwrapped the melon. It was orange with several thorns poking out of the side. She pulled a knife from her ankle and sliced in between the thorns. ¡°You carried a knife with you in bed?¡± he asked, remembering how her legs had been wrapped around his. He could have easily cut himself on the edge. Ajalla grinned holding the knife up for him to see. ¡°I made it myself and always carry it around. Did Kiri show you hers?¡± ¡°No she didn¡¯t,¡± he said but recalled seeing a strap of fiber attached around her ankle. ¡°That doesn¡¯t look edible.¡± Ajalla frowned and resumed her work cutting open the melon. It took her a great deal of effort to crack open the shell and when she did she ripped them apart and plopped one half onto his lap. ¡°Eat. It¡¯s ruma ... a horny melon.¡± His stomach churned just looking at it. A violet meat filled with hundreds of cream colored seeds made up the interior. Still, he didn''t have much of a choice after last nights selection of a banana and two carrots. Ajalla had gathered them and claimed they were real food. While technically true, he had been hoping for some potato stew, eggs or chicken. Anything that would settle his stomach for more than a few minutes. He peered up into the top of the tree and caught sight of a twig nest left unattended. There might be an egg there, but from what he understood of the Alseid it would only make him even more unpopular. He forced his gaze back down to the melon and held it to his lips. It had a foul bitter stench as if it rotted from the inside out. Ajalla didn¡¯t seem to mind and had her face smeared with purple juice. She noticed him looking her way and broadened her smile and beckoned him to join her. Why was she so cheerful all the time, he thought. She was practically trapped inside an oven every day. Went around without proper footwear and had none of the commodities modern housing provided. What these people needed were railways and steam engines, the building blocks of any advanced civilization. He took a bite but was cautious about the taste. The last two pieces of fruit he ate were distasteful and came with unexpected side effects. His eyes widened as his teeth sank into the soft flesh and sweet juice squirted onto his tongue. He eagerly continued chomping, pressing his face deeper inside the melon. ¡°That was delicious,¡± Johann said, setting it aside and wiped the juice off his mouth with the back of his hand. The empty shell rolled and fell off the branch, crashing down below. A group of people looked up and shouted at the pair. Ajalla grabbed him by the chin, turning his head towards her and kissed him. Short but vivid. ¡°What was that for?¡± he asked still fixated on her mahogany lips. ¡°You were troubled. I cheered you up,¡± she said curling her lips into a grin. ¡°You feel better now.¡± Johann leaned forward and returned the kiss but broke off and pulled away again. ¡°I¡¯m dreadfully sorr--¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be sorry,¡± Ajalla said, leaning over to rest her head on his shoulder. ¡°Take care of Kiri and lessen her troubles. She¡¯s the most important person in all the world to me and I want to see her happy.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I can make her happy. She hates my guts.¡± Ajalla pointed at a shadowy figure laying in the clearing. ¡°If you give her a chance, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll both learn to like each other a lot more.¡± Towards the Grove ¡°They¡¯re here-here,¡± the lionade flower sang. She pulled her petals shut and plopped to the ground. Kiri rolled onto her back and watched them approach. Where had they been all morning? The sun was up and she still hadn¡¯t left to tend to either the Grove or her lot. As they drew nearer, she noticed Ajalla¡¯s frizzled hair and the tears in Johann¡¯s shirt. She frowned, pressing her lips into a thin line. They were keeping a secret from her. She searched for her top and found it on a nearby rock. She gathered more than enough sunlight and minerals to last her the rest of the day. Kiri slipped it back over her head and made sure it sat firm over her breasts. Kiri meant to tease him slightly last night, but the look he gave her only made her heart soften. She couldn¡¯t be soft on him. ¡°Where have you been?¡± Kiri demanded of Ajalla. ¡°You said you would check up on him but that was an hour ago. It doesn¡¯t take that long to get his butt out of bed.¡± Ajalla shrugged, bashing her eyes. ¡°Then how come you didn¡¯t do it? We were just talking and then had some morning food. You¡¯d be surprised at how good it tasted.¡± ¡°Morning food?¡± Kiri narrowed her eyes. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you stooped that low and started eating as well. It¡¯s pure waste when we don¡¯t have to.¡± Johann kept his distance, nervously shifting his weight from one leg to the other. ¡°If you enjoy being in his company that much, then you should take care of him. I don¡¯t have time to waste being patient with such a dim human,¡± Kiri growled. Ajalla regarded her with a pained expression hidden in her eyes. She couldn¡¯t keep it from Kiri, not after growing up together for the past two thousand years. ¡°What happened to you? You weren¡¯t like this before going to Gaia and Tamulan. I understand your frustration but this isn¡¯t like you.¡± Kiri sighed and turned away from Johann. ¡°Nothing¡¯s changed. I have merely opened my eyes to the human atrocities. I can¡¯t ignore and pretend they¡¯re good creatures worthy of our aid. I never should have left Pilamo.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that. You did good saving him.¡± ¡°I¡¯m leaving.¡± Kiri turned on her heel and marched towards the edge of the clearing. The knot in her stomach tightened. ¡°If he wants to come, then fine. If not, then I leave him in your hands. You seem to be getting along just fine with him.¡± Ajalla and Johann had a brief exchange Kiri didn¡¯t bother listening to as she walked. She¡¯d been kind from the start, but he was the one that chose Zafira when given a free will. He only left after being confronted by her deadly methods. Now he was flirting with Ajalla. Her seedling. Together forever and he was putting himself between them. ¡°Wait for me,¡± the human said. Kiri didn¡¯t wait. She¡¯d done enough of that already. In two days she¡¯d be rid of him and could focus on becoming a Warden. She worried about Zafira and the plans the Elders made to close the cove if she didn¡¯t change her ways. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for keeping you waiting,¡± Johann said, drawing up beside her. He combed his hand through his blond hair. ¡°You¡¯ve done a lot for me. I¡¯d like to make it up somehow.¡± Kiri paused, nibbling on her bottom lip. ¡°You know how to care for plants?¡± ¡°Not exactly but I owned a cactus as a kid.¡± His shoulders slumped. ¡°It died of dehydration.¡± Kiri remained speechless for a moment as she tried to process how negligent someone would have to be in order to let a cactus perish. She decided to change that. When he returned to his world, he should at least be able to take care of a simple plant. ¡°Come along,¡± she said, waving him to follow her. ¡°But keep quiet. The animals in our forest won¡¯t be a threat to me but you¡¯re defenseless.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind. How far away is this place we¡¯re going to anyhow?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a grove and it¡¯ll take about twenty minutes for us to get to. Longer depending on how slow you are,¡± she said. Johann nodded, not questioning the reason for their departure from the village. If only he could be this quiet all the time. They made their way down a beaten down path through the brush. It was just large enough for them to wander without scraping themselves. Dozens of Alseid traveled between the Grove and Pilamo every day. The Elders spent most of every day in session with the Mother Tree and many Alseid took turns caring for the Grove as part of their service to the community. The plant-life stirred as they walked, whispering to each other about the foreigner. She felt a little embarrassed, being called out by the plants that knew her for many years but saw her with a man for the first time. They hid themselves away and only popped out when they passed. Even the trees were curious and spoke to her. ¡°Why is this human with you?¡±Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. ¡°Don¡¯t take him any further,¡± another warned and tried to block their path by lowering its branches. Kiri remained silent and ducked under the obstacles in her way. Johann didn¡¯t respond either, but she had a hunch that he couldn¡¯t hear the forest the way she did. He didn¡¯t share the same bond as her and therefore deaf to all non-verbal communication. Halfway there, his breathing became labored and he trailed behind. Sweat brimmed his forehead. He didn¡¯t stop or ask for a break but kept following. She slowed her pace to give him some respite on their way. Twenty feet ahead a batch of leaves drifted to the ground and Kiri stopped to scan the area. The forest had grown silent around her. No gossiping or talking amongst the trees. Just an eerie silence akin to when the spiders snuck by overhead. She crouched down and peered up into the branches. Tibane threatened her people. It didn¡¯t seem too far off for Zafira to return and take the human from them. Still, she didn¡¯t understand what purpose he served her. Johann caught up to her and bent over, hands on his knees, panting. ¡°Is this it? I was kinda expecting something a little more--¡± ¡°Shh!¡± Kiri motioned for him to stay put while she set off on her own. She stepped off the path and took a wide arc around a nearby shorea tree.A twig snapped, drawing her attention to the side where she spotted an eagle perched in the canopy. The apex bird cocked its head after noticing her and leapt off to circle above them. Kiri made herself smaller and pressed her back against the trunk of the tree. The eagle squawked, breaking off its circle to soar down with talons spread apart. Kiri dropped to the ground to avoid the four foot bird of prey, only to realize that it wasn¡¯t targeting her. It swooped over her head and continued to where Johann idly stood twiddling his thumbs. ¡°Get down!¡± She lunged forward, knowing full well she wouldn¡¯t make it on time. He didn¡¯t hear her but caught sight of her running. Johann screamed as the eagle¡¯s talons dug into his back and lifted him into the air. He flailed, grabbing onto twigs and branches as he flew higher. ¡°Should¡¯ve listened to me,¡± she said between gritted teeth. Kiri reached out, channeling a shot of energy from her basin to animate a vine. It sprang up and with a twist of her fingers, she controlled it to snatch his leg. Johann cried out as the vine tugged on his leg. The eagle wasn¡¯t prepared to give up her prize that easily and dug her talons deeper into his back. ¡°Help!¡± Johann¡¯s voice was laced with agony. He raised his arms and tried hitting the bird but the angle had each of his blows miss. Kiri intensified her connection with the vine and streamed more energy into the plant to increase its size and strength. She pulled back, trying to reel him back to the ground. The eagle gave in for a moment as it changed course. Vines cracked, nearly breaking in two but still kept ahold of Johann. The eagle became wary of Johann and the amount of effort she invested into such a meager meal. She released her prey and soared off into the sky with bouts of protest at Kiri having turned against her. Johann fell through leaves and collided with branches on his way down. The sixty foot drop would have killed him, had Kiri not caught him with the vine a hairsbreadth before making contact. Kiri¡¯s heart slammed against her chest. Any harder and it might burst. She lowered him gently onto his side and raced over to be with him. He rolled onto his back, pressing his hand against his hip. ¡°I think it¡¯s broken.¡± ¡°Let me take a look,¡± Kiri said as she lifted his shirt and examined his scarred body that told her he¡¯d been through a lot on Gaia. She laid both hands on him and reached out into his body with her mind. Healing wasn¡¯t her expertise but she had enough experience with small animals to navigate. Johann groaned, writhing on the ground and making it difficult for her to progress. She pressed harder and pinned him in place. His left leg had popped out of the socket and was swelling. Kiri gripped his leg on both sides and sent a stream of energy to loosen up his muscles. Then she snapped the leg back into place. Animal cells differed from plant cells and didn¡¯t allow her to heal him directly. She reached into her pouch and pulled out an emerald leaf and bound it around his leg. The emerald was named after its leaf-like form and came with a variety of healing qualities she often used. ¡°Get up.¡± She cleared her throat, regretting that her words came out harsher than she meant. He was her responsibility and so his injuries were in part her doing. ¡°All right,¡± he said, taking deep breaths before rising. Johann stood on his right leg and tested his left, slowly shifting his weight over. His mouth dropped as his attention went from himself to her. ¡°You¡¯re amazing. I knew you had a trick or two tucked away but couldn¡¯t imagine it would be like what I¡¯ve seen today.¡± Kiri got up, brushed off her knees and poised herself. A grin crept up along the edges of her lips at the compliment he gave her. ¡°Thank you but now you know I¡¯m serious. To many creatures you are just a snack which is why you need to listen to what I say. The Grove is just ahead and we will be safe there for the time.¡± ¡°Sure. I know we met under trying circumstances but I¡¯m willing to learn and be a friend. This place is so different to the city I lived in. I¡¯m not sure if a flower might pop out and rip my head off.¡± ¡°Some may,¡± Kiri said flatly. She should have left that part out because it made him look even weaker than he already did. Johann reminded her of the reason why she hadn¡¯t taken in any young seedlings yet. Constantly having to look after another¡¯s well-being was tiring. ¡°Let¡¯s go. You¡¯ll need to help me in the Grove to make up for the delay. If you complain, I¡¯ll just leave you hanging the next time.¡± Johann shrugged but instead of being put down by her words, he smiled. ¡°Fair enough. Show me this place you keep talking about.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just a place,¡± Kiri explained. ¡°The Grove is home to the most sacred tree in our world. It¡¯s from there that the Alseid emerge and in exchange we care for her.¡± ¡°A her? I didn¡¯t know trees had a sex.¡± Johann limped forward. He still felt a pang of pain whenever he put pressure on his leg but he seemed glad he could stand without crutches. She rolled her eyes. ¡°Of course. All life has a sex even if they do not require a partner to procreate.¡± Despite his clumsy and often times loud nature, she felt a tingle stir in her ethereal basin. He was curious about nature and if she could work on expanding that knowledge, then she might no longer need to hate him as much. The Grove A surge of warmth seeped through his body. It reminded him of being a child in his mother¡¯s arms. The pain lingered, despite Kiri¡¯s attempts to heal him. Her magic healed his leg and allowed him to walk as he had before the incident with the gigantic eagle. He still had to get used to the idea that some creatures were dozens of times larger than they were back on Earth. Kiri led him through the forest and while she retained that cold, distanced attitude for most of the time, he thought he noticed a few cracks here and there. A pleasant surprise for sure, considering he needed as many friends as possible and fewer enemies in this hostile world. Her face was beautiful, even more so when she smiled and glared at him with those shimmering green eyes. Sure, he noticed them at Tamulan and her village but it wasn¡¯t until they were both alone that he felt he could actually appreciate her. ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± Kiri said, lifting a bundle of tendrils up for him to pass under. ¡°Don¡¯t go around touching everything.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dream of it,¡± Johann said as he entered the Grove. He had enough near death experiences to last him a lifetime. He stopped mid-step and took in the massive tree. Roughly the size of a factory but at least twice as high, with thick branches and leaves the size of a roof blocking out the sun. The Grove was dim but lit up by a myriad of flowers that gave off a soft glow. ¡°You are the first human to ever be here,¡± Kiri said as she passed him. ¡°Life first emerged from these trees. It was the Alseid that spread the seeds across the world and nurtured it to full bloom.¡± ¡°It¡¯s...¡± Johann began but couldn¡¯t find the words. Too taken was he by the sheer amount of beauty before him, including Kirilamei. His heart soared as he followed her from one plant to the next accompanied by a sweet fragrance. Kiri gently touched the petals of flowers and gave them the magical energy she possessed and had used to heal him. The glow increased, becoming more vibrant as the stem of the flower stiffened. She moved to the next flower but instead of setting to work, she grabbed his hand and laced her fingers between his. Johann¡¯s pulse raced, as she guided his hand towards the next flower. He caressed the silky smooth surface and felt her warm energy seep through his hand and into the flower. This one became more lively as well and poked its head up straighter. ¡°Life is giving and taking, a distribution of energy amongst all forms,¡± Kiri said. She began to pull her hand away, but he held on and gazed into her eyes. She blinked in surprise. ¡°You can¡¯t just keep taking without giving back.¡± Johann felt an urge build up inside him. An insatiable desire to be around her. Kiri wanted him to give back, and he¡¯d be more than willing to give anything if it meant be with her. Kiri slipped her fingers out of his grip and strode to the tree at the center. The one she referred to as Mother. Leaves rustled in the wind. He never saw a tree that big before and felt dwarfed standing in its shadow. Vibrant waves of energy pulsated from the tree, as if it reached out with invisible hands and caressed his arms. ¡°She likes you. Even though she isn¡¯t quite sure what to make of you.¡± Kiri laughed, covering her face as she stroked the bark of the tree. He couldn¡¯t help but smile hearing her cute laugh and how she tried to hide it from him. ¡°Mother thinks you¡¯re a monkey.¡± ¡°A monkey,¡± Johann frowned, deepening the creases on his forehead. ¡°That¡¯s a little rude, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°Too late. I already told her she¡¯s right, but mentioned that you might not be as naughty.¡± Johann pressed his lips together, nodding as he went through what she told him. ¡°Okay, then I¡¯ll just leave you to talk with your tree friends here. I¡¯ll just be over there if you need me.¡±This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. ¡°Hey!¡± She called at his back. He paused. ¡°Thanks for coming along.¡± Johann shrugged and continued walking to the pond. He sat down on a rock and inspected his leg. His joints ached but the pain was minimal compared to what his feet were going through. He bent over and took off his boots. The cream colored socks faded into dark red stains by his toes. He sucked in a deep breath and held it as he tenderly gripped the tip of his sock. Pain shot through his foot and his breath came out choppy. He ground his teeth together to keep from screaming. Johann was a man and not a boy, he could take a little pain. The blisters worsened from his trek through the forest. His toes looked horrible with the skin rubbed off and bleeding. The fresh air nagged at the gash in his foot. He looked back and made sure Kiri wasn¡¯t nearby when he dipped his foot into the pond. He pressed the palm of his hand against his mouth and bit down hard. His foot shook, stirring up waves until he hardened himself to the pain. The pain faded after a few moments. He sighed and glared down at his feet. Johann needed to get back to Germany and recover. It didn¡¯t matter how beautiful the landscape was or how much time he wanted to spend with Kiri, he wanted professional medical attention. Asking Kiri to heal him all the time would be too much, he thought. He didn¡¯t want to appear even weaker than he already did. Women loved a strong man in their life that could lead them. Charlotte left him because he wasn¡¯t good enough. On Amazon his situation worsened. He was entirely useless and had to rely on Kiri and her tribe to keep him alive. Johann removed the emerald bound to his leg and held it to his feet. The energy was weak but he could still feel the gentle vibrations from the stone¡¯s energy setting to work and mending parts of his wound. A glistening light off to the side caught his attention. He peered down at the depths of the pond where he spotted a gem resting along the bed. Johann scooped it out and examined the smooth stone. It was smaller than his thumb and heart shaped with the edges rounded off after years of being underwater. Johann glanced back into the pond to see if there were any more. A piece that small wouldn¡¯t bring him much back home. The emerald leaves, on the other hand, would be worth a fortune if he found out where Kiri salvaged them. He put the gem in his pocket and stood up. Every minute he spent in their world, people were dying in his. Kiri told him it would take three days for the link between their worlds to be opened again. Three days until he could return the letter. He picked up a rock and flung it skipping across the pond. He couldn¡¯t sit around idly for that long. ¡°Did the water harm you?¡± The voice snatched Johann out of his thoughts and brought him back to his surroundings. He quickly stuffed his feet back into the boots. Kiri strolled past him and brushed long strands of her hair back behind her ear. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can understand your people,¡± Kiri began, keeping her voice soft. Every dryad Johann met was beautiful but there was something about Kiri that sparked an interest in him. It wasn¡¯t just that she saved him from Zafira. She seemed more reserved than Ajalla, hiding herself from him. A part of him longed to discover those depths. ¡°So much anger against the world around you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s easy for you to say but it¡¯s me those spiders were going to devour. Don¡¯t even get me started about the eagle,¡± Johann said with a grin. ¡°I can¡¯t walk in any direction without wondering if the next plant or rodent I see might just try to kill me.¡± Kiri offered him her hand. ¡°Want to help me plant some seeds?¡±
Whisks of fantastical lights danced in the air to the beats of the songs the dryads chanted. None of it compared to the beauty he saw sitting crosslegged across from him. Kiri, the more he thought about her the more his heart twisted in his chest until all he could do was think of her. Johann never garnered any experience in courting women, especially on his own. His father introduced him to Charlotte and her brother during a visit to his shoe parlor. They only saw each other over the weekends when he had time to spare from his studies and even then, there had been a stiff tension between them. To never get too close or show emotions that might offend the other folk. Etiquette dictated his life in Germany. He needed to take matters into his own hands if he wanted to do more than just look at Kiri. But what? They only just met and he¡¯d be leaving the next day. Hardly enough time to build up a meaningful relationship. It would be better for him to let it slide and enjoy the memories. Kiri didn¡¯t ned to cast any spells, she was the magic. ¡°What did I miss?¡± Ajalla said, taking a seat next to him. She had a handful of nuts in her hand and plucked one in her mouth with an audible crunch. ¡°Not bad. I can see why animals burry their nuts.¡± ¡°Just finished the first song,¡± Johann said, helping himself to her offering. Ajalla tapped her knees, eyeing him closely. She shrugged and focused on the three Alseid dancing at the center of the presentation. They used their energy to invigorate flowers and have them follow their motions in an unusual doppelg?nger manner. Sea of Stars A pale blue Uranus glowed amid a sea of stars. The world carried the name of the deity that perished there. It required a great deal of strength to create a world and even more to kill a god. Fallen gods littered the void and it fell upon nymphs, as the lowest caste of gods, to nurture the world and preserve the memory. Kiri rested her hands behind her head, already feeling her mind drift back to Johann and their time in the Grove together. She needed to stay focused on becoming a Warden. Years spent working to gain the attention of the Elders and Mother Tree in order to prove herself valuable outside her lot. Human distractions wouldn¡¯t last long once the waterway to Gaia reopened. So it wouldn¡¯t do her any good thinking of unlikely events. Heavy breathing and groaning snapped her attention to the trunk where Johann hoisted himself up, albeit with some difficulty. Her heart fluttered at the sight of him. His angular face and bright eyes drew attention like moths to a flame. Kiri didn¡¯t want to get burnt but longed to look at him, for a while longer at least. She shook her head and quickly rolled onto her side to conceal her face while pretending to be asleep. Agh. I should have closed the bud, she reprimanded herself for being so foolish around a man. With her breath held, she listened to his steps drawing closer and eventually stop just outside her flower. ¡°Can we talk for a few moments?¡± he whispered. There was no practical need for him to lower his voice when they were the only ones awake that shared the same branch. Kiri tightened her hands into fists and fought back against her natural urge to turn around and see him again. It would only make it harder for her to see him go the next day. ¡°I was hoping to talk with you during the festival.¡± He cleared his throat. ¡°You left early and missed the blossoming.¡± That¡¯s right. She left to clear her mind and focus on what was really important in her life. Most of the other dryads already retired for the night leaving them alone. Even Ajalla already drifted to sleep nearby. ¡°Thank you for saving me. Not only today but the other day from Zafira as well.¡± Silence passed in which she hoped he would think she was asleep and move on. Her heart echoed in her ears, counting the moments. ¡°Wait. I mean, wait.¡± Kiri perked up and studied him. She made herself small and tucked her hands under her lap, a little embarrassed at just how loud she¡¯d called out to him. ¡°You¡¯re welcome, but it¡¯s my duty to protect all life. I would have done the same for anyone.¡± ¡°I see, but I still wanted you to have this as a reminder.¡± Johann paused and fumbled in his trousers. He pulled out a thin tendril with the ends bound and a stone caught in the center dangling. Kiri took the item and studied the jade stone. It contained a decent amount of energy for its size and radiated courage. She stroked the smooth surface, feeling it resonate on her skin, daring her to be more brave towards the human. For a brief moment she thought whether Johann knew about the properties of stones. Considering how surprised he was during their visit to the Grove, she concluded that it was a mere coincidence.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. Johann smiled and continued on towards the sleeping bud beside hers. ¡°Stay here,¡± Kiri said before he could reach the flower. ¡°Keep me company for the night. It¡¯s my last chance learn more of Gaia before you leave.¡± Thoughts raced through her mind as he turned around and stepped into her bud. She pulled in her legs and let him sit down across from her. What was she doing, keeping him this close? Her eyes fell to the gift in her hand. Emotions were getting the best of her when she should remain impartial to all life. ¡°Why is it you¡¯re all so interested in Earth?¡± ¡°Earth¡­ so that¡¯s what you call it. Who else was interested, Ajalla?¡± Johann frowned, thinking back to darker times. ¡°Zafira wanted to know everything about Earth¡­ I folded so easily all she had to do was ask and I gave it away. Once she got in my head, all I could think about was her.¡± Kiri leaned in closer, resting her hand on his leg. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about her, we¡¯re safe here. The Elders will seek her out and discover her true intentions.¡± Johann nodded, placing his hand on top of hers. She felt her heart flutter against her chest at his touch. It wasn¡¯t the first time but not when they were so close she could smell him. She let the moment drag on, enjoying him for while it lasted. ¡°What is it you did on Gai¡ª Earth?¡± Kiri tried to shift his attention from her. Johann frowned and looked down at their hands, fingers laced between each other. Kiri didn¡¯t even realize she did that. ¡°I was a student, but I don¡¯t think I can go back there.¡± ¡°How come? I think you should do what you enjoy and work on achieving it. At least, that¡¯s how I¡¯ve been getting along so far.¡± Kiri tilted her head to the side, studying his face and sullen eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s just say I¡¯ve seen enough these past few years, or even just days to know that almost I learned from an observatory won¡¯t help me in the real world.¡± He smiled and met her gaze. Her heart picked up speed again and even when she broke eye contact, she couldn¡¯t help but look at his lips. ¡°I used to help Meister Zeisser take photographs of the universe. Distant planets and moons and I thought they were the most beautiful thing I ever saw.¡± Kiri smiled and brushed a strand of hair back behind her ear. He pulled her in closer. A hairsbreadth separated their bodies and she felt his warmth carry over onto her. Felt his breath tingle her skin. Johann moved in and kissed her. A brief caress that ended far too quickly. Kiri¡¯s eyes fluttered wide at the sudden movement. The barriers she built up melted away and she gave in to his touch. She frequently kissed Ajalla but it never stirred the same emotions in her. The energy flared up inside her bio-ethereal basin. She wrapped her arms around his head and sat down on his lap. Wild hair fell over her face, concealing her intensifying the kiss and slipping her tongue into his mouth. Johann prickled her skin as he slid his hands up along her body. She straightened, nearly shoving her breast into his face as she broke off the kiss to snatch up fresh air. Kiri caressed the stem at the center of the bud, causing the petals to fold up around the bud and encase them. She began to remove her skirt but held in as Johann pulled the shirt over his head. Numerous scars and bruises marked Johann¡¯s body, some of which resulted from their earlier encounter with the hawk. He didn¡¯t seem all too bothered by it and rolled up his shirt, setting it down and resting his head on it. It made little sense to her why he kept his injuries a secret from her. Treating wounds wasn¡¯t her speciality but she knew plenty of leaves, herbs and stones to mend the most common injuries. ¡°Relax,¡± he whispered. The light inside the bud dimmed as the energy inside the petals faded. She closed her eyes and quickly absorbed the energy washing over her bare body. Kiri gasped, enjoying his nearness a little too much. She slid her hand gently down the length of his body, taking in the lean muscle and how his body reacted to her touch. Kiri felt his heat embrace her and grow the closer they were together. She wanted to feel every inch of him pressed against her. To draw upon his heat and taste those lips over and over again. A Stormy Encounter Kiri woke up early to a torrential storm. Sheets of rain pounded the tree tops and soaked the ground below. Lightning cracked on the horizon and lit up the dull skyline. Raindrops slid down the flower bud and kept them both dry for the most part. Her skin still felt clammy and her body ached harder than she could ever remember. But, waking up and seeing Johann¡¯s sleeping face more than made up for it. Hours could pass and she wouldn¡¯t get bored just watching him lay there. The final day arrived and her heart twisted at the idea of saying her goodbyes to him in the evening. She wondered what last night meant to him. What it meant for them. Life took on a whole new dimension now that she shared her flower bud with him. Nothing could get between her and Ajalla, her seedling, but Johann was a new aspect she wanted to include in her life. Kiri lifted Johann¡¯s arm off her nude body and got dressed. She lowered the petals and peered out to make sure nobody was watching nearby and snuck down the trunk. ¡°You¡¯re horrible at stealth. Always have been,¡± said a voice from the other side of the tree. Ajalla came around with a grin and razor sharp eyes focused on her. ¡°Were you waiting for me to wake up and come down?¡± Ajalla shrugged and pulled Kiri closer to whisper in her ear. ¡°You didn¡¯t think you could keep last night a secret from me. Did you? I mean, you woke me up in the middle of a storm. That¡¯s a feat in its own right.¡± ¡°I-I woke you up. I¡¯m sorry but I had a rough night and couldn¡¯t sleep,¡± Kiri admitted, trying to shift away from the topic. ¡°Rough night. You don¡¯t say.¡± Ajalla raised her brows and let go of her seedling. She led her along the edge of the clearing to where pairs of fruit-bearing trees grew. ¡°You might want to take a few of those. To help mend the source of your trouble sleeping.¡± Lefaljac strode through the rain across the clearing to join the two nymphs. ¡°You look radiant today, Kirilamei. That¡¯s good. You should take Johann as soon as possible and bring him to the cove.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Kiri asked, noticing the unease with which the Elder stood before them. ¡°It won¡¯t open for hours, we still have plenty of time.¡± Lefaljac hesitated answering the question. ¡°I spotted Zafira this morning. We don¡¯t know where she is right now but I¡¯m fairly certain she¡¯s come for Johann.¡± ¡°Zafira¡¯s here?¡± Ajalla said, balling her hands into fists. The Elder circled them, keeping a watchful eye out towards the forest.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. ¡°This might not be the best time, but what if he decides not to leave?¡± ¡°Stay?¡± Lefaljac halted and looked over her shoulder. ¡°Did he say that to you?¡± ¡°Not directly.¡± ¡°It¡¯s his decision to stay or go and we can not make it for him. He did not come here out of his own will. If he is willing, then I see why not.¡± Kiri rolled the melon between both hands. ¡°So he could stay here even longer, as long as it¡¯s what he wants?¡± Lefaljac sighed. ¡°Now¡¯s not the best time for hypothetical situations. It¡¯s better ¡ª easier ¡ª if he goes back to his people until we have brought Zafira and the Erythrai back to our cause. Humans have families that care for each other. They must be worried about and miss him dearly.¡± ¡°I understand,¡± Kiri said in a low voice. ¡°I¡¯ll wake him up and get him ready.¡± ¡°Thank you Kirilamei. I know these past few days have been a trial for you.¡± Lefaljac took Ajalla with her to search for Zafira. Kiri stood in silence as her hopes of being able to keep Johann for another three days were snuffed out. In her heart she knew three days changed nothing, only postponed the inevitable. She fastened the melon under her arm and scaled the tree back up to her level. A flash of lightning streaked over the jungle and highlighted the dark figure lurking by the ralu flower. Zafira sat next to the sleeping Johann. Kiri dropped the melon out of surprise. ¡°Dear Katarina, you don¡¯t know how lonely it is out here.¡± Zafira looked up and showed Kiri the piece of paper she held. ¡°Do you know what this is? It¡¯s a letter. Humans convey words through symbols to relay messages.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t ask for a lesson from you. Now step away from him.¡± Kiri reached into her bio-ethereal basin and prepared to use it to confront Zafira. The nymph stood and folded the letter together. ¡°I could read it to you? Are you sure you¡¯re not interested in what Johann has to say to his loved one back on Gaia?¡± Kiri ground her teeth together and moved around Zafira, placing herself between her and Johann. ¡°I don¡¯t believe you. Leave him and hand yourself over to the Elders.¡± Zafira barked a laugh. ¡°I was just on my way, when I thought I¡¯d stop by and visit my old friend here. They summoned me to a hearing. I¡¯m sure they plan on ganging up on me and sealing me away for the next thousand years.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you speak to them and find out for yourself.¡± She dropped to a knee to check his breathing and let out sigh of relief when she felt his pulse beating against her fingers. ¡°Lefaljac doesn¡¯t appreciate you. They see your strength and fear it, like they fear me. The Elders claim to be Wardens of all dryads but that isn¡¯t true. Only those that think and act as they see fit may wander the worlds.¡± ¡°We have to respect all life. It isn¡¯t our place to take sides.¡± ¡°A noble idea,¡± Zafira stated, holding a finger in the air. ¡°We both saw what the humans did to Gaia and yet the Elders refuse to act. They simply sit in the Grove all day and wait. Hoping for change to occur, but I tell you change has come and I am the one to bring it forth. It¡¯s the only way to save the world.¡± ¡°They might change if we try communicating with them,¡± Kiri said, rising to meet Zafira¡¯s glare. ¡°What makes you think that? Johann?¡± Zafira took a step forward and showed the scars around her wrists. ¡°Heracles slew Ladon and destroyed the garden on Gaia but he also broke my heart. Johann won¡¯t return your affection. Love is an ensnarement men use to hold women hostage. You give yourself fully, only to be abused and discarded.¡± Judgment Zafira stepped out in front of the group of twenty Alseid, amongst them Lefaljac and the two remaining Elders. She came alone out of fear further Erythrai might lead to a confrontation she did not seek. Lefaljac held herself with pride, and despite her great age, she was still gifted with an immense strength that could only be shadowed by her wisdom. They might not have seen eye to eye on many matters but Lefaljac still held great respect in her opinion. Which was why she released the human into their midst into the first place. ¡°I come to you with open arms and seek the guidance of Alseid. Judge me as you will, but let me learn from Mother herself of my ill ways.¡± The Alseid broke out into a frenzy of chatter as they repeated her words and weighed their worth. It fell to the Elders to decide her fate for now. ¡°You wish to answer the summons and present yourself to the Elder Council for judgment?¡± ¡°There is no strife between us,¡± Zafira said, taking another step forward and holding out her empty hands. ¡°It was Kirilamei that convinced me to give myself up and seek your words.¡± Lefaljac opened her arms and embraced Zafira with a warmth she hadn¡¯t felt in years. For a brief moment her thoughts cleared, and she felt reminded of the young seedling in need of rescue. ¡°We welcome you for who you are and will repeat the teachings of Alseid to all that listen.¡± ¡°Thank you, Eldest.¡± Zafira breathed in her sweet fragrance and stepped back. ¡°I apologize for my behavior the last time we met. My people are well now and I wish to speak with you about what I have learned in my visit to Gaia.¡± ¡°Very well, come with us.¡± * * * The Grove changed in the years since Zafira last visited. In some ways it was grander than the garden on Gaia. They strolled through the garden and admired the high growing flowers for their beauty. Flowers came in various shapes, sizes and colors meant to attract different insects. Zafira¡¯s favorite was a red rose, a beauty that knew to defend herself with thorns from unwanted advances. Renili and Sharina left them alone until the session could continue. ¡°Say, how is the human faring in your midst?¡± Zafira stroked the shaft and sent a trickle of energy over to strengthen the rose. ¡°I¡¯m sure he will be pleased to return home when the cove is reopened tonight.¡± ¡°Johann is doing well, considering what he¡¯s been through,¡± Lefaljac said. ¡°We¡¯ve given him water¡¯s voice to help him understand us. He will be much wiser when he returns to Gaia than he was before. With time, I hope many humans will take on the teachings and better themselves.¡± Zafira nodded and continued to stroll around the Grove. Vibrant energy rippled through the air, spewed out from the Mother Tree herself. ¡°We can¡¯t be too careful around the humans. They wear many masks and are driven by greed and power. We¡¯ve seen this and Johann is proof. He is a warrior for a tribe known as Germans. They fight against many other tribes and each destroys the land the other lives on until nothing is left.¡± ¡°That is horrible,¡± Lefaljac said with a frown. She indicated for Zafira to sit by Mother. ¡°Mother will know what¡¯s best. A man able to speak our language is hardly a threat.¡±Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. ¡°That¡¯s true. Nonetheless, I request a reclassification of the human species,¡± Zafira said. ¡°There¡¯s no such thing,¡± Lefaljac snapped. ¡°Their evolutional pattern does not warrant it.¡± ¡°They aren¡¯t mammals, Elder. I¡¯ve studied them for some time now and have ample evidence to conclude that their behavior mirror that of a virus. What we saw twelve thousand years ago was a survival instinct by mimicking the local simians. The humans must be annihilated before they can spread to other worlds.¡± Lefaljac stepped down and laid a hand on her shoulder. Warm bio-ethereal energy seeped in over her skin. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for what happened to you in the garden but we must continue to search for alternatives. We¡¯ll get through this. All of us.¡± ¡°Gaia is my world, my home, and every day a little more of it is being destroyed.¡± Zafira balled her hands into fists. ¡°I can¡¯t sit back any longer and hope the power of good will bring these people to change their basic personality.¡± The Eldest gasped, holding a hand to her mouth as she looked from Mother to her again. Even with those words, she could still feel a sense of sympathy emanating from her. ¡°We are guides, not murderers. I thought I taught you as much.¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough, Lefaljac,¡± Mother said. It gave Zafira a sense of pleasure to hear her be silenced. ¡°A mistake can not be undone but Zafira can learn from it and find her way back to our midst. A unified Alseid would be stronger and more able to aid the distressed planets of our system. Child, lay yourself at my roots and let me see all that has happened.¡± Zafira moved in closer until she was less than an arms-reach away and went down to her knees. Compassion brushed against her skin, inviting her closer. Soothing her nerves. She needed to separate herself from the past. As Mother said, it¡¯s the only way. Her hand fell to her waist, fingers crept inside the hem of her skirt where she pulled out a long wildcat tooth. With a flash, she leapt forward and thrust the tooth into the heart of the tree. The Mother Tree groaned and snapped the vines to attention. Lefaljac jumped to her feet but both were too late. Zafira pulled back on the tooth and clawed open the heart. Brown sap gushed out of the wound, over her hands and onto her feet. The vines, about to wrap themselves around her dangled lifelessly in the air. Lefaljac tackled her to the ground and used her weight to pin her down. ¡°What¡¯ve you done?¡± she screamed. Zafira¡¯s facade cracked and she broke out laughing. ¡°What needed to be done. I was forced to watch my Mother be burned to a cinder by Heracles. Your rules held me back from saving her and now I¡¯ve been given a chance to repay you for your efforts.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not making any sense,¡± Lefaljac said. The grass grew faster, sprouting up around them before she controlled them to restrain Zafira ¡°It¡¯s for your own good until you¡¯ve come back to your senses.¡± Zafira gritted her teeth as she fought back against Lefaljac¡¯s control over herself and the environment. The grass closed in, caressing her skin as it wound around her arms and legs. She cried out as the binding tightened and cut off her blood supply. Nature in these parts were loyal to Alseid, making her less influential in overriding Lefaljac¡¯s grip. She arced her back and flung her head up, butting Lefaljac in the forehead and sending her falling back. The grasp loosened and Zafira scrambled to get back on her feet. She picked up the sharpened tooth and flung it. Lefaljac recovered from the stun but didn¡¯t recognize the weapon coming at her until it buried itself into her throat. Her eyes widened, hands moving up to pull out the tooth. She turned and swayed as she stumbled away. The Elder managed only a few steps until she fell face first back to the ground with a pool of blood forming around her body. Zafira let out a deep breath, releasing not only the air she held in her lungs but the resentment she held back for so many years. It flowed out of her with ease but instead of peace she found a deep void left within her. Her mentor and savior died. She retrieved her dagger and went over to the Mother Tree that still bled sap. Zafira climbed up to remove an Amber Heart. It already ripened to a fruit and in a matter of days a dryad would burst out from the case. But if she planted the seed, she¡¯d create a whole new Mother Tree. One she could raise to be more favorable to her and not the Alseid. The Morning After Johann woke up to an empty bed. Not unusual for a soldier that spent the last four years of his life away from home, but this time was different. He could still smell Kiri¡¯s fragrance linger in the air and taste her sweet kisses on his lips. Rain trickled through the branches above, dripping onto his forehead. The bud was left open and he couldn¡¯t find Kiri nearby. He climbed down the tree and was surprised to find dozens of Alseid still in Pilamo. Hushed voices take to each other from the small groups standing together. They were type to get up early and leave to tend to their lots but today it seemed like all of them stayed home. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Johann asked the Elder, Renili he believed her name was. They only spoke a few times during the evening hours after coming back from the Grove. ¡°Nothing you should concern yourself with. Are you ready to head back home?¡± ¡°Guess so. It¡¯s not like I have any luggage,¡± Johann said, glancing around. ¡°Have you seen Kiri? She wanted to take me today.¡± Renili pressed her lips together in thought. ¡°I saw her earlier this morning talking with Lefaljac. She might be out taking a walk.¡± Johann thanked her and set out through the thick underbrush in search of Kiri. There were only two places he knew of where she would go. One was her lot located almost an hour away and the Grove he could reach within twenty minutes. He skimmed the Grove first in case he heard her. Despite going inside with her the day before, he knew that the site was holy amongst the dryads and him going in there alone might be seen as disrespectful. His clothes were soaked by the time he reached the outskirts of the Grove. The white shirts went transparent and clung to his chest. What he wouldn¡¯t do for an umbrella and a pair of fresh socks. Kiri paced back and forth outside the Grove, her fingers pinched in at her chin. She didn¡¯t even notice him approach until he stood directly beside her. Kiri stopped, taking a small jump back as she looked up and realized it was him. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Kiri demanded, putting a careful distance between them. ¡°I was looking for you,¡± he said trying to keep the worry out of his voice. Something seemed off about Kiri and the way she was acting. Was it him and what happened between them last night? She could even be a little disappointed. ¡°Renili said I need to get ready to go. I was hoping we could still spend some time together before I had to leave. I feel like we need to talk.¡±The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Kiri¡¯s expression hardened, her lips pressed into a thin line. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me about Katarina?¡± ¡°What ¡ª how do you know about her?¡± He took a step closer. It didn¡¯t matter how she knew. The tone of her voice already let him know there was some kind of misunderstanding going on between them. ¡°I saw the letter. You don¡¯t need to keep putting up the act.¡± Kiri balled her hands. Johann padded his pockets, searching for the letter he pried from Hans¡¯ grip. A final wish from a school friend. ¡°You¡¯re not a student either, are you? You¡¯re a soldier, a killer.¡± Johann froze at her words, slowly raising his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not proud of what I did, but that was before I met you.¡± ¡°Spare me the stories. Go back to your world. To your woman and war and never come back.¡± Tears welled up in her eyes. She tried to hide them by quickly turning around. ¡°I¡¯ve promised to help Zafira restore the planet to its original state.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t understand, you¡¯re making a mistake.¡± Johann came around and cupped her face in his hands. His heart pounded against his chest as if his life were at stake by mere words alone. ¡°Zafira¡¯s only using you. Like she used me.¡± ¡°Everyone wants to use me,¡± she whispered and stepped away from him. ¡°The letter wasn¡¯t from me but from a friend of mine. I promised to deliver it for him. I care about you Kiri. Being with you gave me a new perspective.¡± He sighed, slumping his shoulders. ¡°There¡¯s a lot we don¡¯t know about each other, yet. I¡¯m willing to do whatever it takes to change that.¡± Kiri¡¯s eyes were fixed on some distant point, caught in her own thoughts. Hopefully in his favor. He wasn¡¯t sure he could handle another heartbreak. In that moment a scream sounded from the Grove and Johann spun around. ¡°Sounds like somebody needs our help,¡± he said and brushed passed her. They rushed into the Grove. A blanket of silence laid over the Grove. Only the soft rustling of leaves let him know his hearing still functioned. Everywhere on Amazon he went, there were animals and insects battling each other for audio supremacy. The only times when things got quiet were when his life was in danger. Johann slowed his pace down and scanned the Grove for the source of the scream, but also for any predators that might want to make him their lunch. It wasn¡¯t just the lack of sound that gave him pause but also the feeling that laid in the air. The vibrant colors and light that fascinated Johann the other day were gone. Replaced by a dull gray and black slab. Hardly any light penetrated the branches above. It all felt normal. Leaves wilted and fell from the branches by the dozens. ¡°What the¡­¡± Johann caught a leaf mid air, and it crumbled in the palm of his hand. Kiri ran to the Mother Tree. She swiped her hand along the bark and inspected the gash in the side of the tree. ¡°Mother¡¯s dead. I don¡¯t¡ªhow could this happen? She was just going to take an Amber Heart in order to restore the world.¡± Johann looked up into the branches. The fruit that hung there yesterday were all gone. ¡°She¡¯s taken all of them.¡± Kiri¡¯s face went pale and her body began to tremble. Johann came up beside her and wrapped his arms around her. ¡°It¡¯s okay, we will find her and bring the Hearts back.¡± He noticed the body laying on the other side between the roots of the Mother Tree. He tightened his embrace around Kiri, fearing how she might react at the sight of Lefaljac¡¯s body. Antiquity Heracles swung his ax into the side of the tree, chipping away a large chunk of the trunk. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Zafira cried out, rushing over to try to move him away from the Mother Tree. He kept a tight grip on the ax and dug his feet deeper into the ground. Heracles shoved her off him and struck her in the face with the back of his hand. ¡°All this time and you¡¯ve been hiding it from me,¡± Heracles said. He smirked, revealing a side of him she never saw in the months since finding him washed up along the shore. Zafira took him in and nurtured him back to strength, even gave him her heart. ¡°The key to my labors and salvation for killing my wife. Golden apples.¡± Zafira held a hand to her bruised face, body trembling and unwilling to keep the tears any longer from her eyes. ¡°You ... lied to me?¡± Heracles, ripped his ax from the tree and marched over to the young Warden. Muscles bulged under the torn tunic he wore. ¡°I did what I had to but don¡¯t pretend you didn¡¯t enjoy it. You got what you deserved and now it¡¯s time for me to claim my reward.¡± The Greek hero began to spin on the spot, drawing in more strength until the very air around him crackled. Zafira stepped back, feeling the winds howl against her face. Heracles cut through the tree with a single thunderous blow. It stood for another moment, slowly waning to one side and toppling over. A howl sounded from the branches and Ladon, the guardian of the Amber Hearts, burst out of the foliage. The dragon coiled around Heracles and tightened his grip. His eyes shimmered with victory as he opened his jaw to deliver a flame that would scorch the skin off Heracles¡¯ bones. Heracles trembled, veins popping up on his forehead and neck as he struggled against the dragon¡¯s strangle. His arm cracked, but he still managed to free it. He reached inside Ladon¡¯s mouth and yanked out his tonsils.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. Ladon clamped its jaw shut, just shy of separating his wrist. He hissed fumes from his nostril and moved in to bite into Heracles¡¯ head. He came too late as Heracles already managed to slip his other hand out and grabbed a hold each mouth part. The dragon struggled to finish off Heracles, who kept the dragon¡¯s jaw from closing around his head. Ladon soon went on the defense as Heracles increased his pressure and gained the upper-hand over him. Heracles¡¯ muscles bulged as he slowly pushed back and widened the gap. ¡°No, stop. You¡¯re hurting him!¡± Tears ran down Zafira¡¯s cheeks. His jaw popped and was torn apart. The dragon released him from his grip and attempted to flee, only to find himself still at the mercy of Heracles holding his head. Heracles reached over for his ax and buried it into the dragon¡¯s skull. With a crack, life seeped out of Ladon¡¯s eyes and his limp body was tossed to Zafira¡¯s feet. ¡°After ten labors, did you really think a dragon could stop me? This is my destiny you¡¯ve fooled with.¡± Heracles gathered the Amber Hearts and set fire to the Mother Tree. He left with his golden apples, never to be seen by her again. Zafira crumbled to the ground, feeling her own heart break into pieces within her chest. No words could express her sorrow so she sang, lamenting the loss of her guardian for all the day and night. Her chanting was carried by the wind off to sea where it came upon the ears of a young sailor. ¡°What happened here?¡± Jason asked, taking in the corpse of the legendary dragon and scorched remains of the tree. ¡°I heard you singing. Is there anything I can do for you?¡± Zafira cut off mid-verse but did not turn to meet her new guest. ¡°You should go and tell your people of the scoundrel Heracles.¡± Jason stiffened at the name. ¡°That¡¯s no way to talk about the son of Zeus, he¡¯s a hero. I happen to be an aspiring hero myself. It¡¯s not safe around here, let me take you home.¡± ¡°My place is here,¡± Zafira raised her arms and indicated to the surrounding trees, ¡°in the garden.¡± ¡°This is no place for a woman such as yourself.¡± Jason grabbed her arm and yanked her up. This close, he got a good glimpse at her eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen such beauty before. Come and I¡¯ll make you my wife.¡± Zafira pushed back and attempted to run away from him. ¡°No, let go of me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m here to save you. I¡¯ve got a ship full of men to help protect you.¡± Jason grinned as he pulled out a rope and bound it tight around her wrists. ¡°There¡¯s nothing here for you.¡± Crossroads ¡°Let go of me. What¡¯s going on?¡± Kiri demanded as she struggled against Johann¡¯s embrace. He saw something he didn¡¯t want her to see, but she had to know. She heard the scream just as he did. The Mother Tree was dead, killed by Zafira because of her own weakness. Kiri believed her, that she would take an Amber Heart and use it to rejuvenate Gaia without having to harm anyone. She forced herself to hold back the tears at such a devastating loss. All dryads came from the Mother Tree and without it there could be no new dryads. The humming energy that normally engulfed the entire Grove already vanished and within a few hours all the leaves in the branches would crumble. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t look. Let¡¯s just go back to Pilamo and tell the other Elders, so we can stop Zafira.¡± Johann cradled the back of her head and held her tightly against his chest. His warmth and soothing voice helped ease the pain ever so slightly. She wanted ¡ª needed ¡ª to know. Kiri pushed back and freed herself from him. A few hours ago they were curled up together, and she didn¡¯t want to separate, but circumstances changed so quickly. She swung her gaze over her shoulder and spotted the woman laying on her back. Her hands were at her sides, drenched in a pool of blood stemming from the knife wound in her throat. Kiri darted to her corpse and lifted her head into her lap. Gems fell out of the woman¡¯s hair and toppled to the ground. She brushed the Elder¡¯s eyes shut and whispered a prayer so her spirit wouldn¡¯t get lost. Lefaljac was her mentor for so many years and helped broaden her perspective outside the Grove. She never would have decided to become a Warden without her guidance. Kiri¡¯s breath caught in her throat as emotions welled up inside her. A part of her nagged on her heels for her to run after and strike Zafira down. The other filled her with sadness and warned that Lefaljac never approved of her using violence. Lefaljac always believed in the good within people and the ability to solve any problem without force. ¡°Kiri¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s a dark day,¡± Kiri said, interrupting him. ¡°I never thought it might come to this. It''ll take years to overcome the amount of loss we suffered on a single day. I must inform the remaining Elders what occurred here. They¡¯ll know what to do and then I should be able to escort you to the cove and see you safe to your world.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t let them open the portal. They¡¯ll be taking all the Amber Hearts with them.¡± Johann kneeled beside her and grimaced. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what Zafira¡¯s chances on Earth are, but if we don¡¯t stop them lots of people will die.¡± Kiri averted her eyes from him and looked down at the Elder she still held, as if she could wake up at any moment. The past few days had seen more deaths than the past eight hundred years of her life. If only she had never gone through the portal but just reported her findings right away, everything would have gone differently. ¡°There¡¯s nothing I can do to stop them without breaking our ways. Lefaljac lost her life because she believed in Zafira, but she¡¯s grown deaf to reason.¡± ¡°There¡¯s got to be something. Doing nothing is accepting her wrongdoing.¡± Johann reached out to help raise the Elder. ¡°Let me take her back and then we can still figure out what to do.¡±This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. Kiri rose and gently handed Lefaljac over to Johann. They walked the way back to Pilamo in silence. She forced each step forward to keep up with Johann and as they drew nearer the Alseid took notice. They came and graced Lefaljac¡¯s forehead or wove their fingers through her hair. Soft prayers left their lips. Off to the side, some fell to their knees and sobbed when they recognized the Elder. The Elders Renili and Sharina stepped out and stiffened at the sight. ¡°By the gods,¡± Sharina said, moving forward to lay her hand over Lefaljac¡¯s face. She looked back to Renili and pressed her lips together. ¡°We should give her to the ground and free her from her bodily prison.¡± ¡°Of course. See to it that she is properly prepared. I¡¯ll speak with them in the meantime,¡± Renili said. She waited for Sharina to take the body and usher away the onlookers. Kiri recalled her encounter with Zafira while Johann was asleep, their argument and how they came across Lefaljac. ¡°Zafira didn¡¯t seek reconciliation after all. I feared as much when I saw her walk in, but Lefaljac was ever hopeful.¡± ¡°What are we going to do to stop her?¡± Johann asked. Kiri heard the eagerness in his voice, demanding that they go after her. He didn¡¯t have any abilities that could help in a fight against Zafira. ¡°They have the Amber Hearts,¡± Kiri said, wiping tears from her eyes. ¡°I never thought another nymph could ever go so far.¡± Creases appeared on Renili¡¯s face, betraying her youthful appearance. Her shoulders slumped a smidge most people wouldn¡¯t recognize but Kiri spent enough time around the Elders to notice the subtle shifts. ¡°I¡¯ll miss my long conversations with her. Nonetheless, the world continues on, whether or not we act. I feel it in my bones that by now we are too late in sealing the cove and preventing Zafira from crossing over.¡± ¡°So then we chase after her, no matter where she goes. We can¡¯t just let her get away with it,¡± Johann said. ¡°And do what? Fight her? Spill more blood until the soil is soaked with it?¡± Renili asked with a stern voice. She collected herself and turned to Kiri. ¡°We had our chance to seize and sap away her strength as long as she was in our midst. No, we must continue as we have for centuries. Kiri will guide you back to Gaia, after which I will seal the cove and lock Zafira away for eternity.¡± ¡°There must be something we can do to help the humans,¡± Kiri said. ¡°If only to salvage the Hearts and secure our future.¡± Renili frowned at her. ¡°The loss of the Mother Tree is dire but sending any of you out there would risk dwindling our numbers further. We can¡¯t afford a confrontation, Zafira¡¯s too strong and won¡¯t hold back. As long as the cove is sealed, she¡¯ll be trapped and we¡¯ll be able to service our world. By the will of the gods, Lefaljac may become our new Mother Tree.¡± ¡°You¡¯re just going to give up like that?¡± Johann snarled. Any reservations he held back moments ago slipped away. The Mother Tree and Lefaljac didn¡¯t have the same meaning to him as it did for her and the Alseid. He feared for the people on Gaia and what they would go through once Zafira arrived. ¡°You¡¯re against fighting the Erythrai because some of you might die. But if you seal the portal and let Zafira go through with her way, countless more lives are going to be lost.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t expect you to see things as clearly as we do. Alseid do not weigh lives. The willingness to break principle would only lead to further breaches and we would be no better than the Erythrai.¡± Renili held out her hands. ¡°By that measure we would judge all life-forms on their behavior. Are the carnivores to be removed from the ecosystem because they eat the herbivores? Or the herbivores removed because they threaten the plants? We must keep the balance. Now we must say farewell to Lefaljac as we knew her and then I shall seal the cove once and for all. You should ready yourself. It will be your last chance to return home.¡± Kiri felt a stab go through her heart at the words. Once Johann left, there¡¯d be no way for them to see each other again and any hopes she had of traveling the universe would be swept away. Coping The Alseid gathered around the body of Lefaljac. In the time Johann had been there, he''d never seen so many of them out at once. At first he thought there were less than a hundred of the Alseid but more than twice that number gathered for the sad occasion. Some sat in silence while others pleaded and gave thanks to her service and guidance over the years. Three nymphs sat outside the group and played their native instruments that gave off a more positive vibe than he would have thought appropriate. Grief came in many forms and it wasn''t his place to tell anyone else how best to deal with it. Even though he hadn''t harmed Lefaljac, he couldn''t shake the feeling that he was in part responsible for her death. That the information he surrendered to Zafira had spurred her into action. Ajalla appeared almost out of nowhere and caught him off guard as she sat down cross-legged beside him. She laid her hand on his and looked out over the masses. "You don''t have to be here for this. Kiri and I can just come and pick you up when we''re finished and head to the cove." Johann nodded, sparing her a sidelong glance as he considered it. He wasn''t a member of their society and didn''t want to intrude on their privacy but at the same time he felt compelled to stay. Lefaljac freed him from Zafira and helped him make it to the village. Without her patience and the water, he would have never been able to come so close to Kiri. "I owe her a lot, it''s only fair for me to sit this through." "She was tough," Ajalla said, resting her chin in her palm. her eyes shimmered a soft green but seemed focused on a distant point. "Very by the rules with no leeway for nonsense. Guess I was never made out to be a Warden in the first place but Kiri was always so determined." "You''re not a Warden? I thought you all were." Johann felt her grip tighten at the mention of Warden. "I''m afraid I get a little too friendly around people I like." She cocked her head to the side and smiled at him sheepishly. "That''s okay though. It gives me more freedom to be the way I am without endangering others. Only a fraction of the Alseid ever become Wardens. Most of us just stay on Amazon and care for our lots to do our part in keeping the balance." "I see. Well, maybe we could speak to the Wardens. If they''re already used to traveling to other worlds, then they might be willing to help us find and stop Zafira." Ajalla let go of his hand and crossed her arms. She turned away from him and kept silent for a few heartbeats before glancing back over her shoulder at him. "There aren''t any Wardens left." "What do you mean? I thought you and Kiri were training to become one?" "We were," she said in a low voice, trying to keep her voice calm. "Kiri urged the Elders to restart the training and send out Wardens into the universe again. The missions were halted after an incident a few thousand years ago." "A few thous--," Johann shook his head as he tried to clear his mind. "I don''t understand. Why would they stop for such a long time?" "A group of Wardens were attacked and held hostage. It took the Elders decades to find and free them but the damage had already been done and caused a split amongst the Alseid." Ajalla shuddered. "Those Wardens were led by Zafira and the world they were meant to protect was Gaia." It suddenly became quite clear to Johann what happened and the magnitude of the events unfolding around him. This wasn''t just a fight to save Earth but between the pacifist Alseid and the aggressive Erythrai. They were the same people but following different beliefs. If the Erythrai were successful, they could change the entire universe to adopt their ways. "I don''t get it," Johann began, as he looked up to where Renili stood addressing the crowd. "Why won''t they make a move and stop Zafira before it''s too late?" "Stealing from a thief doesn''t change the fact that you became a thief yourself." She leaned over and rested her head on his shoulder as she continued to watch the proceedings. "You don''t have to understand it, but I''m still willing to help." "How are you going to help, if you''re not going to fight?" He didn''t mean to be rude but felt frustrated at the lack of progress he was making with them. He did need all the friends he could get and Ajalla had been nothing but kind to him ever since he arrived. "I have a few friends in high places. I could try speaking with them and that might get us the army we need to fight Zafira."If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. "We?" "Well, of course," Ajalla said with a grin spreading across her beautiful lips. "I''m going with you after all. Kiri''s my seedling and the rules can go to Hades, if they think I''m going to sit around while you two put yourself in danger. Johann raised his brows as he studied her. She had a way with people that let him know she meant what she said and that with her help, he might be able to tip the balance. "What kind of friends are these?" "Six foot beasts of pure muscles with abs I could wash my clothes with." Ajalla got up, stretched and fixed her skirt. "It''s been a little while since we talked, so I better get going now. Meet me at the portal but go through with Kiri if I don''t make it in time. She''ll be able to open up the portal again and let us in when the time is right." "Thank you for your help. We''ll be waiting for you and I''m a little curious to see just what type of friends you have." They shared a laugh but Ajalla needed to leave if she wanted to make it back to the portal before it closed. Johann turned his attention back to the front where Renili stood. She instructed two Alseid to lower Lefaljac into the grave on a platter of wood logs. Once finished, they sealed the grave with dirt. Renili was joined by Sharina and they both got down onto their knees and laid there hands on the mound. "Where did Ajalla go?" a voice snapped from the side. Johann glanced over to find Kiri looming over him with her hands at her hips. She looked around in search of Ajalla. "Don''t tell me she''d skip out on such an important event." "She left to get us some help. Said she knew some friends," Johann said, turning back to the front. "What are they doing?" Kiri knitted her brows together and sat down beside him. She took his hand in her lap and lowered her eyes. "With the Mother Tree killed and the Amber Hearts taken, the Elders decided to keep Lefaljac here and not set her free. Her body will transform and from her heart will emerge a new Mother Tree. All future dryads will come from her." "You''re turning her into a tree?" "Lefalajc would do the same if she were still alive. Becoming the Mother Tree isn''t the end but simply a new form of existence. It will allow us to communicate with her and keep her teachings alive." The hands of the Elders glowed a vibrant green before shifting to an orange and finally blue. Small orbs of energy emanated from the ground and danced in the wind. After a few minutes, the Elders paused and looked at each other. Renili stood and looked over the crowd. "Lefaljac is alive and well again. it will take some time before her mind has adapted and weeks before we will see her emerge here at the center of our village." "We will transform our village into the Grove so that every Alseid may receive the Mother''s Blessing and guidance whenever needed," Sharina said. She bowed her head and when she looked up, her eyes locked onto Johann''s. "Until that time, we will continue to fill in the void left behind and deal with the crisis at hand." "We need to leave," Johann said, recalling the Elder''s plan to seal the cove and prevent any further travel. The Alseid rose and wandered forward to the mound of soil and all gave a portion of their bio-ethereal energy to help support Lefaljac. "It warms my heart to see you here," Renili said. She crossed through the crowd and came to where Johann was getting up. "Have you come to a decision? It would be our pleasure to have you stay amongst us, if you so choose." "Thank you for your help, but my home is in danger." Johann straightened and took Kiri''s hand in a show of unity. "I can''t let Zafira get away with whatever it is she has planned." Renili nodded, keeping her silence as she looked to Kiri and then back at Johann. "I understand your desire to do what you feel is right and won''t stop you but I can remind you to look for another way. Violence appears to be the easy solution but only leads to more harm. I trust you and Kirilamei will do all that you can to prevent a catastrophe on Gaia." "We''re going to capture Zafira and bring her back to stand trial before the Elders," Kiri said. "It''s not just Zafira, you''d have to deal with," Renili pointed out. "Her sisters will be there but I''m willing to give you a chance. If you succeed in capturing Zafira and bringing her back within six days, then I will leave the Cove open. if on the morning of the sixth day you aren''t here, I''ll have no choice but to seal the Cove to prevent Zafira from traveling the worlds and spreading her influence." "You''re setting up a time limit," Johann blurted out. He was glad they''d give them a chance but he had no idea what Zafira''s course of action would be once she reached the other side. "We need to get to the portal s soon as possible before she opens it up. The longer we wait here, the harder it¡¯s going to be to track her down when she does open the portal.¡± ¡°Johann is right,¡± Kiri said, addressing the Elder. ¡°We¡¯ll be leaving now, we¡¯re not entirely sure when she¡¯ll arrive and open the portal but we¡¯ll do our best to stop her. ¡°Very well,¡± Renili said, she looked both of them over, her expression softening. ¡°I can¡¯t wish you the best of luck but I can hope we¡¯ll meet again under better circumstances.¡± Kiri said her farewells to a few of her friends as well as Sharina before going back to Johann and holding out her hand. He didn¡¯t know how good their chances were against the Erythrai, but as long as Ajalla held up her end, they still had hope. Knowing Lefaljac wasn¡¯t truly dead lifted his spirit. Some of the damage might be reversible as long as they acted decisively. They left the village with a small pack of Alseid seeing them off. Some walked through the foliage of the jungle for several minutes before stopping and watching them continue on. He couldn¡¯t blame them for not wanting to take up arms, it wasn¡¯t their way. ¡°So just how far away is the Cove?¡± He asked, wanting to interrupt the awkward silence between them. In the two hours they''d been in Pilamo, they¡¯d never been alone to talk over how they stood to each other. Johann had strong feelings for Kiri and wasn¡¯t willing to give her up that easily but Kiri remained a blank page to him. Was she going with him because she felt responsible or because she still shared feelings for him as well? Portal to Another World Zafira grinned all the way back to the Cove where she left her children. Clambered in her arms and that of her sisters were enough Amber Hearts for her to complete her mission and transform Gaia and then she could take to reforming the Alseid and bringing them align with her methods. The Elders weren''t going to fight her and with Lefaljac dead, she''d further cemented their position in Pilamo. In just a matter of minutes, she could open the portal to Gaia and hopefully keep any curious nymphs at bay long enough to cover her trails. A shame, she thought to herself of the young nymph Kirilamei. The girl reminded her so much of herself and her strength would have been of great benefit on the other side. Zafira glanced over her shoulder and looked out past her sisters trailing behind her. She hoped that Kiri enjoyed her time with Johann and that she''d find the peace Zafira craved. "It took you long enough," a voice whispered in her ear. Zafira spun around, in search of the owner but quickly gave up as she recognized the Godess'' work at display. Everyone else froze in time, while Zafira was free to move and talk. "It''s not polite to keep a woman waiting." Zafira raised the bag of Hearts she carried with her. "You should be glad anybody listens to you. Must be a sad existence to have me as your only companion." "Don''t push your luck," Eris said, taking on the form of a beautiful woman contained within a tight smoky black dress. "Without me, you''d still be locked away as a pleasure servant to Greek heroes." She dropped the bag of Amber Hearts at her feet and folded her arms under her chest. Only a single Heart remained tucked away at her side. One would have been enough to go through and save Gaia, but she still needed the rest for her divine guest. "I upheld my end of the bargain. Where''s the seed?" Eris took graceful steps, revealing her long legs as she approached the dryad. She took a moment to inspect the contents and smiled. "You''ve done well. A little late, but delivered none the less." With a whisk of her hand the bag vanished in thin air along with the Amber Hearts and in its place an oval seed, the size of a fist appeared. The seed appeared almost rock like, with it''s hard jaded coat and rough edges. "A pleasure doing business with you," Eris said, a grin spreading across her vivid red lips. "Remember what I warned you about last time. I''d hate to see you make the same mistake twice." "Please," Zafira said, barking out a laugh. She bent over and picked up the jade seed. "Nothing will stop me from correcting the mistakes of my youth. I''ve seen and learned enough over the past thousand years to prepare myself for anything." In an instant the world around her shifted back into motion and her sisters all paused to look back at her. "Is something the matter? Are we being followed?" Tibane asked, readying her hand on the grip of her sword. Her eyes fixed on the crest of the hill Eris no longer stood at. They realized the Hearts they were carrying were missing and knitted their brows. "She was here again, wasn''t she?" Zafira slowly turned around and relaxed. "It''s nothing but we should get going before we give the Aseid any time to change their mind."Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. As much as she despised Eris, Zafira knew that she owed much of her strength the goddess. Giving away most of the Amber Hearts was a small price to pay to get her revenge and go down in history as a savior. No longer would she be known as the Warden that failed. Nilos rushed forward from the foliage with a towel and bowed his head as he held it out to her. His youthful expression hid the fact that he was over three hundred years old. "Mother, it''s good to have you back. We were worried about you." "There''s no need to worry, I''m fine. Let''s get out of the rain before you catch a cold." Zafira took the towel and joined the Children of the Dawn under the canopy. The rain began to settle down for a brief respite but the journey completely drenched her. After so many years of waiting, she didn''t have the patience to wait around but felt the eagerness in her muscles urging her onward. "We have what we need," Tibane said to the children. A quick burst of excitement rang through the ranks as they speculated what Gaia would be like. None of them remembered the harshness she went through having born them there, only to flee to Amazon when given the chance. "Quiet down now. Gaia is different to the world you''ve come to know and love. There are many dangers there that will be new to you. Be careful and stay safe." "That''s right," Zafira said, moving in next to Tibane and Hestia. "Gaia may be our home but we won''t be welcomed there with open arms. Before we can settle in and restore the planet, we will have to rid it of the humans that seek to destroy it. I fear for each and every one of you and will do what I can to keep all our children safe once we make it to the other side." Hestia smiled reassuringly at the children and turned to Zafira. "There''s no coming back once we go through the portal. I''ve done what I can to prepare the children but I still think they''ll be safer here." Zafira squeezed her sister''s shoulder. "You''ll have to trust me on this one. If we leave them behind, we might never see them again. I can''t go and risk never seeing them again." "Then call off the attack and make peace with the Alseid," Hestia said, keeping her voice low. She held her hand out in the direction they came from. "My heart aches every time we travel there, just as much as yours but we''re risking our families, everyone we care about." "Things only turned out this way because I was weak before. If we don''t act now, matters will only get worse and all hope of change would have been lost." Zafira sighed, looking into the faces of her sisters for reassurance. She bargained and sacrificed too much to simply let it slide. "No one else is willing to do the necessary. You can either join me or stay behind and grow as soft and useless as the Alseid." A moment of silence passed between them. Tibane was the first to speak up. "There''s never been a doubt in my mind!" "I won''t leave my sisters alone," Hestia added. "Then it''s settled," Zafira said and gazed up. The sun broke through the cloud sand beams of light shone down on the cove. "We must act decisively and recreate the paradise we lost." It might very well be the last time she saw Amazon. Zafira may have been born and raised there but her heart belonged far away. She entered the cove until the water came up to her thighs and spread her arms out at her sides. After years of traveling between worlds, the act of opening a portal became second nature to her. She pictured her destination, pinpointing the image with her geographical knowledge and sending out a stream of her bio-ethereal energy. Bubbles emerged around her as the energy level continued to grow until the portal burst open in front of her feet and sent out a powerful gust of wind that nearly threatened to push her back. The water gave wave at her feet and shifted aside, allowing her full access to the portal. Zafira turned around and signaled the others to join her. They only had a few minutes before the energy would be consumed and the portal become passive. Not closed, but on stand-by for the rest of the day. It gave her the opportunity to pull back to Amazon in case of emergency. She smiled at each of the children as they passed her and leapt into the portal brimming with vibrant energy. Tibane and Hestia were the last and joined her along the verge. They all locked hands with each other and leapt through together. For the first time in thousands of years, the Erythrai would be taking responsibility for Gaia once more. A Long Shot The journey through the forest and plains took longer than Kiri anticipated. She should have known that Johann wouldn''t be able to keep up the pace with her. A simple redistribution of bio-ethereal energy proved to be enough to increase her own speed without tiring her body all too much. Humans were much more simplistic in nature and couldn''t push themselves as hard for long. Fortunately, the rain had died down to a soft drizzle and and the afternoon sun helped keep her warm but not managed to dry her skirt. A small patch of trees blocked her view to the Cove but she could already smell the saltwater. They were nearing their destination and she already had a tingling feeling that the portal would be open. Kiri slowed down and glanced over her shoulder to see how far back Johann had fallen. Her heart skipped a beat when she couldn''t spot him right away and spun back around to scan the horizon. Worries shot through her mind. Did she overhear him calling out to her earlier. He could be injured or possibly taken by the creatures of the forest. So far they''d been lucky in that most smaller predators avoided getting on Kiri''s bad side, but out in the open there were bigger creatures that didn''t pay her as much heed. She retraced her path over a soft hill and slowly began to pick up speed when Johann stood up. Johann had been bent over his knees gasping for air, that she hadn''t seen him over the long grass that grew up to five feet high in the open. He wiped the sweat off his forehead and said, "Missing something?" "Yeah, don''t ever do that again?" "What, breathe?" His lips tugged into a warm smile. "Thanks for coming back but how far is this place? My lungs and feet are killing me." Kiri followed his eyes down to his feet, but she didn''t have any problems moving around on exposed feet. "That''s because of your feet clothes. Why are you stuffing them inside such an uncomfortable piece of leather?" "You''re only saying that because you haven''t tried it out for yourself. These boots protect my feet from the elements and help me have good footing," he said, suddenly becoming much livelier." "There''s no need for me to try the unnecessary out. I don''t need to jump off a cliff to determine whether I should or shouldn''t." Kiri turned back the way she came and pointed to the tree-line. "You''re in luck, we''re almost there and then we can take a short break. Or I could also carry you." "I still have my dignity," Johann said with a laugh and pressed on. Kiri couldn''t help but smile and quickly followed him, making sure to match his pace this time and keep him in the corner of her vision. With Johann at her side, she knew that her decision was right -- at least it felt that way to her. To the Alseid, she was breaking the rules and when she returned, she''d be punished just as well as Zafira. That didn''t matter to her though, what did were the lives at stake and making sure Johann didn''t get hurt. With the Amber Hearts, Zafira would be able to revitalize the planet and use nature as a weapon. She shuddered at the possibilities ranging from direct attacks to withholding valuable water. "How many Erythrai are there?" Johann asked as they stepped around a particularly nasty bush. The leaves would leave behind a rash with a powerful itch and in the worst case lead to the leg dying. She didn''t have time to explain all the dangers around, so she guided him around them. "Three." Johann raised his brows, seemingly surprised at the number. Kiri had to admit how cute he looked whenever he came across something he wasn''t expecting. "That''s it? I thought there were a lot more of them where she kept me." "There are twelve Children of Dawn and a couple dozen half-breeds that flocked to Zafira''s rallying call." Kiri tried to keep the sadness out of her face. A lot of hybrids felt unwelcome in their homes as most lacked the abilities of their race but shared the appearance. Zafira gave them a home and trained them to be more than just a race. It worked in uniting them, but Kiri knew she would be abusing that trust in her upcoming fight. "Fifty at max but it''s the Erythrai we need to concentrate on. If we can capture them, then the others will surrender and come back." "Sounds simple enough. We move in under the cover of darkness and capture them. They won''t have the same advantages on Earth as they do here. We''ll have to see just what there plan is but I think I can make a pretty good diversion."This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. "I don''t doubt it, you are the loudest creature I''ve happened across. Even so, it''s not like they''re just going to let us walk in there and take them away. Zafira has been training them for months to become warriors." Kiri cast her eyes down as she realized a whole threat she forgot about but already had a close encounter with. "We''ll need to keep an eye out for spiders. We haven''t found out yet how she''s able to control them, but we have to assume she''ll be fielding them on her journey." "Spiders, great." The cove stretched out in front of them. The orange light of the setting sun shimmered in the crystal clear waters as if it were an invitation. Even from the distance she could make out where the portal had opened and felt the energy unleashed pricle the hairs on her skin. If she did not act within the next hour or so, the portal would close and make it nigh to impossible for her to retrace Zafira''s tracks. "So where''s the portal? I don''t see anything." Kiri pointed near the center of the cove. She flicked her long hair back over her shoulder as studied Johann. "This looks like the perfect spot for an ambush, if I''ve ever seen one," Johann remarked. He kept back and surveyed the tree and coast line. The clothes he wore were torn in several spots and the color of the uniform taking on a different color from that when she found him. If it were up to her, he wouldn''t have to wear anything and they could spend the whole day in a sleeping bud but she couldn''t do that -- yet. Kiri did not need to worry herself with such trivial matters. The grass already whispered to her that Zafira wandered through the portal and that none remained behind. She walked down to the beach where gentle waves washed against her feet. Many might enjoy the touch of water and relax but Kiri felt assaulted whenever she came in contact and the loss of bio-ethereal energy that was sapped away from her. She looked back at Johann and smiled, inviting him over. "We''re safe, they''re gone for now. We have to be prepared for anything when we reach the other side. There''s no telling where on Gaia she opened the portal." Johann glanced around before turning back to Kiri. "Ajalla said she''d meet us at the portal with an army. How much longer do we have?" Kiri held her hand out over the water and felt the impulses growing steadily weaker. "We still have some time but once it closes we won''t be able to relocate her as easily. She could be setting up camp right on the other side of the portal or she could be hiking for miles we don''t what it is she has planned exactly." "I understand." Johann sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "Let''s leave a message behind so she knows we went through to scout on ahead." Kiri went back to the grass growing along the dunes. She knelt down and whispered, "Please, let Ajalla know I''ve gone on ahead and that we''ll be waiting for her." The grass chirped in response and she smiled, stroking the leaves and granting them a sliver of energy as a reward. "All right, stay there while I go ahead and reopen the portal." Kiri strode along but before she could pass Johann, he grabbed her by the arm and held her in place. "I want you to know that I''ll do what I can to help you bring them back." "I know you wou--" "But if it looks like things are going south, I won''t hesitate to take them all out." An eerie silence passed between them. Kiri felt shudders run down her spine at his words. After all the time they''d been together, she thought he''d revoke violence. He was a warrior that lived by the sword and the only way for her to prevent bloodshed was by defeating Zafira. Lefaljac trusted in words, she''d have to put her faith in her own abilities and fight her one on one. Kiri pulled her arm away from him and steeled her emotions. "I hope it won''t come to that, for both our sakes." A few days together couldn''t undo years worth of damage but hope flickered through the cracks that he and the rest of mankind could be helped. If she was wrong and helped bring down Zafira, then it may spell the end of the universe in some distant future. Kiri took a deep breath to calm herself and waded into the water until she felt the humming grow stronger. She held her hands out and reached with her mind until she could grip the portal and began to tear it open once more. Flashes of far off places and faces danced in front of her eyes. The water around her gave way as the portal opened with a thunderous clap. She waved Johann over and leapt inside, falling through pure darkness for several moments. Unsure whether she could breathe or not until she came through the other side where she dropped onto the ground with her knees buckling. Johann followed a few moments later, landing even rougher beside her. She stood up and examined the forest around her and the colder climate that let her knew she was successful. "Where are we?" Johann asked, pushing himself up onto his side. He held a hand at his waist and glanced around. "I was hoping you''d tell me," Kiri said. She''d only been to Gaia once before and the forest she stood in was much more alive than there but she could still taste the arid fumes in the air that let her know civilization was nearby. She spun around to get a full view of her surroundings when her eyes stopped and focused on a woman nearby. A bow in hand. Kiri heard the arrow pierce her long before she felt it. With lazy eyes, she glanced down where the shaft protruded from her gut. It seemed unreal to her, as if she watching it occur to someone else and not on herself. "I got to see the forests of your world," she said with a smile, just before the world grew dark around her. An Old Friend Johann couldn''t believe his own eyes. It must have been a side effect from going through a portal. An arrow stuck from Kiri''s gut, both her hands were wrapped around the shaft of the arrow as she turned and fell to the side. He quickly rushed to her and helped pull the arrow out. His heart hammered against his chest at seeing her injured. Memories of his friends flashed through his mind of how each and every one of them found their death on the battlefield. He couldn''t save them and now fate had struck out once more. Blood seeped through his fingers as he pressed down on the wound. "You''re going to be fine, don''t do this to me," he said looking at her face through tears. He couldn''t lose her as well, not after only just finding a woman with a passion with whom he actually felt a connection. Kiri raised a shaking hand and stretched out a blood-caked finger. "Behind you," she mumbled. She closed her eyes and gritted her teeth together. Johann spun around, eyes widening as he realized the attacker was still there and coming at him. His joints froze up as he recognized the woman leaping into the air with a dagger in her hands. The serving girl Milanja. She tried to kill Kiri and was now trying to put it to an end by taking his life. He would rather die protecting Kiri than to let her have her way. Blood pulsed through his veins as he watched the blade come down on him. With only a few heartbeats to spare, he rolled to the side and heard the whish of the dagger come down where he''d kneeled. Johann came around and tackled Milanja, knocking her off balance and bringing her to the ground. Milanja struggled against him, trying to plunge the dagger into his chest. He gripped her wrists and pinned her to the ground but she was quick to change her tactic and kicked him in the chest with her knee.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. The strength behind her kick surprised him as he gasped for air and she used the moment to topple him off her and come around on top, both hands on her dagger as she brought it down towards his chest. He quickly reached out and grabbed her by the wrists and while he managed to stop her at first, she slowly began to take the upper-hand and inch her way down. His heart thumped against his chest. If the tension kept up as it was, he''d die either way. Johann wriggled, trying to free his legs and get enough power behind them to knock her off but she wasn''t going to fall for the same move she pulled on him. "Halt!" A voice cried out from the side and at first Johann thought the worst. At first he assumed the Erythrai heard the fighting and came to help Milanja but then realized what he heard had been German. With the tip of the blade now grazing his skin, he flicked his gaze over and found a police officer pulling out a pistol from his holster. "Put the knife down!" A bewildered look came across Milanja''s face as she looked from Johann to the police officer. She didn''t seem to understand what he said but knew what the gun would do to her. Slowly, she pulled away from Johann and got onto her feet, turning to face the police officer. "I said, drop the knife." He indicated with the pistol to her to let it fall to the ground. It was only when she complied, that he reached into his pocket and blew on a whistle to call for backup. "I don''t know what the hell is going on here but I''m going to get to the bottom of it. You all right?" "I''m fine but we need to get my friend to a hospital." Johann took deep breaths and felt the burn in his muscles from wrestling against Milanja. He didn''t expect her to be stronger than him. If they were all like that, then they were in for a real problem. His brief proximity to death faded, and he remembered Kiri being injured. He glanced around, trying to make out where she was. He sprung onto his feet, circling around the group of trees where they had first appeared but could find her. A handful of policemen heard the whistle and emerged from the woods. "We have a mad woman on our hands here," the man who saved his life told the oncoming officers. His eyes lingered on Johann''s army boots. "And a deserter by the looks of it. We''re taking them both in for now." Both? Johann spun around in search of Kiri but the space where he left her was vacant.