《Cayleth》 Prologue Run. She was running. A forest dark and terrifying. Glowing eyes. A thunderous growl. Fear. Hunger and Violence chase her. A blur of shadows and fur. Too slow. Teeth and Claws sharp and terrible. Pain. A vessel shredded. Warm blood spilling from a missing limb. A ghost pain of incompletion The growls of a beast, excited with the feast that¡¯s to come. Run. A howl at the moonlight. Fear. Adrenaline. Death comes within the jaws of a beast. Fear calls for the power within her blood. She cries for help and the forest heeds her call. Spiritual lifeblood leaves her. The plants come alive. Tendrils of greenery hold the violence back. But the call of the wild is not so easily stopped. Howls tell of a tale of hunt that is yet to end. She ran. The forest that once seemed like a home now casted eerie shadows that promised many horrors hidden within its depths. ¡°I¡¯ve made a mistake¡± she cried, adrenaline barely containing the pain from where the beast had ripped out her arm. Her small legs strained to the last and burning as they took her as fast as they could. Suddenly a piercing howl boomed through the forest, chilling her blood and driving her mind into a swirl of fear and desperation as all sensations were foregone. Only the thundering beating of her heart and the thumping of her feet on the ground mattered. Escape. Run. Must not stop. She could sense it approaching, hungry, greedy, excited for the prospect of tearing apart the foolish silver haired prey that entered its territory. Fear. ¡°No, no, no, nononononono¡± weakened by the blood spurting from her missing arm. She could sense her body weakening as her mind became more distant. The forest was silent, as if watching the spectacle. The trees that once seemed like friends and allies now were deathly and terrifying, as her hazy mind saw the twists and contortions of the bark as faces. Expressions filled with malice, grinning evilly at the prospect of her blood soaking their roots. She tried to reach deep within her, but no power remained, the forest took it all as a toll to hold back her pursuer. Still she ran. Passing the nightmarish creations of her mind as the fear and blood loss pulled her figure down into the pits of madness. A howl pierced her being once again. Feeling it approaching, she could feel her mind pleading for her to give up, to accept her fate, all the pain would go away. It would all be over in a flash of teeth and claws. ¡°NO! I WILL NOT DIE!¡± She willed herself. Screaming in delirium, for all the pain and terror in the world could not compare to the empty blackness of death. She ran, feeling her pursuer coming closer with every heartbeat. The aura of brutality of what was to come giving her strength to continue pushing her broken vessel beyond its limits. Something changed. Her hazy mind barely being able to acknowledge as the grassy floor changed into one of grey rock and jagged edges that cut into her barefoot feet. But she continued. She saw herself running into the maws of a huge beast. Large and terrible as it encompassed the rocky hill before her, with jagged stalagmites and stalactites turning into fearsome teeth as she ran towards the depths of the cave. Her pursuer was still onto her. It''s claws leaving deep gashes in the rocky floor as it growled longingly for her flesh.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. The dark depths terrified her, but she couldn¡¯t stop now. Her weakened mind didn¡¯t allow for anything to disrupt it as it took all her mental fortitude to continue running. A crack in the rocky wall led deeper into the cave, it was small, she barely being able to clumsily squeeze her diminutive figure inside as the jagged edges of rock cut into her flesh. Just as she passed a thunderous shock of muscle and fur hitting the walls of the cave resounded. Followed by a booming rumble that made her lose her footing. She was blinded now; The cave didn¡¯t allow for any light to ever grace its depths. But the hungry growls and the terrible sounds of claws gnashing against rock willed her to continue, putting her already numbing remaining arm in front of her as she blindly walked deeper into the cave. But as fate would have it, it wasn¡¯t to be. A thunderous howl shook the cave, paralyzing her. A terror so primal that it pulled back her mind from the hazy and feverish thoughts of survival. making even the earth tremble in fear. Trembling, all was trembling. Terror radiated to all the surroundings and even the cave shook, dust and splinters of rock falling around her unmoving figure. She was numb to the noises of rasping and cracking rock, only coming back from the paralysis as a sensation weightlessness assaulted her. ¡°Falling?¡± a stray thought escaped her mouth, as she wondered this was the sensation of death, falling into the depths of it¡¯s abyssal maws. She was wrong, for this was not death. Her body slammed into the rocky floor, her figure broken and shattered. Her remaining limbs twisted in wrong angles as whatever blood remained in her vessel pooled around her. Only the sound of her ragged breathing and the fading thump of her hearth broke the eerie silence of the cave. The bestial presence of the pursuer absent at last. Death¡¯s embrace was cold, colder than anything she ever felt. She thought that terror was unable to affect her anymore, but she was wrong yet again. For this fear came from deep within her soul, freed from shackles of her mortal body into the never-ending coldness of the abyss. Cold. Fear. Fading. ¡°NONONONO¡± She screamed with a voice that no longer escaped from her mouth. Darkness. Death. Enveloping. ¡°I DON¡¯T WANT TO DIE!¡¯ Cold. Fear. Fading. She screamed a soundlessly as the coldness encroached her. Warmth. Something warm touched her body. Different from the abyssal embrace. An alien intrusion. Primal, Hungry. She felt it enveloping her, she couldn¡¯t stop it, nor did she want to, as she reached for that warmth. ¡°MUST SURVIVE!¡± The alien sensation continued, she clawed and screamed, reaching for that warmth, sinking her nails and clinching her teeth into it, but her body was already long compromised, and the abyssal pull on her soul was too strong. ¡°SURVIVE!¡± She screamed reaching one last time, biting, clawing, ripping apart, destroying. Devouring the warmth, attempting to take it for herself. But it was not to be. Death¡¯s gate closed. Coldness enveloped. Sinking down into the abyss. She fell into nothingness. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Noise Feeble Noises Screams Screams In the distance. Shaking. ¡°A¡± ¡°Ay¡± Nothingness Screams. ¡°Ca¡± Shaking. Cold. Screams. ¡°Let¡± Shaking. ¡°I¡¯m dead¡± Screams. ¡°Ca-et¡± ¡°Ay-th¡± ¡°Cayleth¡± CAYLETH! ¡°CAYLETH!!!¡± She opened her eyes, a wooden roof welcomed her, the familiar sight of the shack she called home, a small single room dwelling equipped with a central brazier that burned lightly, driving away the encroaching cold of winter. Firm hands grasped her shoulders, shaking her body lightly; Taking her out of the terror-stricken paralysis. A familiar voice called to her. ¡°Cayleth.¡± She looked at him, a man with a long face, small nose, thin lips, and green eyes that gleamed in the shack¡¯s low light like that of a cat. A face she was all to used seeing bear an infuriating superiority expression, but now all that adorned it was worry. ¡°You were screaming, are you alright?¡± She tried to speak, only to realize how sore her throat was, and as if dam had burst all sensations are returned to her, the pain, the terror, the coldness. It¡¯s all too much. Tear¡¯s burst from her eyes. Two ivory white arms, whole again, wrap around the familiar figure, burying her face in his chest as streams of water fall unimpeded down her face. Raz was surprised but embraced her small body in the end. ¡°It¡¯s quite nice when you act your age, but could you please not scream your lungs out just because of a nightmare? I don¡¯t want that bastard Rob spreading nasty rumors abo..¡± he stopped halfway noticing that the girl¡¯s small body was still shaking in his arms and just how cold she was. ¡°Sorry. It was pretty bad huh?¡± he said with a regretful tone that was very unlike him. Cayleth merely continued to shake in his arms, her small back trembling with bursts of uncontrollable fear, still trying to suppress the memories of the past. She embraced him, feeling his warmth, afraid that the cold nothingness would return and take her away. This persisted for some time, minutes, hours, days, it didn¡¯t matter within the coldness she felt. ¡°Sooo¡­ if you want, I could stay here with you.¡± Raz said, unsure of what to do in a situation like this. He had never seen his friend in such a state. This sparked reaction from Cayleth, as her arms lightened their grip on him, and she seemed to relax a bit. Picking her up, he seated on the straw cushioned fur mat she was sleeping on, laying his back on the wooden wall, putting Cayleth on his lap and resting her head on his chest. ¡°Now I will do this for you, but it doesn¡¯t mean that I¡¯m into kids, so if yo¡­¡± He was about to say something stupid again, but once he noticed the empty gaze and fragility in the Cayleth¡¯s emerald eyes, he stopped himself. This being one of the few times in his life he regretted being such a blabbermouth. ¡®this is so unlike her¡­ what happened?¡¯ The man thought. Usually his comments would be met with a cold chagrining gaze and more than harmless punches by her part, some of which the bruises were yet to heal. Her behavior weirded him out so much he couldn¡¯t even get mad at her for likely waking all the neighbors. ¡°You can sleep, no one can hurt you now¡­ I¡¯ll protect you.¡± He tried reassuring the trembling girl, still unsure what to do. Cayleth finally being able to repress the painful memories enough to focus in the word around her, noticed his troubled expression. ¡®Now I¡¯ve gone and done it¡­¡¯ She felt regret that she needed to rely on this man more than she already did, but the warmth comforted her, and drove away the empty coldness that had spread through her being. ¡°Thank you Raz.¡± Cayleth said in a weak, raspy voice, having someone to rely on seemed to tranquilize the girl, as her mind exhausted from the terror gave in and she passed out, falling into slumber in his arms. Raz simply stayed there, embracing the sleeping Cayleth, surprised at just how fragile her diminutive figure felt. This was a situation he never pictured himself taking part in, Cayleth wasn¡¯t someone weak or frail, despite her appearance these terms were the complete antithesis of the girl the man knew. ¡®Should I try asking her when she wakes up?¡¯ He thought, hearing the peaceful breathing of her slumber. ¡®No that won¡¯t do, anything that can affect someone like that is best left forgotten and buried.¡¯ He too had wounds that were still scarring and healing, but the gaze in her emerald eyes spoke of something much more terrible, and that terrified him. Everyone had their own sad stories, but she was usually such a strong person, what could¡¯ve scarred her so deeply? ¡°You sleep now, tomorrow is a whole new day¡± He reassured, both the sleeping girl and himself. Chapter 1 It was a rainy day. huge grey clouds covered the sky and water fell like curtain on the lands below. Within the watery curtain stood a village, located on a deforested area on the edge of an ocean of greenery that seemed to swallow the horizon, it was the very definition of bleak. A chaotic arrangement of wooden shacks intertwined by battered dirt roads, already turning into mud with the heavy downpour. Entirely surrounded by a defensive wall made from the corpses of the surrounding trees, the whole structure was built besides a river that ran from the depths of the forest. Grey figures could be seen moving along the damp scenery. Hurriedly in their steps in a feeble attempt to avoid the rain sapping the little warmth their ragged clothes could muster. Apathic in their movements to finish whichever tasks they were assigned and retreat to warmth of their houses. Among the grin figures that were unlucky enough to leave the shelter of their homes, one outlier stood out from the others. A little girl, seemingly not older than 10 winters, skipped happily in the muddy streets. Humming a song only she could hear, while her rough patch-worked dress was left clinging tightly to her skin. The muddy floor stained her ivory white barefoot legs up to her shins, but none of that seemed to faze her, as she continued in her happy demeanor. Earning her quite a few strange looks from the most recent inhabitants of the village, while all the ones who were there for a more considerable amount of time simply ignored her. It was unusual to see someone so happy when going out in this weather. Strange enough to pull them out of the apathy caused by their fate, as the falling temperatures coupled with the humidity made it for the prime time for diseases to attack, and they all knew an unlucky case of the flu could spell their end in this place. Hence, the ones closest to the girl shot her curious looks. Their curiosity turned to shock, then some became hateful glares as they acknowledged the silvery hair running down to her shoulders and features angular as if sculpted in marble. Earning her quite a few less than friendly mutters and whispers. ¡°what¡¯s a halfling doin ere?¡± ¡°Damn xeno¡± ¡°I thought this was a village for human folk, what¡¯s that thing doing here?¡± Ignoring all the hostility with a trained indifference she continued humming her song. Heading for the outskirts of the village. But she knew some of them might become a nuisance later due clear hatred some of the glares conveyed. ¡®Ah damn, forgot this was the district where they put all the fresh ones¡­ it¡¯s no trouble though, if they do become a problem, Raz will just beat some sense into them¡¯ She thought with indifference. These were refugees, humans from the border towns forced to flee to the interior of the kingdom due to the war. Unwanted in the bigger inward cities, they were sent to villages like this; their demeanor was hardly new to the girl, there were many that came before and couldn¡¯t survive winter, and there will be more after them. There¡¯s always more. ¡®Better expanding the northern border than enslaved by xenos, or some crap like that, poor sods.¡¯ she thought grimly. Memories of a happier time surfacing soon replaced by the pain and apathy of losing it all a years ago. It wasn¡¯t anyone¡¯s fault they were stripped of their homes. That was something every last person here could relate with all the other inhabitants ¡®But that doesn¡¯t give anyone the right to be rude.¡¯ Cayleth thought. Unlikely as it may seem, the girl had lived on this village for far longer than most, she arrived a few years prior, and successfully survived several winters within the inhospitable environment. She knew by experience that many of these poor souls wouldn¡¯t resist the harsh cold, weakened by the lack of food. She continued on through the rain, the village was hardly large, the infertile land which could barely grow the bare minimum for survival, and fierce beasts in the surrounding forests where humans were at the bottom of the food chain would¡¯ve long turned this place and many other expeditionary villages in the Great Forest to an abandoned ruin reclaimed by nature if not for the war that plagued the eastern borders of the kingdom. And the endless waves of refugees that came with that. ¡®Raz should be on gate duty, I should drop by and warn him that I¡¯m going to the forest, there¡¯s a ton of new blood around, and I don¡¯t need that jackass threatening every last one of them just because he can¡¯t find me.¡¯ Thinking of the antics of her companion, the girl let out a sigh. More for the possible headache of having to deal with more hostility directed at her, than the possibility they actually posed a threat to her. She finally arrived at her destination, in the border of the village stood a crude wooden palisade, made from tree trunks with pointed ends, partially buried into the ground, becoming a rather sturdy wall. A gap in the defenses gave way to a thick wooden gate reinforced with iron. Immediately outside the gates stood a crude wooden structure that held a small straw roof. Barely giving shelter to the sentries that would close the gates whenever the denizens of the surrounding forest threatened the inhabitants. Manning the gates were two men, both dressed in thick clothes and a ragged leather cuirasses; One seemed alert and on edge, eyes darting around the granary fields and forest outside in search for beasts, hands clutching a cheap spear firmly; while the other laid his back on the wooden wall and held his spear lazily.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. The guard that looked like he was dozing off was a tall and skinny man, the upper half of his face hidden behind an old looking metal helmet that he slanted forward to cover his green cat-like eyes. The other one lacked a helmet and had a common face only barely memorable by the multitude of scars that it held, and the wild hair and beard surrounding it, he possessed a bulkier constitution, and seemed like someone who knew his way around a blade a bit too well. As she approached the gates one of the figures hearing her footsteps amidst the falling rain turned back and greeted her. Surprisingly it was the laid back one that seemed to be dozing off just a few moments prior. ¡°So, you¡¯re up princess?¡± he said, suddenly coming right out of his near dozing off state to one of alertness in barely a second, betraying that he was ever asleep at all. ¡°Have you finally realized how much your big brother sacrifices himself for you while you just laze around all day; so, you came to apologize and promise you won¡¯t be such a useless brat from now on?¡± Said Raz, putting up his best impersonation of a weary demeanor and slumping his shoulders, but unable to hide the shit-eating grin plastered across his face. Keeping a blank expression, Cayleth retorted with a trained cold voice on their familiar back and forth ¡°Says the lazy bum who can fall asleep just about anywhere. At any time.¡± The man put up an offended expression and puffed up his chest. ¡°How dare you! I¡¯m the damn best guardsman this village has, they should be glad I¡¯m willing to waste MY TIME sleeping during duty!¡± Noticing the unfamiliar face and the side eyed glimpses the other sentry was shooting them, not daring to turn his head towards the man still putting up an offended demeanor and listing very good reasons why sleeping during duty was his right. ¡°Riiight¡­ so new guy huh?¡± She said directing her eyes at the other guard. The man was clearly a greenhorn now that the girl took a closer loot at him. He held his spear firmly, but his posture told of someone that was more used to shady dealings in the shadows of buildings than fighting off beasts in the wild. Stopping his rambles, Raz looked at the confused expression the other guard was bearing. ¡°Yeah, this fresh beast bait came with the last batch of them, but differently from the other more useless beast baits, this one can actually hold a pointy stick and not stab himself in the ass with it. So they told me to babysit him and prevent the Innards Worms from getting to him too early. It seems old Jonah is tired of opening up people¡¯s bellies to remove them¡± The other man became a little flustered and paled a little but didn¡¯t say anything, still keeping his eyes in the distance. It seemed he was already used to the antics of the lazy man and had already learned the hard way that he was much more dangerous than his carefree demeanor suggested. ¡®Already so obedient Raz, you¡¯re getting good taming these city folk¡¯ She thought; Since Raz had left early in the day, even before the sun rose, it was clear that they had been together for at least the entire morning, and she dreaded just how much the thuggish looking man had to put up with so far. Redirecting her gaze at him she noticed that his posture was unusually tense, leg muscles flexed. ¡®So he did fall for the Innard Worms¡­ ah you never cease to surprise me Raz¡¯ She thought. ¡°You¡¯ve been terrorizing the poor sod! ¡­sigh¡± she turned to the bulky man firmly clenching his butt cheeks. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, there¡¯s no such thing as a beast that enters through your bum and eats your intestines, it¡¯s all horseshite you shouldn¡¯t believe everything this jackass says¡± Surprised that the girl was talking to him, the man¡¯s expression was a bit startled. Becoming almost relieved he had a reason to stop looking at the distance, not daring to look back at Raz, but his expression turned ugly when he was able to take a good look at Cayleth and recognized her racial traits. Clenching his teeth and was about to retort when he felt a chill running down his spine and realized Raz was glaring at him. Not missing the changes occurring in his expression, ¡®he¡¯s just like all the others¡­ sigh¡¯ the girl turned to the lazy excuse for a guardsman and continued as if nothing had happened. ¡°Well I¡¯m heading off to gather some stuff in the forest. Don¡¯t doze off too much Raz, you never know when something might sneak up on you and turn you into the boniest meal it ever had¡± The man disregarded her comments and retorted. ¡°Says the brat who has so little meat on her body that the beasts mistake you for a withered tree.¡± putting up a more serious worried expression Raz continued ¡°take care kiddo.¡± Noticing his genuine worry she answered firmly. ¡°You know I will.¡± Putting his best shit-eating grin Raz retorted. ¡°Just as I know that flatlands will never become mounta¡­¡± The girl suddenly punched her reliable yet annoying friend in the stomach. Her body was small, shoulders barely reaching above his waist, but her punch resounded loudly when it hit the crude leather. The man stumbled and folded forward, falling on all fours. Raz was bent over with his hands on the ground gasping for air, this startled the other guard which was just staring blankly at their familial back and forth after Raz had directed his killing intent at him. But he didn¡¯t have a chance to act, as the girl had already walked out of the gates and was on her way through the road that led to the forest. ¡®You should get your acting skills together idiot!¡¯ She hadn¡¯t missed the idiotic grin Raz had on his face even while he pretended to gasp for air. ¡°Dammit Cayleth!!! Was that really necessary?! I swear you punches hit harder than a damn Grinder Bear! You sure you don¡¯t have a bit of Ogre blood in you? Seriously ouch!¡± Them every last strand of pretended pain faded from his voice, turning back into his usual mocking tone ¡°You know you¡¯ll never find a husband if you keep acting like that you shitty brat!¡± Cayleth ignored the all too familiar mocks, Raz was a good man, reliable when push came to shove, and took care of her for most of time they knew each other. But if not for how capable he was, his personality coupled with a mouth that was a bit too loose, he¡¯d likely have found himself in the wrong end of a blade long ago.
The thuggish guard looked dumbfoundedly the man who was still on his fours, he had struck him as someone dangerous, and he was folded by the punch of young girl? He knew his way around a fight and that punch was a clear hit, and the way it resounded gave away the considerable power that backed it up, ¡®who the hell was that half-breed?¡¯ he thought He was lost in thought until he felt a chill running down his spine and noticed his ¡®superior officer¡¯ was looking sinisterly at him. ¡°So tell me beast bait. Ya got sumethin gainst elves?¡± Said Raz as his pupils straightened like that of a feline and a dangerous glint shone through them.
Once she was sufficiently away from the gates so that the granary fields hid her short figure from the idiot that was likely terrorizing the rookie that looked ugly at her, she allowed a sigh to escape her mouth. ¡®Just hope he doesn¡¯t go too overboard, we don¡¯t need another situation in our hands¡­¡¯ Discontinuing her train of thought Cayleth peeked under the hem of her dress, letting another deep sigh escape her throat. ¡®I know elves are supposed to age slower, but this is too much¡­¡¯ Remembering the mocking face of a certain bum she forcibly cut off the darkening thoughts cursing her heritage. The girl that looked no older than 10, resumed humming her song; Walking a winding path among fields of granary, thinking of what boons the forest in the distance could offer her. Chapter 2 Cayleth was running through the forest, the heavy rain muffling the sounds she made while crossing the greenery. Her silver hair heavy with the humidity clinging tightly to her nape. It felt liberating, the plants around her noticed her presence, just as she was aware of theirs, like old friends finally meeting. Even among the edges of the forest the trees were high, higher than any other she had seen before coming here, she still remembered when she first took sight of it a few years back. Enormous logs splitting into a myriad of branches thicker than herself and seemed to reach the heavens, booming with large green foliage during the heat of summer, offering an everlasting shade to the lands below, the green turning bloodshot during autumn making it seem as if the skies were on fire during the daylight, the leaves wilting into needle like protrusions during the snowy winter as the snow painted the scenery in the purest of whites, only to blossom into a myriad of multicolored flowers during spring, their smell permeating the whole forest and lands around. The way the forest brimmed with life and beauty tricked her back them, a mistake she wouldn¡¯t commit again. Humming a song thought by her mother, she slowed down her pace, reaching an area where the mana was ever so slightly thicker than in the village. But it was enough so everything seemed like it was brimming with life, yet still not present enough quantity so the denizens of the forest would claim the land as their territory. Cayleth stopped near a large tree and meditated, reaching with her consciousness, peering into herself she could feel a node of light. It was like small sphere, the circumference not larger than that of her irises, she could feel the energy of the world pouring into it, leaving it in equal measures afterwards, never overflowing in an endless cycle; She willed the energy out of the sphere and directed it outwards, running from where the node stood in her hearth down her right arm leaving a prickly sensation where the energy had passed. She touched one of the big trees and allowed the mana to leave her body and pour into the bark. The tree reacted, hungrily taking in the spiritual energy, Cayleth regulated it so the energy drain wouldn¡¯t sap her and formed a link with the plant. Directing her consciousness along with the strand of energy. The tree noticed the alien intrusion, but the plant consciousness unable to form complex thoughts, simply dismissed it as unimportant as it hungrily took the refined mana from the girl just as its roots extracted water and nutrients from the soil. Cayleth couldn¡¯t help but let out a giggle at the simple yet ancient presence of the tree. She then willed the part of her consciousness present within the energy link to reflect her will, shaping it in the song taught by her mother, so the tree could understand it, like a child asking a question to their elderly. The plant ignored her for a few minutes, Cayleth already feeling the strain on her reserves, no matter how diminutive the cost of maintaining the link was, it still took a great deal of effort, and much of the mana was lost in the process of externalizing it due to her meager skill. But the tree eventually answered back to the pleas of the little mosquito nagging at its ears. Cayleth felt her senses expanding, strange sensations filled her mind as her consciousness travelled along an intertwined root system beneath ground, and back emerging from every grass, bush and tree in the near vicinity from the one where she injected herself. She could feel everything the plant¡¯s felt, although the sensory experience was alien, like seeing through tact, hearing through what seemed like smells, the combined consciousness of the forest submerging her own. She allowed it to run its course, becoming one with the plant¡¯s before directing her request in the form of a song through the energy. Among the scenery present in her mindscape several parts of it glowed with golden light and some gained a severe dark mist that spelled danger as the spell ran its course. She couldn¡¯t help but let a smirk out as she retracted her strained mind from the collective of the forest. Willing a larger mote of mana into the tree before severing the connection. ¡®thank you¡¯ Reclining on the bark she stopped for a second to recover from the mild migraine caused by her dive. Smirking at her progress. Still remembering the splitting headache that lasted for hours when her mother first introduced her to the druidic arts. If asked, any of the villagers would¡¯ve said that the forest was terrible, bearing only poisonous plant¡¯s, toxic mushrooms, and thorny bushes that festered in the everlasting twilight of its domain. But for Cayleth those people simply didn¡¯t know where to look. Yes, the forest was not kind, few of the plants bearing fruits, of these most were poisonous and toxic, but it was not in its entirety. She approached a thorny bush, it carried large purple berries that seemed about to burst with their fruity juice, but Cayleth knew better. The berries were still firmly covered in a dangerous dark mist in her eyes, instead she focused on the golden light shinning under the thorny branches, within the ground. Digging the moist earth with her bare hands didn¡¯t prove too hard. Staining her ivory white arms up to her elbows, she dug until the golden light was bared to the world to see, exposing a clump of purple tuberous mass. ¡°Jackpot¡± Cayleth couldn¡¯t help but exclaim, expectant with the possibility of making her usually boring supper of wheat porridge a bit more sumptuous. She harvested the tubers, rinsing the earth the best she could before storing them in a pocket sewed in the frontal part of her dress. Then her gaze fell on a few mushrooms growing on the bark of one of the trees. They were a phosphorescent blue with pink spots in their caps, screaming danger and toxicity to any less versed herbalist. To Cayleth though she knew all the danger was not on the cap, but on the stalk, as she carefully plucked the neon blue mushrooms from their perches, disposing of the brown stalk where the dark mist resided, keeping only the caps. ¡®This should be enough¡¯ There were still many motes of golden light in the greenery around her, but she decided against harvesting them. Hoarding food was a punishable offence in a village where it was ever so scarce, and while the boons of the forest were plentiful, Cayleth didn¡¯t feel any urge to share them. She wasn¡¯t worried about the common folk discovering her. Raz reputation was more than enough of a deterrent so they didn¡¯t dare to touch her, but in a small village the news fly, and the higher ups were another problem in of themselves. In the past she slipped and let the other villagers know about a strain of berry that was safe to be eaten, that led to the village chief personally calling her and coaxing out every strand of information about it from her foolish older self. Leading subsequently to a gathering frenzy that all but extinguished that particular plant from the vicinity of the village. Unwilling to let that let happen again, and having her subsistence threatened, she always hid whatever she harvested, only sharing it with Raz. Letting all others believe the forest was inhospitable and poisonous. Selfish? Maybe. Cold? She knew the desperate folk wouldn¡¯t hesitate to do worse if they thought necessary.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. The rain had finally stopped, rays of sunshine penetrating through the deep reddening foliage. The sun at its zenith peeking through the edges of the storm clouds that left towards the south. A chilly wind denouncing the approach of winter still blowing through the trees. Cayleth looked up at the sky, it would take her a good part of an hour to make her way back to the village, and knowing the routine, that would put her walking through the muddy streets right in the middle of the busiest hour of the small community. Specially after the rain made everyone retreat to shelter for most of the morning, and the prospect of going through that, having glares directed at her, and waiting inside their home till Raz came back from duty was hardly appealing to her. Looking at her arms and dress stained with mud and dirt she made her decision. ¡®The spring it is them, it¡¯s a bit chilly but the sun will make do¡¯ quickly finding an excuse not to come back early. Even though she knew Raz would likely be worried about her. She ran following her mental map of the forest for another hour or so. For a while all that broke the silence in the wooden scenery was the sound of her footsteps, and the rustling of cloth against her skin, one thing the outer edges of the Forest of Evargandur was its frightful silence. A burbling sound broke the peaceful atmosphere, indicating that Cayleth neared her destination. A few more minutes running revealed a small lake. Surrounded by large rocks covered with moss, one of which sprouted a stream of water. Cayleth couldn¡¯t help but break a smile at the sight of her favorite retreat from the village life. Raz¡¯s work as one of the higher-up¡¯s lackeys ensured that they wouldn¡¯t starve as long as the situation wasn¡¯t critical. And most of the old folk that held important professions in the village didn¡¯t like her very much, refusing to teach her their craft. They wouldn¡¯t teach anyone but their offspring in the first place, but they really didn¡¯t like her in particular. All that was left was working in the fields along with the refugees, and that was hardly appealing to her. This place always held a special place in her heart ever since she found it. Located in a clearing, the crystal-clear water gleamed in the sunlight, freed for the everlasting shade the trees imposed. Not wasting another second, the girl ran and jumped in the lake with a ¡®¡¯Yahoo¡± , her dress ballooning up as she sunk to the bottom of the 2 meter crater. Letting the buoyancy drag her back to the surface, she made her way towards the shore. Leaving an earthy stain on the water as it washed away the mud stuck to her figure. Sitting on a smaller rock on the lake¡¯s shore, she took off her dress, revealing her marble white curveless figure. Proceeding to do her best to rinse whatever mud was left on the cloth and her harvest. The tubers proved to be rather rebellious as their uneven and rugged outer layer seemed to hold much more of the earthy substance than it was entitled to. Once she was satisfied, she chose one of the largest boulders where the sun was still hitting and extended the clothing on top of it, leaving the now much cleaner Tubers and Mushrooms beside it, unpreoccupied that something might snatch them away. Diving right back into the lake, she swam for a while before letting herself float. Relaxing her body, she looked at the bright sun shinning in the sky, feeling its glow hit her exposed skin gave her a sensation of peace like no other. She closed her eyes entering a state of calmness that made it seem like all was right in the world. There was nothing else, only the sun and herself, its warmth nourishing her and driving away the coldness of the world. Letting her consciousness drift into an almost slumber, she only awakened when the sun had once again hidden itself behind the towering vegetation. Reemerging from the depths of her mind, she found herself feeling refreshed. Swimming to the shore, she dried her hair by shaking her head and squeezing it, so the excess water wouldn¡¯t soak her dress. She felt a rather cold wind running through her bare flesh, denouncing the approach of dusk, but ignored it as a minor annoyance as her entire body felt brimming with vitality. ¡°Those human folks really don¡¯t enjoy the simple things in life, do they?¡± She allowed her thoughts to escape through her mouth as she knew there was not a soul in reach to hear her, not ones that cared anyway. ¡°Well at least I don¡¯t have to share, they¡¯re all cunts anyway¡± She thought of the folk in the village, always complaining about their life, how cold they felt, how the hunger was tearing their insides apart, how the world was unfair and so on, sometimes she felt pity for them, but their behavior towards her ensured that even that pity was short lived most of the time. The cold wind continued running through her figure as she put on her down almost dry dress, storing back her harvest on the frontal pocket, she took one last look on the lake. Approaching it so the surface of the water mirrored her image. ¡°Yep, no changes yet, you¡¯re still a brat, just wait a few more decades and I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll grown up to be a fine woman Cayleth just you wait¡­¡­ *sigh¡± she said, mimicking Raz¡¯s mocking tone. Although she kept a stern fa?ade about it every time he brought it up, it actually bothered her a lot. ¡°I¡¯m not even a damn full-blooded elf, why the hell I must stay like this for years?! Like come on?!¡± She said punching her reflection in the water, with a scowl on her childish face that was more cute than intimidating, and it infuriated her. And for the thousandth time the world didn¡¯t answer her questions. So she sighed again and left towards the village, barring the negative thoughts with ones of what she should make for supper. ¡°Oh, I should gather some firewood too¡± she said to no one In particular. Now keeping an eye out for any fallen sticks and branches she could carry with her, so she didn¡¯t go back seemingly empty handed. Finding suitable ones wasn¡¯t too hard, some of the bushes and the smaller tree species had already started to shed some of the excess growth they couldn¡¯t afford in preparation for the approaching winter. Breaking the weaker and dryer looking branches wasn¡¯t too hard, and soon she had a plethora of sticks on top of her shoulder. Also putting some of straighter, less pointy ones inside the frontal pocket to mask the volume of her harvest. It never hurt to be careful. Humming her song again she continued to make her way back to the village, only the sound of her footsteps and rustling cloth against the vegetation breaking the silence of the woods. Not long after, Cayleth heard a creaking sound, breaking her calm. Just because the meadow of everlasting twilight didn¡¯t house any particular critters, it didn¡¯t mean it was impossible for one of the dwellers of the inner forest to make their way there, an occurrence that happened often during winter as beasts made their way out of the inner sanctum and attacked the village. But it was still too early for that. Now alert to her surroundings she dropped the sticks she was carrying. Lowering her body and moving quickly and quietly, putting a tree in between herself and where she heard the noise. Taking out the sticks in her pocket. She chose one that was longer and straighter than the others and willed her mana into it, once it was filled with her mana and she could sense all the infinitely small structures within it. Multiplying and rearranging them with her mind, the stick becoming straighter and sturdier, gaining a flat pointed end with edges on both sides, copying the format of the spear Raz wielded, albeit an entirely wooden one. ¡®This won¡¯t last long but it¡¯ll do¡¯ The whole process took only a few seconds but also claimed nearly a quarter of her mana. She then made one more, for the possibility she needed to throw one of them. A Wolverine Rat or an Impaler Rabbit she could contend to; The latter would become a nice addition to her supper. Although she¡¯d have to hide the body then come back with Raz for a dinner in the woods if they were to keep it for themselves. But if Bone Gnawer or a One-eyed Wolf had caught on to her scent. She could only hope the throw spears would slow it down as she ran for her dear life. With her senses on high alert, and heart pounding, she lowered her figure and spied her surroundings. The silent nature of the forest made it, so any noise seemed like an oddity, The location of the creaking branch was about 30 meters away if Cayleth¡¯s acute hearing was to be trusted. With the time it took for her to create her weapons. It was enough so any predator could¡¯ve approached and readied itself to attack in the meantime. Keeping perfectly still and limbs like coiled springs ready jump at any moment, she waited. 30 seconds. A minute. Two minutes. Then it happened, she faintly heard another crack of a branch breaking in the distance. Followed by a dull thud, confusing her. Then she heard it, a small cry, that then turned louder. The cry of a child followed by another voice. ¡®Children? What are they doing here?¡¯ she felt confused, most of the villagers didn¡¯t dare come so deep into the forest, although it was safe when it wasn¡¯t winter. They didn¡¯t have reasons to. The plants were poisonous, and if they needed wood the trees bordering the village were much easier marks, also counting that most had an irrational fear of the forest. Cayleth couldn¡¯t help but wonder why those people where there. She thought of her options. She knew that she had about 3 more hours before the twilight turned to darkest night, and she couldn¡¯t care less about some idiots that got lost in the woods, also counting that Raz would be upset if she didn¡¯t return soon. Annoying he may be, but he also cared a lot about her. Ultimately her curiosity got the best of her, she didn¡¯t remember seeing anyone brave enough to head so deep in the forest. Even when they were starving their fears always got the best of them. So, she carefully made her way towards the origin of the sounds, still keeping her spears. Raz wasn¡¯t here, and nothing stopped a particularly resented refugee to decide their world would better with one less xeno in it. Chapter 3 With her body low on the greenery, Cayleth approached the source of the child¡¯s cry, hiding herself behind the trees and bushes as she closed in, going over a slope and finally taking sight of the brave visitors. ¡®Two girls? Why are they here?¡¯ she thought, looking towards the two figures. One of them, the source of the cries, was on the ground weeping as she hugged her scraped knee, she couldn¡¯t be more than 10 years old, with red hair that looked almost black with all the grime stuck to it, wearing a tattered dress with too many stitches, her face red and swollen by the crying. The other one was kneeling next to the weeping girl, with long blonde hair in a braid behind her back, her face although dirty with earth and lacking proper hygiene would induce jealousy in the most pompous of noblewomans, with perfect proportions and hazel eyes that seemed golden, with an almost feral glint to them; she appeared to be 13 years old and wore a tattered linen shirt and trousers. Cayleth merely stood there watching them, unsure of what her next move would be. The older girl was trying to console the weeping one, their conversation now reaching her ears. ¡°Come on now, we need to keep moving, I know you¡¯re tired, but we can¡¯t stop now. Its darkening and we still haven¡¯t found anything¡± Said the blonde one in kind tone. Hearing her voice Cayleth felt confused. ¡®That¡¯s not the voice of a gir¡­¡¯ ¡°But big brother I¡¯M HUNGRY¡­ uhhhh I CAN¡¯T KEEP GOING, MY LEGS ARE GOING TO FALL OFF! UWAHHH!!!¡± The smaller one continued crying and sobbing. ¡®That¡¯s a boy? Well damn me, he is prettier than all the women in the village¡¯ The boy seemed unsure what to do, looking around the area. Cayleth noticed his sight falling on a particular bush of berries, that unlike many others in the vicinity, lacked the neon like glow or any particular striking colors that screamed danger even to the most novice herbalist. ¡®oh fuck, don¡¯t do it!¡¯ Cayleth thought as she saw the blonde boy approach the bush. Cold and indifferent she may be, but she wasn¡¯t one to stand idly as some idiot kids killed themselves in a horrible way. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t do that if I were you. Unless you want to puke blood and die horribly that is.¡± She said, letting her voice reach the boy moving towards the bush. He was startled, then in a blur of movement even Cayleth couldn¡¯t follow properly a small steel knife was suddenly in his hands and he held a battle stance. ¡°WHO¡¯S THERE?!¡± He said his eyes the darting all over the place until they settled on the general location Cayleth was hidden. ¡®Hummm pretty good senses, also had some training by the looks of it. Why is a kid like that in this place?¡¯ Cayleth wondered. Her eyes now firmly attached to the blonde boy ¡®This might be interesting after all¡¯ she thought. Feeling a little mischievous. ¡®I haven¡¯t seen their faces around, they must be new blood. A guard¡¯s son maybe? Why he was allowed to come in here alone and bring that brat along is beyond me¡­ still it takes some serious balls or desperation to come so deep into this place. Let¡¯s see if his skill is for real¡¯ She readied herself, not moving a single muscle, hidden behind a tree waiting for an opportunity. The small girl noticed the change in the boy¡¯s demeanor and had stopped crying. ¡°Big brother what is happening?¡± she said in a frightened voice. ¡°Come here Jun, someone is here wi...¡± he never got to finish his sentence. His senses screaming for him to dodge as a blurring figure flew by his cheek. Cayleth didn¡¯t lose the opportunity when he lost his concentration. Throwing one of her spears and missing intentionally to frighten him. Then darting from her hiding spot circling the boy and ending up behind him. ¡°You know you really shouldn¡¯t lose your concentration when there is a potential enemy nearby¡± She warned him, before swinging her spear. The boy ducked just as a blur went past where his head stood, turning to where his assailant was, he deflected three more blows with his dagger before grabbing the shaft of her spear with his free hand. What he saw shocked him, Cayleth¡¯s childish grinning figure making him doubt just what he was seeing. ¡°You know, you¡¯re not half bad.¡± She said, twisting and pulling her spear, taking advantage of his shock to get close and punch him in the gut. The boy flew backwards falling on the ground, but still keeping hold of his dagger as he did so. Cayleth didn¡¯t give him any chances though, even before he could get his bearings back, she already rested the tip of her spear a few millimeters from his neck. He froze on the spot, eyes focused on her face, afraid, confused, angry, ashamed, a plethora of emotions flashed through his expression, to which Cayleth merely chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re dead, just so you know¡± she said softly, removing the spear, and retreating a little. The boy got up immediately, back in his stance as he eyed her warily. Still trying to take in just what had transpired, and why a strange girl had suddenly attacked him. ¡°Wh¡­¡± he tried to say, but even before he could finish, the little girl Jun started to cry and scream wildly. ¡°UWAAH, B-BIG BROTHER RUN! IT¡¯S T-THE WRAITH!!!, UWAAHH!!!¡± ¡®Wraith? What¡¯s this nonsense now?¡¯ Cayleth thought as she observed the little girl struggle to get up and hide behind the boy¡¯s figure. ¡°Who are you?! Why did you attack us?!¡± the boy asked with hostility and fear clear on his face. ¡°Well¡­¡± Cayleth spun the spear in her hand, making the boy flinch as he readied the knife in front of him. Ready to parry. ¡°I wanted to see just who had the balls to enter this forest¡± she said as drove the wooden blade to the ground, sticking it there letting go. ¡°You refugees? What are you kids doing here? I Thought those idiots on the village didn¡¯t let their snot nosed brats leave the safety of the shitholes they call homes¡± Now crossing her arms and eyeing both of them with an arrogant look that was only half pretended. Putting an impersonation of Raz¡¯s best infuriating smirk. Which apparently worked as the boy¡¯s face grew darker and angrier, surpassing his fear and battle instincts telling him to keep his cool. ¡°W-WHO ARE WE! WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU?!¡± ''He had some training, but he''s still a kid, still those were some pretty impressive moves for a refugee'' Cayleth laughed internally at the sight of the boy losing his calm so easily. ¡°Oh, I guess never did introduce myself¡± she said putting up a dumb childish expression with her hand on her chin, her emerald green eyes glistening with fake innocence. ¡°Name is Cayleth, nice to meet you!¡± a smile now beaming on her childish face. ¡°Nic- NICE TO MEET YOU?! YOU ALMOST TOOK MY GODDAMN HEAD OFF!!!¡± He said in a tone filled with outrage. ¡°Well, that¡¯s just my way of greeting people¡± Cayleth retorted in the sweetest childish voice she could muster, leaving the boy stunned for a moment, before his expression once again turned to outrage. ¡°GREETING PEOPLE?! GREETING PEOPLE?!!! WHO THE FUCK DOES THAT YOU CRAZY KID?!¡± he screamed again. ¡°Now, now, I¡¯m not a kid. I¡¯m positive that I¡¯m older than you¡± She retorted, her voice now taking a complete different, dignified tone. The boy finally seemed to have had enough, and stopped talking. Only eying Cayleth¡¯s carefree demeanor warily as he held back the anger. Still confused to how the situation had turned out. ¡°Well now that you know my name, might I have yours? Its only good to be polite you know?¡± Cayleth said, still keeping the stuck-up condescending demeanor that Raz was so fond off. She had learned from him that people often showed their true selves and lost their masks when they lost their calm. Visibly trembling with anger, the boy snarled back. ¡°And why should I?¡± ¡°Well¡­I DID save your life, so It¡¯s only natural that you should be thankful, right?¡± Cayleth said, putting up Raz¡¯s best shit eating grin. ¡°Sav- SAVED MY LIFE?! WHAT ARE YOU GOING ON ABOUT YOU STUPID IDIOT?¡± He screamed back, face flushing red with anger. Cayleth merely pointed at the berry bush. ¡°Had you touched those berries the skin on your hands would be falling off right about now, if you had eaten them¡­ well let¡¯s just say your insides would be splattered all over the forest floor while they leaked from every hole ya got¡± It was a half lie, the berries would definitively kill him painfully had he swallowed them. But she had inherited a gusto for the theatrics from her companion. The boy visibly flinched after she mentioned the berry bush, but Cayleth didn¡¯t let up. ¡°Now you see, I don¡¯t think you realize what situation you''re in¡± She continued ¡°Try and see it from my point of view will ya? A stupid kid enters the forest, when it¡¯s already darkening too, a forest that I¡¯m sure every human in that dirty village told you is DANGEROUS and POISONOUS. Not only that but brings also brings along a snot nosed brat that will likely only slow him down. And then as if all of that wasn''t enough, he lets himself get beat up by someone TWO HEADS SMALLER THAN HIM using a STICK while he has a STEEL dagger. Now I don¡¯t know what level of STUPID or CRAZY, or downright ARROGANT that boy is, but it¡¯s gotta be pretty damn high if you ask me¡± She glared at the two of them, the small girl shrinking behind the now dejected looking boy, both evading her piercing gaze.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. ¡°Alright I¡¯ll introduce myself and try again, my name is Cayleth, half-elf, a dweller of that dirty village just like you guys. Come on now, you try, I¡¯m sure you can do it.¡± The boy looked up at the mention she was also an inhabitant of the village. Now noticing the inherent sarcasm and mock in her tone. Realizing that this was all a test. He sighed knowing that he¡¯d been had. ¡°Name is Ariel, this is Jun she¡¯s my¡­ sister¡± He said, directing his gaze back at Cayleth. ¡°See isn¡¯t that much better? Was it that hard?¡± ¡°Can you please cut it with the sarcasm?¡± He said now looking dejected. ¡°Sorry¡­ It¡¯s kinda hard not to do it when you live with who I live with for long enough¡­ ahem* well now that is settled, Friends?¡± Cayleth said, dropping the stuck-up arrogant demeanor. Intentionally letting her tone become friendlier, as she closed in and offered a hand. An offer of peace. The boy eyed her warily for a while, but ended up sheathing his dagger in his belt, and shaking her hand, accepting the truce. His hand was larger than hers, but he didn¡¯t try to squeeze it, merely having a firm grip. Cayleth looked deep into his amber eyes, and what she saw pleased her. Now that they were no longer at stakes, she could not see it in his eyes. They had no hate, nor the ever-present prejudice she was so used to dealing with. Not flinching back at her presence or touch. His eyes were firm, honest, a little na?ve too, but she couldn¡¯t stop a genuine smile from appearing in her face. ¡®A kind human, how rare¡¯ She thought as she retreated, and an awkward atmosphere descended as the boy didn¡¯t seem to know how to continue the conversation looking at her beaming smile. ¡°Well I¡¯m sorry about all that act, it kinda comes as a second nature to ya when you gotta deal with shitty wastes of humanity all the time¡± She said, allowing a natural friendly tone. A tinge of melancholy to dripping into her voice. Ariel didn¡¯t know what to say, looking weirdly at her trying to make out what she meant. ¡°You see¡­ humans can be quite the asshats when it comes to xenos in times of war, if you know what I mean¡± Cayleth said, an understanding expression taking Ariel¡¯s face as she noticed his eyes scanning her. From her silvery hair to her marble-like features, but surprisingly no expression of disgust or hate flashed through his face, only pity. Cayleth smiled inside, it wasn¡¯t the first time she was looked at like that, but it was surely better than hateful glares. It only reinforced her guess that this blonde-haired boy might be different from most of the other humans, if that was true then he might be worth keeping around. Raz was a good person, but it wouldn¡¯t hurt to increase her repertoire of allies, and as kids usually mirrored their parent¡¯s behavior, his family might be worth helping. Especially because if his father was the one who trained him. ¡°Sooo now that we¡¯re friends, might I ask just what the hell are you guys doing here?¡± Cayleth decided that she should be the one to break the silence. Ariel put up a difficult expression but ended up sighing and speaking. ¡°We were hoping to find something to eat¡­ we were on the road for a long time, and the food they gave wasn¡¯t enough¡­¡± He said warily no doubt expecting another barbed reply from her part. ¡°Wow, you guys must have some shitty parents for them to¡­¡± Cayleth started saying, but Ariel cut her off midway. ¡°We¡¯re orphans, my father died when Citri fell, we followed the refugee line by ourselves.¡± ¡°What? I thought they didn¡¯t send orphans to the frontier; Doesn¡¯t the church take them or something?¡± She asked now confused to why these two were here. ¡°They do, it¡¯s just that we that ran away¡± Ariel¡¯s said firmly ¡°Now why in the nine hells would do that?! You¡¯re both human, aren¡¯t you? Becoming a Demon Hunter, or even an Evangelist sure beats living in this shithole, and with your skills I''m sure they''d take you in immediately. Are you actually stupid?!¡± Her voice now taking on an incredulous tone. It was a known fact that the church took orphans into their ranks, indoctrinating them when they were young was more effective afterall. Cayleth naturally wasn¡¯t taken in since it preached human supremacy, but for a pure human to refuse the opportunity to escape living the rest of their days starving at a stupid frontier village or becoming cannon fodder in the army was utter madness in her eyes. Ariel merely made an angry expression, disgust reaching his eyes for the first time. ¡°I would never serve those bastards¡± he said with a tone that ended the discussion. Cayleth watched his expression judgingly for a while. Wondering what her next step would be. ¡®If they¡¯re truly orphans they won¡¯t last a week in this place. Gods know what would¡¯ve happened if Raz hadn¡¯t found me¡­¡¯ ¡°Well your decisions are your own. Now on to problem at hand, what are you going to do now?¡± Ariel thought for a bit, then replied. "I don''t know, we just wanted to get as far away from the war as possible" "Didn''t plan for the scarcity of food, did you?" Cayleth guessed, now that she was able to take a closer look at Ariel she noticed that underneath the ragged clothes he wore was a well-trained body, although one that showed signs of someone that lost weight quickly. "The country representatives didn''t say anything about the conditions of the place we would be sent to, and people stopped inquiring after they executed the ones who refused their generous offer" Ariel said with a dark expression. "Typical" Cayleth had heard many tales like these from Raz, apparently the inner cities were filled to the brim with refugees already, and their respective nobles pushed the kingdom to do something about it. Now one of two fates awaits those who lost their homes, either become cannon fodder for the army, a fate which many avoided at all cost because it was basically suicide; Or head north to the frontier with a promise of a new home and a better life. Unaware of the fact that the same fate still awaited them, albeit a slower one. The boy just stood there, still unsure what to say. ¡°Well it is indeed darkening¡± Cayleth said, looking at the foliage above, now casting deep shadows on the places the sun could no longer reach. ¡°I don¡¯t know about you, but I¡¯m heading back, you guys coming?¡± She had already decided that Ariel was worth keeping around. The boy hesitated, to which she continued ¡°That''s unless you¡¯ve got a problem keeping company to a xeno¡± she said, now with cold glint on her eyes. The boy noticing what she was implying hurriedly said ¡°No, not at all¡­ it¡¯s just¡­¡± he stopped, hesitating again. ¡°Come on. are we not friends? out with it¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have a place to stay, the man who offered us shelter says we have to pay a rent, either in food, or¡­ in other ways¡­¡± He said drily. ¡°Ugh, disgusting¡± Cayleth snarled. She had already guessed their situation being rather knowledgeable on the darker spots of human nature herself. ¡°But wait, what are you doing here then? The villagers might not be the brightest people in the world, but they are smart enough not to eat anything that doesn¡¯t come from their plantation¡± she asked confused. ¡°Well¡­ I heard from some of the others that there were a few berries that were safe to eat, we were hoping to find those, or in the worst-case scenario, I¡¯d hunt down a few small animals¡± Ariel continued, observing how Cayleth¡¯s expression twisted as he spoke. In the end she couldn¡¯t help but laugh drily ¡®BY THE GODS, are they keen on suicide?! Are humans really that indifferent to let children, their Kin wander uninformed into a place that would only lead to their death?!¡¯ She already knew the answers, as she was familiar with the logic of less mouths to feed that most people used in this place. But it surprised her nonetheless. ¡°Well good thing I found you guys then, otherwise you and your sister would be either fertilizer, or some beast¡¯s dinner. You see, this isn¡¯t just some normal forest like the others in the country, you guys are in what is called the dead zone, because no beasts live here and most of the things that grow are extremely poisonous or toxic¡± The boy wanted to reply but Cayleth didn¡¯t give him the chance. ¡°NOW, if you guys had gone a few more miles, you¡¯d have entered the forest proper, and trust me when I say that you DO NOT want to do that, unless you want to die before you even realize what got to you. I¡¯m sure you have killed some Gob¡¯s in your training pretty boy. But you have NO IDEA of what lurks in that place¡± Cayleth warned them in a stern tone. ¡°Oh, and those berries don¡¯t exist anymore, it¡¯s incredible how quickly hungry humans are able to track down and devour anything that won¡¯t turn their insides into mush¡­¡± Ariel looked dejected, realizing just how faulty his plans were, and how close he had come to dying. And yet worse, dragging Jun down with him. ¡°Well, if you guys don¡¯t have a place to stay, I guess you can stay at my place for a while¡­¡± She offered, noticing the increasing desperation in Ariel¡¯s face. ¡°PLEASE!!!¡± He bowed, going down on his knees and planting his forehead on the ground. ¡°Wow, Wow, you don¡¯t need to go that far. We are friends, aren¡¯t we?¡± She was startled, quickly replying and saying whatever came to mind, but if anything, the boy¡¯s behavior made her smile internally, and steeled her resolve she would take care of these kids. The prospect of a friend near her age pleased her. The boy got up and looked straight at her emerald eyes, then saying with a relieved tone ¡°Thank you!¡± Cayleth couldn¡¯t help but let a genuine smile grace her face ¡°Well you guys aren¡¯t that bad, for humans that is¡± she chuckled. ¡°Come on, I¡¯ll lead you guys back, we still got a long way to go¡± She moved, gesturing so Ariel followed, but something interrupted them by the form a childish scream. ¡°NOOOOOOOOOOOO, B-BIG BROTHER DON¡¯T DO IT, IT¡¯S THE W-WRAITH, SHES GOING TO CURSE YOU, THEN YOU BECOME WEAK AND DI-DIE, UWAAHHAHH¡± The little girl screamed, having stayed quiet for most of the conversation, merely hugging Ariel and burying her face into his back. Cayleth had almost forgotten about her. Ariel, looked at her, expression changing to anger them sighing and becoming a patient one. ¡°Sorry, she¡¯s still a kid¡­ I guess the things the villagers said got to her¡­ Sorry¡± He said wryly, looking awkwardly in Cayleth¡¯s direction as he kneeled and looked Jun straight in the eyes. ¡°Jun¡± he started, putting his face on the same level as hers ¡°She¡¯s not the wraith, I heard the stories too, but we shouldn¡¯t judge someone based on rumors¡± He said in a firm tone. ¡°B-but, Big-bro¡­¡± ¡°JUN, I can tell she¡¯s not the wraith, ok? the wraith doesn¡¯t use a spear, right? nor does she talk to people before she curses them, right? She¡¯s just a girl like you¡± He continued, smiling at her. The small girl apparently accepted his words, as she stopped crying, but then she looked at Cayleth and buried her face in Ariel¡¯s chest. ¡°It¡¯s okay Jun, I promised I would protect you, didn¡¯t I?¡± He reassured the small girl ¡°Can you walk?¡± The small girl looked at his smiling face and replied. ¡°Yes¡± Ariel looked at Cayleth who was still frozen in place looking at them and smiled wryly again. ¡°Sorry about that, I hope this doesn¡¯t hurt our friendship¡­¡± he said awkwardly. ¡°No probs, I can tell you¡¯re not a bad human Ariel. But what is that nonsense about a wraith now?¡± Cayleth had a guess, but she wanted to make sure. Ariel looked relieved, but them his expression turned complicated as he thought of what he should say. ¡°It was just talk among the refugees, I thought it was nonsense when I heard it too, something about the spirit of an elf girl that curses the land their people, maki¡­¡± Cayleth growled and snarled ¡°Typical¡± under her breath, interrupting him ¡°You don¡¯t need to tell me the rest, kinda used to it already to tell ya the truth¡± she said with a dark expression. ¡°Well we should start walking, don''t want that idiot doing something stupid because I didn¡¯t show up¡± She continued, turning towards the direction of the village. ¡°What?¡± Ariel asked. ¡°Oh¡­ sorry, just kinda spoke what was on my mind, but we really should be walking right now. We don¡¯t have much light left, and I rather not stumble into one of those vines with poison on their thorns¡± ¡°Okay¡± he said holding Jun¡¯s hand and following her A little while later, Ariel suddenly stopped as if he had realized something. Cayleth shot him a questioning look, as he was eying her hands. ¡°Your spears! We forgot them!¡± Ariel said. ¡°Oh that¡­ ah don¡¯t worry they¡¯re expendable¡± She said shrugging it off and turned to continue walking. But Ariel didn¡¯t let up ¡°Expendable?! Don¡¯t bullshit me. The crafting on those things was incredible! They must have taken an incredible amount of effort to craft!¡± Ariel was apparently good at judging weapons. Cayleth simply looked at the ground and found a small twig laying around. She picked it up and willed her mana into, transforming it into a miniature spear. The bark perfect and smooth without a single failure. As if the wood had grown into that shape naturally. She offered it to Ariel, who was giving her surprised look. ¡°Here, for you¡± ¡°Incredible! You could make some good money selling that back in the cities, specially if you can use something like Steelbark on them¡± Cayleth flushed a bit, she wasn¡¯t used to receiving compliments. ¡°Well sadly they don¡¯t last long¡± she said weakly, turning her face away. ¡°What?¡± ¡°¡­. They rot away after some time, especially when I make then quickly like this. That one will likely last only a few minutes at best¡± Ariel¡¯s expression turned blank. Unsure of what to say looking at the miniature spear in his hands, at the end he pocketed it near where kept his dagger. Drawing a small smile from Cayleth as she observed it side-eyed while walking ahead. Midway through the trip an awkward silence had settled down, to which Ariel attempted to break it by starting a conversation. ¡°You know, I thought you didn¡¯t exist at first¡± he said. ¡°What?¡± she replied coldly. Noticing his mistake, Ariel tried to correct it. ¡°uhm¡­ you know, besides the rumors about the wraith, there were some talks about an elf girl with silver hair, they said that she was here as long as they can remember, as if time didn¡¯t change her appearance at all, and that if you dared to touch her you¡¯d end up strung to a tree with a spear down your¡­ well uh¡­¡± ¡°Oh, that one. I guess he did go a little overboard back then... but sincerely It was well deserved, that one was rude, and grabby too¡± She said chuckling, remembering the situation in question. Ariel gulped, ¡°h-he?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll meet him soon, don¡¯t worry though. You¡¯re a good kid, and I¡¯m sure Raz will like you too¡± Cayleth said while grinning.